"Is that so—"
Niu Kuanyu said in a grave tone, "Even back in the provincial capital, I heard that your astonishing cultivation speed and extraordinary comprehension drew the greedy eyes of several factions. They suspect you harbor some extraordinary treasure and many are eager to strike and seize it for themselves. One cannot be too guarded against such danger!"
As he spoke, Niu Kuanyu scrutinized Huang Tian's face, attempting to discern any reaction.
Yet the young man's expression remained utterly calm, without the slightest ripple.
"Vice Commander, I possess no such secret treasure," Huang Tian said placidly. "If they insist on believing otherwise, let them come and try to seize it. It is merely a matter of meeting troops with generals and rising waters with earth."
Niu Kuanyu gave a dry chuckle. "Let us set aside the matter of a secret treasure. Even if you have one, it is your own opportunity. There is no need to tell me, no need at all, haha—"
After exchanging a few more words, Huang Tian and Niu Kuanyu emerged from the hall one after the other.
Outside, Yu Jingcheng had not wandered far. He stood waiting by a whitewashed wall, and upon seeing Huang Tian walk out, he immediately cast a concerned glance. Huang Tian offered a slight smile and a nod, exchanging no unnecessary words.
Zhou Tu had not left either. He first looked at Huang Tian's faint smile, deep in thought, and then shifted his gaze toward Niu Kuanyu following behind.
Niu Kuanyu's demeanor seemed perfectly composed, with even the trace of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Yet as a Six Doors Divine Constable, Zhou Tu keenly detected the displeasure lurking deep within the man's eyes.
It seemed Niu Kuanyu had gleaned nothing from this conversation. Had this probing attempt ended in failure?
With that thought turning in his mind, Zhou Tu stepped out of the government yamen alone and walked toward Zhenhua Ward.
On the other side, Huang Tian also departed the yamen. A few paces later, he arrived at Qinghui Garden.
Upon seeing him, the guards at the gate were both startled and overjoyed, hastily offering respectful salutes.
Huang Tian waved a hand and walked straight into the manor. Servants and maidservants he encountered along the way bowed excitedly one after another. Soon, every servant in Qinghui Garden knew their master had returned, filling the compound with festive cheer.
Aunt Qin hurried over with Heng'er, greeting Huang Tian before letting out a long breath of relief. "Young Master, you have finally returned safely. When you left before, you said you would be back in ten days to half a month, but more than a month went by without any word—"
Her voice was thick with worry.
Huang Tian smiled. "In the vast expanse of Kunyun, no one can harm me. There is no need for concern."
Saying so, he turned his gaze to Heng'er. Joy shone brightly in her eyes, yet she uttered only a single sentence: "As long as Fourth Young Master is safe, all is well."
Huang Tian chuckled softly, suddenly remembering something. "Have the items from the Feihong Sect's vault been delivered to the manor?"
Aunt Qin nodded. "A great deal was delivered, filling several rooms to the brim. It is fortunate our manor has plenty of empty rooms, or we would not have had space to store it all."
"Those things are of no use to me. Go contact the prominent merchant guilds in the commandery seat and sell most of them off. Keep just a modest amount on hand for contingencies."
Having said this, Huang Tian pondered briefly and added, "Tomorrow evening, I intend to host a small banquet to invite Instructor Xu, Head Instructor Liu, Pacification Commissioner Bai, and the others to the manor. Send people with formal invitations asking them to come."
He had chosen to host this sudden gathering partly because it had been a long time since he had seen Instructor Xu, Head Instructor Liu, and the rest, making it a good occasion to catch up. More importantly, he had reaped far too many spoils from this journey; items he could not use himself could be gifted to Instructor Xu and the others as a token of gratitude for their past guidance and support.
"Understood."
While Aunt Qin busied herself dispatching servants with invitations, Zhou Tu returned to a secluded, tranquil residence.
Zhou Miaosu came forward to greet him. "Uncle, I heard Huang Tian has returned to the commandery seat. Did you see him?"
Sitting on a stone stool in the courtyard, Zhou Tu poured himself a cup of tea. "I saw him. He is indeed dashing and possesses an extraordinary bearing.
"It is just a pity—tch!"
He took a sip of tea and shook his head with regret.
Puzzled, Zhou Miaosu asked, "Uncle, did something happen to make you react this way—"
Zhou Tu did not answer immediately. He was weighing whether to tell Zhou Miaosu that Niu Kuanyu might be coveting Huang Tian's secrets.
After a long silence, he asked, "Miaosu, what kind of person do you take Huang Tian to be?"
Zhou Miaosu was taken aback, uncertain why he had suddenly shifted the topic, but she spoke candidly. "He is like a miracle, a living legend. No matter what grand feat he accomplishes, I would never be surprised."
She sat down on an adjacent stone stool. "During my time in the provincial capital, I saw all manner of geniuses. Some possessed boundless comprehension, while others cultivated at breathtaking speed. Yet none of them ever gave me a feeling of... dread and helplessness!"
"Dread and helplessness?" Zhou Tu pressed.
"Precisely that," Zhou Miaosu said slowly. "I once thoroughly examined his history after he entered the Guard Academy. One month. In a single month, he made staggering strides and became a rank-seven martial artist!
"Then came successive breakthroughs within half a month and a month. As a rank five, he defeated and slew two grandmasters, striking such terror into the Guiyuan Sect and the other Four Great Sects that they forced their own sect masters to die and offered up mountains of restitution to beg for his forgiveness."
Zhou Miaosu murmured, "He advances too quickly, and it is as though he never makes a mistake. He is never weighed down by worry and possesses an overwhelming confidence.
"If it were me, even with the power to kill a rank-three grandmaster, I would never dare step into the strongholds of the Four Great Sects so brazenly and comfortably linger in their Scripture Pavilions. After all, if any sect had secretly called upon a rank-two grandmaster, he could very well have been captured and slain on the spot.
"He is simply too confident!
"I do not know where that confidence springs from, but I would never wish to face an enemy like him. He is virtually flawless, offering not the slightest weakness!"
Zhou Tu was stunned by her words. "It does seem to be so. He had no fear that the Four Great Sects might lay an ambush, riding a lone horse straight into their sects."
In this world, aside from Yin Fenghai who towered over the present age, who dared claim invincibility? And without invincibility, one would always harbor misgivings and worry.
Yet not a shred of anxiety could be detected in Huang Tian.
Zhou Tu was utterly baffled. "What gives him the right to be so confident?!"
"I do not know either. That is precisely one of the reasons he frightens me. He is decisive, confident, and never errs!" Zhou Miaosu said.
Zhou Tu fell silent for a long time before finally recounting what had transpired in the yamen earlier that day.
"Huang Tian's rapid cultivation is plain for all to see. What is truly terrifying is that he crossed two whole realms to kill grandmasters! Such a feat has been rare since antiquity, so countless people covet the secret he carries. If it were ordinary figures targeting him, it would be manageable. The trouble is, this time it is his direct superior—"
Zhou Tu sighed. "Niu Kuanyu possesses immense strength. Even two of me might not match him. If he bides his time and strikes, Huang Tian will surely die.
"Before coming to Kunyun, I had hoped to forge a close bond with Huang Tian. Who could have foreseen running into this predicament?"
Zhou Miaosu gave a faint sigh upon hearing this. "Uncle, do you truly believe Huang Tian is certain to die?"
Zhou Tu was astonished. "You disagree?"
Zhou Miaosu said, "Uncle, if you were to engage in a battle to the death with Huang Tian right now, would you have the certainty of killing him?"
Zhou Tu froze. "A life-and-death battle with him?"
"Yes. If you believed you could easily kill him, then Niu Kuanyu would have no trouble doing so either. But if you lack that certainty—"
Zhou Tu sank into contemplation, recalling Huang Tian's various deeds from the very beginning. After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh. "I do not have that certainty. In fact... I feel deeply uneasy!"
"Why uneasy?" Zhou Miaosu pursued.
"Because more than a month has passed since he broke through to rank five."
This time, it was Zhou Miaosu's turn to freeze.
Zhou Tu explained, "Over this month, it is very possible he broke through once more to reach rank four. Judging by his record of killing rank three while at rank five, once he reaches rank four, killing a rank-two martial artist will not be difficult!"
Even as he uttered these words, he felt a surge of absurdity.
Since when did advancing from rank five to rank four take barely a month? And what rank four in the world could slay a rank-two grandmaster?
Yet when applied to Huang Tian, Zhou Tu felt that every bit of it might very well be true!
Zhou Miaosu felt an inexplicable shiver run through her. "Could he... could he truly have broken through again?"
The two stared at each other in silence.
After a quiet pause, Zhou Miaosu said with firm resolve, "Uncle, right now is the best possible opportunity to befriend him!"
Zhou Tu slowly nodded. "Send someone with a letter warning him that Niu Kuanyu might make a move—no, I will pay a visit in person. I will go right now!"
Seeing his attitude pivot so abruptly, Zhou Miaosu could not resist teasing him, "Uncle, aren't you afraid that drawing close to Huang Tian will offend Niu Kuanyu?"
Zhou Tu let out a cold chuckle. "Formidable though Niu Kuanyu may be, he is already nothing more than a dried bone in a tomb!"
"What do you mean?"
"Having crossed Huang Tian, he won't have many days left to live."
Throwing out those leisurely words, Zhou Tu rose and walked toward the courtyard gate. Zhou Miaosu considered it for a moment and followed him. Mounting their horses, the two galloped all the way to the alleyway where Qinghui Garden stood in Baoqing Ward.
Before entering, they spotted a stooped, white-haired old man walking out of Qinghui Garden, his complexion ashen and lifeless.
"Who is that?" Zhou Tu asked, noticing many passersby pointing and whispering about the old man.
Zhou Miaosu lowered her voice. "Huang Xunjiu."
"Him? Why has he come to Qinghui Garden, and how did he manage to get inside?" Zhou Tu asked in surprise.
Ever since Huang Tian gained widespread fame across the province and commandery, his background had become common knowledge. Thus, although Zhou Tu had never seen Huang Xunjiu before, he knew of the bitter estrangement between him and Huang Tian.
Furthermore, to Zhou Tu's knowledge, Huang Tian rarely received outside visitors, let alone Huang Xunjiu. The last time Huang Xunjiu had come calling, Huang Tian had shut the door in his face, leaving him thoroughly humiliated. Why had he been allowed inside this time?
Zhou Miaosu said with a sigh of melancholy, "Uncle, there are things you may not know. Ever since news spread of Huang Tian defeating and killing two grandmasters in succession, the Huang Manor's already precarious days took an even worse turn.
"First, the family businesses of the Huang clan were practically carved up and devoured clean by outsiders.
"Then Huang Xunjiu's eldest son, Huang Qian, was dispatched out of the commandery seat on an assignment, only to be ambushed along the way by vicious assailants. Though he managed to escape back with his life, his vitality was devastated, his strength plummeted to rank nine, and he had an arm severed, making further progress in the martial path impossible.
"As for his second son, Huang Rui, and third son, Huang Jian, while on leave they somehow provoked a band of jianghu roughs in the street and were beaten so severely that their lower bodies are completely crippled.
"And his principal wife, He Yunrou, was stricken with grief and anxiety over the plight of her three sons, falling critically ill beyond the aid of medicine.
"These consecutive blows crushed Huang Xunjiu's spirit entirely. He looks as though he has aged decades and is thoroughly disheartened. I hear he is already preparing to leave the commandery seat and retire to the countryside to live out his remaining days."
"Which means his visit today was a final parting, and also a plea for mercy?" Zhou Tu understood.
Zhou Miaosu nodded. "Since Huang Tian allowed him into the manor, it means everything ends here."
Zhou Tu nodded with a sigh. "A single misstep, and it leads to such a ruinous end."
It was not just the two of them lamenting; onlookers in the surrounding area were whispering among themselves as well.
"It is only because Huang Xunjiu cast his pride aside and dropped to his knees before Qinghui Garden that he was even allowed through the gate."
"How could he still care about face? If he clung to face, his entire family might be robbed and slaughtered the moment they set foot outside the commandery seat."
"Heh, a century of the Huang family's ancestral enterprise, vanished in a single day. How laughable, and how lamentable."
"You are wrong there! Who says the Huang family has fallen? Huang Xunjiu's branch has fallen, but the Huang family of Qinghui Garden is flourishing beyond measure!"
"Well said! That makes sense!"
"Regardless, Huang Xunjiu squandered an extraordinary hand of cards. The eldest, Huang Qian, was not lacking in talent, and the fourth, Huang Tian, is a genius seen once in a thousand years. Yet through lax discipline and poor governance of his household, he brought about this miserable fate. What a pity! What a tragedy!"
Watching Huang Xunjiu's stooped, receding figure, Zhou Tu and his niece shook their heads, dismounted, and approached the gate. The gatekeeper promptly went inside to report, and shortly after, Huang Tian came out to receive them.
"Divine Constable Zhou, Miss Miaosu."
"Assistant Commissioner Huang, please forgive our unannounced visit."
"You are too polite. Please, come inside."
"After you."
The three proceeded to the main hall and took their seats. Several maidservants served tea, melons, and fruit before quietly withdrawing.
After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Zhou Tu cut straight to the chase. "Huang Tian, you must be exceptionally cautious of Niu Kuanyu!"
Even as these words fell, Huang Tian's expression remained utterly undisturbed.
Zhou Tu paused, then continued, "Niu Kuanyu and I were ordered to Kunyun to suppress the situation. In just a few days, he will lead a team to Funing County to take charge, while I remain behind to guard the commandery seat.
"When he takes his team to Funing, he is very likely to demand that you accompany him, and along the way, he may interrogate you for your... secrets, and perhaps even make a fatal move against you!"
Huang Tian nodded. Within the commandery seat, it was impossible for Niu Kuanyu to strike, lest the commotion grow too vast to cover up. Once outside the city in the desolate wilds, there would be far fewer constraints.
Zhou Tu added, "Furthermore, beyond Niu Kuanyu, the Three Elders of Qin Province might also join the fray!"
The Three Elders of Qin Province were three long-renowned itinerant martial artists of Qin Province. Every one of them was at the rank-three peak realm, and they practiced a formidable combined attack art. Working together, they could contend with rank-two experts for a short duration!
"The Three Elders of Qin Province appear to be independent jianghu itinerants, but I have uncovered that they frequently interact with Niu Kuanyu, sharing exceptionally close ties.
"In other words, if Niu Kuanyu intends to act against you, they are very likely to strike alongside him to ensure absolute certainty."
A rank-two peak grandmaster, coupled with a trio of itinerants capable of fighting rank-two experts for a time!
Zhou Tu reflected that if he were to face an ambush from such a formidable lineup, he likely would not last half an incense stick of time!
Yet he still saw no trace of worry on Huang Tian's face. The young man merely smiled and said, "Thank you, Divine Constable Zhou. I have taken note of it."
Seeing this, Zhou Tu felt his heart skip a beat, thinking to himself in secret shock: *He is so calm and unperturbed... Could it be that he truly broke through to rank four after all?!*
Chapter 116