Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 57 Knowing When to Speak (Seeking First Subscription)

Qin Heng and Fang Yu stood at the end of the line, their fists clenched tightly, and did not participate in the massacre.

Everyone was in a frenzy of killing; shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the sound of bones shattering mingled together, echoing through the valley.

Half an hour later, everything fell silent.

Of the 210 private soldiers of the Ming family, most were killed in battle. Ming Ruochuan, the head of the Ming family, fought his way out and stayed behind to cover the retreat. He ordered the elite members of the clan to protect Ming Lou and led a small number of men to successfully break through the encirclement and escape.

After Ming Ruochuan was exhausted, he slammed his head against a nearby boulder, his brains splattered open, and he died without ever begging for mercy.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Lie immediately mustered dozens of men and, without saying a word, followed the trail and sped off in the direction Ming Lou had fled, intending to eliminate him completely and leave no future trouble.

Cheng Yang strode forward, used his knife to lift Ming Yuanshan's head, and held it high.

"A great victory!" he shouted. "The bandit leader, Ming, has been wiped out! We have won a resounding victory in this battle!"

Sparse cheers echoed through the valley, their voices hoarse and trembling.

Before they even returned to the city, Cheng Yang immediately ordered the distribution of rewards. Cold silver coins were forcibly stuffed into everyone's hands, including Qin Heng and Fang Yu.

As evening approached that day, except for Cheng Lie's troops, the main army returned to the city.

On the way back to the city, not a single person in Wu Xiucai's group spoke; they all tacitly remained silent.

The massacre of the Ming family turned them all into accomplices in the conspiracy, including the forces behind them; none of them could escape.

Qin Heng, standing in the marching column, clutched the cold silver in his hand and glanced back at the direction of Black Wind Pass.

The setting sun dyed the valley a crimson red, and the wild grass rustled in the wind, the wind howling as if countless wronged souls were secretly weeping.

He slowly clenched his fist.

From today onwards, the sky over Heyang has turned completely dark.

As night fell, the army marched all the way to the outskirts of Heyang City. Ignoring the city's curfew, they forcibly knocked on the city gates and marched straight into the city.

After entering the city, the army split up on the spot. The martial arts scholars dispersed and went home, while the soldiers followed Cheng Yang without stopping for a moment, marching straight towards the inner city.

After saying goodbye to Fang Yu, Qin Heng walked alone towards Datong Street in the outer city. Looking at the quiet street, he couldn't help but think that if the news of the Ming family's destruction spread tomorrow, he wondered what kind of chaos this place would become.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Heyang City was in complete chaos.

The news of the Ming family's fratricide and extermination spread like wildfire throughout the city overnight. The entire city was gripped by fear; everyone whispered about it, but no one dared to speak aloud.

After having breakfast, Qin Heng greeted his sister and then strolled along Datong Street toward Cui's Pharmacy on the same street.

The days of bandit suppression had left him on edge, but he was finally able to catch up on a good night's sleep after arriving home, which helped him recover his energy.

The pedestrians on the street were all in a hurry, gathering in twos and threes, whispering in hushed tones.

Two elderly vendors, squatting under the eaves at a street corner, frowned and sighed softly, "What a tragedy! The Ming family, who had lived peacefully in Heyang for generations, were wiped out on charges of colluding with bandits. This is too strange."

Another person sighed and echoed, "It's truly a tragedy! In the past, the Ming family acted with integrity, and we small business owners always got fair prices from them. But then the Huang family took control of the market, and everything started going up in price. We had no choice but to bite the bullet and get ripped off. Sigh! Life is getting harder and harder."

Two scholars in long gowns passed by, also in a hurry, whispering to each other: "We can't stay in Heyang County any longer. It's really not advisable to stay any longer. We should hurry to the prefectural city to prepare for next year's civil service examination."

Another person nodded in agreement with a worried expression: "That's right. I have a close friend from school who has always been on good terms with the Ming family. Last night, he was taken away by the city defense soldiers for no reason, and now there is no news of him. We don't even know if he is alive or dead."

Several burly men from the marketplace gathered at the alley entrance, their expressions filled with fear: "Have you heard? Last night, the Ming family mansion in the inner city was completely breached by the city defense battalion. Everyone inside, young and old, perished!"

A person next to him quickly chimed in, his face filled with lingering fear: "My God, these people are too ruthless! The Ming family was one of the most powerful clans in Heyang, and they were wiped out just like that. From now on, we ordinary folks will really have to live with our tails between our legs."

Before long, Qin Heng arrived at the entrance of Cui's Pharmacy.

He glanced at the shop, which looked exactly the same as it had been more than half a month ago, and then gently pushed the door open and went inside.

Cui Ran was standing in front of the counter, watching the apprentices in the shop count the medicinal herbs, while Cui Xu was beside him, helping the accountant check the daily accounts.

The two looked up at the sound, and when they saw it was Qin Heng, their faces immediately lit up with warm and genuine smiles.

"Xiao Heng! Scholar Gong! You're finally back!"

Cui Ran immediately greeted him with a smile, her tone gentle: "Look at you, you've gotten so thinner after being gone for almost half a month! Come on in and let's chat in the private room!"

Cui Xu, along with all the shop assistants, bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Scholar Qin."

"Uncle Cui!"

Qin Heng smiled and cupped his hands in response, then nodded slightly to Cui Xu and the others before following Cui Ran into the inner room.

The private room was quiet and elegant. After the maids brought in two cups of warm Qimen black tea, they quietly withdrew and closed the door behind them.

Cui Ran gestured for Qin Heng to sit down, then sat down in the chair opposite him. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and the smile on his face slowly faded, his expression gradually becoming serious.

"Xiao Heng, what exactly happened with this bandit suppression? How did you so readily conclude that the Ming family was colluding with bandits and wipe them out without warning?" Cui Ran put down his teacup, his brows furrowed. "Sigh! With the Ming family wiped out, one of the three forces is gone, the balance of power is broken, and our Cui, Zhang, and Xu families have no buffer. From now on, we will have to face the garrison and the Huang family head-on."

He pressed his fingertips heavily on the edge of the table, his tone full of anxiety and resentment: "I don't know how the master family does things."

How could the garrison and the Huang family have so easily wiped out the Ming family! This has created a huge problem. Now that the Ming family is no longer there to stop them, they'll come knocking on our door sooner or later!

Qin Heng did not respond to this, his fingertips gently stroking the edge of the warm teacup, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

Even before this campaign to suppress bandits, he had already considered changing his post to another location.

Cui Ran had indeed provided him with financial assistance before he rose to prominence, and he remembered this kindness and never forgot it.

But let's put aside the monthly salary given by the Cui family, it's less than 70% of the monthly salary of an ordinary internal strength martial artist on the market.

The situation in Heyang is now out of control. Without the Ming family to restrain them, the garrison and the Huang family have no more scruples and have begun to expand their influence in all directions.

Once the Ming family's assets are completely absorbed, they may turn their attention to the Cui, Zhang, and Xu families.

Although he remembered the past favors, he also knew what was important and naturally could not stay here any longer.

"Uncle Cui." Qin Heng picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression still unwavering. "I remember you mentioned several times before that after I reached the Inner Strength stage, you had something important you wanted me to help you with. What exactly is it? Now you can tell me."

Upon hearing this, Cui Ran's heart sank slightly, and he instantly understood Qin Heng's intentions. It seemed that once this matter was resolved, Qin Heng would be leaving.

Thinking of this, he felt helpless and regretful. However, he also knew that Qin Heng was now a martial arts scholar, and his vision and strength were no longer what they used to be. In addition, the current situation was dangerous. He was just a branch family member and did not have enough reward or ability to keep him.

Qin Heng's willingness to stay on temporary assignment with low pay after his past relationship with An Jin was already a way of repaying a favor, and An Jin had no right to demand more.

Cui Ran sighed and said in a low voice, "Since you asked, Xiao Heng, I won't beat around the bush. It's a martial arts competition for the branch families set by our main family, and the date is six days from now."

He paused, his face full of sorrow, and continued, "Our Cui family has a tradition that every year each branch must send someone to compete in a martial arts contest. Based on their ranking, they will be allocated shares of medicinal herbs, procurement quotas, and shop locations for the year. The higher the ranking, the more benefits they will receive. My branch has been at the bottom for seven consecutive years."

Qin Heng listened quietly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke, his tone frank and straightforward: "Uncle Cui, we're all reasonable people, let's not beat around the bush."

I can help you with this, but once this is over, I'm afraid I'll have to resign from my temporary position at the pharmacy.

Upon hearing this, Cui Ran's face darkened. Although he had expected it, he still couldn't hide his disappointment and melancholy when he actually heard these words.

But he was a man of many experiences and worldly wisdom, and after a moment's thought, he readily nodded in agreement.

People should learn to be sensible and content; forcing things is useless, and getting entangled in them is pointless.

Since we can't keep Qin Heng, we should let go gracefully and preserve our dignity.