Zhou Ling looked up, cupped her hands, and replied, "I am here, Master. Please give your instructions."

"Go find Yang Jing," Wang Kui said in a low voice. "Ask him if he’s had any other contact with Shen Lie recently, aside from their match at the training grounds. Or if they’ve had any conflicts."

He paused before adding, "I know Yang Jing doesn’t have the strength to kill Shen Lie, but another lead is always a good thing. We’ll follow this thread for now. It might uncover something."

"Yes, I understand," Zhou Ling replied, once again cupping her hands to accept the command.

Wang Kui looked at her and cautioned, "When you go to Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, be as tactful as possible. And whatever you do, don’t provoke that old fox, Sun Yong."

At the mention of Sun Yong, Wang Kui’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his tone grew more serious. "Among the Huajin Martial Artists here in Yuhe County, there are a few you must be careful when dealing with, and Sun Yong is one of them. That old man appears unassuming, but he’s got powerful connections. There’s no need for our Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall to provoke him over trivial matters."

Hearing this, a chill went through Zhou Ling.

She had long heard that Sun Yong, the Hall Master of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall, was a Huajin master, but she never imagined even her own master would be so wary of him as to give her a specific warning not to provoke him.

It seemed this Veteran Martial Artist was far more complex than she had imagined.

’On second thought,’ she mused, ’the Hall Master said Yang Jing didn’t have the strength to commit the murder, ruling him out directly. But besides Yang Jing lacking the ability, I suspect it’s also because he’s wary of Sun Yong.’

’If they really targeted Yang Jing, a confrontation with Sun Yong would be inevitable.’

"I will remember, and I will be sure to act with caution," Zhou Ling replied in a solemn voice, the last trace of casualness gone from her face.

Wang Kui nodded and waved a hand. "Go."

Zhou Ling bowed, then turned and walked briskly out of the main hall.

As he watched her back disappear through the doorway, Wang Kui’s gaze returned to the others in the hall, sweeping over the faces of Zhao Hu, Qi Yuanfang, and Sun Lei. His tone grew heavier. "Shen Lie’s death is by no means simple. To be able to kill him in his own home, and to do it so cleanly... the murderer’s strength must far surpass his. The killer is likely at the Huajin level, or perhaps a top-tier martial artist at the peak of Hidden Strength who possesses special techniques."

He paused, his knuckles rapping a dull rhythm on the tabletop. "The authorities have gotten involved, but those government officials and constables aren’t skilled enough in the Martial Dao to find any critical clues. Shen Lie was a Core Disciple of our Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall. We cannot let his murder go unavenged. The Hall must put all its resources into investigating this case."

"Zhao Hu, contact our people at the other martial arts halls in the city. See if any unfamiliar experts from out of town have shown up in Yuhe County recently."

"Qi Yuanfang, you go back to the taverns and gambling dens Shen Lie frequented. Ask around if he offended anyone he shouldn’t have recently. If he did, find out if those people have any powerful experts backing them."

"Sun Lei, take some men and keep a watch on Shen Lie’s house. Monitor the authorities’ movements. If you find anything, report back immediately."

The three men bowed in unison. "Yes, Master!"

Wang Kui waved his hand. "Go. Be thorough, and don’t miss a single clue."

Zhao Hu and the other two men acknowledged the order and departed, leaving the main hall in complete silence with only Wang Kui remaining.

He stared into the empty hall, his expression dark and unreadable. The pressure from his fingertips unconsciously intensified, leaving several shallow indentations in the armrest of his Grandmaster’s Chair.

...

Chengping Square. The front courtyard of Sun’s Martial Arts Hall.

The news of Shen Lie’s murder had initially sent a shockwave through the Martial Arts Hall, but things had slowly calmed down.

After all, while Shen Lie was somewhat famous in Yuhe County, he had no connection to them. Some disciples had never even heard of him; for them, his death was little more than a topic for idle gossip.

In the spacious central area of the front courtyard.

Yang Jing was practicing his Mountain-Shattering Fist. The force of his blows was heavy and fierce, each and every move imbued with the power of a collapsing mountain.

His movements were more fluid than usual. Though he deliberately restrained the flow of his Inner Strength, its hidden, profound power was still palpable.

Through constant practice, he had gained increasingly proficient control over his surging Hidden Strength.

Sun Yong stood to the side under an old pagoda tree, holding a purple-clay teacup. As his gaze fell upon Yang Jing, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

’This kid... he seems to have gotten stronger again?’

’The intent of his Mountain-Shattering Fist is more focused, and the circulation of his Inner Strength has a newfound fluid ease, as if he had some sort of breakthrough overnight.’

Sun Yong had lived a long life and seen his share of geniuses, but few were like Yang Jing.

Yang Jing’s innate aptitude for martial arts was clearly low-grade. By all rights, his cultivation speed should have been far slower than an average person’s.

He marveled privately, growing more certain that this disciple’s talent was anything but ordinary.

’Perhaps he has some kind of rare, special constitution, or maybe his comprehension is simply far beyond that of a normal person.’

’Yuhe County is too small, after all. Our horizons are limited here.’

Sun Yong took a sip of his tea, pondering. In a while, perhaps he could ask an old friend in the Prefecture City to do some research—to see if any ancient records mentioned cases of people with poor aptitude who nonetheless made miraculously fast progress. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

’Who knows, perhaps this disciple’s talent will bring me an unexpected, pleasant surprise.’

"Sink your shoulders, drop your elbows. When you punch, the power from your waist and abdomen must flow more smoothly. Don’t let the force get bogged down in your arms."

Sun Yong suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to Yang Jing’s ears.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jing immediately adjusted his posture, and sure enough, the flow of his punches became smoother.

Just then, a servant disciple dressed in coarse, simple clothes came running in from the main gate of the Martial Arts Hall.

He stopped a few steps behind Sun Yong, bowed slightly, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Hall Master, a visitor is asking for an audience."

Sun Yong barely lifted his eyelids. "Who?"

"A woman. She claims to be Zhou Ling, a disciple from Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall who has cultivated Hidden Strength," the servant disciple whispered. "She says she wants to ask Senior Brother Yang Jing a few questions to understand a situation."

Upon hearing this, Sun Yong’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The hand holding his teacup paused in mid-air, and a contemplative glint appeared in his eyes.

News of Shen Lie’s murder had already spread throughout the martial arts circles of Yuhe County, so he had naturally heard about it.

’But Shen Lie died in his own courtyard in Anxing Square. Why would that lead someone from Po Mountain Martial Arts Hall all the way here to Sun’s Martial Arts Hall in West City, specifically to question Yang Jing?’

Sun Yong’s mind raced. ’Could it not be about Shen Lie? Is it something else?’

After a moment of silence, he instructed the servant disciple, "Bring her to the inner courtyard."

"Yes," the servant disciple replied, then turned and quietly withdrew.

Only then did Sun Yong turn to Yang Jing, who had just finished his routine, and call out, "Jing’Er, come with me to the inner courtyard."

Yang Jing’s heart skipped a beat. He had caught a glimpse of the servant disciple whispering to his master out of the corner of his eye. Now, hearing his master call for him, he connected it to the recent news of Shen Lie’s murder and had a sinking feeling it was related.

’He just couldn’t figure out how they had set their sights on him so quickly.’

The feeling of unease made his chest tighten.

He took a deep breath, his face betraying no emotion as he answered respectfully, "Yes, Master."

One following the other, they passed through the Moon Gate and into the inner courtyard, deep within the Martial Arts Hall.

The inner courtyard was much quieter than the front. A few banana plants and stalks of green bamboo grew there, and the flagstone path was swept spotless.

Upon reaching the main building, Sun Yong sat down in the Grandmaster’s Chair at the head of the room and gestured to a pearwood chair below. "Sit."

Yang Jing did as he was told, sitting with his back ramrod straight.

They had just settled into their chairs when Sun Ningxiang passed by the doorway carrying a bamboo basket. It was filled with freshly picked vegetables, evidence she had just come from the garden patch in the backyard.

She wore a simple, moon-white dress, her long hair loosely tied in a bun. A few stray strands framed her cheeks, making her already gentle face appear even more refined and lovely. Her features held a soft, domestic warmth.

"Ning Xiang," Sun Yong called out.

Sun Ningxiang paused and turned around, a sweet smile instantly blooming on her face. "Father, what is it?"

"We’ll have a guest in a moment. Go brew a pot of tea," Sun Yong instructed. "Don’t use the good stuff."