Chapter 5: Reunion and Threat

Galloping on horseback, the hundred-mile journey passed in the blink of an eye.

Yandu City remained as prosperous as ever. Chen Fan led his horse into the city, yet no one recognized him as the very Chen Fan whose name had been on the lips of every martial artist in Yandu for the past two years.

He did not return directly to the White Cloud Dojo. Instead, he headed to the Martial Arts Academy’s administrative office. He immediately reported the news of the strange monster attacks on humans, handed over the carcass of the creature, and specified the location where it had appeared. The Academy maintained grandmaster-level experts within Yandu City, and any subsequent investigation or extermination efforts would be coordinated with the city’s authorities. Having delivered the report, Chen Fan thought little of it, bade them farewell, and returned to the White Cloud Dojo.

Only after meeting Dong Guozhi did he finally drop the disguise maintained by the "Heavenly Heart Formless Art."

"I heard you’ve already broken through to the fifth stage of the martial path?" Dong Guozhi had been keeping tabs on Chen Fan’s performance at the Academy through Ye Wuji, and he was naturally delighted to see his disciple return.

Chen Fan chuckled, cupping his hands in a salute. "Master, I have reached the Bone-Forging Realm."

Dong Guozhi burst into hearty laughter. "A fifth-stage martial artist at sixteen! Hahaha, even your martial uncle wasn't that impressive at sixteen!"

In truth, Chen Fan had broken through to the fifth stage last year, and at this moment, he was already more than seventy percent of the way toward completing the Bone-Forging Realm.

...

Because Chen Fan had not completed all his assigned tasks, he did not expose his true identity in Yandu City. He had long since sent a message by carrier pigeon, asking his master to help mobilize the resources of the White Cloud Dojo to assist in finishing them. With the locations of the remaining targets now confirmed, Chen Fan once again donned his "Heavenly Heart Formless Art" disguise and left Yandu City.

Given his current ranking, the tasks he accepted were primarily aimed at those with sixth-stage strength. The difficulty of missions at this level was significantly higher than before; it was no longer a simple matter of traveling to a location and killing someone.

The occasional sixth-stage monster that crossed his path was easily dispatched, unable to withstand a single strike of Chen Fan’s blade. However, sixth-stage martial artists—especially those in remote areas—were often individuals capable of establishing their own factions. While these factions might not be massive, the people involved brought complex entanglements. Even with his master’s assistance, Chen Fan encountered numerous obstacles.

It took two full days. Of the five tasks, he completed four. One ended in an accident due to faulty intelligence. That specific mission was a kill order; the target was the master of a county-level dojo. The reason for his inclusion on the Academy’s bounty list was unknown, and the mission instructions consisted only of the word "exterminate."

Unfortunately, by the time Chen Fan arrived, the man had already vanished without a trace. Since the mission was valid long-term, Chen Fan instructed the White Cloud Dojo disciples to help gather information in the surrounding area before returning to Yandu City.

Having essentially completed his tasks, he saw no need to hide his tracks upon reaching his home base. He had only just arrived at the dojo when he was immediately sent by his master to the Ye residence, carrying gifts of all sizes.

The members of the Ye family, seeing their future son-in-law, were incredibly attentive and hospitable, treating him with a warmth that left even the reserved Chen Fan feeling somewhat embarrassed. Upon hearing the news, Ye Wushuang himself returned from the Bijing Sect and held a long conversation with Chen Fan. Throughout the talk, he spoke as an elder concerned for his junior... Afterward, the Ye family had Ye Yunxin bring many gifts to accompany Chen Fan back to the White Cloud Dojo as a return gesture.

As the carriage pulled up to the gate of the dojo, Chen Fan helped Ye Yunxin carry the various packages inside. By chance, they ran into his senior sister, Yun Wei, who was playing with little Chen Xi at the entrance.

Little Chen Xi was nearly six years old now and had begun attending a local school near the dojo. The girl loved to eat and had a healthy appetite; she had grown quite plump over the past few months, her round, chubby face looking incredibly adorable.

"Senior Sister!" Ye Yunxin, who knew Yun Wei, greeted her with a blushing face.

Yun Wei smiled. "Sister Ye, it’s been a long time."

"Little Daddy!" The little girl was overjoyed to see Chen Fan again and threw herself into his arms.

Yun Wei looked at the girl with a wry smile. "I spend every day with you, yet you aren't nearly as close to me as you are to your little uncle."

Little Chen Xi immediately turned around and ran over to hug Yun Wei’s leg. "Sister Yun Wei, you are just as dear to me as Uncle is!"

After starting school, the little girl had learned that "Little Daddy" was just a colloquialism and that "Uncle" was the proper title. However, she called Chen Fan "Uncle" while calling Yun Wei—who was already over twenty-five—"Sister," creating a chaotic web of address.

Yun Wei bent down, wrapped her arms around the little girl, and giggled. Her curious eyes kept darting toward Ye Yunxin, who stood at Chen Fan’s side. She leaned in close to whisper, "Who is this sister?"

Yun Wei said with a playful glint in her eyes, "This is your future aunt..."

The little girl’s eyes went wide. She looked Ye Yunxin up and down, scrutinizing her carefully. Ye Yunxin, face flushed, bent down to stroke the little girl’s hair. In a flurry of motion, she searched her pockets and produced a crescent-shaped pendant, gifting it to the child.

"Thank you, Auntie," the little girl said sweetly, which only served to make Ye Yunxin blush even more deeply. Chen Fan watched the scene with a deadpan expression.

...

Later, Yun Wei mentioned that after school each day, Chen Xi loved to wander around the dojo, watching people practice martial arts and mimicking their moves, clearly eager to learn. Whether she would eventually embark on the martial path depended on her innate talent. She was far too young now; even with the indulgence of her grand-master, Dong Guozhi, it was impossible for her to begin training.

However, with the support of the White Cloud Dojo and her uncle, Chen Fan, she would be able to become a standard martial artist with ease, provided her talent wasn't so poor that she couldn't even master a third-rate manual.

Once Chen Fan revealed himself in Yandu City, news of his return quickly reached the eyes of those with ulterior motives.

...

In a certain mansion in Yandu City, inside a hidden room, an old man in a black cloak stared at the man before him.

"Can you confirm... that Chen Fan has returned to Yandu City?" His tone carried a hint of agitation.

Opposite him, a middle-aged man in luxurious robes knelt. The man’s eyes were burning with intensity. "My scouts spotted Chen Fan within the city. It has been confirmed multiple times—it is indeed him!"

The old man’s eyes gleamed. He immediately ordered, "Raise the monitoring level on Chen Fan to the highest priority. Keep a constant watch on his movements. You must keep a tight grip on him!"

The middle-aged man nodded. "I have already ordered men to tail him. I have even dispatched our best master of disguise. There is no way he can slip past us..."

The old man nodded, his eyes flashing. "The brat is only sixteen, yet he is the weakest of the third-tier targets in Qinghe Prefecture! If we can successfully eliminate him, our years of hiding will have been worth it. We can earn a massive reward and leave the Great Qian Empire!"

"However, even if he is the weakest, he reached the sixth-stage level half a year ago. Though he hasn't shown his true strength since, he entered a special secret realm; I estimate his improvement should be significant. Only by acting myself can I ensure he is killed..."

The middle-aged man shook his head. "But Chen Fan’s master, Dong Guozhi, is an eighth-stage martial artist. Our Wujian Sect in Qinghe Prefecture only has one eighth-stage expert, and you, Hall Master, have only just reached the seventh stage. You likely wouldn't be a match for Dong Guozhi..."

The old man sighed. "Naturally, we cannot make a move within Yandu City. But Chen Fan will leave Yandu sooner or later. His master cannot accompany him forever. Watch him closely; we will surely find our opportunity..."

"I only wonder if Chen Fan knows that he has been placed on the Wujian Sect’s hit list. If he knows, completing this mission will be difficult."

The Great Qian Empire possessed its own specialized intelligence agencies. The Wujian Sect’s secret agents were caught from time to time, and while some sensitive intelligence might not have been fully leaked, the existence of an assassination list was something the Great Qian Empire was naturally aware of.