Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 106 Rebellion

The heads of the three martial arts schools were quite famous in the county. Many children from ordinary families had learned martial arts under their tutelage, and even those who did not become masters still had a master-disciple relationship with them.

Many people recognize him.

Seeing so many Confucian scholars die, and then a warrior stepping forward, the people present all breathed a sigh of relief.

They realized that the general who led the southern expedition in the battle report was very different from the real person, but they were of low status and could only try to survive.

Those who choose to live a life of compromise do not prevent them from hoping that others will stand up for justice.

Under the rule of the Great Qian Dynasty, martial arts flourished.

Bishop Chongguan had many disciples and had connections with the Buddhist sects in the prefecture, so his words carried weight.

In other words, the Qin commander treated them with great respect when he was alive.

Zhang Guan frowned slightly, a cold smile curving his lips as he tilted his head to look at Song Rongyi: "Why are all the common people here so rebellious?"

Song Rongyi shook his head: "I think we should stop here for today. General, you should also back down. The Great Qian Dynasty was founded on military strength. Killing a few scholars is not a big deal, but killing a master of a school with students all over the world should be done with caution."

"Can he be considered to have students all over the world?"

Zhang Guan glanced at him, his expression displeased, and said, "A country bumpkin like him, the disciples he teaches are born to be our slaves. Do I need to be careful with slaves?"

"Hehe————"

Chong Yue scoffed and casually tossed the broken arrow in his hand to the ground: "On the path of martial arts, what distinction is there between noble and lowly? Are nobles and kings truly superior to a country bumpkin like me?"

He had privately discussed this general with Gao Jing and heard that he was also a master of martial arts, but he was only able to be promoted to general at such a young age because his father was a marquis.

Zhang Guan slowly raised his eyes, revealing a cold gaze: "Kneel down, and I might spare your life."

A serious look appeared in Chong Yue's eyes. He only wanted to save Wei Ting and had no intention of actually taking action.

But for an old man like him to kneel down before a young man in front of so many people would be a loss of face.

He felt that warriors couldn't be expected to have integrity.

But you have to save face.

Perhaps it's because I'm getting old, but some thoughts suddenly become clear in an instant.

He glanced around at the dead scholars and suddenly felt that the old man should do something.

"Let all the villagers here bear witness: this man insulted me first. He should take responsibility for his actions. This matter has nothing to do with the Fierce Tiger Martial Arts School."

Chong Yue's expression gradually turned resolute, his aura suddenly deepened, and the blue bricks under his feet cracked slightly from the pressure of his feet.

In the next instant, his figure shot out like an arrow, his right hand forming a palm, which was his trump card, the "Mountain-Splitting Palm".

With this palm strike, he gathered all his strength, the wind howling and carrying the sound of shattering stones, aiming straight for Zhang Guan's chest, determined to cripple this arrogant young general and let him know the power of a country bumpkin.

The onlookers gasped in surprise.

Even Song Rongyi couldn't help but frown. He could tell that Chong Yue was exceptionally strong; an ordinary martial artist of the same level would surely suffer broken bones and tendons if struck by his palm.

Instead of showing any fear, Zhang Guan's face revealed a cruel smile.

Just as the Mountain-Splitting Palm struck, Zhang Guan's muscles visibly swelled up.

The clothes that had been fitting well burst open with a "rip" sound, stretched to the point of tearing.

Beneath his clothes, his muscles were sharply defined, like cast iron, exuding an aura of dominance.

Before Chong Yue could react, Zhang Guan neither dodged nor evaded, but instead took the full force of the blow head-on with his chest.

"Bang!"

A muffled, loud bang was heard, and a shockwave swept outwards, sending rubble flying everywhere.

Chong Yue felt as if his palm had struck the ground made of refined iron; the force instantly backfired, leaving his arm numb and stinging.

He was utterly horrified and couldn't believe that anyone in the world could withstand his Mountain-Splitting Palm with their bare body!

Before he could retract his hand, Zhang Guan had already moved.

His swollen right arm rose slightly, and his palm slammed down, swift as lightning, with a whooshing sound as it struck Chong Yue's neck.

Chong Yue's pupils contracted sharply; he tried to dodge, but it was too late.

With a "plop".

Everyone saw Chong Yue kneel heavily on the ground, his knee pressing two deep pits into the soil beneath his feet, sending pebbles and dirt flying everywhere.

Chong Yue stared wide-eyed, blood oozing from his mouth, nose, and the corners of his eyes, before collapsing limply to the ground.

The entire scene was deathly silent. The people who had just been looking hopeful were now completely silent, their faces filled with fear.

Zhang Guan smiled and waved his hand dismissively: "I told you you were born to kneel, why don't you believe me?"

******

"Daughter, why are you dressed so plainly today?"

Shen Zonghan entered his daughter's study and casually asked a question. Judging from the upturned corners of his mouth, he was in a very good mood.

Dappled sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the books on the desk.

Shen Yixi slowly raised her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, as if they held a pool of clear spring water soaked in sunlight.

"If Father doesn't like it, I'll go and change it to red."

Her voice was soft and gentle. As she raised her hand, her sleeves fluttered, revealing her fair wrists, as she pulled out a chair for Shen Zonghan.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Shen Zonghan nodded slightly, feeling that his daughter was becoming more and more sensible.

He walked to the desk and sat down, pondered for a moment, and said slowly, "The old man just came to see me, asking me to lend him two hundred thousand taels of silver. That's no small sum. After all, the old man will eventually pass away, and this family fortune will go to your second uncle and your aunt. So, everyone should chip in on the two hundred thousand; why should it only come from me?"

"I usually don't distinguish between myself and the old man. I deliberately let you manage both the internal and external affairs, which is an attempt to take over the old man's business."

"However, if you marry the general, the amount of silver won't really matter."

His purpose in coming here was to ascertain his daughter's attitude.

"Father, you can't say that."

Shen Yixi suddenly spoke, her voice losing its previous softness and gaining a touch of coldness: "The old man confided in me the other day that he wants to run away. If he runs away, he will offend the general. How can that be a trivial matter?"

"run?"

Shen Zonghan shook his head, looked up at the clear sunlight outside the window, and sighed softly, "He just can't see the opportunity!"

At this point, Shen Zonghan turned to look at Shen Yixi standing to the side, his tone gentle: "What are you thinking? Are you really willing to serve the general?"

A smile instantly appeared in Shen Yixi's eyes, and she parted her lips slightly: "Of course I'm willing. I've heard that the general is not yet married. With my intelligence, if I get close to the general, I will surely win his favor more than the girls from the Han and Zhao families. If the general takes a liking to me in the future, I will be his principal wife, which is better than those women who become concubines. Moreover, being the general's wife would be beneficial to my father and brother."

"There is one more thing I need Father's help with."

"explain."

"When a woman marries, the husband's family often cares about how generous her dowry is, as a generous dowry represents the importance her family attaches to her. Although the general was born into nobility, his current demotion presents a good opportunity for him to curry favor with his family."

"I have a plan. We can use this opportunity to our advantage. If all goes well, you will truly control half of Songjiang County. At that time, your value in the general's eyes will be even higher, and I will have more room to maneuver."

Shen Zonghan found his daughter's maturity unbelievable, but he had some doubts. So he asked, "Tell me, how do you become a true half-city of Songjiang?"

Shen Yixi raised her chin slightly: "The general is no ordinary man, and Songjiang County is not a place for him to stay for long. He only needs cash now, not the Shen family's property."

"Now that the old man wants to run away, do you think the general doesn't know? He'd love for the old man to sell off all his assets and convert them into cash, so he asked the Shen family to raise 200,000 taels of silver for him."

"If you are open and honest with the old man and take over all these properties, you will own half the city after the general leaves."

Shen Zonghan narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone turning cold: "Do you think I can take over the old man's business?"

Shen Yixi smiled slightly and said in a relaxed tone, "Cooperate with the other four companies."

Shen Zonghan looked at Shen Yixi with suspicion: "You came up with this idea to help the old man escape from Songjiang, didn't you?"

Why would my daughter do something that harms herself to benefit others?

Shen Yixi's gaze was intense, and she smiled faintly: "Father, don't forget, I'm going to be the general's wife. General Zhang is young, and he won't lack women around him. If I don't have the ability to truly impress him, how will I establish myself?"

"When the general married me, my dowry for him was the money from half of my family's wealth, saving him the trouble of painstakingly cutting meat with a dull knife every day. And you, Father, got half a city."

Shen Zonghan was tempted: "Not half a city, because I owe debts to the other four major families."

Shen Yixi chuckled lightly: "Now it's the old man who's being sold off cheaply. Besides, if I were the general's wife, Songjiang would only have one family left before I left."

After listening, Shen Zonghan's doubts gradually faded, and he looked thoughtful.

"No matter what, the old man is being sold off cheaply now—I'm sure I won't lose out."

He felt that his daughter had hit the nail on the head.

Songjiang County is not a place for Zhang Guan to stay for long; he only needs cash now, not numerous industries.

Upon further reflection, I realized that my daughter was probably trying to use this opportunity to curry favor with others.

Otherwise, it would do her no good at all.

That makes perfect sense.

My daughter isn't stupid; why wouldn't she try to curry favor with a general?

He then nodded to himself.

Since the day I slapped her, the child has finally come to her senses and realized that her father was only trying to do what was best for her.

Shen Zonghan coughed lightly and said in a gentle tone, "I slapped you a while ago, it was my impulsiveness—now that you've decided to marry the general, you should dress up and look nicer on a daily basis."

"But were you truly sincere when you said those things?"

Seeing his unease, Shen Yixi slowly raised her head, her brows relaxing, and smiled sweetly: "I already told the old man about this, but I only said I would help him escape. In the past few days, I've already made contact with the third master of the Han family, and he's willing to buy it at a low price. The old master of the Jin family is also somewhat interested—"

"Anyway, I don't feel bad about selling the old man's property. It's just that I'm still negotiating the price, wanting to plan for more assets for the general and myself. If it weren't for my own benefit, why would I be so concerned?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Zonghan felt somewhat uncomfortable.

He felt that his daughter's business acumen might not be a good thing, as she was always scheming for her own benefit, and in the end, he, as her father, might not gain much.

However, this also shows that the daughter has really figured things out. From what she just said, it can be concluded that she really wants to marry the general.

So he interjected, "Qian'er, don't be impatient. Don't let it all benefit others. Zhao's second son recently talked to him about wanting to divide the family property. I'll talk to him privately and get more people involved to take over the old man's assets in my name."

******

With a "bang," Ye Ci unleashed a palm strike from the courtyard of Tingzhu Pavilion, accompanied by the rustling sound of clothes fluttering in the wind.

"Embracing the Mountain and Chasing the Moon Seal".

Ye Ci let out a long sigh of relief and slowly withdrew from his stance.

"Master Ye is indeed powerful. If that palm strike had landed on me, my head would have been smashed open."

Wu Tan, who was waiting to the side, showed genuine admiration on his face and exclaimed in amazement: "You are indeed a genius. I have been practicing martial arts for many years and have never seen a master of the Transformation Realm unleash such power."

His expression was genuine; he had witnessed Ye Ci, who moved like a ghost, unleashing a palm strike that caused the surrounding air to buzz and linger for a long time.

That's absolutely terrifying.

The afternoon sun was quite intense.

Ye Ci finished his stance, his breathing perfectly steady, and casually picked up a cloth to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Hearing Wu Tan's praise, he nodded slightly, quite satisfied.

Although he had not yet mastered the second level of the Baoshan Seal, he had at least mastered the Transformation Force. Combined with his footwork, he created his own techniques, which were quite powerful.

If I could reach the second level, the power of my move would definitely be even more astonishing.

Just then, Shen Wanzhou was seen rushing over from outside the courtyard.

Seeing that he almost fell, Ye Ci quickly stepped forward to help him up. It was the first time he had seen such a panicked look on the old man's face.

"Something terrible has happened! Something drastic!"

Shen Wanzhou told Ye Ci everything that had happened on the street, his tone filled with fear.

Upon hearing that the Confucian scholar had been killed in the street and the Ping An Escort Agency had been wiped out, Ye Ci suddenly looked up: "Is Senior Brother Jiang here?"

"The incident happened suddenly, and there wasn't much news, but Chong Yue's attack on Zhang Guan angered him. He said that all the local martial artists had rebellious tendencies."

"An order has been issued to raid all martial arts schools —"

Ye Ci listened quietly for half of the conversation, then walked out of the courtyard without saying anything more.

He felt he couldn't wait any longer!

They deserve to die; how dare they kill people from the Ping An Escort Agency!

"Don't act impulsively!"

Shen Wanzhou called out from behind him.

Ye Ci raised his hand.

In fact, Zhang Guan had already committed the murder in the morning, and by the time Shen Wanzhou received the news and informed Ye Ci, it was already afternoon.

But Ye Ci still wanted to go and see, and as soon as he stepped out, he bumped into a figure.

"Where did Ye Gongfeng go?"

The visitor bowed slightly.

This person is Steward Chen. It's been quite a while since we last met. Shen Wanzhou said he's a Transformation Realm expert and is protecting Shen Yixi outside.

"Let's go out for a walk."

Ye Ci said calmly.

Having said that, he walked forward on his own. He had only taken a couple of steps when he heard a low voice behind him: "Master Ye, I think Miss is right about something. A common man's anger can lead to bloodshed, and it only takes courage to pay with one's life. But to kill someone and get away unscathed is true skill. I hope Master Ye will not act impulsively. We can discuss revenge in more detail later."

"I need to know whether my senior brother is alive or dead."

"To live."

Ye Ci slowly turned his head to look at Steward Chen, who waved his hand and lowered his voice: "Zhang Guan killed people in the front yard, and that Duan Wu killed people in the back yard. Although Jiang Ding'an and Huang Guoshu were no match for them, they were fortunate to have excellent footwork and jumped over the wall. Wang Ya and I took action and saved the two of them."

Wang Ya is a master of internal energy in Shen Zonghan's villa. Although he has no contact with Ye Ci, Ye Ci knows about him.

After hearing his explanation, Ye Ci noticed that Manager Chen was pale: "Are you injured?"

"I'm fine, but Wang Ya is injured. I came to your residence to find some medicine for his injuries. It's not good to buy it outside now, for fear that Zhang Guan's people will find out."

"Did Shen Zonghan order your rescue?"

"No, Wang Ya and I originally wanted to try to save Wei Ting, but those people were reckless, and Zhang Guan also had experts around him. So we just hid to the side and rescued Jiang Ding'an and the others along the way. That's why Zhang Guan must be angry, which is why he just announced that he would raid all martial arts schools."

"Take me to find Senior Brother Jiang."

"We've already left the city."

"Out of the city? So fast?"

"The young lady was afraid of being searched, so she arranged for them to leave immediately."

"Miss—" Ye Ci asked calmly, "Shen Yixi?"

"Yes."

"Where were they sent?"

Manager Chen was silent for a while, then said, "Miss guessed you would ask, so let me answer you with two words."

"Never mind."

Ye Ci felt this was very much in line with her personality, but still asked, "Do I have to intervene?"

"The young lady said, if you insist on asking, then you shouldn't get involved."

"What do you mean?"

"She told Jiang Ding'an to go find the righteous army and take revenge. You have no grudge against Zhang Guan, so there's no need for you to get involved. Because rebellion is punishable by death, you have a bright future ahead of you, don't associate with them."

"rebellion----"

Ye Ci was silent for a moment, then asked, "How did Senior Brother Jiang find the Righteous Army?"

"Find refugees, report to the Taiping Chamber of Commerce, Feng Ji."