Chapter 133: Great Accomplishment in the Path of the Fist

Chapter 133: The Great Completion of the Fist Way

The night had fallen earlier than usual over Chengdu, shrouded in the dimness of gathering clouds.

By the time the ninth hour of the evening passed, the sky had grown dark as though a great gloom had settled over the land.

On either side of Kangning Street, lanterns glowing with a soft, luminous white light flickered in the dusk.

Some bore the plain, unadorned paper of purity, while others bore inked characters—“Medicine,” “Books,” or “Cloth”—each one a quiet sentinel for the travelers who passed beneath them.

They lit the way for all who came before them, as if the city itself had taken up a torch.

Chen Yi walked along the edge of the cobblestones, his oil-paper umbrella lifted gently against the rain, careful not to impede the passage of carts and carriages.

The fine drizzle pattered against the umbrella in a steady, whispering rhythm—tap, tap, tap—mingling with the drone of cicadas and the clatter of wheels on stone.

Around him, voices rose and fell in laughter and idle chatter, the hum of a city alive with its own particular kind of fire.

Yet none of it reached his ears.

His senses had long since withdrawn into themselves, leaving his eyes to function like clockwork, guiding him only when obstacles demanded a turn left or right.

All his thoughts were fixed upon the tower where he had hidden.

Again and again, he replayed in his mind the brief exchange he had overheard—three breaths’ worth of sound, no more.

There was the voice of Xue Dongchen, the murmur of Chen Yunfan, the hushed tones of the maidservant from the Xu family’s household, and beneath it all, the layered conversations from the hall and the chambers above.

Most of it was fragmentary—a half-sentence here, a meaningless particle there.

“…as Liu the Master once…,” one had murmured.

“…a tiger among women, not to be compared with Brother Xue and his wife…”

What did that mean?

Without thinking, Chen Yi stitched together the scattered words, filling in the gaps with adjectives—“gorgeous as spring moonlight,” “as smooth as jade,” “radiant as a beauty.”

The phrases were disjointed, half-formed, but they left behind a few coherent threads.

The maidservant’s words, when filtered through his understanding, held little value regarding Ma Liang’s affairs.

Yet a few details remained, and with them, the names of those who had spoken.

In his mind, a theory took shape:

“The matter discussed in the hidden chamber must have concerned Xue Dongchen alone.”

“He likely sought to slip away from Chen Yunfan’s sight, trading secrets with another.”

Time was short, and silence was essential—any sound would draw the attention of Chen Yunfan and the Xu family’s servants.

“Perhaps he had written the report in advance, or dipped his brush in water to inscribe it without a sound, passing information covertly.”

Chen Yi reasoned thus, then, placing himself in Xue Dongchen’s place, asked: What would *I* consider a matter of consequence in this moment?

Could it be the sabotage of the mountain tribe’s trade with the Dunyuan army?

No—that did not fit.

What of burning the granaries of San, Bei, and Tuo?

There was merit in that possibility.

Yet based on what he had heard, Xue Dongchen’s true aim seemed tied to an alliance with Ge Lao San.

The remaining threads pointed to the affairs of the Border Affairs Office, and the growing strife between the Xue and Liu clans.

As he pondered this, his thoughts drifted back to the present.

He pressed a hand to his brow, blinking slowly as if to clear a fog.

After a long while, he returned to his earlier conclusion:

Xue Dongchen sought to profit from the conflict between the Xue and Liu families.

Like before, he would likely employ the same method—setting fire to the San, Bei, and Tuo granaries, disrupting the trade routes.

This time, he would probably repeat his old scheme, his purpose clear: to inflame the feud between the Xue and Liu clans, to plunge the Xue family into chaos.

“Only then would it align with the goals of Er Fang—the second wife—who sought to seize control of the entire Xue lineage.”

From outcome to objective, the logic was sound.

But how exactly would Xue Dongchen and Er Fang carry out their plan?

What schemes had they concocted for their unseen agents?

As Chen Yi wrestled with these questions, the sound of horse hooves and cart wheels reached his ears.

Then, a familiar voice whispered beside him:

“Master, why do you linger at the gate without entering?”

He turned to see Ge Lao San returning in his carriage.

Realizing he had arrived at the Xue mansion, Chen Yi nodded.

“I’ve grown weary—let us rest awhile,” he said.

Before Ge Lao San could reply, the curtain of the carriage was drawn aside, and Xue Dongchen spoke:

“Ah, Light-boat, the city has been restless lately. No need to venture forth—stay within the manor for now.”

Chen Yi glanced at him, then smiled.

“Thank you, Uncle Dongchen. I take your advice.”

Xue Dongchen nodded once, softly, and dismissed the carriage.

The horses carried Ge Lao San and his companions into the Xue residence.

Chen Yi watched them fade into the shadows beyond the courtyard wall, then paused, adjusting his grip on the umbrella.

A moment later, he followed.

In the distance, faint voices drifted on the night air.

“He’s gone to Baiyun Academy—surely he has his own designs there.”

“That is your concern, not mine. Do not forget the promise you made.”

“When I’ve shed my disguise, those few days… they’ll be wandering about then.”

The words were barely audible, meant only for those who lingered at the edge of awareness.

Had Chen Yi not been watching the courtyard, he might have missed them entirely.

And had others heard, they would likely have dismissed the murmurs as idle gossip.

“These two spies—yet they discuss state secrets openly, even among common folk?”

Of course.

Chen Yi understood now that this scholar, so bookish and unassuming, had never been taken seriously.

He was certain that when they later discovered his martial prowess, their expressions would be worth seeing.

A quiet smile touched his lips.

With that, he turned and made his way back to the Garden of Spring Lotus.

There, beneath the pavilion, he was greeted by Diepie, Cui Wenglu, and Xue Wuge, who hurried forward to meet him.

“Master, you return late again today.”

“Brother Xue, the food has gone cold waiting for you.”

Diepie’s voice carried a note of resentment, though it was laced with concern.

Cui Wenglu patted her swollen belly, her complaint genuine—she had not eaten in hours.

Xue Wuge, ever the same, laughed and asked cheerfully:

“Brother, was your visit to Baiyun Academy uneventful?”

Chen Yi entered the pavilion, folding his umbrella with care.

“Not without its share of success. In a few days, I’ll teach others to write properly.”

He placed two pieces of ice sugar cake on the stone table.

“I knew you’d be waiting, so I brought these for you.”

Little Butterfly heard the mention of something delicious and instantly beamed with delight, eagerly untying the package—then…

She first placed the first piece of rock sugar candy into Xiao Wugo’s bowl, followed by Chen Yi and Pei Wuli’s.

When it was her turn, her wide eyes turned toward Chen Yi.

As if to ask, “May I eat some too?”

Chen Yi, of course, understood her unspoken thought. He lifted a piece with chopsticks and placed it in her bowl. “Try it.”

“Thank you, auntie.”

With food and drink, laughter and conversation, the atmosphere grew warm again.

Nearby, Xiao Wan’er, hearing the sounds, felt a sigh of relief escape her lips, muttering under her breath about how Chen Yi had dismissed her worries as mere passing breeze.

Still, he hadn’t returned until so late—surely the matters at Guiyun Academy had been resolved by now?

…

After dinner.

Chen Yi returned to his room, took a brief rest, then summoned the light curtain to glance at it.

[Opportunity: 135]

“It can be elevated to the Great Perfection realm…”

Currently, those who have reached the Great Perfection realm possess the Book Way, Medical Way, Martial Way, and Stride Way. Those in the Minor Perfection realm have the Martial Fist, Martial Spear, and Chess Way.

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Yi chose to elevate the Martial Fist to the Great Perfection realm, and arcane teachings immediately surfaced in his mind.

Now he lacked a convenient weapon to carry. To avoid drawing attention, he decided to enhance the Fist Way first. Once he gathered enough opportunities, he would later elevate the Spear Way.

“The Chess Way will suffice for now. I’ll need to find time to study the lute and painting later, lest any gaps be discovered.”

With that, instead of hastening to absorb the arcane teachings of the Fist Way, he sat cross-legged on his bed and continued cultivating the *Four Symbols Technique*.

Until the witching hour, light began to shimmer before his eyes, and only then did he gradually conclude his practice.

After examining the contents displayed on the light curtain, he let out a surprised hum.

【Daily Intel·Grade Mystic: At the dog hour, a execution bureau officer from Shuzhou searched outside the Meeting with the Immortals Building for traces of the killer responsible for Liu Jing’s death, and also apprehended the culprit. However, only a small amount of opportunity was gained.】

Chen Yi frowned at the report. “…Outside the Meeting with the Immortals Building? The execution bureau is that capable?”

That day, he had indeed been brought there earlier by someone sent by Liu Jing, at the alleyway outside the Meeting with the Immortals Building.

He had assumed everything had proceeded flawlessly, even with two days of rain, yet the execution bureau still found him there.

But then Chen Yi noticed something amiss.

“They caught the killer outside the Meeting with the Immortals Building?”

“Under normal circumstances, I should have stayed home until the dog hour—how could he have gone there?”

After a moment of deep thought, Chen Yi cursed inwardly. “Damn it, could someone be framing the killer?”

Recalling the discussions among the Shadow Guard about Xiao Dongchen’s affairs, he suddenly formed a bold hypothesis.

—That “killer” was likely trying to disguise himself as someone under Xiao’s control.

Or perhaps he was one of Xiao’s people himself.

“If that’s the case… I simply must go there and take a look.”

(Chapter Complete)