Immortality Begins by Taking Care of Master’s Wife – Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Revenge Served Cold

Qing He County Yamen.
“Your Excellency, please rest. It’s impossible for Constable Zhang and the others to travel at night. They’ll definitely bring Young Miss back tomorrow!”

Chen Dao approached County Magistrate Chen Fan and softly consoled him.

“Yes!”

Chen Fan grunted in response. With Chen Feng on his mind, how could he possibly sleep?

Crouching Dragon Mountain.

Zhang Long paced back and forth, worriedly asking:

“Is there still no news of Zhou Chen?”

“Chief, Brother Chen might have gone down the mountain on his way. Besides, it’s late at night. If Brother Chen can’t make it back in time, he’ll definitely find a place to stay nearby.”

Zhao Hu comforted him.

“I hope so!”

Zhang Long felt a sense of unease in his heart. He had gone to pursue Tie Xiong, but was ambushed halfway and nearly died.

Especially since Tie Xiong wasn’t at the Body Refinement Second Level as he had thought, but at the Body Refinement Third Level!

Fortunately, his saber skills were proficient, and Tie Xiong wasn’t willing to fight to the death. Otherwise, he might not have made it back.

Tie Xiong, naturally, had escaped.

He was worried that Zhou Chen might encounter the same situation. Since Tie Xiong had concealed his strength, would the always inconspicuous second-in-command, Lü Xiao, also be hiding a powerful ability?
However, Tie Xiong’s true cultivation was Body Refinement Third Level, and Lü Xiao, as the second-in-command, even if he had hidden his strength, would probably be at most Body Refinement Second Level.

Zhou Chen still had a chance if he encountered him.

Moreover, when it came to tracking in the forest, Zhou Chen, a Divine Arrow Peak archer who had been hunting in the mountains for many years, held a significant advantage.

“How is Miss Chen?”

Zhang Long asked again.

“She’s still refusing to eat, drink, or speak.”

Zhao Hu replied.

There was no shortage of young women who had been kidnapped by bandits in the mountain stronghold. They had instructed these women to help Chen Feng wash up and take care of her.

It was just that her condition wasn’t very good.

He didn’t have any other options.

They could only return to the County Yamen at first light tomorrow, traveling as quickly as possible.

“Damn it! I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I didn’t expect to be discovered by two scouts. We alerted the enemy. What a disgrace!”

The two Body Refinement Third Level martial artists from the Salt Gang and Fishermen’s Gang branches were still feeling frustrated as they thought about what had happened that day. They had messed up this mission.

“I clearly saw that those two scouts didn’t see us. I don’t know how they discovered us!”

“Fortunately, Miss Chen didn’t come to any harm because of our discovery. Otherwise, we wouldn’t even get a reward when we go back. I’m afraid we’d be punished instead.”

The night passed quietly.

The next morning.

Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, and the others, along with the two Body Refinement Third Level experts from the Salt Gang and Fishermen’s Gang branches, took Chen Feng back to Qing He City as quickly as possible.

After a night’s rest and the comfort of a beautiful woman, Zhou Chen finally felt fully rejuvenated.

He glanced at Qin Hong Yu, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and gently kissed her forehead.

After a moment of intimacy, Zhou Chen didn’t linger in the warmth of their nest. Relying on his strong self-discipline and willpower, he got out of bed.

“Mmm!”

Qin Hong Yu’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she instinctively let out a soft murmur.

Zhou Chen glanced at her, a wry smile appearing on his face.

He had hurt Qin Hong Yu.

It seemed he needed to find a suitable cultivation technique for Qin Hong Yu as soon as possible.

After covering Qin Hong Yu with the blanket and tucking in the corners, Zhou Chen took out a human skin mask and put it on.

He had found this human skin mask in the storage pouch of the first cultivator he killed, Qi You. It was made of a special material, as thin as a cicada’s wing. When worn on the face, it felt like nothing was there.

Zhou Chen changed into a set of black clothes, took out a hat, and put it on, tucking all his hair inside. His entire appearance transformed.

His face was now that of an ordinary middle-aged man with a sallow complexion. Even if he stood in front of Qin Hong Yu now, she wouldn’t be able to recognize him.

“Very good! From now on, this identity will be called Han Fei Yu!”

Looking at himself in the mirror, Zhou Chen was very satisfied.

He quietly left home and went to the Four Seas Trading Company. Greeted by the enthusiastic welcome of the maidservant, he headed to the bow and arrow section.

Last night, he had comprehended Arrow Intent and a killing move, and he needed a good bow to unleash their full power.

“I’d like to try this one!”

Zhou Chen looked at the Startling Rainbow, a bow that he had desired last time but hadn’t purchased.

“You have a good eye, sir. This Startling Rainbow is a ranked good bow…”

The maidservant enthusiastically introduced it and took out the bow for Zhou Chen to try.

Boom!
Zhou Chen casually pulled the bowstring, and the bow bent like a full moon. A terrifying aura surged forth, and even without an arrow, everyone felt as if they had needles pricking their backs.

“So strong!”

The maidservant was stunned.

She had guessed that Zhou Chen wasn’t weak and should be able to pull the bowstring, but she hadn’t expected him to do it so easily. This was a fifty-stone bow, requiring ten thousand pounds of force!

After completing Flesh Tempering and just stepping into the Body Refinement Third Level, a martial artist would have a strength of roughly ten thousand pounds, which was Zhang Long’s level.

But with ten thousand pounds of strength, they couldn’t pull a ten thousand pound bow.

Zhou Chen could pull it to a full moon so effortlessly, his strength had to be thirty to forty thousand pounds, at least Body Refinement Fourth Level or higher, or he possessed natural divine strength!
“You have impressive strength, sir!”

Manager Xiao Heng walked over, clapping his hands and looking amazed.

“This bow is not bad, but I feel it’s still a bit light!”

Zhou Chen slowly released the bowstring and casually placed the bow in the maidservant’s arms.

“You have extraordinary strength, sir. It just so happens that our Four Seas Trading Company has received a new item, a second-tier treasure bow. I’m sure it won’t disappoint you!”

Xiao Heng, with a smile on his face, led Zhou Chen inside and took down a long, pitch-black bow from the shelf.

“This bow is called Soul Chaser. It is forged from fine deep-sea cold iron, and the bowstring is made from the tendons of a demonic beast python. If a Divine Archer were to wield it, they could chase souls for a thousand miles, making people tremble in fear at the mere mention of their name!”

Chasing souls for a thousand miles was an exaggeration, but this bow was indeed extraordinary.

As Zhou Chen reached out and grasped it, an indescribable feeling surged in his heart, as if he had always been playing with street girls but suddenly had the chance to play with a celestial fairy. It was a kind of excitement and fondness that was hard to put into words.

“A good bow!”

“Of course it’s a good bow!”

Zhou Chen was delighted with his find. He carefully felt the bow, then pulled the string with force.

His body suddenly felt heavy.

“So stiff!”

Zhou Chen’s strength had already surpassed fifty thousand pounds before, and last night, after adding over two thousand Romance Points, his strength had increased significantly, reaching roughly seventy thousand pounds of force.

Especially since Zhou Chen was cultivating Yi’s Archery, when it came to using a bow and arrow, his seventy thousand pounds of force could be compared to someone else’s one hundred thousand pounds!

Once he completed Body Refinement and his physical body transformed into a Postnatal Arrow Spirit Body, it would be even more compatible with bows and arrows, allowing him to unleash their power even further.

Buzz!
A startling aura surged forth. Xiao Heng’s eyes widened. He hadn’t expected Zhou Chen to actually pull the Soul Chaser bow to its full extent!

He had heard that it couldn’t be fully drawn without one hundred thousand pounds of force.

“Who is this person? There shouldn’t be such a powerful expert in Qing He City…”

Xiao Heng’s mind raced. Could this level of strength be Body Refinement Seventh Level?

Of course.

Except for those who cultivated strength-focused techniques or possessed natural divine strength.

“Not bad!”

Zhou Chen released the bowstring, looking at Xiao Heng:
“How much is this Soul Chaser bow?”

“Sir, you should know that first-tier weapons start at one hundred taels, and second-tier weapons start at one thousand taels. And bows are the most expensive among all weapons.”

“As the saying goes, ‘A treasured blade should be given to a hero.’ It’s rare for the Soul Chaser bow to meet a connoisseur like you. Let’s make it a flat two thousand taels!”

“Alright!”

Zhou Chen knew that this price was inflated, but in Qing He City, this was probably the only place that had a bow suitable for him. It was a bit expensive, but it was fine. He had just made two windfalls.

Although Lü Xiao, the cultivator, didn’t have any spirit stones, he had a lot of gold, silver, and jewels, especially gold and silver notes.

This bow came with ten refined steel arrows. Zhou Chen spent another twenty taels of silver to buy one hundred more arrows.

“You’re very straightforward, sir!”

Xiao Heng beamed. This was a big sale, and he would get a good commission.

“I also need a saber.”

“Don’t worry, sir. We have plenty of treasured blades at the Four Seas Trading Company!”

Under Xiao Heng’s guidance, Zhou Chen spent another one thousand two hundred taels to buy a second-tier Cold Moon Treasure Saber.

“Take care, Mr. Han!”

Looking at Zhou Chen’s retreating figure, Xiao Heng kept pondering about this archer surnamed Han, who also used a saber. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of anyone who fit the description after racking his brains for a long time.

He didn’t dare send anyone to follow Zhou Chen either. The man was too strong, and archers were very sharp, with terrifying eyesight.

There was no need for him to stir up trouble. He was just a manager who sold things.

After leaving the Four Seas Trading Company, Zhou Chen made sure no one was following him before arriving at a deserted corner. He stored the bow, arrows, and saber in the Wind and Moon Mirror.

Then, he removed all his disguises, tossed them into the Wind and Moon Mirror, and returned to his original appearance.

Zhou Chen quietly left the deserted corner, blended into the street, and went to the noodle shop in front of the Yang Ding Tian shop, ordering three large bowls of beef noodles.

The Yang Ding Tian shop had already opened, and customers were coming and going.

Zhang Long and Zhao Hu arrived, looking exhausted from their journey. Seeing Zhou Chen, they hurried over.

“Brother Chen, I heard you encountered something strange yesterday. Are you alright?”

Zhang Long asked with concern.

“Don’t worry, Brother Long. I was lucky. It was a close call, but I’m completely unharmed!”

Zhou Chen smiled faintly and asked, “Brother Long, did you catch that Tie Xiong?”

“Ugh, don’t bring it up. That old fox hid his strength too well. He’s a Body Refinement Third Level expert. I almost capsized in the gutter. He got away!”

Zhang Long shook his head with a sigh, then said, “I heard you killed the second-in-command, Lü Xiao, brother. Well done!”

“That guy was just a poser, nothing to brag about. He was the strategist on Crouching Dragon Mountain, not a fighter. I killed him with one arrow!”

Zhou Chen waved his hand dismissively. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself.

Besides, Lü Xiao’s body had been incinerated by him. Just based on his words, there was no way to prove that he had killed Lü Xiao.

“That’s not bad either!”

Zhang Long didn’t have any doubts. After all, how many cunning old foxes could there be?

“The County Magistrate also gave me three days off. Come to my house for a drink later to calm your nerves!” Zhang Long said, patting Zhou Chen on the shoulder.

“Well…”

“What ‘well’? It’s settled!”

“Alright!”

After breakfast, Zhou Chen bought some meat buns and soy milk to take back for Qin Hong Yu’s breakfast. Passing by the Hundred Herbs Hall, he went in and bought a box of ointment for swelling and pain relief.

Back home.

Qin Hong Yu was still asleep. Zhou Chen applied some ointment to her injuries.

The cool and refreshing sensation caused Qin Hong Yu to slowly wake up. Her cheeks flushed, and she whispered shyly:

“Brother Chen, what are you doing?”

“Don’t move. I’m applying ointment to you.”

“There’s no need. I’ll be fine after resting for a bit…”

“Be good. Listen to me.”

After applying the ointment, Zhou Chen washed his hands and brought the breakfast in front of Qin Hong Yu: “Brother Long invited me to his house for a drink. You don’t have to wait for me at home.”

“Okay.”

After Qin Hong Yu finished breakfast, Zhou Chen patted her head:

“You rest up. I’m going out.”

To be honest, Zhou Chen was missing Hong Xiu’s ample breasts and milky scent.

After spending a day at Zhang Long’s house, Zhou Chen felt refreshed, and the previous gloom had completely vanished.

It wasn’t until ten o’clock at night that Zhou Chen returned home. Looking at the two thousand Romance Points he had gained, he was very satisfied.

Just like money was a man’s confidence, Romance Points were his confidence.

Back home, Qin Hong Yu had already fallen asleep.

Zhou Chen lifted the blanket and slipped in.

“Ah!”

Qin Hong Yu cried out in pain. Zhou Chen frowned and immediately lit the oil lamp.

“Brother Chen, you’re back.”

Qin Hong Yu embraced Zhou Chen joyfully.

“What happened to your hand?”

Zhou Chen lifted Qin Hong Yu’s hand and saw several bruises on her elbow and shoulder. Anger surged within him:

“Who did this?”

“Brother Chen, I accidentally fell and hurt myself…”

“Hong Yu, look into my eyes. What exactly happened?”

“Brother Chen, I’m fine. I was just out buying groceries today when someone rode past recklessly. I fell while trying to avoid them…”

Qin Hong Yu didn’t dare meet Zhou Chen’s gaze and spoke in a low voice.

“Was that rider that formidable? Who was it?”

“I heard it was the Salt Gang Branch Master’s son.”

Qin Hong Yu tugged at Zhou Chen’s arm and hurriedly said:
“Brother Chen, I’m fine. It’s better to avoid trouble. I know you’re capable, but I’ve heard that the Salt Gang is very powerful. Even the County Magistrate has to give their Branch Master some face…”

“Shi Bao Yu, the Salt Gang Branch Master’s son?”

Zhou Chen had heard of this person. Twenty-five years old, Body Refinement Second Level, infamous for bullying men and women, arrogant and domineering.

But because of his powerful background, the authorities turned a blind eye to his actions.

“Brother Chen, let’s not provoke him, okay? I’m fine. Let’s rest. Don’t you want to do that with me?”

Qin Hong Yu clung to Zhou Chen’s arm and kept shaking it. She was from the countryside. Although Zhou Chen had risen to prominence, Shi Bao Yu wasn’t an ordinary person.

She didn’t want to cause trouble.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Zhou Chen smiled and carried Qin Hong Yu to bed, but in his heart, he had already sentenced Shi Bao Yu to death.

Qin Hong Yu was lucky to have dodged today. What if she hadn’t? Wouldn’t she have been killed?
He didn’t want to cause trouble, but he wasn’t afraid of it either.

Besides, what kind of trash was Shi Bao Yu?

Forget about Shi Bao Yu, even his father, Shi Lei, could be killed with one arrow from Zhou Chen.

He could endure for a moment to avoid trouble, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

If it were some important big shot, then fine, he could endure it and deal with them later after he became stronger.

But a mere son of a Salt Gang branch leader…

What was he?
Tonight, he would act on behalf of heaven, eliminate harm for the people, and accumulate some good karma!
Besides, Zhou Chen wasn’t a good person. If you provoked him, good or bad, you had to die!

“The weather is dry, be careful of fire!”

At the third watch, the night watchman’s voice drifted from afar.

Zhou Chen glanced at Qin Hong Yu in his arms, who was already fast asleep from exhaustion. He lowered his head and kissed her, then quietly slipped out of bed.

Putting on his mask, black clothes, and bamboo hat, Zhou Chen blended into the night.

It was a good night for killing!