No Retreat

"Passed?"

Father Chen and Mother Chen were stunned at first. When the realization dawned, Mother Chen's tears flowed even harder—tears of overwhelming joy. She clasped her hands together and muttered incessantly, "Heaven be praised, the Sea Goddess be praised..."

Father Chen roughly wiped the corner of his eye, a smile blooming on his face—a mix of pride, heartache, and immense relief. He said repeatedly, "Good! Good! My son has made something of himself! Made something of himself!"

To them, having their son return safely was already a stroke of luck. Passing the County Examination was an unimaginable, heaven-sent surprise.

The Broker stood to the side, watching this warm family reunion. A faint smile touched his lips as well. He was about to say a few polite words and take his leave when suddenly—a change occurred!

"BANG!!!"

The courtyard's flimsy wooden door was violently kicked open from the outside! The bolt snapped, the door panel slammed against the wall with a deafening crash, and dust rained down.

Immediately after, six burly men in the standard short jackets of the Sea Shark Gang, each wielding a short blade, swaggered in with murderous intent. In an instant, they filled the small courtyard to the brim, their killing aura thick in the air.

At the head were two men. One was the cold-faced Zhou Qi. The other was a stocky, vicious-looking man with a hideous scar running across his face—none other than the Sea Shark Gang's local boss in the Pearl Village area, Scarface He Chong!

The Broker's face turned deathly pale. With practiced ease, he raised both hands high, pressed himself against the wall, and shuffled slowly into the corner, stammering, "Gentlemen, misunderstanding, misunderstanding! I'm just a guide, nothing to do with me, nothing to do with me!"

With that, he quickly shrank into the darkest corner of the yard, practically trying to embed himself into the wall cracks, making it clear he wanted no part in this.

Scarface He Chong glanced at the Broker, snorted through his nose, and ignored him. His fierce eyes, like a hunting hawk, locked onto the family of three—Chen Yue and his parents—standing in the center of the yard.

"Chen Shan! Chen Yue!"

He Chong's voice grated like sandpaper, dripping with undisguised mockery and malice. "You lot have some nerve! Who gave you permission to sign up for that Martial Examination, huh? And who gave you the gall to leave Pearl Village without authorization and come running into the county town? Do you really think the Sea Shark Gang's rules are just for show? Have we been too soft on you lowlifes all this time?"

Facing Scarface He Chong and his pack of wolf-like thugs, Father Chen and Mother Chen trembled uncontrollably, as if prey caught in a predator's gaze. Their faces went pale, and instinctively, they wanted to bow their heads and beg for mercy.

Under the weight of long-established fear, any thought of resistance had long been crushed.

But Chen Yue stepped forward, subtly shielding his parents behind him.

Meeting He Chong's gaze, he said in a steady voice, "The imperial court has opened the Martial Examination to recruit talent from across the land, and it has not explicitly forbidden Pearl Dwellers from participating. I registered according to the court's regulations—how is that 'unauthorized'? As for leaving Pearl Village, there was a reason for it. I did not flee without cause."

"The court's regulations? Hahaha!"

He Chong laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke, his scar twisting grotesquely. "In Pearl Village, what the Sea Shark Gang says is the law! We say you Pearl Folk can't take the exam, so you can't! Who gave you the balls to throw the court at me?"

He took a step forward, unleashing the full, savage aura of a Skin Refining Realm martial artist onto Chen Yue. The gang members behind him also advanced in unison, their blades glinting coldly in the sunlight.

Thinking of his parents behind him, Chen Yue lowered his voice. "Headman He, just now, after the County Examination ended, Zhou Jingfeng, the master of Iron Mountain Martial Hall, sent his disciple to your gang specifically to mediate this matter on my behalf. Master Zhou said he hopes your gang will grant this favor and not pursue it further."

"Zhou Jingfeng?"

He Chong's grin faltered slightly. His brow furrowed, and a flicker of obvious wariness crossed his eyes.

In Hepu County, anyone who worked the docks or made a living in the martial arts world knew the name of Iron Mountain Hall's master, Zhou Jingfeng. He was a true expert who had stepped into the Bone Forging Realm, with unfathomable strength and considerable influence among the county's major families and even the local officials. Although his disciples were few, some had made names for themselves elsewhere. The Sea Shark Gang, despite its power, had no desire to provoke a tough nut like Zhou Jingfeng without good reason.

He Chong eyed Chen Yue suspiciously. How could a lowly Pearl Dweller have any connection to a figure like Zhou Jingfeng? And even get him to personally send someone to mediate?

Chen Yue's expression remained unchanged as he met He Chong's scrutinizing gaze. "My status as a Pearl Dweller hasn't changed. My home is still in Pearl Village. If I were lying to bluff you, I'd have to go back eventually. When I do, you can do whatever you want with me. Why would I tell a lie that's so easy to expose?"

This reasoning was sound, and it eased some of He Chong's doubts.

True enough—the monk may run away, but the temple stays. If this kid was daring to use Zhou Jingfeng's name falsely, he'd have to be ready to flee with his whole family immediately.

"Boss! Don't listen to his bullshit!"

Zhou Qi, seeing that He Chong seemed swayed, grew frantic. His eyes red, he pointed at Chen Yue and shrieked, "He's just a stinking pearl diver! His family's been in the base registry for eight generations! How could he possibly know someone like Master Zhou? He's clearly been caught red-handed and is grasping at straws, using Zhou Jingfeng's name to scare us so he can run off with his whole family! Boss, if you let him go now, we'll be a laughingstock!"

Zhou Qi's scream was filled with maddened hatred, and it tightened the atmosphere in the yard once more.

He Chong's eyes rolled in their deep sockets. The hideous scar on his face twitched as his skin pulled.

To be scared off by a Pearl Dweller throwing around a name on his own turf—that would be too humiliating. And why would Zhou Jingfeng stick his neck out for a mere Pearl Dweller?

"Hmph!"

He Chong let out a cold snort, his voice like a dull blade scraping bone. "Zhou Jingfeng? Even if he really did send someone to mediate, it's up to the Sea Shark Gang to agree! In this Hepu County, not many people the Sea Shark Gang wants to take can walk out in one piece! Kid, surrender now and come back to our headquarters to talk things out! If you resist, we'll kill you on the spot!"

Chen Yue's heart sank like a stone. This was exactly what he had feared. The other side simply wouldn't accept mediation—or rather, in the face of absolute violence, all reason was powerless.

Behind him, Father Chen and Mother Chen's faces drained of the last trace of color. The faint glimmer of hope that had sparked in their eyes when their son passed the County Examination was instantly swallowed by boundless despair and terror.

Go to the Sea Shark Gang's headquarters? For Pearl Households like them, that was no different from walking through the gates of hell!

Fewer than one in ten who went in came out whole. Beatings, torture, maiming, killing—it was all routine.

The brief ray of sunlight they had felt, the chance to break free from the shackles of fate, was now swallowed by darkness in an instant. The crushing blow of gaining hope only to lose it nearly made their legs give out.