Chapter 48: Errors and Omissions (PK failed, waiting for resurrection)

By the time Chen Pingan returned home, it was already around the third quarter of the Hour of the Ox. As he expected, Chen Erya was indeed still awake, waiting for him with a heavy, troubled expression.

Chen Erya hadn't asked what he was doing during his late-night excursion, but she had kept it in her heart.

"Brother~"

Seeing Chen Pingan return, the melancholy on Chen Erya's face dissolved, replaced by a smile.

"Mm, Nannuan, it's too late. Go to sleep!" Chen Pingan patted her head and spoke softly.

In the middle of the night, the surroundings were deathly silent. Since they were talking in the courtyard, there was no guarantee the neighbors wouldn't overhear them. At this moment, the thought of moving to a new house surfaced in Chen Pingan's mind once again.

If he could move to a larger residence, he would undoubtedly have much more freedom.

Given his current progress in martial arts, that day might not be far off!

"Ah!"

Chen Erya inadvertently caught sight of the bloodstains on Chen Pingan's feet and couldn't help but let out a gasp. However, she knew when to be quiet; as soon as the sound escaped her lips, she forced herself to stifle it.

"Brother, the blood on your feet..."

The little girl seemed to realize something.

Chen Pingan offered no explanation. He patted her shoulder and walked into the kitchen on his own.

He needed to dispose of these shoes. It wasn't just the shoes; even his clothes, which were tainted with the scent of blood, needed to be dealt with.

As he watched the fire rising from beneath the stove, a sudden pang of regret welled up in Chen Pingan's heart!

"Damn it! How could I forget this!"

Although he had wiped away the physical traces, the scent of blood left a trail. The Zhenfu Division was full of talented individuals; if they truly investigated, they might be able to follow the scent of blood directly to his doorstep.

Now that he was already home, it was too late for regrets.

"I still lack experience!" Chen Pingan couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. No matter how much he planned, there were always oversights.

As expected, these matters required a seasoned hand! An ordinary person simply couldn't handle it!

Fortunately, the dead were merely a few thugs from the Tiger Head Gang, not anyone of significant importance. Under these circumstances, the Zhenfu Division in Nanquan Lane would not intervene in an investigation. Even if they did, it would likely be a perfunctory affair.

In the Nanquan Lane Zhenfu Division, the lives of thugs were the cheapest commodity. Nanquan Lane was far from peaceful; skirmishes between gangs occurred from time to time. The death of a few thugs like this was nothing unusual.

"They're just a few thugs. Even if they're dead, it's unlikely the Tiger Head Gang will go all out to investigate. At most, Little Tiger Lord will throw a tantrum and conduct a cursory search."

"Learn from my mistakes! I can't make a blunder like this again!" Chen Pingan thought to himself.

Having worked through the logic, Chen Pingan noted the lesson, and the regret in his heart gradually dissipated.

"It's a good thing that Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong embezzled my credit back then, and I endured it. If I hadn't endured it and had acted out of rage, the consequences would have been unthinkable!"

As the regret faded, a sense of relief emerged in Chen Pingan's heart.

Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong were different from the thug Liu'er. If they had died, the Nanquan Lane Zhenfu Division would have taken it extremely seriously. If an official died under mysterious circumstances, it would be a major incident! That would be a provocation against the Nanquan Lane Zhenfu Division, and the higher-ups would certainly dispatch specialized officers to investigate.

Having just learned his lesson, Chen Pingan had no confidence that he could perform flawlessly enough to evade the Zhenfu Division's scrutiny.

Indeed, impulse is the devil! One must think twice before acting!

Sometimes, endurance is not a sign of weakness, but a form of great wisdom.

Truly, knowledge gained from books is shallow; to truly understand, one must practice.

Chen Pingan sighed inwardly.

He had a "cheat" panel and a bright future ahead of him. As long as he didn't cross his principles or bottom lines, there was no need to clash head-on with others. As his martial realm continued to break through, the problems that seemed thorny now would surely become easy tasks in the future.

With these thoughts clear, Chen Pingan's previous gloom vanished, replaced by a sense of clarity.

After cleaning up the traces under the stove, he gave himself a quick wash and went to bed.

Once lying in bed, Chen Pingan realized the little girl was still awake.

"Nannuan, why aren't you sleeping? Is something on your mind?" Chen Pingan asked softly.

After experiencing such a scene during the day and seeing the blood on him at night, it would be strange if the little girl could sleep.

"Brother, I'm so worried about you."

The little girl turned around and threw her arms around Chen Pingan, her voice trembling with a hint of a sob.

"Nannuan, don't worry." Chen Pingan hugged her back, gently patting her back. "Brother will definitely protect himself and protect us. Not just for myself, but for you, I will do it."

Their parents were already dead. Chen Pingan could not imagine how a young girl like Chen Erya would survive or what cruelties she would face in this world if he were gone as well.

The world is vast, yet looking around, there is not a single relative! What kind of loneliness and solitude would that be? What kind of misery and sorrow?

For Nannuan, for himself, and for both of them, he would live well—he would live with dignity.

He must!

He swore it!

Perhaps infected by Chen Pingan's emotions, or perhaps because his rhythmic patting provided a sense of security, the little girl finally drifted off to sleep.

Holding Chen Erya in his arms, Chen Pingan felt an infinite tenderness.

With her here, he would not be alone in this world!

When he killed the thug Liu'er, he could have chosen not to remove the hood. But in the end, he did. His revenge for Chen Erya was not just physical, but psychological.

His purpose in removing the hood was to let Liu'er know exactly why he was dying, rather than letting him die in confusion.

Only by letting Liu'er know the reason would Chen Pingan's spirit be at peace, and his revenge would have meaning.

Lying in bed, holding Chen Erya, Chen Pingan's mind continuously replayed the details of the night, reviewing his mistakes and absorbing the lessons.

Even experts start as novices! As long as he kept progressing, there would come a day when people would look up to him in awe!

Early the next morning, after practicing his flying stones and finishing breakfast, Chen Pingan prepared to head out.

Before leaving, he gave Chen Erya extra instructions, telling her to stay hidden inside and absolutely not to go out. If anyone from the Tiger Head Gang came to the door, she was to cooperate as much as possible if their request seemed reasonable, and avoid provoking them at all costs.

No matter what, Liu'er had been a minor leader in the Tiger Head Gang. Once his death was discovered, it would cause some ripples. Especially in Lihua Lane, which was controlled by the Little Tiger Lord, things were unlikely to be peaceful.

The Tiger Head Gang's influence spanned several streets and alleys, with Lihua Lane being under the full responsibility of the Little Tiger Lord, one of the three Great Protectors.

Listening to Chen Pingan's instructions, Chen Erya seemed to foresee something, nodding with a solemn expression.

After Chen Pingan left the house, he couldn't stop thinking about the little girl at home. Although he knew it was likely fine, he couldn't help but worry.

For instance, would something happen to Chen Erya while she was home alone?

Would the Little Tiger Lord suspect him regarding Liu'er's death?

Would there be someone talented in the Tiger Head Gang who could trace the clues directly back to his house?

All these thoughts left Chen Pingan feeling unsettled.

At this moment, he truly wished he were a Head Constable in the Nanquan Lane Zhenfu Division. If he were a Head Constable, the Tiger Head Gang would be scrambling to please him; how would they dare offend him, and why would he need to worry about such things?