Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Captain of the Imperial Guard

After clearing out all the opponents, Yu Qi descended. The old man had said that as long as he returned before the trials concluded, it would suffice, so he headed straight toward the exit.

Seeing this formidable man approaching, the crowd instinctively cleared a path for him. Once outside the throng, Yu Qi made his way directly to the Infinite Pawnshop.

Arriving beside a massive pavilion, Yu Qi surveyed the structure. This was the Infinite Pawnshop of Fenghua City; it stood three stories tall, a scale completely incomparable to those in the small towns. The interior space was vast, and it was said that the second floor even sold items that others had been unable to redeem.

As soon as Yu Qi entered the shop, a clerk approached him. "Greetings, guest. What would you like to pawn?"

"This." Yu Qi took out the dagger.

"Please wait a moment, guest." The clerk accepted it with both hands and headed to the counter to have it appraised by a specialist.

Yu Qi looked over and realized he recognized the appraiser. The man, who had been examining the dagger, sensed someone looking at him and raised his eyes. "Yu Qi?"

"Zheng Zhiyue, we meet again." Yu Qi offered a faint smile.

The appraiser was none other than Zheng Zhiyue, the man who had previously tried to recruit him. Although Yu Qi held no particular fondness for him or Meng Po, they had committed no great evil, so he did not harbor any resentment toward them.

He looked at Zheng Zhiyue and asked, "How much is it worth? I have things to do and cannot afford to be delayed."

"Two hundred and seventy taels, though I advise you not to pawn it," Zheng Zhiyue warned.

"Why?" Yu Qi found this strange. It was merely an ordinary sharp weapon, hardly a precious object.

Zheng Zhiyue stepped out from behind the counter and approached Yu Qi, a playful smile on his face. "As far as I know, this is Mu Qingnan’s most prized possession. While I don’t know how it ended up in your hands, I advise you to return it. You should know that his father is not someone we can afford to provoke."

He handed the dagger back to Yu Qi. "As martial artists, we should all be quite familiar with who his father is."

"Thank you." Yu Qi knew that Zheng Zhiyue was offering a warning. Even though he didn't care much for the man, he felt compelled to thank him for his good intentions.

Stepping out of the pawnshop, Yu Qi looked at the dagger in his hand, which was not even particularly well-crafted. He sighed, "How could he lose something so valuable so easily? Never mind, I'll return it to him once I enter the Mu family residence."

When he returned to the training grounds, many of those who were to enter the Mu family were already standing around the old man. Yu Qi walked straight over and stood behind him. The old man looked at Yu Qi and nodded.

Perhaps Yu Qi's fight had been too shocking; the subsequent matches seemed uninteresting by comparison. Soon, the twenty bouts were finished, and the crowd dispersed, still lingering in thought.

"Follow me," the old man said, leading everyone toward the Mu family estate.

Before long, they arrived in front of a sprawling mansion. The outer wall stretched for hundreds of meters, constructed of red bricks and carved with lifelike depictions of famous generals. Their eyes, in particular, stared fiercely forward, as if they were about to step out from the walls.

The perimeter featured three main gates, with two glaring guards stationed at each, scanning the passersby for any suspicious behavior. As the estate of Mu Wenfeng, the sheer scale of the place was beyond anything others could compare to.

The old man led them to the gate on the left. The guards on duty showed him great respect, illustrating the old man's status within the Mu family.

He turned to the group and said, "I am Wu Kanghong, the chief of security for the Mu family. You may call me Chief Wu. Entering the Mu family means you are now part of it. There are some rules I must explain to you."

"As you can see, there are three gates. The one we are at now is the quarters for the guards. The center gate leads to the heart of the estate, and the right gate is where the maids reside."

Wu Kanghong paused before continuing, "Except under special circumstances, you are strictly forbidden from entering the center of the estate or the maids' quarters. Violators will be expelled from Fenghua City immediately and never allowed to return for the rest of their lives. I know you are all here for the money, so I hope you will observe the rules properly."

As one of the largest cities in Ming County, Fenghua City was rich in resources. Being barred from entry would force one to seek out more distant cities, which was a grave inconvenience.

Listening to this, Yu Qi sighed inwardly. Mu Wenfeng's rules seemed tyrannical, yet they could be considered merciful, as some places treated such transgressions as capital offenses.

"Very well, follow me." With that, Wu Kanghong led the way inside.

He brought them to a courtyard containing only a wooden cabin and a small pavilion. Though the space was not large, it was sufficient for twenty men to train.

"This is your living quarter. There are guard uniforms inside. You may head to the pavilion to retrieve whatever weapons you are accustomed to using," Wu Kanghong said, suddenly looking at Yu Qi. "You, come here."

After Yu Qi approached, Wu Kanghong announced, "His name is Yu Qi. From now on, he is your leader."

No sooner had he spoken than the men began to exchange glances, and someone voiced their dissent. "Chief Wu, I refuse to accept this. Why should he be the leader and not one of us?"

"Whoever can defeat him shall be the leader," Wu Kanghong replied calmly.

"I'll do it," said the man who had spoken earlier. He was a youth, appearing to be about the same age as Yu Qi.

The crowd dispersed, leaving enough space. The youth clenched his fists and, with a whistling sound of wind, charged at Yu Qi.

Yu Qi remained calm. This time, he did not even employ the Zhutian technique; he simply raised his left hand to block the incoming strike. The seemingly fierce attack, upon touching Yu Qi's palm, was like a raindrop hitting the earth—it failed to stir the slightest ripple or even shake his arm.

Yu Qi then opened his right hand and delivered a light palm strike, sending the youth flying back. It had all transpired in a matter of seconds.

The youth clutched his aching chest, his heart filled with shock. Yu Qi had repelled him so effortlessly that even those who did not practice martial arts could see that his strength was far superior.

"Do you wish to continue?" Yu Qi asked.

"I admit defeat. Thank you for your mercy." The youth cupped his hands to Yu Qi and retreated into the crowd.

Yu Qi’s gaze swept over the others. "What about the rest of you? If anyone else is unsatisfied, step forward."

The crowd looked at one another, but no one else dared to challenge him.

"It seems you all agree. Then go change into your uniforms and get settled. Someone will assign your tasks tomorrow," Wu Kanghong said, before walking away.

The group gradually drifted into the wooden cabin, which contained only beds, clothing, and simple washing facilities. After changing, Yu Qi lay down on his bed. The prohibition against entering the center of the estate troubled him; if he couldn't get in, he would be unable to gather the information he needed.

Helpless, he stared at the ceiling in boredom while the others introduced themselves. Soon, they were familiar with one another's names.

"Boss," the youth who had challenged him earlier called out.

"Is something the matter?" Yu Qi looked up at him. During the introductions, he had learned the man's name was Wei Gang.

"Your strength—compared to Chief Wu, how big is the gap?" Wei Gang asked suddenly. Many others looked at Yu Qi, all eager to know just how strong this boy truly was. Only a few, who had witnessed Yu Qi's previous fight, remained busy with their belongings, having already gauged his strength.

Prompted by the question, Yu Qi thought carefully. Although they had never crossed paths in combat, based on the aura he had sensed, Wu Kanghong had at least reached the state of 'Observing the Micro,' and had likely been immersed in it for a long time.

"Compared to Chief Wu, he has the edge. However, if I were to fight with everything I have, I believe I could take him down with me," Yu Qi said before turning his head away to sleep. He possessed a top-tier martial skill like the 'Light Rain Sword,' and while Wu Kanghong was strong, he did not believe the man possessed a top-tier skill of his own.

Sometimes, a gap in enlightenment could be bridged by a powerful martial technique. This was why Yu Qi was confident that he could force a mutual destruction.

Hearing his answer, the group was stunned. Although they had already formed a baseline for Yu Qi's strength, what he claimed far exceeded their expectations. As the security chief under Mu Wenfeng, Wu Kanghong’s strength was beyond doubt; he had certainly entered the realm of enlightenment.

For Yu Qi to say he could take him down meant that he, too, had stepped into that realm. To be so young and so talented—the thought was frightening. At the same time, a strange question arose in their minds: if Yu Qi was such a genius, why would he come to the Mu family to be a lowly guard?

***

In the center of the Mu family estate, Wu Kanghong walked into a large hall.

The hall was sparsely furnished with only a few chairs and a bookcase filled with books. Beside the bookcase, a middle-aged man stood, leafing through a volume. Though he made no sound, an invisible, domineering aura pervaded the surroundings. Strange glimmers of light flowed within his eyes, as if he were manifesting the things described in the book.

Wu Kanghong entered silently and stood to one side, waiting. The middle-aged man turned the pages one by one, the light in his eyes pulsing gently in rhythm. When he finished the book, the light gradually dissipated.

"What is it?" The middle-aged man turned and sat down, his eyes resting calmly on Wu Kanghong.

It was merely a glance, yet Wu Kanghong felt an immense pressure. His palms began to sweat from the tension.