Chen Zhuo took off his bamboo hat and looked at Huang Yuan'er without expression, his head tilted slightly.
The Huang Yuan'er before him was vastly different from the one in his memories.
The Instructor Huang in his memories had a harmless, round face and was always smiling.
How could he be so impatient now?
Was it connected to Zhou Sheng's death?
Or was it connected to that courtyard?
Chen Zhuo narrowed his eyes and stood there as if stunned. To onlookers, it looked as though he'd been so intimidated by the scolding that he didn't dare speak.
"Cat got your tongue?"
An old, stooped Yamen Runner stepped out from behind Huang Yuan'er and scolded him again.
Chen Zhuo came to his senses but still didn't answer. Instead, he dropped the several heavy bundles from his back straight onto the ground.
The bundles hit the ground with several thuds, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Huang Yuan'er furrowed his brow and waved a hand behind him.
Several Yamen Runners immediately stepped forward and rummaged through the bundles. Apart from some spices and ingredients, they found nothing unusual.
"Squad Leader Huang, what is the meaning of this?"
Chen Zhuo spread his hands and asked with feigned confusion.
"I'm asking you one last time. Where did you go today?"
Huang Yuan'er's round face was creased with wrinkles. Anyone could see he was on the verge of flying into a rage.
Chen Zhuo pointed to the spices and ingredients on the ground. "I was ordered to go out and buy supplies. Is that enough to displease Squad Leader Huang?"
"If that's the case, next time you can have Master Yan send someone else."
With that, Chen Zhuo couldn't be bothered to entertain him any longer. He bent down to pick up the bundles.
A huge boot suddenly came down on one of them.
With a single stomp, it crushed the jar of spices inside.
The wind caught the spices as they scattered, coating Chen Zhuo from head to toe.
Chen Zhuo's eyelid twitched. He slowly straightened up.
He lightly brushed the spices from his clothes without saying a word, his head tilted as he silently watched the old Yamen Runner before him.
The old Yamen Runner's lips curled into a faintly mocking smile.
Huang Yuan'er's voice rang out.
"I heard someone saw you at the Ghost Market."
Chen Xiao turned to look at Huang Yuan'er, his face impassive.
"I went there once. I had a good fortune read by Old Blind Man on the eastern street."
"If you don't believe me, you can go ask him."
At the words "Old Blind Man," Huang Yuan'er seemed to tumble into a whirlpool of memories, and his expression changed at once.
But his face soon returned to normal. He looked Chen Zhuo up and down, his gaze finally settling on Chen Zhuo's waist.
"Spirit Fish?"
Huang Yuan'er looked surprised, then suddenly changed his expression again. With a rather playful wave of his hand, he said, "Search him carefully. Let's see where he got the silver to afford something as rare as Spirit Fish."
"Heh..."
The old Yamen Runner let out a sinister chuckle, stepped forward, and reached out to touch Chen Zhuo.
Just then, a sharp sound rang out.
"Smack!"
Chen Zhuo slapped the old Yamen Runner across the face.
He hadn't hit him hard. The old man merely cried out in pain.
Once he realized what had happened, he pointed at Chen Zhuo, furious. "You dare—"
Before he could finish, two more slaps landed.
"Smack! Smack!"
The old Yamen Runner was left reeling, too dazed to react.
His opponent had only just reached the Skin-Grinding Realm, and Chen Zhuo had controlled his strength perfectly. He hadn't slapped him to death, but he'd still achieved the desired effect.
The slap had to ring out—loud enough to land on Huang Yuan'er's face.
So before the old Yamen Runner could even recover from his shock, Chen Zhuo slapped him twice more.
These two blows were much harder. The old man's face swelled high, and he toppled to the ground.
"Outrageous!"
Chen Zhuo had just lowered his hand when Huang Yuan'er's furious shout rang in his ears.
In an instant, a scorching wave of heat surged toward him.
Chen Zhuo wasn't the least bit surprised. He slipped backward like an eel, and his hand, already resting on the hilt, drew the blade in a smooth motion.
The long blade left its sheath.
Then, from low to high, he cut upward.
The wave of heat seemed to split in two beneath his blade, and the attack abruptly slowed.
"You've got some nerve. You still dare draw your blade?"
"It's not the first time. Why wouldn't I dare?"
Chen Zhuo exchanged a blow with Huang Yuan'er, ending only when Chen Zhuo had been forced back a dozen steps.
Huang Yuan'er withdrew his fist and fixed his eyes on Chen Zhuo. Though his gaze brimmed with murderous intent, his thoughts were in turmoil.
Body Refining—Bone-Entering Realm?!
How many days had it been since the Morning Assembly?
His physique was far stronger, and his blade work far sharper. Compared with before, he'd risen several whole tiers.
Even though Huang Yuan'er had already undergone Blood Exchange, he had still been forced to avoid the edge of that last strike.
Such astonishing talent and natural gifts, paired with such solid martial cultivation—he was far too impressive.
He would never allow a figure like this to exist in Baiyun County.
"I have to kill him today."
With that thought, Huang Yuan'er had no intention of holding back any longer.
But just as he was about to act, a massive shadow suddenly fell over him, along with a scorching heat like a mountain fire roaring to life, sweeping over his entire body.
Huang Yuan'er's eyelid twitched violently. He stopped in his tracks and turned, gritting his teeth. "Greetings, Chief Clerk Sun."
The newcomer was the towering, broad-shouldered Chief Clerk Sun, built like a mountain.
"Squad Leader Huang, why pick a fight with a White-Uniform Runner?"
After speaking, Chief Clerk Sun turned his gaze to Chen Zhuo, who was taut as a bowstring, and looked down at him. "Put your blade away."
Chen Zhuo slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and slid the long blade back into its sheath.
Now that the Dianshi had arrived, there'd be no fight.
He silently slipped the peanut he'd been holding in his palm back into his waist.
Huang Yuan'er lowered his head and cupped his hands, his voice cold. "This man even dared to draw his blade in the Yamen. If we don't execute him on the spot, there's no explaining this."
Chief Clerk Sun glanced at the old Yamen Runner lying on the ground and furrowed his brow. "A troublemaker. Drag him off and lock him in the prison."
"As for you..."
Chief Clerk Sun looked at Chen Zhuo and said flatly, "Go back to the kitchen and stay there. Three strikes and you're out. If you dare draw your blade in the Yamen again, I won't let you off lightly."
"Yes."
Chen Zhuo cupped his hands. The outcome had genuinely surprised him.
This ruling was so blatantly biased it was almost unbelievable.
The old Yamen Runner had taken the blame. The other Yamen Runners didn't dare disobey the order; even if they ground their teeth to powder, they could only swallow their anger. The unconscious old man was soon carried away.
Huang Yuan'er clenched his jaw until his teeth creaked, but he didn't say a word.
He only glared at Chen Zhuo, as if he wanted to devour him alive.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Huang Yuan'er turned and left without a word.
As he left, the sudden farce came to an end.
Chief Clerk Sun gave Chen Zhuo a meaningful look, then left without saying anything.
Chen Zhuo nodded slightly, fully understanding what that look meant.
"Next time, don't draw your blade in the Yamen. Outside, you can chop Huang Yuan'er into pieces however you like."
"Master Chen, are you all right? Were you hurt?"
Only after everyone else had left did Fifth Master step up to Chen Zhuo and ask.
"Thank you."
Chen Zhuo gave him a cupped-fist salute.
He knew that if not for Fifth Master, Chief Clerk Sun would never have happened to appear here at just the right moment.
"Good. As long as you weren't hurt."
Fifth Master stroked the small mustache above his lip and leaned closer, speaking in a low voice. "Don't worry, Master Chen. Before Young Master Sun left on a trip, he specifically told me to make sure you came to no harm."
Sun Fei?
Chen Zhuo smiled knowingly and cupped his hands again in thanks.
Hurt?
Not a chance.
This clash had suddenly made him realize something.
Even though he had only reached the Bone-Entering Realm, the gap between him and Huang Yuan'er, who had already undergone Blood Exchange, wasn't nearly as wide as he'd imagined.
Perhaps it was because he had built up his martial skill one step at a time, improving little by little, until his foundation was unimaginably solid.
Compared with Chen Zhuo, Huang Yuan'er had learned martial arts on his own. Even with a renowned master to guide him, his foundation was still weak and unstable.
At the same level, against someone like Huang Yuan'er, he could fight with one hand tied behind his back.
Thinking of this, Chen Zhuo remembered the several porcelain bottles behind him. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.
"I'll undergo Blood Exchange tonight!"
Before you continue