My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

"Wan Xifeng, the person Wan Xifeng killed, was a newly-minted scholar named Du Bingkun. He came from a poor background but became Cui Bu's student, the Family Head of the main branch of the Cui family, due to his talent and learning."

"And then?"

"Although Du Bingkun came from poverty... it's said his father once saved a member of the Demon Sect back during his exam days. That member of the Demon Sect is said to be Gongsun Guan, the seventh-ranking expert under the heavens.

To repay this kindness, Gongsun Guan gifted Du Bingkun's father a piece of golden paper. This golden paper... I don't know its origins, but from my inquiries, it supposedly contains an exceedingly important Cultivation Technique from the Demon Sect."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi was slightly skeptical. On the surface, it sounded like a typical story of helping a great figure during their obscurity, but to casually gift such an important Cultivation Technique, even out of gratitude for saving one's life? It seemed excessive, especially since Gongsun Guan was a member of the Demon Sect.

"That's all?"

"Y-yes... that's all..."

Cheng Lin gasped for breath, blood still pouring from his arm. Chen Yi's series of questions earlier had left him no chance to stop the bleeding by sealing his acupoints.

"Thank you, Lord of the Zhi Ge Department... for sparing my life."

He deliberately emphasized the title "Zhi Ge Department," attempting to instill some hesitation in the man before him to prevent him from suddenly striking.

After all, those in the Zhi Ge Department were all entered into the Spring and Autumn Register.

Seeing Chen Yi remain motionless, Cheng Lin was about to extend his hand to press his acupoints.

Swish.

A head flew out, its neck wound gaping like a bowl, falling under Chen Yi's indifferent gaze. Cheng Lin died with his hand still in the motion of sealing his acupoints.

Chen Yi stood up and casually tore a piece of curtain from the side room, slowly wiping the blood off his blade, No Distractions.

The blade was a gift from Min Ning—her family's heirloom saber. Chen Yi could not treat it carelessly.

Outside the side room came hurried footsteps and the sounds of servants trying to stop someone.

Turning his head, Chen Yi saw Wu Qingsheng and Luo Nanwu rushing vehemently into the side room, their faces full of shock as they stared at the corpse on the ground and at Chen Yi, who was calmly wiping blood from his saber.

The sudden change left Wu Qingsheng visibly paler. He couldn't help but exclaim:

"Zunming, you—you… have you gone mad?"

Chen Yi replied nonchalantly, "He was deceiving me deliberately, leading us in the wrong direction. But now that the true path is clear, let's move on."

Wu Qingsheng's face froze momentarily. He then protested loudly:

"Have you lost your mind? Why did you kill him just like that?"

"He bore a grudge against me. If I didn't kill him, what should I have done? Wait for him to seek vengeance later or to leak information?"

Luo Nanwu, too, was stunned. Since joining the Zhi Ge Department, it had been a long time since he'd seen such unflinching decisiveness in killing, especially from someone already entered into the Register.

He hesitantly asked, "But didn't you just recently enter the Spring and Autumn Register?"

"A blade for killing thrives on swift satisfaction. If I can only kill ten people in my lifetime, yet still refrain now, then what's the point of attaining the Fourth Rank?"

"You—this is..."

Luo Nanwu was left speechless.

Chen Yi stepped past the two, speaking casually:

"He doesn't know our names. You won't say it, I won't say it, and no one will bother tracking down the Zhi Ge Department."

Luo Nanwu paused for a moment, realizing that Chen Yi had strategized everything in such a short span of time.

He couldn't help but feel a silent admiration in his heart.

Watching his former subordinate act this way, Wu Qingsheng felt it both reasonable and unreasonable. Frustrated, he burst out:

"If you meant to kill him, then why waste so much time talking to him?"

"To be polite. The Inspector-General demanded it."

Wu Qingsheng was momentarily dumbfounded but eventually let out a sigh, saying, "That Cheng Lin did indeed have some backing."

"So what of it? Can his backers overpower the Heavenly Family?"

"...But do you know? Cheng Lin was backed by the An family."

Wu Qingsheng sighed once more and said,

"That's the family related to the Empress Dowager..."

The Lin Party had already fallen, and the court was now split between the maternal An family and the Ding An faction, effectively dividing authority in two. Now that Chen Yi had killed Cheng Lin, he, who already had disputes with the Ding An faction, had once enjoyed some favor from the An family due to his merits in protecting the emperor. Yet with such actions, if the truth were exposed, at best, it could be seen as a way of fostering familiarity through conflict; at worst, it was a direct slap in their face.

"No worries."

Chen Yi remained indifferent.

He'd already made up his mind.

He would finish killing his ten people, enjoy the New Year, and then fall out with the An family.

...............…

"Elder, have you heard of Wan Xifeng?"

Three people sat aboard a small boat. The boatman, rowing steadily, heard the question and thought for a while before saying:

"Yes, I've heard of him. That man… well, he was an inveterate gambler. In his youth, he was a wastrel in Jiu'an Town. Despite his family possessing immense wealth, and his own decent Martial Arts skills, he still managed to squander everything. His father fell gravely ill, bedridden and without stability; Wan Xifeng scandalously squandered the family's assets, even pawning off their textile shops.

It's said his father died with his eyes wide open, unable to close them even in death. In his final moments, unable to curse him, his father clung to his hand, earnestly begging him to give up gambling and take care of his mother.

But alas, a person's nature is the hardest thing to change. After behaving well for two years, Wan Xifeng returned to the gambling dens, accumulating more debt. When the debt collectors came, he fled, leaving behind an almost empty home and an elderly woman. The debt collectors couldn't very well kill an old woman—bad for their reputation—and chose to spare her in exchange for some money, turning the act into a demonstration of Jianghu chivalry."

Luo Nanwu asked, "But wasn't he said to be very filial to his mother? How could he flee as soon as trouble arrived?"

"Exactly. That's why, years later, after wandering the Jianghu, he returned, got connected with the Lin—oh no, it should be Cui family by now. He went back to those same debt collectors, not only repaid everything, but even gave extra funds as gratitude for supporting his mother during difficult times. Since then, they called him the 'Li Kui of Jiangbei.'"

The old boatman rambled on. Years of ferrying passengers had given him plenty of stories to share.

He glanced at the three, noticing their weapons, and guessed something. Quickly, he said,

"Are you three here to settle a score with Wan Xifeng?"

Chen Yi neither nodded nor shook his head, remaining silent on the boat.

Seeing this, Wu Qingsheng replied, "Not exactly to seek revenge, just to deal with some trivial matters."

"There's no need to hide from an old boatman like me. Over the years, while those seeking revenge against Wan Xifeng are neither many nor few, in all my time ferrying travelers, none of them ever came back—every last one died."

The old boatman, sharp-witted, saw that the three men remained unfazed. Reluctant to see them heading toward certain death, he emphasized heavily:

"And more importantly, it's said his Martial Arts aren't any lesser than those of the West Factory's Chen Qianhu."

The three were momentarily taken aback.

After a long silence, Wu Qingsheng wondered if he'd misheard and asked again,

"Are you saying this man's Martial Arts are on par with the West Factory Thousand Households Officer Chen Zunming?"

The old boatman nodded. "Precisely. Ever since Chen Qianhu achieved great merit for protecting the emperor, the Jianghu has seen several claims of Martial Arts equal to his."

"..."

Chen Yi's expression became peculiar.

It seemed he'd become a figure of some renown himself.

The old boatman failed to notice this and continued, "Those who dare make such a claim? Most of them aren't seeking empty fame—they have some real ability. If you three are determined to go, I can't stop you. Well, we're almost there. Up ahead is Jiu'an Town."