Martial Arts Academy

Xuanguo Estate.

Under the osmanthus tree.

The accumulated snow had been completely cleared away, and several young servants were gathered together, chatting idly.

"I heard the Quicksand Gang and the Golden Tide Gang in Five Horses Lane had a gang fight last night. Dozens of people died. Even the Five Cities Garrison was alerted and went there at night to suppress it."

"I heard about it too. It seems the Quicksand Gang leader's concubine slept with one of his subordinates. After the matter was exposed, that person even took a few people and defected to the Golden Tide Gang. Tsk tsk."

As the young servants chatted, maids and servant girls also passed by.

Xiao Mei walked over from another direction. As she passed by, she also heard the conversation, but she wasn't interested and didn't stop to listen, continuing on her way.

But just then, she heard someone say:

"Oh, right, the Black Water Gang on East Forest Street was wiped out yesterday. They say everyone in the gang died cleanly in that courtyard, not a single one left alive. They say even the Five Cities Garrison people were a bit tight-lipped about it, and they don't know the specific situation."

A young servant said in a low voice.

The people nearby were startled, saying with some fear, "Could it be demons and monsters causing trouble?"

"Probably not. If there were any demons or monsters, the commotion today would probably be much bigger. Maybe they provoked someone they shouldn't have, and were wiped out."

Another person shook his head.

Xiao Mei, who was passing by, suddenly paused her steps. After a slight daze, a hint of confusion appeared on her face.

The Black Water Gang... was wiped out?

She had been thinking about revenge day and night before. That hatred had always been her motivation to resist fate. But now, suddenly, she heard the news of the Black Water Gang's demise.

The news was so sudden that she fell into a daze, even feeling a bit lost.

When she came back to her senses.

She saw that the few young servants who had been chatting had already dispersed, going elsewhere to continue their work, leaving only her standing alone not far from the huge osmanthus tree.

Xiao Mei looked at the backs of the few people who had left, wanting to chase after them and ask if the Black Water Gang was really wiped out, and who did it. But then, she suddenly thought of something.

Chen Mu had asked about the Black Water Gang!

Chen Mu had just asked, and the Black Water Gang was wiped out. Could there be such a coincidence in the world?

For a moment, Xiao Mei didn't know what she was thinking. She returned to the courtyard in a daze, then encountered Ren Yan, and in her confusion, asked Ren Yan a question.

"About Second Master's matter, you should ask him yourself."

Ren Yan replied.

He looked at Xiao Mei's appearance again, thought about the changes in Xiao Mei over the past two days, and after thinking for a moment, added, "I did inquire about the Black Water Gang yesterday."

This wasn't a secret. Xiao Mei could find out if she wanted to, it would just be a bit troublesome.

As for the Black Water Gang being wiped out overnight,

Ren Yan was also slightly startled.

Perhaps others wouldn't connect it to Chen Mu, this illegitimate son in Xuanguo Estate who had no power, but he vaguely felt that this matter was related to his Second Master.

Xiao Mei watched Ren Yan leave blankly.

If Chen Mu had put the Black Water Gang matter aside after asking her, perhaps it would have had nothing to do with Chen Mu. But Ren Yan went to inquire about the Black Water Gang – there were no such coincidences everywhere in this world.

Xiao Mei reached into her pocket and took out a damaged small jade token. The token had the character 'Mei' on it. This was a gift her sister had given her before she died, and it was the only thing she hadn't lost.

She clutched the small jade token tightly in her palm.

"Sister..."

Xiao Mei suddenly smiled, a hint of tears in her eyes.

She didn't know how Chen Mu had done these things.

She was just an ordinary maidservant. In this life, she had nothing to repay Chen Mu's kindness, because her life already belonged to Chen Mu.

All she could do was follow Chen Mu in this life and in future lives. As long as Chen Mu needed her to follow, she would follow him through every reincarnation, staying by his side and serving him.

At the same time.

Chen Mu had also returned to the Xuanguo Estate.

However, he didn't return to his own small courtyard. Instead, he quietly went to a very spacious courtyard located on the north side of the Xuanguo Estate. The main gate of this courtyard was inscribed with –

Martial Arts Academy!

Da Yuan valued martial arts, and now the strong were respected. As the dignified Xuanguo Estate, the martial arts training ground was naturally the largest and most important area in the entire estate.

However, the young masters and ladies of the Xuanguo Estate often didn't practice martial arts in the Martial Arts Academy. They would just take the martial arts techniques and practice them in their own courtyards, or invite a teacher from the Martial Arts Academy for private instruction.

Those who practiced martial arts in the Martial Arts Academy were some of the private soldiers and servants trained by the Xuanguo Estate.

Da Yuan allowed noble families to train private soldiers.

And there was no limit to the number.

Because it was a world where the strong were respected, a single strong person could rival ten thousand soldiers. Except for a very small number of Qi and Blood military formations that could be effective against powerful Martial Artists, ordinary numbers were meaningless.

For the same reason, ducal and marquis estates would not train a large number of private soldiers. They often focused on quality rather than quantity, seeking out good prospects, either by buying or subduing them.

However.

The truly best and most potential individuals were often taken away by the Da Yuan imperial family first, followed by the several princes of Da Yuan, then the kings with different surnames, and only then would it be the turn of the ducal and marquis estates.

Therefore, the Martial Artists trained here in the Xuanguo Estate were not of poor aptitude, but they couldn't be considered geniuses either. This was one of the reasons why there was only one fourth-grade Martial Artist and a few fifth-grade Martial Artists in the Xuanguo Estate now.

Chen Mu walked into the Martial Arts Academy.

Because he had been here several times in his memory, although it was his first time, he was not unfamiliar. After entering, he went straight to the innermost part of the Martial Arts Academy, towards the rows of low houses.

There were many people practicing martial arts in the Martial Arts Academy at this time, striking various different poses. Some had skin that was flushed red and congested, while others had fists that glowed with a dark, eerie light.

These people all saw Chen Mu.

Some of the younger ones, whose Qi and Blood were not very vigorous, immediately bowed to Chen Mu, while some of the older ones with strong Qi and Blood just nodded slightly as a greeting.

Just then, a slightly surprised voice came.

"Huh? Why is Second Brother here?"

The voice was clear and pleasant.

Chen Mu turned his head and saw a girl of about seventeen or eighteen walking from behind. She was pretty, with a hint of heroism between her brows, and a slight look of surprise.

Although she looked older than him, the girl was actually just full of vitality and had developed better than other girls her age. In reality, she was two months younger than him.

The girl was Chen Yao.

The first thing Chen Mu noticed was that her vitality was even stronger than when he had accidentally glimpsed it a few days ago, indicating that her cultivation had made significant progress in the past two days.

"I came to find a martial art to practice."

Chen Mu's expression was gentle.

Chen Yao walked closer, blinked her eyes, and seemed to remember something. She put her small hand on her chin and said, "Is Second Brother afraid that Chen Xing will cause trouble? I heard about that incident. That sister-in-law was being unreasonable, and it was right to hit her. Second Brother doesn't need to be afraid. If Chen Xing causes trouble for Second Brother, I'll help too..."

Speaking of this, Chen Yao suddenly thought of something else and chuckled, saying, "But it's a good thing that Second Brother wants to practice martial arts. Although it's a bit late to start now, there will still be results as long as you persevere. I'll help Second Brother pick the most suitable one."