Luring

On the other side, Chen Huaiyu saw how cold Chen Han was toward her and, realizing there was no point in saying more, turned and left the training grounds.

She arrived at a lush, secluded corner where a middle-aged man sat; his hair was greying, but he looked quite spirited.

She walked straight up to him and spoke with a hint of grievance.

"Great-uncle, Senior Brother Chen Han ignored me. He told me to get lost..."

The middle-aged man's mouth twitched upon hearing this, and he fell into a silence.

His name was Chen Huaiyan, the second-in-command of the Huai branch of the Chen Family. With the Martial Arts Tournament approaching, which would determine the distribution of the clan's training resources, he needed to recruit as many talented young members as possible to strengthen his branch.

Chen Han, who had returned from the brink, was his target.

In truth, he wasn't the only one; several old rivals from the other two branches were also watching, and the offers they could make were no less generous than his own.

The boy was only twenty; to have achieved such success at such a young age was truly rare.

It was no wonder so many high-ranking members valued him.

Chen Huaiyan sighed.

He had intended for his beautiful young grand-niece to get close to Chen Han to gain his trust, paving the way for his own recruitment efforts later on.

After all, who didn't know that Chen Huaiyu was the flower of the Chen Family? Not only that, but she was also skilled in singing, dancing, and the arts of the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

That was no exaggeration; Chen Huaiyu had a delicate and cute appearance, a small, refined nose, bright, sparkling eyes, and a pair of smooth, exposed calves that seemed to glow in the sunlight without a single flaw.

Calling her the flower of the clan was not an overstatement.

Every aspect of the young girl stood out from the crowd like a dragon among men; the men in the family usually couldn't resist her and wished for nothing more than to spend time in her company.

Yet, unfortunately, the hot-blooded Chen Han seemed completely uninterested in her.

"Alright, that will do. You may go now; do not involve yourself in this matter for the time being."

"Understood, Huaiyan."

Chen Huaiyan waved his hand to signal her departure, then began to ponder what other methods he could use to build a relationship with Chen Han.

Elsewhere, another person sought out Chen Han.

He was not surprised; with the Martial Arts Tournament approaching, the young martial artists of the three branches were evenly matched, and the outcome remained uncertain.

Now that he had become a sudden, major variable, the three branches naturally refused to yield to one another, and the sooner they could recruit him, the better.

This was an old man named Chen Shanhe, a leading figure of the Shan branch who possessed the cultivation of a First-Step Martial Artist.

"Little Friend Chen Han."

Chen Shanhe chuckled. "Truly, you have found life after death. Your momentum now is even greater than it was back then... the younger generation is indeed formidable."

"Elder Shanhe is too kind. How could I possess such grandeur? It was merely a stroke of luck that allowed me to return to the path of martial arts... but Elder, I haven't seen you in many days, and you look even more robust than before..."

The two exchanged pleasantries, and when the timing felt right, Chen Shanhe stated his purpose: "Little Friend Chen, you haven't taken up an official post in the Chen Family yet, have you?"

The implication was clear: he was asking if Chen Han was still a free agent or if he had already joined another faction.

"This junior returned to the family only last night, so I naturally haven't given any thought to an official post."

Chen Shanhe was a man who could be trusted, and his reputation within the clan was better than the other two branches; Chen Han had a decent impression of him.

"Why not come to my side? I happen to be lacking someone to handle paperwork and correspondence. It is a leisurely position; when there is nothing to do, you can practice martial arts or drink tea in the courtyard. You would receive a monthly salary of ten taels of silver."

"In addition, you would receive two portions of exotic beast meat per month and a bowl of body-strengthening soup every day. What does Little Friend think?"

Chen Shanhe smiled warmly, appearing very approachable.

Upon hearing the conditions, Chen Han felt a surge of joy.

Ten taels of silver a month—he couldn't earn that in years working at the tavern, yet now he could earn it in a single month.

Although Chen Han had anticipated this, when it was truly within his grasp, he still felt pleasantly surprised.

Ten taels of silver were enough to support a family of three and even live a comfortable life.

His wife would no longer have to exhaust herself, working from dawn till dusk over a large pot; Shen Yue could return to school to study, and Lu could enjoy her twilight years in peace.

Chen Han's thoughts raced like lightning. A look of joy gradually appeared on his face, and he made his decision immediately, rising to bow in salute.

"Then this junior will respectfully accept your offer..."

"Hahaha, excellent, excellent..."

When it was time for a meal, Chen Han found a seat after getting his food. Before long, a sturdy figure sat down opposite him.

"Brother Han, long time no see."

It was Chen Lei, whom he hadn't seen in a while. Dressed in short clothes, he was as full of masculine vigor as ever.

"So it's you, Chen Lei. You finally decided to look for me; I thought you had forgotten all about me."

Chen Han revealed a sincere smile; he didn't need to be guarded with this trusted brother.

"Hahaha, of course I wouldn't forget."

The two chatted happily, covering everything from domestic trifles to the difficulties of martial arts training. It wasn't until they were about to part ways that Chen Lei spoke with some hesitation, "Brother Han, wait a moment..."

Seeing the unnatural expression on the other's face, Chen Han had a fair guess as to what he was going to say, but he still feigned ignorance. "Oh? And what else is there?"

"It's just... isn't the Chen Family martial arts tournament coming up in a few days? Brother Han, why not join my Autumn Branch... that way, we brothers can look out for each other."

Chen Han's gaze slowly turned dangerous. "Chen Qiuyu sent you, didn't she?"

Chen Lei wanted to speak but hesitated, his face flushing a deep red until he couldn't get a single word out, for Chen Han's words were nothing but the truth.

Seeing the other's miserable expression, Chen Han confirmed his suspicions. That woman humiliated me so thoroughly before, and now she wants me to work under her? What does she take me for?

Chen Han's gaze was calm, his tone devoid of emotion, yet his eyes betrayed a flicker of rage. "A pushover who can be used, discarded, and humiliated at any moment?"

"Brother Han!"

Before Chen Han could finish, Chen Lei knelt before him, which caught Chen Han off guard. He frowned deeply and moved to pull him up, but the latter remained unmoved.

Tears welled in Chen Lei's eyes. "Brother Han, I've messed up! Only Chen Qiuyu can protect me now. I beg you, if you don't help me this time, I truly won't be able to survive."

"Tell me exactly what happened, from the beginning."

Chen Han's brow furrowed tighter and his expression grew increasingly grim; he felt the situation becoming more and more complicated.

"Brother Han, please don't ask. This is my fault... I have never begged anyone in my life, but this time, I am begging you to help me..."

Chen Han remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly. "I will consider this matter, but don't expect me to agree right now. Tell Chen Qiuyu to come find me herself."

"That is enough. Thank you, Brother Han! From now on, I, Chen Lei, will follow your every command!"

"You may go."

After Chen Lei left, Chen Han sat alone for a long while. For some reason, he felt deeply unsettled; he could not understand why Chen Lei, who had always called him brother, would go so far as to kneel and beg him.

Was there nothing that could be said properly?

The only possibility was that Chen Lei had some fatal leverage held over him by Chen Qiuyu, and as he had claimed, it was a matter of life and death.

Chen Han sighed. Since he was destined to join one of the three branches of the Chen Family anyway, helping Chen Lei wouldn't be a major issue.

However, he had already given his word to Chen Shanhe. To go back on it now would likely enrage that man, and the consequences would be far from trivial.