Chapter 20: Armed with a Sharp Weapon, the Urge to Kill Arises

The onlookers, both old and young, were extremely curious to see what the Chen family father and son were up to.

Shen Qing exchanged a glance with his uncle, Shen Er, and followed the crowd running over.

By the time they arrived, Old Tian's house was already surrounded by a circle of people.

They were just in time to hear a loud bang, seeing Chen Yuan and his men kick open the door of Old Tian's house.

Soon afterward, Old Tian and his two sons were thrown out by Chen Yuan and his group.

In addition to Old Tian's house, the doors of three other Tian family homes were kicked open by the Chen family members.

In one household, a fierce conflict broke out with continuous sounds of fighting and smashing.

After a while, a bloodied Tian family hunter was forcefully dragged out by three Chen family members.

"Kneel down!"

The three Chen family members bore multiple cuts and bruises, showing how heavy-handed the Tian family hunter was.

Chen Yuan seemed intent on showing this scene to the many villagers; he stepped forward and asked, "What's going on?"

"Tian Xiaohu and his family attacked us as soon as we arrived, hiding something in their hearts."

Covered in blood, the Tian Xiaohu source glared up, defending himself by shouting, "It was you who struck first!"

Smack!

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Yuan slapped him across the face.

He had already been training his Qi-Blood, with one foot nearly stepping into the martial master's ranks, his strength far exceeding that of ordinary people.

This slap knocked out one of Tian Xiaohu's teeth, making the already injured Tian Xiaohu look even more pathetic.

His face was full of blood, and after several attempts, he couldn't get up from the ground.

Shen Qing frowned deeply at the sight.

He recognized Tian Xiaohu; among the younger generation of the Tian family, he was the most capable and an excellent hunter.

He used to hunt with his family when his father was still alive.

Unexpectedly, he was beaten so miserably by Chen Yuan.

No matter how skilled he was at hunting, he was still an ordinary person, utterly powerless against martial artists.

At this moment, Tian Chuan's parents, along with others, were also driven out of the house.

The Tian family members in Hongshan Village were all gathered together.

Chen Yuan scanned the Tian family members with a cold voice, "Your Tian family killed my two brothers. Out of goodwill for village harmony, I didn't trouble you. Yet you took our kindness as dung. Today, my grandfather gathered the villagers, but none of you showed up. Are you bent on tearing faces with us?"

"We weren't informed at all!" a young Tian family hunter nervously explained, "And how could we possibly have killed your brothers?"

"The first day, my brother accidentally killed Tian Chuan, and the next day he disappeared up the mountain. Are you saying you didn't kill him, or did I kill my brother?"

Chen Yuan's eyes blazed with fury, his face full of murderous intent. He turned to look at Chen Lao and asked, "Didn't you notify the Tian family?"

Chen Lao bowed low, saying, "All were notified, but somehow the Tian family didn't show up."

"You... liar!" Tian Xiaohu, lying on the ground, coldly glared at Chen Lao.

If looks could kill, Chen Lao would have died dozens of times already.

Chen Lao felt a chill spread through his entire body.

The onlookers found it incredible; they couldn't believe the weak Tian family would do such a thing, to fall out with the Chen family at this time.

Shen Qing, amidst the crowd, knew the truth.

It was the Chen family brothers who were clearly the murderers.

What Chen Yuan was doing to the Tian family was no less than framing them.

The Tian family felt wronged, trying to defend themselves, but Chen Yuan didn't give them a chance, kicking the Tian family member who tried to speak.

"Still denying it?"

Chen Yuan lifted his chin, saying, "Search the place for me!"

On hearing this, the Chen family members behind him charged into the Tian family house like a pack of wolves, causing chaos.

The Tian family's communal stove was overturned, and the huge pots inside shattered to pieces.

Cupboards, large jars, and beds were turned over and thrown out of the house.

Blood was scattered everywhere, and the bruised and bloodied Tian family members groaned in pain, combined with the crashing and banging sounds from the house, giving the villagers an overwhelming sense of sympathy.

"Chen Da, look at what I found."

A Chen family member came out of Tian Xiaohu's house with an elm wood bow, handing it to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan took the bow, looked it over, then said, "This is my brother's bow, how did it end up here?"

Tian Xiaohu looked at the unfamiliar bow, realizing, even if dimly, "Chen Yuan, you're framing me!!"

Chen Yuan lifted an eyebrow, saying, "According to the laws of the Great Zhou, those who kill must pay ten strings of coins if of noble class, and are put to three months of labor; twenty strings of coins if of official class, stripped of position; one hundred strings of coins if a doctor or martial artist, and sentenced to military service; a farmer or craftsman who kills must pay with their lives, with the family punished as slaves."

"You killed my two brothers, and the entire Tian family will certainly be sold into slavery."

Chen Yuan's plot was revealed.

Tian Xiaohu struggled violently like a sick tiger caged, roaring, "Chen Yuan, may you have a miserable death, may each one of your Chen family suffer as well. For killing my cousin, then harming over a dozen people of our Tian family, I will haunt you as a ghost."

Ignoring Tian Xiaohu's curse, Chen Yuan questioned the Tian family members, "Having found only a bow, do you have other accomplices who harmed my brothers?"

Frustrated at the wrongful accusation, the Tian family would have no accomplices.

Chen Yuan was dissatisfied, "Hmm? Speak!"

"Chen Da, I have something to say." At this moment, Chen Dahu seemed to have thought of something.

"What is it? Speak!"

In the current situation, the Chen family was at the peak of its power in Hongshan Village.

As a fringe member of the Chen family, Chen Dahu felt he had to latch onto the Chen Yuan family's huge support no matter what.

He saw through Chen Yuan's revenge pretense, realizing their real intention was to cause trouble under the pretext.

Others wouldn't understand, but Chen Dahu knew clearly that, according to the laws of Great Zhou, a farmer or craftsman who kills need only pay with their life, without implicating the family.

The Chen family wanted to sell the Tian family into slavery to profit.

Remembering Chen Yuan's earlier plan involving Shen Fang, he stood up and said, "On the afternoon that Chen Tai and Chen An went up the mountain, I saw Shen Qing coming back from the mountain behind, carrying a wild roe deer, with something bulging at his chest, and carrying an extra bow and arrow."

"Everyone knows that Shen Qing has always been poor at hunting. How could he suddenly have such a big game? These few days he has been giving rabbits and chickens to the bookworm, surely something is amiss."

"He must have joined forces with the Tian family to kill Er Tai and Xiao An, only to get such a haul."

Chen Dahu's words were startling.

As soon as he finished, everyone was shocked, turning their eyes on Shen Qing.

Shen Qing was utterly bewildered.

He hadn't expected to be caught up in this fiasco while being a bystander.

Chen Yuan looked somewhat surprised at Chen Dahu, feeling his words were fitting.

He was worried about not having an opportunity to drag Shen Qing into trouble, then sell his sister.

Unexpectedly, when he was about to fall asleep, someone handed him a pillow.

Chen Yuan glared sternly at Shen Qing, demanding, "Shen Qing, what do you have to say?"

His uncle, Shen Er, rushed protectively from the crowd, "Impossible, my nephew can't even hunt rabbits properly, how could he kill someone?"

"Is that so? Well, a search will tell!" Chen Yuan said menacingly.

Shen Qing knew without thinking that Chen Yuan intended to use the same old trick to frame him.

Unfortunately, he didn't need to frame him.

Shen Qing stepped out from behind his uncle, Shen Er, smiling, "No need, I'm the one who killed them!"

Having already mastered the Nine Brocade Technique, he had, at that moment, seen all that the Chen family had done, and with his skills and weaponry, a murderous intent arose in him.