Chapter 114: The Stumbling Block

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Judging by the appearance, it was clear he had been beaten into a pulp, with several deep fist marks still visible on his face. Below the nose was obliterated, one eye socket shattered, leaving only a single eye barely able to make out details.

Wei Jiang suddenly felt a measure of reverence toward Ling Chi. Previously, when his granddaughter spoke of this young man's formidable combat prowess, he had dismissed it as exaggeration born of inexperience. Now he realized that what his granddaughter said was nothing but the honest truth. No wonder she rushed out to greet Ling Chi as soon as he arrived.

“Old Master Wei, I recommend cremating Miss Wei’s father on the spot,” Ling Chi said. He had meant to say “Master Ling,” but reconsidered since the son was now a corpse, making it inappropriate, so he changed his words.

“No, my late father disliked fire during his lifetime. If I were to do this, would he not find no peace in the afterlife?” Wei Xuan, pale-faced, returned after briefly vomiting somewhere and suddenly spoke.

“Master Ling, why would you say such a thing?” Wei Jiang’s eyes were full of sorrow. To lose a loved one prematurely, to see white-haired elders bury the young, was a pain only those who had suffered could understand.

But Ling Chi had no interest in comforting others.

“Old Master Wei, you may not know, by the time I arrived, the corpse refining process was already halfway done. This body has been subjected to a blood-curse refinement by Wei Ming’s master.”

“Whether it’s a cursed corpse or a zombie, leaving it intact risks it turning and returning to haunt you. When that happens, things beyond words may occur.”

Though reluctant, Ling Chi could not help but advise when it came to valuable treasures.

“Burn it immediately,” Wei Jiang decided at once.

Wei Xuan opened her mouth to say something but held back, offering no further objection.

“Master Ling has avenged our Wei family’s great grievance. My granddaughter and I don’t know how to thank you enough. Please stay at our residence for a few more days, so we may properly express our gratitude as hosts,” Wei Jiang said sincerely.

“Thank you, Old Master, but your household is currently in mourning, and I have been away from home too long. My heart longs to return, so I shall not trouble you further,” Ling Chi replied.

“Please hand over what was agreed upon with Miss Wei as soon as possible,” Ling Chi said bluntly. He was no chivalrous hero; matters of payment were best dealt with frankly.

“Oh, my poor memory! I’ll fetch it for Master Ling right away. Since we must hold a funeral for my son, I won’t keep you any longer. You and Xuan are about the same age; you young people should keep in touch often,” Wei Jiang said, waving to Wei Xuan to retrieve the pearls. Looking at the extraordinary young man before him, an idea struck him.

This youth was deeply cultivated, decisive, and courageous—exactly the kind of person suitable to be the Wei family’s son-in-law.

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“Thank you for your kindness, Old Master, but my heart belongs solely to the martial path and nothing else,” Ling Chi said firmly, fully understanding the implication and rejecting it outright.

He had lived his life with martial arts as his companion, walking hand in hand with death. Why add unnecessary bonds? A woman would only slow his progress.

Wei Jiang understood immediately. A martial artist with such cultivation at a young age must have an iron will. No mere words could sway him.

Wei Xuan approached from afar carrying the pearls. Hearing Ling Chi’s words, she was momentarily stunned. Was she not beautiful enough? Why was this young man as aloof as if she were poison?

A flicker of displeasure crossed her mind but vanished without a trace.

Ling Chi’s cultivation was so advanced at such a young age; how could he fall for something like her? His world was the Divine Capital of Zhongzhou, competing alongside the chosen few of Heaven. Relieved, she let the thought go.

“Master Ling, here is the agreed-upon item,” Wei Xuan handed over a box.

Nearby, a servant’s eyes flashed with surprise, then greed. What a treasure! To be kept in a box made of nanmu wood? Today, it was Li Gang’s moment to shine, and he slipped away through a side door.

Ling Chi cracked open the box and examined its contents: two spirit pearls resting inside. Satisfied, he stuffed them into his bosom, intending to place them into his spatial pouch later.

“Old Master Wei, Miss Wei, I take my leave now. Until we meet again in the martial world,” Ling Chi bowed and then briskly turned to leave in his carriage.

The Wei family’s grandfather and granddaughter watched his retreating figure with a sigh. Such a young hero, yet no fate connected him to their family.

After returning the carriage, Ling Chi wandered the streets, hoping to find a courier agency to send a letter to Zhao Qing in He County, informing him that the Wei family’s matter was resolved and that he need not wait for their reunion.

He wandered several streets but found no courier agency or martial arts school open.

“Could they all have been slaughtered in the recent upheaval?” Ling Chi wondered. He had no time to kill those from the agencies and schools himself.

He stopped a passerby and casually inquired, learning that the newly arrived military inspector from Jing’an Division had summoned all the people from the courier agencies and martial arts schools to the division, intending to emulate Cao Hubao of Yingzhou with a general amnesty.

Finding this dull, Ling Chi grew tired of waiting and turned his back on the city.

“If need be, I’ll just return later,” he thought.

Several hours later, Zhuxian came into view.

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Crossing over to Zhuxian was Jiqing Town on the opposite bank of the Si River. Only upon reaching Zhuxian did Ling Chi remember.

“That’s right, I still have one humiliation to wash away. The county magistrate of Zhuxian, Qian Dajiang, actually escaped from me.”

“No, I cannot let him live and mock my incompetence in handling affairs. I must kill him.”

Looking at the county town, Ling Chi recalled how Qian Dajiang had nearly brushed past him before. He had avoided the sensing radius of the Thunder Pearl and, with his advisor, fled at full speed.

Using concealment techniques, Ling Chi plunged straight into Zhuxian, heading for the county government.

He wanted to search the files to see where Qian Dajiang was most likely to have gone.

Upon entering the town, noting the absence of beggars or vagrants, he praised the magistrate’s governance—but the praise was short-lived.

Soon, he learned that Qian Dajiang had sold these people to Wei Ming for bloodletting and corpse refining. Ling Chi felt deeply ashamed.

He had to eliminate this man. Such disgrace could not be borne alive; even the heavens would not save him.

With a single palm, he knocked out the clerk in charge of documents, then searched extensively through the files before finding Qian Dajiang’s place of origin.

The scoundrel’s ancestral home was Wuxian in Laizhou.

Laizhou was located in Hedong Circuit, which was separated from the Northwest Circuit by Hexi Circuit, some three or four thousand miles away. A round trip without using Thunder Instant would take at least two or three months.

Ling Chi felt a headache coming on.

“No, I cannot go now. The He family is not yet dealt with. How can I leave a powerful enemy unchecked?”

Suppressing his inner thoughts, he muttered, “Qian Dajiang, I’ll let you live a few more days, but take care not to die at the hands of others.”

Setting down the files, Ling Chi left the county government. Not more than a mile outside the city gate, from the corner of his eye, he spotted a group of Jing’an Division officers clad in splendid uniforms. Seven or eight men on horseback, led by a young captain, appeared to be waiting for someone.

Ling Chi ignored them and walked on, curious to see what they intended.

The moment they saw Ling Chi, they charged forward, cutting him off in a tight circle.

As they approached, the Thunder Pearl began to tremble.

“Bold little thief! How dare you steal from Jing’an Division’s treasures! Surrender at once!” the young captain shouted.