The Third Brother, who had been silent, suddenly looked up, a cold glint in his eyes. "Big Brother, the people above us are just a slapdash crew. If we want this job done, we have to rely on ourselves."
He paused, then added, "That Chen Shouheng has an aunt, married into the Bai Family of Shangxi Village. They’re just an ordinary rich family, no tough nuts to crack. Why don’t we start there? We can grab one or two people and have them run to the Chen Family with the news. When Chen Shouheng hears his aunt’s family is in trouble, how could he not go and rescue them? As long as he leaves his nest... we’ll set an ambush. Heh, you think we won’t be able to handle him then?"
The Second Brother’s eyes lit up. "Lure the tiger from the mountain? A great idea!"
The Big Brother mulled it over for a moment. His gaze swept over the leaping flames and his three brothers’ faces. A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes and was gone. He had made his decision. "Good! We’ll go to Shangxi Village first!"
The decision made, he erupted into action without any warning.
His figure shot past the fire like a phantom. With a speed that left no time to react, he struck from a distance, his palm aimed at the crown of Wang Chuanbao’s head as the man cowered by the door.
"Huh?"
The smile on Wang Chuanbao’s face instantly froze. His eyes filled with utter terror and disbelief, and he couldn’t even let out a short scream.
CRACK!
The sharp sound was exceptionally piercing in the silence of the dilapidated house.
Wang Chuanbao’s head twisted to one side at a bizarre angle, his eyes bulging. His body crumpled limply to the ground, his breath cut off in an instant.
The Big Brother retracted his palm, his expression blank, as if he had just swatted a fly. His voice was chillingly cold. "A useless waste is of no more use. This prevents any leaks."
The Second and Third Brothers acted as if they had seen nothing, as if such a scene were a common occurrence.
"Get rid of it."
The Big Brother ordered faintly.
The Third Brother silently rose and dragged Wang Chuanbao’s still-warm corpse into the deep shadows behind the house as if he were dragging a dead dog.
Meanwhile, the Big Brother and Second Brother quickly kicked apart the fire and covered the traces with dirt.
A moment later, three dark figures slipped silently out of the ruined Wang Family estate, melting into the thick night as they sped toward Shangxi Village.
...
In the afternoon, light streamed through the latticed window, casting dappled shadows.
Chen Shouheng sat cross-legged on a cattail cushion, his eyes slightly closed. Inner Qi flowed slowly through his body like a great river as he was immersed in his Cultivation.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
The light knocking interrupted his Cultivation.
The slightly rushed voice of the maid Ginko came from outside the door. "Young Master, the Madam requests your presence in the main hall. She said... she said someone from Lady Chen Yao’s household has come with an urgent report!"
’Aunt Chen Yao? The Bai Family?’
Chen Shouheng opened his eyes, his heart sinking slightly. ’These days, neither Jingshan County nor Jiangzhou Prefecture as a whole are peaceful. For the Bai Family to send someone now... could something have happened?’
"I understand. I’ll go at once."
He straightened his robes and strode toward the main hall.
In the main hall, his mother, Song Ying, sat in the main seat with a grave expression.
Below her stood a middle-aged man, travel-worn and plainly dressed, his body bowed and his face etched with alarm and exhaustion.
"Shouheng, you’re here."
Seeing her son, Song Ying seemed to have found her pillar of support. Her expression softened slightly as she hurriedly beckoned him closer, her voice laced with a subtle urgency. "Shouheng, this is the steward from your uncle’s household, Bai An. He brings news... Your aunt’s family... they’re in trouble."
She turned to the steward named Bai An and said, "Steward Bai, this is my eldest son, Shouheng. He is now in charge of our family’s affairs. Please repeat to him, in detail, what you just told me."
When the man from the Bai Family saw Chen Shouheng, it was as if he, too, had found a pillar of support. He quickly bowed in salute and reported, "Young Master Shouheng, it’s terrible! The Second Master and Second Mistress... have been kidnapped!"
His uncle, Bai Shixuan, was the second son of his family.
And the Second Mistress was Chen Yao.
Chen Shouheng’s pupils constricted. He said in a low voice, "Don’t panic. Tell me everything, carefully. What happened?"
"It... it happened last night."
Bai An swallowed hard and began to describe the event, still shaken. "Three fiends—I don’t know where they came from—with terrifyingly high Martial Arts skills jumped our walls. They subdued our entire family without a sound. They were masked, vicious-looking, and demanded gold and silver as soon as they opened their mouths."
He caught his breath, a bitter look on his face. "Young Master Shouheng, as you know, our Bai Family lost everything a few years ago hoarding medicinal herbs. We’ve only just managed to recover a little these past years. We searched the entire house and could only scrape together several hundred taels of silver... Where would we have any more silver coins?"
"When the three thugs saw it was only that much silver, they were disgusted. The leader said... he said they’d give us two days to raise ten thousand taels of silver and deliver it to a location they specified. Otherwise... otherwise, they’ll slaughter the entire Bai Family, and the Second Master and Second Mistress... they won’t escape a horrible fate!"
At this point, the man from the Bai Family was trembling all over. "They left the location for the exchange and took the Second Master and Second Mistress with them. The Old Master sent me to deliver this message, to beg the Chen Family, for the sake of our kinship, to please save the Second Master and Second Mistress."
Chen Shouheng’s brows knitted tightly as he looked at his mother.
Song Ying’s eyes were filled with worry. She lowered her voice. "Shouheng, your aunt... she’s in grave danger. We... we can’t just stand by and watch. Before your father left, he entrusted the family to you and repeatedly warned you to guard our home. I know it’s not safe outside... but, she is your blood aunt. If we do nothing and something happens to her... how could we ever explain it to your grandmother?"
"Mother, don’t worry. Please, calm down. I will not stand by and do nothing about Aunt’s situation."
After reassuring his mother, Chen Shouheng lowered his head in thought.
’Jingshan County is already in chaos. Refugees are everywhere, and bandits run rampant.’
’Many wealthy families and landlords have been robbed, some even wiped out.’
’Before Father left, he warned me repeatedly that defending our home is the first priority.’
’If I go rashly, not only is success uncertain, but if those villains exploit my absence and attack our home, the consequences would be unimaginable.’
’Right now, besides my little sister Shouyue who knows a little Martial Arts, there are no other masters to guard the home. The risk is simply too great. I have to be on my guard!’
After a moment, he slowly shook his head, his tone firm. "Mother, the situation is too dangerous. I cannot go. However, we can lend the silver taels to the Bai Family. Let them go and ransom the hostages. What do you think?"
Ten thousand taels of silver. Even for the now-prosperous Chen Family, this was by no means a small sum.
With his father away, Chen Shouheng had to discuss such an expense with his mother.
Seeing his mother nod in agreement, he immediately turned to the messenger from the Bai Family. "Go back first and tell the Bai Old Master not to panic. Our two families are relatives by marriage. The Chen Family can lend the Bai Family the ten thousand taels of silver. In two days, I will have someone deliver the silver on time. As for the ransom itself, the Bai Family should handle it. You must ensure the safety of my aunt and uncle."
Upon hearing this, Bai An, though still uneasy, felt a great weight lift from his heart knowing that Chen Shouheng had promised to lend them the huge sum for the ransom. He offered his profuse thanks and took his leave.