Chapter 22: Fight the Tyrants, Wipe Out the Rich Families

"Qingzi, that's enough."

Uncle Shen Er hurried forward to pull Shen Qing back, worried he might act rashly. He lowered his voice and said, "Qingzi, you're being too impulsive. The Chen family has more than a dozen households, and today, in front of everyone, if you kill Chen Yuan, it means you're thoroughly at irreconcilable odds with them."

"The Chen family has connections in the county town. If the Chen family members report this to the county government, it's a case of a life for a life. You won't be able to bear the consequences."

"You should run first! We'll hold them off here, and talk about it when this blows over."

Shen Qing looked at his uncle Shen Er and said, "Run, why should I run? It's not me who's in the wrong. If I hadn't killed him just now, it would have been my family who ended up broken and deceased. There's no reason in the world for the victim to have to run."

"Ah..."

Shen Qing, having heard Uncle Shen Er's words, nodded and said, "But Uncle, your words have awakened me. If the Chen family stir up trouble at the county government, I would definitely die. They won't let me go, and I don't want to live a life of hiding and skulking."

"What are you planning to do?"

"When you cut grass, you must remove the roots," Shen Qing's lips lightly parted as he uttered a chilling and straightforward statement, "Chen Youguang has lost all three of his sons, it's only fair that he join them down below."

Seeing Shen Qing like this, Uncle Shen Er hurriedly tried to persuade him, "Qingzi, don't be rash."

But Shen Qing turned a deaf ear, his mind was very clear.

The situation had developed to this point; he and Chen Youguang were irreconcilable.

The entire Chen family must die today.

Today, nobody could stop it.

Shen Qing returned to his house and took out all the bows and arrows, strapping them to his body.

He walked up to Tian Xiaohu and lifted his chin, saying, "Are you coming or not?"

Tian Xiaohu, seeing Shen Qing's face which was as calm as water, for some reason found it exceptionally attractive. He gritted his teeth, wiped the blood from his nose, and said, "Let's go!"

With that, he too picked up a bow and arrows from his home, holding a dagger and rope, and walked out.

In front of everyone, he wiped his knife on the still warm body of Chen Yuan, cutting through his throat.

Then he said to Shen Qing, "I had a part in killing Chen Yuan!"

Shen Qing was slightly stunned, then quickly understood, "Good!"

"I had a part in it too."

"I'm in as well."

"..."

The Tian Family members who had been bullied by Chen Yuan, nearly driven to ruin and death, one by one stood up, some with knives, some with pitchforks, each stabbing Chen Yuan's body.

In the blink of an eye, five or six hunters from the Tian family were standing behind Shen Qing.

Shen Qing's face showed great joy as he laughed loudly, "Since that's the case, fellow villagers, follow me to the Chen family to fight the tyrants, to wipe them out."

"Let's go!"

Shen Qing, along with five or six people from the Tian family, marched imposingly towards the vicinity of Chen Youguang's family.

The scene completely spiraled out of control.

Seeing this, Chen Lao Wu was scared out of his wits, trembling he muttered, "It's over, it's all gone wrong, this is a disaster!"

He hurriedly ran toward the Chen family's direction.

"Hm?"

Shen Qing's gaze was sharp, and without a word, he released an arrow, striking Chen Lao Wu to the ground.

The speed was so fast that even the Tian Family members beside him hadn't even had time to react.

Tian Xiaohu, witnessing this, was inwardly stunned, "Such fast, such accurate bow technique!"

He couldn't help but admire Shen Qing even more.

He knew very well that Chen Lao Wu was close to Chen Youguang and his family.

As he passed Chen Lao Wu, he didn't say a word, just casually delivered a final cut with his knife to send him to heaven.

Seeing things getting out of control, other villagers from the surrounding villages all went back home to grab their weapons and followed behind Shen Qing to watch.

Seeing Shen Qing's departing figure, Uncle Shen Er was somewhat dazed.

He stomped his foot and went home to call Xiao Hu and Shanwa, "Hurry up, grab your weapons, we're heading to Chen Youguang's house."

"Grandpa, what happened?"

"Don't ask, hurry!"

"Oh, oh!"

Seeing that Shen Er had no intention of explaining, Xiao Hu and Shanwa did not press him for answers and, upon hearing his words, hastened to follow him.

…

Chen Family.

Chen Youguang, the head of the Hongshan village mountain drivers, sat on a cart, chatting with the Chen family's elder from the previous generation.

"This time, I have to trouble my uncle to speak with a few families first, to lead the way in purchasing goods. Our family hasn't even completed the five mourning periods; we should be more united," Chen Youguang said with a smile. "As soon as I go to the county, I'll return the part outstanding for my uncle's family in full. Of the profits earned by the clan, let's split it seventy-thirty."

"That's acceptable."

"Then I'll have to trouble my uncle with the rest."

Just as Chen Youguang was beaming with joy, a junior member of the clan dashed over frantically: "It's terrible, it's terrible, Grandpa, Second Uncle..."

"Chen Jizai, what happened?"

Gasping for breath, Chen Jizai said in a panicked tone, "Shen Qing... Shen Qing... he..."

"What about Shen Qing?"

"He killed Brother Yuan!" Chen Jizai blurted out the rest of his message in one breath.

Boom!

Suddenly, Chen Youguang felt as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt.

"What did you say?"

"Shen Qing killed Brother Yuan in front of everyone!"

"How is it possible for my son, who's already cultivated martial arts, to be killed by anyone in Hongshan Village?! I can't believe it, that Shen Qing, always with his head down and hardly skilled in hunting, could kill my son."

Chen Jizai said urgently, "It's true, everyone saw it. Brother Yuan couldn't fight him at all. Just at one glance, Shen Qing knocked Brother Yuan to the ground, and now his body is still lying there."

Chen Youguang's eyes instantly filled with blood and turned bright red as he clenched his teeth and said fiercely, "Bastard!"

He could still rationalize the deaths of Chen An and Chen Tai to himself, but the death of Chen Yuan was something he couldn't accept.

A son with a talent for martial arts meant something completely different to him.

The reason he had been actively amassing wealth and building connections in the county was all to pave the way for Chen Yuan.

If his family could produce a martial master registered in the martial arts register, given time over two or three generations, there was no reason they couldn't settle in the county town and establish a "Chen Family" of their own.

Now with Chen Yuan dead, it was as if his very roots had been dug out.

Everything he had done after that seemed meaningless.

Chen Youguang's normally rosy cheeks instantly turned as pale as paper.

"Also, Second Uncle, you all need to get away quickly now. Shen Qing and the Tian Family members have joined forces and are heading this way; they want to kill us."

Chen Youguang's scalp went numb, and he jumped off the cart with a start.

"Run quickly!"

Before he could finish speaking, a feathered arrow shot through the air, reflecting a cold light in the sunlight, and struck Chen Jizai in the temple.

Chen Jizai didn't even have the chance to cry out before he collapsed to the ground.

"Ah!"

The elder of the Chen family was so frightened he felt his soul leave his body.

"Run!"

Chen Youguang, after all, had some skill to have become the head of the Hongshan Village mountain drivers, and seeing that the situation was dire, he immediately turned and ran.

But he had underestimated Shen Qing's archery.

Just after Chen Jizai had fallen, another feathered arrow whistled through the air, leaving no time for Chen Youguang to react.

The White Feather Arrow had already reached his chest just as his words fell.