Chapter 19: Ripples Stir

The next day, it was Xia Daoming’s turn to be on duty outside the martial arts academy.

Early in the morning, Xia Daoming forced himself to muster energy and stepped out.

He had thought all night but still could not come up with a quick, highly profitable way to make money.

He had just arrived at the academy.

Xia Daoming immediately sensed that the atmosphere today was different.

The apprentices in the outer courtyard were gathered in small groups, whispering to each other—no one was practicing.

Moreover, the instructor Yu Chi Xiao was not present to supervise.

“What’s going on? Slacking off so early—are you still planning to…?” Xia Daoming’s words were cut off as Zhuo Xingji rushed in.

“Senior Brother Zhuo!” Xia Daoming blinked in surprise.

“Where is Gu Ren? How is he now?” Zhuo Xingji asked.

“What happened to Senior Brother Gu?” Xia Daoming’s heart sank slightly; a bad feeling rose in his chest.

“Senior Brother Gu is in the inner courtyard—he looks severely injured,” one apprentice said.

Hearing this, Xia Daoming and Zhuo Xingji both turned pale and hurried toward the inner courtyard.

As soon as they entered the inner courtyard, Xia Daoming smelled strong herbal medicine and a faint trace of blood.

His expression changed again; he quickened his pace through the training ground and reached the meeting hall directly opposite.

The meeting hall.

Gu Ren lay on a stretcher, his face as pale as gold paper; his white robes were torn by claws and splattered with blood—strikingly gruesome.

A physician with a goatee shook his head and said to Liang Jingtang, whose face was dark and grim: “Senior Brother Gu has not only external injuries but multiple meridians damaged—I am powerless to help. Master Liang, please seek a more skilled physician.”

“Thank you, Doctor Wang. Yongbao, see Doctor Wang out,” Liang Jingtang said.

“No need to see me off!” Doctor Wang waved his hand, sighed heavily, and left quickly.

“Bang!” As soon as Doctor Wang left, Liang Jingtang slammed his palm onto a nearby table.

The table shattered into pieces!

“The Shi family has gone too far! Master, give the order—I’ll gather our people and fight them to the death!” Yu Chi Xiao roared, eyes blazing.

Hearing this, Liang Jingtang’s arm and forehead veins bulged; his suppressed inner strength surged violently, radiating a terrifying aura.

“Senior Brother Gu!”

“Senior Brother Gu!”

At that moment, Zhuo Xingji and Xia Daoming arrived one after the other; seeing Gu Ren’s body covered in medicinal patches, they rushed forward and called out.

Gu Ren glanced listlessly at Xia Daoming and Zhuo Xingji, then closed his eyes again; two tears silently slipped from the corners of his eyes.

“Ah!” Liang Jingtang suddenly let out a long sigh; his powerful inner strength receded once more, and his tall, imposing frame subtly slumped.

“Send Gu Ren back to his hometown. Let him rest and recover properly!” Liang Jingtang waved his hand, then shuffled through the hall’s doorway toward his room.

“Master!” Yu Chi Xiao cried out, filled with grief and rage.

“Senior Brother, don’t provoke Master further. Master placed great hopes on Senior Brother Gu—he treated him like a son. Seeing him like this, no one suffers more than Master, and no one wants revenge more than him.

But the Shi family is now too powerful, and this matter involves Xu Shisen of the Xu family. Though Xu Shisen is merely a collateral branch member, he is still beyond what our Qianjiao Wu Guan can challenge,” said Liu Xiaoqiang, her face lightly powdered, hair slightly disheveled.

“I rushed here as soon as I heard Senior Brother Gu was injured. What exactly happened? How did this involve the Shi and Xu families?” Zhuo Xingji asked.

“Ah!” Liu Xiao Qiang sighed. “I heard through connections that Senior Brother Gu went to Baihua Pavilion and got into a dispute with Shi Yingdeng over a woman named Dong Yiyi.

But Dong Yiyi’s patron turned out to be Xu Shisen, who was enraged. Then Shi Yingdeng and Xu Shisen teamed up and beat Senior Brother Gu into serious injury.”

“Hmph! This was clearly a trap set by the Shi family! They knew Senior Brother Gu was Master’s favorite disciple, likely to reach Sixth Rank Great Martial Master, maybe even Seventh Rank—so they wanted to cripple him before he could grow,” Yu Chi Xiao said, his face dark with malice.

Xia Daoming had been burning with anger at the sight of Senior Brother Gu’s condition, but hearing Yu Chi Xiao’s words, he felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head—his rage vanished instantly, replaced by cold clarity.

“Does Master not know? But the Shi family is already powerful, and this matter drags in the Xu family. Moreover, a quarrel over a woman is not something that can be brought before the court—what can Master do?” Liu Xiao Qiang said.

“Senior Brother Gu was foolish—he could have gone to Yao Hua Pavilion instead. Why go to Baihua Pavilion?” Zhuo Xingji sighed after understanding the situation.

“Master is strict. He came to me because he feared Master finding out, and he feared dragging me into trouble—but he never thought that coming to me would mean only a scolding. Now look what happened…” Liu Xiao Qiang’s voice grew thick with emotion.

“Sister, it’s too late to say this now! Take me home—I miss home,” a weak voice said.

“Senior Brother Gu!” Everyone rushed forward as Gu Ren spoke.

Gu Ren looked listlessly at them all, then slowly closed his eyes again.

Soon, Gu Ren was taken away.

Zhuo Xingji was assigned to escort Gu Ren back to his hometown, Chi Shui City.

He ran a security escort business and knew the routes north and south well.

After Gu Ren was sent off, Liu Xiao Qiang and Jiao Yongbao each took their leave and returned to the brothel and tavern, while Yu Chi Xiao and Xia Daoming forced themselves to supervise the apprentices in the outer courtyard.

But today’s apprentices were clearly distracted; one even quit mid-training, declaring he would no longer study at the Qianjiao Wu Guan.

Yu Chi Xiao was deeply disheartened and dismissed everyone early, locking up the academy.

Xia Daoming left the academy and, for the first time, did not head straight home—he went toward Ji Family’s estate in Yongqing Lane.

On the way, Xia Daoming deliberately bought a wide-brimmed hat with a veil to obscure his face.

The Ji family had once been illustrious in Li City; legend said their ancestors had produced a Martial Art Grandmaster. Though they had declined over the past hundred years with no outstanding figures, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse.

They had many Fifth and Fourth Rank martial masters, and with their wealth, they employed numerous martial masters—including three Sixth Rank martial masters—making them an undeniable force in Li City.

The Ji estate occupied nearly half of Qinghe Street.

Tall white walls concealed the luxurious courtyards behind, hiding them from view.

The vermilion gate was studded with gleaming bronze nails and rings.

Before the gate stood a pair of imposing stone-carved qilin.

Two retainers, their qi surging and clothes bright, stood guard on either side of the gate.

“Halt!” One retainer bellowed, stopping the hat-wearing man approaching the gate.

“Please deliver this letter to Miss Ji Wenyue personally,” Xia Daoming handed over an envelope.

“For Clan Elder Wenyue? Who are you? Clan Elder Wenyue’s status is extraordinary—if you don’t explain yourself, I dare not submit this,” the retainer’s face changed slightly; his tone softened into politeness.

“Clan Elder? I didn’t know Ji Wenyue, at only seventeen, was already a Clan Elder!” Xia Daoming was startled, but quickly added: “Don’t worry—give this letter to Miss Wenyue personally. She’ll know who I am, and she’ll reward you, not punish you.”

As he spoke, Xia Daoming slipped some silver into the retainer’s hand.

Before the retainer could react, he turned and walked away.

The retainer watched Xia Daoming’s retreating back, then looked down at the letter and silver in his hand. Finally, he gritted his teeth, whispered to the other retainer, and turned to enter the gate.