The vast mountains rolled like an ocean, and the setting sun bled across the sky.
As Chen Yuan practiced the stances of the Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Body, time slipped quietly into dusk. Finishing his routine, Chen Yuan scooped up a medicine pot from the snow and downed the decoction. GLUG GLUG.
The Elephant Bone Soup, costing three taels of silver per dose, instantly nourished every bone in his body.
Suddenly, rhythmic footsteps approached. THUD THUD THUD.
Amidst the swirling snow, which fell in flakes as large as plum blossoms, Chen Yuan watched a dark silhouette approach. It steadily grew clearer until it formed the features of Leng Rushuang.
Chen Yuan offered a faint smile. "Chief Leng, have you uncovered any clues?"
Leng Rushuang maintained a severe expression as she spoke in a frosty tone. "Chen Yuan, the neighbors at Hundred Herbs Lane can confirm that you returned from outside and didn’t leave again. I also learned from your aunt that you retired for the night right after 7:00 PM yesterday.
"However, this doesn’t prove your innocence. With your strength, you could have easily slipped out under the cover of darkness, bypassed everyone’s notice, committed the murder, and returned."
In her eyes, Chen Yuan was still a prime suspect.
Chen Yuan chuckled. "I agree with your deduction. However, I don’t believe I need to prove I was sleeping—nor is it really possible to do so.
"If you think I’m the killer, please find the evidence and arrest me. Don’t just come here to tell me I might be a suspect."
He refused to fall into the trap of trying to prove a negative. If she could actually find evidence, she could have his life.
Leng Rushuang narrowed her eyes slightly. She had to admit that Chen Yuan was indeed clever. She had no ironclad proof that he was the murderer, and another glaring issue stood in her way: given Chen Yuan’s current strength, could he actually kill Yu Yan single-handedly, even with a sneak attack?
If she couldn’t prove that Chen Yuan was capable of soundly defeating Yu Yan, she would be forced to lean toward his innocence.
According to her current intelligence, Chen Yuan had fought a mutated beast—a Black-Scaled Leopard—over a month ago, and he hadn’t been able to overpower it. Coupled with the information she had obtained from the Gu Family, it was highly unlikely that Chen Yuan possessed the prowess to definitively kill Yu Yan. They suspected the killer was at least a Hidden Force or a Muscle-refining Martial Artist.
Nevertheless, to be absolutely certain, Leng Rushuang resolved to find a way to test Chen Yuan’s strength. If he was hiding his true capabilities, his level of suspicion would skyrocket. The investigation into Chen Yuan was currently deadlocked over this very issue of his strength.
Of course, Leng Rushuang wasn’t foolish enough to ask him directly. If he really was hiding his power, such a blunt approach would only put him on high alert. She would have to probe him through other means.
Leng Rushuang gave a curt nod. "My point in coming here was simply this: if you have another way to prove your innocence, that would be ideal. If not, I will continue my investigation, and you will remain a suspect.
"I understand your stance now. For the foreseeable future, I won’t disturb you unless it’s absolutely necessary. Farewell."
"I wish Chief Leng a swift capture of the true culprit. Farewell." Chen Yuan waved his hand.
Leng Rushuang’s silhouette gradually shrank into a dark speck amidst the wind and snow until she finally disappeared.
Chen Yuan withdrew his gaze and resumed his fist forms. He hoped to spend the coming days practicing the Martial Dao in peace, without any further complications.
However, hopes were high, but reality proved harsh.
Because he hadn’t fully cleared his name, a faction within the Changhong Martial Arts Hall firmly believed he was Yu Yan’s killer. Threatening to exact revenge, they showed up at the Huo Courtyard every few days, demanding to challenge him to a duel.
Naturally, Chen Yuan refused to engage in anything unprofitable. Moreover, he suspected this was a ploy orchestrated by someone aiming to test his strength.
He flatly rejected all their challenges. Seeing that Chen Yuan remained utterly unbothered, the disciples of the Changhong Martial Arts Hall resorted to challenging the other disciples of the Huo Courtyard, determined to force him out of hiding. Consequently, the friction between the Changhong Martial Arts Hall and the Huo Courtyard escalated until the two sides were practically at each other’s throats.
The man at the center of the storm, however, remained completely unfazed. Chen Yuan continued to spar when it was time to spar and stand guard when it was his shift.
Soon, the day before New Year’s Eve arrived, and the Medicinal Garden underwent its final inspection of the year. Whether Li Changgui had specifically requested the task or not, he had been the one to conduct Chen Yuan’s monthly evaluations every single time, and this annual inspection proved no exception.
There hadn’t been any mutated beast attacks damaging the crops lately, so Chen Yuan felt fairly confident about the results. He accompanied Li Changgui on a complete tour around the Medicinal Garden.
After finishing the inspection, Li Changgui frowned. "Brother Chen, quite a few medicinal herbs have been damaged by the frost. From what I’ve seen, it seems you’ve exceeded your quota for acceptable losses. Add that to the damage caused by the Black-Scaled Leopard last time, and this Fourth Medicinal Garden has a serious problem. I’m afraid I’ll have a hard time explaining this to the chief steward."
Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Steward Li, what exactly is the loss quota for this month? Did you happen to include the damage caused by the Black-Scaled Leopard in your calculations? By my estimates, the frost damage alone should be well within the acceptable margin."
When it came to guarding the garden, he was an old hand by now. Because of the harsh temperatures, the loss quotas during the winter months were quite lenient. There was absolutely no way he had exceeded them. The only possibility was exactly what he had just suggested: this bastard had bundled the Black-Scaled Leopard’s destruction into the winter tally.
Li Changgui put on a show of sudden realization, then sighed heavily. "Ah, Brother Chen, my memory failed me. Last time, in order to cover for you, I underreported the extent of the damage caused by the Black-Scaled Leopard. That’s why the current numbers exceed the quota. Alas, please forgive me.
"But what’s done is done, and there’s no easy way to fix this. If the higher-ups find out about this discrepancy, I definitely won’t be able to smooth things over."
Chen Yuan sneered inwardly. He already knew exactly what kind of game Li Changgui was playing. He had assumed that cashing in his favor last time would mean Li Changgui would properly handle the Black-Scaled Leopard incident. It turned out the steward had just been saving the issue to use as leverage against him now.
He simply wanted to use the opportunity to extort him for a little extra cash. However, now was not the time to fall out. For the moment, their superficial relationship had to be maintained.
Chen Yuan forced a smile. "Steward Li, I’m sure you can make an exception. Name your price."
A triumphant smile spread across Li Changgui’s face as he held up a single finger.
He thought, "You stingy miser, I finally caught you, didn’t I? You took over a hundred taels of silver from me. Just watch as I make you spit it all out, piece by piece."
"Old dog! Asking for ten taels of silver right off the bat—what an appetite!" Chen Yuan cursed inwardly. Outwardly, he maintained his smile as he counted out ten taels of silver and handed them over. "Steward Li, I apologize for the trouble."
Li Changgui smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, it’s nothing! It was my blunder to begin with. I’m truly sorry for the mix-up; it certainly won’t happen again."
With that, he tucked the silver into his robes and swaggered away.
Once the steward’s figure disappeared from view, Chen Yuan’s expression chilled. This was precisely why Li Changgui had been willing to spend one hundred and fifteen taels of silver to buy the Vice Steward position. The higher salary was secondary; the primary motivation was the power it afforded. As long as one was greedy enough, even a lowly post like Vice Steward could rake in a staggering amount of illicit profit every month—though the rewards were directly proportional to the risks.
Chen Yuan did not regret his past choices. He knew that all power was ultimately propped up by violence. Soon enough, his own capacity for violence would elevate to a level Li Changgui could never hope to reach. When that time came, he wouldn’t need to say a word. As long as Li Changgui knew how to read the room, the steward would obediently spit back everything he had greedily swallowed today—and with interest.
He would just consider those ten taels of silver as a temporary deposit in Li Changgui’s pockets.
Chen Yuan had both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day off. It was nice to occasionally enjoy a couple of days to relax. However, his version of "relaxing" meant only practicing the Martial Dao for half the day. He absolutely refused to abandon his training entirely.
On New Year’s Eve, Chen Yuan still arrived at the Huo Courtyard bright and early. About two-thirds of the disciples were also present in the courtyard, training through the morning. For those who walked the path of the Martial Dao, one trained through the scorching dog days of summer and the bitter frosts of winter. Uninterrupted by heat or cold—what was a mere New Year’s Eve in the grand scheme of things?
However, Chen Yuan noticed that even as the sun climbed high into the sky, no disciples from the Changhong Martial Arts Hall had shown up to challenge him. Could it be that they had called a temporary truce in honor of New Year’s Eve? Or had they simply found the endeavor pointless and given up?
When he voiced this question to Xue Anping, the latter laughed. "Look at my terrible memory! I completely forgot to tell you the good news, Brother Chen.
"Yesterday, after you left, Senior Brother Xu Heng actually took a break from his secluded cultivation in the Inner Courtyard. Instead, he gathered Senior Brother Tao Ping, Senior Brother Song Bridge, and the others, and they marched straight over to the Changhong Martial Arts Hall.
"Why, you ask? Naturally, Senior Brother Xu Heng was sick of their antics. He wanted to challenge them on their own turf and show them what we’re made of. I heard that yesterday afternoon, Senior Brother Xu took them all on single-handedly. His fists reigned supreme, and he beat the disciples of the Changhong Martial Arts Hall so badly they couldn’t even lift their heads. He definitely helped us vent our frustrations!
"Sigh, I really regret not going along with them. Just imagining the scene gets my blood pumping. A true man should act with such dominance!"
Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback, but a faint smile touched his lips. "It seems I owe Senior Brother Xu my thanks."
Although this was likely orchestrated by Master Huo, or perhaps simply a result of Xu Heng’s personal disdain for the Changhong Martial Arts Hall, they had nonetheless stood up for him and resolved his little nuisance.
As for Xu Heng’s ability to steamroll the Changhong Martial Arts Hall, Chen Yuan wasn’t surprised in the slightest. After all, the disciple with the best aptitude in the Changhong Martial Arts Hall’s current generation only possessed a Lower-Grade B Root Bone. This person was slightly stronger than Yu Yan and was rumored to be on the verge of developing Hidden Force, but they were still far from being a match for Xu Heng.
As for the older, stronger senior brothers at the Changhong Martial Arts Hall, Tao Ping and the others had kept a close eye on them, ensuring they couldn’t intervene. Besides, those seniors wouldn’t have the sheer shamelessness required to step into the ring against a younger disciple anyway.
Xue Anping nodded with a grin. "With Senior Brother Xu holding down the fort for our generation, even though we only serve as the green leaves meant to accentuate his brilliance, we can still share in his glory."
It was clear that he didn’t mind playing a supporting role in the slightest. Chen Yuan simply smiled and resumed his training.
At noon, he returned home for lunch. Following the customs of this world, he trailed after his aunt and uncle, helping them bustle about with the holiday preparations. The core tradition was out with the old, in with the new, which meant scrubbing the house until it was utterly spotless.
Since he had money now, he had directly replaced their old furniture with high-quality pieces. The interior of the house had a completely fresh look, giving it a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. If he weren’t strapped for cash—and if the bulk of his funds didn’t need to go toward his Martial Dao training—Chen Yuan would have loved to purchase an estate in the Inner City. It would be far more spacious and comfortable. Most importantly, it would be safe. They would no longer have to worry about being caught in the crossfire of the various gang turf wars.
For now, however, Chen Yuan suppressed that desire.
Throughout the afternoon, many neighbors took advantage of Chen Yuan being home and dropped by with gifts to pay their respects. They all knew that Huang Juan’s nephew had made something of himself. He was someone that even the Black Dragon Gang had to treat with respect. Now that he was working for the Li Family in the Inner City, his monthly salary was equivalent to what they would earn in ten years!
The families with unwed daughters were particularly enthusiastic, treating Chen Yuan like an absolute treasure. They seemed ready to offer their own life savings if it meant they could marry their daughters off to him.
In response, Chen Yuan could only force a polite smile and tactfully decline them, one by one. He currently had no intention of starting a family. He was only just embarking upon the Martial Dao; women would only slow down the speed of his fists.
"Huang Juan, you are truly blessed. You have such a successful nephew, and he’s incredibly filial to boot! He’s practically your own flesh and blood. Ah, I’m so envious."
The neighbors gathered around to chat, and all the familiar women in the neighborhood openly expressed their envy toward his aunt.
His aunt was beaming, practically glowing with happiness. "Yuan has worked incredibly hard. I truly am lucky to have him."
Watching from the sidelines, the corners of Chen Yuan’s mouth turned up into a smile. He felt that he was quite lucky as well.