Chapter 212 - 211: Eunuch
Chen Shouheng knew how important Elder Zhan was to the Zhou Family, so he immediately nodded in agreement. "Rest assured, Miss Shuwei. I will certainly relay this to my father. It’s just..."
Thinking of how his father was currently engrossed in practicing his Staff Technique, utterly focused, his tone grew hesitant. "My father has been in seclusion recently, concentrating solely on his Martial Arts. I’m afraid... it might not be convenient for him to travel all the way to the Commandery City anytime soon."
"That’s fine."
Zhou Shuwei displayed the decisiveness befitting the head of a family. "If your esteemed father cannot come to us, then we will go to him."
She immediately raised her voice. "Attendants!"
Several maids and servants entered at the call.
"Go and inform Elder Zhan that we have found a skilled physician. Tell him to prepare to travel with me." After giving the order, Zhou Shuwei turned to another servant. "Prepare a carriage at once. Make sure it’s a stable and comfortable one. We are going to the Lingxi Chen Family."
"Yes."
The servant acknowledged the order and hurried off.
Zhou Shuwei then ordered a maid, "Go tell Qingyi to remain in the manor and not worry. She is to keep the gates shut and the servants in line. In my absence, she will temporarily oversee all household affairs. Tell her to reflect quietly on her mistakes and not to cause any more trouble."
"Yes."
The maid also acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Once the arrangements were made, Zhou Shuwei looked at Chen Shouheng. "Shouheng, time is of the essence. Let’s set off at once. The longer we delay treating Elder Zhan’s injuries, the worse it will be for him."
"Alright."
Chen Shouheng nodded.
...
「One day later.」
「Noon.」
The carriage entered Lingxi Village and stopped before the gates of the Chen Family Mansion.
Chen Shouheng and Shouye disembarked first. Zhou Shuwei followed right behind, supporting the frail Elder Zhan.
Chen Shouheng instructed a maid to serve tea and asked Shouye to accompany Zhou Shuwei and Elder Zhan in the main hall while they waited. He then headed to the small training courtyard in the back.
In the courtyard, Chen Li was dressed in a simple, dark gray cotton robe, completely engrossed in practicing his Staff Technique.
A long staff danced in his hands like the wind. Ever since receiving guidance from Liu Zongying, he had practiced the Basic Stick Technique tirelessly each day, his understanding of unarmed and armed combat growing with each passing day.
Now, even the most fundamental staff forms, when performed by him, possessed a subtle quality—the weighty grace of wielding something light as if it were heavy, a profound skill that appeared artless and unadorned.
The sound of somewhat hurried footsteps broke the silence as Chen Shouheng entered the courtyard.
"Father. We’re back. The Zhou Family... has run into some trouble..."
In a low voice, Chen Shouheng quickly and clearly explained the disaster that had befallen the Zhou Family, Elder Zhan’s injuries, and Zhou Shuwei’s plea for help.
Chen Li brought the long staff to a sudden halt, all its Power instantly retracting into his body. The tip of the staff tapped the ground with a light CRACK.
He slowly exhaled a long stream of white air, nodded, and spoke in a tone as placid as still water. "Mm, I understand."
Chen Li casually leaned the wooden staff against the base of the courtyard wall and straightened the collar of his robe, which had loosened during his practice. Only then did he head to the main hall with his eldest son.
"Patriarch Chen."
Seeing Chen Li enter, Zhou Shuwei and Elder Zhan rose to their feet to greet him.
"Patriarch Zhou. Elder Zhan."
Chen Li gave a slight nod in greeting, then immediately invited Elder Zhan to the study.
Elder Zhan managed a weak salute, his voice hoarse. "I must trouble you, Patriarch Chen."
Zhou Shuwei opened her mouth as if to speak, but in the end, she only gave Chen Li a grateful look and said softly, "We are in your hands."
「Inside the study.」
Chen Li motioned for Elder Zhan to sit cross-legged on a cattail cushion.
"Relax your Heart Spirit. Do not resist."
Chen Li said in a low voice. He then moved behind him and slowly pressed his right palm onto the Mingmen acupoint at the small of his back.
Elder Zhan did as he was told, closing his eyes and composing himself.
The next moment, a stream of pure Inner Qi flowed from Chen Li’s palm into Elder Zhan’s body, carefully probing along his meridians.
The moment his Inner Qi entered, Chen Li froze.
The sinister, cold, and venomous energy entrenched in Elder Zhan’s meridians was identical to what he had previously encountered in Liu Yuejin.
But this energy was far more condensed, more insidious, and much harder to deal with—as if it possessed a Spirituality of its own.
Chen Li focused his Heart Spirit, not daring to be careless.
He had experience expelling this type of energy once before, and now that he had reached the Void Transformation Realm, it was not something that could stump him.
He immediately circulated his Inner Qi, transforming it into the purest Vitality Power, and carefully began to envelop the sinister yin energy.
However, expelling it proved to be several times more difficult than the last time.
The sinister yin energy inside Elder Zhan’s body seemed to be alive. Sensing the approach of Chen Li’s Inner Qi, it didn’t resist directly.
Instead, it cunningly scattered, slithering into the smaller, branching meridians. It even attempted to coil back and corrode the Inner Qi that Chen Li was channeling into the body.
This forced Chen Li to expend even more of his Heart Spirit to control the flow and intensity of his Inner Qi.
The process was extremely draining, consuming both his Heart Spirit and Inner Strength.
Time ticked by, and the sun began to dip toward the horizon.
After a full three hours, fine beads of sweat dotted Chen Li’s temples. Only then did he slowly withdraw the hand pressed against Elder Zhan’s back.
He let out a long breath, regulating his own breathing for a moment.
At almost the same instant, Elder Zhan’s eyes snapped open. A hint of color returned to his once-pale face, his furrowed brow smoothed, and his eyes filled with incredulous joy.
He could clearly feel that the venomous, sinister energy that had tormented him for over a month had vanished without a trace.
Although the damage to his meridians would take time to heal—it was not an overnight fix—the greatest threat had been eliminated. A full recovery was now possible.
"I will never forget this life-saving grace, Patriarch Chen."
Elder Zhan bowed deeply.
Chen Li stopped him by the arm. "There is no need for such formalities, Elder Zhan."
As the two of them walked out of the study, Zhou Shuwei and Chen Shouheng, who had been waiting in the courtyard, immediately rushed forward.
"Elder Zhan, how do you feel?" Zhou Shuwei asked.
A relieved smile spread across Elder Zhan’s face as he nodded firmly. "Thank you for your concern, Patriarch. Thanks to Patriarch Chen’s immense effort, the vile poison has been completely purged from my body. I am out of danger now. However, it will still take ten days of recuperation for my Cultivation to fully recover."
Hearing this, Zhou Shuwei let out a long sigh of relief, the weight on her heart finally lifting. "Thank you for your help, Patriarch Chen. The Zhou Family is eternally grateful."
"It was a small effort. Think nothing of it."
Chen Li looked at Elder Zhan, his expression turning solemn. "Elder Zhan, the one who injured you—was it a woman?"
Elder Zhan was taken aback, not understanding the reason for Chen Li’s question. He shook his head. "It was not a woman. It was a coordinated attack by three masked men. Two of them struck me, each with one palm. Their Palm Force pierced my body, and that sinister, cold Inner Strength instantly invaded my meridians, causing such a grievous wound."
"Three men?"
A flicker of doubt crossed Chen Li’s eyes.
Zhou Shuwei keenly sensed that something was amiss. "Patriarch Chen, is something wrong?"
Chen Li considered for a moment before speaking frankly. "While healing Elder Zhan just now, I found that the sinister yin Inner Strength plaguing his body is identical in nature to the methods of the Xiang Sect. I had assumed it was the work of one of the Xiang Sect’s women, but it seems I was wrong."
Elder Zhan gave a wry smile. "After I was injured, I also suspected the Xiang Sect’s involvement. However, their Celestial Fragrance Scripture is a Supreme Yin Skill, which men cannot cultivate. It’s said that if a man were to force its cultivation, his yin and yang energies would clash, causing his meridians to rupture and resulting in death. That is why I have been so perplexed."
Lost in thought, Chen Li said to his eldest son, "Shouheng, go and ask Linglong to come here."
"Yes, Father."
Chen Shouheng acknowledged and departed.
Before long, Linglong arrived at the study with Chen Shouheng. She was dressed in a simple white robe, her serene temperament as graceful as a wild orchid in a secluded valley.
She had been living at the Chen Family Villa for some time, rarely stepping out. She spent her days reading and practicing, truly resembling a sheltered young lady from a noble house.
Seeing the grave atmosphere in the study, she tucked away her usual lazy, casual demeanor, her expression growing serene.
"Master, you sent for me?"
Linglong asked softly.
Chen Li did not beat around the bush. "Within the Xiang Sect," he asked directly, "are there any Cultivation Techniques similar to the Celestial Fragrance Scripture—techniques with sinister, cold, and bizarre properties—that can be practiced by men?"
Linglong was surprised, not understanding why Chen Li had suddenly asked such a question. Her slender brows furrowed in thought for a moment before she slowly shook her head. "The sect is composed mostly of women, and our Martial Dao traditions were created for them. As far as I know, there are no examples of men in the sect mastering such feminine, yin-style techniques."
At this answer, Chen Li’s brow furrowed even deeper. Disappointment flickered in the eyes of both Elder Zhan and Zhou Shuwei.
’Could our suspicions be wrong?’
Just as everyone thought the lead had gone cold, Linglong seemed to recall something. "However... there is one type of person who could be an exception."
"Oh? And who would that be?"
Chen Li pressed.
Linglong lowered her voice, a strange note in it. "Eunuchs."
’Eunuchs?’
As soon as she spoke the word, everyone’s face was a mask of astonishment.
Linglong added, "As far as I know, among the sect’s Twelve Celestial Fragrances, there is one who is a eunuch. As for what Cultivation Technique he practices, I have no idea."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shuwei looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her face went white as a sheet, and she slowly closed her eyes, her body swaying uncontrollably.
She nearly collapsed, kept on her feet only by Chen Shouheng’s timely supporting hand.
’Eunuchs... here in Jiangzhou...’
’Only the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau has eunuchs.’
’No wonder those thirty thousand bolts of silk vanished without a trace after being stolen. No wonder the Government Office’s investigation turned up nothing.’
’If the Textile Bureau was the one who moved the silk, the checkpoints in Jiangzhou wouldn’t have dared to stop and inspect them.’
’Even if they had been inspected and something was found, even if the Jingwu Bureau knew, they would never have told the Zhou Family.’
’No wonder the order came down from the Textile Bureau less than a month later, demanding an increase in our contribution quota.’
’This... this is not just stealing our goods, it’s driving our family to ruin!’
Her thoughts raced as countless points of doubt suddenly clicked into place.
A wave of immense shock and rage pierced her heart, nearly suffocating her.
But immediately following it, a deeper, more suffocating wave of powerlessness washed over her, extinguishing the embers of her rage.
’Even if I know the truth... what can I do?’
’The Jiangzhou Textile Bureau answers to the imperial family.’
’They represent not just the Court, but the throne itself.’
’She knew with absolute clarity that if the Textile Bureau was truly behind this, the Zhou Family, in its current state, had no power to resist.’
’My eldest brother and nephew are missing, their fates unknown.’
’My second brother died while serving his post in Yazhou.’
’The Zhou Family no longer has any foundation in the Court. We have lost all our backing.’
’We have been reduced to little more than a merchant family.’
’The Zhou Family now is like a juicy piece of meat left unguarded on a platter, and everyone wants a bite.’
’This calamity was both a coincidence and an inevitability.’
’Even if Qingyi hadn’t been deceived, some other trap would have been waiting for the Zhou Family to fall into.’
Seeing her state, Chen Shouheng offered a word of comfort. "Miss Shuwei, you need not be so pessimistic. This may not be the will of the entire Textile Bureau. Perhaps it is just the selfish greed of a few individuals. The Court, in the end, must still uphold the law."
Zhou Shuwei simply shook her head. After a moment of silence, she suddenly looked up at Chen Li. "Patriarch Chen, I would like to speak with you alone."
Chen Li nodded. "Very well."
He turned and walked back into the study.