That Won't Be Up to Him

"Erlang, the Second Daughter of the Wang Family isn't just beautiful and polite—she's also a fantastic cook. Everyone who's met her sings her praises. Won't you at least consider it?"

After breakfast, Wei Shi asked him this.

Chen Ming shook his head. "My focus is on the martial path. I have no plans to marry for now. Sister-in-law, please turn them all down for me."

Seeing his firm resolve, Wei Shi dropped the subject, though she couldn't help feeling a pang of regret. This Second Daughter of the Wang Family suited her temperament perfectly; it would've been ideal to have her as a sister-in-law.

What a shame.

These past few days, matchmakers had worn down the threshold of the Chen home.

Before, everyone had scorned Chen Ming, using him as a cautionary tale for their own children. Almost overnight, his reputation had flipped, and he'd become the model child everyone praised.

Not that he had any intention of marrying. Even if he did, he wouldn't choose those who flocked to power and influence.

Becoming in-laws with such people would only invite endless trouble down the road.

Just then, the maidservant Xiao Hong came to report, "Second Young Master, a young man named Deng is here, claiming to be your friend."

Chen Ming quickly asked, "Where is he now?"

"In the main hall."

Chen Ming set down his chopsticks and went out. Entering the hall, he saw Deng Ziyang in a blue robe, standing with his hands behind his back before the wall. "Brother Deng, what brings you here?"

Deng Ziyang turned around with a smile. "I heard you haven't been to the Huo Manor for a few days. I was a bit worried, so I came to check on you."

"I've caused you concern, Brother Deng."

Soon, Xiao Hong came in to serve tea.

Chen Ming sat down with Deng Ziyang for some casual chat.

Deng Ziyang didn't bring up the Wanli Gambling House's debt collection. He trusted that with Chen Ming's ability, handling it would be a breeze.

If he mentioned it himself, it would seem like he was deliberately currying favor, which would be beneath him.

After the pleasantries, Deng Ziyang finally got to the real matter. "I plan to take the military examinations and join the Six Doors. I'll set out tomorrow."

Chen Ming was a bit surprised. "Will your old man agree to that?"

Deng Ziyang laughed. "That's not up to him anymore."

He smiled, but there was a fierce glint in his eyes. "The old man already has four sons and won't teach me martial arts. Old Ghost Huo doesn't dare take me as a disciple either. I refuse to live a mediocre life. So the military exams are my only choice!"

Chen Ming could feel the resentment in his heart and his hunger for the martial path.

He raised his teacup, using it as a stand-in for wine, and said solemnly, "I wish you smooth sailing on this journey, Brother Deng."

Deng Ziyang picked up his own cup, clinked it against Chen Ming's, and laughed heartily. "I'll take your good words to heart."

After finishing his tea, he added, "What worries me most about leaving is the group of brothers. Keep an eye on them for me."

Chen Ming shook his head. "I can't do that. They won't listen to me. Only you can keep them in line, Brother Deng. So you'd better come back soon."

Deng Ziyang chuckled. "You're wrong there. They don't say it, but they respect you deep down. Over the past half-month, sparring with you every day has sharpened their skills quite a bit."

"By the way, teach them more about the saber in the future. Once I'm in the Six Doors, there's no avoiding blades and guns."

The saber.

Chen Ming thought of his own beginner-level "Eight Trigrams Saber" and could only say, "I'll give it a try."

With business settled, they moved on to idle chat.

"I heard Wen Zehao is back. The Wen Family has prepared a lavish betrothal gift and will be going to the Huo Family to propose in a few days. How does that kid get so lucky? Becoming Huo Chengkun's grandson-in-law opens up a smooth path in martial arts."

Deng Ziyang's tone was a bit sour, lamenting how different people had different fates.

He believed his own talent and character were no less than Wen Zehao's, but simply because he was the Giant Tiger Gang leader's illegitimate son, such good fortune would never come his way.

Chen Ming recalled a saying and remarked, "Every gift from fate comes with a price tag hidden in advance. I dare say his future achievements will fall far short of yours, Brother Deng."

Deng Ziyang savored those words in his mouth, the more he chewed on them, the more profound they felt. His eyes gradually lit up, and he suddenly clasped his hands in a formal salute, saying gravely, "Senior Brother Chen, I've been taught well."

Chen Ming quickly stopped him. "Brother Deng, what are you doing? You're overwhelming me."

"Senior Brother, I'll take my leave here."

Deng Ziyang soon bid farewell.

Chen Ming saw him all the way to the door, watching him walk away. He silently thought to himself, "The Six Doors."

To better control the grassroots, the Great Jin Dynasty had implemented a dual-track system: the civil Yamen and the martial Six Doors.

Naturally, the imperial examinations also had civil and military tracks.

The smaller the place, the greater the authority of the Six Doors.

In a big city like Qingfeng City, it was tacitly accepted in official circles that the head of the Six Doors took precedence, with civil officials as support.

If one could pass the military exams and join the Six Doors, there would naturally be opportunities to learn advanced martial arts. But at the same time, it came at the cost of freedom.

The Six Doors was both a super-sized sect and a bureaucratic arena. In such a melting pot, without a background, one could be swept into some whirlpool at any moment and die without knowing how.

If there were truly no other path, Chen Ming would absolutely not choose this one.

After midnight, once the hour of Zi had passed, the entire Qingfeng City grew still.

At the Chen Estate.

A dark figure silently vaulted over the wall from within, weaving through the shadows, dodging the night watchmen and the night-soil collectors. Half an hour later, the figure arrived before a secluded residence.

The shadow leaped over the high wall, and suddenly a dog barked.

Swoosh!

A pebble shot out. The dog in the yard whimpered once and dropped dead on the spot.

The shadow crossed the yard, reached the rear chambers, drew a thin short blade, slid it into the crack of the door, and gently worked it a few times until the bolt slid open.

"Who's there?"

A wary voice came from inside the room.

The black-clad figure flashed into the inner chamber in one swift move, pointing the short blade at Old Ghost Xiao on the bed, and said in a hoarse voice, "If you don't want your whole family dead to the last, shut your mouth."

The moment Old Ghost Xiao saw the footwork the other party displayed, terror seized him, and he lost all will to resist.

This was unmistakably a ranked martial artist.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he said, "Good sir, let's talk this out. The money's all in the chest under my bed—I'll fetch it for you. I only ask that you spare my family's lives."

"I'm here for money. Blame your bad luck. If you cooperate nicely, I'll let your family live."

As he spoke, the black-clad man reached for the belt by the bedside and looped it around Old Ghost Xiao's neck.

Old Ghost Xiao was terrified beyond words. Just then, up close in the darkness, he caught a clear look at the exposed eyes of the other party—they were unmistakably the eyes of a young man.

A sudden thought struck him, and he blurted out a name, "Spare me, Master Chen the Second..."

The black-clad man's hands paused.

Old Ghost Xiao knew at once that his guess was right. Racking his brains for a sliver of hope, he said, "I truly meant no offense to your elder brother—it was all my underlings acting on their own..."

Seeing the black-clad man wrap the belt around his neck, he was scared out of his wits. Yet, fearing for his whole family's lives, he dared not resist and could only beg, "I'm willing to offer a Martial Arts Manual—I only ask that you spare my life, young master..."

As soon as he said this, he felt the belt around his neck loosen slightly.

The black-clad man still spoke in that hoarse voice, "You have a Martial Arts Manual?"

"Absolutely true."

Old Ghost Xiao clung to this lifeline. "I got it years ago from a down-and-out fellow. His ancestors once produced a fifth-rank expert... If you don't believe me, young master, I can fetch it for you to see."

"Where is it?"

"Right under the bedboard, the middle plank—there's a hidden compartment—urgh—"

No sooner had Old Ghost Xiao spoken than he felt the belt around his neck tighten violently. He struggled desperately, his eyes bulging, until after a moment his body went stiff and still—dead with his eyes wide open.

The black-clad man then hoisted him up to the roof beam, making it look like a suicide.

After that, he flipped the bedding aside and searched until he found a hidden compartment in one of the bedboards. He retrieved what was inside—a book wrapped in oilcloth.

Without examining it closely, he wrapped it in cloth, left the house, and used fishing line to slide the door bolt back into place. Then he slipped away into the night.

Under the cover of darkness, no one knew that a murder had just taken place here.