Morning.

Jiang Chi opened his eyes.

Su Qianxue was still asleep, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Last night... they had been up until midnight again.

She was so exhausted that she couldn't wake up.

At this moment, Su Qianxue's veil was gone, revealing her skin that was as smooth as snow last night, now covered with a layer of red spots.

Upon closer inspection, Jiang Chi could still see her perfect features.

A delicate nose, red lips, eyebrows like dark ink, a perfect jawline, and a slender neck.

It was only because of those red spots that at a glance, people were scared and repulsed, not daring to look closer to discover the true beauty beneath.

To completely cure these red spots, would it require a Tianshan Snow Lotus and someone at the Grandmaster Realm?

Jiang Chi got out of bed.

[Ding! Sleep cultivation complete.]

[Progress of "Five-Animal Transformation Art": 89%.]

[Deer Form: Great Perfection, Tiger Form: Great Perfection, Bear Form: 95%, Crane Form: 85%, Ape Form: 65%.]

[Progress of "Demon-Subduing Pure Yang Saber Art": 0%.]

[Current realm: Great Perfection Martial Apprentice Realm.]

Jiang Chi clenched his fist.

Great Perfection Martial Apprentice Realm.

Just one more day of sleep, and he could reach the Martial Artist Realm.

In the Martial Artist Realm, True Qi could be projected, harming others from a distance.

The Martial Artist Realm was truly entering the realm of martial arts experts.

Jiang Fei was also at this realm, and at the 2nd Layer.

In a few days, Jiang Fei should no longer be a match for him.

But there was still some distance to go before he could contend with the Jiang Family's elders and his second uncle.

They were all Martial Masters at the Spirit Gathering Realm.

Jiang Chi reminded himself.

No rush, stay steady!

Without absolute certainty, he must not take risks lightly.

At the same time.

Jiang Family.

Jiang Wanling stood in the main hall, a corpse laid before him.

A martial academy apprentice had died tragically.

Beside the corpse was a token—Flying Cloud Stronghold.

"Flying Cloud Stronghold."

Jiang Wanling's voice was as cold as ice.

"Killing someone from the Jiang Family and leaving a token to provoke us?"

Jiang Fei stood below, not daring to lift his head.

"Father, Flying Cloud Stronghold has indeed been quite arrogant lately. Last time they robbed a convoy, ten people died. Could it be because we took action?"

Jiang Wanling stood up,

"Regardless of the reason, anyone who kills someone from the Jiang Family must pay the price."

"Investigate. Find their base outside the city and report back to me."

......

Flying Cloud Stronghold.

Hu Tianba sat on a tiger-skin chair, with a corpse laid before him as well.

The scout's face was caved in, killed with a single punch.

In the corpse's hand was a jade pendant—belonging to a Jiang Family steward.

"Jiang Wanling."

Hu Tianba gritted his teeth.

"Killing someone from Flying Cloud Stronghold."

The second-in-command leaned over.

"Chieftain, the Jiang Family is not to be trifled with..."

"Not to be trifled with?"

Hu Tianba slammed the table.

"And Flying Cloud Stronghold is easy to bully? Do they think we have no one?"

Escort Agency!

Jiang Chi sat in the gatehouse, originally planning to sneak in a nap to reach the Gathering Qi Realm sooner.

But Little He kept coming over to chat with Jiang Chi.

"Brother Chi, did you hear? Something big happened last night."

Jiang Chi responded casually.

"What big thing?"

"Someone from your Jiang Family killed someone from Flying Cloud Stronghold."

Jiang Chi frowned slightly at He Xiaonian.

He Xiaonian gave an awkward smile.

"Ah, not your Jiang Family, just that bastard Jiang Family."

"This is going to be quite a show!"

Jiang Chi asked casually.

"What? Have the two sides started fighting?"

He Xiaonian shook his head.

"No, there's no news yet. Both sides aren't easy to deal with, so they're probably being cautious."

Jiang Chi "oh"ed, thinking to himself.

"Looks like I need to add fuel to the fire!"

Evening.

Jiang Chi closed the door and headed home.

Su Qianxue was cooking at the stove, and when she heard him, she turned around.

"Brother Chi, you're back?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Chi sat down, and Su Qianxue brought the food over.

A bowl of brown rice, a plate of greens, and an egg.

She placed the egg in Jiang Chi's bowl.

"You eat."

"Half for each of us."

Jiang Chi split the egg and put half in her bowl.

Su Qianxue wanted to refuse, but seeing Jiang Chi's look, she lowered her head and took a small bite.

Her lips curved into a smile.

"Did you go out today?" Jiang Chi asked.

Su Qianxue's hand paused.

"I went to the market."

"Did anything happen?"

Jiang Chi was still worried about her being bullied by the Jiang Family's servants like before, so he asked.

"No."

Su Qianxue kept her head down, "It's just... I ran into some people from the Su Family."

Jiang Chi looked at her.

"People from the Su Family?"

"Su Wanqing and Su Wanrong."

Su Qianxue's voice was very soft, "They... said a few things."

"What did they say?"

"Nothing much."

Su Qianxue looked up and smiled.

"Just some idle talk, I don't care about it."

Jiang Chi looked at her; she cared, but he didn't press further.

"Be careful when you go out. Don't go too far alone."

"Okay."

After dinner, Su Qianxue went to wash the dishes.

Jiang Chi sat on the doorstep, looking at the persimmon tree.

Moonlight flickered on the leaves.

Su Wanqing, Su Wanrong, he noted these two names in his heart.

Late at night.

Su Qianxue was asleep.

Jiang Chi watched her sleep, then got up and walked into the courtyard, gazing in the direction of the Jiang Family.

The Jiang Family and Flying Cloud Stronghold were holding back well.

Looks like it's time to add some fuel to the fire.

Jiang Chi slipped out of the courtyard.

The next day.

Morning.

Jiang Chi had already reached the 1st-Layer Martial Artist Realm!

[Progress of "Five-Animal Transformation Art": 93%.]

[Deer Form: Great Perfection, Tiger Form: Great Perfection, Bear Form: Great Perfection, Crane Form: Great Perfection, Ape Form: 85%.]

[Progress of "Demon-Subduing Pure Yang Saber Art": 0%.]

[Current realm: 1st-Layer Martial Artist Realm.]

He went to the escort agency.

He Xiaonian, as usual, came over to gossip with Jiang Chi.

"Brother Chi, something big happened. A Jiang Family warehouse was burned by Flying Cloud Stronghold. Who would've thought Flying Cloud Stronghold would make such a big move!"

"I wonder what was in that warehouse, if it was important."

"Silks, very valuable!"

Jiang Chi said offhandedly.

"Hmm? How do you know?"

Jiang Chi didn't answer, thinking, "Because I set the fire."

"Oh! I forgot you used to be..."

He Xiaonian didn't finish his sentence.

Jiang Chi gave an awkward smile.

"This morning, on my way to the escort agency, I saw that Young Master Fei from the Jiang Family leading people out of the city on horseback, probably heading to Flying Cloud Stronghold."

Jiang Chi didn't speak, silently thinking.

"Jiang Fei, be careful not to die at someone else's hands, wait for me..."

He Xiaonian: "Tsk tsk tsk, this is going to be a fierce battle!"

The ruins of the Jiang Family warehouse were still smoldering with thick black smoke.

Outside the city.

Jiang Fei had already led the Jiang Family elders in a battle at Flying Cloud Stronghold.

The burning of this warehouse had enraged the entire Jiang Family.

No one knew how Flying Cloud Stronghold got such accurate information.

The Jiang Family had so many properties, shops, and warehouses.

Yet they targeted the most expensive warehouse.

Inside were the most precious silks from Jiangnan, worth thirty thousand taels of silver.

The entire Jiang Family was in an uproar.

They wanted to skin everyone in Flying Cloud Stronghold alive.

Jiang Fei was furious, leading six clan elders and nearly a hundred martial academy members to attack Flying Cloud Stronghold.

Swearing to leave no one alive, not even animals, and to split every worm in half to quell their anger.

After a brutal battle.

The Jiang Family lost two clan elders and thirty martial academy apprentices.

Another huge expense.

Jiang Fei only suffered a minor arm injury, nothing serious.

In this battle.

Flying Cloud Stronghold's chieftain Hu Tianba narrowly escaped, but all 87 people in the stronghold, men, women, and children, were wiped out.

They set fire to the stronghold.

An eye for an eye!

A pyrrhic victory.

Even though the Jiang Family had wiped out Flying Cloud Stronghold, they couldn't celebrate.

Jiang Fei led the Jiang Family members back slowly.

As they passed a forest, he suddenly turned his horse.

"Young Master! Where are we going?"

"To the ancestral residence for a look!"

They rode to the Jiang Family Ancestral Residence.

Jiang Fei pushed open the door.

The house was empty, the stove cold, covered in dust.

No one had lived there for a long time.

He glanced around, about to leave, when he suddenly stopped.

In the corner was a pile of bones. He squatted down and picked one up.

Wolf bones, upon closer inspection, they were broken.

Jiang Fei squinted.

Who broke a wolf?

A waste?

He stood up, walked out, and into the courtyard.

An old locust tree, its trunk covered in dense fist marks.

Some deep, some shallow.

The deep ones had shattered bark, exposing the white wood beneath.

Jiang Fei touched the fist marks.

His expression darkened.

Search "pawread dot com" for the original.

"How long did that waste Jiang Chi live here?"

The servant shook his head.

"Don't... don't know."

Jiang Fei stood under the tree, looking at the fist marks, silent for a long time.

A waste could kill a wolf?

A waste could leave fist marks on a tree?

Jiang Fei didn't know, but he felt something was off.

Jiang Fei's voice was cold.

"Find him, dig three feet deep if you have to, but find that waste."

"Yes."