100. Shock in the Martial Arts World

(With thanks to Brother “Drunk and Gazing at the Beloved from Afar” for a generous reward of five thousand Qidian coins, and thanks to Brother “Hu Wei” for three gifts of support this week. Wishing all the brothers and sisters who care for and support Deep Sea a Happy New Year, and may 2018 bring great fortune and prosperity for all!)

After Ou Renzhong and Zhu Danfeng uncovered the crimes committed at Twin Heroes Villa and brought the matter to a perfect close, they became the greatest heroes of the operation. The true details of the Twin Heroes Villa massacre were suppressed, and the official explanation given to the outside world was that it had been the result of a violent clash among underground factions.

The matter of the underground base was classified by the state at the highest level of secrecy. The children and adults who had been abducted or snatched away were all sent back to their families, and the deaths of the Japanese were likewise covered up.

As for Japan, although it knew that many of its people had died in China, it had no grounds to complain. Not only did it dare not make a scene with China, it even hurried to the Chinese embassy in a pleading manner, insisting that the matter had nothing to do with the government and that it was simply those underground factions acting on their own.

However, within the martial arts world of the entire globe, the fact that Yasui Kazuo had reemerged and then met a violent death in China caused a tremendous shock. After all, more than ten years earlier, Yasui Kazuo had already been a formidable figure among martial arts masters, and even after years of seclusion, he still retained enormous influence in the world of martial arts.

“What? Yasui Kazuo went to China again? And he died there?” someone said in disbelief.

“That’s right. I heard Yasui Kazuo brought his disciple Inuro to Chengdu to stir up trouble, and in the end no hidden expert made a move. Instead, the pair of master and disciple were both slain.”

“And word is that Yasui Kazuo was already at the peak of the martial arts master level, yet he still died at the hands of a Chinese expert. Some even say that Chinese expert may already have reached the level of a grandmaster.”

“Really? When did China produce such a terrifying expert? Could it be Old Mr. Wu from Hangzhou? Or one of those ancient sect masters hidden in Kunlun?”

“No one knows. All that came out was that the expert’s surname was Chen, and that he was very young. But no one knows his master, his lineage, or his background. The Chinese experts won’t say.”

“China has become even more frightening now. In the past, there was Old Mr. Wu and Mr. Qingxu of Kunlun, those two peerless experts. Now another young expert, Mr. Chen, has appeared. From now on, everyone had better keep their heads down when going to China.”

“Better take on fewer jobs in China from now on. If you run into that martial arts expert, you’re finished. Those people love meddling in other people’s business.”

Martial arts experts from nations all over the world discussed it endlessly, while people in the assassin world and the international mercenary world classified China as a dangerous country. Ordinary jobs were no longer worth taking, unless the payment was high enough to make them willing to risk their lives.

“Wonderful. Our China has produced a Mr. Chen, and from now on we can finally hold our heads high.”

“Exactly. In recent years, Old Mr. Wu in Hangzhou has lived in seclusion and Mr. Qingxu’s whereabouts are uncertain. Foreign martial arts experts have been coming to China one after another to challenge us, and now at last there is a supreme expert who can intimidate them.”

“Does anyone know Mr. Chen? I want to take him as my master. Do you think he would be willing to accept me?”

Within China, countless martial artists were thrilled beyond measure. In particular, after the upheaval in the Chinese martial world more than a hundred years ago, it had grown extremely weak, repeatedly invaded by the Eight-Nation Alliance, foreign experts, and Japanese experts. Only in recent years had it slowly begun to recover, and Chen Fengyun’s appearance was like a powerful shot in the arm for everyone.

Yet the person in question, Chen Fengyun, paid no attention to any of this, or rather he did not know that he had caused such a stir, because he was not yet one of the martial world and still knew far too little about it.

That night, after leaving Twin Heroes Villa, Chen Fengyun exchanged contact information with the three martial arts masters and arranged a time to visit them, then hurried home.

Not long after, Feng Tianbao called him, probing cautiously. “Mr. Chen, do you know what happened today at Twin Heroes Villa in the east of the city?”

“You heard about it too? What happened today was my doing,” Chen Fengyun said calmly.

“Hahaha, congratulations, Mr. Chen. You’re now famous in both the Chinese martial world and even the world martial world. Especially that Yasui Kazuo—more than ten years ago he came to China acting outrageously and arrogantly, only to be defeated by Uncle Thirteen.

“Unfortunately, Uncle Thirteen was injured at the time as well. He could defeat him but not kill him, so Yasui Kazuo escaped with his life. Who would have thought he would fall into your hands this time? It’s truly satisfying,” Feng Tianbao said with some excitement.

A little later, people from the Southern Faction, such as Yang Wanshi and Ye Mingfu, also called to offer congratulations. They must have already heard about it from Feng Tianbao, because they asked no further questions. After speaking with utmost respect, they offered their congratulations and hung up.

As for Uncle Thirteen, he did not call, but Chen Fengyun was certain he would learn of it and would be very pleased. Although Chen Fengyun did not consider himself a member of the Southern Faction, his relationship with them was quite good.

Not only because of his ties with Uncle Thirteen, but also because he had learned the Heaven-Reading and Vein-Finding Art from the Southern Faction, thereby owing them a tremendous favor. If the Southern Faction ever encountered danger, he would certainly not stand idly by.

And the people of the Southern Faction knew this as well, so after learning of Chen Fengyun’s remarkable feat, they were all delighted, for with such a formidable backer behind them, they could naturally act with much greater confidence.

In the days that followed, news of the Mr. Chen of Chengdu spread throughout the entire martial world. Even some prominent families in countries around the world came to know of this Mr. Chen. Yet because everyone respected him, very few people ever mentioned Chen Fengyun’s real name.

On August 2nd, Chen Fengyun received a call from Qian Qingping, who told him that the villa at Huanhua Creek had already been tidied up and invited him to go take a look whenever he had time.

“Thanks for handling that. I’ll go have a look myself when I’m free. At the end of the month, once I get to the capital, I’ll treat you to a meal,” Chen Fengyun said, not wanting to meet Qian Qingping.

“That works too. I’ll wait for you in the capital, Mr. Chen. Give me a call when you arrive, and I’ll come pick you up and give you a proper welcome,” Qian Qingping said. Though somewhat disappointed, he quickly gathered himself.

The matter that had occurred at Twin Heroes Villa two days earlier was unknown to outsiders, but the Qian family, as one of the leading families in China, had still managed to obtain some inside information. Qian Yuejin in particular had instructed his son to cultivate a good relationship with Chen Fengyun.

That evening, after thinking it over, Chen Fengyun said to his parents, “Dad, Mom, I have a friend who owns a villa at Huanhua Creek Manor. It’s been standing empty, and they want us to help keep an eye on it. Would you be willing to move there?”

“What? What kind of friend do you have, Fengyun? He can afford to buy a villa at Huanhua Creek Manor? And he wants us to look after it for him, while letting us live there too?” His parents exchanged a glance, and his mother asked in surprise.

“Come to think of it, you should know him too. He’s Qian Yuejin, the general manager of the Southwest Branch of the Imperial Grand Group,” Chen Fengyun said while eating.

“Wait, who did you say? Qian Yuejin, the general manager of the Southwest Branch of the Imperial Grand Group? Isn’t he the legendary richest man in Chengdu? And isn’t Zhang Qingyan’s father working for the Southwest Branch of the Imperial Grand Group? My son actually knows their boss, and he even has a villa for you to live in?” Zhou Chunfeng could hardly believe what she had just heard.