Chapter 10: The First Clues Revealed!

The next few days.

Chen Yi still gets up very early and then finds various excuses to avoid practicing his skills.

It's either because I'm not feeling well, or I'm in a bad mood, or I've caught a cold.

Even a rough man like Wang Lixing could see through his intentions—the son-in-law wasn't the problem; he simply didn't want to learn martial arts.

no way.

Wang Lixing was ultimately just a guard of the Xiao family. Even a son-in-law like Chen Yi was a level higher in status than him. Besides, he had to consider the Xiao family's feelings, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Second Miss.

Left with no other choice, he truthfully reported Chen Yi's performance to Xiao Xuanshuo.

"Hmph, let him not want to train. The Xiao family hasn't fallen so low as to rely on a runaway son-in-law as their pillar!"

After receiving the reply, Wang Lixing stopped worrying about Chen Yi's stance training and continued to wake Chen Yi up every day around 1:30 AM and leave Chunhe Garden with a sigh before 3:00 AM.

Chen Yi was naturally pleased to see such a change.

However, every day after Wang Lixing left.

Chen Yi will continue to practice his stance training in the bamboo forest for an hour.

In five days, he broke through to the proficient level in the spear stance training, and his cultivation level also broke through the mortal body to reach the ninth rank:

Name: Chen Yi

Cultivation level: Ninth Rank, Lower

Calligraphy: Dacheng (0/1000)

Calligraphy: Wei Qing (Proficient)

Martial Arts - Body: Minor Success (0/100)

Training Method: Spear Stance Training (Proficient)

Opportunity: 7

For every hour that Chen Yi practices the [Great Spear Stance Technique] at the proficient level, his body will improve from the outside in.

Each time he cultivated, his muscles, bones, skin, and internal organs felt as if they were being hammered countless times, gradually strengthening them.

The most obvious thing is his strength and lightness of body.

Even without testing, Chen Yi's strength alone should have reached the level of an ox, approximately 200 jin.

Based on the profound insights he gained from "Martial Arts and Body," physical strength is measured by "force" and divided into three levels: ox, elephant, and dragon.

Each level is more difficult than the last.

Despite Chen Yi's current strength of "one ox's strength," to break through to the level of "elephant strength," he needs not only the right techniques, his own natural talent, but also the right food and medicine.

“Under normal circumstances, when one practices the Great Spear Stance to a high level, one can reach the level of Xiangli (象力). At that time, one should focus on cultivating ‘Qi’ until the four main meridians are opened.”

"But if I raise 'Martial Arts Body' to the highest level, I can fill in the gaps in stance training, just like filling in the gaps in Wei Qing's calligraphy after breaking through to the highest level."

Thinking it over, Chen Yi looked at today's intelligence:

[High-grade Yellow Level: In the courtyard of Marquis Xiao of Dingyuan, there is a hidden guard delivering a secret message within the flowerbed outside the martial arts arena. A small opportunity may be obtained.]

[Opportunity +1. Comment: Before the person even arrived, the secret message had already been sent out; those who are naturally complacent will surely be punished.]

After reading it, Chen Yi curled his lip.

Over the past two months, he has gained some understanding of the nature of "Daily Intelligence".

For the first few dozen days, I was "lazy," then I went to Jiaxingyuan and was called a "scoundrel." Now, unable to belittle him, I'm resorting to cursing him.

However, today's intelligence, compared to the previous arguments, fights, and elopements, made him somewhat concerned.

"The secret messenger from the Hidden Guard seems to be a spy hidden within the Xiao family?"

Chen Yi had never heard of "Hidden Guards" before, so he could only speculate based on common sense.

They were either spies from neighboring states of the Wei Dynasty who had infiltrated, or they were enemies with designs on the Xiao family.

In addition, combining the memories in his mind with the assessment that he would "inevitably be punished," another possibility emerged in Chen Yi's mind:

"Could it be those people who used strange methods to make me run away from my wedding?"

If that's the case, they really are a persistent ghost.

Chen Yi thought he would be safe in the Xiao family, after all, he had met with misfortune on the way from the inn to the Marquis's mansion on his wedding day.

It now appears that there are some people with ulterior motives hidden within the Xiao family.

However, Chen Yi was more curious about whose way he had blocked, that he was being targeted like this.

A rival who admires Xiao Jinghong?

It shouldn't be. The Xiao family clearly wants to find a son-in-law to live with them, and anyone with a bit of ability would never agree to that.

Enemy countries, such as barbarian tribes and the Buddhist kingdoms to the west?

They shouldn't target him. He's just a nobody. Even if they killed him, it would only make the Xiao family lose face, and it wouldn't hurt them at all.

After much thought, the only possibility is those people within the Wei Dynasty who covet the Xiao family.

“If their scheme had succeeded, and I had successfully eloped and died without any evidence, the Xiao family would have been utterly disgraced.”

"As for 'reputation,' it is of no use in a war between two countries. The only place where it can be used is in the court of the Great Wei."

"Countless historical records tell me that the tricks commonly used by civil officials are to 'make a big fuss over a trivial matter,' and they can make a big hole out of even the smallest crack."

"Hidden guards...maybe they are assassins kept by some family."

Thinking this, Chen Yi baited the hook and casually tossed it into the pond, a fierce look appearing on his face.

"I've been so low-key, it's going too far for those people not to let go."

He let it go this time while he was still under house arrest, but if he sees a similar cryptic message again, he'll definitely go and investigate.

"Young master, young master, there's a letter for you. The second young lady has written a letter."

Just then, Xiaodie ran back from outside with a happy expression and placed the letter in her hand on the table.

Chen Yi set up his makeshift fishing rod beside him, wiped his hands, walked over, picked up the letters, and glanced at them. "Two letters?"

Xiaodie nodded, "There was also a letter from Jiangnan Prefecture, it seems to be from the son-in-law's family..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xiaodie covered her mouth with both hands.

She knew how the Chen family treated her son-in-law, and was worried that saying too much would upset him.

Chen Yi hummed in agreement, tore open the letter from Jiangnan Prefecture, glanced at it, and frowned slightly.

The letter was signed by Cui Yu, the first wife of his father Chen Xuanji and his nominal "mother".

My son Chen Yi: I have only two things to say in my letter today.

First, your elder brother Yunfan has already achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination and will soon be going to Shu Prefecture to take up an official post. At that time, he should visit you at the Xiao family.

Secondly, your father recently wrote from the Buddhist Kingdom, instructing you to stay safely in the Xiao family. Of course, your mother also hopes that you can stay peacefully in the Xiao family, and there is no need to mention the imperial examination again.

After all, the Xiao family is not like the Chen family...

After reading it, Chen Yi frowned even more deeply. "Cui Yu?"

The contents of the letter seemed like a casual chat, but from the inside out, it revealed an inexplicable air of superiority and arrogance.

But he's already a son-in-law of the Xiao family, is it really necessary for him to keep clinging to this?

I had to write him a letter to annoy him.

"If my predecessor saw this letter, wouldn't he be furious with Cui Yu?"

"Luckily it's me, I won't hold it against you. From now on, we should never see each other again."

Chen Yi then opened the second letter and began to read it, his furrowed brows relaxing.

Jinghong has learned of her husband's recent behavior at home, and the punishment she was previously given for running away from the wedding has been dropped.

In addition, Jinghong has some military duties to attend to, and her return date is uncertain.

Don't worry.

Chen Yi smiled broadly and looked at Xiao Die, who wanted to watch but remained obediently in place, and said:

"I, your son-in-law, am hereby released from confinement starting today!"

The worst thing is comparison.

Compared to the sarcastic tone of Madam Chen, Madam Xiao Jinghong's tone was much more peaceful and equal.

I don't know what military affairs she was talking about. I haven't heard of any war recently, so I guess it's something to do with inspecting and training troops.

(End of this chapter)