A Family Mourns, a Hundred Households Rejoice!

The cold mist had yet to disperse, and the winter morning was filled with a bone-piercing chill.

In the small courtyard, Zhao Hu was bent over, tidying the bamboo strips. His movements were slightly sluggish, and the aura he exhaled condensed into clouds of white mist.

Chu Fan was still lying on the plank bed, wrapped tightly in the old quilt and fast asleep.

He had practiced boxing for too long the night before, leaving his muscles and bones sore and exhausted. Even now, he remained deep in his dark dreams, utterly unaware that dawn had broken.

Suddenly, a hurried knock shattered the silence.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

One knock followed another, stubborn and unrelenting.

Chu Fan abruptly woke up.

He then heard a somewhat familiar voice coming from outside the courtyard. "Brother Zhao Hu, are you up? Something terrible has happened!"

Zhao Hu put down the bamboo strips and rose to open the door. He saw that it was his neighbors, Zhang Laoliu and Zhu Asi.

The two men wore panicked expressions, yet could not conceal their excitement.

The moment Zhang Laoliu stepped into the courtyard, he lowered his voice and said, "Huang Shouliang's steward and the courtyard guard instructor, Master Wang, were killed last night!"

"What?" Zhao Hu's heart suddenly leaped. An uncontrollable surge of wild joy welled up inside him, only to be immediately suppressed by the horror that followed.

He subconsciously glanced at Chu Fan's tightly closed door.

Chu Fan had returned after disappearing for half a month, and that very night, Liu Da's gang had died horribly;

A few days ago, when Chu Fan had returned home from the Seven Star Gang, the Huang Family servants occupying his house, along with the two thugs who had come to threaten him, had also been beaten to death beside Qingyang River;

Last night, just after Chu Fan returned, even the Huang Family's steward and courtyard guard instructor had lost their lives...

Yet how was that possible?

Killing a steward who could not practice martial arts was one thing...

But Master Wang was a martial artist whom the Huang Family had hired at great expense!

It was said that his strength was in no way inferior to that of the Huang Family's Eldest Young Master, Huang Yu!

Chu Fan had merely worked as a miscellaneous worker at the Seven Star Gang for a little over twenty days. Even if he had learned martial arts, how much progress could he have made?

Liu Da and the others had practiced at the martial arts school for half a year, yet were only somewhat stronger than ordinary people. How could they compare with a martial artist like that?

Zhao Hu's heart was filled with suspicion and uncertainty. He tentatively asked Zhang Laoliu, "What... is the situation over at the Huang Family now?"

Zhang Laoliu smacked his lips, his face full of bewilderment. "Strange as can be! The authorities did come, but the Huang Family actually claimed that the steward and the courtyard guard instructor had gotten into a conflict and fought each other to the death!"

"Isn't that the biggest joke in the world?" Zhu Asi could not help but cut in. "That steward was as thin as a bamboo pole. A strong breeze could have blown him away. Where would he have gotten the ability to die alongside the courtyard guard instructor?"

"The authorities believed them?" Zhao Hu asked in astonishment.

"Jianghu matters are settled in the Jianghu." Zhang Laoliu lowered his voice. "The authorities took benefits from the Huang Family, so naturally they went with the flow, wrapped things up hastily, and left."

"I really wouldn't have expected that..." Zhao Hu's eyes widened, finding it impossible to believe.

The Huang Family's steward and head courtyard guard had been killed. Shouldn't the Huang Family have given the officials even more benefits and had them capture the murderer as quickly as possible?

Was there some shameful secret they feared would be exposed if the authorities became involved?

Or had they learned the enemy's strength and dared not provoke them, so they had chosen to let the matter rest?

"If you ask me..."

Zhu Asi edged closer and lowered his voice even further. "It might have been done by one of Huang Yu's enemies!"

"That Huang Yu manages the Fishing Dock for the Blood Saber Sect, and his subordinates bully and dominate the market. Who knows how many fishermen hate him to the bone!"

"Besides, that guy is ruthless. I heard that when he fought the Seven Star Gang, he killed quite a few Seven Star Gang members. The people from the Seven Star Gang also wanted him dead!"

"I also heard that Huang Yu was injured by someone a few days ago!"

"Injured by someone?" Zhao Hu was startled. He instinctively asked, "Who injured him?"

"Who knows?" Zhu Asi shook his head. "The people who killed the steward and the head courtyard guard might well have been after Huang Yu in the first place."

"That Huang Yu is just too sly. After being injured, he hid in the Blood Saber Sect and refused to come out, which was why he escaped the disaster."

The corner of Zhao Hu's mouth twitched. His gaze drifted unconsciously toward Chu Fan's door again, and the suspicion in his heart grew like weeds running wild.

Seeing that something was wrong with his expression, Zhang Laoliu patted him on the arm. "Brother, don't overthink it. This is actually a good thing—"

"The Huang Family forced you and the neighbors to sell your houses a few days ago. Now that this has happened, they'll probably keep quiet for a while."

Zhu Asi picked up the thread. "The area around the Huang Family is already crawling with people. Brother Zhao Hu, don't go over there anytime soon, or you might get yourself into trouble!"

Zhao Hu froze. "What people?"

"Old Master Huang is afraid of death, so he brought in a great many people to guard the estate," Zhang Laoliu explained. "I heard that there are even Sect Members of the Blood Saber Sect among them. Every one of them looks as fierce as a fiend."

"With the Huang Family at the center, the entire surrounding area has been laid out like a net reaching to heaven and earth..."

"I fear even a fly would have a hard time getting inside!"

The men exchanged glances, and a trace of delight arose in all their hearts.

The Huang Family had committed every imaginable evil in its daily conduct. To suffer such retribution now was only right: one family wailed in mourning while a hundred households rejoiced!

They did not know that, separated from them by a thin door, Chu Fan had already woken up and heard every word of their conversation clearly.

After Zhang Laoliu and Zhu Asi bade farewell and left, Chu Fan's door creaked open.

He slowly walked out, his expression calm, as though he had only just woken up.

When Zhao Hu saw him emerge, he hesitated to speak. "Xiao Fan, you're awake? You heard what we were saying just now, right? I think you'd better return to the Seven Star Gang soon. Things aren't very peaceful around here..."

"I understand." Chu Fan smiled and nodded without saying anything more.

He turned and left through the courtyard gate, heading toward the Huang Family.

Before long, he arrived near the Huang Family estate.

From a distance, he saw that outside the high walls, many unfamiliar faces wandered about, weapons hanging from their waists. They moved in groups of three or five, radiating a fierce and vicious aura.

The corners of Chu Fan's lips lifted slightly, a trace of coldness flashing through his eyes.

After this one night, that old thing Huang Shouliang had indeed become a frightened bird.

But Huang Yu was surprisingly cautious. After being injured, he had hidden in the Blood Saber Sect the entire time. Even after the steward and the head courtyard guard were killed, he still had not returned.

Could he have thought that the Moon Worshipping Sect was behind this?

What method should he use to lure that fellow Huang Yu out of the Blood Saber Sect?

Should he simply chop Huang Shouliang to pieces?

That definitely would not work these next few days.

The Huang Family was now under heavy guard. Forcing his way in would be quite troublesome.

Chu Fan slightly furrowed his brow.

To this day, he still had not seen Huang Yu.

But in his heart, Huang Yu had already died a thousand or ten thousand times!

Chu Fan suppressed the restless killing intent in his heart and returned to the Seven Star Gang, heading straight for the dining hall.

He had just carried over some porridge and a Steamed Corn Bun and sat down at the table beside Li Qingxue when Zhao Tianxing darted over like a ghost.

"My meat. Did you eat it?"

Zhao Tianxing glared at Chu Fan with a dark expression.

Chu Fan looked utterly innocent. "What meat? I don't know anything about it!"

"Don't play dumb!" Zhao Tianxing said angrily. "You ate my meat and didn't leave me even a drop of soup. You actually had the nerve to do something like that!"

"I practiced the Twelve Forms Boxing like crazy yesterday afternoon and was exhausted, so..." Chu Fan grinned. "How about I compensate you with a roast chicken?"

Zhao Tianxing laughed in exasperation. "How can one piece of Dimai Gu meat compare to a roast chicken?"

Chu Fan raised three fingers. "Three."

"...Fine!" Zhao Tianxing rolled his eyes.

Chu Fan continued, "Then how about tomorrow I trade you three roast chickens for one piece of Dimai Gu meat?"

"Ah!" Zhao Tianxing nearly jumped up. "You actually managed to say something so shameless with such righteous composure!"

Li Qingxue sat beside them in speechless silence.

After the commotion, Zhao Tianxing pulled a sheet of White Hemp Paper from his robes and handed it to Chu Fan.

It listed all the medicinal ingredients from Cao Shi's prescriptions, with the price of each item written beside it.

"Yesterday, I visited every medicine shop and copied down their prices for comparison..." Zhao Tianxing said. "But I never expected you to secretly eat my Dimai Gu meat at home. That really cuts me to the quick!"

Chu Fan pretended not to hear him. When he looked at the bottom of the White Hemp Paper, he could not help sucking in a cold breath!

One batch of medicinal ingredients actually cost fifteen taels of silver!

Fifteen taels of silver only bought a single Medicinal Bath!

Everyone knew that scholars needed little money while martial artists needed great wealth, but he had only just begun breaking through to Blood Refining, and it was already burning through money like this!

A Blood Refining Pill cost five or six qian of silver each. At two pills a day, a month's supply only cost a little over thirty taels...

But these ingredients for a Medicinal Bath were something else entirely. One soak cost fifteen taels!

Fortunately, he had come into some unexpected wealth recently.

The two killings had brought him a total of over a hundred taels, which was enough for him to use for the time being.

When he returned tomorrow, he would first buy three batches of medicinal ingredients.

Chu Fan blinked, thinking to himself, Steward, Master Wang, I should have gone a little easier on you two earlier...