Zheng Clan

Dark alley.

Several yamen runners in black uniforms stood around the bodies on the ground, their faces troubled.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

A set of footsteps approached.

A constable in black, a long saber at his waist, came over.

"Head Wu."

The yamen runners immediately bowed respectfully when they saw him.

"Disciples of the White Ape Martial Hall?"

The moment the constable saw the bodies, he recognized the practice uniforms they wore.

The White Ape Martial Hall was one of the East District's long-established martial halls, with a powerful lineage backing it.

Who had the guts to ambush and kill disciples of the White Ape Martial Hall?

"Clean strikes, every slash aimed straight for a vital spot. The killer's an old hand with a blade."

After examining the wounds, the constable reached this conclusion.

Judging by the scene, the killer was at least at the Three Qi and Blood Gates and was skilled with a blade.

The men had probably flaunted their wealth and attracted someone's attention.

"Take the bodies back. I'll go to the White Ape Martial Hall and confirm their identities."

The constable gave the order.

If these had been ordinary people, they wouldn't have bothered investigating. They would have dumped the bodies straight into the Mass Grave.

But since the White Ape Martial Hall was involved, they couldn't afford to be careless.

Most people who joined a martial hall came from well-off families. If they handled this matter casually, they might offend someone.

"Yes!"

The yamen runners got to work, carrying the bodies onto a wooden cart.

The constable brought portraits of the men to the White Ape Martial Hall.

"Some of our disciples have been killed?"

When the martial hall's attendants learned why the constable had come, they were shocked and hurried to report it.

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

After questioning them for details, the constable hurried off to the Zheng Clan.

The White Ape Martial Hall's Inner Courtyard showed little reaction to Zheng Hao and the others' deaths.

For one thing, Zheng Hao and his companions were merely old disciples at the Second Qi and Blood Gate, with almost no potential.

For another, they had died in a dark alley outside the martial hall. They had probably gone out to drink with women and been ambushed for their money.

The martial hall naturally couldn't be bothered to get involved.

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

"Zheng Hao and the others? What happened?"

"Yamen constables came by earlier. I heard their bodies were found in a dark alley."

"Who did it? How bold do you have to be to kill martial hall disciples?"

"That alley's a snake pit. Who knows who did it?"

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

News of Zheng Hao and the others' deaths spread through the martial hall, causing a huge commotion.

It had never happened before in the martial hall's history for disciples who hadn't graduated to be killed.

"Zheng Hao?"

At the edge of the Practice Field, Sun Wu heard the news and was quite surprised.

A few days ago, when Zheng Hao and the others had been keeping an eye on Jiang Chen, he had wanted to find a chance to knock some sense into them, in case they led Jiang Chen astray again.

Who would have thought Zheng Hao and his companions would end up dead?

At least now, he didn't have to worry about them bothering Jiang Chen.

East District.

The Zheng Clan, Four Elements Ward.

In the main hall, the bodies of Zheng Hao and the others, now stiff, had been laid out in neat rows.

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

"The killer was highly experienced. Every strike pierced a vital spot."

"The killer was at least at the Three Qi and Blood Gates, with a great deal of combat experience."

After carefully examining the bodies, an old man reported the details.

"Three Qi and Blood Gates?"

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of Zheng Chengfeng, whose expression was indifferent.

The Yamen had concluded that it was robbery and murder.

But he didn't believe it.

If Zheng Hao had been killed alone, that would have made sense.

The problem was that several other martial hall disciples had been with him.

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

If even one of them had escaped, it would have spelled disaster.

So he didn't believe for a moment that it was a robbery.

This had been a carefully planned ambush!

"Master, we've found out that last night, Seventh Young Master and the others won more than eighty taels of silver at an underground gambling den."

Just then, a burly man hurried over and reported what he had learned.

"As expected, this had nothing to do with robbery."

The coldness in Zheng Chengfeng's eyes deepened.

More than eighty taels of silver was a fortune to an ordinary person.

But to a martial artist at the Three Qi and Blood Gates, it was next to nothing.

It wasn't even enough to buy a single Aperture Breaking Pill.

The gain and the risk were completely out of proportion.

No martial artist at the Three Qi and Blood Gates would risk killing martial hall disciples for such a small sum.

"Look into whether he recently made enemies with anyone at the martial hall. Remember, investigate discreetly."

Zheng Chengfeng immediately gave the order.

He didn't particularly care whether Zheng Hao lived or died, but the person behind this had to be found.

This was no longer a simple grudge. It was a deadly feud.

He needed to know at least what sort of person they had provoked, so he could guard against trouble.

White Ape Martial Hall.

At noon.

"Hah!"

Sweating all over, Jiang Chen ended his morning's arduous practice.

[Cultivation: Second Qi and Blood Gate · Mid Stage (10%)]

On the Myriad Dao Chart, his cultivation had steadily improved, with gratifying results.

Training for eleven hours a day, he gained 1.5% per hour. In just six or seven days, he could reach the late stage of the Second Qi and Blood Gate.

And with the Myriad Dao Chart's effect of steady, even improvement, he would reach perfection at the Second Qi and Blood Gate and attempt the Third Qi and Blood Gate within half a month.

At such an astonishing cultivation speed, the martial hall was bound to take notice.

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

As they ate, Luo Yang came over again.

"I heard. If they died in a dark alley, they probably ran into someone after their money."

Jiang Chen's expression remained as calm as ever. He didn't let the slightest hint show.

"Good thing you stopped hanging around with them. Otherwise, you might've met the same fate."

Luo Yang said with relief. It didn't even occur to him to suspect Jiang Chen.

That was only natural.

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

Zheng Hao and the others were old hands at that level, and several of them had been killed together. Naturally, Luo Yang wouldn't suspect Jiang Chen had done it.

"I should send a message home."

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

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

Now, with Zheng Hao and the others dead, it was time to root out the threat.

Jiang Clan, Willow Catkin Ward.

"Business has dropped by nearly forty percent?"

In the study, Jiang Sihai frowned as he looked over the account books for several of the family's shops.

Ever since City Lord Yu had left, the family's businesses had been squeezed, but the losses had still been manageable.

Over the past few days, however, business at his shops had plunged off a cliff.

This was no longer mere pressure. Someone was deliberately crushing them.

Was the Azure Dragon Gang behind it?

"Master, the martial hall has sent Young Master's letter."

Just then, the steward knocked and handed him a letter.

"The White Ape Martial Hall?"

Jiang Sihai's heart lurched. Had something happened to Jiang Chen again?

He hurriedly opened it.

Fortunately, it had only been a false alarm.

The letter listed the daily supplies Jiang Chen needed.

"But this..."

Then Jiang Sihai noticed something unusual. Using the family's traditional method of combining characters, he deciphered Jiang Chen's real message:

There's a spy in the family, passing along his whereabouts!

"A mole?"

Jiang Sihai's expression darkened as he read the secret message.

There was a spy in the family?

Who had planted them?

The clan?

Or the Azure Dragon Gang?

"Uncle Qi, go to the White Ape Martial Hall and take these things to Chen'er."

"Also, discreetly find out what's happened at the White Ape Martial Hall."

Jiang Sihai made his arrangements at once.

Jiang Chen wouldn't have sent a warning out of the blue unless something had happened at the White Ape Martial Hall.

"Understood!"

The steward hurried off.