Starting as a cowherd, he sought a way to cultivate immortality.

The carriage moved slowly through the streets of Youzhou Prefecture. Chen Chi was setting off today to return to Changqing.

Inside the carriage, Chen Chi and Zhou Meiniang sat facing each other.

Every smile and frown of Zhou Meiniang before me carried a subtle allure.

Thinking about the nearly ten-day journey ahead, Chen Chi couldn't help but feel irritable, so he simply closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

"Does Magistrate Chen dislike Meiniang so much that he won't even glance at me?" Zhou Meiniang said coquettishly.

Chen Chi kept his eyes closed, ignoring Zhou Meiniang's teasing.

"Miss Zhou is a martial artist at the Innate Realm; how could I dare to be disrespectful to her?"

Zhou Meiniang chuckled softly and leaned her delicate body closer to Chen Chi.

A delicate fragrance wafted into Chen Chi's nostrils, causing him to catch his breath.

"County Commandant Chen, there are only the two of us in this carriage, so why do you pretend to be so aloof from women?"

"Don't you have any interest in me at all?"

The next instant, Chen Chi opened his eyes, and Zhou Meiniang's bright face was only a palm's distance away from him.

Chen Chi noticed the fleeting panic in Zhou Meiniang's eyes.

He deliberately leaned his head forward, forcing Zhou Meiniang to pull herself back.

"Miss Zhou, why are you so eager to dodge after I revealed my true colors?" Chen Chi said calmly.

Zhou Meiniang blushed slightly and glared at Chen Chi:

"County Lieutenant Chen is too impatient."

Chen Chi remained noncommittal, gazing at the alluring beauty before him.

"There is something I am very interested in about Miss Zhou. I wonder if Miss Zhou could enlighten me?"

Zhou Meiniang's face once again showed that coy expression of reluctance and acceptance, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh? What is it about me that would interest County Magistrate Chen?"

As she spoke, she deliberately puffed out her chest.

Chen Chi remained calm and said:

"As someone who practices martial arts, I naturally know the difficulty of breaking through to higher realms. How did Miss Zhou, a woman, reach the Innate Realm?"

Zhou Meiniang chuckled, tidied her hair, revealing half of her snow-white wrist.

"Does Magistrate Chen look down on women?"

"My current position is naturally due to the help of Steward Yang."

As soon as she finished speaking, she lowered her eyes slightly and glanced at Chen Chi with a gentle, shimmering gaze.

Chen Chi shook his head, not believing that Zhou Meiniang was telling the truth.

But if you keep asking, Zhou Meiniang will only give you the runaround.

For a moment, the carriage fell silent again.

Half an incense stick later, the carriage suddenly stopped, and a voice calling for Chen Chi could be heard outside.

Chen Chi frowned and glanced at Zhou Meiniang opposite him.

"I am unaware of this matter," Zhou Meiniang said, a look of curiosity in her eyes.

Chen Chi lifted the thick carriage curtain and asked the coachman:

"What happened?"

The coachman moved aside, revealing a thin figure lying on the road in front of the carriage.

"County Commandant Chen, a little beggar from who-knows-where rushed to the front of the carriage, insisting on seeing you. He seems to have fainted now," the coachman said, still shaken.

Chen Chi climbed out of the carriage, jumped off, and walked to the little beggar.

The little beggar was disheveled and filthy, his clothes barely covering his body, and his face was completely bloodless in the cold wind.

Chen Chi felt that the little beggar's face was somewhat familiar. He bent down, grabbed the little beggar's arm, and channeled a wisp of pure energy into the little beggar's body.

A moment later, the little beggar's complexion turned rosy, and he slowly opened his eyes.

"Uncle Chen..."

"Are you Li Jing?" Chen Chi finally recognized the little beggar.

After participating in the military examination, Li Shouren of the Li Family Money Shop invited him to the Li family mansion. He had met Li Shouren's youngest son, Li Jing, at the banquet.

In just two short years, the once wealthy and handsome young man with rosy lips and white teeth has fallen to such a state of destitution.

Upon hearing Chen Chi call out his name, Li Jing burst into tears.

……

In an inn, after taking a bath and changing into new clothes, Li Jing told Chen Chi and Zhou Meiniang about his experiences.

It turns out that the Li family's money shop was implicated in the Crown Prince's rebellion and fell from grace overnight.

The Li family's money shop was shut down by the government, and Li Shouren was executed in the street for "secretly assisting the crown prince in his rebellion." His wives and concubines were sent to brothels, and all his children were exiled to the frontier. Only Li Jing was spared with the help of one of Li Shouren's close friends.

Now, Li Jing, who has become a beggar, relied on the last of his family's connections to find out that Chen Chi was about to leave Youzhou Prefecture, which is why he stopped him on the street.

Upon hearing this, Chen Chi recalled the scene of Li Shouren introducing the Li family garden to him.

"Your father was a kind man, I never expected him to end up like this," Chen Chi sighed.

Li Jing's eyes reddened slightly, and he immediately knelt down before Chen Chi.

"My nephew wishes to become Uncle Chen's apprentice and learn martial arts. I beg Uncle Chen to accept me as his student!"

Li Jing raised his head and met Chen Chi's gaze, a determined look in his eyes.

Chen Chi did not answer immediately, but asked:

"Why do you learn martial arts?"

"For revenge!"

"Whom should we seek revenge against?"

Li Jing clenched his fists, glanced at Zhou Meiniang sitting next to Chen Chi, and said nothing.

"This kid is quite clever." Zhou Meiniang winked at Chen Chi.

Chen Chi said calmly:

"Please feel free to speak."

Li Jing hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying:

"I will seek revenge on the Emperor!"

"Hehe..." Hearing Li Jing's words, Zhou Meiniang was amused and burst into laughter.

Chen Chi frowned slightly and looked at Li Jing.

"How will you seek revenge against the Emperor?"

"I will hone my lightness skill so I can infiltrate the palace and assassinate the Emperor!"

Chen Chi stared at Li Jing for a long time, then said softly:

"I can teach you martial arts, but I will not take you as my apprentice. From now on, we will still address each other as uncle and nephew."

Come back to Changqing County with me.

"Thank you, Uncle Chen!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing immediately kowtowed several times.

Zhou Meiniang covered her mouth and laughed:

"County Lieutenant Chen is truly a kind-hearted person."

Chen Chi turned his head and looked at Zhou Meiniang.

"Wasn't Miss Zhou staying at the Steward Yang's residence to assist him because of his kindness?"

Zhou Meiniang's expression changed slightly, as if Chen Chi's words had stirred up memories of the past.

Chen Chi smiled faintly.

"Changqing is a long way off, let's set off as soon as possible."

……

Nine days later, Chen Chi returned to Changqing County with Zhou Meiniang and Li Jing.

Fang Yong, who opened the gates of the Qin residence to greet her, widened his eyes in surprise when he saw Zhou Meiniang gracefully stepping down from the carriage.

"What are you standing there like an idiot for?" Chen Chi shouted.

Fang Yong then came to his senses and called to the servants behind him, who said in unison:

"Welcome back to the mansion, Master Chen!"

Chen Chi extended his left arm, facing Zhou Meiniang.

"Miss Zhou, please."

Zhou Meiniang stared at the conspicuous "Qin Mansion" plaque above the gate, a smile playing on her lips.

"County Commandant Chen, it seems you have a story you haven't told Meiniang."

Chen Chi remained calm: "My story is not worth mentioning."

Zhou Meiniang rolled her eyes at Chen Chi, then lightly lifted her lotus-like steps and slowly walked into the Qin Mansion.

Standing to the side, Fang Yong and several servants felt as if a spring breeze was blowing on their faces when Zhou Meiniang cast her gaze upon them.

"Fang Yong, take Miss Zhou to the hall to rest for a while, and quickly have someone prepare a room for her to stay in." Chen Chi walked up the steps and kicked Fang Yong.

Fang Yong cried out in pain, "Ouch!" before he came to his senses.

"Miss Zhou, this way please." Fang Yong smiled awkwardly.

"Thank you for your trouble," Zhou Meiniang said with a smile.

Fang Yong didn't dare to speak, but simply buried his head even deeper.

Chen Chi led Li Jing into the Qin residence and said to him:

"Besides me, there are two children living in this house, one five years old and the other two years old. They are the children of my deceased friend."

"When you learn martial arts at the manor, don't bully them."

Li Jing nodded and said solemnly, "Please rest assured, Uncle Chen."