Chapter 104: Heaven's Path Alliance

Inside an interrogation room in a certain prison of the Six Doors Authority, Du Caiyue personally conducted the questioning of the Blood Demon Sect disciple.

As soon as torture began, the man screamed like a ghost and confessed everything.

Not long after, Zhao Shouchang arrived upon hearing the news. His gaze fell on the man tied to the wall, his eyes sharp like lightning. "This man is a disciple of the Blood Demon Sect?"

Du Caiyue replied,"Yes."

Zhao Shouchang stepped forward, grasped the man’s wrist, and sent a thread of true qi into him.

That thread of true qi was incredibly overbearing, surging along the man’s meridians into his dantian. Then, Zhao Shouchang sensed that the true qi was assimilated.

A gleam of joy flashed in his eyes."Blood Demon True Qi! He is indeed a disciple of the Blood Demon Sect."

He looked at Du Caiyue with appreciation."Caiyue, you’ve done a great job this time."

With this Blood Demon Sect disciple, he could finally silence the critics.

Previously, when the two members of the Blood Demon Sect were rescued, many at the Six Doors Authority headquarters voiced discontent.

He had been under immense pressure. If they still couldn’t capture anyone, the higher-ups would surely doubt his capability, affecting future promotions.

Du Caiyue said,"Capturing him was pure luck."

Zhao Shouchang was curious how she had caught him."Oh? Where did you catch this man?"

"Today, while I was on duty at the yamen, someone reported that Chen Ming was requesting an audience..."

Du Caiyue briefly recounted the events of the day.

When Zhao Shouchang first heard the name Chen Ming, his expression didn’t change much. But when she mentioned that Chen Ming held a token and wanted Du Caiyue, a Fifth Grade Inspector, to provide him personal protection, his face turned visibly displeased.

There was no need to guess; that token was definitely given by his daughter.

Later, upon hearing that this Blood Demon Sect disciple ambushed Chen Ming outside the city, his eyes narrowed. He, too, realized that this was no ordinary matter.

He asked in a deep voice,"Did you find out why he attacked that kid?"

Du Caiyue didn’t mention how Chen Ming had unleashed divine might and killed eight Sixth Grade blood slaves. She simply skipped that part.

She picked up the interrogation record nearby."We did. Here’s the testimony."

Zhao Shouchang quickly flipped through it and soon saw a certain section. Half surprised, half enlightened, he said,"Peerless Divine Art? No wonder..."

According to the testimony, this Blood Demon Sect disciple had learned that Chen Ming was cultivating a Peerless Divine Art, which was why he targeted him.

Members of the Blood Demon Sect enhanced themselves by devouring and plundering. They not only refined martial artists into"Human Pills"but also consumed their true qi.

The stronger the martial artist, the more nourishing they were.

As for Chen Ming cultivating a Peerless Divine Art, Zhao Shouchang wasn’t surprised. After all, the kid had a rather unusual relationship with a certain person from the Sea-Calming King’s Mansion.

Zhao Shouchang asked,"Do you know what cultivation method that kid practices?"

Du Caiyue shook her head."I could only tell that his true qi is extremely firm and masculine. As for which school, I don’t know."

There were still quite a few pure yang cultivation methods in this world.

Firm and masculine?

Zhao Shouchang was puzzled. He knew the origins of Shang Jianfei, and the Qinghe Sword Sect didn’t possess such a cultivation method...

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He understood Shang Jianfei’s intention—it was to hide the fact that the kid was related to the Qinghe Sword Sect.

Although Peerless Divine Arts were rare, for a supreme expert who had already surpassed First Grade, they weren’t that difficult to obtain.

Zhao Shouchang flipped through the testimony again."There’s actually a Demon Heir hiding in the city? We must dig him out. Start investigating from these clues. Arrest everyone who shelters the Blood Demon Sect."

Du Caiyue hesitated."Won’t that alert the enemy?"

Zhao Shouchang replied,"That’s exactly what we want. Caiyue, understand this: the Blood Demon Sect fiends themselves are never hard to deal with. The difficult ones are the families and powers that shelter them. That’s why we must use an iron-fisted approach to deter those aristocratic families and sects. Anyone who dares to collude with the Blood Demon Sect—kill without mercy."

These words were filled with killing intent. In one sentence, he had determined the fate of several families.

Du Caiyue solemnly acknowledged.

……

At the Chen Residence, Chen Ming returned with two corpses, startling the entire household—especially upon seeing him drenched in blood. Eldest Sister-in-law Madam Wei nearly fainted from fright.

"Mingkai!"

Upon seeing Wang Mingkai’s body, Gu Junrong cried out in sorrow and clutched the corpse, sobbing bitterly.

Chen Rui managed to stay calm."Er Lang, what exactly happened?"

"Let’s talk inside."

Once inside the courtyard, Chen Ming dismissed everyone else, leaving only his elder brother Chen Rui and Gu Junrong, who was grief-stricken over his friend’s death.

"I was ambushed on the way back. Mingkai and Old Zhang... died because of me. Brother, make sure their funerals are grand. Also, send some money to their families..."

Chen Rui immediately said,"Leave all that to me. Are you hurt? Let me take a look..."

As he spoke, he approached to unbutton his clothes.

Chen Ming didn’t resist."Just surface wounds, nothing serious."

Chen Rui examined him thoroughly. Seeing no fatal injuries and that the bleeding had stopped, he finally felt relieved. He sent for some wound medicine while asking,"Who did this? Could it be related to last night...?"

"Maybe. We’ll have to wait for the Six Doors Authority to investigate."

Chen Ming didn’t tell them about the Blood Demon Sect. Even if they knew, they couldn’t help and would only worry needlessly.

"Er Lang——"

At this moment, Madam Wei, unable to stay at ease, came over. Upon entering the courtyard and seeing the flesh-rolled wound on Chen Ming’s shoulder, she froze, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.

The maid Xiaohong, who had followed behind, screamed in panic, utterly flustered.

"What are you panicking for?"

Chen Rui scolded,"Hurry and help the Madam back. Apply mind-clearing oil to her philtrum and temples. Quickly."

Only then did Xiaohong regain her composure. She called two old maids over, and together, they carried Madam Wei away.

Soon, Chunxiang and Xiaxiang brought back the wound medicine. Under Chen Rui’s direction, they applied the medicine to Chen Ming’s injury.

Chen Ming let them treat his wounds. Looking at the dazed Gu Junrong, he said,"I remember Mingkai had two sons."

Gu Junrong replied dully,"The eldest is nine, the youngest three. There’s also a twelve-year-old daughter..."

"Look after them more often. If there’s any difficulty, let me know."

"Alright."

……

That night, for the Chen Residence, was destined to be a sleepless one.

After waking up, Madam Wei cried her heart out, distressed over Er Lang’s injuries. Her daughter Chen Lirong, thinking Second Uncle had died, also wailed loudly, shouting"I don’t want Second Uncle to die..."

The maids coaxed for half the night, but still couldn’t calm this little ancestor down.

Beside him, Chen Lide had not gone to sleep either. He secretly got out of bed and started practicing the Iron Horse Stance, panting heavily until he was discovered by a young servant. What followed was another round of chaos.

The little guy was also quite stubborn, refusing to listen no matter how others tried to persuade him.

In the end, it was his father Chen Rui who heard the commotion and came over to subdue him.

Then he returned to coax his wife and daughter. After the whole night, he couldn’t help but feel both mentally and physically exhausted.

……

The next day, Chen Ming rode out on horseback. His injuries were no big deal—just surface wounds for a martial artist.

Today and tomorrow were the last two days for registration. As long as he wasn’t too hurt to move, he wouldn’t miss it.

As for the funeral matters of Wang Mingkai and the coachman, he left them to his brother to handle.

The horse was borrowed from the Six Doors Authority yesterday, a total of three, which of course needed to be returned.

He rode one horse while leading the other two. Soon, he arrived at the Six Doors Authority. After reporting his name, the gatekeeper warmly escorted him in, clearly having received prior instructions.

It was still that same "Yingyue Hall".

Du Caiyue had already changed into her official uniform, still carrying the scent of blood, her eyes sharp with killing intent."I can’t accompany you today—"

Chen Ming’s expression just began to shift when he heard her next words."I’ve arranged for another expert to accompany you. Miss Su."

A woman in white walked out from inside, her face covered by a white veil, a longsword on her back. Her steps floated with an ethereal air, untouched by worldly dust.

Though her face was hidden, Chen Ming felt at first glance that she must be a great beauty.

Du Caiyue said,"For the next two days, she’ll protect you. I have urgent matters to attend to."

With that, she left just like that.

So unreliable!

Chen Ming cursed inwardly, but he had no other choice. He turned to the white-clad woman whose name and strength were both unknown and said,"Thank you, Miss Su."

At least, this white-clad woman’s extraordinary aura suggested she wouldn’t be weak.

Her clear eyes, as if they could see through hearts, looked directly at him."Why did the Blood Demon Sect attack you?"

Chen Ming’s tone was slightly low."I’d like to know that too."

The white-clad woman withdrew her gaze."Let’s go."

"May I ask your name?"

Her tone was rather cold."You don’t need to know."

Chen Ming hit a wall and naturally wouldn’t embarrass himself again. He walked out, the white-clad woman following behind at a distance of two to three meters. She seemed to deliberately keep her distance.

……

Outside the Six Doors Authority, a carriage was already waiting. It was larger and more luxurious than Chen Ming’s.

"Brother Chen, I heard you were ambushed by bandits last night. Are you alright?"

Feng Siyuan came down from the carriage upon seeing Chen Ming and ran toward him, only to suddenly spot the white-clad woman behind him. Her otherworldly demeanor stunned him on the spot.

His eyes went wide as he stammered,"Th-this is..."

Chen Ming introduced,"This is Miss Su."

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Su. I am Feng Siyuan of Guanglong Trading Company."

The white-clad woman looked elsewhere, ignoring him completely.

Feng Siyuan was left hanging there, visibly awkward.

Chen Ming smoothed things over."Let’s talk inside. Miss Su, please."

The white-clad woman boarded the carriage, followed by Chen Ming.

When Feng Siyuan tried to get on, he seemed to hit an invisible wall of qi and bounced back. Refusing to believe it, he tried again, only to be thrown off once more.

最⊥新⊥小⊥說⊥在⊥⊥⊥首⊥發！

This time, he didn’t dare try again. Swallowing nervously, he said,"I-I won’t ride then. Brother Chen, you two go ahead."

He had some experience and knew that to release true qi externally required at least Fourth Grade cultivation.

Though he couldn’t see her face, just from her eyes he could tell she wasn’t very old—yet she was already Fourth Grade. Clearly, her status was anything but ordinary.

In any case, not someone he could afford to offend.

Feng Siyuan was quite shocked."Brother Chen actually knows someone like that?"

……

Though Chen Ming didn’t know what trick the white-clad woman used to make Feng Siyuan back off, he knew it definitely had to do with her.

"Looks like her strength is quite extraordinary."

He was a bit curious—where had Du Caiyue found such an expert?

There certainly weren’t such experts in Qingfeng City. Could she have come from Jiangzhou?

Chen Ming speculated silently about her identity.

The white-clad woman sat across from him, eyes closed, an expression that clearly said “keep away”.

And so, the journey passed in silence.

Before long, the carriage left the city and arrived at Ten Li Pavilion.

"Miss Su, we’re here."

Chen Ming called out.

The white-clad woman didn’t move."I’ll wait in the carriage."

"Alright."

Chen Ming, of course, wouldn’t insist and dismounted alone. At this moment, the guards maintaining order and four account clerks had already arrived.

Fortunately, he’d had the foresight yesterday to send them ahead. Otherwise, not many of them would’ve survived.

"Second Young Master."

"Second Young Master, we heard you were attacked by bandits yesterday. Are you alright?"

Everyone greeted him, all with concerned expressions.

"It’s nothing serious. Fortunately, the Six Doors Authority arrived in time and captured the culprits. Alright, let’s continue, don’t keep them waiting."

With a brief explanation, Chen Ming returned to work mode.

The ambush from yesterday had made him even more aware of the importance of strength.

Others could not be relied on.

How could he not guess that the reason Du Caiyue hadn’t acted at first was because she was worried about scaring away the Blood Demon Sect disciple hiding nearby?

So, she watched as he was besieged by eight Blood Slaves.

Chen Ming understood very clearly that even if those Blood Slaves had struck to kill from the start, Du Caiyue would most likely have stood by, letting him die.

To Du Caiyue, capturing the Blood Demon Sect disciple was the most important thing. As for his little life, it was of no consequence to her.

How could a promise compare to such a tremendous contribution?

As for this mysterious Miss Su, she had clearly also come for the Blood Demon Sect members.

Chen Ming didn’t want to entrust his life and death to others anymore.

Improving his own strength was the right path.

……

Around noon, Feng Siyuan personally came over, bringing plenty of good dishes. During mealtime, registration naturally paused until after the meal.

As soon as Feng Siyuan entered and saw the white-clad woman wasn’t there, a flash of disappointment passed through his eyes.

Chen Ming feigned ignorance and asked,"Why did you come in person? You could’ve just sent someone."

Feng Siyuan asked quietly,"What happened with the attack last night?"

"I’m not sure either. Maybe it was one of my enemies."

"Do you know that last night, Inspector Du and Inspector Li arrested several families, entire households—all of whom are prominent names in the city? Among them were Jin Jianxiong’s family and Cao Jiahui’s family."

"Is that so?"

Chen Ming was a bit surprised. So, it really did seem his ambush had something to do with Jin Jianxiong and Cao Jiahui. Those two families were actually colluding with the Blood Demon Sect.

Feng Siyuan kept his eyes on Chen Ming and continued,"They say misfortune should not extend to families, but for the Six Doors Authority to arrest whole families, there must be an enormous case. Yet the Six Doors Authority hasn’t given an explanation, and it’s thrown the city into panic. No one knows if they’ll be the next to be arrested..."

Chen Ming said,"I think, if the Inspector dares to arrest people, he must be certain. As long as you have a clear conscience, there’s no need to fear."

Hearing this, Feng Siyuan could tell Chen Ming likely knew some inside details.

And recalling that ethereal white-clad woman, he suddenly hesitated to ask further.

At this moment, Chen Ming changed the subject."Have the two seniors found any suitable candidates?"

Each day, he would deliver one copy of the registration list to the two Third Grade Experts for them to personally review.

Feng Siyuan smiled wryly,"Actually, they don’t want to accept disciples. If it weren’t for my father stepping in, they wouldn’t have agreed at all."

Chen Ming asked curiously,"Why don’t they want disciples? Don’t they want to pass on their supreme skills?"

Most of the stories about the two Third Grade Experts were true. Their descendants hadn’t turned out well.

Feng Siyuan explained,"The dangers of the sea aren’t something land-dwellers can understand. The two seniors have spent most of their lives at sea and have seen many tragic cases of disciples turning against their masters. That’s why they’ve been unwilling to take on disciples."

"I see."

Chen Ming reminded,"If you still plan to hold these disciple selection tournaments in the future, you must cultivate those chosen with care. Let everyone witness their dramatic improvement. That’s the only way to attract more young talent."

Feng Siyuan naturally understood this logic."Don’t worry. Even if the two seniors won’t teach them, I’ll ask my father to pass on high-grade cultivation methods and martial techniques to them."

After a while, Feng Siyuan left. As he departed, he kept looking at the luxurious carriage parked at the side, his eyes reluctant.

Clearly, he had guessed the white-clad woman was inside the carriage.

……

By evening, that day’s registration ended.

Just like yesterday, Chen Ming had the guards escort the four account clerks ahead first.

He boarded his own carriage and saw the white-clad woman sitting motionless, in the same posture as before—as if she had never moved at all.

The journey back was uneventful.

In truth, even if the Blood Demon Sect were foolish, they wouldn’t attack again the very next day after already losing a man.

Chen Ming was just being cautious.

As the carriage passed through the city gates, the white-clad woman suddenly spoke."This disciple selection event—is it meant to draw Blood Demon Sect disciples out to attack these people?"

Chen Ming replied,"Miss, you’re incredibly perceptive. Spot on."

A trace of anger flashed in the white-clad woman’s clear and deep eyes."Have you ever considered that this might get a lot of people killed?"

"……"

Chen Ming opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

To think he’d encounter a saintly woman in this world!

Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed in his mind—he guessed her identity. She was a disciple of Heaven's Path Alliance!

No wonder!

He explained,"Miss Su, you’re blaming the wrong person. How could someone like me, a mere Sixth Grade, have any say in this matter? I’m just following orders."

The white-clad woman was stunned at first. Then the anger in her eyes vanished and turned into an apologetic expression. Her tone softened."Indeed, I wrongly accused you."

Her quick admission of fault made Chen Ming feel a little embarrassed. He also found it odd.

This disciple of Heaven's Path Alliance was far too naive and trusting.

If she ran into a scheming, devious type, she might not even know how she died.

No doubt, she had been tricked by Du Caiyue into protecting him.

In the martial world, strength was naturally the top priority. But being too trusting would surely lead to a bad end.

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