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

The moonlight shone down, illuminating Ye Ci's profile, making him appear even more aloof.

His clothes were stained with blood, making him look like a god of death.

I walked towards that person step by step.

"Tell me, why did you ambush me...?"

Before he could finish speaking, a whooshing sound came from the air. Ye Ci's eyes narrowed, and he dodged away.

puff--

The man fell to the ground with a thud, a short arrow lodged in his chest. He gasped for breath, his right hand reaching out as if to speak, but he foamed at the mouth and collapsed to the ground.

Ye Ci gazed at the secluded alley not far away.

There are still people!

Just then, hurried and chaotic footsteps suddenly rang out not far away.

A moment later, a man carrying a knife rushed over, shouting:

"You audacious thief!"

Immediately afterwards, a large number of people dressed in tight-fitting clothes and in the uniforms of yamen runners and soldiers also filed in.

"Senior Brother Ye!"

The junior brother who called himself Li Fan was among them. Upon seeing Ye Ci, he immediately became respectful and spoke to the person next to him:

"He is Senior Brother Ye from the Panshi Martial Arts School, and also a respected elder of the Shen family."

"A tribute from the Shen family!"

Those around him were filled with awe at the second half of the sentence, and they all put down their long knives and bowed respectfully.

An elderly man, dressed in a black official robe, appeared to be over sixty years old, yet he was remarkably vigorous and robust. He carefully examined Ye Ci.

"Commander Chen Chuan, please ask the Shen family's retainer to wait a few steps."

Ye Ci narrowed his eyes and slowly said, "As you wish."

Then, everyone busied themselves carrying out the bodies one by one.

Ye Ci watched calmly, his gaze fixed on the secluded alley.

The old man named Chen Chuan was very experienced. Without Ye Ci having to say anything, he followed the direction of the last poisoned arrow into the alley.

"Senior Brother Ye."

Chen Fan leaned closer, his voice filled with amazement: "That must be those kidnappers... I didn't expect you to handle it all by yourself."

Kidnappers?

Are they really kidnappers?

Ye Ci glanced at the corpses briefly, considering where they had come from.

First of all, the other party must have come for me, or rather, they might have come for the Shen family, otherwise they wouldn't have impersonated "Miss Shen".

Secondly, these people both know themselves and don't know themselves.

It's more like someone who knew themselves, but when they took action, they didn't expect their target to be themselves.

Could it be that the secret guards have come?

Ye Ci had never been in contact with the Southern Barbarian Guards, but it was still possible to determine that they were not Guards.

If the bodyguards saw him, they wouldn't be surprised and say, "It's you?", but would say with certainty, "It's him."

These people didn't know me before they set up the ambush.

"Offering of leaves".

Just then, someone suddenly called out to him.

Ye Ci turned around and saw Chen Chuan, the Commandant, walking over.

"Your strength is extraordinary. The last person you killed had a body that was not of ordinary origin..."

Even the powerful local military command, the Shen family, the head of the five major families, would be given due respect.

Chen Chuan walked up to Ye Ci and looked him up and down: "The county government is in charge of maintaining order, and the captain is in charge of arresting bandits. As for this matter... I wonder if you would be willing to come with me to the captain's mansion so that we can discuss tonight's events in detail and the captain's mansion can reward you accordingly."

"Does the Shen family's ancestral temple lack the funds for rewards?"

Ye Ci calmly countered, indicating that he did not want to get involved with the captain.

Commandant Chen Chuan said with a serious expression, "Money is secondary. This time you have rid the people of a scourge, and the young ladies of all families and clans should thank you."

"No award needed."

Ye Ci waved his hand dismissively and said, "They attacked me first. I reckon they're probably after the Shen family. If you can find out their background, I'm willing to prepare a generous gift to thank you at the Commandant's Office."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan, the Vice Commandant, pondered for a moment and said, "Since this matter concerns the Shen family, we will definitely continue to investigate thoroughly."

"Then thank you, sir."

Ye Ci cupped his hands in greeting, exchanged a few pleasantries with Chen Chuan, and then made an excuse that he had blood on him and needed to go back to bathe before preparing to leave.

Just as Ye Ci turned around, Chen Chuan casually asked:

Why didn't Master Ye participate in the county's internal strength martial arts competition?

Ye Ci paused slightly, turned to look at the old man, and calmly asked:

What do you think?

He didn't know how to answer, so...

The three words were uttered, creating a rather awkward atmosphere.

Also!

Would people even care about those rewards?

This was how Commandant Chen Chuan understood it. In addition, he was old and had always been good-tempered. He only regarded Ye Ci as young and impetuous, so he didn't say anything more.

Watching Ye Ci leave, one of the constables couldn't help but sigh to Chen Fan.

"The Shen family elder is certainly bold enough to speak so confidently, daring to retort even to the officials of the Commandant's Mansion. Does he act the same way at your Rock Martial Arts Academy?"

Chen Fan scratched his head: "Senior Brother Ye is usually not talkative, and I don't know him very well. However, he broke through to the Dark Force level three months ago and has not been a retainer of the Shen family for long. He shouldn't be so arrogant."

Upon hearing the sound, the old man narrowed his eyes, recalling the great fire in the west of the city.

Three months?

It hasn't been worshipped for very long?

Just as I expected!

Or rather, he had some doubts from the beginning.

The six corpses in front of me all died very quickly.

Martial arts and killing are two different things. A person who is good at martial arts may not be good at killing.

Generally speaking, in a one-on-one fight, the most skilled person can win. However, if it is one-on-two, there will be situations where it is difficult to dodge. Even if two people with weaker internal strength are weaker than oneself, it is difficult to gain the upper hand. Even if one person with internal strength is accompanied by another person with external strength, it is not so easy to defeat them.

In the past, when it came to a series of duels in martial arts competitions, one against six was already an impressive achievement, let alone when six people attacked at the same time, making it almost impossible to defeat.

Killing is different from fighting; it does not seek victory in battle, but only to seize weaknesses.

With a single, decisive blow, the opponent perished.

Killing requires experience, mental fortitude, and the ability to seize fleeting opportunities; one wrong move and the whole game is lost.

Fighting six opponents at once is difficult, but killing six at once...

It's also very difficult.

Commandant Chen Chuan took a breath. Someone who could kill six people so easily was definitely not a first-time killer.

Thinking back to the past, in the stronghold in the west of the city, if we had combined archery, terrain, and the experience of our opponents, it might not have been impossible to kill thirty-two people at once.

"One of them is a medicine man from the Demonic Sect."

A man who looked like a soldier leaned close and whispered in his ear.

"I can tell."

Commandant Chen Chuan waved his hand, pondering carefully. The body of the Demonic Sect's medicine man was tough... Among those of the same realm, he was hard to match. Such a person would be very difficult to kill in a one-on-one fight.

Yet he still died at the hands of this Master Ye.

Thinking of this, Chen Chuan whispered to the soldier, "Go and find out the background of this Ye Gongfeng. I need to inform Commander Qin."

******

The Shen family residence, Tingzhu Pavilion, bathhouse.

The air was filled with the aroma of herbs, and steam rose from the rooftops.

Ye Ci lay in the large bathtub, quietly letting the medicine soothe her tired body.

After using the Mountain Embracing Seal, he felt a faint tearing pain in his meridians, but since joining the Shen family, he didn't need to worry about it. The family's physician would take his pulse and prepare a medicinal bath for him.

He took another "Hundred-Refined Qi and Blood Pill" to restore his body's depleted Qi and blood.

The girl, Mumu, sat on the chair next to me, holding a towel, her eyes closed, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, pretending not to see.

Ye Ci poked her forehead with his finger: "Put some medicine on my shoulder later, someone beat me up."

"Yes, young master."

Mumu quickly closed the last slit in her eyes, curving them into a small crescent shape.

When she heard Ye Ci say that he had been ambushed that night, she thought to herself that her young master was really amazing, actually managing to kill the person who ambushed him.

Ye Ci shook his head: "I can't understand why someone would set an ambush against me. I have no enemies in Songjiang County. It couldn't be Xiao Hua, could it? Was he jealous?...

"Six experts with internal strength would be a formidable force anywhere, and yet we've run into them like this."

"Masters of internal strength are much harder to kill than those of external strength. Besides their increased strength, it takes a lot of force to cut through their flesh with a single strike. At this point, the difference between a knife and a fist is not that great. The greatest use of weapons is to reduce the distance between each other."

Ye Ci summarized tonight's battle: "If I hadn't had the Mountain-Embracing Seal, I might not have been able to kill that last person so quickly. But the Mountain-Embracing Seal also has significant flaws; for now, it can only be used as a last resort..."

As he spoke, he raised his hand, and his palm suddenly felt soft; a towel had appeared.

Ye Ci nodded in satisfaction and wiped the thin layer of sweat from his face.

Upon seeing this, Mumu's face lit up with joy, pleased with her own virtuousness.

Ye Ci didn't even turn her head, calmly asking, "Weren't your eyes closed?"

"Mumu didn't peek, she heard it."

Ye Ci didn't mind and continued to analyze: "It's impossible to reach the level of internal strength in a short time. Fortunately, my master also taught me a footwork technique. If I master it, I should be more at ease when I encounter this kind of situation in the future."

"Young master, are they really here for you?"

Mumu asked softly, "Could it be that the Shen family wants to harm you?"

Ye Ci was taken aback, turned his head and asked, "What do you mean?"

Mu Mu muttered softly, "I've heard some criticisms at the manor... saying that the young master is only at the hidden strength level, how could he be worthy of being a retainer? Master Shen's investment in you is too great, the monthly cost of tonics alone is a considerable expense. Some even say that you cost more money than Chen Sanshou..."

Ye Ci looked thoughtfully at Mu Mu: "Who said that?"

Mu Mu closed her eyes and said, "I don't recognize them, but a while ago my second aunt bought some pastries and asked me to deliver them to the two young ladies of the Shen family. I heard the maids talking about them at the young lady's place, but they were also talking about what the hidden retainers of the mansion were saying."

Ye Ci hesitated for a moment: "Is the young lady Shen Yixi?"

"Yes."

"She also has a master of internal energy protecting her. The person who would say something like that must be someone close to her… By the way, what kind of woman is she?"

Mu Mu shook her head: "I heard from the maids that the young lady is extremely talented, and she even manages many of the family's businesses. Moreover..."

Mumu considered for a moment and said, "She doesn't seem to like me very much, but then again..."

"What are you stammering about?"

"She heard from my grandmother that I was a child bride. Once when she met me, she asked me if I wanted to leave the young master's side. She also said that it was ridiculous to be like a little quail by your side. But she also said that she would teach me to read and write. She was quite gentle."

"Can you read?"

"I recognize it, but the script of the Qian Kingdom is slightly different from that of the Southern Barbarians."

"You can even read? Not many people in the Southern Barbarians are literate..."

Ye Ci slowly turned her head: "Mu Mu, what's your real name?"

"wood."

Bang!

A big thud.

Mumu shrank her neck, her eyes brimming with tears, but her lips were tightly clenched, giving her a somewhat tearful appearance.

"I...I...my name is Murong Yanyu. My master said that the Southern Wilderness is remote, with thick miasma and many monsters. Good food cannot be grown there. Although it is also in the south, Jiangnan is a land of fish and rice, and it is most beautiful when it is misty and rainy."

Ye Ci carefully examined the girl. Perhaps because she had entered the Shen family and had no worries about food and drink, the girl's appearance had become even more beautiful, and her skin had become much fairer.

"So you really are a nobleman, huh?"

"He was down on his luck, living in a small tribe with his elder brother and a gentleman, when he was captured by the army of the Great Qian Dynasty."

The little girl lowered her eyes.

Ye Ci sighed and asked, "Do you still have relatives in the Southern Barbarian tribe?"

"Yes, he is." Murong Yanyu nodded. "My brother is here. I was captured on the day I went to worship the mountain god and was ambushed by the Qian Kingdom's troops..."

Ye Ci interrupted her and asked directly, "How about I take you back to the Southern Barbarian Lands?"

Murong Yanyu paused for a moment, her eyes hesitant: "Can Grandma and Yaoyao come with me too?"

"That won't work."

"Then I won't go back." Murong Yanyu said earnestly, "I still prefer to stay by your side, young master. Even just watching you practice martial arts is wonderful."

Ye Ci rolled his eyes at the girl and said, "I always feel that the Great Qian is not stable and may not be as good as the Southern Barbarians. Look at how I was ambushed tonight. If I am gone, the Shen family may not protect you."

After they finished speaking, there was a moment of silence between them.

Murong Yanyu looked distressed. After a while, she groped around in front of her chest and untied a thin rope from her neck, handing it over.

"What is this?"

Ye Ci had never noticed before, but when he saw that a wolf tooth was tied to the end of the thin rope, it was just an ordinary wolf tooth, and he felt that he could crush it with a little force.

Murong Yanyu said, "It's a peace charm from the tribe. When I was little, I would hug it and I wouldn't be afraid of ghosts at night. It can also protect you."

Ye Ci glanced at her: "If you could stay safe, would you have been caught and almost lost your life?"

"It was useful; I met the young master."

Murong Yanyu reached out and brought Ye Ci's five fingers together, gesturing for him to follow.

The warmth of the girl's chest still lingered in his palm.

Even Ye Ci's heartstrings were touched, but he quickly regained his composure and pretended to be fierce as he said:

Where were we?

"She said the young lady taught me to write."

"Go and learn calligraphy from Miss Shen. If anything happens in the future, let me know."

"Yes, young master."

Ye Ci soaked in the bath for a while longer, and with Mu Mu's help, he applied some liniment before going inside to sleep.

Lying in bed.

After a moment, the little quail came closer, its arms crossed over its chest, and kicked off its shoes as it crawled over to lean against its side.

They're all flat, what are you hugging?

Ye Ci glanced at her, then turned over: "Don't you have your own room?"

"I'll warm your bed."

"Your hands and feet are freezing cold, who's warming your bed?"

Ye Ci said irritably.

I'm afraid of the dark.

"..."

The first time I rescued her, the girl was like a clingy puppy, she just kept clinging to me.

Who would want such a girl as a child bride?

In the darkness, Ye Ci looked out the window, where lanterns hung high and lit.

He then thought of the Commandant Cheng from earlier that day, realizing that he must have aroused Cheng's suspicion.

so what?

Looking back on everything, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Fog gradually rose outside the window, the night deepened, and images of clashing swords and galloping horses drifted into my dreams.

……