Chapter 33

If one year ago, when Chen Hai was sent away from Qingxi Peak, Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi were merely shocked by the change in Xing Gongzi's temperament, today they were completely intimidated by Chen Hai's sudden burst of sharpness and intensity.

Hearing Chen Hai's deep voice telling them to stay, Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi looked at the figure of Chen Qing, who was leaving in a huff, wanting to follow and leave as well, but their feet felt as if they were filled with lead, fearing that they might truly offend Young Master Chen. They worried that they would have no place to stay in the Chen clan in the future.

This is sharpness! This is presence!

Back in the cave residence at Jianyun Cliff, although Yao Xing had a bad temper and a rebellious personality, Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi could ignore his orders because they knew that such a chaotic personality would not be favored by the clan head, Chen Lie, and Chen Lie would not allow Yao Xing to mistreat his close subordinates.

Today, Chen Hai's sharpness and intensity made them feel as if they were pierced by thorns, knowing that offending Miss Chen could lead to a scolding or a few days of bad temper, but offending Young Master Chen could result in unknown torment.

"Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi pay respects to Young Master Chen..." Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi walked into the shop with bitter faces and bowed respectfully to Chen Hai.

The young man in fine clothes, Jie Gongzi, and the scholar with a fair complexion, seeing that the two subordinates who had followed Chen Lie for many years had abandoned Chen Qing and stayed at Chen Hai's word, were secretly alarmed. They both thought, "Is this really the rumored useless nephew of Chen Lie?"

What caused him to be stripped of his cultivation by the Yao family and exiled to Hexi?

With Chen Qing gone, the others could not stay and invite trouble. They left the shop with a mix of surprise and doubt.

At this moment, Shen Kun and Ge Tong walked out of the back yard with excited expressions.

Shen Kun said excitedly, "It's really a great pleasure! We should get drunk today to express our joy..."

These disciples from humble backgrounds had been trampled underfoot by the noble families for years, not daring to breathe a word of complaint. Just now, those men and women had caused trouble and made all sorts of demands, and Zhou Jingyuan had tried to please them in vain. Now, seeing Chen Qing and his group leave like defeated dogs under Chen Hai's reprimand, how could people like Shen Kun and Ge Tong not feel a sense of satisfaction?

Chen Hai's sharpness and intensity, which had been displayed on the disciples' competition platform by defeating Kong Tong, was one thing, but today it was especially satisfying for Zhou Jingyuan.

Upon closer reflection, Chen Hai had used his special status to drive away Chen Qing and his group, but given Chen Hai's cultivation and reputation, he should have been a low-ranking disciple in the Chen clan. No one expected Chen Hai to reveal such a strong presence.

The shopkeepers and assistants, who had always thought Chen Hai was a very gentle person, knew that Zhou Jingyuan usually handled the shop's affairs, and Chen Hai rarely spoke. They never imagined that Chen Hai was the nephew of the Left General of Weijiang Grand Camp, Chen Lie, and that when faced with real issues, his sharpness was so intense.

They were both excited and respectful, not daring to approach Chen Hai to speak for a while.

Chen Hai laughed heartily with Ge Tong, Shen Kun, and Zhou Jingyuan, introducing the two who had stayed, Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi, and said, "We should drink today. Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi work for my uncle, and I have been taken care of by them at Jianyun Cliff. I didn't expect to meet them in Mengyi, so I asked them to stay and drink with us..."

Chen Hai had reined in his sharpness, but his tone still carried a firmness that could not be refused, inviting Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi to follow them to the back yard.

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi knew that Miss Chen Qing must be furious, but they could not find an excuse to leave. They were half-dragged and half-pulled into the back yard by Chen Hai, with bitter expressions.

"When I first arrived at Tieliu Ridge, I was also bullied by the Cai family's disciples. Not only were my courtyard and medicinal fields destroyed, but during my first participation in the Dao Academy's disciple competition, Cai Rong arranged for a half-step into the Tongxuan realm to fight me. On the platform, my first hit broke four ribs, and the second hit broke both my arms. But I gritted my teeth and did not retreat from the platform, eventually kicking the opponent off. Afterward, the supervisor, Zhenren Zhao Ruhui, sent me a bone-healing ointment, and I lay in bed for several months to recover, but it also allowed me to live in peace for a few months."

Chen Hai invited Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi to sit down and recounted his experiences at Tieliu Ridge Dao Academy over the past year.

"Of course, I also owe it to the care of my three senior brothers, Ge Tong, who kept me from being driven out of Tieliu Ridge. Together, we managed to establish this business in Mengyi City, which was no easy feat. Unexpectedly, those young nobles, who haven't even grown their hair, wanted to bully the Chen clan. Do you think my uncle would stand by and do nothing if he knew about this?"

On the surface, Chen Hai was reminiscing, but Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi had a completely different feeling. They had heard a little about Chen Hai's performance at Tieliu Ridge, but they feared they would not be favored by Miss Chen Qing, so they pretended to be ignorant and did not report to the clan head, Chen Lie. Now, Chen Hai's mention of these matters was not to boast but to warn them.

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi understood this and were even more uneasy, unsure why Young Master Chen had changed so much after arriving at Tieliu Ridge. Although his cultivation had not advanced, his sharpness and intensity were not something they, as subordinates, could resist.

As for Ge Tong, Shen Kun, and Zhou Jingyuan, although their cultivation was not particularly high, they were shrewd and capable. Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi thought that for Young Master Chen to be able to pull them into his circle in such difficult circumstances, he must have some real skills.

"I didn't expect to meet Uncle Zhao and Uncle Qian in Mengyi City. It was too sudden, and I didn't have time to prepare any gifts. Knowing that you both like good knives, I have brought two inferior knives from the shop to offer, hoping you will not refuse them." Chen Hai had the assistants bring a lacquer tray with two cold iron knives with black wood and gold inlay, and forced them into Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi's hands without allowing them to refuse.

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi wished they could find a crack in the ground to hide in, knowing that they could not easily accept these knives. If they accepted Young Master Chen's gifts today, they would not be able to refuse his orders in the future. But seeing the current situation and Chen Hai's firm resolve, they feared that if they refused, Young Master Chen would consider them his first enemies in the Chen clan.

Seeing Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi reluctantly take the cold iron knives, Chen Hai asked, "Has my uncle returned to Jianyun Cliff recently?"

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi could not guess what Chen Hai was thinking and could only answer, "The lord has returned to Jianyun Cliff once. He knows that Young Master Chen has come to Tieliu Ridge for cultivation and said it would be good for some training."

Chen Hai's deep eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two weathered faces of Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi. He thought that his previous actions had indeed disappointed his uncle, Chen Lie, and smiled, saying, "I made a great mistake in the Yao clan and was exiled to Hexi. I was favored by my uncle but became depressed and did not cherish it, doing many wrong things. After coming to Tieliu Ridge, I reflected on my mistakes and decided to reform. But I am ashamed to face my uncle. My uncle is about to celebrate his fortieth birthday, and I have nothing to offer. My pockets are empty, but recently I have been learning to carve a statue. It's almost complete, and today I will finish it in front of you, Uncle Zhao and Uncle Qian, and ask you to deliver it to my uncle to show my sincerity."

Chen Hai took out the wooden statue, which had not yet fully integrated the secret form of the fish transforming into a dragon, from his sleeve. Using the momentum from reprimanding Chen Qing, he applied force to the blade, not referring to the martial arts secret form diagram, and with a dozen sharp cuts, the wooden statue was quickly completed, with wood chips flying.

Shen Kun, Zhou Jingyuan, and Ge Tong knew that Chen Xun had a deeper purpose in asking Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi to deliver the wooden statue to the Left General of Weijiang Grand Camp, Chen Lie, to regain Chen Lie's recognition and approval.

Chen Lie's recognition and support would also be the foundation for the medicinal garden and armor shop to establish itself in Mengyi City.

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi were stunned by Chen Hai's presence and were in a daze, not immediately noticing the secrets hidden in the wooden statue. They only wanted to leave as soon as possible. When Zhou Jingyuan brought a brocade box to pack the wooden statue, they stood up to take their leave, saying, "Today is really too rushed. We will definitely come to Mengyi again to pay respects to Young Master Chen..."

Seeing his goal achieved, Chen Hai did not make it difficult for Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi, standing up to politely see them off from the medicinal garden and armor shop. At the alley entrance, he casually asked, "Why did Chen Qing come to Mengyi City?"

Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi did not dare to be vague or evasive, and replied, "There is a rebellion of refugees in Yulong Prefecture, who have taken over Yulong Mountain and caused trouble in the prefecture. Yulong Prefecture petitioned the Hexi Grand Protectorate to request the Tieliu Camp to send troops to suppress the rebellion. When the divine marquis received the petition, he was at the sect and thought it unnecessary to mobilize a large force, so he issued it as a sect task. Inner disciples Jie Wenzhuo, Lu Hongqian, and Miss Chen learned of this and petitioned the sect to take on the task. They have just led people to Yulong Mountain to investigate the enemy situation and are waiting to make further arrangements..."

"Ah, it's for this reason!" Chen Hai sighed lightly, not retaining Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi any longer. He did not expect that these inner disciples, who had important tasks, would not return to the Upper Seven Peaks to make further arrangements but instead came to Mengyi City to cause trouble, and specifically to him.

After Zhao Shan and Qian Wenyi left, Chen Hai asked Shen Kun and the others in confusion, "The refugees in Yulong Prefecture are causing trouble, and the local soldiers are not enough to suppress them. It should be the responsibility of the Tieliu Camp to maintain order. Why did the divine marquis issue it as a sect task?"

"The Yulong Mountain is located at the border of the Wuwei Army and the Hexiang Army. Mobilizing troops from the Tieliu Camp is sensitive, so the divine marquis might have considered this and decided to send sect disciples instead," Shen Kun, who had been in the military for a long time, was more familiar with these matters.

Hearing Shen Kun's explanation, Chen Hai understood.

Although Yanzhou was under the rule of the Great Yan Empire, the military system of Wuwei Army was mostly controlled by disciples of Taowei Sect. The divine marquis, Dong Liang, could be considered the true supreme ruler of the Wuwei Army. The situation in other places was probably similar.

Although Yanzhou had not yet become a place where military governors and noble families vied for control, the Yulong Mountain, located at the border of the Wuwei Army and the Hexiang Army, would indeed be sensitive if a large force were directly mobilized to suppress the rebellion.

However, the rebellion could not be left unaddressed, so it was not surprising that the task fell to the sect disciples.