Hawthorn

Lin Family.

From within the opulent mansion, bursts of crying could be heard.

Walking further inside, everyone in the main hall wore solemn expressions.

In the center of the hall lay a corpse covered with a white cloth, riddled with wounds from sharp blades. The cause of death was a knife wound to the throat.

Lin Yan's mother, Madam Zhang, cried mournfully, "Master! You must avenge Yan'er! Who could be so heartless! To kill my Yan'er!"

"Was it that little beast from the Chen Family!"

"Was it that beast!"

"It must be him! It must be him!"

"Yan'er just had a conflict with him, and then he met such a cruel fate! How could such a strange thing happen! I want him dead!"

"And those people who were drinking with Yan'er yesterday! They must die too! They must all die! They must all die!"

"And that one surnamed Meng! He must die too! Must die!"

"They must all die!"

The sharp cries pierced everyone's eardrums.

"Why did my Yan'er have to die! Not them!"

"Did they gang up to frame my Yan'er!"

"Ahhh! My Yan'er!"

Madam Zhang's cries gradually grew hoarse.

"Calm down a little."

Lin Chong'an said in a deep voice.

"Are you even human! How can you ask me to calm down! My Yan'er is dead! My Yan'er is dead!"

"I've already asked the Black Tiger Gang to deal with Chen Feng. He will surely die, but he might not be the culprit. There are no traces of Five Elements Fist on Yan'er..."

"I don't care! He must die! He must die!"

"To be buried with Yan'er!"

At this moment, a servant rushed into the hall in a panic.

"Master, something terrible has happened!"

Madam Zhang, who was weeping miserably, was interrupted by the servant. Anger surged within her, and she casually slapped the servant across the face.

The servant instinctively dodged.

He happened to evade the incoming slap.

"You dare to dodge!" Madam Zhang cursed angrily.

The servant's face instantly turned pale.

Completely bloodless.

After cursing, Madam Zhang slapped him again. With a "slap," it landed squarely on the servant's cheek, leaving a red palm print.

Lin Chong'an frowned and commanded.

"Slap yourself!"

The servant knelt in terror and began to slap himself.

"This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die!"

Madam Zhang was still furious. She started punching and kicking him, venting her emotions, yelling, "Die! Die!"

The servant was so scared he almost lost his soul. He repeatedly slapped himself, the "slap, slap" sounds echoing in the hall.

When his face was red and a trickle of blood seeped out.

Lin Chong'an finally called a halt.

"If you have something to say, say it quickly! Then get out!"

The servant panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot, and his words slurred:

"Chen... Chen Feng... has become... Zhou Guanzhu's... personal disciple..."

After saying this, he fainted on the ground, unconscious.

Lin Chong'an stared with wide eyes, while the others were greatly alarmed, murmuring amongst themselves.

As for the servant, he was like a wild dog dead by the roadside, ignored by everyone. His likely end was to be discarded by another servant on the roadside, left to fend for himself...

Meanwhile.

Pingcheng Market.

The crowd bustled, a sea of heads as far as the eye could see. Vendors shouted loudly by the roadside.

Pancake stalls steamed with heat. By the fruit stand, several children played. Peddlers weaved through the crowd with their carrying poles.

"Second Senior Brother, did Master really give you that instruction?"

Chen Feng held a skewer of candied hawthorn, eating as he walked.

"Of course, he told me to take you out shopping."

Second Senior Brother Yao Xingzhi also held a skewer of candied hawthorn.

He had already licked the sugar coating clean from the top few hawthorns, but the fruit itself remained intact.

He didn't like sour things.

Chen Feng couldn't help but feel suspicious. What was the point of two grown men going shopping?

"What were Master's exact words?"

"Hmm... 'Take your junior brother around the city for a bit...' That's what he said."

"Ah, trust me, this is the only place in Pingcheng that's somewhat fun. Everywhere else is incredibly boring." Yao Xingzhi said confidently.

Chen Feng's eyelids twitched.

Why did he feel like Master actually wanted Second Senior Brother to show him around, so that other Factions in Pingcheng would recognize him?

"What's with that look? Do you think I'd lie to you?"

Yao Xingzhi looked at Chen Feng, then deflated like a leaky ball, sighing, "Alas, there aren't any festivals recently. If it were a holiday, it would be much livelier."

"I can't exactly take you for drinks and listen to music, can I? That would be pointless."

Chen Feng's expression shifted slightly.

Drinks and music?

He had been here for so long and hadn't really experienced local customs yet.

Maybe...

"Never mind, Second Senior Brother, tell me about the other Senior Brothers. I've only met Senior Brother Zhao, I haven't seen the others."

Chen Feng asked, his resolve ultimately overcoming his desire.

Though he didn't understand why Chen Feng suddenly changed his mind, Yao Xingzhi began to explain:

"Eldest Senior Brother Zhou Ling is Master's only son. He went out to roam the jianghu when I was still young. You probably won't see him; even Master might not be able to contact him. He occasionally sends letters back."

"Third Junior Brother Lu Jinghong, well, how to put it... his fist techniques are first-class, but he likes practicing swordplay. His sword skills are terrible, a complete disaster."

"Fourth Junior Brother Zhao Shanyue, you know him. He's very strong and his fist techniques are decent. Although he's a junior brother, his age is the oldest besides the Eldest Senior Brother. He's steady and reliable."

"Lastly, there's Fifth Junior Sister Su Wanqing... chirpy like a little sparrow, quite cute. However, her staff techniques are truly average, lacking talent."

Chen Feng listened. Although he was skeptical about Second Senior Brother's "lacking talent," he had a general understanding.

Then he asked:

"What do Personal Disciples usually do?"

"We mentor New Disciples, or we train ourselves. Occasionally, we have to represent the martial arts school in competitions against other schools. Other than that, there's nothing else."

"After all, our Dragon Walk Martial Arts School is the top martial arts school in Pingcheng. We can't avoid being targeted by other schools, so there are competitions several times a month."

Yao Xingzhi added.

"However, you've just become a Personal Disciple and a Martial Artist. You won't be participating in competitions. You can just watch from the side. Opportunities to observe actual combat like this are rare."

Chen Feng nodded, indicating he understood.

"That's about it. Do you have any other questions?"

Yao Xingzhi's eyes darted around as he spoke.

Chen Feng glanced over and saw that the hawthorn candied skewers in Second Senior Brother's hand were almost gone, as if he was looking for a place to discard them.

"I heard that Martial Artists in the Blood Refining Realm can take on official positions to earn money, but as a Personal Disciple, will I..."

Yao Xingzhi paused.

"Oh, right. That's true. You need to be aware..."

Yao Xingzhi spotted a chicken coop in a nearby corner. With a slight flick of his wrist, the hawthorn landed precisely inside the cage.

The few hawthorns shattered into pieces, and several chickens eagerly pecked at them.

Chen Feng had already prepared himself mentally, accepting that he might not be able to earn extra income after being labeled as a Personal Disciple of the martial arts school.

To his surprise, after discarding the skewers, Yao Xingzhi held out his free hand and made a gesture with his fingers—

"You can't charge less than this amount, or you'll lose face."