Recruiting

On the other side, Chen Huaiyu saw how coldly Chen Han treated her. She didn't dare say anything more, and left the training ground instead.

She made her way to a secluded corner lush with greenery. A middle-aged man sat there, his hair graying, though he looked quite hale and hearty.

She walked straight up to him, her voice tinged with grievance.

"Uncle, Senior Brother Chen Han won't pay me any attention. He told me to get lost..."

The middle-aged man's mouth twitched when he heard this, and then he fell silent.

His name was Chen Huaiyan, and he was the second-in-command of the Chen Family's Huai Branch. With the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony fast approaching, the distribution of the clan's martial training resources was at stake. If he wanted to strengthen his branch, he needed to recruit as many talented young martial artists in the clan as possible.

Chen Han, returned from the dead, was his target.

In fact, he wasn't the only one. A few old rivals from the other two branches had their eyes on Chen Han as well, and they could offer no less than he could.

At only twenty, Chen Han had achieved so much at such a young age. It was truly remarkable...

It was no surprise that so many senior members of the clan were taking an interest in him.

Chen Huaiyan sighed.

He had meant to send his lovely young niece to get close to Chen Han and earn his trust, paving the way for his own attempt to recruit him.

After all, everyone knew Chen Huaiyu was the Chen Family's darling flower. Not only that, she could sing and dance, and was skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

That was no exaggeration. Chen Huaiyu had a sweet, delicate face, a little nose, and bright, sparkling eyes. Her smooth, slender legs were exposed to the sun, seeming to shimmer without a single flaw.

Calling her the clan's darling flower was no overstatement.

The girl stood head and shoulders above the crowd in every way, a phoenix among men. The young men in the family could hardly resist her, and were always eager to spend more time with her.

But somehow, Chen Han, a young man in the prime of his life, seemed to have no interest in her at all.

"Mm, all right. You can go. Don't get involved in this for now."

"Okay. Huaiyu understands."

Chen Huaiyan waved for her to leave, then began considering what other approach he could use to get close to Chen Han.

Meanwhile, someone else came to find Chen Han.

He wasn't surprised. With the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony approaching, the young martial artists of the three branches were evenly matched. It was still anyone's guess who would win.

Now that he had appeared as an unexpected variable, none of the three branches would yield him to the others. The sooner they recruited him, the better.

The visitor was an elderly man named Chen Shanhe, a leading figure of the Shan Branch. He had reached the first step of the Martialist realm.

"Little friend Chen Han."

Chen Shanhe chuckled. "So it's true: when you're driven to the brink, you can come back stronger than ever. You've got even more momentum now than you did back then... The young are truly formidable."

"Elder Shanhe, you flatter me. I'm hardly so impressive. I was just lucky to return to the martial path... But it's been many days since we last met, and you look even more hale and hearty than before."

The two exchanged pleasantries. When the time seemed right, Chen Shanhe got to the point. "Little friend Chen, you haven't taken up an official post in the Chen Family yet, have you?"

In other words, were you still free to choose, or had you already joined a faction and pledged your services to it?

"I only returned to the family last night, so I haven't given any thought to taking up a post yet."

Chen Shanhe was fairly trustworthy, and his reputation in the clan was better than that of the other two branches. Chen Han had a good impression of him, too.

"Why not come work for me? I happen to need someone literate to handle a few tasks. The work is easy. When you're free, you can practice martial arts in the courtyard and have some tea. You'll get ten taels of silver each month."

"On top of that, you'll get two meals of Exotic Beast meat each month and a bowl of body-strengthening soup every day. What do you think?"

Chen Shanhe smiled amiably, seeming easygoing and approachable.

Hearing the offer, Chen Han was delighted.

Ten taels of silver a month—he couldn't have earned that in years working at a tavern. Now he'd get it every month.

Chen Han had expected something like this, but now that the decision really rested in his hands, he still couldn't hide his excitement.

Ten taels of silver could easily support a family of three, and even let them live comfortably.

His wife wouldn't have to wear herself out, rising early and returning late to wield a huge wok. Shen Yue could go back to school and study, and Lu could enjoy her twilight years in peace.

Chen Han's thoughts flashed by in an instant. A hint of joy gradually appeared on his face, and he immediately made up his mind. He rose and cupped his hands in a salute.

"Then I'll accept your offer."

"Hahaha, excellent, excellent..."

When lunchtime came, Chen Han got his food and found an empty seat. Before long, a sturdy figure sat down across from him.

"Brother Han, it's been a long time."

It was Chen Lei, whom he hadn't seen in ages. He wore a short shirt and shorts, still brimming with the same masculine vigor as before.

"Chen Lei! So you remembered to come find me. I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

Chen Han smiled from the heart. He didn't need to second-guess a brother he trusted.

"Hahaha, of course I'd never forget you."

The two chatted happily, covering everything from family matters to the challenges of martial training. Only when they were about to part did Chen Lei hesitate before speaking. "Brother Han, wait a moment..."

Seeing how uneasy he looked, Chen Han had a fair idea what he wanted to say. Still, he pretended not to know. "Oh? What is it?"

"It's just... The family's Martial Arts Grand Ceremony is coming up soon, isn't it? Why don't you join my side, the Autumn Branch, Brother Han? Then we can look out for each other."

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

Chen Lei seemed about to speak, but in the end, his face turned bright red and he couldn't get a word out. What Chen Han said was the truth.

Seeing him look so miserable, Chen Han's suspicions were confirmed. "That woman humiliated me so badly before, and now she wants me working under her. What does she take me for?"

Chen Han's gaze was calm, his voice devoid of emotion, but anger showed in his eyes. "Some pushover she can use whenever she wants, then cast aside and humiliate whenever she pleases?"

"Brother Han!"

Before Chen Han could finish, Chen Lei dropped to his knees in front of him. Even Chen Han was taken aback. He furrowed his brow and hurried to help him up, but Chen Lei wouldn't budge.

Tears welled in Chen Lei's eyes. "Brother Chen, I've done something wrong! Chen Qiuyu's the only one who can protect me now. Please, if you don't help me this time, I really won't survive."

"What exactly happened? Tell me everything, from the beginning."

Chen Han's brow furrowed tighter and tighter, his expression growing darker. He increasingly felt there was more to this than met the eye.

"Brother Han, don't ask. It was my fault... I've never asked anyone for help in my life, but this time, I'm begging you..."

Chen Han stayed silent for a long while. At last, he spoke slowly. "I'll think it over. Don't expect me to agree right now. Have Chen Qiuyu come find me."

"That's all I ask. Thank you, Brother Han. From now on, I'll do anything you say!"

"You can go."

After Chen Lei left, Chen Han sat alone for a long time. For some reason, he felt awful. He couldn't understand why Chen Lei, who had always called him brother, would get on his knees and beg him like this.

Couldn't he have just talked to him?

The only possibility was that Chen Qiuyu had gotten hold of some devastating leverage over Chen Lei—something that really did threaten his life, just as he'd said.

Chen Han sighed. He was bound to join one of the Chen Family's three branches sooner or later, so helping Chen Lei wouldn't hurt.

The problem was, he had already agreed to join Chen Shanhe. If he backed out now, he might anger the man, and the consequences wouldn't be small.