Chapter 3: Hiding One's Strength

"We are not of the Yu family; we should be able to leave here, right?"

Eldest Disciple Zhu Fang did not look at Yu Zhentian's current expression, but instead raised his head to gaze at Zhe Laosan atop the roof.

Zhe Laosan suddenly burst into laughter, squinting as he said:

"Naturally, there is no problem, but you now have only two breaths of time remaining."

"That is enough."

Zhu Fang heaved a heavy sigh, and having spoken, he immediately turned and rushed swiftly toward the courtyard exit, while the two junior disciples beside him followed without the slightest hesitation.

"You... you batch of treacherous disciples!!"

Yu Zhentian, utterly enraged, leaped into the air and reached out to grab the three of them.

Others might be one thing, but these three disciples before him were those he had raised from childhood and carefully taught until adulthood; over these years, he had spent countless efforts on them.

Therefore, he could not accept their betrayal under any circumstances.

"Everyone, flee quickly! If we do not flee now, it will be too late!"

Zhu Fang shouted loudly, and along with the other two disciples, he exerted all his strength to clash with Yu Zhentian, exchanging several palm strikes.

Amidst a violent roar of clashing qi, Zhu Fang and the other two were blasted away by Yu Zhentian, crashing onto a nearby rockery and smashing hard cracks into the solid rocks.

All three of Zhu Fang's group suffered internal injuries; they suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and rolled onto the ground, barely able to stand up again.

Seizing this opening, the other martial arts school disciples and apprentices no longer hesitated, immediately grabbing the opportunity to scatter and flee in all directions.

Even the eldest senior brother is fleeing for his life; if they do not flee now, staying behind would only mean dying in vain.

At this moment, Yu Zhentian's white hair was disheveled, and his body trembled.

"Why?"

He ignored the others and instead ground his teeth to question Zhu Fang, his gaze containing both anger and deep disappointment.

"Time is up!"

Zhe Laosan raised his hand and slashed downward, sending a blade of qi through the air that split a willow tree in the courtyard directly in half:

"From now on, whoever dares to move recklessly will meet the same fate as this tree!"

Seeing this scene, those who had not yet fled were instantly terrified, their feet halting immediately, daring not to move a single inch.

"It's over!"

Zhang Dazhuang swallowed hard, staring at the broken tree trunk as thick as a thigh, his face ashen as death.

Li Musheng shook his head without speaking; Zhang Dazhuang turned and asked in a trembling voice:

"Ah Sheng, why are you not fleeing?"

"That sounds like a question I should be asking you," Li Musheng said, turning his head.

Zhang Dazhuang gripped the staff in his hand tightly; the face covered in coarse flesh revealed a bitter expression as he sighed:

"Actually, I am afraid of death too, but if the old master had not taken me in back then, I would have frozen to death in that winter many years ago."

"So I cannot leave, even though I know staying here is of no use."

By now, few people remained in the courtyard; Li Musheng sat on the stone steps nearby and slowly nodded:

"One thing is one thing; although Old Man Yu is selfish, stingy, and snobbish, the gratitude owed must still be repaid."

Meanwhile, facing Yu Zhentian's questioning, Eldest Disciple Zhu Fang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and suddenly laughed:

"Master, you ask me why? Then let me ask you, where are the Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Lady, and the rest of the Yu family's household at this moment?"

Hearing this, Yu Zhentian suddenly froze, his surge of anger halting abruptly.

Zhu Fang continued speaking:

"Master, you actually knew all along that the Zhe He Seven Thieves would come today, so you arranged in advance to send the Eldest Young Master and the others away, but left us disciples behind to die in your Yu family's place, didn't you?"

Yu Zhentian said nothing; Zhu Fang's face gradually twisted:

"You used to say you treated us like your own sons, but in the end, we just became cannon fodder to die in your Yu Zhentian's place?"

"If I had not accidentally discovered this, today we would not even know how we died; indeed, even until death, we would still be foolishly serving your Yu family."

Upon hearing these words, the martial arts school disciples and apprentices in the courtyard were all shocked.

Only now did they belatedly realize that regarding the major event of the old master retiring by washing his hands in gold today, the Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Lady, and others had never appeared.

For a moment, everyone turned their gaze toward Yu Zhentian standing in the courtyard.

Zhang Dazhuang did the same, but when he saw Yu Zhentian's aged and withered face, his expression slowly dimmed as he said in a low voice:

"Sigh, I can understand the old master."

Speaking thus, he paused for a moment and said:

"However, Ah Sheng, you scold the old master for being stingy every day; why did you stay behind in the end?"

Li Musheng spread his hands and said:

"Old Yu said that after washing his hands in gold, he would give everyone five taels of silver; haven't I received the money yet?"

Hearing this, Zhang Dazhuang looked up and gazed deeply at Li Musheng:

"Losing one's life for those five taels of silver is not worth it; actually... you do not have to be like me, throwing away your life in vain to repay a debt of gratitude."

Li Musheng smiled and waved his hand, saying:

"Once I get the silver, I certainly won't stay in this Yu family martial arts school."

"We have no time to watch your master-disciple infighting drama."

Zhe Laoer's hoarse voice came from the roof as he raised his hand and waved.

A masked black-clad man holding a long rope lifted two coarse sacks from below behind him, flinging them directly in front of Yu Zhentian.

Two pained groans rose from within; the sacks were torn open by powerful qi, revealing two figures inside.

"Xian'er, Ermei!"

Yu Zhentian's face instantly changed; the two figures before him were precisely his eldest son and second daughter, whom he had secretly sent away.

"To play tricks right under our noses is to look down on us, the Zha River Seven Thieves, far too much."

Zha Laosan sneered, looking down at Yu Zhentian, his eyes narrowing slightly:

"Hand over the item, and I can be merciful, deciding to leave your entire family a whole corpse."

Yu Zhentian's figure halted, but he did not reply; instead, he hurriedly checked the condition of his son and daughter.

However, he discovered with shock and rage that his son's limbs had been broken, while his four-hundred-jin second daughter was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, with white fat oozing from her injuries.

"You seek death!"

Yu Zhentian instantly became furious; his internal energy surged, generating a strong wind. Roaring, he lifted the long sword in his hand, leaped onto the roof, and charged toward Zha Laosan and the others.

Soon, sword qi crisscrossed and tiles and debris flew everywhere as Yu Zhentian engaged the five men, excluding Zha Lao'er.

What made everyone feel incredibly surprised was that Yu Zhentian, fighting five opponents at once, did not fall behind in the slightest.

"Old thing, hiding your strength even as death approaches."

Zha Laosan's gaze turned gloomy; the blade light in his hand flashed like lightning, every strike a lethal killing move.

Originally, he had planned to hold back, intending to capture Yu Zhentian alive to force a confession, but now, without going all out, he could not suppress the opponent at all.

Seeing this scene, Zhu Fang and the others each stood frozen in place; they truly had not expected that their master was hiding his true capabilities, his Wu Gong strength being far greater than what they had seen in daily life.

"You wicked disciples, quickly take Xian'er and Ermei away; I will hold them off."

Yu Zhentian's voice, like thunder, roared in everyone's ears. Before Zhu Fang and the group could react, Zhang Dazhuang rushed to Yu Xian's side at once, wanting to support the other and escape the courtyard.

However, when he saw the bloodied Yu Ermei on the other side, he clearly hesitated for a moment, casting an urgent look of help toward Li Musheng.

"Brother Zhang, leaving this four-hundred-jin to me is, to say the least, a bit excessive!"

Li Musheng frowned, his displeasure clearly written on his face.

(End of this chapter)