Rise from a Low-class Family to Martial Artist

Deep in the alley behind, a figure vanished like a phantom upon hearing the words.

”Take Chen Yan’s body away and send it back to his home.”

Seeing Chen Yan’s corpse, Dan Muqing finally decided to spare Chen Yan’s family.

Betraying the patriarch warrants the execution of the entire household according to the law.

However, Chen Yan had worked in the Dan Family for most of his life, rising from a shop waiter to the shopkeeper, enduring hardships if not achieving merit.

...

...

A quarter of an hour later.

An elderly figure walked into the shop.

”Miss, it’s been confirmed. After you left the shop today, Chen Yan went to Zhuang Xin’s residence, shortly thereafter Zhuang Xin and Zhuang Zhi, the two brothers, left the city through the North Gate and have been untraceable since. The Zhuang Family discovered the brothers were missing and sent Zhuang Lihui to investigate.”

Listening to the old man’s report, Dan Muqing immediately exclaimed, ”Gu Fei!”

”Miss guessed right. Though Chen Yan didn’t know about the Canglan Pearl, he could deduce it was a treasure from your actions. Chen Yan had already secretly connected with the Zhuang brothers and informed them right after you left. The Zhuang brothers probably intended to kill and seize the treasure.”

The old man had a mocking expression on his face: ”Now it seems, the attempt to kill and seize the treasure backfired and led to their own death.”

The two Ninth-Grade Martial Artists disappeared for over three hours, there’s only one explanation — they were counter-killed by Gu Fei.

”Although the Zhuang brothers were only Ninth Grade, they’ve been in the Ninth Grade for many years. Could Gu Fei really defeat both brothers? Sixth Uncle, do you think it’s possible?”

Dan Muqing found it hard to believe the Zhuang brothers and Chen Yan colluded, and it wasn’t their first plot to kill for treasure. Could Gu Fei have seen through it?

Even if he saw through, could he actually kill the Zhuang brothers?

Unless Gu Fei was Eighth Grade.

But that’s impossible. If someone under twenty were Eighth Grade, they’d be renowned throughout Zhao Kingdom as a genius, and she would have heard of them.

”Perhaps Gu Fei has some means to save his own life. Miss hypothesized Gu Fei was from a noble family, just faced family misfortune. It’s not uncommon for noble family heirs to have life-saving methods.”

The old man spoke slowly, Dan Muqing nodded: ”Sixth Uncle is right, it’s not uncommon for heirs of noble families to have life-saving techniques.”

As the young lady of the Dan Family’s patriarch, she too had life-saving means.

”There’s something else. When I was gathering information, I found out Zhuang Family people went to the clinic to capture a fisherman.”

”Capture a fisherman?”

Dan Muqing was somewhat surprised, considering the Zhuang Family’s status, no fisherman would dare provoke them.

But she was also puzzled why Sixth Uncle would care about this matter and even bring it up to her.

”Sixth Uncle, does this fisherman have any notable background?”

”I investigated. The captured fisherman is named Yu Shan, from a long line of fishermen. His parents died three years ago, leaving him with a sister and brother. Yu Shan ended up in the clinic because he encountered a Sea Demon while fishing but fortunately survived.”

The old man raised his head: ”The Zhuang Family captured Yu Shan because the clinic’s master previously exchanged a ten-gold note at the money shop. The Zhuang Family went to the clinic, and the doctor disclosed that a young Martial Artist paid Yu Shan’s medical expenses with this note.”

Dan Muqing’s bright eyes narrowed. She understood Sixth Uncle’s implication.

The Zhuang Family capturing Yu Shan is related to Gu Fei; it’s certainly because Chen Yan revealed the matter of giving Gu Fei one hundred and ten gold to the Zhuang Family, and the Coastal City’s Money Shop happens to be run by the Zhuang Family.

”Sixth Uncle, protect Yu Shan’s sister and brother.”

Dan Muqing made a decision, to which the old man nodded: ”Alright.”

The old man turned and walked out of the shop, his figure soon disappearing into the darkness.

...

...

Coastal County.

Lin Chen looked at the silhouette of the city ahead, his eyes slightly narrowed.

After killing the two Ninth-Grade men, he chose to go in the opposite direction, changing his path from north to south.

The reason is simple: If the Zhuang Family found the bodies of those two men, they would only pursue north and wouldn’t expect him to escape south.

Lin Chen had studied the map of the Nine Kingdoms; Zhao Kingdom’s territory is only one-fifth that of Liang, with fifteen prefectures under its authority, besides the capital.

In terms of area, one prefecture of Zhao Kingdom is equivalent to two provinces of Liang.

Just as Lin Chen was about to enter the city, a voice suddenly rang from behind him.

”Young friend, you won’t be able to enter the city like this.”

At the sound, Lin Chen’s hair stood on end, instinctively wanting to run, but he forced himself to stay put, slowly turning back to look.

Not a yard behind him, an old man was standing there, smiling.

With my current perception, for someone to approach silently within a yard of me, this person must at least be a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist.

”Junior greets Senior, what does Senior mean by this?”

”Young Master Gu, I’m here under Miss’s orders, waiting outside Coastal County to inform you that the Zhuang Family has stationed men at the city gates of Coastal County. Once you enter, they’ll immediately discover.”

”Zhuang Family’s discovery?”

Lin Chen was puzzled: ”Senior, I don’t understand. I have no grievances with the Zhuang Family. Guards at the gates shouldn’t concern me.”

The old man saw Lin Chen’s puzzled look and couldn’t help but praise him inwardly for his calm demeanor.

If he didn’t know the entire story, confirming that the Zhuang brothers were slain by Gu Fei, he might indeed be deceived.

”Since Young Master Gu feels it doesn’t matter, then consider my words redundant. You’re free to enter the city.”

The old man smiled at Lin Chen, whose perplexed expression faded as he clearly wouldn’t enter the city now.

Regardless if the person was using words to trick him, it showed that the matter of him killing the Zhuang family members had been exposed.

”Oh, the place ahead is Coastal County. It seems I went the wrong way. Thank you for the notice, Senior.”

Lin Chen cupped his fists and turned to leave in another direction.

”The entire Zhuang Family has mobilized, not only guarding Coastal County’s gates but also in other cities. There are Seventh-Grade Martial Artists patrolling.”

The old man didn’t stop Lin Chen from leaving, continuing to explain the situation.

”The Zhuang brothers may have exhausted their Martial Path potential, forever at Ninth-Grade Realm, but Ninth-Grade Martial Artists still hold a middle-ranking position within the Zhuang Family. With two of them dead, the Zhuang Family won’t be indifferent.”

Lin Chen stopped, his gaze fixed on the old man: ”If Senior has something to say, just speak plainly.”

”This situation is due to the Dan Family’s traitor revealing Young Master Gu’s whereabouts, creating such a scenario. Our miss said, if Young Master Gu needs, the Dan Family can help you leave Coastal County.”

”No conditions?”

Thinking of Dan Muqing’s proposal earlier, Lin Chen pursued further.

”No conditions whatsoever. This is our miss’s apology to Young Master Gu.”

After hearing the old man’s words, Lin Chen thought for a moment and said: ”Alright, then I’ll trouble Senior.”

”Young Master Gu, please follow me.”

The old man led Lin Chen toward the other side of the official road, beside the bamboo forest where a carriage was parked.

”This is the Dan Family’s carriage. In Coastal County, nobody dares to inspect it. Young Master Gu, please get in.”

Lin Chen nodded, as the Dan Family was one of the four major families in Coastal County, such privileges surely existed.

Riding in the carriage would allow him to avoid the Zhuang Family’s spies at the city gates.

”Thank you, Senior.”

Lin Chen expressed his gratitude with cupped fists, boarded the carriage, and entered the compartment without delay.

The old man personally took the reins at the front, steering the carriage toward the city gate.

After a short tea-time, the carriage arrived under the city gate. The guards there lowered their heads, showing extreme respect, only lifting their heads after the carriage passed.

”Chief, we were instructed by the Zhuang Family to check every incoming and outgoing carriage, so...”

”If you want to die, don’t drag me along. This is a Dan Family carriage. Didn’t you see the emblem on the carriage? It’s reserved exclusively for the Dan Family’s main house. Do you dare check it now?”

The guard leader’s face showed contempt, and the questioning guard had a begrudging expression.

Checking the Dan Family’s main house carriage would indeed be no different from seeking death.