Chapter 48
By the time Chen Ping'an returned home, it was already around 1:45 a.m. As expected, Chen Erya was still awake, waiting for him with a troubled expression.
Chen Ping'an had gone out in the middle of the night, and although Chen Erya didn't ask where he was going, she was clearly worried.
"Brother~"
Seeing Chen Ping'an return, the worry on Chen Erya's face melted away, replaced by a smile.
"Mm, Erya, it's too late. Go to sleep!" Chen Ping'an patted Chen Erya's head and spoke softly.
In the dead of night, the surroundings were eerily quiet. If they spoke too loudly in the courtyard, their neighbors might overhear. At this moment, Chen Ping'an once again felt the urge to move to a bigger house.
If they could live in a larger compound, they would undoubtedly have much more freedom.
Given his current progress in martial arts, that day might not be far off!
"Ah!"
Chen Erya accidentally caught sight of the bloodstains on Chen Ping'an's feet and couldn't help but gasp. However, she knew better than to make a scene and quickly stifled her reaction.
"Brother, the blood on your feet..."
The little girl seemed to have realized something.
Chen Ping'an didn't explain. He simply patted her shoulder and walked into the kitchen.
He needed to dispose of his shoes, and not just the shoes—his clothes, which also carried the scent of blood, needed to be dealt with as well.
As he lit a fire under the stove, a pang of regret suddenly struck Chen Ping'an.
"Damn it! How could I forget this!"
Although he had erased the traces, the scent of blood could still be traced. The Town Guard was full of capable individuals, and if they really investigated, they might be able to follow the scent of blood straight to his home.
Now that he was already back home, it was too late to do anything about it.
"I'm still too inexperienced!" Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh bitterly at himself. No matter how carefully he planned, there were still oversights.
Indeed, this kind of thing is best left to professionals! Ordinary people can't handle it!
Fortunately, the ones who died were just a few thugs from the Tiger Head Gang, not important figures. In such cases, the Nanquan Lane Town Guard wouldn't bother investigating. Even if they did, it would likely be a half-hearted effort.
In the Nanquan Lane Town Guard, the lives of thugs were the least valuable. Nanquan Lane was far from peaceful, with frequent gang conflicts. The deaths of a few thugs weren't anything unusual.
"Even if a few thugs die, it's unlikely the Tiger Head Gang will go all out to investigate. At most, Little Tiger Lord will throw a fit and look into it."
"Learn from your mistakes! I can't make this kind of mistake again!"
Chen Ping'an thought to himself.
Having figured this out, Chen Ping'an took the lesson to heart, and the regret in his mind gradually faded.
"Thankfully, back then, when Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong stole my credit, I held back. If I hadn't, and acted out in anger, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
Once the regret faded, Chen Ping'an instead felt a sense of relief.
Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong were not like Six. If they died, the Nanquan Lane Town Guard would take it extremely seriously. The unexplained death of a full-time constable was a big deal! It would be seen as a direct challenge to the Nanquan Lane Town Guard, and the higher-ups would definitely send specialized constables to investigate.
After the earlier lesson, Chen Ping'an wasn't confident he could cover his tracks well enough to escape the Town Guard's scrutiny.
Indeed, impulsiveness is the devil! Always think twice before acting!
Sometimes, holding back isn't a sign of weakness, but a mark of great wisdom.
Truly, knowledge from books is shallow; true understanding comes from experience.
Chen Ping'an sighed deeply in his heart.
With his golden finger panel, his future was bright. As long as he didn't cross certain lines, there was no need to clash head-on with others. As his martial realm continued to improve, problems that seemed insurmountable now might become trivial in the future.
Having figured this out, Chen Ping'an felt a weight lift from his chest, and his mind cleared.
After cleaning up the traces under the stove, he wiped himself down and climbed into bed.
Once in bed, Chen Ping'an noticed that the little girl was still awake.
"Erya, why aren't you asleep? Something on your mind?" Chen Ping'an asked softly.
After the events of the day and seeing the bloodstains on him, it was no wonder the little girl couldn't sleep.
"Brother, I'm so worried about you."
The little girl turned over and hugged Chen Ping'an tightly, her voice trembling.
"Erya, don't worry," Chen Ping'an hugged her back and gently patted her back. "I will protect myself and protect us. For you, I will do whatever it takes."
Their parents were already gone. Chen Ping'an couldn't imagine what would happen to Chen Erya, a little girl, in this harsh world if he were no longer around. What kind of cruelty would she face?
In this vast world, with no family left, how lonely and desolate would it be!? How heartbreaking and sorrowful!?
For Erya, for himself, for the two of them, he would live well and live gloriously.
He swore it!
Perhaps influenced by Chen Ping'an's emotions, or perhaps because his gentle patting made her feel safe, the little girl finally drifted off to sleep.
Holding Chen Erya, Chen Ping'an felt an infinite tenderness in his heart.
With her by his side, he would never be alone in this world!
When he killed Six, he could have kept his hood on. But in the end, he took it off. He avenged Chen Erya not just physically, but emotionally as well.
He took off the hood to make sure Six knew exactly why he was dying—not just dying in confusion.
Only by making Six understand the reason would Chen Ping'an feel satisfied, and his revenge would have meaning.
Lying in bed, holding Chen Erya, Chen Ping'an replayed the events of the night in his mind, analyzing the mistakes and learning from them.
Even experts start as beginners! As long as he kept improving, one day he would make others look up to him!
Early the next morning, after practicing the Locust Stone technique and having breakfast, Chen Ping'an prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he gave Chen Erya some extra instructions, telling her to stay hidden at home and not go out. If anyone from the Tiger Head Gang came, she should cooperate as much as possible and avoid provoking them.
Six was, after all, a small-time leader in the Tiger Head Gang. His death would inevitably cause some ripples, especially in Pear Blossom Lane, which was under Little Tiger Lord's control. Things there might not remain peaceful.
The Tiger Head Gang's influence spanned several streets, and Pear Blossom Lane was under the full control of Little Tiger Lord, one of the three guardians.
Listening to Chen Ping'an's instructions, Chen Erya seemed to sense something and nodded solemnly.
After leaving home, Chen Ping'an couldn't stop worrying about the little girl. Even though he knew there was little to worry about, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
For example, would Chen Erya be safe alone at home?
Would Little Tiger Lord suspect him in Six's death?
Could someone in the Tiger Head Gang trace the clues back to his home?
All these thoughts made Chen Ping'an restless.
At this moment, he truly wished he were a squad leader in the Nanquan Lane Town Guard. If he were, the Tiger Head Gang would be trying to curry favor with him, not daring to offend him. Why would he need to worry about these things!?