Book 1 - What Is A Genius - Chapter 56 - The Confusion

On the road leading to the county town, the sound of galloping horses could be heard.
Four robust horses rushed out of the He family manor, and within half a day, arrived in the county town. The leader of the group was precisely He family’s reputed ninth-layer cultivator, He Quanxin.
After arriving in the town, the group didn’t go to their home in the town, rather immediately went to the Cheng Residence.
Regarding the arrival of He family members, Cheng Shine did not find it strange at all. However, the quickness of their arrival was quite out of his expectations. Regardless, this was undoubtedly a good news for Cheng family.
This Cheng family member who held a high authority in the family personally welcomed them in and unexpectedly lead them straight into the inner hall. His vision would often linger on He Yitian. Everybody was aware of his thoughts. He Yitian’s face was further slightly red.
Being the eldest grandson of the eldest son, he already knew that he would not able to decide his marriage himself. In the interest of the clan, the criteria for his wife would not be based on his like. However, regarding this rule, he was not too opposed. He knew this was his duty towards the clan.
In the Tai Cang county, Cheng family’s girl indeed possessed the most fitting social status. And from his father and grandfather’s display, it was indeed the case.
As soon as he thought of this, he threw a glance towards He Yiming and sighed inwardly.
His father had already talked to him. His sixth brother’s talent was too extraordinary. Thus, it was already predetermined in the clan that the latter would not be bothered with troublesome matters like marriage so as not to affect his cultivation. Like Xu family’s fourth Senior Xu Right, who had been cultivating wholeheartedly and had yet to take a wife.
After everybody took their seats, He Quanxin immediately asked about the situation of horse-bandits.
Cheng Shine frankly spoke, “For your righteousness, your brother would thank you in advance,” Subsequently, a deep-rooted hatred emerged in his eyes.
He Quanxin and the others exchanged a glance. They could easily tell that a man like Cheng Shine, possessing such an identity and status, not glossing over his hate, apart from his intense hatred for the bandits, also indicated his complete trust in He family.
“Our Cheng family still have some influence in the county. After an investigation, we eventually discovered some suspicious figures,” Cheng Shine’s voice turned strict, “In their hunt, two died while one was captured alive.”
Although he toned down his words a lot, everybody could imagine Cheng family’s desperation at that time.
“That person confessed?” He Quanxin supplemented. In his mind, he added another line, ‘Confession through torture seems likely’
Of course, he would not say these words out loud.
Cheng Shine heavily nodded and said, “At first, this man wanted to kill himself. However, after falling into our hands, how could we allow him to do as he wished? After torturing him, we have already got to their bottom,” His voice suddenly turned cold as he continued, “That group is Atai county’s Red-cloth Bandits.”
He Quanxin faintly started, then faintly creased his brows.
Atai county and Tai Cang county didn’t share a border. There was still Tai Chong county between them. However, Atai county had the most chaotic county town in the whole Jadeting region.
That place was one of the rare non-mountainous counties in the northwest. Being on the border and having a flat terrain, that place had always been a chaotic area full of bandits. Whenever the authorities tried to initiate an assault on them using the military, they would just run to the other side of the border, and troops didn’t dare cross the border to chase them.
Red-cloth Bandits is one of the reputed bandit groups in Atai county and could be regarded one of the top bandit groups in that region. Even though He family lived in Tai Cang county, they had heard this infamous name.
Among them, the most reputed were the chief and the vice-chief of the group. Reportedly, both were peak tenth-layer cultivators.
With a slight cough, He Quanxin asked, “Brother Cheng, who is their leader?”
“Their leader is one of the Red-cloth bandits’ squadron leaders, named Guan Wei.” Cheng Shine’s facial muscles slightly twitched. While thinking of his foe, he instead started to calm down.
“Guan Wei?” A slight astonishment could be seen on He Quanxin’s face, “I remember Red-clothed gang’s leader is also surnamed, Guan.”
“That’s right. This Guan Wei is the younger blood brother of the Red Cloth bandits’ leader. Furthermore, former’s Internal Energy had already attained ninth layer,” Cheng Shine spoke without trying to hide anything. He knew that he absolutely couldn’t trick the counterpart on such a matter. Otherwise, not to mention being related by marriage, they might even become sworn enemies in future.
Several thoughts emerged in He Quanxin’s mind. After pondering for a few moments, he asked, “Brother, I wonder who came from Xu family to help?”
“No one came from their side.” Cheng Shine calmly and indifferently said.
He family members faintly started. He Quanxin rasied his brows a bit and asked, “Could it be…Xu family is frightened by Red Cloth bandits and didn’t send anyone?”
“No,” Cheng Shine surprised everyone, “We simply didn’t ask them for help.”
This time, He family members were truly at a loss. Only He Yiming was different. He had already guessed the cause.
As he expected, Cheng Shine continued, “Fellow brothers might not know, that night, one of the bandits after snatching the thousand year blood ginseng came across your brother. At that time, I exchanged fists with him,….hehe,” He self-mockingly chuckled and continued, “The result was, I sustained heavy injuries on the spot. Had that man not been in a hurry, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have necessarily been able to see everybody today.”
He Quanxin and the rest’s complexion once again transformed. Injuring Cheng Shine in just one exchange, that person’s strength was no small matter.
“Brother Cheng, that person ought to be Guan Wei?”
“No, at that time, Guan Wei was fighting with my father. He couldn’t have find the opportunity to sneak out,” Cheng Shine coldly continued, “That person was a ninth-layer cultivator.”
He Quanxin’s complexion turned grave as he said, “There were actually two ninth-layer experts together?”
Cheng Shine waved his hand and said, “Brother He, according to our questioning, we know that there is only a single ninth-layer cultivator, Guan Wei, in their group that has come to Tai Cang county. As for that person, he was not a part of Red Cloth bandits at all. In the chaos, dressed up as the part of their group, he snatched away the thousand year blood ginseng.”
Since He Quanxin and the rest were high-level Internal Energy experts, they were naturally witty. Connecting this with the matter of Xu family not being sent an invitation, they understood the crux of the matter.
The two brothers exchanged a glance before He Quanming said, “Could it be…that person has some connections with the Xu family?”
“Correct. He indeed has a connection with Xu family. Furthermore, a certain, direct connection.”
“Brother Cheng, could there be any misunderstanding in all this?” He Quanming said in lowered voice, “With Xu family’s reputation in the county, they couldn’t have done such an underhanded thing.”
Cheng Shine coldly chucked a few times, “If not for the Red Cloth bandits, they perhaps would not have acted. However, having such an opportunity, how could have they stopped themselves,” He threw a glance in the direction of Xu family before saying, “They couldn’t resist the temptation of thousand year blood ginseng in the end.”
He Quanxin lowered his voice as he said, “Brother Cheng, you are so sure. There ought to be some proof?”
Cheng Shine’s eyes shined momentarily, “I exchanged blows with that person. Brother He might not know the technique that man used…”
He Quanxin blankly shook his head. At such a high-level, there were too many techniques. He couldn’t possibly guess the techniques used by the counterpart.
He Yitian, however, slightly trembled inwardly as he said, “Could it be…one of the two special techniques of Xu family?”
He Quanxin and the rest’s complexion immediately transformed. Xu family’s two special techniques, the Blaze technique and the Withered Tree technique, were extremely famous primary Internal Energy techniques in Tai Cang county.
These techniques were secrets of Xu family that couldn’t be passed to the outsiders, not even to the indirect descendants. If it really was one of these two techniques, even if Xu family jumped into the holy river, they wouldn’t be able to clear themselves of this accusation.
Under the watchful eyes of everybody, Cheng Shine slowly nodded and said, “Correct. It was one of the two special techniques, the Blaze technique.”
He Quanxin sucked in a deep breath and said, “Blaze technique, ninth-layer Blaze technique?”
“Yes.”
Everybody immediately understood why would an eighth-layer cultivator like Cheng Shine suffer internal injuries in a single exchange and confidently claimed that it was certainly related to the Xu family.
“Ninth layer Blaze technique….” He Quanxin suspiciously said, “According to my knowledge, training in Blaze technique and possessing the ninth-layer Internal Energy, don’t tell me……it was Xu Right?”
“Not him,” Cheng Shine concluded, “That man’s build and height was too different from Xu Right. It couldn’t have been the same person.”
With his strength and eye-sight, he would naturally not make a mistake in this assertion. Moreover, everybody was familiar with Xu Right’s conduct. Latter would never do something such as altering his appearance and profit off other’s misfortune.
He Quanxin’s expression was becoming increasingly puzzled, “In Xu family, apart from Xu Right, there is another ninth-layer expert?”
Everybody was silently thinking. However, the members of He family immediately recalled He Laibao.
Since He family could have such a secret card in their hands, Xu family, a family that had been passed through several centuries, having a hidden ninth-layer expert, wasn’t too strange.
However, this explained why Cheng family didn’t ask Xu family for help and also perfectly explained their marriage proposal.
After a few moments, He Quanxin seemed to have reached a decision as he said in a clear voice, “Regardless of whether Xu family truly stole thousand-year blood ginseng, as far as the Red Cloth bandits are concerned, we will absolutely not sit idle. This instance, we are here at the disposal of brother Cheng.”
Cheng Shine bowed courteously and said, “With the help of everyone, we will certainly clean these Red Cloth bandits in one swoop,” A cruel expression flickered on his face as he said, “I will make sure not a single one of them is left. All of them will be offered to the spirits of deceased.”