Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Qian Laibao left after profusely thanking him, but Chen Shouye did not leave with him.

Chen Li saw his brow was slightly furrowed, as if he had something to say but was hesitant.

He asked in a calm tone, "Did you run into some other trouble?"

A grave expression appeared on Chen Shouye’s face. He lowered his voice, "Father, there is indeed something. I went back to the Kao Mountain Martial Arts Hall this time, and I heard from my martial brothers that people from the Jingwu Bureau and the Commandery Magistrate’s Office have recently come to Mirror Mountain. They’re investigating the case of the missing tax silver from years ago."

Hearing this, Chen Li’s heart sank. Back then, after the tax silver was stolen at Mirror Mountain, Governor He Mingyun had closed the case with astonishing speed, wrapping it up hastily.

It was so fast that even Chen Li had been surprised. He had felt at the time that He Mingyun’s conclusion of the case was too rushed and that something must be amiss.

But all that silver had ended up in his own family’s pockets.

The other party closing the case and not pursuing it further was, no matter how one looked at it, a good thing for his family.

He never imagined that after so many years, the matter would be dredged up again. The intention behind it was surely not simple.

It was even possible they were targeting his family directly.

’If they really find even a shred of evidence and pin the crime of robbing the tax silver on the Chen Family...’

Chen Li’s heart turned cold.

’This is a disaster that could lead to the confiscation of our property and the extermination of our entire clan.’

Even though his Cultivation had now reached Divine Intent, and within the whole of Liyang Commandery he feared no faction...

He Mingyun’s Cultivation was merely at the Spirit Realm Fifth Level Void Transformation.

Killing He Mingyun would not be difficult for the current Chen Li... but the matter was not as simple as just killing one person.

The real trouble would come after killing He Mingyun.

If a commandery governor died violently, Jiangzhou and even Kyoto would surely send people to investigate strictly.

At that point, facing the power of the Court, unless he could do it flawlessly without leaving a single trace, the future consequences would be endless.

With the Chen Family’s current foundation and strength, they were far from being able to oppose the Court.

’I can’t act rashly. I have to stay calm.’

Chen Li quickly suppressed the flicker of killing intent that rose in his heart, admonishing himself.

Chen Shouye continued, "The martial brothers who participated in escorting the shipment back then have all been called in for questioning one by one by the Jingwu Bureau and the Commandery Magistrate’s Office. The interrogations were extremely detailed. However, from the looks of it, they don’t seem to have found any conclusive clues yet. But they haven’t given up; they’re currently investigating along the riverbanks that the tax silver boat traveled."

Chen Li carefully reviewed the events in his mind.

Very few people knew what happened that day.

Besides himself, only Bai San and Shu Qi had participated personally. Although Shouye had not taken part, he also knew the inside story.

The Officials escorting the shipment on the boat were all silenced. There were no survivors.

The boatmen were all subjected to the A Dream of Millet Porridge Skill afterward. Their memories of that day were long since blurred and confused; it was impossible for them to provide any useful clues. The trail should have gone completely cold.

So, the key lay with the three people who knew the truth.

Shouye was his own son, so naturally there was no problem there.

Bai San was now in Jiangkou, hidden amongst the common people, so the risk was not great.

The last person...

Shu Qi.

Chen Li’s heart suddenly tightened.

Last year, when his eldest son Shouheng returned home, he had mentioned that Shu Qi had disappeared in Jiangkou.

In a vast sea of people, trying to find one person was like finding a needle in a haystack—the hope was slim.

Chen Li could only set the matter aside for the time being, speculating that Shu Qi might have been found or controlled by people from his original Sect.

He had thought that if the other party was targeting the Chen Family, they would eventually reveal themselves.

It was better to remain still than to act rashly, to simply wait and observe any changes.

That had been Chen Li’s decision at the time.

But now, more than half a year had passed, and there was still no news of Shu Qi, as if he had vanished like a stone sinking into the sea.

This very calmness, however, made Chen Li feel a sense of unease.

’Either his disappearance has nothing to do with the Chen Family and is merely a personal grudge or an internal matter of his Sect.’

A cold glint flashed in Chen Li’s eyes. ’Or, there is a larger scheme hidden behind this. The other party is patiently weaving a net, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.’

If it was the latter...

The thought made Chen Li restless.

After a moment of silence, he said to Shouye, "I need to go out. Be cautious these next few days. Just stay at home, cultivate diligently, and act as if everything is normal."

"Yes, Father."

Chen Shouye replied.

Chen Li wasted no more time. He called for Linglong, planning to take her to find Gossip first, and then go to Jiangkou to find Bai San.

...

「Lishui County Town, East Street.」

The sun climbed higher, and the street grew bustling.

In front of a small shop, however, a crowd of more than twenty people had already gathered. They wore anxious expressions, craning their necks from time to time to peer at the closed shop door and whispering among themselves.

Under the eaves of the shop hung a worn wooden plaque inscribed with the three words "Bao Yuan Pavilion." The calligraphy was ordinary, nothing remarkable.

Not until the sun was high in the sky did the door of Bao Yuan Pavilion CREAK open from the inside.

A clever-looking boy of about sixteen or seventeen poked his head out, yawned, and said to the crowd, "Thank you all for waiting. The master is awake. Same old rules: only three fortunes a day, and we’ll draw lots to decide the order."

A stir went through the crowd.

The boy opened the door fully, and the people filed in one after another.

The shop’s interior was simple, with a few long benches against the walls.

In the center stood a wide desk, and behind it sat a scrawny, short old man.

The old man was about fifty, with a sparse goatee, his eyes habitually narrowed to slits, as if he were always dozing.

If Bai San had been there, he would have surely cried out, "Old Bao!"

This person was none other than Gossip, who had changed his name and was living here in seclusion.

"Quiet, everyone, quiet!"

Another, younger boy of about fourteen or fifteen emerged from the back room, carrying a sealed wooden box about a foot square with a narrow slit on top, and presented it to the crowd.

"Write down your question and your birth date and time on a piece of paper and put it in the box. The master will then draw lots. Only the one who is chosen may ask for a divination. One hundred Wen Coins per reading, a fair price for all!"

Upon hearing this, the crowd rushed to get paper and brushes from the younger boy, hastily writing down their worries and birth details before dropping them into the box.

Then, the boy respectfully placed it on the desk in front of Gossip.

Only then did Gossip put down his teacup, extend a bony finger, and casually reach into the narrow slit on top of the box. After fumbling around for a moment, he pulled out a folded slip of paper.

Without looking at it, he handed it directly to the older boy standing beside him.

The older boy unfolded it and read aloud, "The question is: is my wife’s child a boy or a girl? Who submitted this?"

"It’s me, it’s me!"

Before the words had even faded, a middle-aged man in a cotton-padded jacket jumped up excitedly.

He forcefully pushed past two people in front of him, squeezed his way to the desk, and eagerly placed a string of one hundred pre-counted copper coins on the table.

"Mr. Bo, it’s me! Please, take a look for me!"

Gossip glanced at him and gestured for him to sit down.

Once the man had settled down uneasily, Gossip spoke, "State your birth date and time. Then, tell me where your ancestral graves are located."

The man quickly recited his birth details and then carefully described the location of his ancestral graves.

Gossip narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping on the desk while he muttered incantations, as if performing a calculation.

After a moment, he stopped, looked at the man, and said flatly, "You and your wife have been married until now and have had three daughters, is that correct?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

The man’s eyes went wide, his face filled with incredulous reverence. "Sir, you truly are a living deity! I didn’t even mention that, and you calculated it. Please, you must tell me, this child my wife is carrying—is it a boy? My family has only had one son for three generations; the line can’t end with me!"

Gossip stroked his beard. "Judging from your birth chart and Life Chart, you are fated to have a son. You should have one son and four daughters. You may not have the fortune of five successful sons, but you are destined to have both sons and daughters."

The man was overjoyed to hear this, but before his smile could fully bloom, Gossip’s tone shifted. "However, looking at the location of your ancestral graves, there are signs that your family’s fortune is obstructed, and the yang energy is unable to flow freely. Therefore, although a son is in your stars, he is obscured by the ancestral shadow. I fear you are destined for five daughters. In the grand scheme of things, some things are fated."

"Ah?!"

The man looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He shot to his feet, his face pale. "Sir, sir! What can be done? I beg you, show me a way out!"

"Don’t be anxious, don’t panic."

Gossip held up a hand to calm him. "What I just said was calculated based on the current situation. However, the ways of heaven are unpredictable, and there is always a sliver of hope. Your fate to have a son is not completely severed. This child your wife carries, according to my calculations, is in fact the turning point. It was originally meant to be a male fetus."

Hope rekindled in the man’s eyes. "Re...really?"

"Of course."

Gossip nodded slightly. "It’s just that this son’s life force clashes with the current state of your ancestral graves. If you want this son to be born safely and continue your family line, you must move the foundation of your ancestral graves."

The man was taken aback. "Sir, are you saying... move the graves?"

"Not necessarily a complete relocation."

Gossip shook his head sagely. "Slightly move them, rearrange the coffins, and reorient the headstones. When that time comes, the pure qi from the ancestral graves will rise and resonate with the son in your stars. The fortune of having a male heir will then naturally fall into place."

After hearing this, the man’s face was a mixture of joy and worry.

He was joyful because there was finally hope, but worried because moving graves and earth was no small matter. It would be expensive, and he would need to hire a feng shui master and consult with his clansmen.

"Sir, this... matter of moving the graves, how exactly should it be handled? Could you..."

But Gossip waved his hand, cutting him off. "I only read the portents. Besides, sincerity begets miracles. If you properly honor your ancestors, you will naturally have their blessing. Your birth chart does not indicate a man who will die without heirs, so set your heart at ease."

The man could only thank him repeatedly, push the Hundred Wen Coins a little further forward, and then leave with a heavy heart.

Seeing this, the older boy picked up the wooden box again, preparing for Gossip to draw a second slip of paper.

Just then, a burst of shouts and shoving erupted from outside the shop door.

"Get out of the way! Everyone, move!"

"Get aside!"

A dozen or so sturdy men roughly pushed through the crowd outside and stormed in menacingly.

The remaining people inside waiting for divination were shoved aside. They were furious, but seeing that the newcomers were all armed with sabers and had hostile expressions, they didn’t dare to speak their anger and could only hastily make way.

"Mr. Bo, our mistress has invited you. We must trouble you to come with us."

The leader, a man with a scar on his cheek, cupped his fist and spoke. Although his words were an "invitation," his tone was cold and hard.

Before his voice had even faded, Gossip, who was behind the desk, moved with surprising agility. WHOOSH! He sprang up from his chair and, without a word, turned and bolted towards the back courtyard.

"After him!"

The scarred man hadn’t expected the old fellow to be so decisive. With an angry roar, he gave chase.

The dozen or so men immediately swarmed in, knocking over benches as they rushed into the back courtyard.

As soon as they charged into the courtyard, they saw Gossip had already reached the wall. His body shot up, and he cleanly vaulted over the wall, disappearing on the other side.

"Quick, after him!"

The scarred man followed close behind, vaulting onto the wall. He looked around in all directions, but where was any sign of Gossip?

"Damn it, he’s fast!"

The scarred man spat, his face ashen. He ordered his men, "Spread out and search for him. The mistress said we must bring this person back!"

The dozen or so men acknowledged the order, causing chaos and commotion among the nearby residents.