Chapter 5003: Cheng Family of Longnan

The middle-aged man merely chuckled, handing the sword to his guard beside him with an expression of utter indifference. His demeanor suggested he had severed not the arm of his own bodyguard, but some insignificant cat or dog.

“My lady, I apologize for startling you. Please accept my apologies here.”

He smiled, bowed slightly to Lady Song, and added, ” “I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Cheng Wanli. I came specifically to visit Brother Song. I wonder if he’s mentioned me to you. Back in Taiping Mountain, Brother Song and I faced life-and-death hardships together. I’ve long wanted to visit, but never had the chance. This time, I came here especially to see him. I never imagined my men would cause such a disturbance. I’m truly ashamed.”

Hearing the sincerity in his apology, seeing him personally deal with the troublemakers, and listening to his repeated addresses of ‘sister-in-law’ and expressions of regret, Lady Song’s anger began to dissipate.

She looked at the man before her, Cheng Wanli, and after a moment, her voice softened. “Since you have a history with my husband, I shall let this matter rest. I won’t hold this against you. However, my husband is away and has ordered the gates closed to visitors. I’m afraid we cannot entertain you all.”

Seeing this, Cheng Wanli’s eyes flickered slightly, and a trace of hesitation appeared on his face. “So Brother Song is not at home? Then my timing is truly unfortunate! But…”

His voice trailed off, a look of distress crossing his face. “However, my lady suffered a relapse of her old ailment on the journey. She’s unconscious now. Might My Lady Song allow us to rest in the manor for a day or two?”

Hearing this, Lady Song paused, a flicker of hesitation on her face. “This…” Only then did she notice two maidservants supporting a woman draped in a large cloak, who was half-reclining against them.

The woman’s face remained hidden beneath the hood of her cloak, her form entirely concealed within the dark fabric. Only the faint outline of an exceptionally beautiful visage could be discerned. As the man had said, she lay there, eyes closed, unconscious.

“What’s going on?” an aged voice echoed.

At that moment, the crowd turned to see several clan elders approaching. They had evidently come upon hearing the commotion and disturbance at the manor entrance.

The sight of the severed arm on the ground caused the elders’ brows to furrow in displeasure. One of them demanded, “What is this? Why is there bloodshed?”

“Second Elder, it happened like this…” The steward nearby promptly recounted the entire sequence of events in detail.

“Cheng Wanli?” The Fourth Elder’s expression turned surprised as he looked at the middle-aged man and asked, “You are Cheng Wanli? Which Cheng family?”

Hearing the elder’s question, the others all glanced at him, puzzled by the implication behind his inquiry.

Lady Song remained silent, lost in her own thoughts.

“The Cheng family of Longnan. My elder brother is Cheng Wanshan, the current Patriarch of the family.” Cheng Wanli said with a smile, bowing his hands. As he spoke, a hint of unmistakable pride shone in his eyes.

Hearing this, the expressions of several clan elders shifted slightly: The Cheng family of Longnan!

At that moment, their hearts trembled faintly. The Cheng family of Longnan was a truly formidable clan! Even the combined strength of their ten Song families couldn’t match a single branch of the Cheng Family of Longnan. Yet, unexpectedly, someone from their family had a prior connection with them.

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