50 A Predicament

“I won’t take revenge! I, Gu He, swear I’m not a human!” Gu He raised his head and let out a long howl.

The hissing sound made the surrounding people take a few steps back. No one knew what Gu He would do at this moment.

“Brat, think before you speak,” Sun Yuanshan said slowly. He did not care about Gu He’s life-and-death threat. “The grudges of the younger generation should be resolved by the younger generation themselves. They should be responsible for their own life and death. This is the rule of the eight big martial arts centers. If you want to break the rules now, I’m afraid that before I can do anything… That little brat Bai Bashan will probably kill you with his own hands.”

“You f*cking…” Gu He almost blurted out in anger, but when he saw that old face, his survival instinct made him swallow the curse. He still had to take revenge and couldn’t die here.

He had heard of Sun Yuanshan. In his early years, he had beaten his enemies, poisoned them, and smashed the doors of other people’s houses in the middle of the night to ‘torture the eagle.’ He had done almost everything he could.

He was definitely not the kind of sage-like and transcendent master he appeared to be. In Pingnan city, Sun Yuanshan was definitely at the level of a grandmaster when it came to playing the most inferior tricks.

It hadn’t been heard of in recent years. However, there were rumors in the dojo that Sun Yuanshan might be the one who incited people to plot against them. He had probably switched from being in front of the stage to behind the scenes.

Gu He stopped talking, but the killing intent in his eyes grew stronger. He glared at Qin Huai, as if he wanted to engrave the latter’s face into his mind. Then, he quickly walked in the direction of the Thunderbolt Dojo.

“Kid, don’t worry and go. As long as that guy is in the Thunderbolt Dojo, he won’t dare to attack you.” Sun Yuanshan patted Qin Huai’s shoulder. He then pointed at Gu He’s back and added, “Do you see that? The two people following him are from the Thunderbolt Dojo too. They’re more afraid of Gu He killing you because if you die in his hands now, their dojo will have to pay a lot.”

Qin Huai now knew that although the eight major martial arts centers didn’t have any written agreement, they were still in a state of chaos.

But there was a lot of tacit understanding in private. For example, in a fight between peers, one would be responsible for their own life and death, and the elders of the sect would not pursue it.

Personal grudges would stop at a personal level, and they did not implicate family. This was because they were afraid that a single person would cause a huge disturbance and cause a massacre that would result in dozens of casualties.

It was also to prevent the conflict between the two dojos from escalating, which would eventually lead to a life-and-death battle. After all, all the rules were set so that the eight major martial arts centers could develop better, not run toward destruction…

“Take care of him at the Luo manor. We’ll travel together when I return from the city lord’s mansion,” Sun Yuanshan instructed.

“Many thanks, Master!” Qin Huai cupped his fists and bowed.

…

Before Qin Huai had even entered the Luo manor, the firecrackers were already set off, and the guards and maidservants were waiting at the door.

Luo Huatian and Luo Ya were surrounded.

“Nephew!”

“Uncle!”

“Huai’er!”

“Auntie!”

“Senior Brother…”

When everyone met, there was another round of hugs and greetings.

Another banquet was held at the Luo manor tonight. However, this time, it was not as grand as the previous two times. Including a few servants and senior brothers from the dojo who came to help guard the yard, there were only three tables.

The dishes on the table had also changed from freshwater seafood, beef, mutton, and exotic wild game to chicken, duck, and some vegetarian food.

“Did something happen at home? Is it the people from the Thunderbolt Dojo who are trying to sabotage us?” Qin Huai looked at the dishes on the table. The Luo manor’s power in Pingnan City was neither big nor small.

“Sigh, it has nothing to do with the Thunderbolt Dojo. It’s just that the world is getting worse.” Luo Huatian picked up a glass of wine.

Qin Huai hurriedly stood up and raised his cup, downing it in one gulp with Luo Huatian.

“It’s only been a month, and there are more refugees outside the city… They’re not allowed to enter the city, so they all go up the mountain to become bandits. The name and connections of an escort won’t work on those foreigners.

“The cost of hiring bodyguards has increased, and they can’t guarantee the safety of the goods. That’s why it’s not good for our business to transport goods outside.” When Luo Huatian spoke of this, he frowned.

Qin Huai didn’t say anything either. He just ate and listened quietly.

“It’s safe to find the eight big martial arts centers to protect the goods, but the cost is too high. The price of rice has increased from 50 wen per jin to almost 100 wen, almost doubling the price. What kind of expansion was this? Not to mention the wheat, which was transported in from the outside. In addition, it’s particularly cold this autumn, so the wheat and carrots are not good enough. The price of goods will naturally rise, and only the wild vegetable dumplings are left…”

“The friends I know in Pingnan City… They’re not having a good time either.”

Luo Huatian complained as he poured another bowl of wine.

“Although we still have some savings at home that are enough to last us for a long time, there are dozens of people in the house who need to eat. Naturally, we have to save as much as we can. For the past two years, Great You’s wars have been in the south and the west. Why is the east so unstable?” Luo Huatian was extremely depressed.

Qin Huai didn’t like what he heard. A few days ago, he had read about it in the letter Luo Ya had sent him, but after hearing it from Luo Huatian in person… only then did he realize that the current situation was worse than he had imagined. The dojo’s food didn’t change much, but his master must have been under a lot of pressure.

“Could it be that no one asked these refugees where they came from and why they fled?” Qin Huai tried to think of a solution.

“I did. Why didn’t I? In the end, they all said they didn’t know anything. It seemed like there was no food for no reason. The originally stable place suddenly started to have red and white knives cutting each other… It’s a demon’s trick, but none of them have seen any trace of the demon.”

Listening to Luo Huatian’s words, the figure of the Sacred Heart sect appeared in Qin Huai’s mind. Could such a large number of refugees have been caused by the Sacred Heart sect that Master had mentioned?

Master said that their cultivation method was strange, and they had some evil arts that could manipulate people’s hearts, which could make the local people suffer.

Listening to Luo Huatian’s description, the possibility of it being the Sacred Heart sect was extremely high. Furthermore, Qin Huai had his own plans for the Sacred Heart sect. It was the strange aura that could increase the cultivation speed of the user.

He had originally thought that those cultivation techniques were all things of chance. Now, it seemed it was very likely that the Sacred Heart sect had mastered the production method.

If he could get his hands on this method, he could burn it to himself. He wanted to improve his cultivation realm. If he could master it, it would be much more stable than collecting other people’s experiences.

It was to take the initiative into his own hands.

However, Qin Huai was only thinking about it now. After all, a colossus like the Sacred Heart sect was definitely not something he could covet.

“Uncle, you should have heard about me killing Hong San. For the next few days, I want you to come with me to the Changshan Dojo and stay there for a few days…” Qin Huai hesitated. “I’ve already offended Hong San’s uncle, Gu He. Uncle, you know about the grudge between the two of us. He might do something bad to you guys next, so he’s forcing me. That’s why I want you to go to the dojo first and lie low for a while.”

As soon as Qin Huai finished speaking, Luo Huatian waved his hand. “This won’t do, nephew. You’ve heard what I’ve said just now. This business isn’t good.”

“Our family’s voice is not only related to the food of the dozens of people in the manor, but also the blacksmiths, restaurants, inns, and hundreds of people who need to eat. All of these require me to stay in the city. If I go to the dojo outside the city, it will be inconvenient…”

Just from the dojo to the city, it would take an hour. It would take more than two hours to send a message back and forth, so it was indeed a waste of time.

Qin Huai looked at his aunt, Yu Xin, and Luo Ya.

“Your uncle and I haven’t been separated for decades. If he’s not leaving, I’ll stay at the Luo manor. You should bring Luo Ya to the dojo. This child is asking to see you every day. You should get closer to her…” Yu Xin gave Qin Huai a chicken leg.

“No, I want to stay at home!” Luo Ya’s head shook like a rattle. She did want to get closer to her senior brother, but she wanted to be with her parents more. If something happened, she would definitely regret it.

Qin Huai held his wine glass and continued to pester them, but the family of three refused to go to the dojo with him.

“Alright, then you guys stay at home and try not to go out. The senior brothers in the dojo will protect you,” Qin Huai muttered. “Give me a few days. I’ll settle this matter.”

He had to go back to the dojo because he had to collect experience points to break through the realm, and then he could get rid of Gu He.

And according to his master, as long as Gu He was in the Thunderbolt Dojo, the people there would not allow him to attack him and the people of the Luo manor.

“Huai’er, you have to think twice before you do anything. Don’t be impulsive,” Yu Xin urged. “Your life is the most precious.”

“It’s so cold today. I’ve seen many martial artists who can’t stand the thick robes on the boat. You should remember to put on more clothes…”

Auntie Yu Xin also drank some wine and started to nag like an old mother. Ever since Qin Huai had saved his daughter’s life from the bandits, the couple had already treated Qin Huai as half their son.

…

The sun set in the west. Sun Yuanshan stood at the entrance of the Luo manor and looked at Qin Huai carrying three of his own sackcloth packages.

“Did you go back home to restock?” Sun Yuanshan complained.

“These are some autumn and winter clothes and bedding, and some snacks. Let Huai’er bring them to the senior brothers.” Yu Xin smiled and stood in front of the door with dignity.

“Then I’ll thank you on behalf of those little kids,” Sun Yuanshan said as he cupped his hands.

Yu Xin, Luo Ya’s father, and the others were shocked, and they waved their hands.

“Little brat, cherish it.” Sun Yuanshan patted Qin Huai’s shoulder, his eyes filled with emotion.

“I know.” Qin Huai’s words were concise and comprehensive. He had his own scale in his heart.

As for the Luo family of three, they had quietly become as powerful as Mount Tai.

“What did the city lord mansion say about the Sacred Heart sect?” Qin Huai asked.

“You’ll know in a few days.” Sun Yuanshan kept him guessing.

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