Gao Wu Da Ming: Starting as a military household and ascending to the rank of Martial Saint

"Yu Shaowu's skills are mediocre; he's nothing special."

At Yangjiashan Mound, in the residence of Yang Baihu, Baihu Yang Xin sat at the table, smiling as he clinked glasses with Zhang Qing, the steward of the Zhang family, and downed his drink in one gulp, saying, "You can draw that conclusion, right? After all, I was targeting his wife back then, how could he not go all out?"

Zhang Qing also took a big gulp, grabbed a few peanuts and popped them into his mouth, saying, "I think his steps were unsteady and his wrists weak; he can't be called a martial artist. What I still don't understand is, how did someone with that kind of strength manage to shoot that wolf dead? Could it really be an ancestral intervention?"

"No matter how powerful Yu Dayou was, he's been dead for so many years. If he were to manifest his power, it would have happened when his grandson was in trouble. Why wait until now?" Yang Xin waved his hand and said, "In my opinion, perhaps there are some highly skilled people among those hunters who are just using this spoiled brat as a cover."

"Brother Yang, you have a point," Zhang Qing said, licking his lips. "Speaking of which, that Wan woman is truly a beauty of unparalleled grace. That kid is quite lucky with women."

Yang Xin nodded and said, "That Wan woman of his, she was pitiful to look at, no wonder Master Zhang cared about her. It's a pity that she didn't have the good fortune, she died a violent death."

Then he asked Zhang Qing, "Has your family and the authorities not yet found out who killed Master Zhang?"

"Who knows?" Zhang Qing said. "Master Zhang has many enemies, and the authorities have a lot to deal with; they simply don't know how to investigate. Besides, the Zhang family is currently busy fighting over the inheritance and doesn't care who the murderer is anymore."

Yang Xin leaned closer to Zhang Qing and whispered, "Could it be your second master who did it? I heard that Master Zhang had an affair with your second master's wife. Incest is a serious taboo; how could your second master not feel ashamed?"

Zhang Qing glanced at him sideways but didn't refute him. He simply said, "It's precisely because of these inconveniences that no one dares to investigate anymore. Second Master just passed the imperial examination last year, and it seems another literary star is about to emerge. Who in the Zhang family dares to ruin his future? You can tell me these things, but don't gossip about them in the future, lest you bring trouble upon yourself."

Yang Xin stuck out his tongue and laughed, "Thank you for reminding me, brother. I won't mention it again. Tonight, I also want to thank Brother Zhang for overseeing things and letting me test Yu Shaowu's strength."

"We're brothers, no need for thanks," Zhang Qing said. "I don't ask for anything else, just that you let me know when you're about to make your move. I'm determined to have that Wan woman. As servants, we must do our best to make up for Master Zhang's regrets."

"Alright." Yang Xin nodded and said, "Since Brother Zhang has such a refined interest, as his brother, I will certainly do his part. As for the Wan family, I'll keep them for you sooner or later."

At this point, the two of them chuckled together.

Just as he was laughing, Yang Xin suddenly saw the half-open window on his left move, and a dark figure tumbled in from the outside.

Before he could react, the dark figure appeared behind Zhang Qing in an instant with a strange gait. The speed was so fast that Yang Xin even felt the figure's body leave afterimages.

With a "whoosh," before Zhang Qing could react, the tip of a short knife suddenly appeared on his chest.

Blood gushed from Zhang Qing's mouth. He first looked down at his chest, then slowly turned around to look at the thief who had attacked him.

When he saw that the person who came was Yu Shaowu, whose face was covered with a black cloth, an expression of disbelief immediately appeared on his face. Then his eyes became unfocused, and he slowly slumped onto the table.

Yu Shaowu pressed down on Zhang Qing's shoulder with his left hand, and slowly pulled the short knife from his heart with his right hand. He wiped it on Zhang Qing's body while coldly looking at Yang Xin.

Yang Xin's mouth was half open, and he made half of the mouth shape to shout, but he dared not make a sound.

He never imagined that Yu Shaowu, who seemed like a playboy, would have such abilities! Thinking of his ancestor's reputation, Yang Xin was filled with regret, wondering how he could have been so foolish as to provoke the descendants of the Yu family.

He knew perfectly well that with the other party's skills, killing him would be effortless, and calling in more people would be useless. The fact that the other party hadn't made a move yet suggested there might still be a glimmer of hope.

His expression immediately became ingratiating, and he said with a fawning smile, "Brother Yu, why bother? If I... oh no, if I have offended you in any way, just tell me, and I will correct it immediately."

"That's what I should be asking you," Yu Shaowu said, sitting down next to Yang Xin. He looked at the plate of crispy fried peanuts on the table, picked up some and put them in his mouth, and said, "What have I done to offend Commander Baihu that he would personally come to Yaomaodun to take my life? My wife is trembling with fear right now."

Upon being exposed, Yang Xin broke out in a cold sweat. He said in a trembling voice, "Young Master Yu, this was not my intention. It was an order from above, and I had no choice but to obey."

Yu Shaowu placed the dagger against Yang Xin's neck and gently cut back and forth, asking, "Who gave the order? You might as well explain yourself more clearly."

Yang Xin felt the skin on his throat being pierced. The stark contrast between the coldness of the blade and the warmth of the flowing blood terrified him. He hurriedly said, "It was...it was Deputy Commander Chang Qi. He gave the order."

"Then why did he want to harm me?" Yu Shaowu pressed. "Tell me, and I'll spare your life."

Yang Xin dared not hide anything at this point and hurriedly said, "Chang Qi was angry that you made a move at Tumen Mountain, ruining their plan. He wanted to get rid of you, so he sent me to test your strength."

"Who are you talking about? What's their plan?"

"Wang Rongdian, the prefectural clerk in charge of finances; Liu Xingye of the Tianxing Martial Arts School; and Zhao Daikui, the battalion commander of the prefectural garrison. Chang Qi and they are all brothers. They often get together to plot, and they even ask me to keep watch for them. As for what the plan is, I really don't know. I only know that it's related to the wolves in the mountains."

Yu Shaowu picked up an ear of corn from the table, gestured for Yang Xin to bite it, and then with a backhand slash, plunged the knife directly into Yang Xin's shoulder acupoint.

Yang Xin's shoulder ached terribly, and he bit down hard on the corn, not daring to make a sound. He was afraid that if he alerted his family, Yu Shaowu might go all out and slaughter the entire house.

"I'll ask you one more time," Yu Shaowu's cold voice rang out, "What exactly is their plan?"

Yang Xin spat out the corn, beads of sweat dripping down his face. He said with a bitter expression, "Grandpa, I really don't know. I wasn't allowed to sit at the table when they were discussing matters, and I couldn't even enter the house. I could only wait outside. If Young Master Yu can spare my life, I'm willing to go and find out what they're planning."

He immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, pleading, "Grandpa, please spare my life... please spare my life..."

Seeing how spineless the other party was, Yu Shaowu figured he wouldn't dare to deliberately hide his true intentions.

He secretly memorized the names Yang Xin had mentioned earlier, grabbed Yang Xin's hair, pulled his chin, and stuffed the two fish balls that Wan Shi had made earlier into Yang Xin's mouth.

Yang Xin felt that the food he put in his mouth was both fishy and slippery, and he was terrified. He looked at Yu Shaowu with a bewildered expression.

Yu Shaowu sheathed his short sword and said, "This is a poison that my Yu family specially made when we were dealing with the Japanese pirates. It's called the Three Corpse Brain God Pill. This pill contains poisonous insects that lie dormant in your body and take effect once a month. Without my Yu family's unique antidote, the poisonous insects will burrow into your brain, devour your brain marrow, and control your behavior."

Upon hearing these words, Yang Xin's head was about to explode. He knelt on the ground, unable to speak, and kept kowtowing.