Return to Little Liuzi Town

"Zhao... the Zhao family..."

"This cultivator elder... actually has... has a connection to the Zhao family we were planning to rob?!"

The bandits and the others were stunned for a moment after hearing what Chen Guan said.

They never would have imagined that in an ordinary rice shop of the Zhao family in an ordinary little town, there would be such a high-level cultivator.

Of course, the Zhao family could be considered a notable rice merchant in Little Liuzi Town.

But looking at the entire "Qi Dynasty" spanning ten thousand miles, a rice merchant in this corner of a town was tiny, truly tiny.

Yet, such a small place had a cultivator?

If they had known this earlier, how would they have dared to touch the whiskers of the tiger that was the Zhao family?

Even if they were given a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't have dared to do so!

Let alone a cultivator, even if there were just a few experts at the minor completion stage of the acquired realm sitting in town.

They would have had to weigh the situation carefully for a few days, scrub away the traces of their scouting, and then retreat quickly.

The weakest expert at the minor completion stage of the acquired realm still possessed nearly seven or eight hundred catties of strength.

Beating up people like them would be as easy as an adult bullying a child.

At the same time, as they thought of this, they also recalled how Chen Guan had slaughtered them like chickens and dogs when he first attacked.

"This expert not only knows sorcery... his physique is also terrifyingly strong..."

"He is a dual cultivator of spirit and martial arts..."

Thinking of this, the bandits were even more shocked; they hadn't expected this expert to have chosen the most difficult path of cultivation!

But if Chen Guan could know what they were thinking, he would feel that they didn't know much about cultivation.

Because a martial artist's internal energy was, in itself, just another name for spiritual energy.

Therefore, there were actually quite a few people who were dual cultivators of spirit and martial arts; it wasn't something unique to him.

However, in most cases, many people focused primarily on one path.

Either using spiritual energy to ascend to immortality.

Or using spiritual energy to unlock the various wonders within the body.

It was just that.

Chen Guan didn't want to waste his "special physique," so he advanced on both fronts simultaneously.

But he still primarily focused on "spirit."

As for his body, he mostly used spiritual energy to bolster it, trying his best to bring out the advantages his physique should have.

At the very least, in Chen Guan's view, the spiritual energy consumed by killing seven or eight people with his fists and feet was much less than that of a single spell.

"I killed so many people earlier and only consumed half a percent of my spiritual energy.

But a single spell would have cost me thirty percent of my spirit.

At my current absorption rate, I need to practice breathing for an hour to fully recover."

Chen Guan was calculating the gains, losses, and combat experience of this battle, while not delaying the subsequent business of heading home.

"Follow me."

With those words, Chen Guan took the lead and walked out of the forest clearing.

The bandits looked at each other, and finally, after glancing at the corpses covering the ground, they honestly followed behind Chen Guan.

The next day, early morning.

In the backyard of the Zhao family.

"Good morning, Master..."

"Master, breakfast is ready."

The servants in the manor were busy sweeping the courtyards or preparing breakfast for the young masters and misses of the house.

Whenever they encountered Patriarch Zhao or the young masters of the manor, they would hurriedly stop their work to offer greetings.

Nowadays.

The Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master, who had already started their own families, were still living here.

But since the number of people in the family had increased, Patriarch Zhao had also bought a small residence next door and opened a back door in the alleyway between the two houses, effectively connecting them.

As for knocking down the walls on both sides of the two houses and sealing off the alley to merge them into one large manor.

That was not allowed.

At the very least, given the Zhao family's connections and status, if the "Dianshi" in charge of housing at the yamen were to find out, they would not only be fined but would also have to rebuild the walls.

At the same time.

Inside the Zhao family dining hall.

Patriarch Zhao, along with his sons and grandsons, were gathered together.

The womenfolk and young ladies were eating at another table as well.

Click.

At this moment, there was only the faint sound of chopsticks and the slurping of porridge.

Except for festivals and celebratory gatherings, the Zhao family generally practiced "no talking while eating" during their morning meals.

And at this moment.

Outside the manor.

The morning streets were already filled with people heading to work, as well as peddlers wandering about carrying shoulder poles.

"Greetings, Clerk Liang..."

From time to time, there were respectful and envious greetings.

A couple of constables and officials dressed in yamen uniforms passed by the front of the Zhao manor.

"I heard Clerk Liang is about to be promoted."

In front of the Zhao manor, two guards stood on either side, chatting about the gossip they had overheard.

But as the steward emerged from the manor with two servants, they stopped talking and bowed to the side.

"Steward Lin!"

They were respectful, casting a glance at the steward.

The steward was nearly fifty years old, with a stout figure and a face that often wore a smile, giving him an approachable air.

But in reality, the two guards knew this steward was very strict.

He was not only strict with people like them, but also strict with himself.

It seems... the steward was an accountant for the Zhao family a long time ago, and he did things by the book...

The two guards were secretly sizing up the steward.

"Buy more green vegetables." The steward ignored the two of them and produced a grocery list, instructing the two servants to head out of the manor.

He was also making his rounds, checking to see if the servants inside the manor were focused on their work.

But just then.

A series of exclamations erupted from the street in the distance.

The steward looked toward the source of the commotion and saw a rugged man wearing a Hundred Beast Garment, leading several men who were walking with their heads bowed in silence.

It was precisely Chen Guan's massive, two-meter-tall frame and his utterly savage appearance that caused the people on the street to gasp and whisper.

"That man is so tall and strong..."

"Such a build... such attire... he looks like a martial arts expert..."

"An ordinary person is only about five feet tall, he... must be at least seven feet!"

In the Qi Dynasty, five feet was roughly one meter seventy.

Seven feet was over two meters ten.

Now.

Standing on the street, Chen Guan's wild image naturally made him the center of attention.

Furthermore, when the steward in front of the manor saw Chen Guan walking straight toward him, he paused his instructions to the servants and cast a curious gaze in that direction.

Does the manor have a guest like this?

The steward did not recognize Chen Guan at first.

This was because Chen Guan had changed too much over the past ten years.

Yet, he vaguely felt that Chen Guan's features were somewhat familiar, which was why he assumed this was some "guest."

But whether he was a guest or not.

The steward, if not respectful, at least dared not offend a martial arts expert.

"May I ask, hero, why you have come here...?"

The steward was polite, casting a sidelong glance at the few people behind Chen Guan.

The bandits Chen Guan had brought with him, though they were cowering with their heads bowed, wore animal-skin scabbards at their waists and had hands covered in scars and calluses; in appearance, they were clearly seasoned martial artists!

Yet, to the steward's eyes.

These people seemed to be afraid of this hero?

Since this hero can suppress these martial arts swordsmen, his combat power must be extraordinary...

The steward felt this man was not to be trifled with.

At the same time, the two guards saw an expert approaching, tightened their grips on their sword hilts, and broke into a cold sweat.

The other two servants stood rooted to the spot, tense and afraid to move a muscle.

The aura Chen Guan projected by suddenly arriving with men, combined with his imposing physique, exerted a tremendous sense of oppression.

Especially with matters like martial arts vendettas or the slaughter of entire households occurring one after another.

The crowd neither wanted nor dared to provoke the bad luck of crossing paths with martial arts experts.

But the next moment.

Just as everyone was feeling a bit on edge.

Chen Guan revealed a smile, cupping his fists toward the steward, whose forehead was already beaded with cold sweat:

"Uncle Lin, it has been a long time. I am the Fifth Young Master who left home ten years ago, Zhao Ling.

However, I have since taken my mother's surname and now go by the name, Chen Guan."