Martial God Book 1 - What Is A Genius - Chapter 48 - Conjectures

The Cheng Residence was a complete mess. After receiving the unexpected blow, the damage they suffered was undoubtedly the biggest within the past hundred years.
And the even more unfortunate thing was that this happened just a few days after the Lord Master’s birthday banquet.
The prestige that Cheng family had managed to increase by relying on the Lin family was completely overshadowed at this moment. A family that couldn’t ensure its own safety……..what shelter could it provide to others?
Although the grey-clothed men wearing black masks left quite quickly, for Cheng family, they left a behind an eternally unforgettable lesson which would be remembered through blood.
Xu family’s and He family’s men stationed in the Tai Cang county quickly arrived at the Cheng Residence. Upon learning the attack on the Cheng family, they also felt aghast but also glad inwardly. The opponent’s strength was too much. If they had been the one attacked, their situation wouldn’t have been much better.
After they learned that the thousand-year blood ginseng had also been robbed, although they expressed their regret through words, inwardly, they had never felt so glad at someone’s misfortune.
However, as they saw Cheng family’s miserable situation, they felt empathically sympathetic and directly promised them to provide assistance in investigating the identity of the culprits.
After escaping from the Cheng Residence, He Yiming immediately took off the gray clothes and black turban before he returned home. However, upon returning, he discovered that only his mother and sister were present while his father and brother were nowhere to be seen.
As he turned his head and looked at the fire in the direction of Cheng Residence, he immediately guessed his father and brother’s whereabouts.
While touching his face, he took out a different bottle than before. He poured some liquid on his hand and gently applied it over his face for a few breaths. Subsequently, after scrubbing off his disguise and washing his face, he went into the main hall.
As soon as he arrived, Lin Wenyu sterned her face and asked, “Yiming, where have you been?”
Habitually, He Yiming touched his hair and said, “I was out.”
“So late? What were you doing out? What if you encountered some trouble?”
He Yiming chuckled and said:
“Mother, I only went out to train. Nothing could have happened.”
“Train?” Lin Wenyu’s face eventually relaxed. This past year, she also had some understanding regarding this treasured son’s cultivation speed. She was quite happy but also quite suspicious at the same time. However, after hearing He Yiming’s words, she felt moved. Everybody said how talented He Yiming was, but nobody saw his efforts.
If everybody in the family’s third generation strived as such, not willing to relax even for a single night, she was sure that everybody would make a huge leap in their cultivation.
As she saw her son’s face, which seemed tender like a chick but also a bit matured, she suddenly felt her heart ache. She couldn’t imagine how much her son had exerted himself in order to excel among his peers.
Thinking about this, she suddenly reached out and embraced He Yiming.
He Yiming puzzledly watched his mother. No matter how much of a genius he was, he couldn’t comprehend his mother’s thoughts of this moment. However, after the age of five years, he had not experienced such affection. At this moment, while being together with his mother, his heart felt warm. He moved his arms and embraced back his mother, completely forgetting the matters that occurred a short while ago.
Watching this scene, He Yilong felt envious. She walked forward and entered her mother’s embrace as well. He Yiming glared at her, and she glared back. They glared each other for a few moments but broke into laughter nevertheless.
The three individuals, the mother and her children, enjoyed the familial warmth. As for Cheng family’s calamity, it seemed completely unrelated to them.
He Quanming and He Yixuan, the father and son, only returned at dawn.
Their faces seemed grave. They were evidently affected by the Cheng Residence’s miserable condition.
He, Xu, and Cheng were the influential families in the Tai Cang county. Although all of them differed somewhat in battle strength, none of these families could be provoked.
Since Cheng family could be reduced to such a state, what if, yesterday, those people had targeted the He family instead?
As soon as He Quanming entered the family, his vision first fell on He Yiming. The former involuntarily became angry as he said, “Yiming, where were you last night? Do you any idea how dangerous it was outside yesterday?”
He Yiming felt warm inside as he said, “Father, I was training out yesterday night. Then, I saw fire rising from the Cheng family and returned back.”
“Training? Why not train inside the home?” He Quanming’s anger immediately subsided a lot, but his tone remained strict.
Lin Wenyu immediately stepped forward and shrouded He Yiming. She said a few lines to moderate the situation and pointed out that He Yiming’s current accomplishments imperatively relied on such every day’s relentless training. Since their son had such determination, they shouldn’t become a hindrance for him.
He Quanming was also merely worried about his son’s safety. This moment, he was even led down by a rope. Therefore, after warning a few more times and making sure that He Yiming wouldn’t go out for the upcoming few days, he dropped the matter.
He Yiming naturally agreed with everything his father had to say. He was extremely glad in his heart since he was able to get away so easily.
However, after he returned back to his room, he turned somewhat gloomy.
‘What should I do with this thousand-year blood ginseng? Giving it to father surely won’t do. Should I just….eat it as it is?”
The Cheng Residence had resumed its tranquility after a day of moderating the situation.
However, this moment, the Cheng Residence no longer had a festive atmosphere. Instead, the atmosphere inside was gloomy, and mournful cries could be heard everywhere in the residence.
At this moment, in the family’s rear yard, Cheng Lord Master and Cheng Shine, the top two figures in the family, could be seen sitting together.
These two individuals were the family’s core. As long as they lived, the family would never die.
“Shine, are you hundred percent certain?” Cheng Lord Master asked in a coarse voice. Although he already had the answer in his heart, he still confirmed one more time.
Cheng Shine slowly nodded; his head seeming as heavy as Mount Tai, but firm nevertheless.
“Faher, the technique that man used was, in fact, Xu family’s Blaze technique,” His voice was gloomy yet forceful, “I have fought with Xu fourth many times. There is no way I would make an error.”
The Lord Master’s face slightly twitched as he murmured, “Blaze technique, being able to injure you in a single strike. I’m afraid he is not just an eighth layer cultivator.”
“Right. When your son acted, that man was hurriedly rushing out of the courtyard. He was evidently caught off guard. However, even though this was the case, just a casual palm from him was easily able to deal with your son’s strike, and your son suffered some internal injuries instead. Fortunately, the man seemed quite hurried, otherwise….” Cheng Shine bitterly laughed, “If he had paused, this son wouldn’t be seeing father today.”
Cheng Lord Master’s countenance flickered from green to red, no longer that usual calm, graceful look.
He coldly snorted, “It’s not because that man didn’t chase you, since you have your mother’s blood in your veins, that Xu family’s genius didn’t dare act severely. If it had been any other person in the clan, humph…”
Cheng Shine lowered his head. He had his suspicions all along. However, he didn’t have the courage to speak it out in front of his father.
“The identity of that group has not been cleared?”
Cheng Shine said in a heavy voice, “More than ten corpses had already been collected, but not a single one of them had a familiar face.”
Cheng Lord Master faintly started and asked, “They came from outside?”
“Right. This is the only possible explanation. Otherwise, it’s impossible that not a single man could be recognized among so many high-level cultivators.”
“People from outside?” Cheng Lord Master asked, “Don’t tell me Xu family has begun to collaborate with outsiders.”
“Your son is also puzzled. However, the grey-clothed man truly used Xu family’s Blaze technique.” Cheng Shine vowed.
Father and son silently looked at each other. Although they did not believe that Xu family had the courage to accomplish such a feat, blaze technique was a technique exclusive to Xu family. Outsiders simply couldn’t frame them by using this technique.
After pondering for a while, Cheng Lord Master eventually said, “Shine, arrange people to spread this message outside… during the theft, someone used Blaze technique’s ninth layer.”
Cheng Shine suddenly raised his head and astoundedly asked, “Father, if we do this, wouldn’t it be the same as tearing apart Xu family’s face?”
Cheng Lord Master snorted and said, “Face? Since Xu family had no shame, why should we care? Don’t tell me so many people in our Cheng Residence lost their lives for nothing?”
At the end, the old man’s voice faintly shivered with resentment.
Cheng Shine’s face fiercely twitched as he looked at his father in astonishment. The image of his father in his mind completely crumbled at this moment. However, from this, the extent of the Lord Master’s resentment could be imagined.
After a few moments, Cheng Shine eventually sighed and said, “Yes. Father, your son will see to it.”
The Lord Master’s complexion eased somewhat, “Shine, don’t worry. As long as our relationship with Lin family exists and as long as your elder sister lives, our Cheng family will always be one of the Tai Cang county’s influential families.”
Cheng Shine faintly nodded his head.
Cheng Lord Master stood up. After venting his anger just now, he seemed to have resumed his old self.
“Shine, Li-er is already seventeen.”
“Yes, Li-er has turned seventeen.”
“En. We need to find a husband for her as well,” The Lord Master said in a clear voice, “This time, among He family’s group that came to the feast, He Yitian seemed quite good. He could be considered as a good match for Li-er. Go, make a trip in person.”
Cheng Shine blankly stared. After a serious consideration, when he raised his head, his father had already left.
He lightly sighed, not knowing his own feelings at the moment.