Raising Orphans, Not Assassins

Jiangxiu County Streets

Chen Ye strolled along the bustling street, his eyes catching sight of a copper coin mark carved onto a fabric shop’s counter.

Inside, two women were selecting fabrics, chatting softly as they examined the colorful bolts.

Chen Ye entered the shop, glanced at the shop assistant, and subtly lifted his sleeve to reveal a copper coin symbol on his wrist.

The assistant noticed and quickly turned to the two women, saying, “Ladies, please wait a moment.”

The women nodded, continuing to inspect the fabric and whisper to each other.

The assistant approached Chen Ye, who lowered his voice and said, “Gold flows through the world—where can its tracks be found?”

The assistant nodded slightly and replied, “As rivers meet the sea, moonlight reflects golden faces.”

Without hesitation, Chen Ye responded, “An ape leaps through the forest, seeking hidden paths; the moon’s golden shadow reflects upon green robes.”

The assistant smiled, bowed respectfully, and said, “Sir, the fabric you’re looking for is in the back courtyard. Please, follow me.”

Chen Ye gave a slight nod and followed the assistant through the back door to the courtyard.

The assistant led him to a room in the rear courtyard, cupped his hands, and said, “So, you’re a brother from Qingyuan Hall. Please wait here; someone will come to take you to the hall.”

With that, the assistant excused himself and left.

Chen Ye sat patiently on a chair, pondering.

Qingyuan Hall?

The code earlier had indeed included the words ape and green.

It was said that Wan Jin Hall had twelve halls in total, each headed by a hall master with at least second-grade martial arts skills.

Chen Ye wondered about the Hall Master Qing—what their skills were and what they specialized in.

As he mused, he recalled Smiling Cat Xu Xiaolin, the man he’d scared off outside Jiangning City.

Which hall was he the master of?

While deep in thought, the door creaked open, and an elder stepped in, his sharp gaze scrutinizing Chen Ye.

“How many incense sticks have you burned at Qingyuan Hall, brother?” the elder asked.

Chen Ye’s heart skipped a beat.

Trouble. Another code.

What did this one mean?

Chen Ye sat still, his mind racing.

Based on his knowledge of martial arts novels, this sort of code likely referred to either status or skill level.

But what should he say?

Seeing Chen Ye’s hesitation, the elder’s eyes narrowed.

In a flash of inspiration, Chen Ye decided to gamble.

“Three sticks,” he said calmly.

The elder nodded and replied, “I’m under the command of the Hall Master Tie. Tonight’s operation will be under Tieying Hall’s jurisdiction.”

“I’ll take you to the temporary base now.”

With that, the elder turned and left.

Chen Ye had guessed correctly.

He surmised the code was about strength, and by saying three incense sticks, he indicated third-grade skills.

Seeing the elder leave, Chen Ye followed without hesitation.

Tonight’s operation.

It seemed Wan Jin Hall was indeed preparing for action tonight.

Could it be related to Fengyu Tower?

Chen Ye pondered. Wan Jin Hall, conducting operations in Fengyu Tower’s territory—it was hard to believe it wasn’t aimed at them.

But something puzzled Chen Ye: Fengyu Tower was reputed to have the best intelligence network in the world.

How could Wan Jin Hall operate right under their noses without them reacting?

The elder led Chen Ye out of the courtyard to a waiting carriage.

Chen Ye climbed aboard, and the elder, holding a whip, lightly snapped it against the horse’s flank.

The carriage began to move.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a secluded courtyard.

“Get down. Someone will bring food at the hour of You. Don’t leave the courtyard unless necessary,” the elder instructed.

Chen Ye disembarked and knocked lightly on the red-painted wooden door.

The door creaked open, and a young man poked his head out, glancing at Chen Ye.

Chen Ye raised his sleeve, displaying the copper coin insignia.

The young man nodded slightly and gestured for him to enter.

Inside the courtyard, Chen Ye was greeted by a peculiar scene.

More than twenty chairs were arranged in neat rows, four per row, each occupied by a person.

There were men and women, young and old.

All sat with their backs to Chen Ye, straight and motionless.

In the courtyard’s center was a bed, where a man wearing Wan Jin Hall’s signature yellow robe lay sideways, snoring loudly.

The sight left Chen Ye dumbfounded.

What kind of strange protocol was this?

The snoring abruptly stopped, as though the man sensed someone entering.

Without opening his eyes or changing his position, he spoke in a deep voice:

“Which hall are you from?”

Chen Ye replied calmly, “Qingyuan Hall.”

“How many incense sticks?”

“Three sticks.”

Hearing Chen Ye’s answer, the man’s eyes snapped open. He slammed his left hand onto the bed, sending a powerful shockwave of inner force through the air.

The thin layer of dust on the ground was blown away by the impact.

The man suddenly launched himself forward, his movements fierce like an eagle in flight!

His right hand formed a claw, aiming straight for Chen Ye’s face.

Chen Ye remained composed.

Ever since he had cultivated a small amount of inner force, his reflexes and physical condition had significantly improved.

Moreover, the opponent’s attack wasn’t particularly fast, giving Chen Ye enough time to react.

He raised his left arm lightly to block the incoming strike.

At the same time, Chen Ye stayed alert for any follow-up moves, his mind racing.

Did I mess up the code?

Was I exposed?

No… impossible. If he’d been exposed, the elder wouldn’t have brought him here.

Chen Ye’s thoughts turned rapidly, trying to discern why the man had attacked.

“Hm?”

The man let out a surprised grunt upon seeing Chen Ye neither dodge nor evade, merely raising his left arm to defend.

Clang! A metallic sound rang out as the man’s claw struck Chen Ye’s arm.

Using the momentum, the man leaped into the air and landed with a single foot on the back of a chair, balancing like a fierce eagle.

His sturdy frame stood steady, his sharp gaze fixed on Chen Ye.

Chen Ye lowered his left arm, standing tall and unmoved like a pine tree.

“Good!”

“Impressive iron-body training!”

The man praised him, clearly admiring Chen Ye’s unyielding stance.

Chen Ye suddenly realized that his identity hadn’t been compromised.

This was merely the man’s test.

“What’s your name?” the man asked abruptly.

“Huadong,” Chen Ye replied in an even tone.

The man seemed to commit the name to memory, pondering briefly.

He then laughed. “You’re quite capable. Why not join my Tieying Hall? That lecherous ape isn’t worth following.”

With these words, Chen Ye instantly understood who this man was.

He was the Hall Master Tie!

The young man who had opened the door earlier quickly interjected, “Hall Master, with such strength, Brother Hua would never be released by Hall Master Qing!”

Tie Ying frowned, displeased. “So what? I’m not afraid of him.”

Though his words were bold, Tie Ying leaped lightly from the chair and returned to his bed, choosing not to pursue the matter further.

He sat cross-legged on the bed and smiled at Chen Ye. “Come, grab a chair and sit next to me.”

“You don’t seem very old, yet you’ve trained your body impressively. Although I only used third-grade strength, for you to take it without retreating a step is quite remarkable.”

TL Notes: 

Qingyuan: Green ape. Which is why the code has both green and ape.

Tieying: Iron Eagle

Hour of You: Time between 5pm to 7pm