Making a Move

When Zhou Muzhi returned, he had ordered that no one was allowed near the buildings in the rear courtyard.

That included Uncle Chen and Xiaozi, so no one came to disturb him.

Zhou Muzhi lowered his gaze from the fiery clouds in the sky to the lush green plants in the rear courtyard. His eyelids dipped slightly, and he began to move.

For an instant, the weight of his entire body seemed to cease to exist. In the blink of an eye, he was five paces away.

This was the qi of Light Body.

It also brought a tremendous increase in speed.

Fortunately, it was not difficult to control. After just a few steps, Zhou Muzhi moved no differently from an ordinary person.

As he approached the middle courtyard, Xiaozi was waiting eagerly in a pale purple, fitted dress. Her eyes lit up when she saw Zhou Muzhi, and she immediately trotted over.

"Fourth Young Master."

Xiaozi called out warmly. The maid seemed to have caught on, growing increasingly adept at pleasing him.

"Shall I bring the Medicinal Cuisine?"

At that, Zhou Muzhi gave a hum of assent. "Go ahead."

Xiaozi nodded repeatedly and immediately trotted toward the kitchen, as though doing things for Zhou Muzhi made her happy.

After Xiaozi left, the old steward, Uncle Chen, approached from farther away.

"Fourth Young Master, the Second Young Master said that if you have time tonight, he would like to speak with you in the study."

Uncle Chen kept his head lowered as he spoke, not daring to make any other movement.

For some reason, he felt that an indescribable change had come over the Fourth Young Master. An intensely oppressive aura radiated from him.

Zhou Muzhi stood naturally straight with his hands behind his back, his features increasingly otherworldly. He said softly, "Understood. Uncle Chen, tell my second brother I'll be there."

"Then this old servant will take his leave, Fourth Young Master."

"Go ahead."

Their conversation over, Uncle Chen took his leave stiffly and disappeared beyond the courtyard wall.

Zhou Muzhi had obtained a divine art and made a breakthrough. His increase in strength brought a change in mindset, quietly altering the way he viewed things.

The Qian Family.

Within a private courtyard deep inside the residence.

The layout was exquisite. Wall cabinets on three sides were filled with jade bottles and porcelain of every kind, while expensive, polished tables and chairs stood on a floor that resembled jade.

Qian Zhen sat alone in the blackwood armchair at the head of the room. He wore a fitted brocade robe, its lapels embroidered with subtle eight-treasure patterns in silver thread, and had an imposing build.

On his face, with its square, sharply defined jaw, emotion visibly churned in his upturned eyes.

Not far from his feet was a guard in soft armor, a man he had specifically dispatched to maintain the chain connecting his underlings. This man's links were Ma Jin and Hua Kai.

But now...

"You're telling me both those lackeys are dead, and you, their superior, don't know who killed them?"

With every word, the guard in soft armor trembled a little more. By the time Qian Zhen finished, he had almost crumpled into a heap on his knees.

"Young Master!"

The guard prepared to speak.

Qian Zhen leaned forward in his chair and raised his right hand, cutting off everything he had to say.

"You know my rules. Useless trash has no value."

The guard's face turned deathly pale. He raised his head and all but wailed, "Please give me one chance, Young Master!"

Qian Zhen said nothing. Just as the guard thought there was no hope left-

"Your suggestion is indeed good, but..."

A yearning to live rose in the guard's eyes, but the words that followed sent him plummeting from heaven into hell.

"Rules are rules, and trash is trash. Since you're of no use, naturally, someone useful will take your place."

With that, he called softly.

"Fifteen, clean this up."

Something like a gale swept in from outside, slammed the door open, and rushed toward the guard in soft armor. In the blink of an eye, the guard vanished from the room without even a cry.

A moment later.

Someone pushed the door open again.

This time, a tall figure appeared, shrouded in a voluminous black robe. He wore an elongated white mask, pure white save for openings at the facial features through which to breathe and see.

Tap! Tap!

His soles struck the floor as the white-masked figure approached Qian Zhen.

"Give me the news."

Qian Zhen spoke again. The man before him was one of his true core subordinates, maintaining his most important intelligence branch.

White Face inclined his head slightly. His voice was dry and hoarse, not particularly pleasant.

"We don't know the truth, but all the evidence points to the prime suspect being the Zhou Family on Pingyuan Road. We recently moved against them and had some friction. The deaths most likely stemmed from that."

Qian Zhen nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, get it done. It's time the Zhou Family disappeared."

He had also taken a fancy to the Zhou Family's Distillery, yet they had refused to hand it over and even dared to resist. He had thought his lackeys could settle the matter, only for things to turn out like this.

Hearing these murderous words, White Face felt not the slightest ripple in his heart. He even felt a trace of conviction that this was only right.

Over the years since joining Qian Zhen's service, he had done many similar things, and the profits he had gained were considerable.

As for failure?

As a martial artist at Blood-Knocking Pass, he would encounter no force capable of resisting him among these minor clans in this small city.

The only force capable of resisting him was the authorities, and the authorities stood on Young Master Qian's side.

"Yes!"

With that reply, White Face vanished from the spot.

Qian Zhen remained seated, his gaze still, seemingly pondering something. Then he murmured.

"There still aren't enough women. I wonder whether the Zhou Family has any. Perhaps their trash can be put to use."

From beginning to end, he had never considered the entire Zhou Family an opponent. If he had to describe them, they were food, nothing more-he could eat them whenever he was hungry.

The moon rose above the clouds.

In the Zhou Family's study, candlelight fell across a six-foot-long desk. Three candle lamps lit this small area.

The Zhou brothers faced each other across the desk, the atmosphere somewhat delicate.

Zhou Buren's brows remained tightly furrowed. He did not know how to talk to his fourth brother.

When they had encountered an assassin that day and Lao Xu revealed his strength, then later hinted that only his fourth brother knew about it, he had realized how little he understood this younger brother of his.

In such a short time, his brother had already reached a point he could no longer fathom.

After all, Lao Xu's cultivation had actually reached the Blood Gate!

How astonishing was that? Such fighting strength was enough to ensure a comfortable life in Suming County. He would be an honored guest wherever he joined, whether the authorities or a Lineage like the Qian Family.

Yet such a man had been sent specifically to protect him on his fourth brother's orders.

It truly was...

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Zhou Muzhi took the initiative. "Second Brother, you discovered Lao Xu's strength?"

Zhou Buren nodded.

"Then Lao Xu will stay by your side as your personal guard from now on. That will put my mind at ease, too."

After saying this, Zhou Muzhi raised a hand to stop his second brother, who was about to speak, and continued, "Hear me out, Second Brother."

Zhou Buren suppressed his questions and quietly waited for what came next.

"The ones we'll ultimately have to face are still the Qian Family. That's unavoidable.

"To be precise, it's Qian Zhen. He ordered his men to kill and seize property. Clearly, he doesn't take us seriously. His methods look very practiced to me. This obviously isn't his first time."

Hearing this, Zhou Buren instinctively thought of how terrifying the Qian Family was. He was just about to say that perhaps things were not so bad, that everyone could still sit down and talk.

But he immediately recalled that day's assassination attempt. The man was a Body Tempering martial artist of considerable strength, and his aim had been to kill him.

Lao Xu, who was guarding him, had also extracted answers during questioning. The man had arrogantly declared that he came from the Qian Family, and even before dying, he had been unable to believe Lao Xu would kill him.

At that thought, Zhou Buren could no longer say anything.

Finally, he pressed his lips together and gritted his teeth. "Fourth Brother, you don't understand how powerful the Qian Family is or how complicated their connections are. They aren't something ordinary people can shake. I have a plan that might work."