As things stood, Chen Mo was not only exceptionally skilled in combat, but also a man of great integrity.
Wang Jing took a deep breath, feeling somewhat guilty. He had believed every word his wife said. Thankfully, no misunderstanding had come of it.
Chen Mo had never met this legendary brother-in-law from a moderately well-off family either. But judging things on their merits, although that family was not much to speak of, this brother-in-law was not so bad.
"Chen—" Wang Jing began, then faltered.
"Brother-in-law, just call me Chen Mo."
Wang Jing discreetly wiped away his sweat. "All right... Chen Mo. And Cousin, have you moved into the Wu family home?"
"Mm. We're staying here for now," Chen Mo replied briefly.
Then Wang Jing chatted with Chen Lan about a few everyday matters before saying he had to go to the county seat to buy supplies. With that, he took his leave.
After Wang Jing left, Chen Lan told Chen Mo to sit in her guest room and not move an inch. He wasn't allowed to do any work!
He mustn't aggravate his injured arm!
Chen Mo had no choice but to obey. Sitting in the elegant sandalwood chair, he broke into a smile.
Before long, a Wu family maid brought in breakfast. Seeing Chen Mo there, she went to fetch another serving.
Chen Mo looked at the lavish breakfast set before him and didn't stand on ceremony. He wolfed it all down.
After the maid went back, footsteps soon sounded outside the room.
Then Wu Zhiai pushed open the half-shut door, looking somewhat anxious.
"Chen Mo."
Seeing him sitting upright at the table with chopsticks in hand, she relaxed a little.
"Sister Ai."
Chen Mo rose, but Wu Zhiai told him to stay seated.
"Your hand..." Wu Zhiai saw blood seeping through the bandages and furrowed her brow. "You need to have a doctor look at it."
"No need to trouble anyone," Chen Mo said, waving his hand. "It's just a superficial injury from a fall. It hasn't reached the bone, and it'll heal on its own."
Chen Lan urged him too. "Just go with Sister Zhiai. If you wait any longer, it'll only be more trouble."
Chen Mo couldn't argue with them, so he agreed. But he knew perfectly well that Wu Zhiai had something she wanted to discuss with him.
The two left the guest room and went to the inner hall. Wu Zhiai wore a complicated expression. "It was the Hansha Gang, wasn't it...?"
Chen Mo nodded.
Wu Zhiai blamed herself. "The Wu family dragged you into this. The ambush on the merchant caravan and Xu Shan's provocation at our door both had the Hansha Gang's fingerprints on them. You helped the Wu family out of a bind, but we got you caught in a dangerous situation..."
Chen Mo smiled. "But it gave me a chance to hone my practical combat skills. A blessing in disguise."
Seeing that Chen Mo didn't hold the Wu family responsible, Wu Zhiai felt somewhat relieved. "Do you know what things looked like near your home this morning? The authorities came, along with people from Black Tiger Hall and the Hansha Gang. Everyone gathered in one place, and you've become quite famous..."
People died every day in Black River Town.
When the dead were poor folk, no one cared. At most, the authorities would bury the bodies wherever they pleased—or simply toss them into the river. Not a ripple would be raised.
Human lives were as worthless as grass; nothing could illustrate that better.
Yesterday had been different. The dead were from the Hansha Gang: two Ming Jin fighters, both considered members of the gang's core.
"The authorities and people from Black Tiger Hall came?" Chen Mo asked, furrowing his brow slightly.
Wu Zhiai gestured for him to sit. "Mm. Black Tiger Hall is practically the 'government' of Black River Town. But the Hansha Gang and Black Tiger Hall don't get along. With Black Tiger Hall stirring things up, and a neighbor happening to see the two men enter your home with knives, the authorities ultimately ruled that they'd broken into your house and been killed in self-defense."
Chen Mo let out a breath. "Will the authorities summon me?"
Wu Zhiai considered this for a moment. "By rights, they should. But the world doesn't always play by the rules."
Chen Mo pondered her words.
Even in a small place like Black River Town, he knew very little. If he took part in the Martial Examination in the future, he was bound to encounter people from other parts of Anyang County. He needed to learn about the county's various factions ahead of time.
"Sister Ai, could you tell me about the different factions in Anyang County? I don't know much about them."
Wu Zhiai nodded slightly. "Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to tell you. Let's start with Black River Town."
"Outside the county seat, Black River Town has more martial artists than anywhere else in Anyang County. In short, you only need to remember 'one hall, one gang, two families, two martial halls.' The hall and gang are Black Tiger Hall and the Hansha Gang; the two families are the Zhao Family and the Wu Family."
"The Zhao Family is powerful and renowned throughout Anyang County. Its head, Zhao Huayuan, is one of the county's few Hua Jin experts. Our Wu Family, by contrast, has fallen into decline and is nowhere near what it once was."
"As for the two martial halls, they're Tianqing Martial Hall and Panshi Martial Hall. You must know those already."
Chen Mo nodded, focusing on one key detail: Zhao Huayuan was a Hua Jin expert.
But Hua Jin was still far beyond his reach.
"What about Anyang County as a whole?" he asked.
Wu Zhiai took a sip of tea and lightly wiped the corner of her mouth with her silk sleeve. "The biggest families in Anyang County are the Xie Family and the Qi Family, both based in the county seat. Each has a Hua Jin expert to protect it. Then there's the Iron Palm Gang on the border of Anyang, and Hefeng Pawnshop, the wealthiest of them all."
"These families, along with Black Tiger Hall and the Zhao Family, make up the most powerful factions in Anyang County."
Chen Mo committed each name to memory.
Just then, Wu Zhiai asked, "You're planning to take this year's Martial Examination, aren't you? I hear it'll be harder than in previous years."
Chen Mo nodded. "There are only a limited number of places, but I'll do my best to earn one."
"If there's anything you need help with, just ask," Wu Zhiai said earnestly. "After all, if you pass, I'll benefit too."
Chen Mo thought it over before asking, "Sister Ai, does the Wu family have an iron furnace room?"
Wu Zhiai furrowed her brow. "You mean a blacksmith room for forging weapons?"
Chen Mo nodded. "Mm. I have a habit of using smithing to train my strength."
For now, that was the only explanation he could give.
Wu Zhiai rested a hand against her forehead, thinking it over. After a moment, she said, "We do have one. Master Wu used to work there, but it was abandoned later. If you need it, I'll have someone clean it out. I remember there should still be some unused iron blanks inside."
Chen Mo was delighted. He cupped his fists. "Then thank you, Sister Ai."
"What are you thanking me for?"
Without delay, Wu Zhiai immediately ordered people to clean out the abandoned blacksmith room in the southwestern corner.
Chen Mo stepped into the somewhat cramped blacksmith room. It wasn't large, but it had everything: a furnace, bellows, iron blanks, charcoal, and all the necessary tools.
"From now on, I won't need to go to the Iron Furnace Room so often," he murmured.
Now that he had a blacksmith room all to himself, free from interference, he could focus on his studies. Perhaps he'd make even more progress with "Thousand Hammer Refinement" and "Mountain and Water Cultivation."
With that thought, Chen Mo lit the furnace and worked the bellows. Amid the whooshing of the bellows, the iron blank inside gradually glowed red.
Tianqing Martial Hall, inner hall.
Ji Chang was worried about Chen Mo's safety, and several of his fellow disciples were talking among themselves as well.
"They say there are two bodies lying in Chen Mo's home, both from the Hansha Gang. One was at the middle stage of Ming Jin, the other at the late stage."
"Damn, did Chen Mo kill them both?"
"But no one's seen Chen Mo since, and it looks like the authorities won't investigate any further."
Hearing this, Ji Chang's heart sank, while the gloom on some of his fellow disciples' faces eased a little.
After all, no one wanted a rival who could kill two Ming Jin fighters, even if that rival was their junior fellow disciple.
In a corner of the inner hall,
Yin Shanshan sat quietly, a trace of worry furrowing her brow.
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