Chapter Seventy: Visitors from the Chen Family

“This period is the prime opportunity for our stronghold’s growth. I do not wish to see any conflict, and strictly forbid anyone from making an enemy of the Wolf Fang Stronghold for any reason. Should anyone dare to defy this, I will show no mercy.”

“In light of the recent deaths of the second and third chiefs, and since I will also need to enter seclusion frequently and cannot always attend to the affairs of the stronghold, I am now appointing two new chiefs to avoid any urgent matters being neglected. All of you are to support them wholeheartedly and harbor no divided loyalties.”

With these words, no one in the hall paid any more attention to Hu San, not even Ge Xiang and Iron Wing. Wasn’t their proactive behavior just for the sake of these two positions?

The great hall was so quiet that the drop of a pin could be heard; only the sound of heavy breathing remained.

With a cold gaze, Hu San swept his eyes over the crowd. After a moment, he continued, “I hereby appoint Commander Chi Zhen as the new second chief, and Commander Scarface as the new third chief. The rest of you are to assist them diligently.”

At this command, the hall erupted in an uproar, especially Ge Xiang and Iron Wing, whose faces flushed red with rage.

“What? Is someone dissatisfied?”

Hu San did not move, his tone still calm, but a murderous aura suddenly erupted from him.

With his current presence enveloping the entire hall, hardly anyone could break free from it, not even the strongest among them, Ge Xiang and Iron Wing.

“We dare not. We salute the second chief and the third chief,” the crowd quickly came to their senses, realizing that the man before them was a ruthless killer who would not blink at murder. To defy him was to court death.

“Thank you, great chief, for your trust. I will go through fire and water without hesitation.”

“I greet the great chief and will give my utmost,” echoed Chi Zhen and Scarface, who had just recovered from their immense surprise. Never had they dreamed the positions would fall to them.

“Very well. Work hard from now on and communicate more with Commander Ge and Commander Iron. That’s all for today. I must return to seclusion. If there is no urgent matter, do not disturb me,” Hu San said, thus announcing the end of the meeting. He naturally had food brought, satisfied his hunger, and then strode leisurely into the cave to practice the exquisite Ten Paths of Destructive Blade.

Though Hu San left as if nothing had happened, he had stirred a storm behind him.

After careful reflection, the crowd realized that Scarface and Chi Zhen were the only ones who, during the earlier uproar, had kept silent.

“Could it be there’s an agreement between the great chief and Hu San?” The more they thought, the more likely it seemed, and many were filled with regret.

Especially Ge Xiang and Iron Wing, who had watched the positions slip away before their very eyes and were nearly driven mad with frustration.

But recalling the bloodthirsty aura Hu San had displayed at the end, any lingering thoughts they had vanished completely.

It seemed that today, their flattery had completely backfired—serves them right.

Given the situation, the great chief really did appear to have some friction with Hu San. Going forward, their attitude toward the Wolf Fang Stronghold would have to change.

They weren’t the only ones who thought this way; the two new chiefs, who had been struck by fortune from above, pondered deeply as well. After much thought and analysis from their confidants, they finally understood why they had been so suddenly elevated, and resolved never to make things difficult for the Wolf Fang Stronghold.

Of course, the great chief’s ambiguous attitude did not suggest true closeness either, so everyone adopted a stance of neither offending nor ingratiating themselves.

Soon, the Wolf Fang Stronghold noticed a strange phenomenon: the tense rivalry between them and the Wolf Heart Stronghold seemed to be fading. Where the Wolf Fang men appeared, the Wolf Heart bandits would rather give way than provoke a conflict.

Bewildered, the Wolf Fang men tried to seek out Hu San for guidance, but he was nowhere to be found, so they became extra vigilant, wary of any schemes from Wolf Heart.

Days passed. With Zhao Feng, Lin Hu, and the others around, Hu San felt no concern about the Wolf Fang Stronghold’s affairs. In Wolf Heart, orders were even more strictly enforced under his direct command.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed. Hu San had mastered the Ten Paths of Destructive Blade, though reaching the level of its creator, Lin Yuan-ke, would require much more effort.

Even so, his blade skills were now more than ten times sharper than before; when he wielded his long blade, its shadow was invisible, replaced by a series of shifting images.

The Ten Paths of Destructive Blade truly deserved its reputation as a peerless skill. Its cultivation not only greatly improved Hu San’s blade techniques but also strengthened his foundation in martial arts overall.

From palm and leg techniques to boxing and footwork, and even hidden weapons and archery, though the Ten Paths was branded as a blade art, it encompassed myriad truths and principles applicable to all eighteen weapons. Through its study, Hu San gradually patched the gaping flaws in his martial path.

Only now did he realize how much his mastery of the Fish Step had contributed to his victories over so many kingdom warriors. It compensated for every weakness he had; with its miraculous movement, he had repeatedly overcome adversaries above his level. Without it, no matter how strong his body, he would have been nothing more than a target for seasoned fighters—likely already chopped in two.

Yet the principles contained in the Fish Step seemed so profound that even after mastering the Ten Paths and shoring up his foundation, he still couldn’t grasp its essence—he could only imitate the form.

Much the same was true for Bird Strike. Though Hu San knew these two techniques would be fearsome once perfected, he had no way to begin and had to set them aside for now.

As Hu San reveled in this relentless progress, a group of visitors arrived at the Wolf Heart Stronghold, heading straight for the main hall.

Chi Zhen, newly appointed as second chief, accompanied them, while Scarface went to inform Hu San, saying the visitors were from the Chen family of the Great Bay Kingdom.

At that moment, Hu San was practicing his blade atop the mountain, so Scarface didn’t have much trouble finding him.

“Visitors from the Chen family of the Great Bay Kingdom? What business brings them here?” Hu San asked, planting his blade in a nearby rock and descending the mountain, leaving Scarface amazed by his casual strength.

“It seems to concern the former second chief, Chen Zhou. Brother, among them are many experts. One old man in a seven-star robe is the most formidable—when he glanced at me, my whole body went numb. If Second Brother hadn’t steadied me, I’d have disgraced myself.”

Scarface hurried ahead, explaining as he led the way.

“A single glance rendered you numb? Could he be a first-class expert who has entered the third grand realm of condensed Qi?” Hu San mused, deep in thought, and said no more.

Entering the hall, he saw a group of twelve seated around the room. Each one exuded energy; their eyes flashed with cold light, and several had a gentle yet formidable presence.

Seeing this, Hu San’s face remained impassive, but his heart was shaken. By his judgment, all twelve had reached the level of second-class experts, and some were so advanced he couldn’t even gauge their depth.

Upon his arrival, the entire group rose, indicating their wariness of this enigmatic great chief.

“Perhaps, in the past, the great chief once displayed his strength before the experts of Great Bay? That must be the only explanation,” Hu San thought as he strode across the hall and seated himself upon the throne.

From the twelve, an elder stepped forward—the very man Scarface had described, clad in a seven-star robe.

The old man cupped his hands to Hu San and said, “I am Chen Ce, Grand Elder of the Chen family. I have long heard of your profound skill, great chief; seeing you today proves the rumors true.”

“This is my friend Zou Ping, famed across the land for his Nine Thunder Qi, who now serves as royal protector. The rest are elite juniors of my Chen family. I assume, great chief, you know why we have come.”

He gestured to a robust, red-faced man of about forty-five, who nodded at Hu San, though his manner was anything but friendly.

“A first-class expert!” Upon hearing of the Nine Thunder Qi, Hu San understood immediately—this man was certainly a top-tier master, and his friend Chen Ce could be no less formidable.

This was going to be trouble.

“Please take a seat, Elder Chen. You must be here about Chen Zhou’s death?”

Hu San could only take things as they came. The business back then had not been handled carefully; the slightest investigation could expose him, so he had to be prepared.

“Indeed. Chen Zhou was the family head’s younger brother. We must get to the bottom of this. I have brought with me a trained eagle beast. Once it catches the scent of the killer, it will never lose the trail,” said Chen Ce.

At this, Hu San noticed that one of the younger Chen men was carrying a black iron cage, inside which lay a fist-sized bird with a sharp beak reminiscent of a hawk and, upon closer inspection, four claws.

The bird seemed deeply asleep, sprawled out on a bed of soft grass with its wings splayed wide, rather than tucking its head under its wings like other birds.

“With such a magical creature, the true culprit will surely be found. Second and third chiefs, listen well—should Elder Chen have any requests, you must do your utmost to assist. Understood?” Hu San declared.

No sooner had he spoken than Chen Ce chuckled and replied, “Great chief, it would be best if you cooperated personally. Whether it is the death of Chen Zhou or his son, both must be investigated thoroughly.”

“If there is the slightest error, we will not only be unable to answer for ourselves, but even you may not escape unscathed.”

“Oh?” Hu San immediately stood, his voice calm. “And how, exactly, might I fail to escape unscathed? Elder Chen, I would appreciate an explanation—otherwise, I may be tempted to put it to the test myself.”