Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

Chen Mo returned to the courtyard and slowly took stock of everything that had been taken from the Li family.

Several boxes of silver, hundreds of thousands of taels, can be used to purchase medicinal herbs.

The two boxes of low-grade pills, mostly mid-grade Qi-boosting powders and bone-strengthening pills, were handed over to the shopkeeper for further processing.

A yellowed Yellow-Rank Inner Strength Manual and a few third-rate martial arts techniques.

The items were few, even meager.

Compared to the wealthy Zhao family, the Li family is simply no match.

Chen Mo casually flipped through the cultivation manual, glanced at it twice, and then tossed it aside.

This crude and rudimentary Yellow-Rank cultivation technique was of no use to him.

This time, the Li family's harvest brought him no joy whatsoever.

But it doesn't matter, the purpose of destroying the Li family is not to rob them of money or cultivation techniques.

After taking inventory, Chen Mo got up and went to sleep.

The people of Qingshi Town, however, could not sleep.

Night fades and dawn breaks.

Qingshi Town endured a terrifying night.

In just two days.

The Zhao and Li families, two powerful clans that had dominated the town for decades, were completely wiped out overnight.

The fire at the original site of the Li family mansion burned all night and was not completely extinguished until dawn.

The smell of burning filled the entire street on the wind, making people feel uneasy.

The townspeople went out early in the morning, but no one was working or setting up stalls.

Everyone stood huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, their faces filled with fear.

"This is too eerie, really too eerie!"

"The Zhao family was wiped out last night, and the Li family was also completely eradicated!"

"Don't you think this is divine retribution? These two families have done so many bad things; even God couldn't stand it anymore!"

"What a load of rubbish about divine punishment!"

Some people were pale and spoke in very low voices.

"It's a master, definitely a reclusive master who made the move."

No one dared to speak loudly.

They were able to wipe out two major clans right under the noses of the Zhenfu Division, and yet they couldn't find out anything about it.

This is no longer a question of whether it's ruthless or not.

This is terrifying.

From this day forward, the world of Qing Shi Town has completely changed.

Inside the main hall of the Zhenfu Division.

All day long, all the patrol officers and constables were mobilized, squatting at the fire site of the Li residence to conduct repeated inspections.

The more they investigated, the colder everyone felt.

The bodies in the fire were all charred, and what was most horrifying was that most of the bodies were headless.

Only a mangled body remained, the skull ruptured and completely rotten.

There were no signs of a struggle at the scene.

There were no sword or knife wounds.

There were no signs of struggle.

The newly appointed inspector stood in the middle of the hall, bowing to the young man above him as he reported.

His voice trembled uncontrollably as he spoke.

"Sir, the investigation is complete."

"The entire Li family perished. Most of the dead were headless and had their skulls shattered; their deaths were extremely bizarre."

"This could not have been caused by ordinary fists, swords, or internal energy."

"The entire scene was spotless, with no clues, no killer, and no witnesses. It was completely clean, and there was nothing left to investigate."

Main seat in the lobby.

Shen Ze sat upright in the armchair, dressed in official robes, his face stern.

He held a cup of hot tea in his hand, but didn't move it or take a sip for a long time.

He originally didn't care about the infighting and clan destruction in the small town.

In the eyes of a scion of a prominent family in the county, the disputes in small towns were nothing more than ants trampling each other.

But now, he has no intention of looking down on them at all.

Even my heart felt ice-cold.

Shen Ze looked at the inspector.

"Two families were wiped out within two days, and not a single clue could be found?"

"yes!"

The inspector nodded emphatically.

"The perpetrator's methods were bizarre, leaving no survivors. We found absolutely no useful clues."

Shen Ze slowly put down his teacup.

"Do you think this is just a typical gangland feud?"

The inspector was stunned and hesitated.

"I...can't tell."

"That's good because you can't tell."

Shen Ze leaned forward slightly.

"In a typical vendetta, there will be a fight, injuries, and traces of the murder weapon."

"Who could kill someone and have their head explode out of thin air, wipe out two major families in two days, and still leave my Zhenfu Division without a single clue?"

"Is this the kind of martial art that you and I can understand?"

The inspector broke out in a cold sweat instantly; he finally realized what was happening.

This is not a simple clan feud at all.

This is a terrifying being that they cannot understand or fathom at all, hidden in Qing Shi Town.

Right under their noses.

He spoke cautiously.

"Sir, should this case be reported to higher authorities?"

"What's the point of reporting this? Two small-town aristocratic families, they're wiped out, so be it."

Shen Ze tapped the table lightly with his fingertips.

He came from a prominent family in the county seat, and families in small towns were beneath his notice. But he understood a principle from a young age.

The most dangerous enemies are those that are unseen and incomprehensible.

This person was able to wipe out the Zhao and Li families without anyone noticing.

Could we then quietly eliminate him, the garrison commander?

Is it possible for them to overthrow the entire Zhenfu Division at any moment?

The unknown is the greatest fear.

Shen Ze did not act impulsively, nor did he order a city-wide manhunt, nor did he arrogantly provoke those lurking in the shadows.

He was very clear-headed.

We can't afford to mess with them.

At least for now, we absolutely cannot afford to mess with them.

"Pass on the order."

Shen Ze spoke, each word clear and distinct.

"First, double the number of night patrols around the Zhenfu Division, with three shifts in rotation, and no gaps in manpower are allowed."

"Secondly, all strangers entering and leaving the Zhenfu Division must be registered, thoroughly investigated, questioned, and recorded, without exception."

"Third, everyone should pay close attention to any unusual activity around the Zhenfu Division. Report any abnormalities immediately."

The inspector couldn't help but look up.

"Sir, isn't this excessive guarding an overreaction?"

Shen Ze raised his eyes, his gaze sharp and piercing.

"Making a mountain out of a molehill?"

"The bodies of the Zhao and Li families were barely cold when the entire family was brutally murdered in an extremely bizarre manner."

"I don't want to have my head blown up in my sleep one day."

The inspector dared not say another word, bowed to accept the order, and quickly turned and walked away to relay it.

The lobby instantly became empty and quiet.

Shen Ze sat alone in the chair, frowning and talking to himself.

"Whether you're from a noble family or a commoner, I don't care. My life is precious; I'm here to gain experience, not to risk my life."

The culprit who had wiped out the clan, whom everyone had been searching for, was fast asleep in the courtyard.

Chen Mo slept soundly until noon, more so than he had ever slept so peacefully.

After getting up and having lunch, he walked towards Director Zhou's courtyard.

There was no noise, no discussion, the courtyard was unusually quiet.

Xu Wanqing, dressed in plain clothes, stood quietly under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard.

There were no tears streaming down her face, nor any pitiful despair.

To outsiders, she only seemed like a widow, all alone, pitiful and helpless.

But only Xu Wanqing herself knew the truth.

She wasn't sad at all.

Deep down, I felt a sense of relief.

When Master Zhou was alive, many things could only be hidden or endured.

She had long since stopped caring about her husband.

Her heart had long since fallen completely on Zhang Deshuai.

The title of "curator's wife" was false, but the constraints she faced were real.

Now that Director Zhou is dead, all those titles, reputations, and rules that had been suffocating her have shattered overnight.

The courtyard gate creaked open.

Chen Mo walked in slowly, his gaze falling on her.

"Master's wife, how are the funeral arrangements going?"

Xu Wanqing was startled and looked up at him.

"The funeral arrangements will be kept simple. With Han Tiesheng's help, everything has been taken care of."

"Where is my senior brother? I can't find him."

Chen Mo nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the direction of the mourning hall.

He returned to the village this morning.

"Master's wife, are you... alright?"

Xu Wanqing gently shook her head.

"I'm fine."

She paused, then said in a low voice.

"It's just...it doesn't feel real."

Chen Mo walked up to her, took her hands in his, and gently stroked them.

"With me by your side, all of this is real."

She looked up at Chen Mo.

"I……"

Chen Mo put his arm around her and gently pressed her head against his shoulder.

"It's all over now. From now on, just be yourself."

"Do you still want to keep this courtyard?"

"Not keeping them."

"I've been trapped here for so many years, I don't want to stay here a moment longer."

"But I have no relatives or friends, and nowhere else to go but here."

Chen Mo gently stroked her back.

"You have somewhere to go, pack your things, and come with me."

After a long pause, Xu Wanqing spoke softly:

"it is good."

"Just pack a few personal items; you don't need to bring anything else."

Xu Wanqing turned and went into the house. A moment later, she came out carrying a simple package, looking much more relaxed.

"This courtyard has trapped me for so many years, it's time to leave."

Seeing that she seemed much more relaxed, Chen Mo joked.

"Master's wife, aren't you afraid to leave this courtyard and come with me?"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

Xu Wanqing said softly.

"Are you afraid of me, or afraid of the days to come?"

She paused:

"I'm more afraid of never seeing you again than being trapped in this yard."

Chen Mo didn't say anything more, but simply took her hand, and the two walked out of the courtyard.

I wonder what kind of trouble the three women will cause when they meet.

P.S.: There's one more chapter, but I'm a bit busy right now, I'll write it later.