Chapter 181 : Regretting it now
Chapter 181: Regretting it now?
The snow had stopped in the middle of the night.
Before dawn, Tao Fang was already woken up by her grandfather. They left the inn and continued on their journey.
Each of them led a horse. As soon as they stepped out of the inn, they saw a luxurious large carriage parked on the open ground outside. It was much bigger than ordinary carriages, drawn by four strong horses, all pitch-black with not a single stray hair.
Tao Fang couldn’t help but glance at the large carriage several more times. She knew that Chen Ming, who had caused quite a stir yesterday, was inside, and he hadn’t gotten off the entire time.
Moreover, even she could tell—there was more than one person breathing inside the carriage. There were clearly other women.
Peh, debauched scum.
She spat inwardly, easily imagining what was going on inside.
Even while traveling, he had to sleep under the same covers with women. This man truly was wanton and without restraint.
“Fang’er.”
The elder called out. Only then did she tug the reins and let the horse catch up.
The snowy road was hard to travel, so the grandfather and granddaughter had to slow their pace.
By noon, as they passed by a large tree, Tao Fang suddenly cried out, “There’s a dead person.”
The old man took one look and saw a corpse lying behind the tree. He said, “It’s one of the bounty sabermen who chased out yesterday.”
It seemed that the middle-aged merchant was slightly more skilled and had slain this person here.
Although Tao Fang had seen dead people before, she still found it hard to comprehend. “All that just to snatch a few heads and ended up losing their life?”
The old man’s expression held a sorrowful clarity. “To these bounty sabermen without sect or backing, those heads can be exchanged for a more advanced martial arts manual—enough to change their fate. It’s worth risking their life for.”
Tao Fang protested, “But Chen Ming has no sect or background either. How did he make it onto the Azure Cloud Ranking?”
“Jianghu rumors can’t be trusted. If I’m not mistaken, the insignia on that carriage belongs to one of the Four Great Sects of Jiangzhou—Cangyue Sect. Plus, there are experts traveling with him.”
“Experts? How do they compare to you, Grandpa?”
The old man gave her a doting look and said, “Your grandpa is just a carefree wanderer, how could I compare to those sect experts?”
As they spoke, they continued forward.
After traveling several more li, they saw another corpse lying by the roadside, and a dozen or so zhang ahead was yet another corpse.
It was evident how brutal the battle over those four heads had been yesterday.
After another few li, Qingfeng City was already in sight.
The old man suddenly stopped and looked up at a tree, letting out a sigh.
“What is it? Ah!”
Tao Fang followed his gaze and saw a corpse frozen into an ice sculpture hanging on the tree. It was the middle-aged merchant from yesterday.
Who would’ve thought—he never made it into Qingfeng City and died right here.
The four heads tied to his waist had vanished without a trace. No one knew who had taken them.
“Let’s go.”
The old man called out.
Tao Fang followed silently, without a word the whole way.
Only after entering Qingfeng City did the old man look at the bustling streets, crowded with people and carriages. He sighed, “They say Qingfeng thrives with merchants and travelers. Seeing it today, its fame is well-deserved.”
He turned his head and noticed his granddaughter seemed unlike her usual self, looking troubled. He asked, “Is this martial world not what you imagined?”
Tao Fang replied gloomily, “I used to hear the senior brothers talk about being chivalrous and defending the weak, settling grudges with righteousness. They spoke of heroic knights whose words were worth gold, young heroes and heroines roaming the land like celestial couples, envied by all. But why is this martial world nothing like what they said?”
Suddenly, a snort came from nearby.
She turned and saw a traveling merchant, glaring at him. “What are you laughing at?”
The merchant chuckled, “Judging by your accent, you’re from Xiazhou. In Jiangzhou, that kind of talk doesn’t fly. If you can’t stand it, best go back to Xiazhou.”
With that, he walked away.
Tao Fang fumed, “No wonder they say people from Jiangzhou are so deceitful. It’s true.”
The old man said, “You can’t generalize. There are cunning people in Xiazhou too, and there are also men of great spirit in Jiangzhou.”
Tao Fang had always trusted her grandfather. After a moment, she became worried. “Grandpa, I’m afraid all the inns in Qingfeng City are full. Where will we stay?”
“Follow me.”
The old man took his granddaughter straight to the Six Doors Authority, presented a letter of introduction, and was quickly brought before a Fifth Grade Constable.
This Fifth Grade Constable’s surname was Li, and he introduced himself as Li Guangjie. His demeanor was very respectful. “Senior Tao, this junior already understands your purpose. But as you can see, Qingfeng City is in quite a state. We really don’t have spare manpower…”
The old man replied calmly, “Don’t worry, I’ll find the people myself. I just need some cooperation from your side. Also, arrange a place to stay.”
Li Guangjie immediately made the arrangements upon hearing his request.
“One more thing, it’s not necessary to trouble Inspector Zhao.”
“Yes.”
……
After the grandfather and granddaughter left, some people whispered below.
“Who was that senior? Why was the captain so respectful?”
“You don’t recognize Senior Tao?”
“Is he from Jiangzhou?”
“No, from neighboring Xiazhou.”
“A Tao from Xiazhou… could it be Senior Tao Zhiquan?”
“That’s right. This senior is a legend within the Six Doors Authority. He was originally a bounty saberman, but later caught the eye of an influential figure and was specially recruited. He solved countless major cases and became known as the Divine Constable. His cultivation even broke through to Third Grade. Unfortunately, due to his origins, he was never promoted to Third Grade Inspector. Disheartened, he stepped down. What a pity.”
“What brings Senior Tao to Qingfeng City?”
“You don’t know? Rumor has it he once took in a disciple—his distant nephew. Who would’ve thought that disciple turned out to be a monster, killing his entire family. Senior Tao has been chasing him ever since…”
“I never imagined such a tragedy.”
……
After arranging Senior Tao’s lodging, Li Guangjie went to report to Lord Zhao and happened to run into Du Caiyue, whom he hadn’t seen in half a year.
Seeing Du Caiyue still pale, Li Guangjie said with a mocking tone, “You were in such a rush to break through to Third Grade? Ended up going into Qi Deviation and still haven’t healed after six months.”
Du Caiyue replied calmly, “Injuries heal. But some people offended the wrong person. I fear they’ll never have peace again.”
Li Guangjie sneered, “Joining the Six Doors Authority means not being afraid to offend others.”
“Is that so?” Du Caiyue looked at him with a half-smile. “At least thirty percent of those on the Azure Cloud Ranking eventually reach the Divine Repository Realm. Surely you knew that?”
As she finished, she noticed a flicker of gloom in Li Guangjie’s eyes and said no more.
She believed he was regretting it—regretting ever offending Chen Ming. Or more likely, regretting not killing him back then.
Who would have thought that in less than a year, that insignificant Sixth Grade would rise to fame throughout Jiangzhou?
It was the Azure Cloud Ranking, after all!
It meant that among all Fifth Grade martial artists under twenty-five, he was in the topmost tier.
Others might not grasp the significance, but she and Li Guangjie knew it well.
At the Fifth Grade level, the gap between martial artists of the same rank could be even greater than the gap between Fifth and Sixth Grade.
Those disciples from top sects and Aristocratic Families trained in Peerless Divine Arts, the most refined saber and sword techniques, constantly guided by senior masters. Their strength far surpassed their peers.
How could ordinary Fifth Grades be their match?
That Chen Ming could defeat so many disciples from Aristocratic Families and sects—his strength was simply astonishing.
When Du Caiyue first heard the news, she didn’t believe it. But when she saw the latest Azure Cloud Ranking and found Chen Ming’s name at the sixth position, she had no choice but to believe.
She had her suspicions: Chen Ming’s rapid progress surely had something to do with the 《Lunar True Scripture》.
Six months ago, after obtaining the 《Blazing Sun Divine Art》, Du Caiyue couldn’t resist trying to cultivate both arts for a balance of yin and yang. But she had barely begun when she suffered Qi Deviation and nearly died.
She spent half a year healing. The memory still gave her chills.
She was eager for Chen Ming’s return to ask about the secrets. But two months had passed, and he still hadn’t returned to Qingfeng City.
If not for her duties, she would’ve begged Lord Zhao for leave to search for Chen Ming in Jiangzhou City.
At that moment, the steward appeared and led the two into the study to meet Zhao Shouchang.
Du Caiyue and Li Guangjie both entered with solemn expressions.
……
Inside the study, Zhao Shouchang was practicing calligraphy.
They stood silently by. They had followed Zhao Shouchang long enough to know—whenever something major happened, he would write.
After a while, Zhao Shouchang finished a piece, put down the brush, took the wet towel from the steward, and wiped his hands.
“I heard Tao Zhiquan has arrived?”
Li Guangjie replied, “Yes.”
“A troubled time indeed,” Zhao Shouchang sighed.
“My Lord, this is already the fourth Third Grade Expert. Who knows how many more are hiding in the shadows? Qingfeng City is like a powder keg now, ready to blow. I fear your strength alone…” Li Guangjie sounded worried.
These days, the pressure on him had been immense. If something happened, he’d take the fall.
Zhao Shouchang said, “I’ve already reported Qingfeng City’s situation to Jiangzhou City and the capital by carrier pigeon. Reinforcements will arrive soon. Until then, nothing can go wrong.”
“Yes,” was all Li Guangjie could say.
Zhao Shouchang then looked at Du Caiyue. “How’s your recovery?”
“Thank you for your concern, My Lord. I’m almost fully healed.”
“Good. From now on, Qingfeng City will be far from peaceful. You must work together and ensure no major incidents occur.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Zhao Shouchang added, “Chen Ming is returning.”
This one sentence made both subordinates’ expressions change.