Tragedy

After leaving Wu Martial Hall, Chen Ming paid another visit to Huo Manor to see Zhang Mingyu.

"What brings you here, Junior Brother?"

Zhang Mingyu had been explaining the Five Elements Saber Technique to several junior brothers, all familiar faces. After greeting him, he told Gu Junrong and the others to practice on their own, then brought Chen Ming into the pavilion for tea.

For a time before this, the two of them, along with Hong Mingquan, had sat here every day drinking tea and chatting.

The tea tray was still the same tea tray, but one of the people was already gone.

Chen Ming felt a touch of melancholy. After taking a sip of tea, he said, "I happened to be passing by, so I came to Senior Brother's place to beg a cup of tea."

Zhang Mingyu laughed heartily. "I have nothing else, but there's plenty of aged mountain tea. I've been hoping every day that Junior Brother would come by."

Over the past month, he had sparred with Chen Ming in saber techniques every few days.

After each spar, Chen Ming would help him review the fight. He felt that his saber technique had improved, so naturally, he hoped Chen Ming would come often.

Chen Ming said, "As long as Senior Brother doesn't find me bothersome."

"How could I?"

After some idle chatter, Chen Ming brought up the real matter. "Speaking of which, early this morning, a black-clad constable from Six Doors came looking for me..."

He briefly recounted what had happened.

The moment Zhang Mingyu heard that the constable had mentioned Old Six, he grew tense. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

Chen Ming said solemnly, "No. Since I promised Senior Brother, I naturally would not tell anyone about this matter."

"That's good."

Zhang Mingyu finally relaxed. He glanced at the junior brothers practicing their sabers some distance away and lowered his voice. "Actually, Sixth Junior Brother, he..."

"I have no interest in investigating this matter. I merely felt I should come and inform Senior Brother. It's getting late, so I'll head back first."

After learning Bi Haibo's story, he would very likely be drawn into this web of cause and effect. He had no intention of doing something with no benefit to him.

With that, he took his leave directly.

By the time Chen Ming returned home, it was nearly evening. He happened to make it back for dinner. At the table, he found that his sister-in-law was absent, while his elder brother Chen Rui had already announced that they could start eating.

He asked, "Aren't we waiting for Sister-in-law?"

"She isn't feeling well. I already had Xiao Hong bring her meal to her room."

Not feeling well?

She had probably realized she had socially died in front of him, hadn't she?

Chen Ming found it rather amusing. Her skin really was thin.

His elder brother Chen Rui suddenly asked, "Erlang, is there a woman you fancy?"

"No." He shook his head. "Big Brother needn't worry about my marriage. I have no intention of getting married for the time being."

Seeing how resolute he was, Chen Rui seemed to want to say something, but held it back.

After dinner, he returned to his room to find his wife, Wei Shi. "My dear, do you think Erlang still can't forget that girl from the Zhang Family?"

"Why bring this up all of a sudden?"

"Erlang is already twenty-one, yet he has no intention of marrying. When I was his age, Ade had already been born." Chen Rui was deeply troubled.

The eldest brother was like a father. Their parents were gone, so it naturally fell to him, the elder brother, to worry over his younger brother's marriage.

When a man came of age, he should marry; this was heaven's law and earth's principle.

Yet Erlang had always refused to take a wife. In the end, that was hardly normal.

How could taking a wife affect martial training?

In his view, that was merely an excuse.

After turning it over and over in his mind, Chen Rui felt this was the only possibility.

Wei Shi began to worry as well. "Then what should we do? That girl is about to marry someone else."

"The Zhang Family is so mercenary; they are absolutely not a good match. Even if she weren't marrying someone else, Erlang couldn't marry her. Otherwise, there would be no peace in the household. We must think of another way."

That night, Chen Rui did not sleep at all, pondering the matter the entire time.

The next day, Li Jinchuan indeed arrived with a guardian. He was a man in his forties, ordinary-looking and dressed in coarse hemp clothing.

Li Jinchuan introduced him. "This is Uncle Rui. Uncle Rui, this is Senior Brother Chen."

Uncle Rui bowed. "Hu Guangrui greets Second Young Master Chen."

"Mr. Hu needn't stand on ceremony." Chen Ming could not quite make out their relationship. They did not seem like elder and junior; instead, they seemed more like master and servant. "May I ask why you have come?"

"I would not dare. I have a matter for which I seek your help."

"Please, go ahead."

"I will be leaving Qingfeng City in the coming days, but I am worried that Chuan'er will have no one to look after him. Would it be possible for him to lodge at your estate for some time? I will return within a month at most."

Chen Ming smiled. "I thought it was something serious. It's a small matter. He may stay as long as he likes."

Hu Guangrui said joyfully, "Many thanks, Young Master Chen. If possible, he can move in tonight. I will leave early tomorrow morning."

"Very well."

Thus, Li Jinchuan moved into Chen Estate.

However, after quite a few students heard about it, they too clamored to move in.

Chen Ming merely hardened his expression, and those who had been making a fuss immediately behaved themselves.

Several days later, one night, Chen Ming was reading in his room when he suddenly heard a scream from afar.

Judging by the sound, it had come from several hundred meters away.

"Something happened?"

Just as he was thinking this, another scream rang out. This time, it was much closer.

Chen Ming's heart tightened. He set down his book, seized the long saber beside his bed, rushed out the door, and headed straight for his elder brother's courtyard. "Brother!"

Very soon, Chen Rui emerged draped in an outer robe and asked nervously, "What happened?"

Chen Ming said with a grave expression, "I'm not sure yet. Go back inside and watch over Sister-in-law and Lide. I'll stand guard outside."

"All right."

Chen Rui did not waste words. He returned inside to calm his wife and children.

Chen Ming then had Chunxiang and Xiaxiang wake everyone in the estate and gather them all in this courtyard.

Several more screams followed.

After that, there was no sound at all.

Chen Ming did not dare let down his guard and stood watch in the courtyard until dawn.

No one slept well that night.

After daybreak, Chen Ming sent someone out to gather information. The person quickly returned.

With a pale face, the man reported, "Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master, last night, a band of thieves broke into a Jiang household on the eastern side and killed the entire family—all twelve of them—then looted their money and valuables before leaving. The people from Six Doors have already arrived..."

Hearing of such a tragedy, Chen Rui said in shock and anger, "This is simply lawlessness! Who could have done such a thing? They were so vicious and cruel—robbing them was one thing, but they even had to kill people."

"It is said... it was done by a group of pirates. Those who make their living on the sea have no sense of honor. When they plunder merchant ships, they often leave no survivors..."

Chen Ming frowned deeply. It seemed Wang Yangming's concerns had been right. These pirates truly acted without restraint. It had only been a few days, yet they had already committed such a massacre that wiped out an entire family.

If they had set their sights on his family last night, he alone might not have been able to protect everyone.

It seemed he needed to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

It was foreseeable that once Dragon King Zheng died, the pirates under him would lose their restraints. Qingfeng City would likely be thrown into chaos for some time.

One had to know that Qingfeng City's overall strength was far inferior to that band of pirates under Dragon King Zheng.

Qingfeng City had only one Fourth Rank expert in the Gu Family. Then there was one Fifth Rank expert from Six Doors stationed here, along with two other renowned Fifth Rank masters.

On the pirates' side, although Dragon King Zheng was dead, his nine adopted sons were all Fourth or Fifth Rank. If they all came to Qingfeng City to plunder, the city simply would not be able to withstand them.