39: Don't bother with the dead

Miss Xu, after all, still entered the He Family.

Although she had a birthmark on her Face, she could still qualify as a rough servant girl.

Ever since discovering Miss Xu, Chu Qing had been staring intently.

A steward from the He Family noticed and sneered disdainfully.

The steward’s son whispered, “Father, why is that guy staring at us?”

The steward laughed, “Just envy and jealousy.”

“The gangs look impressive, but in reality, they are just Big Shots’ lackeys.”

“They can only ever eat scraps.”

The steward’s son glanced at Chu Qing with contempt, disdainfully saying, “Becoming a hooligan at such a young age is shameful.”

“You guys keep an eye on things, I’m going back for a bit.”

Seeing Miss Xu leave with a group of women, Chu Qing quietly followed.

Half an hour later:

Miss Xu and many others entered a large courtyard.

“This is an asset of the He Family Stronghold, the large residence of Young Master He Qi.”

Miss Xu might have the shizhu pearl on her, and he absolutely had to get his hands on it.

And quickly.

Otherwise:

Accidents could easily happen.

“So, tonight, I must obtain the shizhu pearl.”

However, the He Family held great power and influence; with his status, he definitely couldn't achieve it through regular means.

“Perhaps I can ask Madam Jin for help.”

Half an hour later:

Chu Qing and Madam Jin sat at a dining table, eating and conversing softly.

“Godmother, I met the daughter of an old acquaintance, but she entered the He Family as a servant.”

“I want to ask Godmother to intervene and get her out.”

Madam Jin’s moth-like brows furrowed slightly as she pondered, then said, “It’s not easy.”

Chu Qing wondered, “You are a Hall Master’s wife; isn’t it easy to ask the He Family for a servant?”

Madam Jin sighed softly and said, “If the He Family were a prominent family in the county, a Hall Master’s wife would still have Face.”

“But… their Foundation is in the Fortified Manor outside.”

“Wubao Disciples are the most arrogant and overbearing; besides Chief Constable Shi and a few others, they don’t care about anyone else.”

Chu Qing frowned, feeling that things would not be easy.

Seeing his worry, Madam Jin felt distressed and comforted him, saying, “Let’s eat first.”

“We’ll go try later.”

“Alright!”

An hour later:

Madam Jin sat in a palanquin, with Chu Qing and Xiao Tao Hong accompanying her on either side, heading straight for the He Family’s grand residence.

There was a servant boy at the entrance. Chu Qing cupped his fists to announce himself, but the servant boy coldly said, “Wait!”

One minute… ten minutes… Chu Qing waited, his heart burning with impatience.

It wasn’t until half an hour later that a butler came out.

Madam Jin stepped out of the palanquin and said delicately, “Butler He, my Qing’er has the daughter of an old acquaintance who has fallen into your esteemed household as a servant. We only ask Butler He to show mercy and allow us to redeem her.”

Madam Jin’s posture was very humble.

However, Butler He sneered, “There is no such thing as redeeming a He Family servant.”

“Even if they die, they are still ghosts of the He Family; they must go to The Underworld to serve the He Family’s masters and mistresses.”

Chu Qing grabbed a handful of silver and handed it to Butler He.

“Lord He, please be accommodating.”

Butler He sneered, casually throwing thebroken silver to the ground, and reprimanded, “What kind of thing are you?”

“Are you testing me with this?”

“Do you believe I’ll call people to beat you to death?”

The surrounding He Family servants chuckled, “With just this much money, you want to take someone from the He Family?”

“Even ten times that amount wouldn’t be enough.”

Chu Qing smiled, “The servants you recruit are recruited for free. My twenty or thirty taels of silver are more than enough.”

“How about we give each other some Face?”

Butler He sneered, sizing up Chu Qing disdainfully, “What kind of things are you? Face? Do you have any?”

Madam Jin, beside him, trembled with anger, pointing her small finger at Butler He, and furiously said, “A mere little butler, so arrogant, aren’t you afraid of being hacked to death by random blades on the street?”

Butler He glared, pointed at Madam Jin, and sneered, “I know you, that barren woman of Hall Master Jin from the Blood River Gang.”

“Even your gang leader speaks to me in a hushed tone.”

“You dare to threaten me?”

Madam Jin’s Face grew even paler with anger, her lips trembling.

Chu Qing sighed inwardly, then gently helped her into the palanquin: “Let’s go, let’s go back first.”

The sedan bearers immediately left, several times faster than when they arrived.

Butler He reprimanded, “Who told you to leave?”

Chu Qing said nothing, turned, and also left.

Butler He sneered, “You wait. Tonight, I will make you and that barren hussy kneel here all night.”

Chu Qing stopped, expressionless, and looked at him.

In an instant:

Butler He felt a chill run down his spine.

He felt as if he were a pig, and the other person was the butcher.

“He… wants to kill me?”

The next second, Chu Qing smiled and turned to leave.

He wanted to kill.

But not now.

Because:

He felt that killing on a stormy night could not only wipe out an entire family but also allow him to plunder their gains.

If he killed an enemy during the day and stooped to pick things up, with so many people watching, it would be undignified!

…Jin Family:

Madam Jin was crying.

Back then, when she was in the Prefecture, no one had ever humiliated her like this.

Today, however, she was publicly cursed by a Fortified Manor steward.

A grave insult.

She gritted her silver teeth and said to Xiao Tao Hong, “Go, call that dead guy back.”

Xiao Tao Hong immediately went out.

Chu Qing apologized, “Godmother, it’s all my fault.”

Madam Jin took a deep breath and softly said, “It’s not your business.”

“I knew the people from the Fortified Manor were arrogant, but I didn’t expect them to be this arrogant.”

“That Butler He, he went too far, he… he actually said that about me.”

Chu Qing smiled, “Godmother, there’s no need to bicker with a dead man.”

Madam Jin panicked and grabbed him, saying,

“Qing’er, what do you mean?”

Chu Qing smiled and deceptively said, “Once I enter the Martial Academy, with my student status, I’ll slowly deal with him.”

Only then did Madam Jin relax.

Just now, she had a feeling that Chu Qing wanted to kill Butler He.

“Fortunately, Qing’er still has his sanity.”

Chu Qing chatted with Madam Jin for a while longer and then left.

Madam Jin’s mind was in turmoil, so she didn’t keep him for dinner.

Not long after Chu Qing left, Jin Pangzi returned, smiling, “Madam, don’t be angry anymore.”

“I’ve settled it with Butler He. Tomorrow, you can have Chu Qing bring that servant out.”

Madam Jin said coolly, “How much silver did you give them?”

Jin Pangzi chuckled and held up one finger.

“One hundred taels?”

Jin Pangzi nodded.

Madam Jin said disappointedly, “Jin Yiren… you shouldn’t have given them money.”

Jin Pangzi, Jin Yiren’s expression became serious, because his wife rarely called him by his full name.

When she did, it always meant the matter was serious.

“Madam…”

Madam Jin said coldly, “How many years has it been since you killed someone?”

Jin Yiren fell silent.

Madam Jin then said, “Tonight, kill Butler He.”

Jin Yiren whispered, “Jianghu isn’t about fighting and killing; it’s about human relations.”

“It’s not worth it for a servant.”

Madam Jin said angrily, “Is it about a servant? He said I, Zhou Qingyu, am a barren hussy.”

“If you don’t kill him, I’ll write to my father and have him find someone to kill him.”

Jin Yiren sighed, “Madam… why go to such lengths?”

“My father-in-law is also having a difficult time in the Prefecture City; let’s not disturb him.”

Jin Yiren only wanted to wait peacefully until the end of the year to go to the Prefecture City.

Madam Jin said disappointedly, “Jin Yiren, you’ve changed.”

“You are no longer the spirited Genius youth you once were.”

Jin Yiren… was silent.

Dusk fell:

Chu Qing ate his fill and drank his fill, waiting quietly.

He was waiting, waiting for the night to deepen further.

After all:

A quiet, deep night is good for killing.

Originally, he didn’t want to kill, after all, the opponent was the He Family Stronghold; if someone died, it would certainly be troublesome.

But… he couldn’t swallow that insult.

He had endured from the afternoon until now, and he had reached his limit.

“I’ve changed!”

Before, he would wait a few days, then find an opportunity to deal with his enemies.

But now, he couldn’t endure even a single day.

“When I was weak before, I could endure.”

“But I’ve already cultivated over a hundred Iron Tendons; if I still endure, why bother practicing cultivation?”

With a sharp blade in his heart, the intent to kill arose naturally!

“Tonight, I will dye the stormy wind red with the He Family’s blood!”