[4. Today you killed Yu Biaoâs housekeeper and obtained intelligence stating that the housekeeperâs martial arts technique, "Little Thought," is a martial arts technique passed down from Emei. It is especially effective for women to practice, with twice the results for half the effort.]
[5. Since you contemplated multiple times today, the relationships within the White Tiger Hall, youâve acquired intelligence which suggests that currently, the White Tiger Hall is divided into four major factions. Among them, Feng Xuan and Lu Rong are allies, Zheng Chuan has his own faction, and the white-clothed Scholar Deng Guangming remains neutral. At present, the two sides are engaged in both open and covert battles, and Peng Shizhong is also considering adopting another son, with the intention of balancing the conflict between the two factions!]
Chen Jie lay in bed reviewing the dayâs intelligence and found that there were no significant developments.
The third item was the one that warranted attention, which mentioned the owner behind the black market, one of the Thirteen Grand Protectorsâthe oil seller.
The Thirteen Grand ProtectorsâChen Jie had recently become well-acquainted with them. Almost all the prominent masters in Mianshui County were among their number.
For example, his adoptive father, Peng Shizhong, was one of the Thirteen Grand Protectors known as the fisherman.
Of course, apart from the first and second, the rankings of the Thirteen Grand Protectors didnât entirely reflect their strength; it was more a list.
But the top two truly had skillâ they were the underground kings of Mianshui County, the leaders of the Fishing Guild and Guild Cao.
The leader of the Fishing Guild, Nan Batian, and the leader of Guild Cao, Liu Laoguaiâthese two were recognized as the strongest masters in Mianshui County, their strength towering above the other eleven protectors.
And this oil seller was one of the more mysterious among the Thirteen Grand Protectors.
The other enigma was the beauty from Yihong House.
Both had never revealed their true faces, while the others were well-known figures in Mianshui County, recognized as leaders in their own right and not as secretive as these two.
For instance, the fisherman Peng Shizhong and Ghost Hand Gu Qingfeng were well-known publicly.
But this oil seller and the beauty from Yihong House rarely made appearances, and few knew their true faces.
Now that Chen Jie had attracted the attention of the oil seller, he felt like there was a thorn in his back. No, he had to find an opportunity to clarify the identity of this oil seller; otherwise, it would be difficult to rest easy.
However, Chen Jie did not believe that the oil seller would directly confront him, especially since he had made peace with his adoptive father in private, even forming an agreement. As a significant player in Mianshui County, the seller wouldnât shamelessly bully a junior like himself.
Thinking this over, Chen Jie was somewhat reassured, praising himself for his cleverness. If he hadnât reported this matter to Peng Shizhong, he might have had to face the oil seller alone.
But now with a big shot intervening, even if the other party resented him for killing their assassin, they would have to bear it. Thatâs just the rule.
Thus, his adoptive fatherâs acknowledgment was not in vain.
Then there was the first piece of intelligence, which described the operations at Yihong House. Well, to sum it up, it would be one word: elegant. Truly fucking elegant.
This confirmed what a wise man said, "Turn a sordid business into something elegant, and youâll make more money."
The second piece of intelligence detailed the industrial chain of the black market, showing that it primarily dealt with two areas: smuggling and hiring killers, and likely fencing stolen goods.
The fourth piece of intelligence introduced the secret manual "Little Thought" obtained today, surprisingly originating from Emei.
The Emei Sect, Chen Jie knew, was rumored to be one of the Six Great Sects recognized by the court.
These Six Great Sects were acclaimed martial arts factions of the righteous path.
And Emei was one among them.
Moreover, Chen Jie was aware that the Emei Sect was a faction that only accepted female disciples, mostly composed of Taoist nuns.
There were rumors that its founding master was the daughter of the Hero Guo, who once single-handedly defended Xiangyang City.
If "Little Thought" had such a background, it should indeed be an exceptional martial art.
Chen Jie got up and noticed his wife was genuinely tired today and hadnât woken up.
So he rose and approached the desk to light the oil lamp.
Finding "Little Thought," Chen Jie initially found the martial arts techniques fascinating because of their unique way of channeling force.
But now, realizing that it might have originally come from Emei, it wasnât just the techniques that seemed interesting; he suspected the origin of the manual itself might be more intriguing.
A secret manual suitable for womenâs practiceâwhere did the housekeeper get it?
Chen Jie flipped through the manual only to find that "Little Thought" was indeed simple, comprising only thirteen pages.
Besides the first page, which was a horse stance, the rest were all boxing techniques.
On the first page, there was only one very special horse stance [Two Character Clamping Sheep Horse].
This horse stance, unlike the bold and expansive style Chen Jie practiced, seemed reserved, with feet shoulder-width apart.
The feet were drawn together, forming an inward "eight" figure, with knees slightly bent, knees tucked inwards with a fist-width gap between them.
It was evident that this stance was especially suited for the conservative posturing of women.
Looking at the stance work, Chen Jie felt more and more familiar with itâwhy did it look so much like "Yong Chun"?
He opened "Little Thought" to see the twelve styles, including [Cross Hand], [One Spreading Three Lying Hands]...
Chen Jie was absorbed in reading when he suddenly felt someone put a coat on him from behind.
"Husband, what are you doing?"
Chen Jie replied, "Nothing much, just looking at a martial arts manual I got."
Hearing this, Su Yunjin said, "Donât wear yourself out."
Chen Jie then turned to look at Su Yunjin and said, "Youâre one to talk, exerting yourself so much just a while ago. How come youâre awake already? Did your husband wake you?"
"Itâs not that."
His wife shook her head, then eyed the manual in Chen Jieâs hand and said, "Little Thought, what an odd name!"