With the end of the year approaching, the outside world was bustling with excitement, the sound of firecrackers echoing from every direction.
Yet inside Neiyang Manor, white mourning silk hung everywhere, and cries of agonizing grief drifted from within.
A middle-aged woman wept, trembling all over as she slumped across a coffin. "Long'er, my Long'er! How could you be so cruel as to leave your mother behind and go on your own?"
"My Long'er died so horribly, they couldn't even find your body... sob, sob..."
Listening to his mother's weeping and wailing, Xing Jing'an clenched his fists, his expression exceedingly grim.
Xing Jinglong was his full brother by the same mother. Out of their father's dozen or so children, he and Xing Jinglong had been the closest.
"Father, how did the investigation on your end go? Any clues?" Xing Jing'an asked the middle-aged man beside him.
The man was built as stoutly as Xing Jinglong, bearded, with piercing eyes as large as copper bells.
He was the father of Xing Jinglong and Xing Jing'an, named Xing Zhiyuan.
Xing Zhiyuan's branch belonged to a collateral line of the Xing clan, and he ranked thirteenth among the peers of his generation.
His martial talent was respectable enough; he had cultivated to the peak of the Viscera Tempering Realm, which made him stand out among his peers.
Unfortunately, though he had spent his entire life in the City Guard, using battle arrays to temper his spirit and comprehend vital energy and blood, he still had not managed to break through to the Qi and Blood Realm.
"None. Whoever did this was very thorough and left no trace behind," Xing Zhiyuan said in a low voice, his face extremely dark.
Among the dozen or so children born to his wife and concubines, only the two brothers Xing Jing'an and Xing Jinglong possessed notable martial talent.
Xing Jinglong had prospects of reaching the peak of the Viscera Tempering Realm—breaking through to the Qi and Blood Realm would have required a miracle—while Xing Jing'an was even more talented, with a real hope of stepping into the Qi and Blood Realm.
The rest were useless deadbeats, mud that couldn't stick to a wall.
Yet just yesterday, one of the sons he placed hopes on, Xing Jinglong, had actually died—and died outside Songyi City.
Rage burned in Xing Zhiyuan's chest.
"Father, how about I seize Lin Zheyu of the Feihong Gang and interrogate him? Jinglong went out of the city chasing after him. Perhaps we can extract some clue from him," Xing Jing'an suggested.
"He's merely a minor pawn; he likely doesn't know much."
"Zhao Wude and Qiao Quan were there as well, working alongside ten elite soldiers. To silence all of them is something not even an ordinary Qi and Blood Realm martial artist could accomplish."
"Right now, someone might be waiting for us to lose our patience and make a move inside the city. Acting now would only walk us straight into the trap of the mastermind behind this."
"There's no rush. We'll strike once he leaves the city."
"After the New Year comes the rotation of the Feihong Gang's garrison at Baishi Mountain. That kid should be transferred there on guard duty," Xing Zhiyuan said.
"Understood, Father!"
...
Early morning, as dawn broke.
Lin Zheyu woke early and headed out.
He had inquired with Xie Jiang and the others, and there indeed were experts skilled in poisons within the Feihong Gang, though Xie Jiang and the rest had rarely seen them.
If he wanted to apprentice himself and learn the craft, he would need Gang Leader Xu to introduce him, and even then, the other party might not be willing to teach.
Masters versed in poison were exceedingly rare, and such knowledge was precious; many hoarded their expertise, unwilling to share it with outsiders.
Lin Zheyu thought it over and decided to first ask around among the physicians in the city to see if anyone was willing to teach him.
If he found no one, he would wait for the results of Senior Brother Han Mo's inquiries. Only if both avenues failed would he try asking Gang Leader Xu for a referral.
Medicine and poison shared the same roots; physicians skilled in healing all understood toxicology to some degree.
Leaving early in the morning, Lin Zheyu visited the shops where he frequently bought medicinal herbs.
Herbal pharmacies did not just sell ingredients; they also had resident physicians seeing patients.
Lin Zheyu went to several shops in succession, but none yielded the result he wanted.
These pharmacies either tried to push Detoxification Pills and Poison-Warding Pills on him, or demanded that if he wanted to learn, he had to take them as his master, stay by the physician's side, and start as an apprentice—which would take far too long.
Some simply stated outright that their knowledge was not for outsiders.
Leaving the pharmacies, Lin Zheyu made his way toward Jihe Tang.
He often frequented this herbal hall as well. Its attending physician was skilled, amiable, and easy to talk to.
"Brother Yu, you're here! This way, please."
"Are you looking to buy those same herbs as before on this visit?"
Seeing Lin Zheyu, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he came over in person to welcome him.
"No, I only bought them yesterday—how could I have used them up so fast? I have a matter I'd like to consult Physician Wu about," Lin Zheyu said.
"Physician Wu is currently examining patients. I'll have someone notify him."
"Please sit here and wait a moment; I'll pour you some tea," the shopkeeper said with a beam.
This young master was a major customer who had spent quite a bit of silver at Jihe Tang.
Business was thriving at Jihe Tang, and Lin Zheyu waited nearly half an hour before Physician Wu finally arrived.
An elderly man with snow-white hair and beard and a kind, benevolent countenance walked in through a side door.
"Pardon me for keeping you waiting, Young Master Lin," Physician Wu said.
"Not at all; I was the one who imposed on you so abruptly."
Lin Zheyu cut straight to the chase. "My visit today is to ask whether you know of anyone in Songyi City who is well-versed in toxicology and willing to teach."
"Young Master Lin wishes to study toxicology?" Physician Wu asked.
"Yes."
"A couple of days ago, I went outside the city on some business and ran into quite a few bandits. Their methods were sinister and ruthless—their weapons were coated with venom, and they scattered poisonous powders everywhere."
"I figured learning a bit of toxicology and gaining some understanding would help me take precautions before trouble strikes," Lin Zheyu explained.
"This old man specializes in treating complex and intractable illnesses; all my research has gone into methods for healing the sick and saving lives. I cannot claim any mastery over toxicology, or else I could simply teach you myself."
"However, I do know a friend who is well-versed in poisons. His temperament is rather eccentric, and he acts entirely on whim, so he may not be willing to teach," Physician Wu said after pondering for a moment.
"I would be deeply grateful if Physician Wu could introduce me. Regardless of whether it succeeds, I will surely express my gratitude properly."
Lin Zheyu's eyes brightened. He drew a tael of silver from his robes and handed it over.
After visiting so many herbal pharmacies, he had finally gleaned something useful.
"Young Master Lin is too polite; it is merely a small matter."
"I share some friendship with that old eccentric. If I write you a letter of introduction, he should give me some face," Physician Wu said with a smile as he accepted the silver.
He liked young people who knew how to handle matters tactfully.
Physician Wu had someone bring paper and brush, then penned a letter of introduction for Lin Zheyu.
"Many thanks, Physician Wu."
Tucking away the letter, Lin Zheyu cupped his hands to Physician Wu and turned to leave.
His morning efforts had not been in vain; at least he had obtained a lead.
...
Near noon.
Leaving Jihe Tang, Lin Zheyu returned home to change clothes, then headed straight for Funing Garden.
Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and today the festive atmosphere of the New Year was noticeably thicker.
Many guests had already arrived at Funing Garden.
The young masters and young ladies inside were all dressed in silk and brocade, looking exceptionally splendid.
Lin Zheyu, clad in a plain blue-green robe, looked somewhat out of place among the lavishly dressed crowd.
He looked around, recognizing no one.
Among the young masters and mistresses, the majority did not practice martial arts; fewer than a third engaged in it.
And of those who practiced martial arts, fewer than half had achieved genuine success and reached the Bone Tempering Realm or above.
The sons and daughters of noble clans had many paths open to them even if they did not practice martial arts.
They could conduct business, idle their lives away as pampered parasites, pursue civil examination degrees, or use family connections to secure an official post in the yamen.
Great Wei had enjoyed peace and stability for hundreds of years, and rebel armies had only appeared in recent years.
In the eyes of these clan scions, practicing martial arts or not made little difference.
Martial cultivation was grueling and exhausting, demanding immense time, energy, and money. These pampered young masters could rarely stomach such hardship.
Fortunately, the prominent clans were wealthy and prolific.
Though the proportion of martial artists was small, their sheer numbers still yielded some talent in the martial dao.
Near the front of Funing Garden sat Xu Qinyi, Chen Xihong, and Ren Qingfeng, along with two young women and another young man.
"Cousin, I really don't want to get married. Talk to Second Uncle and have him find someone else, won't you?"
The pretty woman sitting beside Xu Qinyi pleaded with a fallen face.
She was exceedingly beautiful, with dewy, apricot-shaped eyes, lips naturally rosy without rouge, eyebrows delicately arched without paint, snow-fair skin, and a supple, shapely figure, her lustrous black hair falling behind her like dark clouds.
"Yuxiang, no one is asking you to marry him right now. It's just to spend some time together and see how things go. He might not even take a liking to you," Xu Qinyi said.
"But I'm so pretty; he's bound to fall for me," Xu Yuxiang replied helplessly. Sometimes, being beautiful was a curse.
"Brother Lin isn't bad-looking, he's adept with both the pen and the sword, and his martial talent is formidable. In the future, he might very well become a powerhouse like my father. How would being with him wrong you?" Xu Qinyi said.
"You said it yourself—'in the future.' He's just a poor kid with no background. In these chaotic times, who knows if he'll even have the chance to grow?" Xu Yuxiang muttered.
"Once you marry him, won't the Xu clan be his background?"
"Heroes rise in troubled times. Perhaps Brother Lin will carve out a world of his own amidst this chaos," Chen Xihong said with a smile.
More like he'll die an early death, Xu Yuxiang thought to herself, though she didn't dare say it aloud.
Born into a prominent clan and pampered in luxury since childhood, she looked down on a penniless boy like Lin Zheyu, who had fled as a refugee from the outer city with nothing to his name.
To put it nicely, he had exceptional talent and boundless potential.
To put it realistically, he currently had nothing—only unproven talent and untapped potential, just a poor kid in the Bone Tempering Realm.
Whether he could survive and rise in these chaotic times was an open question.
Xu Yuxiang did not want to be tied to someone like that; there was no security for the future. She wanted to marry a clan scion and live a life of comfort and luxury.
"All right, stop throwing a tantrum. My father has a keen eye for people; those he values never achieve little in the future," Xu Qinyi said with a smile.
"Hmph!"
Xu Yuxiang gave a soft snort and said nothing more.
She had no power to refuse any decision made by Xu Jingwu.
Besides, while his judgment was indeed sharp and those who survived went on to achieve great things, what about those who died? What about all those who had perished?
Her late third uncle-in-law, and her cousin's betrothed who died before they could wed—hadn't they all been young men Uncle Xu once held in high regard?
Yet didn't they all end up dead?
"Don't worry, Yuxiang. I've already checked him out for you. Lin Zheyu is handsome, talented in both civil and martial arts, and genuinely remarkable."
"If you don't want him, I'll have my father recruit him into the Ren Manor as a son-in-law," Ren Qingfeng joked with a chuckle.
He was on good terms with Chen Xihong and Xu Qinyi, and they had specifically gone together to see Lin Zheyu last time.
Originally, he had wanted to invite Lin Zheyu out two days ago to test his martial prowess, but unfortunately had missed him, hearing that he had left the city.
Xu Yuxiang had no desire to respond; propping her head up with one hand, she stared blankly at the dishes on the table.
...
The moment Lin Zheyu stepped into Funing Garden, a maid came up to greet him.
"Young Master Lin, your seat is over here. Please follow me," the maid said.
Taking his seat, he found that several Viscera Tempering Realm martial artists from the Feihong Gang had already arrived.
"Greetings, sirs," Lin Zheyu greeted them with a cupped-fist salute.
Aside from Qiu Gaoxuan, he had only met the other Viscera Tempering martial artists once or twice and was not well-acquainted with them.
There were also several young men who were at the Bone Tempering Realm, presumably individuals of notable talent whom Xu Jingwu regarded favorably.
"You were invited to Funing Garden as well. Gang Leader Xu truly values you," Qiu Gaoxuan said, his face devoid of expression.
The man was utterly expressionless, showing no emotion no matter what he said.
"When you first started storytelling, I listened to you. Back then, you were as skinny as a monkey. Who would have thought that in just a few months, you would cultivate to the Bone Tempering Realm?"
"Such talent is truly enviable!" sighed the middle-aged man on his left.
His name was Xu Yezhou. His ancestors had also belonged to the Xu clan, though by now his lineage lay beyond the five degrees of mourning.
"Indeed. Back then, I trained bitterly for four or five years just to reach the Bone Tempering Realm. Never did I imagine Brother Lin would achieve it in a matter of months. Such talent is genuinely something to envy," a young man around Lin Zheyu's age remarked wistfully.
He was another martial artist favored by Xu Jingwu for his relatively outstanding talent, yet compared to Lin Zheyu, he felt thoroughly outmatched.
"You praise me too much, everyone. It's just that at the beginning, I used more medicine to supplement qi and bolster blood, so my progress was faster. It has slowed down considerably since," Lin Zheyu replied modestly.
Sitting with them felt somewhat awkward, so he did not interject much, silently listening as Qiu Gaoxuan and the others chatted.
As time passed, more and more people arrived.
Chapter 60