One Year Later

Great Jin, autumn of the ninth year of the Jinghe Era.

That day, the autumn sky was high and the air crisp—a rare stretch of fine weather.

Early in the morning, Lu Zhihao, who had just left the Yichun Brothel, sat in his carriage, still drunk. Feeling somewhat stifled, he opened the window for air.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped before an archway.

Lu Zhihao asked irritably, "Why have we stopped?"

The driver said, "Young Master, we can't get through ahead."

"What's going on?"

He leaned his head out and saw a crowd gathered in the alley ahead. Lanterns and colorful decorations hung at the entrance, as though some happy occasion was underway.

He could vaguely make out the words Chen Estate on the plaque.

He asked, "Whose family is holding a celebration?"

The servant attending him volunteered, "I'll go ask."

Then he got out of the carriage.

After a while, the servant returned with an odd expression and said, "Young Master, do you remember Chen Ming?"

Chen Ming?

At the mention of that name, a deep hatred flashed through Lu Zhihao's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Of course I remember him. If not for him, how could I have been thrown out of Golden Source Commerce? And locked up by the old man for half a year?"

Last year, he had still been Golden Source Commerce's chief steward. Through his brother-in-law's connections, he had secured a lucrative post, and life had been sweet as spring breeze.

Then some greenhorn had appeared out of nowhere and actually reported him to the old man, claiming that he had stolen from the store he managed and lined his own pockets!

Whenever Lu Zhihao recalled it, his teeth itched with hatred.

Had he really been greedy?

At Golden Source Commerce, every steward did the same. It was an under-the-table rule. Did the old man truly not know? He could only turn a blind eye.

Yet Lu Zhihao had run into a stubborn fool who did not know when to yield.

Once an under-the-table rule was dragged into the open, the old man naturally could not let him off lightly. He took the chance to kill the chicken and scare the monkeys.

Lu Zhihao became that chicken.

Not only had he been stripped of his post, but he had also been confined for half a year. Afterward, no matter how he begged his brother-in-law, he could not return to Golden Source Commerce.

He had wanted to punish that greenhorn severely, then kill him and vent the fury in his heart.

Who knew that the old shopkeeper would speak up for the boy? His brother-in-law also did not want the matter to grow too large and make things look bad, so it was left unresolved.

Before long, however, he heard that the boy had become a Ninth Rank martial artist and latched onto Huo Manor.

After that, when his sister tried to deal with the boy's older brother, she failed instead and received a harsh scolding from her husband, who ordered her not to make any further moves.

The more Lu Zhihao thought about it, the more stifled he felt. Furious, he kicked the servant. "Why bring him up so early in the morning? Bad luck."

Rubbing the spot where he had been kicked, the servant smiled bitterly. "It wasn't my intention to mention him. The road ahead is blocked because his family is celebrating their move to a new home."

"What did you say?"

Lu Zhihao froze. A nameless fire surged in his heart.

This was Show Water Street, where houses were far from cheap. The Chen Family had already been in dire straits a year ago. To bail Chen Ming out of prison, they had emptied their entire family fortune.

Yet after only one year, they had actually turned things around?

Seeing an enemy prosper hurt him worse than being killed.

At that moment, voices drifted in from outside. "What family is this? They actually have so many guests."

"I heard it's the two Chen brothers, the owners of the pharmacy—the Chunhe Pharmacy on Fragrant Water Street..."

"Chunhe Pharmacy? Of course I know it. Their Cold Remedy works quite well. So it's their family."

"I heard that Chunhe Pharmacy was on the verge of closing down a year ago. Then the Chen Family's Erlang suddenly came to his senses and became a Ranked Martial Artist. The Chen Family turned their fortunes around at once, buying such a huge residence in barely a year..."

"So it's that Chen Family Erlang. I heard he studies under Old Huo. He's not yet twenty, handsome as a jade tree in the wind, and still unmarried..."

"..."

Hearing even the young ladies and married women by the roadside praising Chen Ming, Lu Zhihao felt even worse. Unable to bear it any longer, he ordered, "Driver, take a detour."

The driver said helplessly, "Young Master, it's completely blocked behind us too. We won't be moving anytime soon."

Lu Zhihao turned around and indeed saw several carriages stopped behind them, packed tight as a wall. There was no way to turn around.

He was nearly driven mad with rage and could only slam the carriage window shut.

The discussions outside continued to drift in.

"...Ah, it's still better to become a martial artist. If my boy could amount to something like that, I'd gladly lose ten years of my life."

"I heard Chen Family Erlang has taken in many young children and specifically teaches them the basics of martial arts. His tuition is much lower than the martial arts schools'. Why not let your younger son give it a try?"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. Look, those little boys in blue are his disciples. Don't they look spirited?"

At this, Lu Zhihao's heart suddenly stirred. He pushed the carriage window open again and looked toward the Chen Estate.

Sure enough, he saw a group of children, all around ten years old. Wearing matching uniforms, they stood in two neat rows, congratulating the Chen Family on their move.

The ten-year-old children wore solemn expressions, their movements perfectly uniform. They naturally formed an imposing air that even cowed the spectators.

Lu Zhihao watched with his heart pounding. That boy had actually drilled a group of children to such a degree.

Anyone would believe they were a military formation!

At the same time, a smile appeared on his face, and he could not help laughing aloud.

Seeing his mood suddenly improve, the servant hurriedly asked, "Young Master, why are you laughing?"

"I'm laughing at how this boy doesn't understand the rules and is courting his own destruction."

Lu Zhihao laughed delightedly and said with glee at another's misfortune, "In Qingfeng City, you can't just take in so many disciples whenever you please."

The servant was somewhat confused. "Does someone even regulate taking disciples?"

Lu Zhihao was in excellent spirits now and patiently explained, "If you take three or five disciples, naturally no one cares. But if you take in twenty or thirty at once, someone will step in. Just wait. A good show will be coming soon."

The servant reminded him, "Young Master, don't forget. Your brother-in-law forbade you from dealing with Chen the Second."

"This time, he's seeking death himself. What does it have to do with me?"

Chen Estate.

The outside was bustling with excitement, but Chen Ming was entertaining honored guests in the rear courtyard: Deng Ziyang, Guan Peng, and Zhuang Xiaotian.

Ten months had passed. Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian had successfully passed the martial examinations and entered the Six Doors, where they had been assigned to work in small county towns below.

Their terms had just ended, so the two had returned to report on their duties. By coincidence, they had run into his move and came together to offer congratulations.

As for Guan Peng, he had been rather unlucky. He failed the political background check and was eliminated.

It was said that his grandfather's generation had been bandits and had made the Six Doors' wanted list. In the worst possible stroke of luck, the Six Doors had uncovered it.

Now that the four met again, they were all delighted.

Chen Ming could clearly see the changes in the three. Deng Ziyang and Zhuang Xiaotian were naturally high-spirited. They had completed their originally one-year probation early and were about to become full officials.

Once they did, they would hold official Ninth Rank status!

Guan Peng, by contrast, had been tanned dark by the sun and spoke far less.

The other three did most of the talking while he listened alone, rarely voicing an opinion.

Chen Ming sighed inwardly. All he could say was that everyone had their own fate and fortune.

Deng Ziyang also noticed Guan Peng's silence and asked, "Second Brother, what are your plans from here on?"

Guan Peng picked up a cup from the table and said, "I've joined Myriad Prosperity Commerce, and I'll soon be going to sea."

The other three were all greatly startled.

"What? You're going to sea?"

"Do you not value your life?"

"That's far too dangerous."

Seeing their reactions, Guan Peng smiled faintly. There was an indescribable meaning within that smile. "The winds and waves at sea may be fierce, but the profits are just as great. Myriad Prosperity Commerce has promised that as long as I am willing to go to sea, they will teach me the Wan Family's Azure Wave Art. If I don't take a gamble, I'll never be willing to accept it."

"You needn't try to persuade me. My mind is made up. I came this time to bid you farewell. You are my brothers and my best friends, so wish me smooth sailing on this journey."

As he spoke, he raised the wine cup before him.

Chen Ming and the other two were immediately at a loss for words. They raised their cups and drained a toast with him.

For a moment, an air of tragic solemnity filled the space between the four.

Seeing their expressions, Guan Peng said, "What are you doing? It's as though I'm going off to die. Don't worry. I cherish my own life more than any of you do. I won't die so easily."