Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

Deep into the night.

The clamor of Tingyu Pavilion finally faded, leaving behind the wreckage of the feast and a haze of drunkenness.

The banquet concluded, and the guests departed, all content.

Just a wall away from Xingyun Garden stood a luxurious inn.

The owner of both establishments was the same person, who had thoughtfully created an internal passage connecting the two.

Guests never had to step outside. They could walk directly from the land of enchanting company into the quiet respite of their rooms.

The arrangement preserved propriety while saving trouble, demonstrating a keen understanding of its patrons’ state of mind.

The officials from Liyang County, enthusiastically seen off by their Jiangkou colleagues, returned to the inn. Laughing and talking, each had his arm around a pre-arranged female companion.

Hundred Households Chief Zhou Chengkai of the Jingwu Bureau was among them.

His face was slightly flushed as he walked into his private courtyard, his arm wrapped intimately around a curvaceous woman whose face was caked in thick rouge and powder.

The moment he pulled the door shut, the smile vanished from Zhou Chengkai’s face, and his eyes grew clear and sharp.

He released his arm. With a delicate moan, the woman began to fall limply toward his chest.

Zhou Chengkai’s fingers struck like lightning, pressing a point on the side of her neck.

The woman collapsed without another sound.

Zhou Chengkai caught her and casually tossed her onto the bed.

He looked at the woman on the bed, at the vulgarity her thick makeup couldn’t conceal, and an unmistakable flicker of disgust crossed his eyes.

It wasn’t that Zhou Chengkai considered himself particularly noble.

As a Hundred Households Chief of the Jingwu Bureau, he had dealings with people from all walks of life and was no stranger to places of pleasure.

But a common woman of such poor quality simply couldn’t catch his eye.

To waste his hard-cultivated essence and vitality on such a woman would only make him feel uncomfortable—it would even be demeaning.

He had never liked this custom that had somehow taken root in officialdom—this practice of bundling official business with carnal pleasures.

Had this been in Liyang County, he would have most likely refused such arrangements.

But here, in the territory of Linjiang County, his party was investigating across jurisdictions and needed local assistance. Many things were beyond his control.

If he were to refuse the enthusiastic hospitality of his local colleagues, it would be a slight to their pride. He would seem standoffish, creating friction that would inevitably hinder his official duties later on.

’It’s all for official business. Just playing along. Nothing to be ashamed of.’

Zhou Chengkai consoled himself.

He walked to the table, picked up the still-warm teapot, and poured himself a large cup of strong tea. He tilted his head back and downed it. GULP. GULP.

He then circulated his Inner Breath. The potent Inner Qi flowed through his body for several cycles, and the effects of the alcohol instantly vanished.

Using the hot water that had been prepared in the room, he washed himself thoroughly, rinsing away the stench of alcohol and perfume.

He had just finished dressing.

WHOOSH—!

Without any warning, a fierce gale slammed open the latched window.

The shutters burst open with a CLANG. Cold, damp wind flooded the room, causing the candlelight to flicker violently, threatening to go out at any moment.

A gray-clad figure appeared silently in the center of the room, carried in on the wind, and calmly regarded Zhou Chengkai.

"Who’s there?!"

Every hair on Zhou Chengkai’s body stood on end. Without a second thought, he instinctively took a quick half-step back and assumed a defensive stance.

When he got a clear look at the intruder’s face, his pupils contracted sharply.

Chen Li!

The Gentry from Lingxi!

’How can he be here?’

’Why isn’t he in Lingxi? What is he doing here in Jiangkou?’

Beyond his shock, a tidal wave of confusion crashed over Zhou Chengkai.

He had dealt with the Chen Family several times and had sensed that Chen Li was more than just a simple member of the gentry, but he had never imagined the man’s Cultivation was this profound.

He had managed to completely bypass the Spiritual Sense of Zhou Chengkai’s Spirit Realm and sneak in without a sound.

That alone was enough to prove that the man’s power was far superior to his own.

Zhou Chengkai forced down his churning emotions. The shock on his face vanished, replaced by a calm composure. He cupped his hands in a salute. "To what do I owe the honor of this late-night visit, Landlord Chen? What guidance can you offer?"

Chen Li did not answer. With a flick of his wrist, he shot an object toward Zhou Chengkai, who instinctively caught it.

’A secret Token from the Hidden Emperor Castle?!’

Zhou Chengkai looked down at the Token in his hand, his expression changing drastically. His fingers tightened slightly around it.

He snapped his head up to look at Chen Li. "Landlord Chen, what is the meaning of this? This... what is it?"

Chen Li, however, walked over to a pearwood chair by the table, swept his robes aside, and sat down.

He waved a hand, his tone placid. "Hundred Households Chief Zhou, I know who you are. And since I was able to produce this Token, you should be able to guess my purpose and my identity. There’s no need to beat around the bush."

Zhou Chengkai took a deep breath. "Landlord Chen, as far as I know, the Hidden Emperor Castle has no record of a figure such as yourself, Senior. Besides, the Hidden Emperor Castle was destroyed two years ago. It’s ancient history."

Chen Li smiled faintly. "And how much do you truly know of the Hidden Emperor Castle, Hundred Households Chief Zhou? There’s no need to be so guarded. I’ve sought you out today and shown you this Token for two reasons. First, to confirm our identities and avoid any misunderstandings. Second, I have a few questions for you. As for your compensation... I will have someone deliver it after I return to Lingxi."

Zhou Chengkai fell silent for a moment. At last, his body relaxed, and his posture softened. "Please ask, Senior. I... I will answer everything I know."

"Why have you come to Jiangkou in such force?"

Chen Li cut straight to the chase.

Zhou Chengkai answered, "The Governor ordered the Jingwu Bureau and the Commandery Magistrate’s Office’s Criminal Court to jointly investigate three cases. The first is the case of the missing tax silver from Jingshan County. The second is the murder of an official in Jingshan County. The third is the theft of the Liu Family’s silk in Qingshui County."

Chen Li’s eyes flickered, but his tone remained casual. "Weren’t those cases already closed by the Government Office?"

Zhou Chengkai shook his head with a wry smile. "I don’t know why these old cases are being reopened either. But Governor He gave specific instructions that our investigation into all three cases could... begin with your family, Senior."

’So He Mingyun can’t even be bothered to keep up appearances. He’s pointing his finger directly at me.’

Still, this presumption of guilt, while shameless, was also simple and direct. It eliminated the need for a wide, aimless search and was often the most effective method.

He knew perfectly well that after losing his son—and two Void Transformation Grandmasters and two Divine Hall Grandmasters along with him—He Mingyun wouldn’t dare use the forces of the Jianghu for a direct confrontation. Instead, he intended to use the power of the Court to deal with the Chen Family out in the open.

As long as the charges were made to stick, even if Liyang County couldn’t touch the Chen Family, Jiangzhou would get involved, or perhaps even the Court itself.

He would have no shortage of ways to deal with the Chen Family.

"How far have you gotten with these three cases?"

Chen Li asked, his expression unreadable.

Zhou Chengkai said, "For the Jingshan tax silver case, we’ve traced it to a Treasure Ship that Zhang Chengzong, the adopted son of former County Magistrate Zhang Heming, purchased in Lishui County. A Tugman at the pier testified that the ship docked at Zhuoyan Collection on the night of the incident. He saw people carrying boxes off the ship, but their destination is unknown, and the trail ends there. We can, however, confirm that Zhuoyan Collection was the last known location of the tax silver."

Chen Li listened quietly, his expression unchanging.

’He and Shu Qi had been as careful as possible when moving the tax silver that night, but with so many Tugmen at Zhuoyan Pier and time being so short, being spotted was unavoidable.’

’When they moved the silver afterward, he had been even more careful. They hadn’t run into anyone, so it should be fine. It would be difficult for them to trace it any further.’

’For now, it seems the situation is still under control.’

"And the second case?"

Chen Li pressed.

Zhou Chengkai’s expression turned strange. He hesitated before saying, "The case of the murdered official in Jingshan was reopened because Sun Huisou of the Liyang Commerce Association filed a report.

"He testified that the fifty thousand stones of grain the Zhou Family later sold him was the very same official grain he had commissioned Ming’s Grain Shop in Jingshan to purchase. He even produced the receipt for the silver coins paid to Ming’s Grain Shop.

"We followed that lead and discovered that the residence where the Zhou Family stored the grain was previously registered to County Magistrate Tian. After it was auctioned, it seems your eldest son bought it, Senior, and then transferred it to the Zhou Family.

"Furthermore, we’ve confirmed that the man who murdered County Magistrate Tian and his entire family was Sun Zhengyi—your eldest son Chen Shouheng’s senior brother from the Tiger Subduing Martial Arts Hall."

He paused, lowering his voice. "Governor He is taking this case very seriously and has assigned his own trusted men to investigate. We no longer have much authority to participate. Senior, this case... is extremely disadvantageous for your family."

Chen Li fell silent upon hearing this.

’I thought the tax silver case was the biggest threat,’ he thought, ’but I never expected He Mingyun to find a more direct opening through the official’s murder and the origin of the grain.’

’The original plan for those fifty thousand stones of grain was for my eldest son, Chen Shouheng, to wait until the dust settled before gradually selling it off.’

’Unfortunately, the Jingshan land auction required a huge sum of money, which is why Shouheng approached Zhou Shuwei to make a deal.’

’If Zhou Shuwei were still in charge of the Zhou Family, this problem never would have happened.’

’But then Zhou Shuwei had to drag Shouheng off to study at He Niu Martial Arts Academy. Zhou Qingyi took over the family and immediately sold the grain to Sun Huisou, leaving behind this fatal piece of evidence.’

’Thinking about it now, there were far too many loose ends.’

"The third case, the Liu Family’s silk. What’s the story there?"

Chen Li suppressed his thoughts and continued his questioning.

Zhou Chengkai said, "We also came to Jiangkou this time on Governor He’s orders. The Qingshui County Magistrate’s Office reported that tens of thousands of bolts of silk belonging to the Liu Family were stolen. Your brother-in-law’s merchant ship, Senior, Bai Shixuan’s, had loading and unloading records at Jiangkou Pier that seemed to be connected to the Liu Family’s silk, so we came to investigate.

"We found that No. 7 Warehouse at Yongfeng Granary had been rented by the Liu Family. According to the recollections of a Tugman from the pier, the warehouse had been filled with over a thousand crates of silk. But strangely, after some time, the silk crates in No. 7 Warehouse vanished without a trace, and with no record of them being moved.

"At the same time, warehouse number seventeen, rented by a man with the surname Mao, had no record of any goods being moved in. But after your brother-in-law Bai Shixuan’s merchant ship arrived, a large number of silk crates appeared in that warehouse out of thin air.

"So we inferred that someone secretly moved the silk from No. 7 Warehouse to warehouse number seventeen. But we have no concrete proof yet; we’re still interviewing people and trying to verify it."

After hearing Zhou Chengkai’s account, Chen Li wasn’t particularly concerned about this case.

’After all, that silk belonged to the Zhou Family in the first place.’

’Each family’s silk-weaving techniques are distinct and recognizable.’

’At most, it would just expose the fact that the Liu Family and Eunuch Liu had stolen it.’

’It would all depend on whether those families were willing to admit they schemed against the Zhou Family.’

’Unless... the whole investigation is just a show for the Textile Bureau and the Cao Family.’

’Of the three cases, the murder of the official is clearly the most threatening.’

’This won’t do!’

’If I let them keep investigating, slowly unraveling everything, there’s no guarantee they won’t find more concrete evidence against the Chen Family.’

’If that happens, the Chen Family is doomed!’

’I can’t just wait around anymore!’

A cold glint flashed in Chen Li’s eyes. Without further hesitation, he said bluntly, "Your investigation in Jiangkou ends here. Go back and report that your trip yielded nothing."

Zhou Chengkai was stunned. A troubled look crossed his face, and he gave a wry smile. "Senior, this isn’t something I can decide alone. Dean Liu from the Criminal Court is with me. Even if I were willing to stop, I’m afraid he wouldn’t agree."

"It doesn’t matter."

Chen Li’s tone was indifferent, but it carried an icy killing intent. "They won’t live to see the morning."

Zhou Chengkai shuddered. Looking at Chen Li, he instantly understood the man’s intentions and hastily tried to dissuade him. "Senior, you mustn’t! If you kill officials, the Court will launch a full investigation. It would be... difficult to cover up."

"Who said I was going to kill them?"

Chen Li looked at Zhou Chengkai’s anxious expression and suddenly smiled.