The Unwidowed Zhou Clan

Ex-wife?

Hearing these two words, Chen Ye froze for a moment, thinking he had misheard.

That ex-wife had become someone else's concubine.

Was it forced or voluntary?

Seeing Zuo Dongxi's slightly agitated state, Chen Ye was sensible enough not to ask further.

"Damn those noble families, hiss..."

Zuo Dongxi cursed under his breath, accidentally pulling at his wounds, which forced him to gasp in pain.

The dungeon fell silent.

Days of rushing about and mental exhaustion left Chen Ye feeling weary and lethargic, and before long, he drifted into a hazy sleep.

He did not know how much time had passed before he was jolted awake by a commotion.

The dungeon was devoid of daylight; when he opened his eyes, everything remained shrouded in gloom.

Chen Ye shifted his consciousness and pulled up the Pawn System.

[Current remaining lifespan: five months and twenty-five days.]

Using the rate of his lifespan consumption as a gauge, he managed to deduce that it must be daytime.

If not for this incident, he would be returning from Luoyang right now, ready to collect his month's wages.

But as things stood, he felt that even if he could get out of the dungeon now, his job at the transport firm was likely gone.

The waters of the Capital City were even deeper than he had imagined.

Without connections or a background, it was impossible to take a single step.

Outside, the sounds of a new round of interrogations began.

It would be a while before his turn came.

Chen Ye simply stood up, assumed a stance in the narrow cell, and slowly circulated his internal energy.

Zuo Dongxi, watching from the opposite corner, opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

At a time like this, he still had the leisure to practice martial arts?

Chen Ye ignored the other man's gaze, centering his mind as his internal energy flowed with his breath.

Because the cell was dark, he deliberately steered his energy away from the acupuncture points in his Dantian to avoid emitting any glow, relying solely on his breathing to draw out vitality.

Gradually, a gentle warmth seeped from his flesh, as if his entire body were submerged in a hot spring; his pores opened, and he felt an indescribable sense of relief.

With every breath, his injuries improved significantly, beginning to heal quietly.

Chen Ye knew that if he opened his Dantian and allowed the glow to manifest, his wounds would heal even faster.

But the timing was wrong, and he dared not act recklessly.

Zuo Dongxi watched Chen Ye practice, unable to resist leaning in to ask, "Is this your family's martial art? It looks... not very profound."

Chen Ye was noncommittal, asking instead, "Have you seen profound martial arts?"

"Naturally, I have." Zuo Dongxi grew a bit excited. "All the profound martial arts in the world are in the Capital City; the essence of the Capital City's martial arts belongs to the noble families; among the noble families, the Yang Family, Xie Family, Wang Family, and Cui Family are the most respected."

"The Yang Family is the imperial clan, so let's not talk about them. Just look at the prestigious houses of the Xie, Wang, and Cui families. The Xie Family's martial arts excel in killing, the Wang Family's in transformation, and the Cui Family's in cultivation. This is common knowledge in the Capital City."

"I have been fortunate enough to see disciples from these families strike; their power is supernatural, their breathing like dragons. Compared to them, your technique is far inferior."

Chen Ye heard this and felt it was only natural.

This was merely a martial art used by the Gao Family to train talent; how profound could it be?

Chen Ye took the opportunity to probe, "I hear that martial arts are divided into Mortal Shedding, Dragon Elephant, Bridge Sea, and Xiantian. With such deep foundations, these families must have quite a few Xiantian experts, right?"

"That's hard to say. Regardless, the Xie Family certainly has them, and more than one. I hear they have reached the point where they can go toe-to-toe with the imperial family, though I don't know if it's true."

Chen Ye's brows tightened. He suppressed his thoughts, stopped speaking, and refocused his mind to regulate his breathing.

Time slipped away in the darkness.

Gradually, Zuo Dongxi could no longer sit still, frequently stretching his neck to peer outside, muttering to himself, "Another one dead... that's the third. Xing'er, oh Xing'er, my life depends entirely on you..."

Just as he was whispering and fidgeting, the cell door suddenly opened.

This time, the door was not closed again.

A beam of light shot straight in from the entrance, forming a pillar of light where dust motes danced, creating a scene like a mist of light.

A beautiful woman, her face like cold jade, was walking toward them step by step.

Unlike Zuo Dongxi's ex-wife, this woman was dressed in mourning white, her entire being exuding a solemn sorrow.

She was a widow.

The guards interrogating below changed expression the moment they saw her. They immediately barked at their subordinates to stop, then hurried forward, cupping their hands in a salute. "Young Mistress, why have you come in person?"

"I received some news and came to take a look." The woman's tone was flat but brooked no argument. "In which cell is Zuo Dongxi kept? Lead the way."

Though the guard was confused, he dared not disobey, bowing as he led the way forward. "Young Mistress, please follow me."

Zuo Dongxi, inside the prison cell, saw this scene and excitedly beckoned to Chen Ye, saying, "They're here, they're here. Xing'er really managed to get the message through!"

Chen Ye looked up to see the widow standing before the cell door, her gaze as cold as frost as she swept it over the two of them.

"You are Zuo Dongxi, the one who sent the message?"

Zuo Dongxi instinctively looked toward Chen Ye.

Chen Ye did not shy away; he straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and offered a cupped-fist salute. "It was I."

"And you are?"

"Chen Ye, a caravan hand."

Just as Chen Ye had anticipated, once the widow received his message, she was bound to come.

Feng Yanwu had been the strongest contender for the next head of the Feng Family, yet he had died suddenly from poisoning.

The widow before them had become the person in the most precarious position.

With Feng Yanwu dead, who stood to gain the most?

Undoubtedly, the other heirs of the Feng Family.

Every one of these heirs was a suspect.

As it stood, Feng Yanwu had left behind offspring, which added significant variables to the struggle for the family headship.

If Chen Ye were the mastermind behind it all, the safest course of action would be either to finish the job and ensure Feng Yanwu's line was completely extinguished, or to kick this mother and her two children out of the game entirely, relegating them to the fringes.

Chen Ye could see this clearly; how could the widow, who had been steeped in the Feng Family estate for years and hailed from a noble background, fail to see it as well?

That was why, upon receiving Chen Ye's message, she was certain to come.

No one was more desperate than she to drag the true culprit into the light.

The widow Zhou Clan let her gaze linger on Chen Ye's face for a moment.

A caravan hand, locked in the Feng Family's private prison, yet still so composed upon seeing her.

That was truly rare.

She did not ask further, merely glancing at the attendants and private soldiers beside her, and said coldly, "Withdraw."

"But Madam, these are prisoners..."

The widow Zhou Clan raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as a blade.

The guard trembled all over, not daring to say another word, and hurriedly waved his hand to dismiss the others.

The cell returned to silence, leaving only the three of them.

The widow Zhou Clan's gaze returned to Chen Ye's face. "Now you may speak. Who is the murderer?"

Chen Ye replied calmly, "I do not know."

Zuo Dongxi, standing to the side, nearly choked. He stared at Chen Ye with wide eyes and hissed in a low, urgent voice, "Have you lost your mind?"

The widow Zhou Clan's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She looked at Chen Ye quietly and said, "So, you only wanted to lure me here?"

"Madam, please observe," Chen Ye met her gaze and said slowly, "While I do not know who the murderer is, I can find the murderer for you."