Protecting His Own

Li Jingfei knew Zhou Muzhi was a genius, and he had prepared himself for it.

But going from an ordinary person to a Blood-Knocking Pass martial artist, then to a Five Qi martial artist-those changes were not a matter of one becoming two, but zero becoming one!

Once one began Qi Gathering, one could naturally temper the bones throughout the body afterward. Once the bones were fully tempered, the second stage of Body Advent was complete.

Anyone who passed through this stage would be someone of note even in the Commandery City.

Thinking of Zhou Muzhi naturally reminded Li Jingfei of his own youth. Back then, he too had been a genius.

It was just a pity...

Feeling the stiffness in his own body, he looked again at his disciple's age and how recently he had begun practicing martial arts.

If only we had met sooner.

"Not bad, my disciple. This is indeed a surprise, but you didn't come here just to tell me this, did you?"

Li Jingfei shifted the conversation and watched his disciple, waiting for him to speak.

After all, no one visited the temple without a reason.

Zhou Muzhi coughed a few times. "Nothing escapes your sharp eyes, Master. Last night, I fought Qian Zhen's men and drew the attention of the county authorities."

Hearing this, Li Jingfei's expression changed even less than when he had heard about Zhou Muzhi's breakthrough. He merely gave a quiet "Oh."

He asked, "Did you leave any traces?"

Zhou Muzhi answered honestly, "No."

"All right, then just stay put here with me. I know these officials and runners of the Song Kingdom better than you do. I'll guarantee that nothing happens to you."

Zhou Muzhi did not leave immediately, but looked thoughtful.

Seeing this, Li Jingfei was rather amused, so he asked again, "Whatever else there is, say it all at once. I can't stand people who hem and haw."

Choosing his words carefully, Zhou Muzhi said, "I want to settle things with Qian Zhen once and for all. I humbly ask you to oversee the fight, Master!"

Killing Qian Zhen would not pose much of a problem for him, but the Qian Family were no fools. If he went after their eldest young master, there was no telling what contingencies that mysterious Master Qian alone might have.

Li Jingfei gave it some serious thought. Considering Zhou Muzhi's current cultivation level, he nodded his agreement.

"All right. Tell me when you're going to act, and I'll oversee things. The Qian Family isn't as simple as you think, but a dispute between you youngsters shouldn't involve any old fellows."

Having said this, Li Jingfei resumed practicing his slow punches.

Zhou Muzhi gave his master a formal salute, his voice solemn. "Thank you, Master."

"Just keep quiet for a while after this is over. Thank you, thank you, every day-I'd like these old bones to last a few more years."

As he spoke, Li Jingfei began practicing his punches again.

Zhou Muzhi immediately felt awkward. Fortunately, his master seemed unconcerned. Perhaps he was simply tired of it.

Not wanting to draw any more attention, Zhou Muzhi found a side room and went inside to rest.

An incense stick's worth of time after their conversation ended, someone knocked at the gates of the Li Residence.

At that moment, Li Jingfei sat upright in a grand armchair in a shaded part of the front courtyard, his eyes narrowed as he dozed. Beside him, his grandson played with wooden toys.

Hearing the noise, he did not even open his eyes, merely saying, "Be a good grandson and open the gate."

"Yes, Grandpa!"

The little figure walked over and opened the gate. Outside stood a constable in a dark uniform, with black lettering embroidered against a white background on his chest.

His manner was exceedingly humble as he called through the gateway, "Master Li, I've been ordered to investigate a case."

Li Jingfei's voice drifted over, unhurried. "Come in."

The head constable had his subordinates remain outside and entered the Li Residence alone. Walking up to Li Jingfei, he looked at the old man before him. It would have been a lie to say he was not afraid.

This was the Astonishing Wind Leg of the Commandery City!

A master who had once captured the Twenty-Four Bandits-when this man was young, he himself had still been nursing. If not for his age, how could he possibly have come to settle in such a remote little county town?

But remembering his assignment, the head constable gritted his teeth and made his tone as gentle as he could.

"Master Li, is Zhou Muzhi of the Zhou Family here with you?"

At this question, Li Jingfei opened his eyes. Under his direct gaze, the head constable took a step back and hastily averted his eyes.

Li Jingfei asked in an even tone, "What if he is? What if he isn't?"

The head constable's scalp prickled, and even his voice trembled. "If he is... I have to take him to court. Someone has accused Zhou Muzhi of wanton murder, burning homes, killing law-abiding citizens of the Great Song, and other offenses-fourteen charges in all."

Li Jingfei laughed and asked in return, "Isn't fourteen too few? Why not make it a hundred and fourteen?"

"I..." The head constable's mouth went dry. For a moment, he could not summon the courage to answer.

Had he not witnessed the battle through which this senior had established himself in Suming County, he might not have felt such awe. After seeing it, he no longer dared.

How much did he earn a month, to risk a master coming to take his head at night just to talk back?

If this job were really so easy, would it ever have fallen to someone without connections like him?

Yet he could not return without accounting for his assignment.

Li Jingfei had plainly dealt with plenty of such matters. He immediately asked, "Do you have an explicit document establishing his guilt? I want one bearing the county seal, along with the signatures of the county's officials, high and low. If you have that, you may take him away."

These words all but spelled out an escape route.

The head constable was overjoyed inwardly, though his expression remained unchanged. Cupping his hands, he said, "We weren't given those when we set out, only told to bring him in. I'll head back right away."

Would the county magistrate produce something like that?

Impossible. For such a trifling matter, the flames would never be allowed to reach the lofty county magistrate.

The head constable left, respectfully closing the gate behind him.

Li Jingfei slowly rose from his grand armchair as well. Looking in the direction the man had gone, he sighed. "The Great Song's runners these days have grown much softer than they were ten years ago!"

His tone carried a wealth of feeling. The runners in his memory had been wolves and tigers, men called executioners who ruthlessly suppressed the martial sects. With that man's suicide by poisoned wine, their very backbones had been stripped away.

"How time flies."

Murmuring this, Li Jingfei walked into the rear courtyard and returned to his room for a brief nap.

In Qian Zhen's favorite mansion.

He had just emerged from seclusion, having gathered Light Body, one of the Five Qi. Before he even had time to celebrate, he learned, at the place where he usually received reports, that seven of the eight members of the Hall of Outstanding Heroes whom he had painstakingly cultivated over several years were gone.

That arm had been severed, on top of the Covered Rain Gambling House being half crippled for the sake of his breakthrough, and the successive deaths of the Blood Gate Martial Artists before that.

He could not help wondering whether some special organization was targeting him.

This absolutely did not look like something one person could have done.

At that thought, Qian Zhen secretly grew wary. His first step was to inform his master and have him provide protection in secret.

His enemy was clipping his wings; their ultimate target had to be him.

Although his cultivation level had now risen, he still had to take precautions. Next, he would inform his father.

His supply source, along with the branch that handled the business, had been wiped out. He likely would not be able to supply any goods for a while, and the impact on the Lineage would be greatest of all.

With this in mind, Qian Zhen swiftly made arrangements, and everything unfolded one step at a time according to his plans.

But before that, the Zhou Family, that little clan, had to die. He would crush them to death himself!