Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter 106: Trouble Has Arisen

“Crack, crack, crack!”

The sound of immense force smashing through everything like dry twigs reverberated sharply in Chen Chang’an’s ears. The ground beneath his feet, previously fractured with deep fissures, split once again—deeper and wider—following the original fractures precisely. The power spread exactly along the initial lines, controlled with perfect precision.

“Pfft…”

Chen Chang’an exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling such overwhelming pressure that he almost wanted to kneel and worship on the spot.

Yet, Chang Dengtuoya showed no intention of striking a third blow. He withdrew his palm, placing it behind his back, smiling warmly as he said, “Brother Chen, did you just make a bet with my two disciples?”

“Yes… the loser must kneel and apologize!” Chen Chang’an’s entire body was limp inside and out, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand tall, answering neither humbly nor arrogantly.

“Good!” Chang Dengtuoya nodded. “Having a wager is a good thing, but it shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Martial arts are vast and complex. My two disciples don’t represent the true level of Yingzhou, and you cannot represent the exact strength of Damin.”

“Your wager might make sense, but you should find two people who genuinely embody each side’s martial prowess. Only then can the loser admit their shortcomings, making it reasonable and acceptable to the public. Otherwise… it’s just child’s play!”

“What do you mean?” Chen Chang’an’s fear subsided somewhat as he realized his body had not suffered real harm despite the overwhelming pressure from an eighth-rank Houxuan. He asked back.

Chang Dengtuoya kept smiling. “I mean that the loser’s admission of inferior martial skill should be the bet between me and Wang You!”

Ugh… What a shameless excuse, always trying to cover for his own two disciples. Imagine if it were a Damin warrior who lost—they’d probably kneel and kowtow even in death!

Shameless scoundrel… Chen Chang’an silently cursed in his heart but remained composed on the surface, waving his hand with a casual smile, “Oh, then you can tell Wang You.”

“Alright!” Chang Dengtuoya flung his sleeves arrogantly. “Brother Chen, you truly are a reasonable man.”

Then the smile and warmth vanished from his face. He turned, glaring fiercely at Qingzi and Yingzi, harshly scolding, “You two, come apologize to Brother Chen at once! Always causing trouble and acting unruly!”

“Master, but…” Qingzi responded unwillingly.

Yingzi thought for a moment, then obediently stepped forward and performed the ceremonial bow of Yingzhou, saying, “Young Master Chen, it was my rudeness. Please forgive me!”

Forgive you, my foot… Chen Chang’an nearly blurted out a curse, but restrained himself, merely rolling his eyes and saying, “It’s fine.”

“Yes, thank you, Brother Chen, for forgiving these two unruly apprentices. Farewell, until we meet again!” Chang Dengtuoya clasped his hands and spoke a few words of farewell, then turned and left with Qingzi and Yingzi.

The residents of Chang’an City stared blankly at the web-like network of fissures spreading beneath their feet, their minds numb and eyes hollow in shock. Only after three or four minutes did someone spit and sneer, “Bah! Yingzhou’s warriors are even cruder—filthy scoundrels!”

Wuyuan Heng exhaled deeply, then ran over, checking carefully with hands on chest and head, concerned, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Chen Chang’an shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he looked toward the departing Chang Dengtuoya. “No matter how high his realm or how strong his cultivation, this is still Chang’an—Chang’an, the city of Damin. At most, he’ll use pressure like this; he wouldn’t just kill someone outright.”

Wuyuan Heng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, gazing at the scarred ground with admiration. “To shatter the earth like this without harming a single hair on you—his control over force is incredibly precise. Chang Dengtuoya’s realm is even more terrifying than three years ago. I wonder…”

His eyes glanced toward the Weapon Storage Tower in Wuyi Lane. “I wonder how Wang You is now, whether he can defeat him.”

A flicker of fear crossed Chen Chang’an’s eyes but passed swiftly. Wuyuan Heng was right. The various adverse reactions his body had just exhibited were normal physiological responses to fear. Chang Dengtuoya’s invincible power had passed through his body without causing any actual injury.

It was like a blade slicing a sheet of rice paper floating on water without disturbing the surface—the level of mastery unimaginable.

As they both pondered, from the far end of the street, Li Shu led a large group from the Three Departments, carrying a coffin with mournful faces, holding a memorial tablet inscribed with the name Wuyuan Heng, Chief of the Judicial Department. When they drew near, Li Shu first spotted Chen Chang’an, emotions turning heavy and complex. “Ah, the fatty really used his life to bring you back!”

“Well then, it was all my choice. I’ll go collect his body now.”

Chen Chang’an was speechless.

Hearing Li Shu’s words, Wuyuan Heng shuddered as if struck by lightning, eyes snapping back from the direction of the Weapon Storage Tower, grinding his teeth, “Li, what are you doing?”

“You…”

—

Li Shu was alarmed, “Didn’t you use Life Exchange to save Chen Chang’an’s life? Why didn’t you die?”

“Nonsense! And you’re already preparing a coffin and memorial tablet? I—” Wuyuan Heng was furious, every cell twitching violently as he cursed loudly.

Li Shu was utterly confused. Remembering how resolute and heroic the “fatty” had been at Tianxiang Garden, he wondered if it had all been a lie. He straightened his neck stiffly. “Wuyuan, what do you mean? Did you fake being noble and righteous just to deceive me and gain my admiration?”

“The coffin was bought with half a year’s salary, plus hired musicians and all the funeral necessities—ten or eight tables of radish dishes prepared fully. It cost two years’ salary in total. You owe me compensation!”

Wuyuan Heng gasped, “I never told you to prepare a funeral!”

Li Shu insisted, determined to argue, “Then why fake death?”

“I never faked death! This is ridiculous!”

“Bullshit! If you didn’t fake death, why say those things at Tianxiang Garden? Why leave so pitifully?”

Li Shu charged forward and shoved the plump Wuyuan Heng to the ground. The latter felt insulted, thinking Li Shu didn’t even understand the situation but was already buying coffins, dishonoring the dignity of the Chief of the Judicial Department. Both held their ground stubbornly, tearing at collars, grabbing necks, kicking—like street thugs in a brawl.

Chen Chang’an was speechless.

…

In Chang’an City’s Baoning Ward, one of the most prosperous and bustling commercial centers among the 108 wards, elites and high officials passed through daily. Qin Fuluo rarely came here before—too expensive—but since Chen Chang’an had earned rewards helping the princess solve a major case, lifting the whole family into moderate wealth, she often strolled here.

Around the third quarter of the sixth hour, she was leisurely wandering with her second daughter, Su Wanqing, and son-in-law, Zhu Jiawen. Naturally, as the only man, Zhu Jiawen bore the burden of carrying things.

Qin Fuluo haggled as she picked goods, “Ah, we didn’t want to come before, but now that Chang’an has made a name for himself, helping the princess with a big case and getting rewarded, and now he’s come back to life—how wonderful!”

“From now on, our whole family will live peacefully and harmoniously, understand?”

“Mm!” Su Wanqing nodded.

Zhu Jiawen nodded, “Mother-in-law, your words are wise indeed…”

He wanted to continue but the weight on his shoulder was too much, so he stopped.

“Throw it far, throw it far! Bah! What rotten luck! A filthy, stinky beggar just fainted at my shop’s door, ruining business!”

As the three passed by a tavern, a disheveled, ragged woman limped out, pushed and cursed by the shopkeeper.

Qin Fuluo instinctively stopped.

Su Wanqing’s brow furrowed slightly.

The kind-hearted Zhu Jiawen, raised on the classics, could not bear this. He rushed forward to stop the scolding. “The ancients said kindness requires constant compassion. How can you treat her this way?”

“Shut up! Who invited this stinking scholar? Say one more word and you’re joining her!” the tavern worker barked, pointing at him.

Zhu Jiawen shrank his neck, said nothing more, but hummed softly and helped the woman to her feet. Testing her pulse, he called urgently, “Mother-in-law! Wanqing! She’s still breathing. Quickly, find a pharmacy!”

Su Wanqing looked around, then pointed excitedly. “There! There’s a pharmacy!”

Without hesitation, Zhu Jiawen grabbed the dirty woman and rushed forward. Approaching the Baosheng Grand Pharmacy—renowned as the premier medical house in Chang’an—he hesitated at the threshold.

The shopkeeper, Lü Zhongjin, was famed for his ancestral acupuncture techniques that cured many difficult ailments, earning the nickname Lü Three Needles. More importantly, the pharmacy was home to over a dozen imperial doctors, including Lü, all trusted by the royal family. Cases the imperial hospital couldn’t cure were often healed here.

Zhu Jiawen hesitated because, given his status, he had no right to enter. Yet seeing the woman’s wounds bleeding and her pulse fading, he could not delay—he dashed inside.

“Bang!”

At the threshold, he collided head-on with a pharmacy worker leaving the shop. A ceramic jar shattered with a clatter. An orchid, faintly glowing with ethereal light, fell out. Under the sunlight, it withered and died instantly.

“Ah!”

The worker screamed, “Dead… the Zi Min Orchid is dead! Ahhhh!”

“What?”

The pharmacy owner, Lü Zhongjin, a man with a square face and distinctive mustache, rushed out in panic. Seeing the shattered jar and the withered orchid, he fell to his knees, wailing, “How could this… happen!”

The worker pointed angrily at Zhu Jiawen. “Master, it was him! He bumped into me!”

Lü Zhongjin glared furiously, spitting as he shouted, “Who dares to cause trouble in my pharmacy? Don’t you know the Zi Min Orchid is used to treat Noble Consort Zhang? Now it’s all ruined!”

“You…”

He grabbed Zhu Jiawen by the neck with both hands, enraged. “Damn it! If the court investigates, your whole family won’t fare well!”

Zhu Jiawen paled and apologized quickly, “Sorry, Master Lü, truly sorry. I was just trying to save someone and didn’t mean it. I’ll compensate you, I promise!”

“Compensate?” Lü sneered. “The Zi Min Orchid takes fifteen years to bloom and be used as medicine. What compensation? And it’s for the Empress’s most favored Noble Consort Zhang—there’s no time to waste! You’re courting death!”

The worker cursed, “Just a shabby scholar, and a hopeless beggar too. Bah! Baosheng Pharmacy brought this trouble on themselves. Wait for the court’s punishment!”

At that moment, Qin Fuluo and Su Wanqing hurried in, breathless. Seeing the scene, their brows tightened.

“Jiawen… what’s going on?” Su Wanqing asked.

Zhu Jiawen quickly explained the events. Their frowns deepened, especially as they learned the orchid was for Noble Consort Zhang’s treatment. Sweat broke out on Su Wanqing’s face, ruining her makeup.

Qin Fuluo tried to negotiate, “Master Lü, could you ask the court for a few days’ grace? I’ll send people to search everywhere for another Zi Min Orchid as compensation.”

“Nonsense! The orchid must be used this afternoon!” Lü shouted.

Just then, a sharp, high-pitched voice called from outside. Following was a man in sky-blue official robes holding a whisk—the imperial eunuch Hai Gonggong, personal attendant of Zhang Youzhi. Several palace guards flanked him.

Everyone present trembled simultaneously, lowering their heads.

Hai Gonggong’s cold eyes swept the room before settling angrily on Lü Zhongjin. “Wasn’t it said the Zi Min Orchid would bloom today for Noble Consort Zhang’s medicine? Why hasn’t it arrived? Do you think we came here for nothing?”

“No! No! No!” Lü was terrified, waving his hands. “My lord, please listen! That stinking scholar broke the jar, and the orchid was exposed to sunlight—it has already… withered!”

“What?”

Hai Gonggong flew into a rage, flicking the whisk across Zhu Jiawen’s face. “How dare you destroy medicine for Noble Consort Zhang? This is indirect royal assassination! Guards, seize him!”

“Wait, you—” Su Wanqing tried to intervene but was stopped by Qin Fuluo.

As a mother, Qin Fuluo remained calm and thoughtful, quietly instructing, “Wanqing, there’s no use panicking now. Go find Chang’an. He once worked for Princess Changning; perhaps he can help turn this around.”

“Okay… Mother!” Su Wanqing took this as a lifeline and hurriedly ran out, disappearing into the bustling street.

Inside Baosheng Pharmacy, Lü Zhongjin cried out, “They… my lord, they’re family! Accomplices!”

“What?”

“Seize them all!” Hai Gonggong commanded with a flick of his whisk.

Three guards promptly moved forward, swiftly pinning Qin Fuluo down, while the others stormed out fiercely in pursuit of Su Wanqing.