Chapter 35: Turmoil |
The streets were in complete chaos.
The source of everything was the sacrificial ceremony by the river.
Old Li glanced worriedly toward the riverbank, lowering his voice, "Ah Qing, we should... first maintain order around the nearby waterways..."
Chen Qing nodded silently. This was exactly what he was thinking.
With the Colonel assassinated, rashly approaching the core scene at this moment could easily draw them into the whirlpool, or even bring disaster upon them.
They were merely small soldiers of the River Office. Preserving themselves was the best strategy.
The two struggled through the panicked crowds flowing in the opposite direction.
Chen Qing asked in a low voice, "Old Li, what exactly happened?"
Old Li steadied himself, his voice carrying lingering fear, "Right at the crucial moment of the sacrifice, several black shadows suddenly burst from the river water, all black-clad masked experts. They fired hidden arrows and crossbow bolts together. Colonel Pang was pierced through the chest by one of them with a sword! Even County Magistrate was injured... The scene immediately exploded into chaos, complete disorder..."
No matter how skilled in martial arts, it was hard to guard against hidden arrows.
Thinking of this, he secretly warned himself that in future actions, he must strike first before enemies could make their move.
"Get out of the way!"
At this moment, a rough roar exploded, and the crowd was forcibly separated to create a passage.
Chen Qing looked toward the sound and saw teams of county soldiers in black armor charging toward the sacrificial platform like wolves and tigers, swords unsheathed, killing intent soaring.
Old Li tugged at Chen Qing's sleeve, his voice even lower, "Listen to me, focus on what's in front of us first."
Chen Qing understood. The two immediately began dispersing the panicked civilians at the periphery, desperately trying to maintain the crumbling order.
In the evening, Chief River Officer Ke Yunqi hurriedly returned to the River Office headquarters.
Everyone's faces were iron-blue, their steps heavy.
Soon, suppressed angry roars could be heard from Ke Yunqi's room.
Old Li whispered in Chen Qing's ear, "After all these years, this is the first time I've seen Chief River Officer this angry..."
Chen Qing silently glanced at the tightly closed door.
Was this towering rage because of the Colonel's assassination, or due to other reasons?
Before long, Cheng Ming dragged his weary body out, his expression grave, "Let's talk outside."
Chen Qing and Old Li followed closely behind.
"The Colonel is severely injured and unconscious, his life hanging in the balance. He's been escorted back to the main camp."
Cheng Ming sighed heavily, his tone weary and resentful, "Chief Officer was just interrogated for a long time by Deputy Colonel Lin, holding back a bellyful of anger... Those county soldiers are used to being arrogant..."
Chen Qing asked, "Chief, are there any leads on the assassins?"
Cheng Ming said in a heavy voice, "Eight assassins. Five killed on the spot, three escaped. The entire city is under martial law, searching for them..."
Old Li couldn't help but be amazed, "To dare attack Colonel Pang, this group is definitely not ordinary."
Cheng Ming's eyes were sharp as he said in a low voice, "Among the confirmed corpses are the chief and deputy chief of Reed Marsh, the stronghold master of Vulture Beach Water Fortress... There are also two with unknown identities, currently being investigated..."
All water bandits?!
Chen Qing's eyes narrowed slightly.
Pang Qinghai had just returned to his post and suppressed White Wave Lake, intimidating the water bandits in the marshes.
This joint assassination could indeed be a desperate last-ditch effort.
But could these water bandits alone really plan such a precise shocking assassination?
Without inside help and coordination, it would be absolutely impossible!
Cheng Ming pondered for a moment, then waved his hand, "You should go back and rest early too. With the martial examination approaching, patrol duties must be strengthened these next two days. Don't slack off."
"Yes!"
Chen Qing and Old Li cupped their hands in acknowledgment and turned to leave.
On the way home, Chen Qing saw constables densely deployed throughout the streets and alleys, with county soldiers guarding all major routes, strictly examining any suspicious persons.
Such a formation looked comprehensive but was actually like fishing for a needle in the ocean. The hope of finding the real culprits was minimal.
Chen Qing's brow furrowed slightly as he thought, "I hope this doesn't affect my boxing practice."
This matter was most likely the result of various forces' sordid struggles. It would be best to stay away from it.
With his [Heaven Rewards Diligence, Success Guaranteed] fate pattern, there was no need to get involved for small gains.
The next day, at Zhou's courtyard.
The disciples in the courtyard were discussing yesterday's earth-shattering event.
"These water bandits have eaten the hearts of bears and the gall of leopards to dare assassinate the Colonel!"
"I heard the county office constables worked all night without catching even a hair. The assassins vanished into thin air."
"The Colonel's injuries are extremely severe, his life uncertain."
"Sigh, I wonder if the martial examination will be delayed because of this..."
Amid the discussions, Luo Qian stood alone in a corner, silently practicing stance work.
Zhou Yu and Li Rongrong conversed in low voices, their expressions grave.
Qin Lie sat alone to one side, his face extremely ugly, completely without heart for practicing boxing. Was this towering tree, the Colonel, about to come crashing down?
"Master is coming..."
Someone whispered, and the disciples in the courtyard immediately collected themselves, pretending to practice.
Zhou Liang emerged from the back courtyard, his gaze sweeping across the entire scene like lightning as he said in a heavy voice, "Qin Lie, Sun Shun, Zheng Ziqiao, Luo Qian, Qi Wenhan, Liu Xiaolou, Chen Qing... You several, stay behind tonight."
After speaking, Zhou Liang turned and went back to the rear courtyard.
Everyone in the courtyard knew Master had something to discuss.
The names called were all elite disciples of the courtyard, at minimum all hidden strength experts who had succeeded in their second breakthrough attempt.
When the last name "Chen Qing" was called, many disciples unconsciously looked toward him, their gazes full of confusion and surprise.
Sun Shun was the first to react, looking at Chen Qing with surprise and joy, "Junior Brother Chen, you... broke through?"
Chen Qing smiled slightly and said frankly, "Fortunately, I succeeded some days ago."
Whoosh!
As these words were spoken, the disciples in the courtyard looked at each other in amazement, their eyes full of disbelief.
In most people's eyes, Chen Qing was just a disciple with mediocre talent from a poor family. Apart from diligent hard practice, there was nothing memorable about him.
Many people considered him a second He Yan.
The final result would be nothing more than wasting a few years in the courtyard before leaving in disgrace.
Upon hearing this, Luo Qian was slightly stunned.
Succeeding once could be called luck, but succeeding twice was definitely not something that could be explained by the word "fortunate."
This undoubtedly showed that she had misjudged him initially.
Qin Lie also raised his head, a trace of brief surprise flashing in his eyes.
This Chen Qing could actually succeed in his second breakthrough too?
Suddenly, an idea formed in his mind.
Zhou Yu was first stunned, then smiled broadly, saying warmly, "Good! The courtyard has gained another hidden strength expert. This is truly a joyful occasion."
Li Rongrong beside her looked at Chen Qing in amazement, as if she couldn't believe her ears.
"Good fellow!"
Sun Shun vigorously patted Chen Qing's shoulder, sincerely praising, "You hid it deep enough! Congratulations!"
Zhou Yu stepped forward a few paces and smiled, "Junior Brother Chen, congratulations on your breakthrough."
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
Chen Qing cupped his hands in return.
This senior sister was truly quite good, caring for every disciple.
When Chen Qing had reached obvious strength, she had even given him a portion of blood qi powder.
Next, other disciples also came forward to congratulate him.
Even Zheng Ziqiao, who usually had little interaction with Chen Qing, walked over with a smile on his face, "Junior Brother Chen, congratulations!"
Luo Qian glanced over from afar, still expressionless, continuing her stance work.
An expert who had succeeded in his second breakthrough was nothing the Luo family didn't have. It wasn't worth her going out of her way to flatter and curry favor.
