Chapter 35: Turbulence

The streets were in total chaos.

The source of everything was the sacrificial ceremony by the river.

Old Man Li glanced toward the riverbank with deep anxiety and lowered his voice, "Ah Qing, let's... let's focus on maintaining order around the waterways first..."

Chen Qing nodded silently; this was exactly what he had in mind.

With the Commandant assassinated, rushing toward the core of the scene now would almost certainly result in being swept into the vortex or becoming collateral damage.

They were merely low-ranking river officials; self-preservation was the best course of action.

The two men struggled through the panicked crowd.

Chen Qing whispered, "Old Li, what on earth happened?"

Old Man Li steadied himself, his voice trembling with lingering fear, "The sacrifice was reaching its critical moment when several dark shadows suddenly erupted from the river. They were all masked experts in black. They unleashed sleeve arrows and crossbow bolts all at once—the Commandant was pierced through the chest by one of them! Even the County Magistrate was injured... the scene instantly exploded into chaos, total mayhem..."

Chen Qing's heart tightened.

No matter how high one's martial skill, it is difficult to guard against hidden arrows.

Thinking of this, he silently cautioned himself: in the future, he must strike first before his enemies can make their move.

"Get out of the way!"

At that moment, a coarse, low roar erupted, and the crowd was forcibly parted to create a path.

Chen Qing followed the sound and saw squads of county soldiers clad in pitch-black armor charging toward the sacrificial altar like wolves and tigers, swords unsheathed and brimming with killing intent.

Old Man Li tugged at Chen Qing's sleeve, his voice even lower: "Listen to me, just look after what's right in front of us."

Understanding him, the two immediately began dispersing the panicked commoners on the periphery, doing their best to maintain the crumbling order.

By evening, the Chief River Commissioner, Ke Yunqi, returned to the River Bureau office in a hurry.

Everyone's faces were ashen, and their steps were heavy.

Soon, suppressed roars of fury could be heard from inside Ke Yunqi's room.

Old Man Li whispered in Chen Qing's ear, "It's been years... this is the first time I've seen the Chief Commissioner this angry..."

Chen Qing silently glanced at the closed door.

Was this towering rage due to the Commandant's assassination, or for some other reason?

Before long, Cheng Ming emerged, dragging a weary body, his expression solemn. "Step outside to talk."

Chen Qing and Old Man Li followed closely behind.

"The Commandant is critically injured and unconscious; his life hangs in the balance. He has been escorted back to the main camp."

Cheng Ming let out a heavy sigh, his tone exhausted and indignant. "The Chief Commissioner was just interrogated by Vice-Commandant Lin for a long time, and he's absolutely fuming... those county soldiers are used to being overbearing..."

Chen Qing asked, "Boss, is there any lead on the killers?"

Cheng Ming said grimly, "Eight assassins. Five were killed on the spot, and three escaped. The entire city is under martial law, and the manhunt is underway..."

Old Man Li couldn't help but gasp. "To dare strike at Commandant Pang, this group is certainly no ordinary lot."

Cheng Ming's eyes were sharp as he whispered, "Among the confirmed corpses are the First and Second Leaders of the Reed Marsh, the Chief of the Vulture Beach Water Fortress, and two others of unknown identity. We are currently tracking them..."

All water bandits?!

Chen Qing's eyes narrowed slightly.

Pang Qinghai had suppressed the White Wave Bay immediately upon taking office, intimidating the various water bandits of the marshlands.

This coordinated assassination might indeed be a desperate act by those bandits.

But could water bandits alone plan such a precise and shocking assassination?

Without an insider to coordinate, it would be impossible!

Cheng Ming pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. "You two should head back and rest early as well. The Martial Examinations are approaching; patrol duties must be strengthened over the next two days. Do not slack off."

"Yes, sir!"

Chen Qing and Old Man Li cupped their hands in salute and turned to leave.

On the way home, Chen Qing saw constables densely deployed in the streets and alleys, with county soldiers guarding every major thoroughfare, strictly questioning anyone suspicious.

This setup looked tight, but in reality, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack; the hope of finding the true culprit was minuscule.

Chen Qing frowned inwardly and thought, *I hope this doesn't interfere with my fist training.*

This matter was likely eighty percent the result of dirty struggles between various factions; it was best to stay far away.

Possessing the [Heavenly Reward for Diligence] destiny, there was absolutely no need to involve himself for the sake of a little petty profit.

***

The next day, at the Zhou Academy.

The disciples in the courtyard were discussing yesterday's earth-shattering event.

"Those water bandits must have lost their minds to dare assassinate the Commandant!"

"I heard the county constables worked all night and didn't even find a single hair; it's like the killers vanished into thin air."

"The Commandant's injuries are extremely severe. His life is uncertain."

"Sigh, I wonder if the Martial Examinations will be delayed because of this..."

Amidst the chatter, Luo Qian stood alone in a corner, silently practicing her stance.

Zhou Yu and Li Rongrong were conversing in low voices, their expressions solemn.

Qin Lie sat to one side, his face incredibly grim, completely devoid of interest in training. Was the great tree that was the Commandant about to come crashing down?

"Master is here..."

Someone whispered, and the disciples immediately gathered their focus, pretending to practice their drills.

Zhou Liang walked out from the backyard, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard like lightning. He said deeply, "Qin Lie, Sun Shun, Zheng Ziqiao, Luo Qian, Qi Wenhan, Liu Xiaolou, Chen Qing... the rest of you, stay behind tonight."

Having said that, Zhou Liang turned and returned to the backyard.

Everyone in the courtyard knew that Master had something to instruct them on.

The names mentioned first were the academy's elite disciples, at least all Dark Strength experts who had passed their second breakthrough.

But when the final name, "Chen Qing," fell, many disciples instinctively looked toward him, their eyes filled with confusion and astonishment.

Sun Shun was the first to react, looking at Chen Qing with pleasant surprise. "Junior Brother Chen, you've made a breakthrough?"

Chen Qing smiled slightly and said candidly, "It was luck; I only achieved it a few days ago."

*Whoosh!*

As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples looked at one another, their eyes full of disbelief.

In the eyes of most, Chen Qing was merely a disciple of mediocre talent and poor background, someone who had nothing noteworthy about him other than his diligent training.

Many viewed him as a second He Yan.

The ultimate result would be nothing more than wasting a few years in the academy before leaving in disgrace.

Luo Qian was slightly stunned upon hearing this.

A first breakthrough could be attributed to luck, but a second breakthrough could certainly not be explained by the word "luck" alone.

This undoubtedly meant she had misjudged him.

Qin Lie also looked up, a brief flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

This Chen Qing could actually achieve a second breakthrough?

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him.

Zhou Yu was stunned for a moment before breaking into a warm smile. "Good! The academy has gained another Dark Strength expert; this is truly a joyous occasion."

Beside her, Li Rongrong stared at Chen Qing in shock, as if she couldn't believe her own ears.

"Good lad!"

Sun Shun slapped Chen Qing's shoulder forcefully and praised him sincerely, "You've been hiding deep! Congratulations!"

Zhou Yu stepped forward and smiled. "Junior Brother Chen, congratulations on your breakthrough."

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Chen Qing cupped his hands in return.

This Senior Sister was quite good; she took great care of every disciple.

When Chen Qing had reached the Bright Strength stage, she had even given him a portion of Blood Qi Powder.

Then, the other disciples also came forward one after another to offer their congratulations.

Even Zheng Ziqiao, who rarely interacted with Chen Qing, walked over with a smile plastered on his face. "Junior Brother Chen, congratulations, congratulations!"

Luo Qian glanced from afar, her expression remaining unchanged as she continued her stance training.

The Luo family was not without second-breakthrough experts; he wasn't someone worth her going out of her way to flatter.