The Zheng Clan

Dark alley.

Several yamen runners in black uniforms looked at the corpses on the ground with grim expressions.

Clack, clack, clack.

A series of footsteps approached.

A head constable dressed in black with a long saber at his waist arrived.

"Head Wu."

Seeing him, the yamen runners immediately bowed respectfully.

"Disciples of the White Ape Martial Hall?"

The moment the head constable saw the corpses, he recognized the training uniforms on them.

The White Ape Martial Hall was one of the established martial halls in the East District, and it even had the backing of powerful noble clans.

Who could be so bold as to waylay and kill disciples of the White Ape Martial Hall?

"The strikes were clean and decisive, each blade blow aimed straight for the vitals. This is the work of a veteran blade user."

After examining the wounds, the head constable reached this conclusion.

Judging by the scene, the killer's cultivation was at least at the Three Qi and Blood Gates, and they were a martial artist skilled with the blade.

He surmised that the victims had likely flaunted their wealth and been targeted.

"Take the bodies back; I will head to the White Ape Martial Hall to confirm their identities."

The head constable ordered.

If it were anyone else, they would be too lazy to investigate and would simply dump the bodies at the Mass Grave.

But since it involved the White Ape Martial Hall, they could not afford to be careless.

Most people who could join a martial hall came from affluent backgrounds; if they handled this sloppily, they risked offending powerful people.

"Yes!"

The yamen runners moved, loading the corpses onto a wooden cart.

The head constable took portraits of the victims and headed to the White Ape Martial Hall.

"Disciples have been killed?"

Upon learning the head constable's purpose, the martial hall guards were shocked and hurried to report it.

Before long, the identities of Zheng Hao and the others were confirmed.

After inquiring for detailed information, the head constable hurried toward the Zheng Clan.

As for the deaths of Zheng Hao and his group, the inner courtyard of the martial hall showed no reaction.

Firstly, Zheng Hao and the others were merely veteran disciples at the Second Qi and Blood Gate with almost no potential.

Secondly, they had died in an alley outside the hall; it was assumed they were waylaid while out drinking and whoring.

Naturally, the martial hall could not be bothered to care.

"Have you heard? Zheng Hao and the others are dead!"

"Zheng Hao and the others are dead? What happened?"

"A constable from the yamen just came by. I heard their bodies were found in a dark alley."

"Who did it? Who has the guts to kill martial hall disciples?"

"That alley is a den of thieves and scoundrels; who knows who did it?"

"Damn, I even lent them money a few days ago!"

News of Zheng Hao and his group's deaths spread through the martial hall, causing a great commotion.

A student who had not yet graduated being killed was something that had never happened in the history of the martial hall.

"Zheng Hao?"

By the training grounds, Sun Wu heard the news and was quite surprised.

A few days ago, when Zheng Hao and his group were targeting Jiang Chen, he had wanted to find an opportunity to knock them down a peg to prevent Jiang Chen from being led astray again.

Who would have thought that Zheng Hao and the others would just die like this.

Now, he no longer had to worry about Jiang Chen being disturbed.

East District.

Four Elements Ward, Zheng Clan.

In the main hall, the now-stiff bodies of Zheng Hao and the others had been delivered and laid out neatly.

"Master, they all died at the hands of the same person."

"The attacker's technique was extremely seasoned; every blade strike pierced a vital point."

"Their cultivation is at least at the Three Qi and Blood Gates, and they possess extensive combat experience."

After carefully examining the corpses, an old man revealed the detailed intelligence.

"Three Qi and Blood Gates?"

A cold glint flickered in the eyes of the indifferent Zheng Chengfeng.

The conclusion from the yamen was that it was a robbery-homicide.

But he did not believe it.

If only Zheng Hao had been killed, that might have made sense.

The problem was that besides Zheng Hao, several other White Ape Martial Hall disciples had been with him.

Would someone at the Three Qi and Blood Gates have the audacity to strike at so many martial hall disciples?

One had to realize that if even one of them escaped, it would spell disaster.

Therefore, he did not believe in the robbery theory at all.

This was a meticulously planned ambush!

"Master, I've found out. Last night, the Seventh Young Master and the others won over eighty taels of silver at the underground gambling den."

At this moment, a burly man hurried over and reported his findings.

"As expected, this matter has nothing to do with robbery."

The cold glint in Zheng Chengfeng's eyes intensified.

Eighty-odd taels of silver was a large sum for ordinary people.

But for a martial artist at the Three Qi and Blood Gates, it was insignificant.

Such a small amount of silver couldn't even buy a single Aperture Breaking Pill.

The rewards and risks were completely disproportionate.

No martial artist at the Three Qi and Blood Gates would kill martial hall disciples for such a pittance.

"Go and investigate whether he had any grudges with anyone in the martial hall recently. Remember, investigate discreetly."

Zheng Chengfeng immediately gave the order.

He did not care much about Zheng Hao's life or death, but the person behind the scenes had to be identified.

Because this was no longer a simple grievance, but a life-and-death vendetta.

He had to at least figure out who had been offended to prevent future trouble.

White Ape Martial Hall.

High noon.

"Hoo!"

Drenched in sweat, Jiang Chen finished his morning of grueling training.

[Cultivation: Second Qi and Blood Gate, Mid-stage (10%)]

On the Myriad Dao Chart, his cultivation was steadily improving, and the results were quite gratifying.

Training for eleven hours a day with a 1.5% increase per hour meant he would reach the late stage of the Second Qi and Blood Gate in just six or seven days.

With the Myriad Dao Chart's special effect of uniform progression, he would reach the perfection of the Second Qi and Blood Gate within half a month and be ready to breach the Three Qi and Blood Gates.

Such an astonishing speed of cultivation would surely attract the attention of the martial hall.

"Jiang Chen, have you heard about Zheng Hao?"

While eating, Luo Yang leaned in again.

"I heard. If they died in a dark alley, they probably ran into robbers."

Jiang Chen's expression remained normal, revealing not a single flaw.

"It's a good thing you stopped hanging out with them, otherwise you probably wouldn't have escaped the disaster either."

Luo Yang said with great relief, never once suspecting Jiang Chen.

This was only natural.

Jiang Chen had only recently broken through to the Second Qi and Blood Gate.

As for Zheng Hao and the others, they were all veterans at the Second Qi and Blood Gate, and since they were killed as a group, he naturally would not suspect that Jiang Chen was responsible.

"It's time to send a message home."

After lunch, Jiang Chen had someone deliver a secret letter to his home.

He hadn't investigated the mole in his family before because he didn't want to alert the enemy.

But now that Zheng Hao and the others were dead, it was time to root out the hidden dangers.

Willow Catkin Ward, Jiang Clan.

"Business has dropped by nearly forty percent?"

In the study, Jiang Sihai stared at the ledgers of several shops, his brows furrowed tightly.

Although the entire family's business had been marginalized ever since City Lord Yu departed, it had remained within a manageable range.

Yet, over these past few days, the business at his shops had suffered a cliff-like collapse.

This was no longer mere marginalization; it was targeted suppression.

Was the Azure Dragon Gang behind this?

"Master, the martial hall has delivered a letter from the young master."

At this moment, the steward knocked on the study door and handed over a letter.

"White Ape Martial Hall?"

Jiang Sihai's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Jiang Chen had gotten into trouble again?

He hurriedly opened it to take a look.

Fortunately, it was a false alarm.

The content of the letter consisted of the daily supplies Jiang Chen required.

"This is..."

But immediately, Jiang Sihai noticed something amiss. Following the family's ancestral cipher method, he decoded the secret message Jiang Chen was truly conveying:

There is someone in the house leaking his whereabouts!

"A mole?"

Seeing the content of the secret message, Jiang Sihai's expression darkened.

There was actually a mole or a spy in the house?

Who had planted them?

The clan?

Or the Azure Dragon Gang?

"Uncle Qi, make a trip to the White Ape Martial Hall and deliver these items to Chen'er."

"Additionally, investigate in secret to see what has happened at the White Ape Martial Hall."

Jiang Sihai made his arrangements immediately.

Since Jiang Chen had suddenly sent a letter of warning, something must have definitely happened at the White Ape Martial Hall.

"Understood!"

The steward hurried away.