"Hoo~~~"
After a long while, Lin Zhao finally woke up in the bathtub, his whole body aching unimaginably. He let out a sigh and found a beautiful girl, Dong Cang, standing beside him, adding hot water. Lin Zhao immediately covered his chest and other vital areas: "Miss Dong Cang, you... I can do it myself..."
"What, shy?"
Dong Cang chuckled: "It's alright. Marshal Chu ordered me to serve you with your medicinal bath. If I don't do it myself, Marshal Chu will blame me and I won't be able to bear it... Speaking of which, the way you looked when you came back truly frightened me. You were covered in blood, as if you were fished out of a bloody pool. I was worried you wouldn't wake up!"
Lin Zhao smiled.
He slowly leaned against the edge of the wooden tub, feeling his body being nourished and repaired by the medicine. In fact, this was the first time Lin Zhao had ever taken a medicinal bath. As a poor boy who couldn't even afford his next meal, even learning martial arts was a luxury he dared not dream of. As he closed his eyes, Chu Huaixi's image immediately appeared in his mind. The aura and fist intent of a Martial Cultivator in the Sea-Treading Realm were truly terrifying. Fortunately, he had endured it, and even when he was knocked unconscious, he did not surrender.
A martial artist who only cultivated pure true qi would be greatly hindered in their future achievements if they ever surrendered once. This was a truth everyone understood.
"Rest well, I'll prepare lunch."
Miss Dong Cang asked with a smile: "What would you like for lunch, young master? I'll have the cook prepare it."
"It's nothing much..."
Lin Zhao pursed his lips: "Just give me more meat..."
Dong Cang covered her mouth and laughed: "Alright, I understand. Young master, rest well!"
At noon, Lin Zhao wolfed down several pounds of beef and then lay back in the bathtub, immersing himself in the medicinal water. As the pain subsided, the strength of a martial artist in his body gradually grew, especially in his fist intent and aura. Compared to yesterday, there was already a significant change. This further confirmed Lin Zhao's belief that following Chu Huaixi to practice boxing could greatly improve his cultivation and martial arts. These ten days were incredibly precious to him, like a timely rain during a severe drought.
...
Afternoon.
On the roof of the tallest building in the center of the Marshal's Mansion, Chu Huaixi and Huang Tingyu sat side by side beside a mythical beast statue on the ridge, looking at Lin Zhao bathing in the small courtyard in the distance, each with their own thoughts.
"This kid, he's got some guts."
Huang Tingyu smiled slightly: "A mere second-realm martial artist, yet he dared to stare directly at Marshal Chu's fist-intent. If it were any other second-realm martial artist, they would have probably been kneeling and begging for mercy the moment Marshal Chu released his fist-intent aura."
"He's Lin Zhengxi's son, how can he be unworthy? As the saying goes, 'like father, like son,' it's precisely like this." Chu Huaixi narrowed his eyes and said.
"Hmph!"
Huang Tingyu scoffed: "After our defeat on the front lines, the demon race is getting restless again. Just this morning, three more demon camps have been established. It seems they really want to fight us head-on. Moreover, the military intelligence is overwhelming, and the records in the Military Affairs Department are piling up like mountains. Instead of dealing with these matters, you're spending your days honing this boy's boxing and will?"
"I can't help it, I owe his father."
Chu Huaixi's expression showed a hint of weariness: "Back then, when we had just established ourselves at Xueyu Tianchi, a twelfth-realm Great Demon of the Nascent Soul stage broke through the protective mountain formation of the Tianchi Army with a single sword strike. If Lin Zhengxi hadn't descended from Beishan and intercepted that Great Demon north of Jiuzhangyuan, our Tianchi Army would have long since turned to dust."
"Ah?"
Huang Tingyu blinked: "Lin Zhengxi could block a twelfth-realm Great Demon, and a sword cultivator at that? That's unlikely. Do you really think our world's sword cultivators are made of mud?"
Chu Huaixi sneered: "Lin Zhengxi was the first eleventh-realm Heaven Origin stage martial artist in the history of the Great Chen Dynasty, monopolizing the martial fortune of the Great Chen Dynasty. Coupled with his determination to fight to the death, he gravely wounded that Great Demon with a single punch. Afterward, he risked his life and reduced the Great Demon from the twelfth realm to the tenth realm, the Star River realm. Do you think Lin Zhengxi could block a twelfth-realm Great Demon?"
Huang Tingyu's lips curled: "Since Lin Zhengxi's boxing techniques are so profound, why didn't he teach Lin Zhao himself?"
"He simply didn't want Lin Zhao to learn boxing."
Chu Huaixi sighed: "That year, Lin Zhengxi discussed these trivial matters with me. In fact, he didn't want Lin Zhao to become another him. On the contrary, he sent Lin Zhao to a study to learn, hoping that Lin Zhao would become a scholar in the future. In fact, back then, Lin Zhengxi brought numerous gifts to visit Qin Suihan, wanting Qin Suihan to be Lin Zhao's teacher, but unfortunately, he was refused."
"Fate plays tricks on people, no one can do anything about it."
Huang Tingyu smiled faintly and said: "Haven't I also become Marshal Chu's subordinate, opposing my own kin? Isn't that right?"
"Hmph, regret it?"
Chu Huaixi pointed north and chuckled: "The northern gate of Tianchi Ridge is open. You can leave anytime you wish, but the next time we meet, we'll be sworn enemies."
"Won't leave, won't leave."
Huang Tingyu grinned and said: "After interacting with too many people who reason, I no longer want to see those who don't."
Just then, a clamor of voices could be heard from the front courtyard. Looking from afar, a group of people in official robes entered.
"Hmph!"
Huang Tingyu said coldly: "The bothersome flies are here again. Shall we deal with them?"
"Let's go!"
...
Marshal's Mansion, Main Hall.
A group of people in the official robes of the Great Shang Dynasty strode in. Chu Huaixi served tea to entertain them.
Among the entourage from the imperial court, the highest-ranking official was an old man with a effeminate voice. His narrowed eyes were extremely unpleasant. Upon entering the main hall, he said: "I am Wang Can, the Sixth Rank Eunuch Director of the Great Shang Dynasty. I am here under imperial decree to supervise the battle. Marshal Chu, do you know that the outcome of this battle has greatly angered His Majesty and Lord Wen?"
Chu Huaixi frowned and cupped his fist: "Chu Huaixi is merely a martial man and is not privy to many matters. Therefore, please speak plainly, Lord Wang, so that we may all be clear."
"Good!"
Eunuch Director Wang Can sneered: "This time, our Great Shang Dynasty dispatched two thousand cavalry to assist your Tianchi Army in attacking the right flank of the demon race's camp. But what was the final result? When the demon elite began to counterattack, your vanguard inserted into the enemy camp collapsed without a fight, causing our two thousand cavalry to be surrounded from both sides, suffering heavy losses. Even General Luo Changfeng was slain by a Great Demon. How should this debt be settled? Are your Tianchi Army not known as the most capable demon-slaying legion in the world, how could you be so incompetent?"
"Lord Wang!"
Chu Huaixi's voice rose considerably as he suppressed his anger: "The battalion responsible for guarding the forward position was the Iron Foot Battalion led by Su Liang. In this battle, over six hundred brothers of the Iron Foot Battalion perished, with more than half of the entire battalion annihilated. Even Su Liang and his wife, Zhou Han, died on the battlefield. The demon race mobilized three elite battalions to fiercely attack our front lines. This was something no one anticipated. Does the Great Shang Dynasty intend to blame all the failures on our Tianchi Army?"
"I would not dare."
Wang Can said with a sarcastic sneer: "It's just that your Iron Foot Battalion, responsible for guarding the vanguard, was so useless, causing the death of Lord Luo Changfeng. Someone has to take responsibility, right?"
"Who will take responsibility?"
Chu Huaixi's eyes blazed with anger.
"Whoever loses is responsible."
Wang Can coldly laughed: "Are Su Liang and his wife not known as invincible in foot combat? Now that they have indirectly caused the death of General Luo Changfeng, His Majesty is furious, and has therefore decided to confiscate all of the Su family's assets and use the money to compensate our fallen soldiers. Marshal Chu, the court has been sufficiently lenient. Otherwise, according to Lord Wen's wishes, all the members of the Su family would have been reduced to servants."
"You..."
Chu Huaixi clenched his fist and grunted.
"My Lord."
Huang Tingyu drew his sword and said: "The Su family... confiscate their property if you must. The subsequent matters can be left to me to handle."
"Hmph!"
Chu Huaixi flicked his sleeve and left.
...
Late at night, a large number of Great Shang Dynasty soldiers swarmed into the small town, sealing off the Su family's mansion, selling off all of the Su family's businesses, and expelling the Su family members one by one from the town.
In the dead of night, a little girl sat on a stone bridge, crying her heart out.
Su Qingjiu had just learned that her father and mother had died on the battlefield and would never return. Those soldiers had rushed into their home, taking away everything they could carry. The servants had scattered, and she no longer had any family.
"Little Jiu'er~~~"
Behind her, an old man carrying a sword appeared. It was Huang Tingyu.
"Grandpa Huang..."
Su Qingjiu, with snot and tears, sobbed: "Daddy... Daddy and Mommy are really dead?"
"Mmm..."
Huang Tingyu crouched down, wiped away the little girl's tears, and said gently: "However, Su Liang and Zhou Han died heroically for the Great Chen Dynasty and for humanity. They slew many demons under their swords and brought no shame to the Great Chen Dynasty. They are heroes of the Great Chen Dynasty..."
"Then..."
Su Qingjiu cried and looked at the sealed Su family mansion: "Why is it still like this?"
"This world is complicated."
Huang Tingyu ruffled the little girl's hair and said: "Even though the Su family property has been confiscated, the entire Tianchi Town is Little Jiu'er's home. Marshal Chu has already ordered that if you wish, we will find a family to take you in."
Su Qingjiu's crying intensified.
Huang Tingyu flustered: "Little Jiu'er, what do you want? Tell me yourself."
Su Qingjiu wailed: "Daddy and Mommy are gone, I... I don't want to go to a stranger's house. Grandpa Huang, can I go to Brother Lin Zhao's house? I want to stay with Brother Lin Zhao. He's the only person Little Jiu'er trusts..."
"Lin Zhao ah..."
Huang Tingyu said: "He is currently at the Marshal's Mansion learning boxing from Marshal Chu and won't be home anytime soon. Only Little Shi is at home alone, you see..."
"Then I'll go live with Little Shi, and wait for Brother Lin Zhao to come home. I don't want to be alone..."
"Alright, alright."
Huang Tingyu, unable to refuse, took the little girl's hand and said: "Come, Grandpa Huang will take you there."
...
Late at night.
An old man in a gray robe, holding a fortune-telling banner labeled "Divination and Fortune-telling," entered the small town. He looked at Su Qingjiu's retreating back from afar, gently stroked his beard, and chuckled: "Tsk, tsk, a natural born prime spiritual cultivator... Her appearance is also exceptional. She will undoubtedly be a little beauty in the future. If I could take her as a disciple and raise her, and then force her to be my Dao companion when she grows up, wouldn't that be wonderful?"