By the time Chen Ping'an returned home, it was almost 3:45 AM. As he expected, Chen Er'ya was still awake, waiting for him, looking deeply troubled.
Chen Ping'an went out in the early hours of the morning, and while Chen Er'ya didn't ask him what he was doing, she kept worrying about him.
"Brother~"
Seeing Chen Ping'an return, the melancholy on Chen Er'ya's face melted away, replaced by a smile.
"Mm, Nannan, it's too late, go to sleep quickly!" Chen Ping'an patted Chen Er'ya's head and said softly.
In the middle of the night, the surroundings were silent. If they talked in the courtyard, it was hard to guarantee that their neighbors wouldn't hear them. At this moment, Chen Ping'an once again had the idea of wanting to move houses.
If he could move to a larger residence, it would undoubtedly be much freer.
Given his current Martial Dao progress, that day might not be too far off!
"Ah!"
Chen Er'ya accidentally saw the bloodstains on Chen Ping'an's feet and couldn't help but exclaim. However, she also knew the gravity of the situation and immediately stifled her cry.
"Brother, the blood on your foot..."
Xiao Yatou seemed to have thought of something.
Chen Ping'an didn't explain. He patted Xiao Yatou's shoulder and walked into the kitchen on his own.
He needed to dispose of these shoes. Not just the shoes, but also his clothes, which were stained with the scent of blood, needed to be dealt with together.
Looking at the fire burning under the stove, a trace of regret suddenly arose in Chen Ping'an's heart!
"Damn it! How could I forget this!"
Although he had erased the traces, the scent of blood was traceable. The Zhenfu Division was full of capable people, and if they really investigated, they might be able to trace the scent of blood directly back to his home.
Now that he was back home, it was too late for regret.
"Still inexperienced!" Chen Ping'an couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had considered everything, but there were still omissions.
Sure enough, this kind of thing still needed to be done by someone experienced! The average person couldn't handle it!
Fortunately, the ones who died were just a few ruffians from the Tiger Head Gang, not important figures. In this situation, the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office would not intervene in the investigation. Even if they did, it would mostly be perfunctory.
In the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, the lives of ruffians were the least valuable. Nanquan Lane was not peaceful, and Gang fights occurred from time to time. The deaths of a few ruffians like this were not uncommon.
"Just a few ruffians, even if they died. It's probably hard to get the Tiger Head Gang to investigate with all their might. At most, Young Master Hu will be furious and investigate a bit."
"A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit! I can't make this kind of mistake again next time!"
Chen Ping'an thought to himself.
Understanding the key points, Chen Ping'an took the lesson to heart, and the regret in his heart gradually dissipated.
"Thankfully, thankfully... When Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong embezzled my merits, I endured it. If I hadn't endured and had acted in a rage, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
After the regret dissipated, Chen Ping'an's heart was filled with relief instead.
Zheng Shiyong and Tan Huacong were different from Pockmarked Liu. If they died, the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, from top to bottom, would take it extremely seriously. A formal Yamen Runner dying inexplicably, how could that be! This would be a provocation to the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, and the higher-ups would definitely send specialized Yamen Runners to investigate.
With the lesson he just learned, Chen Ping'an was not confident that he could do things flawlessly and hide them from the Zhenfu Division's investigation.
Indeed, impulsiveness is the devil! Everything needs to be thought through before acting!
Sometimes, enduring is not weakness, but a great wisdom.
Indeed, what is learned from books is ultimately shallow; one must practice to truly understand.
Chen Ping'an sighed with emotion.
He had the Golden Finger panel, and his future was boundless. As long as he didn't touch his principles and bottom line, there was no need to fight to the death with others. As his Martial Dao Realm continued to Breakthroug, what seemed like a thorny problem now might easily become a simple, effortless matter in the future.
Understanding these things, Chen Ping'an's previous depression completely dissipated, and he felt suddenly enlightened.
After dealing with the traces under the stove, he simply wiped his body and then went to bed.
Lying on the bed, Chen Ping'an found that Xiao Yatou hadn't fallen asleep yet.
"Nannan, why aren't you sleeping yet? Something on your mind?" Chen Ping'an asked softly.
After experiencing such a scene during the day and then seeing his bloodstains at night, it would be strange if Xiao Yatou could sleep.
"Brother, I'm so worried about you."
Xiao Yatou turned over and hugged Chen Ping'an, her voice tinged with a hint of a sob.
"Nannan, don't worry." Chen Ping'an also hugged Chen Er'ya, gently patting her back: "Brother will definitely protect himself and protect us. Not just for myself, but for you, Brother will do this."
Their parents were already dead. Chen Ping'an couldn't imagine how Chen Er'ya, a little girl, would survive in such a world if he were gone, and what kind of cruelty she would experience.
The world was vast, but looking around, she had no relatives! What kind of loneliness and solitude would that be!? And what kind of sorrow and sadness!?
For Nannan, for himself, for both of them, he would definitely live well, and live gloriously.
Definitely!
He swore!
Perhaps infected by Chen Ping'an's emotions, or perhaps Chen Ping'an's patting her back gave her a sense of security, Xiao Yatou finally fell asleep.
Holding Chen Er'ya, Chen Ping'an's heart was filled with infinite tenderness.
With her, he would not be alone in this world!
When killing Pockmarked Liu, he could have avoided taking off his mask. But he ultimately took it off. He avenged Chen Er'ya, not just physically, but psychologically.
The purpose of taking off his mask was to let Pockmarked Liu know why he died! And not to die in a daze.
Only by doing this, by letting Pockmarked Liu know exactly why, would Chen Ping'an's spirit be at ease, and his revenge would be meaningful.
Lying on the bed, holding Chen Er'ya, Chen Ping'an's mind constantly recalled various details of the night, reviewing the mistakes and omissions, and learning lessons.
Experienced people also started as novices! As long as he kept improving, one day he would be admired!
......
Early the next morning, after Chen Ping'an finished practicing Flying Locust Stone and ate breakfast, he prepared to go out.
Before leaving, he gave Chen Er'ya extra instructions, telling her to hide well at home and never go out. If people from the Tiger Head Gang came to their door, as long as it was reasonable, she should cooperate as much as possible and try not to provoke them.
Pockmarked Liu, no matter what, was a small leader of the Tiger Head Gang. Once his death was discovered, it would cause some ripples. Especially in Lihua Lane, which was controlled by Young Master Hu, it might not be very peaceful.
The Tiger Head Gang's influence spread across several streets and alleys, and Lihua Lane was fully managed by Young Master Hu, one of the three Protectors.
Listening to Chen Ping'an's instructions, Chen Er'ya seemed to have anticipated something and nodded solemnly.
After Chen Ping'an left home, he kept worrying about Xiao Yatou at home. Although he knew the problem wasn't big, he couldn't help but worry.
For example, would Chen Er'ya be okay alone at home?
Would Young Master Hu suspect him of Pockmarked Liu's death?
Would there be any capable people in the Tiger Head Gang who could directly trace him to his home through clues?
All of these things made Chen Ping'an somewhat restless.
At this moment, he truly wished he were the Chief Constable of the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office. If he were the Chief Constable, the Tiger Head Gang would be too busy trying to curry favor with him to dare offend him, and he wouldn't need to worry about these things at all!?
......
PS: As the title says. Don't know what to say. Three hundred reads, one hundred fifty-six true reads, didn't make it through the trial, I'm defeated!
Perhaps some big shot will leave a comment saying it's garbage and still wants to advance?
My skill is limited, and I can't compare to the great gods and platinum authors. But among the struggling authors, any big shot who has worked part-time should know that this read data at this stage is actually pretty good. It's definitely above average.