The Older You Get in the Jianghu, the More Timid You Become

"Since that girl from the Chu Family doesn't know what's good for her, send someone to reunite her with her family below."

After laughing, Zhu Chaofeng casually waved his hand.

She was just a woman. If she had fled, the Zhu Family would not have bothered with her. She could not have stirred up any trouble.

But since she had not gone far and was still outside tarnishing the Zhu Family's name, they could not ignore her.

"Indeed. After that stunt from the Chu girl, everyone at Beihai Market is saying that our Zhu family acts ruthlessly and leaves no room for mercy."

Zhu Chengan shook his head lightly. "That girl is quite pretty, and Fourth Brother rather likes her. If the Chu Family had been more sensible, our two families might even have become in-laws."

"Oh? Fourth actually likes her? Then capture her alive. Let Fourth play with her for a few days, and once he grows tired of her, send her on her way. Just tell Fourth not to develop any real feelings for her. After all, we did kill her entire family."

Zhu Chaofeng casually waved his hand. He was quite indulgent toward his fourth son.

His favorite son was naturally the most outstanding one, his fifth son Zhu Chengzong.

However, Fifth was far away at the Huangji Sect, and Zhu Chaofeng could go two or three years without seeing him. Thus, at home, the one he doted on most was Fourth, Zhu Chengzu.

Just then, a servant suddenly came in from outside to report that more news had arrived from Beihai Market.

Zhu Chengan accepted the message, and his expression immediately darkened.

"Eldest, what is it?"

Zhu Chengan snorted coldly. "Father, someone has the nerve to accept that girl from the Chu Family's task. He says he's coming to wipe out our Zhu Family. I have no idea who gave that bastard the gall!"

Zhu Chaofeng remained calm. "There are many people in this world who don't know the difference between life and death. But remember: never underestimate any opponent."

"First, send someone to investigate him and find out his background before making a decision."

"Father, is there really a need to be so cautious? Maybe he's just some outsider who doesn't know the Zhu Family's reputation, which is why he dared to do this."

Zhu Chaofeng snorted. "Put away that arrogance of yours! A cautious ship sails for ten thousand years."

"If one moment of carelessness brings the Zhu Family to eternal ruin, you won't even have the chance to regret it!"

"You must know that some disciples of great sects travel the jianghu, shouting all day about upholding justice and rooting out evil. They love meddling in other people's affairs.

"How many powers have they destroyed to build their reputations?

"Go probe his background first. If he truly comes from a major sect, then invoke the Huangji Sect's name to negotiate with him. Offer gifts and respectfully send him away.

"But if he has no backing and is simply some fool who knows nothing and insists on meddling, it won't be too late to kill him then!"

"Father, you are still the steady and prudent one. Your son was rash." Zhu Chengan hurriedly admitted his mistake.

Zhu Chaofeng gently patted Zhu Chengan's shoulder and sighed. "Eldest, you're no longer young. This family will sooner or later be placed in your hands. How can I rest easy handing the Zhu Family over to you when you're so arrogant?"

"Father, you are still in your prime. Perhaps you may even advance further in martial cultivation. This family still needs you to manage it." Zhu Chengan hurriedly said.

Zhu Chaofeng sighed. "Martial cultivation is difficult. Your father was already extraordinarily lucky to reach the Qi Forging Realm in this lifetime."

"What was the Zhu family in Gushan City back then? We were nothing but lowly butchers and meat sellers. Whenever we saw someone from the Chu family, we had to kneel and call them master.

"Your father was unwilling to live like that for the rest of his life, so I stole your grandfather's money and enlisted in the army.

"By chance, the Red Lotus Sect rebelled in Qin Province at that time. I followed General Yuwen and won several battles, which allowed me to save up a small fortune.

"Later, General Yuwen breached Yanglin City, where the Red Lotus Sect headquarters was located, and ordered the city massacred. For three days, the blades were not sheathed.

"Your father looted a cultivation manual and a Muscle-Tendon Cleansing Marrow-Washing Pill from Medicine King Valley from a noble clan's treasure vault. Only then could I be reborn, reshape my aptitude, and attain my current cultivation.

"But aptitude gained through pills more or less reaches its limit at the Blood-Shifting Realm.

"I was only able to enter the Qi Forging Realm in this life because Fifth brought back a Huangji Qi Condensation Pill the last time he returned."

Recalling the past, Zhu Chaofeng's face showed a trace of nostalgia. "General Yuwen was a good man.

"Every city he captured was slaughtered, but every soldier who followed General Yuwen became rich.

"Especially after Yanglin City fell. General Yuwen knew that we ordinary soldiers had suffered greatly fighting alongside him, so he captured those Red Lotus female soldiers and had everyone line up.

"Your father reacted too slowly back then and could only stand at the very end of the line.

"But even though I was at the end, I'll never forget that feeling for the rest of my life. So soft."

Zhu Chaofeng shook his head and gently patted Zhu Chengan's shoulder.

"Eldest, you must protect the foundation your father spent the first half of his life risking everything to build.

"Remember, you must be cautious in all you do. Never be arrogant or careless."

"Don't worry, Father. There absolutely won't be a next time. I'll arrange for people to investigate that bastard's background immediately."

Zhu Chengan cupped his hands and took his leave. Once outside, he immediately summoned three retainers and sent them to Beihai Market to investigate the situation.

At its roots, the Zhu Family was still merely nouveau riche.

Aside from Zhu Chaofeng, its core members were his five sons.

Thus, the Zhu Family kept many retainers and thugs to handle matters for them.

The three retainers of the Meridian-Unblocking Realm mounted their horses and headed straight down the mountain, intending to investigate who exactly had accepted Chu Hongshang's task in Beihai Market.

The mountain path was rugged. The three horses rode abreast, nearly blocking the already narrow road completely, leaving only a passage barely wide enough for one person.

Travelers and merchant caravans along the way all pressed themselves tightly against the mountain wall to avoid them.

Though they cursed the men's tyranny inwardly, none dared voice their anger.

Everyone in Gushan City knew that they were retainers of the Zhu family. In Gushan City today, who would dare offend the Zhu family?

The three retainers smiled smugly. They had joined the Zhu Family early on and could be considered trusted confidants of the family.

Now that the Zhu family dominated Gushan City, they had made something of themselves as well.

At that moment, however, they noticed that while everyone else was carefully avoiding them, a jianghu wanderer dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat stood straight in the middle of the mountain path.

"Are you blind? Get out of the way!"

The leading retainer shouted a curse. Seeing that the other party still did not move aside, he flew into a rage and directly urged his horse into him.

The next instant, the ringing cry of a blade leaving its sheath echoed across the mountain path.

He did not even see when the other man had drawn his blade. His vision was already engulfed by a dazzling blaze of saber light.

It was the fastest blade he had ever seen in his life, and it was also the last.

With one slash, both man and horse were cleaved in half!

Human blood and entrails mixed with horse blood and entrails, creating an exceptionally bloody and horrifying scene.

"A Qi Forging Realm expert!"

The remaining two retainers' expressions changed sharply. They immediately turned their horses around and fled.

The violent inner force within Chen Yuan's acupoints suddenly erupted. Drops of water converged into a surging tide.

Empowered by that tremendous burst of force, Chen Yuan leaped forward faster than a galloping horse.

Two saber strikes fell from midair. In an instant, the two Zhu Family retainers' heads hit the ground, while their horses continued racing along the mountain road with the headless corpses still on their backs.

The travelers and merchants on the surrounding mountain path were terrified stiff, huddled against the mountain walls without daring to move.

"If any of you are returning to Gushan City, pass a message to the Zhu family. The man who will kill their entire family and wipe out their household has arrived."

With that, Chen Yuan stepped onto the mountain road and entered Gushan City.

Inside the Zhu Family residence.

Zhu Chengan rubbed his brow lightly, feeling vaguely unsettled.

However, he did not pay it much mind, assuming his mood was poor because his father had reprimanded him.

Zhu Chengan was no longer young. He handled eighty percent of the Zhu Family's affairs now, and nearly all the retainers and servants treated him as the head of the household.

He usually wielded considerable authority in the Zhu Family, yet today his father had given him a scolding, leaving him rather displeased.

He was just some fool who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth. Sending someone to kill him would have been enough. Why make things so troublesome?

Although he had followed Zhu Chaofeng's instructions, he still felt that the older his father grew in the jianghu, the more timid he became, insisting on complicating simple matters.

At that moment, a servant suddenly rushed in, panicked.

"Young Master! Something terrible has happened! Li Sheng and the others were killed on the road! That man even said he would wipe out our entire Zhu Family!"

Zhu Chengan's expression changed. He abruptly smashed the teacup at hand onto the floor.

"Outrageous! Does he really think the Zhu Family is made of clay!?"

"Oh? Who made you so angry, Eldest Brother?"

A young man around twenty-seven or twenty-eight entered the room. He wore silver brocade robes and held a gold-and-jade folding fan. He resembled Zhu Chengan by about half, though he was more handsome. He asked in surprise.

He was the Zhu Family's fourth son, Zhu Chengzu, the fourth son Zhu Chaofeng currently favored most.

"Someone killed the Zhu Family's retainers and says he will wipe out our entire household. Tell me, should I not be angry?"

As he spoke, Zhu Chengan told Zhu Chengzu about how someone had accepted Chu Hongshang's task to exterminate the Zhu Family.

"That little bitch still hasn't fled? Or perhaps you pity me, Eldest Brother, and know I can't bear to see that little bitch die like this. Hehe."

Zhu Chengzu chuckled twice. "He's just a brat who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Why get angry, Eldest Brother? Leave him to me."

"Didn't he come to Gushan City? Then he can forget about leaving alive!

"I'll take men to deal with him first, then personally go to Beihai Market and capture that little bitch from the Chu family."

Since his younger brother wanted to act personally, Zhu Chengan did not stop him.

The Zhu Family's five tigers contained no useless playboys. All five brothers had trained diligently in martial arts since childhood, and they had also left the city to spar in real combat against various forces.

Though Zhu Chengzu looked like a pampered young master, he merely enjoyed luxury. His own strength was not weak, and he had already reached the peak of the Blood-Shifting Realm.

"Fine, then bring more men. Oh, and to be safe, bring Uncle Zhou along as well. That man was able to kill Li Sheng and the other two, so he should not be weak," Zhu Chengan instructed.

Uncle Zhou possessed cultivation at the Qi Forging Realm. More precisely, he was not a Zhu Family retainer, but an honored guest.

Zhu Chengan had been fairly cautious this time, but he had overlooked one thing: Chen Yuan's strength.

Many people had witnessed Chen Yuan killing the Zhu Family retainers.

Whether they had failed to recognize that Chen Yuan was in the Qi Forging Realm, or had deliberately concealed it because they loathed the Zhu Family's tyranny, no one knew.

This led Zhu Chengan to subconsciously believe that the man who had killed the Zhu Family retainers had some skill, but had not reached the Qi Forging Realm.

If he had known the other party was in the Qi Forging Realm, he would never have allowed Zhu Chengzu to go as well.