The Grass by His Own Burrow

"Which looks better, the clothes or Xiao Mei?"

Shen Yue waited expectantly.

Chen Han clicked his tongue. After the two of them chatted and laughed for a few more moments, he finally asked what was on his mind.

"These new things—and the clothes you're wearing. Who bought them? The fabric looks expensive."

Shen Yue looked a little surprised. "Big Brother, don't you know? It was Senior Sister."

"Senior Sister? Which one?"

"Um... She's really pretty. What was her name again? Oh, right—Sister Qiuyu."

Chen Han didn't react at first. Shen Yue continued, "Sister Qiuyu said she was your senior sister, then she bought all these new things for the family. She also took me shopping, and she bought these clothes for me, too."

Chen Han's expression grew complicated. A strong sense of foreboding washed over him. Could this woman be afraid of me and trying to curry favor because she doesn't dare make an enemy of me?

He was incredibly frustrated. He'd been planning to wait until the time was right, then really make Chen Qiuyu pay for revenge.

But now she'd made this move, deliberately putting him in her debt. There was no way he could dismantle all the things that had already been delivered and installed, then send them back. He had no choice but to accept them.

He didn't want to have too many friendly dealings with Chen Qiuyu. She'd humiliated him plenty in the past, and now that he was strong, she was giving him gifts and sucking up to him. What did she take him for?

He wasn't letting the humiliation go unavenged. The time just hadn't come yet.

He didn't care whose daughter she was. Anyone who crossed him could forget about having an easy time. He wouldn't kill her, but he'd make sure she suffered.

Chen Han had always been the sort to hold a grudge. He didn't dwell on the matter for long, deciding instead to tell the three women at home not to accept gifts from others when he returned that day.

Then he went back to his room and turned his attention to other things.

Taking out the Thunderbolt Extreme manual, Chen Han began studying it carefully.

Failing to plan ahead invited trouble down the road. Mountain Breaking Fist was only a third-rate martial art, after all. If he wanted to break through to a higher realm in the future, it was best to start learning more powerful martial arts early.

Thunderbolt Extreme was just the thing for him.

After studying it for a while, Chen Han's expression turned troubled.

He realized that cultivating Thunderbolt Extreme required more than talent. It also demanded tremendous perseverance and a deep purse.

"The cost of learning this martial art is far too high. Money is only a small part of it. Some things can't be bought at any price."

"No wonder this martial art gets passed around so easily. Most people simply don't have the means to master it, no matter how much they want to."

After giving it some thought, Chen Han knew he couldn't cultivate this technique yet. He could only put it away carefully and wait for an opportunity in the future.

Chen Han opened the Taiji Health Cultivation Technique next. After the Bright Force stage, it no longer divided strength into different levels. In other words, although the technique could be used to kill, its main focus was still health cultivation.

After the bones and sinews were reforged and the body transformed, came "heaving mountains and lifting cauldrons, with steel sinew and iron bone!"

This realm further increased the strength of the bones and sinews by a considerable margin. As its name suggested, one's body could lift a cauldron, and one's bones and sinews would rival steel.

This stage still required ample Exotic Beast meat, tonics to strengthen the body, and ten practice sessions each day.

The only difference was that one had to eat the heart of a century-old Exotic Beast each month.

Exotic Beast hearts were extremely expensive. Rich in nourishing substances, they strengthened a martial artist's foundations and enriched their qi and blood. They cost even more than Exotic Beast meat, and ordinary commoners never even got to see one.

"This isn't something I can deal with right now, either. That leaves only Mountain Breaking Fist."

"The family's Martial Arts Grand Ceremony is in just over half a month. I need to improve my strength as quickly as possible and work out an alliance with Chen Qiuyu, so I can defeat every opponent in the tournament."

After that, Chen Han returned to his daily routine of practicing martial arts from the first light of dawn.

Now that Shen Wan'er and her family had moved into Chen Mansion, he no longer had to worry about their safety.

A few days later, during a quiet moment, Chen Han sat across from Old Steward and shared a pot of tea.

"Little Han, the clan's Martial Arts Grand Ceremony is coming up soon. You're strong among the younger generation, but remember not to get careless."

Chen Han nodded in agreement. "I won't let my guard down. There's always someone stronger, and I know that much."

"Good. As long as you know. By the way, you may run into Chen Huaizheng then.

"He's extremely talented, too. He broke through to Dark Force at twenty, and four years have passed since. He may have reached the peak of Dark Force by now. He's not as strong as you, but he'll still be a formidable opponent."

Chen Han silently took note of the man. He was confident, but not arrogant. Pride came before a fall; that was no idle warning.

Old Steward continued, "And there's Shan Zhen. He may be of ordinary talent, but he makes up for it with hard work. His family is also wealthy, and they've been nourishing his qi and blood since he was young. His physical strength is beyond that of ordinary martial artists."

"Chen Shanzhen? Who's that? I don't remember him at all, Uncle."

Chen Han couldn't recall where he'd met the man. In truth, there were plenty of clan members under the same roof he didn't know well.

Old Steward nodded. "It's only natural you don't know him. But don't tell anyone else what I'm about to say..."

Juicy gossip!

Chen Han's gaze turned curious. He tilted his ear slightly to catch every word.

"Well, you see, when Chen Shanjiang—Chen Shanhe's eldest son—was young, he..."

After Old Steward finished, Chen Han nodded thoughtfully, savoring the story.

Good heavens. Shan Zhen had been conceived after Chen Shanjiang and his married sister-in-law had repeatedly crossed the line. The matter had been suppressed immediately, so Shan Zhen had rarely been seen growing up.

Not many people knew about it. Old Steward was one of them.

Afterward, Chen Shanjiang had felt guilty and given his sister-in-law's husband some silver so the couple could live well. Since Shan Zhen had Chen Family blood, he'd been kept in the Chen Family, where his grandfather, Chen Shanhe, raised him.

Chen Han could only marvel. Even rabbits didn't eat the grass by their own burrow. And if you were going to sneak around, fine—but with your sister-in-law, who was already married...?

Meanwhile, Shan Zhen said, "Grandfather, Chen Han was obviously toying with you. I can't swallow this insult. Don't worry. At the Martial Arts Grand Ceremony, I'll make that arrogant brat pay!"

Shan Zhen had learned that Chen Han agreed to take an honorary post overseeing the mountain range, only to change his mind the next day and refuse. He was furious.

Anyone who dared toy with his grandfather like that wouldn't get away with it.

"Mm. When Chen Han returned, he was only a martial artist at the peak of Dark Force, not far ahead of you. I just don't know why his strength and movements are so astonishing. Be extra careful when the time comes."

Shan Zhen's face brimmed with absolute confidence and youthful pride. "Don't worry, Grandfather. You've personally trained me since I was young, and I've tempered my body with those expensive resources.

"Now, with this Kirin Vest, if I can't beat Chen Han until he's crawling on the ground... then I don't deserve to be called a member of the Chen Family!"

As he spoke, he looked at one of his undershirts. It was made of very soft material, but that wasn't all.

The garment was called a Kirin Vest, made from the hide of a Kirin Ox. When worn, it could absorb nearly half a percent of a martial artist's punching force.

He was already built like a bear. Now that he had this armor, his ability to take a beating was even greater. When fighting at full strength, he was no less than a humanoid ferocious beast.

Chen Han was only a minor martial artist at the Dark Force stage. Shan Zhen didn't take him seriously at all.