Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Jiang Hongyi’s eyes narrowed, a cold light glinting within them.

’By that reasoning, Patriarch Chen, Chen Li, must have a Cultivation at least at the peak of the Spirit Realm Third Level.’

’He might even... be an incredibly well-hidden Grandmaster.’

’If he really is a Grandmaster, then capturing the Snow Fairy and framing my Jiang Family would have been effortless for him.’

’It would all make sense.’

He never imagined his youngest son would silently provoke such an opponent.

But in the next instant, a vicious look replaced his shock and suspicion.

’So what if he’s a Grandmaster?’

’The Jiang Family has killed Grandmasters before!’

’Our Tributor, Elder Dao, is one of the finest among the Divine Hall Grandmasters. In his day, his Seven Kills Saber Technique claimed the souls of countless other Grandmasters.’

’What’s more, I’ve already requested the aid of two other Divine Hall Grandmasters, Zheng and Tong, who will arrive in Liyang any day now.’

’Three against one—the advantage is mine.’

’You dared to kill my son? I’ll slaughter your entire family!’

His mind set on murder, Jiang Hongyi spoke again, his voice icy. "That Chen Shouheng, have you found out about his situation at the He Niu Martial Arts Academy? Which hall is he in? Who is his Master?"

Someone immediately reported, "We’ve confirmed it. He’s training in Guangye Hall and has not taken a Master."

This meant Chen Shouheng had no powerful backer at the academy.

The last trace of concern in Jiang Hongyi’s eyes vanished.

His gaze fell once more upon Zhao Deming, who was collapsed on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

He glanced at the trusted subordinate by his side.

The man understood instantly and, without any warning, shot a palm strike forward.

The Palm Wind was fierce, striking Zhao Deming right in the chest.

"BANG!"

With a dull thud, Zhao Deming had no time to react as his chest caved in instantly.

His eyes bulged, and blood gushed from his mouth and nose. His body crumpled to the ground, twitched twice, and then fell silent.

An expression of incredulous terror and confusion was still frozen on his face.

Jiang Hongyi didn’t even glance at the rapidly cooling corpse.

"Let’s go. To Mirror Mountain."

He turned and gave the order, his voice chilling to the bone. "The moment Grandmasters Zheng and Tong arrive will be the moment the Chen Family is annihilated."

"Yes, sir."

The men answered in unison.

...

「October, Lingxi.」

The heavy heads of rice had all been harvested and stored in the granary.

This year, although the family had planted nearly 3,700 acres of rice, the fields had been hastily sown shortly after being acquired. Without proper fertilization, the yield was not ideal.

The average yield was only four sacks or so per acre.

Even so, the total harvest of over fifteen thousand sacks of grain completely filled the Chen Family’s granaries, forcing them to store a large amount in the other courtyards.

After the autumn harvest,

the Chen Family began the task of replanting the fields with Mulberry Seedlings.

Although the Mulberry Seedlings had grown quite a bit since March, they were barely enough to cover the more than three thousand acres of land.

Of course, Chen Li didn’t worry too much about the farm work.

With Shouye at home, Shouyue now fourteen, and his daughter-in-law Jinru, the three of them worked with his wife, Song Ying, giving Chen Li some rare leisure time.

After reaching the Void Transformation stage, the next step was the Divine Intent Pass.

But as for how to break through to this next level, the Five Grains Qi Storage Technique offered only a dozen or so lines of instruction, all of which were extremely abstruse and difficult to understand, leaving him completely baffled.

As he was pondering this, the sound of urgent hoofbeats came from the path at the village entrance.

A government constable in a blue uniform, a simple saber at his waist, rode up and dismounted nimbly before the Chen Family’s main gate.

"Are you Master Chen? I have a delivery from the County Magistrate’s Office!"

The government constable’s voice was loud, but his attitude toward Chen Li was quite respectful. He presented an invitation card—gold lettering on a bright red background—with both hands. "The new County Magistrate, Lord Luo Pingyuan, has arrived in the county. He is hosting a banquet tonight at the Drunken Immortal Inn in the county town for the local Scholars and Gentry. The County Magistrate specifically requested that Master Chen grace the event with his presence."

Chen Li took the invitation, opened it, and glanced over it. After a moment’s thought, he said to the constable, "Thank you for your trouble. Please inform the County Magistrate that I will be there on time."

After seeing the government constable off, Chen Li summoned his second son, Chen Shouye, and instructed him to look after the family estate.

He changed into robes suitable for hosting guests, led out his fine steed, mounted it, and galloped toward Jingshan County Town.

In the afternoon, Chen Li arrived at the county town.

There were still a few hours before the banquet, so he didn’t go directly to the Drunken Immortal Inn.

Instead, he first went to the market to pick out two gifts.

One was a superior quality Duan inkstone for Liu Wende; the other, an exquisite set of the Four Treasures of the Study.

Carrying the gifts, he navigated the familiar paths to Liu Wende’s small courtyard.

The one who opened the door was none other than Liu Yuejin.

In this year’s spring exams, he had participated in the County Examination and passed, becoming a Scholar in a single attempt, bringing great honor to his family.

Having not seen him for several months, his demeanor had grown more composed. A lingering joy was visible in his features, and his every movement carried the vibrant energy of someone who had recently come into good fortune.

Upon seeing Chen Li, a delighted smile immediately spread across his face, and his tone was warm. "Patron! What brings you here? Please, come in!"

Chen Li smiled and handed him the gifts. "The last time, when you became a Scholar, I was tied up with trivial matters and couldn’t come to congratulate you in person. This is just a small token to express my sentiments."

"You are a busy man, Patron. I am already grateful enough in my heart. How could I dare let you go to such expense?" Liu Yuejin thanked him profusely and led Chen Li into the living room to serve him tea.

After they were seated, Liu Yuejin asked, "Patron, are you in the county this time for the banquet?"

"Indeed."

Chen Li nodded. "I received an invitation from the new County Magistrate, so I came."

At the mention of the new County Magistrate, Liu Yuejin’s interest was piqued. "This new magistrate of ours is no simple character."

"Oh? What’s his background?" Chen Li asked, surprised.

Liu Yuejin lowered his voice. "I heard my father mention that this Magistrate Luo Pingyuan comes from a Humble Family in Jiangzuo County. His life story is truly inspirational."

"I heard that Magistrate Luo dedicated himself to literary studies in his youth. He was extremely diligent and became a Scholar at the age of sixteen, a true child prodigy."

Liu Yuejin’s eyes held a trace of admiration, which then turned to a sigh. "However, in the subsequent Provincial Examinations for the Imperial Examination, he repeatedly failed. He wasted a full ten years without making any progress. Perhaps because the path of a scholar was too difficult, Magistrate Luo later resolutely abandoned literature for martial arts."

"Abandoned literature for martial arts?"

Chen Li raised an eyebrow slightly. That was indeed no simple feat.

Liu Yuejin’s tone was filled with disbelief. "For an ordinary person, once they’re over twenty, martial arts academies won’t even accept them as students. Their bone structure is set, making Cultivation difficult. But our County Magistrate started practicing at twenty-six and displayed astonishing talent for the Martial Dao. In just eight short years, he reached Qi Realm Perfection. He managed to pass the examination right before the Court’s thirty-five-year-old age limit for Martial Scholar candidates."

"Qi Realm Perfection in eight years... that’s certainly impressive."

Chen Li’s eyes narrowed slightly. Having cultivated for so long himself, he didn’t believe for a second that talent in the Martial Dao alone could defy fate.

’Even the most talented person needs a lineage and resources to succeed.’

’If this Magistrate Luo really comes from a Humble Family as Liu Yuejin says, then his success can’t be explained by ordinary talent. There must be something more to his story.’

"And that’s not all,"

Liu Yuejin continued, "After becoming a Martial Scholar, who knows what kind of fortuitous encounter he had, but in less than a few months, he broke through to the Spirit Realm. He then went on to pass the examination to become a Martial Advanced Scholar."

"Although he only placed in the third class, he was an Advanced Scholar nonetheless! After a year of observing politics at the Court, he was assigned here to Jingshan County to serve as our magistrate."

As he finished, Liu Yuejin’s voice was full of emotion and envy. "If it weren’t for the fact that the literary Imperial Examinations have no age limit, I would probably have wasted my entire life. That man’s perseverance and fortune are truly admirable."

Chen Li nodded. ’From a Humble Family, accomplished in both literature and martial arts, achieving success in middle age... a man like that is bound to have a complex mind and sophisticated methods.’

As the two talked, it was nearing mealtime.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the door. It was Liu Wende, returning home from the magistrate’s office.

"Nephew, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you send word ahead?"

Liu Wende was quite warm upon seeing Chen Li. His face showed a bit of fatigue from his official duties, but his smile was genuine.

"I just arrived. It so happened that the County Magistrate is hosting a banquet, so I stopped by on my way," Chen Li said with a smile, rising to his feet.

The three of them exchanged pleasantries for a moment.

Seeing that the time for the banquet was approaching, Chen Li stood up to take his leave.

Liu Wende personally walked him to the door.

Just as Chen Li was about to step out the main gate, Liu Wende took two quick steps forward and said in a very low voice, "Nephew, today, when the servants in my office were helping the County Magistrate’s wife move furniture, I happened to overhear... The County Magistrate’s wife... seems to be from the Jiang Family."

Chen Li’s steps faltered almost imperceptibly. His eyes sharpened for an instant before he regained his composure.

He turned his head slightly and gave Liu Wende a small nod. Without saying more, he simply said, "Thank you for the warning, Uncle."

With that, he clasped his hands in a salute and headed toward the Drunken Immortal Inn.

...

「As the lanterns were being lit.」

Drunken Immortal Inn.

Tonight, it was exceptionally different.

The usually bustling main hall was now empty. At the entrance, government constables in black official uniforms stood guard, clearly informing passersby that ordinary customers were not welcome.

Chen Li arrived at a leisurely pace.

A familiar government constable came forward to greet him respectfully. "Master Chen, you’ve arrived. The Lord County Magistrate and the other masters are waiting in the private room upstairs. Please, come in."

Chen Li nodded slightly and followed the constable into the inn.

The main hall was empty of people. The original tables and chairs had been moved to the sides, clearing a path down the middle.

The constable led him directly to an elegantly decorated private room on one side.

The door curtain to the private room was lifted.

The space had been arranged into an elegant reception hall.

Two Grandmaster’s Chairs were set side-by-side in the seats of honor.

In the main seat, directly facing the door, sat a sharp-featured man of about fifty with piercing eyes.

He was dressed in brocade robes, and though his posture was casual, he exuded the natural authority of someone long accustomed to being in a high position. He was speaking in a low voice with the person seated to his right.

To his right sat a man in his thirties wearing the robes of a Seventh Grade Official, a perfectly polite smile on his face.

It was the new County Magistrate, Luo Pingyuan.

In the Court, the left is the position of honor. That seat, which should have belonged to the guest of honor—the new County Magistrate—was occupied by the other man.

For the County Magistrate to defer so humbly, the middle-aged man’s identity was clearly anything but simple.

Below them, seven or eight other people were seated sporadically. They were all prominent Scholars, Gentry, and wealthy merchants from Jingshan County, most of whom Chen Li recognized.

There were also some people from the Noble Families, but judging by their dress and appearance, they were mostly stewards.

Although everyone was conversing in low voices, their eyes couldn’t help but drift toward the seats of honor, making the atmosphere feel a bit strange.

Chen Li’s arrival broke the room’s delicate balance.

"Eh? Brother Chen, you’re here!"

County Captain Feng Zhan was the first to rise, greeting him enthusiastically as he strode forward to welcome him.

His voice immediately drew everyone’s attention to Chen Li.