Chapter 40: Regret It Now?
“Who’s so bold as to detain someone from our Wind and Thunder Martial School?”
At that moment, a fiery voice rang out. With a loud bang, a burly man with a full beard stormed in furiously and bellowed, “Master, give the order right now. I’ll take some men and crush him. Just a mere Eighth Grade Martial Artist, and he dares to act so arrogantly!”
Lei Yucheng hurried to calm him down. “Master Li, please don’t be rash. This matter still needs to be discussed…”
“What’s there to discuss? That brat’s already riding on our necks. I won’t take this crap lying down.”
Master Li flared his nostrils and widened his eyes, showing no respect at all.
Seeing that he didn’t hold him in the slightest regard, Lei Yucheng’s expression turned a bit unpleasant.
But he also knew that Li Xiangrong was Li Ankun’s most treasured nephew.
Now that he had been detained, it was only natural for him to be anxious.
At this point, Lei Zhenguang, who had been sitting silently, finally spoke, reprimanding, “Old Li, why are you still such a hothead?”
Master Li dared not lose his temper in front of him and instead complained, “Old Master, I, Li Ankun, only have this one nephew. If anything happens to him, how will I face my late elder brother?”
Lei Zhenguang scolded, “Can’t you use your brain before you speak? If you storm over with men and corner him, won’t that be pushing your nephew to his death?”
Li Ankun shouted angrily, “He wouldn’t dare!”
“Hmph, even a rabbit bites when cornered. Let alone a twenty-year-old who’s already reached the Eighth Grade.”
“Then what does Old Master suggest we do?”
“First, get the full picture. Yucheng, bring in the one who returned with the message.”
“Yes, sir.”
…
Soon, the person whom Chen Ming had released came in and recounted the entire event.
Li Ankun hadn’t even finished listening before he flew into another rage. “Just an insignificant Eighth Grade, and he dares demand we apologize to him? Who does he think he is?”
After hearing the full account, Lei Zhenguang was nearly certain—this Chen Ming had indeed broken through to the Eighth Grade.
A twenty-year-old Eighth Grade…
He pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Xiangrong was a bit reckless.”
With just that one sentence, the tone was set.
Upon hearing it, Li Ankun understood that his nephew’s loss this time would not be avenged.
The Old Master wouldn’t lift a finger for his nephew’s pride. His face flushed with humiliation.
Although reluctant, he didn’t dare object under Lei Zhenguang’s longstanding authority.
Lei Zhenguang continued, “Smashing a man’s gate is no different from smashing his signboard. In this, we are in the wrong. Yucheng, send Yue Bin over to repair the Chen Residence’s gate. Compensate them with five hundred taels. Bring Xiangrong and the others back.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lei Yucheng left immediately.
Li Ankun finally couldn’t hold back his grumbling. “Old Master, if we handle it like this, where is our Wind and Thunder Martial School’s dignity? Outsiders might think you’re afraid of him.”
“You, always obsessed with those pointless ego battles. A bit of face is nothing. Our Wind and Thunder Martial School is still the number one martial school in Qingfeng City.”
Seeing Li Ankun’s face full of indignation, Lei Zhenguang knew he wouldn’t listen, so he said no more and waved him off.
…
Half an hour later, all arrangements were made.
In the study, only Lei Zhenguang and his grandson Lei Yucheng remained.
“Grandfather, even if that Chen Ming has reached the Eighth Grade, our Wind and Thunder Martial School has no reason to fear him, right? Why do we have to let things slide?” Lei Yucheng once again voiced his doubts.
Within the Wind and Thunder Martial School, there were already three Eighth Grade experts. Not to mention, his grandfather was a true Seventh Grade.
Lei Zhenguang asked him, “How long did it take you to break through from Ninth to Eighth Grade?”
“Four years.”
“This Chen Ming only took one year.”
A sharp glint flashed in Lei Yucheng’s eyes. “This kid’s performance under Huo Chengkun was mediocre. But in just one year, he has made such astonishing progress, breaking through two realms. He must be hiding a secret.”
“If you’re thinking that, don’t you think others will too?”
“Grandfather, you mean…”
“Qingfeng City is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There are plenty of people stronger than your grandfather. Once a secret becomes known to everyone, do you think we’ll be the ones to get a piece of it?”
Lei Yucheng froze for a moment, then a bitter smile appeared on his face as he let out a long sigh. “I understand, Grandfather.”
Lei Zhenguang said with some satisfaction, “I was right about you. In this world, if one wants to live long, they must restrain their greed.”
“Grandfather, then what’s next? How should we deal with that Chen Ming?”
“Just follow the proper rules. If he wants to continue running a martial school and accepting disciples, then let him go through the proper trials.”
…
On Xiushui Street, in a large mansion separated from the Chen Residence by two alleys.
A young girl was embroidering in a pavilion in the backyard.
She wore a light yellow ruqun dress, with delicate features, around sixteen or seventeen years old.
She was embroidering a picture of mandarin ducks playing in water—something traditionally used when a woman was to be married.
“Miss, Miss, I heard there’s a fight outside.”
“Oh.”
Zhang Xinyi wasn’t interested and continued focusing on her embroidery.
However, the maid beside her, intrigued by the commotion, started chattering excitedly nearby.
“I heard it’s a newly moved-in family…”
“Their surname is Chen…”
“They run a pharmacy…”
When Zhang Xinyi heard this, she suddenly lost focus, pricking her finger by accident.
Blood beaded up quickly and dripped onto the embroidery, soaking into it.
The maid suddenly realized what had happened, slapped the chattering servant girl, and scolded, “You and your nonsense! Look what you’ve done—ruined Miss’s embroidery that she’s been working on for half a month.”
The surname Chen, and they run a pharmacy—wasn’t that Miss’s former fiancé?
Though it might not necessarily be him…
But the Miss clearly thought of that person.
The servant girl looked confused, not understanding what she had done wrong.
Zhang Xinyi suddenly asked, “Why did a fight break out?”
The maid glanced at her, then at the servant girl, unsure whether to speak or not.
The maid, irritated, slapped the girl again. “Miss asked you a question. Hurry and answer!”
The servant girl finally said, “Seems like they offended some martial arts guild or something, and those people came to cause trouble…” She described the whole situation vividly.
When she described how those people from the martial arts guilds arrogantly declared how they were going to deal with that Chen family’s second son, Zhang Xinyi’s heart tightened. She asked nervously, “Is he… alright?”
He?
The servant girl looked puzzled, not knowing who her Miss meant.
The maid, seeing how clueless she was, kicked her and scolded, “She means that Chen family’s second son.”
The girl suddenly realized, “He’s perfectly fine! Miss, you don’t know how amazing he is. He took down more than a dozen men in one go!”
Zhang Xinyi was stunned. “He’s… really that strong now?”
“Of course! I heard he’s an Eighth Grade Martial Artist. Super powerful.”
Eighth Grade?
Zhang Xinyi was shocked.
Even if she didn’t care much about martial arts, she still understood the significance of an Eighth Grade Martial Artist.
Could it be it’s not him?
Her former fiancé was said to have average talent and had even given up training halfway.
If he had shown even slightly more promise, her family wouldn’t have considered annulling the engagement.
In her memory, he hadn’t even become a martial artist.
It had been a long time since Zhang Xinyi heard anything about him.
She had no idea what his current situation was.
Only once, she had overheard her elder brother mention that the Chen family’s pharmacy business was doing better and better.
The maid also found it odd. “What’s that Chen family second son’s name?”
“Don’t know.”
“Then go find out.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After a while, the servant girl returned, her face full of regret.
After learning the name of the Chen family’s second son, she finally understood why Miss had been acting so strange.
So it really was that Chen family’s second son whom Miss had been engaged to—until she broke off the engagement.
Back then, no one had referred to Chen Ming that way.
The Master had issued strict orders that no one was to mention this person in front of Miss. And yet, she had inadvertently committed such a huge mistake.
The maid couldn’t wait and asked, “Is it him?”
The servant girl stammered, “Yes.”
It really was him?
Zhang Xinyi’s heart surged with emotion, unable to calm down for a long time.
Suddenly, she recalled something Huo Qianqian had once said.
A thought emerged uncontrollably in her mind: “Are Uncle and Father… regretting it now?”