By the Jinshui River, Changrui Dock.
The Startling Swan Gang's large ship was moored steadily at the dock, like a peninsula extending from the riverbank.
Within Startling Swan Hall, atop the pavilion.
Jin Wuduan listened to his subordinate's report with an unpleasant expression.
"Hall Master Zhuo, along with his entourage of over ten people, has vanished."
"The ship they were on is more than half destroyed, docked midway along the riverbank."
"The crew scattered, whereabouts unknown."
Jin Wuduan slammed the table fiercely, "How audacious, to lay hands on a hall master of my Startling Swan Gang!"
"Send the order down, search along the river, I must find Hall Master Zhuo. I want to see him alive, or his corpse if he is dead."
"Also, notify Li Jun. This happened in his jurisdiction, if he doesn't give me an explanation, he can forget about being the hall master of Lijiang!""Yes!" The subordinate shivered as he left—he had never seen the gang leader so furious.
After everyone had left, Zuo Sheng hurriedly consoled, "Master, please calm down."
"Whoever dared to lay hands on us, they must come from no ordinary background."
"For instance, Zhu Yi Pavilion, or perhaps Cheng Yi..."
Zuo Sheng said worriedly, "We must prepare for a full-scale assault from them."
Their grudge with Zhu Yi Pavilion was not small.
The conflict with Cheng Yi was equally significant.
Jin Wuduan looked at Zuo Sheng with a complex expression.
"Sheng Er, I truly want to retire and live out my days in peace; you don't have to go to such lengths for me."
Zuo Sheng was completely perplexed.
"What have I done?"
A look of relief appeared on Jin Wuduan's face, "Exactly, you haven't done a thing."
"If anyone asks, insist even unto death that it was Zhu Yi Pavilion picking a fight, that it was Cheng Yi's retaliation."
"This matter has nothing to do with you."
"Do you understand?" Jin Wuduan emphasized earnestly.
Zuo Sheng: "..."
It's another misunderstanding!
"I've been in seclusion practicing these past few days, I had no time to trouble Hall Master Zhuo." Zuo Sheng explained sincerely.
Jin Wuduan's expression changed, "Keep your voice down! Walls have ears!"
He pricked up his ears and listened intently for a moment, confirming there was no one within ten meters, then he relaxed and a smile crossed his face, "Right, that's the spirit. You haven't done anything, got it?" ŖÃŊÒꞖΕȘ
Zuo Sheng felt like jumping into the river out of frustration.
This really has nothing to do with me!
"Right, right, that aggrieved expression is perfect! Keep it up!"
Zuo Sheng: "..."
...
In the year 640 of Da Liang, the fifteenth day of December.
The weather turned cold, as the northern cold air finally reached Nanyang Prefecture, but it was only limitedly cold.
Chen Mu wore a single layer of clothing, hands holding a wooden cup filled with milk tea, sitting on a rocking chair under the eaves enjoying the sunset.
His breathing rapidly alternated between deep and shallow, maintaining a specific rhythm. The muscles under his clothes also twitched in time with his breathing.
A few days ago, he had successfully completed the Marrow Transformation for the White Ape Shape Cultivation Technique.
The augmentation to his physical quality was predictably minuscule.
His arms grew slightly in length.
"At the Soul Nourishing Stage, the speed of practice has actually returned to normal," Chen Mu mused.
He had thought that nourishing the soul would be as rapid as during Shape Cultivation.
But in reality, the speed of soul nourishing was only a bit faster compared to that of the Red Falcon and Blue-eyed Golden Ape Shape Cultivation Techniques, and that was it.
"Is it because the Soul Strength is too small, not covering enough?"
"Or perhaps the Soul Strength cultivated from the White Ape Shape Cultivation Technique could've been a bit larger? Heh." Chen Mu shrugged his shoulders, musing relaxedly.
Time passed, the weather grew increasingly chilly, and the daily routine of Chen Mu remained regular.
He pondered over delicacies at mealtimes and spent other moments improving his Proficiency. When tired, he would lie on his recliner, sipping tea and daydreaming.
He would occasionally stroll through the South and North Markets to find something tasty to eat and casually gather some news.
His days passed leisurely and comfortably.
...
South Market's north gate, outside the archway, there was a large square.
"Who are those more than ten people?" Chen Mu squeezed amongst the crowd, curiously looking at the prisoners being put on a four-sided stone platform.
"Brutal bandits."
"They raided more than a dozen shops overnight, killing an incalculable number of people."
"While fleeing along the Luo River, they were discovered and caught by the valiant men of the Startling Swan Gang."
"To make a move in Nanyang City? They're not ordinary bandits," Chen Mu sighed.
With the world in chaos, all kinds of demons and fiends were coming out of the woodwork.
"Isn't that the truth, and they were bold as brass to target the Startling Swan Gang's property. Could the gang spare them?"
"They didn't lop off their heads privately, all out of consideration for Lord Shangguan's face."
Chen Mu also couldn't help but cluck his tongue and shake his head.
Having lived in Nanyang Prefecture for a year, he knew the clout of the Startling Swan Gang.
These people even dared to plunder the gang's shops; indeed, they were brazen enough.
"I heard they were enemies of Hall Master Zhuo of Tianqi Hall."
"Didn't Hall Master Zhuo pass away? These people saw the chance for vengeance, killing and robbing."
"I heard Hall Master Zhuo's two sons were in the shop doing the accounts when they happened to run into this group."
"That was tragic indeed."
Chen Mu's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
With the death of Zhuo Yinghai, the Zhuo Family had also fallen on hard times.
It was because the old man was ruthless and merciless, better to kill wrongly than let go. It was almost inevitable that he would be retaliated against after death.
"This is already the third batch, eh? Tsk tsk..."
"The Zhuo family sure hit rock bottom. They lost both people and wealth. If the Startling Swan Gang hadn't made an effort to catch the murderers, it would have been truly tragic."
Chen Mu couldn't help but sigh.
No matter how great the family wealth or fame, once dead, everything vanishes. The descendants have to suffer along with it.
"Staying alive is what's important," Chen Mu was greatly enlightened.
Chen Mu turned his head and walked towards Chunfeng Tower.
It had been a long time since he'd seen Miss Yu Tao's dancing, and he missed her.
...
At seven or eight o'clock at night, with the lanterns just lit, the nightlife of Nanyang Prefecture was at its peak.
But Chen Mu had already eaten his fill, and, going against the lively stream of people in South Market, ambled home at leisure.
Passing by the north gate square, he faintly saw dark bloodstains on the execution platform and shook his head.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly paused, remembering the daytime gossip he'd overheard in the crowd.
"Where did so many crazed bandits come from? Disregarding the Nanyang officials, and unafraid of the Startling Swan Gang, they targeted the Zhuo family so brazenly."
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"Hmm... Might there be something more to this affair?"
The cool breeze blew, causing Chen Mu to shiver.
"Perhaps someone had their eye on Zhuo Yinghai's vast estate..."
"What a dangerous world!"
Chen Mu dared not think further and hurried home.
...
The death of Zhuo Yinghai truly caused a stir.
The Zhuo family suffered consecutive robberies.
In the end, it was said that the Startling Swan Gang intervened, sending people for protection, which finally made those brutal bandits hold back, not daring to act rashly.
Whether there were any secrets involved, Chen Mu felt it was too big a 'melon' for him to 'eat,' so he didn't dare to inquire further.
The incident arose quickly and subsided just as fast.
It seemed that both the Startling Swan Gang and the Nanyang officials didn't want to blow it out of proportion.
They announced loud and clear their desire to avenge Zhuo Yinghai, to capture the murderers. But it was only the Startling Swan Gang that quietly gathered information.
There wasn't a massive search like the last time, and quickly everything quieted down.
"It's still the noble offspring who are the most valuable," Chen Mu said with a jolly expression.
"The lighter the search, the safer for me."
The small courtyard was clearly registered under Chen Jia's name, yet from beginning to end, no one came to check it.
However, it had been visited by burglars twice.
One of them didn't even manage to enter the yard before being paralyzed by fine needles on the wall.
The other did manage to climb in, but the yard had already been swept clean by a Five Ghosts Bag, and in the end, he only managed to fish out a palm-sized grass carp from the pond and left with it.
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