No Loose Ends

Late at night.

The Liu Family estate, rear courtyard.

"By the agreed time, Senior Zhu should have made his move already..."

Patriarch Liu paced anxiously back and forth in the rear courtyard.

Behind him stood two men in their twenties—his sons.

They each held a small bundle containing banknotes from the government bank and several land deeds from other counties.

"Father..."

At that moment, the Eldest Young Master Liu seemed to have run out of patience and couldn't help asking,

"There's still been no word from the pavilion outside town. Senior Zhu... did he succeed?"

"Wait a little longer."

Patriarch Liu stopped and looked at his two sons.

"Or... you could take this money and leave first.

If nothing happens, come back in a few days.

After thinking it over tonight, I decided it would be safer to send you both away first."

"Father!"

"I'm not leaving!"

The two men stood their ground, stubbornly refusing to move.

"Foolish!" Patriarch Liu frowned at them.

"I specifically sent someone to find Ruyi Star today.

But that sly old fox Ruyi Star had sensed that something was wrong and fled in the middle of the night.

That tells us he wasn't entirely confident that Senior Zhu could assassinate that Chen fellow."

After saying this, Patriarch Liu tried reasoning with them, appealing to their feelings as well as their good sense.

"If Senior Zhu fails and that Zhao Qilin comes for revenge, at least our family's bloodline will survive if you two leave.

As for me and everyone else in the estate, we still have to handle the rice business tomorrow.

That's the thing about that youngster—he's still just a youngster. I think he's no match for an old hand from the martial world!

If the senior succeeds, and our whole family moves tonight, we'll only throw ourselves into disarray and look suspicious to outsiders."

"But... Father..." The Second Young Master thought his father made sense, but still wanted to persuade him.

"Fine... my younger brother and I will go first..." The Eldest Young Master tugged his younger brother's sleeve and silently nodded.

But then.

Thinking of how humiliating things had been today, and how his father would be left behind to shoulder the risk, the Eldest Young Master grew angry.

"If the Zhao Family hadn't produced an expert, the bandits would have struck next month, and the Zhao Family would have suffered heavy casualties and been left badly weakened!

Our family could have taken the opportunity to swallow up their rice business!

It was such a good plan. How did someone like him suddenly appear?"

The Eldest Young Master was furious.

His splendid plan—and his dream of becoming a great rice merchant—had suddenly been ruined, wiped away.

He simply couldn't accept it.

"I hope Senior Zhu kills that little thief with one sword!" The Second Young Master was just as angry, and prayed that Senior Zhu had succeeded tonight.

And the bandit affair.

Their entire Liu Family had worked together to arrange it.

Otherwise, there were some things the bandits couldn't easily find out on their own.

After all, bandits knew nothing about the rice trade.

But when the Liu Family worked together, they could learn plenty by going to the Zhao Family's rice shops under the pretext of conducting business and moving goods.

They passed what they learned to Patriarch Liu, who then passed it to Ruyi Star.

Ruyi Star told the bandits, and they used their own methods to make discreet inquiries.

In the end, the information was pieced together, link by link, until they had uncovered the Zhao Family's delivery routes.

"Don't let your anger cloud your judgment..."

At that moment.

Seeing his two sons so angry, Patriarch Liu spoke more sternly to the pair who were about to leave.

"I know you'll probably take a look around the Zhao Family's place before leaving town.

But we still don't know what happened to Senior Zhu. Don't linger in town.

Once you leave the estate, go straight to Wucang County and wait for word from me."

"Yes..."

Seeing how serious their father was, the two young masters put aside their thoughts of looking in on the Zhao Family.

But.

Before Patriarch Liu could give them more instructions—to travel by night and watch out for their safety—

A crash sounded from the front courtyard.

"Help..."

At the same time, one of the guards cried out in terror.

"What's going on... Could it be?"

Hearing the cry and the crash, Patriarch Liu reacted and was about to tell his sons to leave through the back gate.

But in less than ten seconds.

The two young masters had barely taken a couple of steps, still stunned.

Tap—

The soft sound of a thick cloth shoe striking a bluestone brick came from the courtyard gate ahead.

At the gate.

Chen Guan held a guard in one hand and a long sword in the other, gazing at the three men in the courtyard, who stood frozen in unease and shock.

"Patriarch Liu. Second Young Master. Eldest Young Master."

Chen Guan glanced at the bundles in their hands.

"It's so late. Where are you headed?"

"Chen..."

"Qilin Prodigy..."

The moment they saw Chen Guan, the three recognized him despite never having met him.

The Hundred Beast Garment, his towering build, and his strange ears matched the descriptions that had been circulating around town for the past few days.

"Zhao Family's young master!"

Once they recognized Chen Guan.

Seeing that their guard had been captured, Patriarch Liu knew resistance would be useless against a martial-world expert. He dropped to his knees and begged for mercy.

"I... I'll give you all the Liu Family's money... just let me go... don't kill me..."

Patriarch Liu wept bitterly. By now, he knew Senior Zhu had failed—or was already dead.

"He really killed the Bamboo Swordsman... At seventeen, he could kill someone at the Post-Heaven Great Accomplishment..."

As Patriarch Liu begged, he was astonished that Chen Guan was so young yet possessed such profound inner strength. More than anything, though, he wanted to stay alive.

The two young masters were just as quick to act. They dropped to their knees in terror and held out their bundles.

"Please spare me, Grandpa Chen!"

"Grandpa Chen..."

They kowtowed as they knelt, setting their bundles down in front of them.

In the moonlight, banknotes could be seen through the gaps in the bundles.

Seeing them like this, Chen Guan asked,

"Two things. First, where is Ruyi Star?

Second, what manuals does your household have?"

Chen Guan released the guard he was holding and walked toward the three in the courtyard.

"Don't kill me... don't kill me..." The guard stood rooted to the spot, too frightened to move.

"He... doesn't seem to have killed anyone... Could he be afraid the authorities will investigate? Afraid of causing trouble?" Seeing that the situation seemed to be easing, Patriarch Liu answered readily, without hiding anything.

"Hero! I don't know where Ruyi Star is... but we have some assorted books and martial arts manuals at home, in the study!

The manuals we've collected are all on the last shelf in the study..."

As a wealthy merchant in a small town, it was perfectly normal to buy some martial arts manuals and train a few guards.

The Zhao Family had some too, and Chen Guan had read them all.

"Understood."

After hearing his answer, Chen Guan suddenly swung his sword and beheaded their father, right before the two young masters' horrified eyes.

Rumble—

The severed head rolled to a stop in front of the stunned young masters, who remained on their knees, still kowtowing.

Chen Guan took two more steps toward them.

"Don't worry. I usually use a saber, but I'm just as quick with a sword.

Before your father gets too far, I'll send you two on your way."

Whoosh—

The sword flashed, and two more heads fell, their eyes still filled with terror.

Chen Guan then turned to the guard, who had been too afraid to run.

"Take me to the Liu Family's relatives."