Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

Just as Shen Qing tensed his nerves and prepared for action, seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these days, Dong Pengfei's death became eerily silent, with not a whisper of it leaking out, as if he had vanished from the world without a trace.

In light of this situation, Shen Qing felt neither joy nor relief.

On the contrary, he was rather unsettled.

The absence of problems was the biggest problem!

As one of the Yongzhou Thirteen Lines, the Dong Family had been entrenched in Yongzhou for over a century, with considerable strength among many businesses.

Was it conceivable for the Dong Family not to react after their patriarch was slain in the street?

Completely impossible.

Shen Qing did not think his methods were particularly clever. For the Dong Family, locating the murderer and tracing it back to him would not be difficult.

Therefore, after killing Dong Pengfei, he deliberately left trails, circling back to the county government, primarily to mislead them into thinking he was directed by the Prefectural Governor, thereby muddying the waters.

Now it seemed the Dong Family was uninterested in such things.

This indirectly suggested that their ambitions were significant.

Shen Qing instantly had a premonition of an impending storm.

In the future, it seemed likely that a dozen or more Yongzhou nobles would target the Prefectural Governor.

When that day came, he obviously would not be in the same camp as these people. The Dong Family would probably settle new and old scores at once, and they certainly would not spare him.

Shen Qing let out a cold breath, as if a boulder was lodged in his heart, suspended in mid-air, unable to be put down.

At that moment, he felt a greater thirst for strength.

If he had sufficiently strong power, he could instill fear in these people.

Or, if by force, he could eliminate them physically, then these problems would cease to exist.

At the end of the day, he was not strong enough.

He had to seize the time to train further.

...

Deep within the Zhou Mansion, a secluded and elegant courtyard lay concealed.

Within the courtyard, flowers bloomed in profusion, vibrant and competing for glory, without a hint of early autumn's desolation.

Amidst the flowerbed, a woman in a luxurious robe with a charming and captivating visage strolled leisurely, cuddling a sleek, glossy cat in her arms, a slight smile playing at her lips.

The fifth young Master Zhou Xintong followed silently behind her.

"Sister-in-law, the elixir you gave me, it's truly miraculous!" Zhou Xintong's voice carried excitement as he quickened his pace to walk beside her: "After taking it, I felt my spiritual power surge within, and my cultivation advanced rapidly in just a few days. This kind of wonder is unheard of! The prefect's son even fell at my hands, all thanks to you."

The enchanting woman chuckled softly: "As long as Master Zhou likes it, this elixir is extraordinary, yet it still requires your diligent cultivation. On the path of cultivation, one must avoid seeking quick success and instant gratification."

Zhou Xintong replied respectfully, "Thank you for the reminder, sister-in-law. I will remember that."

"Has anything interesting happened outside lately?" the charming woman inquired as they walked.

"Indeed, there has been," Zhou Xintong replied with feigned mystery.

"Oh, what is it?"

"The Family Head of the Dong Family, Dong Pengfei, might be dead."

"That's significant. Now that the Dong Family is without a leader, aren't you planning to take a bite out of them?"

"This is just our speculation. These days when my father visited the Dong Family, it was his third brother Dong Xiu handling the receptions, with no sight of Dong Pengfei. The rumors in the streets say he was killed. But the Dong Family remains tight-lipped and denies it, so we are unsure and dare not act rashly. But certainly, there is turmoil within the Dong Family."

"Interesting, Yongzhou is becoming livelier," the charming woman nodded, smiling slightly.

Beside her, Zhou Xintong's heart surged with emotion as he gazed upon her in a daze.

Fortunately, his mind was resilient, and he quickly disentangled himself from his thoughts, hurriedly saying, "Sister-in-law, you may be busy now. I will visit another day when free."

With that, he deeply saluted the enchanting woman and left the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, Zhou Jishan stood with his hands folded across his chest, waiting respectfully.

Seeing Zhou Xintong walk out, he silently followed.

As he watched their figures gradually vanish in the distance, the cat in the charming woman's arms immediately tensed, spitting human words: "Why did you give the Blood Pill to him, Goddess? It was painstakingly condensed from several martial masters' Qi-Blood."

The tone carried a hint of complaint.

"Vegetables in the field need watering; that's how the flavor improves. A single crop isn't good enough, so I gave it some fertilizer. Don't you find it fascinating when people consume each other? Obtain power at a price."

The cat in the enchanting woman's embrace displayed a human-like bewilderment.

"You wouldn't understand even if I explained it, now go train yourself," the woman said as she pinched the cat's neck and tossed it aside.

The cat landed lightly and, without a word, slipped into the blooming plants.

Zhou Xintong wandered aimlessly after stepping out of the courtyard, his demeanor carefree.

Following him, Zhou Jishan suddenly spoke up: "Fifth young master, I've recently found out about something; I'm unsure if I should tell you?"

"Cousin, do say," Zhou Xintong replied, in high spirits, sounding much friendlier.

"I've heard rumors that the one who killed Dong Pengfei is the Chief Officer of Weiwu Division."

Zhou Xintong made a light 'eh' sound, looking surprised.

If he recalled correctly, did this person not just kill Dong Pengfei's son?

And now, he had killed Dong Pengfei, reuniting father and son?

Such a disposition...

Zhou Xintong found himself at a loss for words.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Seems like the Prefectural Governor took action. Does my father know about this?"

"Master likely knows."

"That's alright, let them fight among themselves."

Zhou Jishan glanced at Zhou Xintong, lowered his voice, and said, "Master, doesn't the name Shen Qing sound familiar to you?"

Zhou Xintong frowned and fell into thought upon hearing this.

"Taiping County, your old servant!" Zhou Jishan reminded.

Zhou Xintong abruptly halted, his gaze fixed sharply on Zhou Jishan, recalling in a flash.

"Is the Shen Qing from the Guardian Martial Department, him?!"

"I investigated, and it's undoubtedly him."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xintong's eyes widened, and his pupils constricted,

He slowly said, "If I'm not mistaken, he was an ordinary hunter who only trained for a while at the county's Martial Arts Hall, right? That means in just over a year or two, he went from being a commoner to successively advancing and became a martial artist in the Yu Luo Realm. Not only that, but he also became the Chief Officer of Weiwu Division, now on par with my status?"

"Yes," Zhou Jishan confirmed.

Inside, Zhou Xintong felt waves of astonishment crashing, unable to settle.

Could such a monstrous talent truly exist?

Compared to him, the few achievements he made seemed like child's play in comparison.

Moreover, not just him, when Zhou Jishan confirmed this information, he too felt it was unrealistic, as if in a dream.

Yet, faced with the irrefutable facts, they had to admit it.

Shen Qing was truly a prodigy.

Utterly terrifying.

"You tell me this now; what are you trying to indicate?" Zhou Xintong's tone began to turn cold.

Zhou Jishan expressed his indignation: "Two from the Zhou Family have already fallen to this person, including the old servant who served you for years. I can't swallow this grievance. I hope the young master doesn't let him go, lest he grows stronger and it's too late. This person is surely not benevolent to us."