Heavy Snow

Night deepened. The heavy snow covered every stray color, yet it could not cover the gloom in the hearts of the Huang Family.

Lu Ren had betrayed them, and Third Miss's body was barely cold. It was a crushing blow to a lineage just beginning to rise, and the laughter of days past had vanished.

Once darkness fell, every branch of the family went quiet. Only the howling wind raged on.

Huang Jin trudged through the snow and ice, pushed open the door, shook the snow off himself, and strode inside. He told his second brother, Huang Ping, "Xu Yang still refuses a marriage alliance, but he made it clear that if the Huang Family needs him, he can leave the Liu Family."

Anger surfaced in Huang Ping's eyes. "Our Huang Family is willing to marry a daughter of noble standing to him, and he dares refuse us again and again? Does he think our daughters aren't good enough for him?"

He instinctively ignored Huang Jin's words about Xu Yang being willing to leave the Liu Family at any time to repay their kindness. He simply felt that the Huang Family's willingness to marry a daughter to Xu Yang was an immense favor.

Huang Jin frowned. Xu Yang had refused even the Liu Family's daughter; he was not looking down on the Huang Family's women. His second brother's words clearly meant that once the Huang Family spoke, Xu Yang was expected to obey, whatever the matter.

It was just like how he had treated Lu Ren before, using past kindness to demand repayment, forcing things Lu Ren did not want upon him, and believing that whatever the Huang Family offered, Lu Ren had to accept it even if he disliked it.

Though the main reason was still that Lu Ren had long harbored thoughts of betrayal, his second brother's methods were flawed.

In his second brother's mind, Xu Yang and Lu Ren were still those lackeys who could barely fill their bellies. He had never truly treated them as martial artists who had come into their own.

"Second Brother, he simply doesn't want to marry. He isn't looking down on our family's women. I also don't think we necessarily have to bind him to us through marriage.

"With an ungrateful man like Lu Ren, what good would a marriage alliance do? If we couldn't give him enough benefits, he would still abandon our Huang Family.

"I think Xu Yang does understand gratitude and loyalty. We don't have to insist on marriage before nurturing him. We can simply support him financially. If he remembers our family's kindness, he'll naturally draw closer to us..."

"Enough!"

Huang Ping waved a hand, cutting Huang Jin off. "I never thought much of him anyway. He only has a C-Grade Lower bone root. How much money would our Huang Family have to pour into him to nurture him? I only gave him a chance because you kept insisting he was worth cultivating.

"He spurns the respect we offer him. He'll regret it someday. If not for that little bond from back then, I wouldn't even spare his meager talent a glance."

"Second Brother..."

"That's enough. Leave. Tomorrow, spread the word that our Huang Family will once again select promising people to nurture. This time, I'll oversee the selection myself."

Huang Jin wanted to say more, but Huang Ping impatiently interrupted him. He even laid the blame for Lu Ren's betrayal at Huang Jin's feet, believing he had failed to screen him properly.

Huang Jin opened his mouth, then helplessly withdrew.

Even now, his second brother still did not understand that talent was not the most important thing. Lu Ren had been talented, yet their efforts had been like drawing water with a bamboo basket. He had never become someone the Huang Family could use.

What the Huang Family needed was not a genius, but someone who remembered its kindness, remained loyal, and served its interests.

Xu Yang had good comprehension but a poor bone root. If Huang Jin helped him at this juncture, he would surely win Xu Yang's loyalty.

But Huang Jin was not from the direct line. Their eldest brother was in seclusion, seeking a breakthrough into marrow cleansing, and Huang Ping was the one who truly held authority over the Huang Family.

No matter how many of Xu Yang's strengths he listed, it was useless if Huang Ping scorned his bone root. Huang Ping had learned nothing from Lu Ren's betrayal. He only wanted to stake little and win big, nurturing experts with a pittance.

"Forget it!"

His second brother was convinced Xu Yang would never amount to much. Nothing Huang Jin said would make a difference.

He cupped his hands, then turned and left.

[Martial Dao Longevity Points: 42]

The first thing Xu Yang did after opening his eyes was check his panel.

Killing Bao Gang yesterday had earned him ten points. Together with the earlier reward for reaching minor accomplishment in qi gathering, his points had accumulated to over forty again.

By his usual habits, he would have used these points to improve his bone root. This time, however, he left them untouched.

Yesterday's encounter with Bao Gang had taught him to keep some points in reserve. If something unexpected happened and he could not win, he could use them to improve his techniques on the spot.

If the man ambushing him yesterday had been an expert at minor accomplishment in qi gathering rather than Bao Gang, even if he could have killed his attacker, it would not have been easy.

"Brother, breakfast is ready!"

After he practiced the Turtle-Snake Great Stance for a while, the sky was only just beginning to lighten, but Xu Qing had already finished making breakfast.

Xu Yang pushed open the door. The snow outside had already reached his calves.

"What heavy snow. I'm afraid plenty of people will freeze to death this year."

This year's snowfall was heavier than in previous years. It was only the second day, yet it had already piled up this deep.

After breakfast, the snow still had not stopped. Xu Yang first cleared the snow from the roof to keep it from collapsing, then took his woodcutter's knife and some rope into the mountains.

Half an hour later, he returned with a shoulder pole laden with firewood.

"Don't go outside. I'll buy grain in town and bring it back."

The snow was too deep, and he worried Xu Qing would suffer from the cold. Only after giving her those instructions did he set off for the Liu Family.

Heaven and earth were the same color, a boundless white stretching in every direction.

Goose-feather snowflakes fell without pause. His blood energy was so vigorous that his entire body was like a furnace. After he had walked for a while, the snow and ice landing on him kept melting, soaking his clothes through.

His furnace-like body constantly radiated heat, making him resemble a walking steamer trailing clouds of vapor.

"They say experts at great accomplishment of qi gathering can cover their entire bodies with true qi, forming a barrier outside them that water cannot penetrate and flies cannot land on. Unfortunately, I haven't reached that realm yet.

"Otherwise, I could walk through the snow for hours without a single snowflake landing on me."

Though he did not feel cold, constantly stirring his blood energy to evaporate the melted snow from his body was hardly pleasant.

When he reached the Liu Family estate, the servants were clearing away the snow.

Xu Yang went to the Attendant Courtyard, where the snow had already been cleared. Wu Yongfeng and the others were not practicing either. Instead, they had gathered in a room around a charcoal fire, vapor rising from each of them.

With snow this heavy, there probably would not be much to do today.

He joined them and noticed that, besides Bao Gang, Zhang Bo was also absent.

The others paid no mind to Bao Gang's absence, assuming he had been delayed by the snow.

An hour later, Zhang Bo hurried in. "Which of you saw Bao Gang yesterday?"

???

Everyone looked baffled. They had all seen Bao Gang yesterday. He had even asked Xu Yang to lend him money.

Zhang Bo's expression was grave. "Bao Gang is missing. His family came looking for him. They said he didn't return all night, and they can't find him."

Wang Yun said, "He's become addicted to gambling lately. We got paid yesterday. Could he still be at the gambling den?"

Zhang Bo shook his head. "They already asked at the gambling den. Yesterday afternoon,

"he had already left."

"Then we don't know. We haven't seen him since he left here yesterday."

He was not at the gambling den, the Martial Arts Hall, or the Liu Family estate. Everyone understood that something had probably happened to Bao Gang. Those who had lent him money could not help looking upset.

Even if he was going to die, he should have paid them back first.

"Something has probably happened to him. Be careful, all of you. This might be the work of the Liu Family's enemies. I'll ask the family head to send people to investigate right away."

After leaving them that warning, Zhang Bo hurried away.

Everyone's expressions changed again. It really could have been the work of the Liu Family's enemies. It seemed they would have to be careful.

They probably won't trace it back to me, will they? Xu Yang wondered.

Bao Gang had intended to ambush him on the road, murder him, and steal his money. He probably would not have told anyone about something like that. With the heavy snow covering every trace, even a Divine Constable would likely be helpless.

"Good thing you didn't lend him money yesterday," Wang Yun said with a smile.

Xu Yang shook his head. "For a gambling dog like him, refusing to lend him money was for his own good."

The others nodded in agreement. Soon, they forgot about Bao Gang and began chatting about interesting tales from the martial world.