Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting from Immortal Martial Arts

The next morning, as dawn broke, it began to snow lightly.

Jia Tang was unusually free today. He had been drinking non-stop since the New Year, and was so tired of it that he simply declined the invitations and focused on resting at home. He took a nap with Qingwen, who was exhausted from last night's ordeal.

His large hand unconsciously caressed Qingwen's fragrant shoulder. When he came to his senses, he realized that Qingwen, who had just become a wife, was blushing. He smiled and said, "Today I will lift you up and arrange two little maids to serve you."

Qingwen blushed and shook her head: "No, sir, the lady is not yet married into the family, she cannot be carried."

"You're so stubborn."

"I just enjoy serving you, Master, by washing, dressing, making the bed, and folding the blankets. We can talk about everything else after your wedding."

Jia Tang stopped trying to persuade her and held Qingwen in his arms for a while.

However, the habit had already been formed, and he couldn't lie still after 7:45 AM, so he simply got up to practice martial arts.

As soon as Jia Tang got up, Qingwen, who had just lost her virginity, also got up. Ignoring her exposed white breasts, she casually put on an outer garment and began to help Jia Tang dress. She then staggered off the bed and began to arrange the meal.

Jia Tang got up and went outside the courtyard. He called Jia He and the other four people, opened the defensive formation, blocked their sight and hearing, and practiced with the four generals who had successfully advanced to the Condensed Pattern Realm. He called it: "Adaptation to combat strength training".

When the four generals were no match for them, they summoned eight newly promoted junior commanders of the Inner Strength rank to form a battle formation.

After giving everyone a good beating and venting his energy at the drill ground, Jia Tang returned to his courtyard and had a meal with Qingwen and the servants.

He carried a full bowl of deer antler nourishing soup, the four generals had pheasant and deer meat porridge, Qingwen held a bowl of ginseng and jade mushroom soup, plus ten steamers of rock pork buns, ten steamers of mountain beef buns, half a roasted lamb, a pot of braised red goose, and a pot of braised beef. The group ate with relish.

"Sir, please eat more. This braised beef made by the cook is the most delicious."

Dressed in green, Qingwen's long hair was tied up and secured with a jade hairpin. Her eyes and brows were charming, and her beautiful face was filled with happiness as she kept adding food to Jia Tang's bowl.

Basically, every time Jia Tang takes a bite, Qingwen will pick up a piece of food with her chopsticks and bring it to him.

Jia Tang was both amused and exasperated, and advised, "Alright, girl, even if it's delicious, this isn't the way to eat it. You should eat it too."

Qingwen touched her smooth belly, which contained only half a bowl of soup and a few bites of food, and said with a sigh, "I can't eat anymore. I've been eating and drinking like crazy with Fourth Miss lately, and Master says I've gotten fat."

"Bullshit, I clearly said you've gotten a bit plumper."

"Plumpness is just being fat."

Ever since Jia Tang carried her to the inner room to sleep during the Spring Festival and commented that her delicate oval face was a little round, Qingwen had kept it in mind. In recent days, she dared not eat much, and had not touched any snacks or pastries.

Startled, Xichun rushed over to ask Jia Tang what was going on, and Qingwen was dumbfounded by what she heard.

"It's alright, being a little chubby is fine. I like them plump, they feel nice to touch," Jia Tang teased with a smile.

Qingwen blushed with embarrassment, her face as radiant as the morning glow, breathtakingly beautiful.

"Besides, if she doesn't grow up to be a bit plump, how will she be able to have a big, healthy son in the future?"

Qingwen looked up in surprise, her eyes instantly reddening, but she still said firmly, "Master, we can only have a son after Madam has married into the family and given birth to the eldest legitimate son, otherwise this servant will not agree."

"I know you dote on me, but I can't break the rules."

Jia Tang sighed, patted her little head, and then silently ate without saying a word.

The four generals nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this, got up and went out of the house to wait in the courtyard.

···

In Yangzhou, a cold wind howled and a torrential downpour fell.

Just now, in broad daylight, a large number of masked men in cloaks suddenly appeared in the city, as if they had gone mad, and openly stormed the Lin residence.

Even two people of the first rank appeared, keeping the Rong family's retainers in check.

Fortunately, they received reinforcements from Jia's elite troops and assistance from two unidentified forces, which enabled them to successfully repel the enemy.

However, due to a shortage of manpower, the Lin family was attacked by thieves who broke into the backyard, resulting in Lady Lin Jia being poisoned by an arrow and in imminent danger.

Lin Jia was a descendant of the two Dukes Ning and Rong, and a noblewoman from the Jia family, the leading force of the founding line of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

What is considered valuable?

Only the eldest son of a nobleman can do this.

Of the four generations of daughters in the Jia family, only Xichun can be called a noblewoman!

Moreover, during the more than one hundred years of revival and expansion of the world, the Jia family has always produced many martial arts masters, making it a powerful and influential clan in the Great Zhao Dynasty.

Although they suffered a great calamity twenty years ago and lost their prestige, who could know the true nature of such a powerful family?

In recent years, four generations of the Jia family have risen to prominence in the north, and now they are renowned on the frontier, with their military achievements earning them the title of Earl.

Once they learn of the noblewoman's misfortune, they will surely head south from the capital, foreshadowing an impending bloodbath and imminent reckoning.

······

Yangzhou, the Ma family, one of the eight major salt merchants.

As the residence of the Ma brothers, one of the eight major salt merchants of Lianghuai, the building features flying eaves, bluestone paved roads, clusters of flowers, and shady trees.

Inside the main hall of the Ma residence's backyard, the Ma brothers sat facing each other. The elder brother, Ma Yueguan, remained silent, deep in thought. The younger brother, Ma Yuelu, sighed repeatedly.

"He dared to openly attack the Lin family in order to lure the Jia family south, and even dared to poison a noble lady. He's truly a madman," Ma Yuelu said with a distressed expression.

Ma Yueguan sighed, "The young man from the Cheng family is mistaken if he thinks that he can ambush and kill the Jia family by provoking their wrath and sending reinforcements. What he has attracted is only the vicious tiger of the Jia family, who has revealed all its strength."

"Fortunately, two groups of unidentified people arrived and scared them off."

Ma Yuelu spread his hands, resigned to the situation, and said, "Now we can only leave it to fate."

"There's still a way out; let's send him a message."

"Brother, those who waver in the face of adversity are always the first to die."

Ma Yueguan sighed and said in a low voice, "Although the opportunists died tragically, they will not be wiped out in the end, and our bloodline will still survive."

Ma Yuelu was stunned, and after careful consideration, it seemed that this was indeed the case.

"Brother, let's hurry. It's better to be prepared than to suffer in vain."

···

Inside the study of the Huang residence.

Huang Zhijun and Bao Zhidao were enjoying tea, completely at ease.

Huang Zhijun spoke first, asking, "Have you made contact with the Wuwei Sect yet?"

"We've made contact. They've been waiting for us for a long time. Now the plan is going smoothly, the bait has been taken, and we're just waiting for them to fight each other to the death before we take them down in one fell swoop."

Bao Zhi was overjoyed; the advantage was in his hands this time.

Huang Zhijun sighed, "That Cheng kid was just being used. The Fragrance Cult survived the uprising within the imperial territory; how could a mere child be used as a pawn?"

"Since taking over the Cheng family, Xiang Liu has had a smooth life. With the influence and connections of us salt merchants in the south, he can get whatever he wants. Now, he's out of his mind and dares to assassinate a Jia family girl. He's really a fearless calf."

"Yes, if we hadn't secretly joined the Wuwei Sect, we probably would have followed in their footsteps. But I didn't expect Jiang Chun to be tricked as well."

"Him? Ever since he hooked up with that guy, how could he still respect us? Right now, he's just taking the blame for us."

"This time, he'll definitely be badly injured, if not killed."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.

···

The back study of the Wang family mansion.

Wang Yinggeng leaned back in his soft chair, closed his eyes, and quietly awaited news.

A moment later, the old steward rushed in, looking somewhat alarmed. He said, "Master, after receiving your letter, Lord Wu only said, 'I'm just a clay idol.' Things are hopeless; we must think of a way out."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yinggeng remained silent, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his face. After a long while, he exhaled a breath of stale air and said in a low voice, "So much silver has been wasted. Later, you take the secret passage to send Wen'er out of the city and hide her. I'll think of another way."

"Yes."

···

Qingyun Tower in Yangzhou has five floors, each 23 feet high, with carved railings and jade steps, and is magnificent and luxurious. It is one of the largest restaurants in Yangzhou and is owned by the powerful and mysterious Qingyun Chamber of Commerce.

On the fifth floor, inside the Qingyun Chamber, a large rosewood and marble table was placed in the center, upon which were displayed ten precious inkstones and various brush holders. A young man wearing a scholar's cap and a white jade robe with gold embroidery was intently writing, while two elegantly dressed people waited beside him.

After a while, the young man put down his carved red lacquer plum blossom brush, closed his eyes, and sipped his tea with a serene expression.

A man dressed in a brocade robe with a subtle floral pattern spoke up: "Brother, Jia Min has been pierced by a poisoned arrow and is unlikely to survive past noon. Jia Tang from the Ning Mansion should arrive soon. What should we do next?"

The young man nodded slightly and said calmly, "Let's watch the show."

"What a waste of the salt merchants' money bags."

The words of regret echoed in the room. Upon hearing this, the young man abruptly turned his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He said coldly, "In this time of great change, money is merely an appendage of power. Never let appendages cause you negative emotions. Mo Yun, have you forgotten what I taught you?"

Zhang Moyun hurriedly bowed and said in a trembling voice, "I have not forgotten your teachings, brother. I know I was wrong."

"The Jia family fell for a scheme twenty years ago, but unfortunately they couldn't finish the job in one fell swoop. Now that Jia Tang has gained power, it's a good opportunity to lure him here and test his strength."

The young man put down his teacup, walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and looked in the direction of the Lin residence, speaking indifferently.

"I want to tell him, in a grand and dignified way, that I'm watching!"

"Jia's Tiger Cub? Ha, not even reaching the second or third rank, he's just a bluff!"

On the other side, Huang Qinglin, dressed in a light blue scholar's robe, chimed in: "In recent years, Jia Tang has only been active in the capital region. No matter how we try to lure him, he won't leave the capital. Only by taking advantage of Jia Min's death to lure him to our aid can we let Brother Xiulan test his strength."

The young man nodded, his eyes filled with expectation: "Although that battle wiped out the savings of the second and third generations of the Jia family, and the Ning and Rong mansions seemed to have escaped the annihilation by defending their positions, I don't really believe it."

"The Jia family, which has dominated the Han Dynasty for two hundred years, cannot be without a backup plan. We'll see whether Jia Tang lives or dies this time."

Zhang Moyun nodded in agreement: "If Jia Tang dares to come this time, he will surely die. Furthermore, as soon as he leaves the capital, someone will test his Ning and Rong mansions."

The young man ignored his words, gazing quietly out the window, muttering to himself, "Will these two additional groups overlap with the unknown forces from last time? Could they be secretly working for the Jia family?"