Sudden Upheaval

Chu Qing held the bowl in his hand, feeling as though he were gripping a landmine.

He recognized this bowl... when he had disguised himself as a beggar outside the teahouse, it had been placed before him.

Chu Fan had even tossed silver into it.

Later, after taking on the mission to assassinate the Seven Iron Horse Thieves, he had been busy killing people everywhere.

Once the dust had settled, he discovered that the bowl was gone.

But he had not thought much of it. After all, it was merely a disposable prop.

He had not disguised himself as a beggar again afterward, so he cared even less.

But... he had never dreamed that this broken bowl would appear in Junior Sister Wen's hands!

And why was she giving it to me?

Back at the teahouse, he had already felt that this Junior Sister Wen was strange.

Why had she handed him tea for no reason, then stared at him... as if she had some kind of illness?

And now, just like that, the bowl had been returned to its original owner.

What exactly did she know? Had she discovered that he was that beggar?

Or did she merely want a servant to throw the bowl away?

As thoughts whirled through his mind, he felt an urge to drag Junior Sister Wen away and question her.

Yet in the present circumstances, he clearly could not do that.

If only Chu Fan were here, it would not matter even if his identity were exposed... but if Wu Qianhuan learned that he was the man who had fled the marriage, the consequences would be impossible to predict.

All kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind, and Chu Qing displayed just the right amount of astonishment.

To him, this sort of performance was as natural as muscle memory.

At the same time, all manner of countermeasures surged into his mind like a swarm.

Just as he was about to speak, Junior Sister Wen acted as though nothing had happened and returned to her seat.

That was it?

Chu Qing froze for a moment, feeling as though he had thrown a punch into empty air.

All his follow-up moves were stifled before they could be used.

"What is going on with this Junior Sister Wen? What medicine is she selling in her gourd?"

Chu Qing felt that his mind was in a mess... after all, he could not imagine that some people specifically liked picking up strange and unusual things.

Like the carrying pole he had believed he had hidden so well.

Still, seeing that Junior Sister Wen made no further move, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as she could keep steady, it would be fine. If she made it through today, then even if she truly knew something, it would not matter. By then, whether he would still be in Heavenly Dance City was anyone's guess.

With that thought, he relaxed slightly and looked up at the fight between Chu Fan and Tang Xi.

There was no need to say much about Chu Fan. The Great Easy Sect's Book of the Immutable Heavens was profound and unfathomable; the Grand Easy Divine Palm made complexity seem simple, while the Grand Easy Divine Fist used one force to overcome ten techniques. Combined with Chu Fan's innate divine strength, ordinary people were simply no match for him.

Although Tang Xi was the Young Hall Master of Falling Rain Hall, he was steadily losing ground in their exchange.

Yet Chu Qing noticed that although Tang Xi had fallen into a disadvantage, he did not look flustered. Even when Chu Fan forced him back again and again, panic showed on his face.

But Chu Qing, who was highly skilled at acting, could tell at a glance that there was an element of performance in that panic.

"Does he have some other source of confidence? Does he not take Chu Fan seriously?"

Chu Qing raised his brows, finding it somewhat baffling.

Although Tang Xi was holding something back, Chu Fan had not gone all out either.

What gave him the right not to take Chu Fan seriously?

And besides... Falling Rain Hall's deputy hall master, Liu Shijie, was connected to the Seven Iron Horse Thieves. What position did this Young Hall Master hold in Heavenly Dance City?

Just as he was considering this, Chu Fan and Tang Xi had already determined the victor.

With a bang, the two figures separated.

Tang Xi stumbled back four or five steps before shaking his hand and grinning through bared teeth.

"Brother Chu Fan is indeed formidable. The Grand Easy Divine Fist truly lives up to its reputation. This little brother willingly admits defeat."

"You let me win. The Young Hall Master's martial arts are also exceedingly exquisite. If there is time, we should exchange pointers more often."

When Chu Fan spoke now, he was no longer as unpleasant as before.

Wu Qianhuan smiled at this.

"Second Brother Chu, aren't you underestimating this Young Hall Master Tang?

"You must know that Falling Rain Hall entered Heavenly Dance City only three short years ago, yet rose from having not a penny to its name to its present state.

"With the Young Hall Master's family teachings and deep inheritance, he likely does not fall below Second Brother Chu."

As she spoke, she rose to her feet and drew a longsword from the attendant at her side.

"This little sister has recently learned a sword technique and would also like to ask you two for some guidance."

Having said that, she gave neither Chu Fan nor Tang Xi a chance to speak. Her steps turned, her body became an illusion, and in an instant she had charged between them.

Her sword flashed first, thrusting straight for Chu Fan's heart.

Chu Fan was startled. He had not expected Wu Qianhuan to attack the moment she spoke, giving him no time to react at all.

Had anyone else behaved this way, Chu Fan naturally would not have indulged them.

But because of Chu Qing, Chu Fan felt guilty toward Wu Qianhuan. Upon seeing this, his first instinct was to evade.

Yet Wu Qianhuan seemed to have anticipated that Chu Fan would respond this way. Her longsword turned, one becoming three, plum blossoms dancing in bloom like a brilliant sun opening overhead.

In an instant, they enveloped the vital acupoints across Tang Xi's chest.

The swordplay was beautiful, but the killing intent within it ran even deeper.

Tang Xi had been watching Chu Fan make a spectacle of himself, never expecting the sword's edge to turn and come for him instead.

The shock was no small matter, and it was already too late to evade.

Even Chu Fan could not help widening his eyes, feeling that Wu Qianhuan truly intended to kill someone.

At that razor-thin moment, Tang Xi's figure flickered like a dying candle in the wind. It vanished in a flash, only to rise again with leisure.

In that single flicker, he had already retreated more than two zhang!

A trace of solemnity flashed through Wu Qianhuan's eyes.

Chu Fan, on the other hand, clapped and laughed loudly.

"Good movement technique!!"

Tang Xi's face stiffened for an instant, but he quickly smiled.

"I have made Brother Chu Fan laugh. The Eldest Young Lady's sword was too swift; it truly caught one off guard."

Wu Qianhuan said with a smiling gaze:

"Oh? Second Brother Chu, look at this—this Young Hall Master Tang is no good man. He still has a trick up his sleeve that he has not used. How about the three of us fight another round?

"Let's strip him clean of every last bit of skill he has hidden at the bottom of his chest?"

Tang Xi repeatedly begged for mercy, while Chu Fan was eager to give it a try.

Just as he was about to speak, there came a creak—the small courtyard's gate had been opened.

No one paid it much mind at first, assuming that another servant had come in to deliver something.

But when they looked over, all of them were somewhat taken aback.

The person who entered was not a servant of the Chu Family, but a middle-aged man.

Dressed like a traveler of the martial world, he nodded to everyone after entering, then turned and shut the courtyard gate behind him.

Chu Fan frowned.

"Who are you? This is the inner courtyard. If you are a guest, go to the front courtyard and join the banquet."

The man lifted his head and glanced at Chu Fan, smiling faintly. With a tap of his foot, he suddenly exerted force. A boom rang out as he charged straight ahead, reaching Chu Fan in the blink of an eye.

As his final step landed, the blue stone beneath his foot shattered with a crack. His body bent like a drawn bow, his right fist clenched like an arrow loosed from the string, smashing toward Chu Fan's chest and abdomen with a bang.

Chu Fan's eyes widened. The opponent's fist force felt like raging waves and storm-tossed seas, making him feel as though he had been cast adrift upon the vast ocean.

Its momentum was piercing, savage to the extreme.

Seeing this, Wu Qianhuan's pupils abruptly constricted.

"Overturning Sea Dragon Fist! Second Brother Chu, he is Xin Youhen of the Valley of Ten Thousand Nights—do not take it head-on!!"