The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 60 Clash between Cao and Zhao, Questioning Shi Hao on the Way North

On the floating continent, in the Zhao family of Chenzhou City.

Early in the morning, the doorman, Old Zhang, knocked on the door of Master Zhao Shouxin's study.

"Master, the young master of the Cao family has arrived and is in the reception room," the doorman, Old Zhang, said cautiously.

Master Zhao frowned and nodded slightly.

Old Zhang silently withdrew after seeing this.

"Wait a moment, tell Ma Shanshui to come to the study immediately."

"Okay, sir."

A short while later, a middle-aged man walked in.

"Master, are you looking for me?"

Master Zhao handed a letter to the man named Ma Shanshui, saying, "Give this letter to Qi Yuan, the Qi Yuan who blocked your way ten years ago."

"Okay, sir."

Then Master Zhao went to the reception room.

"Young Master Cao has come to visit. I am sorry for not being able to greet you properly." The old man hurriedly walked inside from outside the door.

"Oh, I thought Master Zhao wasn't coming to see me." The speaker was Cao Shilin, the second young man of the Cao family in Yangcheng, Southern Han Kingdom.

"I wouldn't dare, but I'm getting old and my health is declining day by day, so naturally I can't get up as early as the young people."

"Old man, that bandit named Qi Yuan came to Nan Han not long ago. Did he stop by here?"

"No, I have absolutely no connection with bandits. I hope Young Master Cao will understand."

“There’s no connection between you two. Your son-in-law is his good friend. You really don’t know him? I heard you even lent him six people to escort him all the way to An Island.”

"That's not true, you're being wronged. I don't know anyone named Qi Yuan. Someone did come to borrow guards half a month ago, but that was the young master of the Ji family in Free City. My Zhao family has business dealings with the Ji family. Renting guards is a normal transaction and has nothing to do with bandits."

"Young Master Ji, Ji Mi, humph, a little brat who hasn't even grown up yet, daring to impersonate Qi Yuan, truly a newborn calf unafraid of tigers. Let me tell you, you old codger, don't treat people like fools, we just couldn't be bothered with small fry like you. In Yangcheng, your six guards, together with Dugu Xin, slaughtered all my men. Who is Dugu Xin? A descendant of a general of Yan, now a lackey of Chu. You've conspired with Chu to deal with me, that's a capital offense of treason."

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. If it’s because of what happened ten years ago, I’ll apologize to you. But if you’re just spouting nonsense, don’t blame me for suing you for defamation.”

"Old man, it seems you won't shed tears until you see the coffin. Bring him up."

The Cao family's guards brought in a man from outside the door; this man was none other than Ma Shanshui.

Is this person one of yours?

"He's my guard. I wonder what crime he committed that made Young Master Cao so patient in arresting him?"

"Young Master, this was found on this man." A guard from the Cao family handed over a letter.

When the guard released his grip, Ma Shanshui collapsed. Although there were no visible wounds on his body, his internal organs had been injured and he was bleeding internally. It was highly likely that there was no hope of recovery.

Young Master Cao opened the envelope, took out the paper, but the laughter suddenly stopped because the paper was completely blank.

"Fine, old man. Fine, you're very good. Then I'll let you live a few more days. Let's go..." After saying this, Cao Shilin, the young master of the Cao family, left the Zhao family with his subordinates.

Zhao Shouxin, the patriarch of the Zhao family, looked at Ma Shanshui on the ground, sighed, and gently shook his head.

……

Floating Life Continent, north of the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

Sitting in the carriage, Luo Yifei took stock of the information he already knew, inwardly wanting to curse, "These guys, they only tell half of what they mean, it's driving me crazy. It's all fragmented information. Even a super AI couldn't deduce any useful information."

Holding my phone, I couldn't help but sigh, "If it's out of battery, I might as well just throw a brick away."

“Mr. Ding also has a square treasure called a brick. I’ve heard him mention electricity from time to time. But his brick gets electrified when placed in the sun,” said Shi Hao, who was sitting opposite him.

"Electricity? You know about electricity?" Luo Yifei said, sounding slightly excited.

“Yes, everyone in Shijiazhuang in northern Wu knows that we use hydroelectric power. Currently, it’s mainly used for nighttime lighting,” Shi Hao said casually.

"Shijiazhuang?" Luo Yifei asked in confusion.

“Yes, our Shi family village is no longer just a village; it has now been built into the largest city in the north.” Since leaving Huangjue Temple, Shi Hao seems like a completely different person compared to before.

He used to be very sparing with words, never uttering a single word; now he answers every question, speaking freely and without reservation.

This made Luo Yifei and Bi Li feel a little uncomfortable, while Qi Yuan and Song Han didn't react much and didn't ask Shi Hao any questions.

"Song Han, I'm not curious at all about the Ding and Shi families' affairs, and I don't want to ask anything. Didn't you ask a lot of questions on the way to the capital?" Bi Li asked suspiciously.

"That was before, now it's fine. I already know what I need to know, and I don't want to know what I shouldn't know. There's nothing to ask," Song Han replied coldly.

Luo Yifei, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide it, treating Shi Hao as the encyclopedia of this world, completely losing the embarrassment he had shown two months ago when he was chasing after Qi Zhi to talk about history.

"Martial artists are divided into nine ranks, from the ninth rank to the first rank. Above the first rank is the super rank, and the peak of the super rank is the grandmaster. There is a clear level division from the ninth rank to the first rank, but there is no clear level division from the super rank to the grandmaster."

When Luo Yifei asked this question, the people around him looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Luo Yifei had that familiar feeling again, it was on the day from Mount Emei to Wanfeng Lake, when he asked Qiao Zhi a question and the way others looked at him.

“There’s a noticeable difference in strength between the ninth and first ranks. Apart from a very few freaks, very few people can fight across ranks.” Shi Hao glanced at Qi Yuan unconsciously as he answered.

"After surpassing the first grade, one enters the super grade. Super grade strength is above all grades, and sometimes it can even defeat a grandmaster. However, the strength is unpredictable. Only after becoming a grandmaster can one perform consistently and forge one's own path in martial arts."

Luo Yifei nodded silently after listening.