Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

The atmosphere among the group only eased slightly upon arrival at their destination, Changping County.

The Xu Family Escort Agency bid farewell to Shen Chu and the others at the city gate.

Before leaving, Xu Qingqing gave Shen Chu one last deep look, her gaze carrying an indescribable meaning. Before Shen Chu could react, Li Chengwen poked her in the waist.

He turned his head and saw Li Chengwen winking and whispering to him:

"Hey, see that? That woman's probably got her eye on you!"

Shen Chu glanced at him speechlessly.

He admitted that Xu Qingqing's breasts were indeed quite large, and he did indeed like women with large breasts, but he wasn't in the mood for that right now.

He sighed, patted Li Chengwen on the shoulder, and said, "Young Master, you should think about how to explain this to Master Li. You went out and brought back a woman and her son. What do you think Master Li will think?"

Li Chengwen's smile froze instantly, replaced by obvious tension and guilt.

......

In the main hall of the Li family mansion.

Master Li sat in the main seat, holding a teacup in his hand.

His face had just been showing a hint of a relieved smile.

Li Chengwen completed the mission of escorting the goods exceptionally well. The 1,500 longswords were delivered on time and in the correct quantity. Although they encountered an attack by the Red Lotus Sect on the way, they ultimately turned the danger into safety, and the goods were completely undamaged.

Mr. Li had originally been somewhat disappointed in his eldest son, but this incident truly impressed him, and he showed a rare expression of satisfaction.

However, this good mood vanished the moment Li Chengwen led Madam Hu and Hu Bai through the gate.

Looking at the simply dressed, meek woman standing behind his son, and the boy beside her, the smile on Mr. Li's face slowly froze.

Fortunately, Master Li still knew to give face to his eldest son. He first had Hu and Bai taken away, and then led Li Chengwen and his entourage to the main hall.

Seeing the drastic change in his father's expression, Li Chengwen, feeling somewhat uneasy himself, fawned over his father and handed him a cup of tea.

Master Li snorted coldly, placed the teacup on the table beside him, and stared intently at Li Chengwen:

"Boss, explain to me who these two are?"

Li Chengwen sensed the hostility in his father's tone and felt a little uneasy, but he still forced himself to speak:

"Father, one is Madam Hu, and the other is her son, Hu Bai. They encountered villains on their journey and were rescued by Shen Chu. Later, they came with us to Qingyang County. Seeing that they were destitute and helpless, I thought I would take them back to Changping County to settle them down, which would be considered an act of kindness..."

"Accumulating good deeds?"

Master Li sneered.

"What do you take my Li family mansion for? A charity? You go out on a business trip and come back with a woman of unknown origin and a teenager. What will outsiders think of the Li family? What will your mother think in heaven?"

These words were extremely harsh, and Li Chengwen's face flushed red. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but was choked and unable to speak.

Just then, a voice sounded softly from the side, tinged with concern:

"Brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're not a child anymore. Why are you still so impulsive? Father is right. Our Li family is a prominent family in Changping County. If you just bring back a woman of unknown origin, who knows what the neighbors will say about our family."

The speaker was Li Jiwu.

He sat leisurely in a chair to the side, a faint smile playing on his lips, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Li Chengwen and Master Li, as if he were enjoying a good show.

Sitting next to him, Liu echoed:

"Jiwu is right, Chengwen, your father is doing this for your own good. Have you found out about this woman's background? What does her husband do? Why was she alone on the road? Have you found out all of these things? If there are any hidden secrets, and it involves our Li family, that will be no small matter."

Her tone was much gentler than Li Jiwu's, carrying a hint of elder's kindness and concern, but the meaning behind her words was far more ruthless than Li Jiwu's.

Li Chengwen was both anxious and angry at this back-and-forth, and the veins on his forehead bulged. Just as he was about to retort, a voice came from outside the door.

"Mr. Li, may I say a few words?"

Shen Chu walked in from outside the door, bowed to Master Li, and

He had just settled his luggage in the backyard when he heard the commotion in the main hall, so he rushed over.

When Master Li saw Shen Chu, his expression softened slightly.

He had always had a good impression of Shen Chu, especially since Li Chengwen had repeatedly mentioned in his letter before returning that the mission was completed entirely thanks to Shen Chu's efforts, and even his eldest daughter Li Qingning, who was far away in Qingyang County, thought highly of Shen Chu.

These factors combined made Master Li treat Shen Chu much more politely than he would treat ordinary people.

"Shen Chu, what do you have to say?"

Master Li picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his tone softened slightly.

Shen Chu smiled and said, "Master Li, I know about Madam Hu and her son's background. The young master is kind-hearted and offered them help when he saw their plight. This is a good deed. Moreover, when Madam Hu and her son were in Qingyang County, they also received care from the young lady. The young lady even personally arranged for them to have accommodations. Master Li should trust the young lady's judgment."

His words were clearly an attempt to intimidate and exaggerate the strength of the organization.

However, Li Qingning wields far more influence in the Li family than Li Chengwen does.

Master Li may disregard his fat son's dignity, but he cannot disregard his eldest daughter's dignity at Qingyang Academy.

Sure enough, when Mr. Li heard the words "Miss," his expression visibly relaxed a bit.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly put down his teacup, sighed, and said, "Since Qing Ning has also agreed, then so be it. However..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze turning stern as he looked at Li Chengwen.

"Since you brought them back, you must take full responsibility for them. Let them live in the western side courtyard and forbid them from wandering around the mansion to avoid gossip. After some time, we'll find them another place to live."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengwen was overjoyed and quickly cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Father! I will certainly make the arrangements!"

Li Jiwu and Liu Shi exchanged a glance, a hint of barely perceptible dissatisfaction flashing in their eyes. However, since Master Li had already spoken, they could not continue to stir up trouble and could only keep quiet for the time being.

Shen Chu stood to the side, observing the subtle changes in Li Jiwu and Liu Shi's expressions, and secretly became more vigilant.

Jumping around like that is so troublesome!

Why not just harden your heart and kill these two?