The entire hall fell silent.
Finally, the head of the first branch forced himself to speak. "We have been incompetent. Father, please calm your anger!"
"Hmph!"
The Xia Family’s old master had a decent temperament. His anger came quickly, but it also faded just as fast. After all, if he didn’t have this knack, he would have been angered to death long ago over the years.
After venting, he slowly sat down and said in a heavy voice, "The person who killed the three brothers—Jing Yun, Jing Feng, and Jing Shuang—must be found! Also, the ones who killed Chong Jihu, the Gang Leader of the Tiger Gang, and Duan Lang, the Gang Leader of the Wild Wolf Gang, as well as the Middle Grade Martial Artist who delivered the wooden plank and plotted against our family, must also be found."
"Now that the Lin Family has been wiped out, our Xia Family is free to act. It’s time to eliminate these hidden threats. As for how to find these three people? All of you, share your thoughts."
"Father,"
The head of the first branch spoke first again. "As we previously deduced, Changshan City doesn’t have the soil for other Middle Grade Martial Artists to survive. These three are most likely outsiders!"
"Specifically, the culprit who killed the three brothers—Jing Yun, Jing Feng, and Jing Shuang—has seasoned swordsmanship. He should be middle-aged, not young! In my opinion, we should focus on outsiders who seem ordinary and unremarkable, and investigate them one by one..."
"Elder Brother is right. Our third branch is in charge of intelligence. Based on our experience, it’s impossible for an expert like that to arrive in a new place without interacting with people and leaving some clues!"
The head of the third branch proposed, "In my view, it would be best to strictly inspect inns, restaurants... and newly rented private courtyards... We could even expand the scope and screen every household in Changshan City, one by one. A thorough, airtight investigation, with special attention to unfamiliar Martial Artists!"
"Third Brother’s method is good. The households in the city are one thing—with our manpower, plus the lingering fear from wiping out the Lin Family today, we have enough to handle it. But there’s also the Rebel Army... We can’t rule out the possibility that the three Middle Grade Martial Artists are hiding among them, trying to fish in troubled waters..."
As soon as these words were spoken, the others’ eyes lit up. How could they pass up such an opportunity to shift the blame?
And so, they all started speaking at once.
"Yes, I think those three Middle Grade Martial Artists are most likely hiding in the Rebel Army!"
"Exactly! Before the Rebel Army came, nothing ever happened in our Changshan City. The moment they arrived, all sorts of trouble started popping up!"
"Isn’t that the truth? No wonder our third branch, the one in charge of intelligence, couldn’t find anything..."
...
The Xia Family’s old master narrowed his eyes, the wrinkles on his aged face bunching together. Clearly, he was also contemplating this possibility.
At that moment, the head of the fourth branch, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Father, just investigating the city’s households isn’t enough. If we’re going to investigate, we must include the Rebel Army. Otherwise, it will likely be a futile effort!"
"Fourth Brother has a point! But getting the Rebel Army involved could make things difficult..."
"Difficult, but not impossible! Of those three hidden Middle Grade Martial Artists, at least two are Fifth Grade. With such a powerful force that the Rebel Army is also unaware of, do you think they can rest easy? Aren’t they afraid that this force might turn on them someday and threaten their rule?"
"Correct. This is the basis for cooperation. If we use some connections and spread some silver coins around to grease the wheels, it’s not impossible to make this happen!"
...
With everyone contributing, they traded ideas and pooled their wisdom. Soon, a seemingly complete plan took shape.
On this matter, no one held back. After all, the Xia Family’s old master was keeping them in line, and it was a matter of protecting the Xia Family’s common interests.
"Two heads are better than one. This is very good. From now on, you should all act like this!"
The Xia Family’s old master nodded slightly and summarized, "Then we will join forces with the Rebel Army to conduct a major screening of the entire Changshan City. Just as you’ve said, the main focus will be on: outsiders, older individuals, and those who appear ordinary and unremarkable. We will pay extra attention to foreign Martial Artists. Better to wrongly accuse than to let one slip by... Also, keep an eye on the Rebel Army’s side too..."
"Yes!"
...
Fang Rui had no idea that a special meeting had been held by the Xia Family because of him, or that it would even lead to a massive city-wide screening.
What he knew even less was that the final conclusion they reached seemed to have perfectly avoided him, the actual correct answer...
...
The night passed just like that.
...
The next day, early in the morning.
「Willow Alley.」
CREAK!
Fang Rui got up and pushed open the window, letting the fresh air rush in.
"Who is first to wake from life’s great dream? As for me, I know myself." He gave a great stretch.
Outside the window, the morning sun was just beginning to rise. A faint white mist, like smoke or gauze, hung in the air, and glistening dewdrops dotted the plants and trees.
’Last night, the rain never really came after all. Just a few drops fell, and then it seemed to stop. This weather is really strange...’
If Fang Rui remembered correctly, this had happened several times now. Each time, a coming rain would, for some unknown reason, abruptly stop midway.
"Brother!"
"Brother Ah Rui!"
Fang Ling and Nannan, the two little girls, were also awake. They chirped and chattered as they crowded around Fang Rui, instantly surrounding him with a lively hubbub.
"Haha, let’s go, time to wash up outside!"
Outside, Third Lady was already up. She had estimated the time and poured washing water for the three of them in advance. Her face flushed slightly when she saw Fang Rui.
In the end, nothing had happened last night. Just as sparks were about to fly between the two of them, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family had seemingly woken up by chance to use the privy and led Third Lady away.
Speaking of Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family.
Fang Rui looked toward the kitchen, where Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family was bustling about, enveloped in the smoke and steam of cooking. She was still chiding the two little girls for not washing the corners of their eyes properly and for getting their sleeves wet with washing water...