Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Jingshan Pier.

As the sun set, Chen Li and his two companions arrived.

From a distance, the once bustling and noisy pier now appeared unusually deserted.

At the ferry crossing, government constables in uniform stood guard with clubs. Farther away, several soldiers with sabers at their waists could be seen patrolling. Security was tight.

Chen Li and his men did not approach rashly, dismounting in a small grove of trees some distance away.

Night gradually fell, and the pier was lit with torches and lanterns.

A squad of soldiers changing guard was heading to a secluded spot in the distance to relieve themselves.

A cold glint flashed in Chen Li’s eyes as he gestured to Shu Qi and Bai San.

The three of them crept forward, approaching silently and without a trace.

Just as the soldiers were completely unaware, they struck, landing precise blows on the vital points at the back of their necks.

The soldiers collapsed to the ground without a sound.

A moment later, Chen Li and the others quickly stripped the uniforms from three soldiers of similar builds and put them on. Bai San was responsible for dragging the unconscious men to a hidden spot.

With their heads lowered, they blended into the night. Taking advantage of the brief chaos as the two guard shifts changed over, they slipped silently into the ranks of the new guard, successfully passed the checkpoint, and boarded the mysterious cargo ship.

On the cargo ship’s deck, men in soldier’s uniforms or government constable attire could be seen patrolling everywhere, but no one seemed to pay any special attention to the two extra colleagues.

The light inside the cabin was dim.

Chen Li pulled his hat low, but his Divine Sense spread out like invisible mercury, cautiously probing his surroundings and assessing the situation on the ship.

Laborers, government constables, soldiers...

Suddenly, Chen Li’s Divine Sense froze as it swept over a relatively spacious cabin at the ship’s bow.

A moment later, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. ’Zhang Heming... he’s actually on this ship? Interesting.’

...

Under the cover of night, the cargo ship silently cast off its moorings and set sail, slowly heading down the main channel of the Lishui River toward Commandery City.

By the time they entered Lishui territory, it was the dead of night.

Inside a cabin, the lamps were brightly lit.

County Magistrate Zhang Heming was not resting.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced before a table covered with maps. His brow was furrowed, his face etched with unconcealed anxiety and exhaustion.

Steward Huang handed him a towel freshly wrung out with hot water and said comfortingly, "County Magistrate, you needn’t worry so much. You should rest for a while."

"Sigh..."

Zhang Heming took the towel, wiped his face, and sighed softly. "My heart is in turmoil. I can’t sleep a wink!"

Steward Huang smiled. "This plan is meticulous, and we have ten thousand soldiers from the Infantry Office providing deterrence in Lishui. I imagine those Roving Bandits of the rebel army wouldn’t dare to touch our ship. You can rest easy, County Magistrate."

Zhang Heming shook his head. "That may be, but this is eight hundred thousand taels of tax silver... If something were to happen on my watch, forget my Official Position, I fear I wouldn’t even be able to keep my own head."

He put down the towel. "The chaos in the Liyang region is unprecedented. I just can’t... I can’t find any peace of mind."

Steward Huang chuckled. "County Magistrate, your stratagem of creating a diversion while moving secretly seems to be going very smoothly so far."

At noon, County Captain Feng’s convoy, ostentatiously escorting forty carts of ’tax silver,’ entered the treacherous lands of Lishui. Our men had already spread the word to that band of rebels.

Right now, their attention must be entirely focused on that convoy. Who would ever suspect that the real tax silver is being transported secretly by water?"

Hearing his own strategy mentioned, the tension on Zhang Heming’s face eased slightly. A self-satisfied smile appeared as he nodded. "Mmm... this plan should be foolproof. I only fear the unexpected..."

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and turned his head to ask, "By the way, that Chen Li... has there been any news of him? Where is he?"

Steward Huang replied, "Our informant in Lingxi reported that Chen Li took a large shipment of silk cocoons to the Commandery City a few days ago, presumably to trade with the Zhou Family. He has not yet returned."

Hearing this, Zhang Heming scoffed, his tone filled with contempt. "A frog in a well, clear as day. With no one in the Court to back him, he’s like rootless duckweed. The Zhou Family is finished, growing weaker with each generation. Their fate is sealed."

Steward Huang chimed in with an obsequious laugh. "No matter how capable he is, he’s still just a short-sighted country bumpkin. Is a powerless family like the Zhous even worth him sucking up to?"

Zhang Heming nodded, musing aloud, "Perhaps... he harbors thoughts of swallowing up what little remains of the Zhou Family’s foundation?"

Steward Huang sneered. "You must be joking, County Magistrate. The Zhou Family may be in decline, but their foundations still run deep. How could a country upstart like him possibly swallow them whole?"

Zhang Heming smiled and took a sip of tea. He fell silent for a moment, but a chilling glint flickered in his eyes as he muttered to himself, ’A pity... If Feng Zhan were truly unfortunate enough to have the tax silver stolen by the rebel army, then when the Court investigates, I could take the opportunity to seize the Chen Family’s assets and exterminate his three clans. Now *that* would be satisfying...’

But then he shook his head again, sighing in self-mockery. "Forget it. It’s just a thought. As the chief official of Mirror Mountain, if the tax silver is lost, even if I wasn’t personally escorting it, I couldn’t escape the crime of negligence. I probably couldn’t even save myself..."

As they spoke, the hot water grew cold.

Steward Huang turned and walked to the cabin door, calling out, "Someone, bring fresh hot water."

He called out twice, but there was no answer from outside—only the monotonous sound of water lapping against the ship’s hull.

"Hmph? Have they all fallen asleep?"

A look of displeasure crossed Steward Huang’s face as he grumbled and reached for the cabin door.

The door opened with a CREAK.

Just as Steward Huang was about to step out, he froze in place, his pupils contracting violently!

In the dim shadows of the corridor outside, a figure stood as still and silent as a rock, having been there for who knows how long.

"You... Who are you?!"

Steward Huang was scared out of his wits, crying out instinctively.

When he saw the man’s face, he was even more terrified, blurting out a question as he stumbled backward involuntarily until his back hit the cold cabin wall. "Chen... Chen Li?! What are you doing here?!"

With his hands behind his back, Chen Li stood calmly and stepped into the cabin.

With every step Chen Li took, Steward Huang felt the invisible pressure intensify, making it almost impossible to breathe. He couldn’t help but shrink back further into the cabin.

Chen Li struck Steward Huang on the forehead with his palm. The man crumpled to the floor, his condition unknown. Only then did Chen Li nod slightly. "This commoner, Chen Li, pays his respects to the County Magistrate."

A storm of shock and anger raged in Zhang Heming’s heart, but beneath it all, a sliver of irrepressible fear began to rise.

But he was, after all, a veteran of the bureaucracy. Forcibly suppressing his turbulent emotions, his face hardened. He exuded an official’s authority as he demanded sharply, "What are you doing here? Trespassing on an Official Ship, impersonating a soldier—what are you planning? Do you realize this is a capital crime?"

A faint, humorless smile touched Chen Li’s lips, but his eyes were as cold as daggers. "Why so angry, County Magistrate? I just overheard you meticulously plotting to take the lives of my Chen Family’s three clans. Since I came uninvited, it was naturally... to give you a chance to fulfill that wish personally."

His words struck Zhang Heming’s heart like a bolt from the blue.

’This won’t end peacefully today!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, Zhang Heming lunged toward a small window on the side of the cabin, one barely large enough for a child to pass through.

It was the only escape route he had scouted out beforehand.