["My name is Chen Sheng. As you read this, I am filled with regret... On the day I arrived in Changshan County, I had planned to visit my old home to pay my respects. However, the local magnates, harboring ulterior motives, hosted a banquet that I couldn't escape. I ended up returning to the Military Camp drunk, which caused me to miss a secret. If only I had been able to go that night, I might have learned some of the truth..."]
This message had appeared on the Celestial Book before he even entered the city.
Therefore, Chen Sheng remained vigilant throughout the entire banquet. When the atmosphere was at its most lively, he found an inconspicuous excuse and quietly slipped away without alerting anyone.
As one of the four major gangs in Changshan County, the Seven Stars Gang was deeply rooted in North City. As the son of the former Gang Leader, Chen Sheng's original self naturally lived in an unremarkable courtyard home in North City.
The location of this courtyard was quite clever. It was neither too far from nor too close to the Seven Stars Gang's Main Hall, making it both convenient for contact and sufficiently hidden.
Regarding his true identity, only a handful of people within the gang knew of it; most had only heard his name but had never seen him. Only the old housekeeper, Mr. Yang, and his family knew his true background.
It was precisely because of this that when the old housekeeper was suddenly captured, his original self had been so terrified that he fled the county in a panic, without even having time to pack anything.
When Chen Sheng found the familiar courtyard from memory, everything around seemed normal.
Pedestrians hurried through the streets and alleys, and no one paid much attention to the seemingly ordinary courtyard. He observed from the shadows for a long time but didn't spot any lookouts or suspicious signs.
With a thought, his figure became as agile as a civet cat, and he vaulted over the wall without a sound.
However, the sight within the courtyard made him pause—far from the dilapidated and desolate state he had expected, the place was swept clean. The plants and trees in the courtyard were neatly trimmed, and there were no fallen leaves on the stone path, as if someone had been meticulously maintaining it.
'Could it be that this place wasn't implicated after Mr. Yang's incident?' Chen Sheng couldn't help but frown, doubts swirling in his mind.
As he was pondering, his gaze was drawn to a figure on the Martial Arts Arena.
The person was methodically practicing a Pile Skill, their movements steady and their breathing long and even. Chen Sheng recognized the origin of the Pile Skill at a glance—it was the Long Arm Pile Skill.
This was the very Cultivation Technique Mr. Yang had relied on for self-preservation. In his youth, his original self had also tried to learn it, but due to his frail and weak constitution, he could never grasp the basics and eventually gave up.
If not for that, he wouldn't have had to wait until he obtained the Golden Bell Body Refining Technique to formally step onto the path of cultivation.
"Hu."
Chen Sheng gazed at the familiar yet slightly strange, burly back and called out softly.
In an instant, the figure practicing the Pile Skill stiffened, his movements halting. He spun around abruptly, his gaze shooting toward Chen Sheng like a bolt of lightning. His face first showed shock and suspicion, which then transformed into incredulous astonishment. For a moment, he stood rooted to the spot, forgetting to react.
This burly young man was named Yang Hu, the only son of the old housekeeper, Mr. Yang. He had grown up with the original Chen Sheng, serving as both a study companion and a bodyguard. Compared to the sickly original self, Yang Hu's aptitude for cultivation was much better.
Back then, it was he who had first learned the terrible news of Mr. Yang's arrest and risked everything to inform the original Chen Sheng. However, Yang Hu did not flee with him at the time, choosing instead to stay behind and attempt to rescue his father.
"Young... Young Master?!" Yang Hu finally snapped back to his senses. His voice trembled, his face a mixture of immense shock and unconcealable joy. "Is... is it really you?!"
"It's me."
Chen Sheng slowly walked forward, calmly sizing him up. The Yang Hu before him was even more robust than he remembered, with a touch of world-weariness and ruggedness in his features.
"Young Master! You... you're finally back!"
Yang Hu was so excited he was nearly incoherent. He took a large stride forward, only to stop a few steps away from Chen Sheng, still seemingly in disbelief.
"I was never too far away. And you? Mr. Yang... what happened to him?" Chen Sheng got straight to the point.
At the mention of his father, the excitement on Yang Hu's face quickly faded, replaced by deep sorrow and pain.
"My father... he died in prison. I... I couldn't save him..."
...
As Yang Hu recounted the events in a low, suppressed voice, Chen Sheng gradually pieced together the truth of what had happened back then.
It turned out that after Mr. Yang was arrested, he endured numerous interrogations but clenched his jaw and never revealed a single thing about Chen Sheng. In the end, to protect the secret, he had taken his own life in prison by shattering his own heart meridians, ensuring he wouldn't compromise Chen Sheng.
The Seven Stars Gang investigated but failed to find any trace or news of Chen Sheng. Coupled with the complexities of the power struggle within the gang, the search for him gradually slackened.
As for Yang Hu, his identity had never been public, so he was spared.
To avenge his father's death, he concealed his identity and, relying on his formidable skills and ruthlessness, managed to join the Seven Stars Gang, starting from the very bottom.
After nearly half a year of fighting and maneuvering, he had climbed his way up to the position of Hall Master. Although not part of the core leadership, he now controlled a certain amount of power and intelligence.
"During this time, I've been secretly gathering information about the Old Master and you."
Yang Hu's voice was low. "After you left that day, there was no news of you at all. I searched everywhere but found nothing. As for the Old Master..."
He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and lowered his voice.
"Regarding the Old Master's cause of death, I investigated secretly and discovered another hidden story. The Old Master wasn't killed by Vice Leader Ma's own hand during an internal rebellion, as the outside world believes."
"In fact, according to the information I've obtained, Vice Leader Ma wasn't even present when the Old Master was killed. It was only after the Old Master's death that he, with the full support of the Gao Family, quickly quelled the chaos and took the position of Gang Leader."
"The Gao Family?"
Chen Sheng's gaze sharpened. He had just heard that name tonight—at the banquet in the Gathering Immortals Tower, the Patriarch of the Noble Family who proposed a marriage alliance was none other than the head of the Gao Family.
"That's right."
Yang Hu nodded heavily, his tone firm. "The Gao Family has always been pulling the strings behind the Seven Stars Gang. I suspect the Gao Family is inextricably linked to the Old Master's death—they might even be the masterminds behind it! Vice Leader Ma is nothing more than a puppet they pushed to the forefront!"
Chen Sheng listened in silence. This was indeed the first he was hearing of these inside details. In his original self's memory, the specifics of the gang's conflicts were extremely vague.
"Is there more?" Chen Sheng pressed, noticing Yang Hu's hesitation.
Yang Hu hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and lowered his voice even more.
"Also... from what I've observed, the gang hasn't completely given up looking for you. It seems... the Old Master left behind something extremely important, something that Vice Leader Ma—or rather, the Gao Family behind him—is very interested in."
"When they were hunting you back then, it was partly to eliminate you completely, but the other reason was likely to find clues about that item from you..."
"A Treasure?" A thought struck Chen Sheng. This might be the "secret" that the Celestial Book's Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil hint referred to—the one he had nearly missed.
However, he quickly searched his original self's memories but found no clues. His father rarely mentioned gang affairs to him, let alone any Treasure.
When he fled in panic back then, besides some gold, silver, and valuables, the only thing he took with him was the family heirloom he always wore close to his skin: a piece of Warm Jade.
His father had gone to great lengths to find the jade to warm his body and compensate for his Innate deficiencies. He had worn it since childhood, and while it did seem to faintly nourish his qi and blood, after all these years, he had never discovered anything special about it.
"That's my guess," Yang Hu said. "Otherwise, it's hard to explain why they still haven't given up."
"Do you know what it is exactly?"
Yang Hu shook his head, a look of shame on his face.
"I couldn't find out the specifics. Although I'm a Hall Master now, I haven't been in the position for long and haven't managed to enter the inner circle. This is the limit of what I have access to."
"You've worked hard during this time." Chen Sheng patted his shoulder, his tone softening slightly.
"Young Master, please don't say that." Yang Hu said hastily, his expression turning grave again. "Young Master, forgive me for being blunt, but the storm from the Old Master's affair has not yet passed. It's too dangerous for you to return now! Please, take my advice and leave Changshan County as soon as possible! As for the blood feud for my father and the Old Master, I will be the one to see it through! I will not fail to repay the Old Master for raising and teaching me!"
"And how do you plan to get revenge?" Chen Sheng looked at him and asked calmly.
Yang Hu clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. A terrifying ferocity and determination shot from the depths of his eyes.
"I... I'm close to breaking through to the Bone Forging realm! Once I succeed, I'll have enough strength! I'll find the right opportunity and kill that bastard Ma with my own hands! I'll slaughter his entire family to avenge the spirits of the Old Master and my father in heaven! I... I'll also take over the entire Seven Stars Gang, and if I have the power in the future, I'll make the Gao Family pay their blood debt in blood!"
His words were filled with a desperate madness and hatred. It was clear that the past half-year of forbearance and plotting had allowed the flames of vengeance to consume his entire being.
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