Return to Qingyang City Amidst Town-Wide Turmoil

As Chen Chen rode his flying sword, landing silently like a phantom in a secluded forest outside Qingyang City, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

He put away his flying sword and changed into a plain grey cloth outfit he'd found in Wang Zhan's storage bag. Then, he used a special potion to make his skin sallow and put on a bamboo hat, covering most of his face.

After all this, his entire demeanor changed. He transformed from a restrained avenger into a dust-covered, unremarkable wandering swordsman.

He knew very well that Qingyang City must be in an uproar right now.

Entering the city as "Chen Chen" would be like walking straight into a trap.

He walked slowly towards the tall city gates of Qingyang City.

Just as he expected, the atmosphere at the city gate was incredibly tense.

Dozens of guards in Wang Family uniforms, weapons in hand, were scrutinizing everyone entering or leaving the city like fierce wolves. On the city walls, wanted posters bearing his previous likeness were plastered everywhere.

The bounty on the wanted posters was terrifyingly high.

A thousand taels of gold, plus a Mysterious Tier Low-grade Martial Skill!

Such a reward was enough to drive ninety-nine percent of the martial artists in the city mad.

Many wandering cultivators entering the city were pointing at the wanted posters, discussing animatedly.

"Hiss! The Wang Family is really sparing no expense! What heinous, heaven-defying thing did this Chen Family Remnant do?"

"You don't know? I heard the Wang Family Patriarch, Wang Zhan, personally led a team to the Black Wind Mountain Range to hunt this kid down, and... he didn't come back!"

"What?! Patriarch Wang Zhan is a peak Ninth Level of Body Tempering expert! Could it be..."

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you trying to die? This matter is taboo in the city now. Rumor has it the Wang Family has already sealed the news, but walls have ears. The Wang Family right now is like a powder keg that's been lit; whoever touches it dies!"

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Chen Chen pulled down his hat and expressionlessly joined the queue to enter the city.

When it was his turn, a Wang Family guard impatiently tapped his chest with his scabbard and barked, "Head up!"

Chen Chen slowly raised his head, revealing a sallow, unfamiliar face. His eyes were dull, like those of a low-level mercenary who had toiled for years.

The guard glanced at him dismissively. Seeing his mediocre cultivation and weak aura, he lost interest and waved his hand, "Get in!"

Chen Chen lowered his head, remaining silent, and followed the crowd into the city, a place both familiar and strange to him.

After several days, he had returned to his old stomping grounds, but everything had changed.

On the streets, pedestrians hurried along, their faces etched with fear and unease.

The air was thick with a suffocating atmosphere, like the calm before a storm.

Shops that originally belonged to the Chen Family were now sealed with Wang Family seals, guarded by soldiers, and looked desolate.

Chen Chen didn't go anywhere else but headed straight for the northern part of the city, the area that had been reduced to ruins.

That was once his home.

From afar, he could still smell the lingering scent of scorched earth.

The Chen Family mansion, once adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, bustling with guests, was now nothing but broken walls and scorched earth.

This area had been declared a forbidden zone by the Wang Family, with guards patrolling the perimeter to prevent anyone from approaching.

Chen Chen stood at a street corner, watching the ruins from a distance, his fists clenching beneath his hat until they creaked.

His gaze fell upon the ancestral hall, now just a burnt-out frame.

He could almost see the scene of his father being impaled on the plaque with a spear.

He could almost hear the unwilling screams and wails of his clansmen as they died.

A bone-chilling killing intent surged and spread from the deepest part of his heart.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the killing intent that threatened to overwhelm his reason.

Now was not the time for impulsiveness.

He turned, melted into the shadows, and disappeared at the end of an alley.

He needed information.

All the current information about the Wang Family.

Night fell.

Chen Chen's figure appeared at a tavern in the western part of the city called "Wind Listening Pavilion."

This was Qingyang City's largest intelligence trading hub, a place where all sorts of people gathered, and information flowed most freely.

He didn't go upstairs. He simply sat in an inconspicuous corner of the first-floor lobby, ordered the cheapest wine, and silently listened to the conversations of the other patrons.

Soon, he obtained the information he wanted.

After Wang Zhan's death, the Wang Family fell into chaos.

The current person in charge was Wang Zhan's younger brother, the second master of the Wang Family, Wang Wei.

He was also a Ninth Level of Body Tempering expert, but his cunning and methods were even more ruthless and vicious than Wang Zhan's.

He immediately sealed the news of Wang Zhan's death. At the same time, he secretly contacted the other two major families allied with the Wang Family – the Li Family and the Zhao Family – offering them great benefits and forming a defensive alliance.

Although the Wang Family had lost its pillar of support, their defenses were now even tighter than before.

The entire Wang Family estate was like an iron bucket, teeming with experts. They had even invited a guest elder skilled in formations, who had set up numerous restrictions within the manor.

Attempting a frontal assault from the outside would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

"It seems I can only break it down from the inside..."

A cold glint flashed in Chen Chen's eyes.

He downed the cheap wine in his cup, left a few copper coins, and got up to leave the tavern.

He didn't return to his inn but walked in a direction from his memory.

Passing through several secluded alleys, he finally stopped before a dilapidated courtyard gate.

This place had once been the residence of an old servant of the Chen Family.

This old servant was named Uncle Fu, who had watched Chen Chen grow up and was loyal to the core.

When the Chen Family was annihilated, Uncle Fu happened to be back in his hometown visiting relatives, thus narrowly escaping the disaster.

Chen Chen wasn't sure if he had returned yet, but he decided to try his luck.

He reached out and, following the secret knock from his memory, gently tapped three times on the courtyard gate.

One long, two short.

Inside the courtyard, there was dead silence.

Chen Chen frowned, just about to leave.

"Creak—"

The old courtyard gate was pulled open by a narrow gap.

An old, vigilant face peeked out from the gap.

When he saw the familiar yet unfamiliar face under the bamboo hat, the man was struck as if by lightning. Tears instantly welled up in his cloudy old eyes, disbelief evident.

"Young... Young Master?!"

Uncle Fu's voice trembled uncontrollably.

"Uncle Fu, it's me."

Chen Chen's voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Thump!"

Uncle Fu could no longer hold back, collapsing to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Heaven has eyes! Heaven has eyes! Young Master, you're alive! The Chen Family... the Chen Family has an heir!"

Chen Chen quickly helped him up and led him into the courtyard, closing the gate.

"Uncle Fu, let's make this quick. I need your help."

"Speak, Young Master! This old servant's life belongs to you. I'd go through fire and brimstone without hesitation!" Uncle Fu wiped away his tears and said resolutely.

A chilling killing intent flashed in Chen Chen's eyes.

"I need a list."

"A list... of all the Wang Family dogs who participated in the massacre of my Chen family on the night of the annihilation!"

"I want them... to disappear from this world, one by one!"