Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Chapter 76: Chapter 72: Lin Ming, You Deserve to Die!

Jingshui Martial Arts Hall entrance.

The woman’s sudden kneeling attracted the attention of passersby, including several disciples walking out from inside the hall.

”Aunt Zhou?”

Lin Chen was a bit puzzled, and Zhao Canghe, seeing the woman kneeling, immediately shouted to Lin Liang and Gu Fei, ”Quickly help her up.”

Lin Liang and Gu Fei realized, and hurriedly stepped forward to assist, but Aunt Zhou struggled and refused to get up.

”Zhou Lian, don’t act mad here. What if people misunderstand Chen because of this? We’ve brought you to find him, now get up!”

Zhao Canghe, seeing the woman not getting up, also put on a stern face.

”Aunt Zhou, speak directly if there’s anything. If I can help, I surely will.”

Lin Chen stepped forward voluntarily, helping Aunt Zhou up. He was a martial artist, naturally strong.

”Lin Chen, Young Master Lin, you must save my Qianqian. You’ve seen Qianqian before, she’s so young... If anything happens to her, how will I live...”

Seeing Aunt Zhou speaking incoherently, Lin Chen glanced at the village chief.

”Chen, let’s talk over there, don’t stay at the Martial Hall entrance.”

Zhao Canghe glanced at the surrounding crowd; he feared it might negatively affect Lin Chen and hinted at Gu Fei and Lin Liang to move Aunt Zhou aside.

Lin Chen gestured to stop his brother Lin Liang and Gu Fei, and spoke to Aunt Zhou, ”Aunt Zhou, let’s talk over there.”

The group stopped at the alley entrance on the side of the Martial Hall, Lin Chen didn’t question Aunt Zhou, but looked at the village chief.

Zhao Canghe’s gaze landed on Jiang Qing, who followed Lin Chen. The girl exuded noble aura, clearly of high status.

”Village chief, she’s my senior sister; if there’s anything, please speak directly.”

Lin Chen saw the village chief hesitating and glancing towards Senior Sister Jiang, knowing his concern.

”You know Qianqian, yesterday she went missing in our village. Our whole village mobilized to find her, yesterday searched the city, and this lord official said he’d seen a girl resembling Qianqian enter the city.”

Listening to the village chief, Lin Chen frowned, the chief still had concerns?

Qianqian he knew, Aunt Zhou’s daughter.

Aunt Zhou had a tough life; her husband drowned while fishing years ago, raising Qianqian alone, a little girl of five or six, usually playing with other children in the village.

The little girl had a sweet tongue, every time calling him Brother Chen.

”Brother, you speak, be truthful.”

Lin Chen looked at his elder brother, Brother Lin Liang glanced at the village chief, his voice deep, ”The day before yesterday, Lin Ming returned to the village, and the day Qianqian went missing, Lin Ming also left. Today this lord official said Qianqian was taken away by someone, with a figure very similar to Lin Ming.”

The atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Lin Chen understood why the village chief hesitated and couldn’t get to the point.

Qianqian was taken away by Lin Ming!

The village chief feared speaking out might affect his reputation, after all, Lin Ming was his cousin.

”It... it might be a mistake, still uncertain. I thought to find Lin Ming first, but Zhou Lian insisted on coming to you.”

Zhao Canghe looked helpless, indeed considering Lin Chen’s reputation.

In fact, after Qianqian went missing, the village suspected Lin Ming, but due to Lin Chen’s standing, they didn’t voice their suspicion.

After all, they’re cousins, part of Lin Family.

”Lin Chen... Young Master Lin, Qianqian wasn’t taken by your brother, she got lost herself. I only want your help to find her, I promise she won’t say anything, or we’ll leave the village with her.”

Aunt Zhou tightly grasped Lin Chen’s hand, her disheveled hair revealing a pale face with a final plea.

Lin Chen understood why Aunt Zhou said this, fearing he wouldn’t find Qianqian if Lin Ming took her, to avoid affecting his reputation.

”Aunt, don’t worry, even if Lin Ming took Qianqian, I’ll still find her for you.” Lin Chen promised Aunt Zhou.

”Village chief, I said Chen wasn’t that kind of person, we should’ve come to him earlier.”

Gu Fei, hearing Lin Chen’s words, smiled, Zhao Canghe glared over, making Gu Fei shrink his neck and silence immediately.

”Mister official, I’m Lin Chen from Linhu Village, may I ask your name?”

Lin Chen glanced at the official who once helped him queue for a boat when he joined the Martial Hall.

”Young Master Lin, your words are too kind, I’m not worthy of being called lord. Coincidentally, we share the same surname.”

Lin Xiuyong replied promptly, not daring to be arrogant before Lin Chen.

Coincidentally, yesterday while guarding the city gate, a resident inquired about seeing any child entering the city.

This sort of thing he normally wouldn’t get involved in, but the person who came up to inquire looked somewhat familiar. After some recollection, he realized that when the village students entered the city, while he was maintaining order at the dock, the limitless potential student took the fishing boat rowed by this very person.

Because of this reason, he was a bit more patient, and after some indirect questioning, he learned that this person was the elder brother of that promising student, which made him even more cordial.

”Young Master Lin, that little girl’s clothing is very similar to the lost little girl from your village, but the young man with the little girl, my memory is somewhat blurred.”

Lin Xiuyong felt very helpless in his heart. Had he known it was this situation, he wouldn’t have said much back then.

If the eldest cousin takes a child from the village, and if it were someone else, the whole family would have been criticized by the villagers. He initially didn’t know the young man would be Young Master Lin’s cousin, thinking of doing him a favor.

No matter how pleasant Young Master Lin’s words sounded, ultimately what he truly thought, only he himself would know.

Lin Chen, having lived two lives, couldn’t fail to detect the reservation in the other’s words, which was giving him face.

He understood that the other party was afraid he might think he was meddlesome.

There was no need to keep pressing on the matter. Once Qianqian was found, the truth would naturally come to light.

”Lord Official is a few years older than me, I’ll call you Brother, shall we? Brother Lin, do you know where the trafficked children in the city end up?”

No matter the era, those most familiar with the activities of the underworld are the government officials.

”They are most likely sold to Third Master Zhou.”

Lin Xiuyong indeed did not pretend to be lofty, sharing what he knew.

”Zhou San has quite a few ruffians under him, sometimes these ruffians go to the villages and towns below to abduct children.”

”Lord Lin, does your office not manage Zhou San’s kidnapping of children?” Gu Fei couldn’t help but ask.

Lin Xiuyong sighed: ”Zhou San is an Opener Martial Artist, and generally he abducts children in the villages and towns below, hiding very well, with no evidence to be found. Our office can’t do anything about him.”

Lin Chen sneered a little; what does ’can’t do anything’ mean?

To put it bluntly, it’s just that Zhou San doesn’t dare to traffic city children, and the village children taken are mostly from poor families, causing not much of a stir.

Most of the officials in this county town have come from the Martial Hall, and it is very likely that Zhou San, being a martial artist, has also come from there, using the camaraderie of fellow halls to possibly collaborate with some of the officials.

Collusion between black and white has existed since ancient times.

”Young Master Lin, may I brazenly ask, how many acupoints have you opened now?” Lin Xiuyong suddenly asked.

”Six Acupoints.”

Upon hearing Lin Chen’s response, Lin Xiuyong was shocked, and so were Gu Fei and Zhao Canghe beside him.

Brother Lin Liang hadn’t trained in martial arts, unclear about the intricacies, but Gu Fei, being a Martial Hall student, knew how difficult it was to practice martial arts, and Zhao Canghe all the more so, being the village head, had been extremely attentive to the Martial Path ever since Scholar Jiang’s meteoric rise.

Six Acupoints opened in three months?

Suppressing his inner shock, Lin Xiuyong said, ”If that’s the case, Young Master Lin might as well go find Third Master Zhou, he should give Young Master Lin some face.”

Joining the Martial Hall and opening Six Acupoints in three months, Lin Xiuyong believed Third Master Zhou wouldn’t offend Young Master Lin over a little girl.

”Chen, if possible, we should find Zhou San, we can give him this money.”

Zhao Canghe signaled to Lin Chen with his eyes. Just a little girl from the village, the traffickers wouldn’t demand more than a dozen taels of silver; as long as Zhou San was willing to give Young Master Lin face, the village would pay Zhou San this amount.

Lin Chen nodded: ”Brother Lin, please help lead the way, take us to find Zhou San.”

Being part of the village, encountering such events, he would naturally lend a hand and wouldn’t refuse, especially since this matter involved Lin Ming.

He didn’t care how his grandfather and Uncle’s family were spoken of in the village, but he didn’t want his parents to be implicated.

”Young Master Lin, you’re too polite. Zhou San has a residence in East City Qingshui Lane, but at this hour, he should be south of the city. Please follow me, Young Master Lin.”

Knowing Young Master Lin had already opened six acupoints, Lin Xiuyong was even more eager to interact with Young Master Lin further.

Initially, he thought Young Master Lin had potential, forming a good relationship could benefit his own children in the future. But now it seemed, with Young Master Lin’s status, Lin Xiuyong himself might directly benefit.

Lin Chen didn’t rush off, instead his gaze shifted to Jiang Qing: ”Senior Sister Jiang, junior brother might be busy today, so I’ll have to ask for your guidance another day.”

”I’ll go with you.”

Jiang Qing’s face was covered with frosty anger; as a woman, she loathed those traffickers most.

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, knowing Senior Sister Jiang’s status was extraordinary. With her presence, even if Zhou San doesn’t give him face, he should give Senior Sister Jiang face.

”Thank you, thank you, Young Master Lin.”

Aunt Zhou was listening to the conversation, and she was about to kneel down in gratitude again.

Lin Chen swiftly grabbed Aunt Zhou’s hand: ”Aunt, please don’t; just call me Chen.”

Seeing Aunt Zhou’s bewildered and helpless expression, a strand of killing intent flashed across Lin Chen’s eyes too.

Lin Ming, damn him!