Cold sweat streamed down Bai Deyuan's forehead in fright. He dropped to his knees with a thud and hurriedly defended himself:
"Lord Li, please judge this fairly. Zhou Yunhan was the head manager in Green Mountain City. This humble commoner has never involved himself in the White Horse Pharmacy's day-to-day operations."
"I truly knew nothing of his secret collusion with the Clear Wind Stronghold!"
"Whether you knew or not will become clear after an investigation."
Li Dingfang's tone deepened slightly as he said sternly:
"Family Head Bai, the Six Gates needs your cooperation. Everyone in the White Horse Pharmacy, from top to bottom, inside and out, must be thoroughly investigated."
"The account books, storerooms, correspondence—not a single thing can be left out."
"If any more spies for the Clear Wind Stronghold are hiding within your Bai Family, rooting them out early will benefit your family too."
Bai Deyuan dared not utter so much as a word of refusal. If this case were pursued in earnest, he would at the very least be guilty of negligence as the family head.
The more assistance Zhou Yunhan had provided the Clear Wind Stronghold over the years, the heavier the suspicion hanging over the Bai Family.
Had Zhou Yunhan not lashed out at Bai Zhixing like a cornered dog leaping over a wall in desperation, Bai Deyuan would never have been able to wash himself clean of the connection.
At that thought, the cold sweat on his back had already soaked his inner robe. He nodded repeatedly and hastened to say:
"This humble commoner will cooperate fully with the Six Gates!"
Li Dingfang did not dwell on the matter. He turned to Chen Jing and Cheng Qingshi, his expression softening somewhat.
"You two thwarted the Clear Wind Stronghold's plot tonight, a righteous act worthy of true heroes. The Six Gates will issue rewards in accordance with its regulations."
"The bounty for the wanted criminal you killed earlier, young Chen, will be paid out as well."
He paused, his gaze lingering on Chen Jing for another moment, and gave him the ghost of a smile.
"Young Chen, let me offer you a reminder."
Li Dingfang said slowly, "If you discover any leads in the future, remember to report them to the Six Gates. Do not act on your own."
"You were lucky this time."
"But a person's luck cannot hold forever. Wouldn't you agree?"
Chen Jing's heart tightened slightly.
Li Dingfang had spoken lightly, but Chen Jing could weigh the gravity of his words. This Six Gates constable was clearly putting him on notice.
He had previously been attacked by a wanted criminal, yet had not disclosed the matter involving Zhou Fan. Had Li Dingfang not been perceptive enough to have Duan Mu send men to keep watch,
the consequences of this incident might have been even worse.
They had scraped through with a victory this time, but what about the next?
Sincerely convinced, Chen Jing cupped his hands. "I will heed your guidance, my lord."
By the time they left the Six Gates, dawn was beginning to break.
The blaze at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was dying out.
Cheng Lianshan brought his disciples back to the Lianshan Martial Arts Hall, where Su Ru had already invited a physician to wait for them.
The physician carefully examined Chen Jing and Cheng Qingshi from head to toe. Fortunately, both had worn the close-fitting soft armor Mei Qinghe had given them.
Even though they had taken several slashes amid the chaos, they had suffered only superficial bruising, with no damage to their muscles or bones.
The physician prescribed several doses of medicine to promote circulation and disperse bruising.
He also left some fine wound medicine before taking his leave.
Cheng Lianshan sat in the seat of honor in the inner hall, his gaze sweeping over his disciples. Cheng Qingshi's robes still bore scorch marks, while the blood spattered on Chen Jing's lapels had dried to a dark brown.
"Qingshi, you did very well this time."
Cheng Lianshan's voice carried heartfelt gratification.
He knew his son well: born with a passion for martial arts, cold on the outside but warm within. Had he not volunteered to accompany Chen Jing to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Chen Jing alone would probably have found it difficult to escape unscathed from the encirclement of dozens of swordsmen.
Cheng Qingshi cupped his fist and bowed.
"I only did what I should."
Cheng Lianshan turned his gaze to Chen Jing and said with some feeling, "Little Jing, I never imagined you possessed such a fierce blade technique."
Liu Yunfei and Liang Youheng exchanged a glance.
Both had seen the swordsmen's corpses with their own eyes the night before.
Severed arms and mangled limbs had littered the ground, their cuts smooth and clean. Several bodies had been almost cleaved in half.
Even though they had witnessed plenty of bloody clashes in the martial world, the brutality of that scene had sent a chill through their hearts.
Chen Jing answered truthfully:
"I would not dare deceive you, Master."
"I honed this blade technique by slaughtering pigs. I took work at the Slaughterhouse not just to earn silver, but to practice my blade skills too."
Liu Yunfei froze for a moment, then laughed in realization. "So that was it. I thought you really just enjoyed slaughtering pigs that much."
"Still, to hone a pig-slaughtering blade technique to this level—you're truly one of a kind, junior brother."
Zhang Chengji, Mei Qinghe, and the others also marveled in admiration, regarding their youngest martial brother, Chen Jing, with ever greater respect.
Cheng Lianshan waved a hand and sighed.
"That is good. At least you have another means of keeping yourself alive."
"These are turbulent times. The Clear Wind Stronghold is gathering desperate outlaws from all across North Chuan, massing in the mountain forests. Who knows how many men like Zhou Yunhan they have planted in Green Mountain City?"
"From now on, even when moving about within the city, you must remain vigilant. Never grow careless."
The disciples all put away their smiles and answered in unison.
They had been busy the entire night.
By the time Chen Jing returned to his quarters, it was broad daylight.
He lay down on his bed, and only then did every muscle and bone in his body fully relax.
Morning birds chirped outside the window. He closed his eyes and began reviewing the battle at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in his mind.
They might have appeared to escape the battle unscathed, but a single misstep could have plunged them into eternal ruin. That was why Chen Jing made a habit of finding gaps and correcting shortcomings.
After all, when staking one's life, there was precious little room for error.
One mistake, and there would never be another chance to correct it.
Once he finished his review,
Chen Jing turned his attention to the System Panel in his mind.
During the bloody battle the previous night, he had cut down some twenty swordsmen, raising his Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique proficiency by a staggering 270 points.
The Blood-Qi Realm fighter Zhou Yunhan had kept in his service had contributed another 100 proficiency points alone, bringing the total gain to 370.
Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique (Great Accomplishment: 1315/5000)
Chen Jing stared at the number and began calculating.
The proficiency he had earned by cutting people down in a single night equaled seven or eight days of slaughtering pigs. Could the battlefield, killing enemies, be the real place to hone his blade technique?
But as for life in the army,
Butcher Zhang and Instructor Wang had both told him about it.
Soldiers did not fight battles all the time. They spent the vast majority of their days drilling, manning garrisons, and patrolling the borders.
In peaceful years, they might not see a single battle for three to five years.
If he truly hoped to rack up proficiency through warfare, he would still have to wait for an opportunity.
Yet unrest in the Central Plains was growing by the day.
The surrounding barbarian peoples were also beginning to eye their lands like hungry tigers, whether in the Northlands, the Western Regions, the southwest, or the Shu Region where he lived.
The situation was steadily growing tense everywhere.
The Western Rong's assault on the passes in North Chuan before the new year had been one such example.
Once war broke out, perhaps he could consider a stint in the army.
Aside from joining the army, there was another place with the legal authority to cut people down: the Six Gates, which handled hunting down bandits and making arrests.
However, entering the Six Gates was no easy matter.
The Six Gates only recruited people of its own choosing. There had never been a precedent for someone volunteering to join.
Regardless, the fastest way to improve his blade technique right now was still slaughtering pigs. It was tedious, but reliable.
Besides, he now earned wages for slaughtering pigs every day, killing two birds with one stone.
At that thought, Chen Jing could no longer be bothered to rest.
He rolled over and sprang out of bed, practiced two rounds of fist techniques in the courtyard, ate breakfast, then picked up the Butcher Knife and headed to the Slaughterhouse again.
Let the wind blow and the rain beat down—slaughtering pigs could not stop.
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