Chapter 29: Burning The Warehouse
Head out to work.
Sacrifice his looks.
【Wish+3】
Today’s Wan Niang reacted even more intensely.
Just after leaving Chaodou Hutong, Chen Shun’an glanced at his brother-in-law with satisfaction.
It actually grew even more robust?!
This is what they call old but vigorous!
Today was the monthly dredging and well wall repair day at the water station.
It was also the only rotation rest opportunity for this group of water carriers with no days off.
They just needed to arrange water for some important clients in advance.
Shopkeeper Li would give the water carriers half a day off.
Chen Shun’an had already greeted the shopkeeper of the Second Meat Shop at the corner alley in advance, preparing three full tables of good wine and dishes.
Cold platters and hard dishes, plus lao bai gan.
After just delivering blessed water to the Li Family, as Chen Shun’an was packing up the cart and changing clothes, Instructor Lin strode into the alley, expressionless, and called out the names of eight or nine people.
“Sun Xiao, Cheng Bin, Zhu Hongtao, Chen Shun’an, San Dezi, Ah Hua… you all come here, I have something to say.”
Chen Shun’an noticed that these people were basically the elites among the water carriers.
Chen Shun’an’s heart tightened.
Gathering everyone deep in the alley, Instructor Lin looked back outside, confirmed no one was there, and then said gravely,
“Landlord Zhao plans to gather manpower to burn down the Heavenly Rice Barn at Wanlong Pounding House.”
It’s here!
Chen Shun’an’s pupils contracted sharply, his face turning solemn.
“I want to go!”
Ah Hua was eager to try and immediately cupped his fists.
Instructor Lin shook his head and said, “Your strength is too weak; you can’t help.”
Ah Hua was unconvinced: “Instructor Lin, my realm may be slightly inferior, but I’ve practiced Startled Sparrow Skill to a proficient level. Wall-crawling, leaping over roofs and ridges—that’s no problem! How can you do without me for setting fire to the rice barn?”
Instructor Lin gave a cold smile and looked at a lame man beside him.
This man had a bloated figure, covered in horizontal flesh, with one leg taller than the other, limping even when standing.
This lame man was called Cheng Bin, a second-rate warrior.
Cheng Bin glanced at Instructor Lin, somewhat helpless and reluctant, before saying to Ah Hua,
“Guess what cultivation method I practice?”
Ah Hua was stunned and said, “What?”
“Startled Sparrow Skill!”
Hearing this, Ah Hua’s eyes widened suddenly, extremely surprised.
Chen Shun’an’s expression remained unchanged.
Two other less experienced water carriers were also somewhat surprised.
Cheng Bin, this second-rate expert, was usually mild-mannered with very low presence.
Who would have thought a lame man like him practiced lightness skill?
Ah Hua seemed to understand something, subconsciously clenching his fists, and said excitedly in a loud voice,
“Could it be that Senior Cheng, knowing shame and then courage, mastered superior lightness skill with a crippled body? It truly makes this junior admire you!”
Cheng Bin shook his head and said, “It’s not that I became good at lightness skill because I was lame; it’s because I was good at lightness skill that I became lame.”
Ah Hua was stunned.
“Seven years ago, my 《Startled Sparrow Skill》 reached great accomplishment, advancing to second-rate. I boasted that with such a vast world, there was nowhere I couldn’t go.
At that time, there was a conflict with Wanlong Pounding House. I bravely seized their shopfront amid thousands of troops and was about to set it ablaze…”
Cheng Bin’s face showed no anger or joy as he said, “In the end, I was shot in the right leg by a repeating crossbow. No medicine helped, and I was completely crippled.”
Ah Hua was stunned, his mind a bit chaotic.
Perhaps intentionally to warn Ah Hua, Instructor Lin shifted his gaze, pausing slightly on Chen Shun’an, and finally said to Scarred Liu,
“Still hiding? Come on, show a couple moves for the young brothers to see?”
Scarred Liu was also somewhat helpless, slowly stepping forward. His hands shifted from palms to fists, smashing fiercely into the air.
His fists were like cannon stones, with whistling wind. Each punch produced a crisp crack like tearing silk in the air!
It was clearly Force throughout the body, third-rate perfection!
“You sly Old Liu, just the other day you were complaining about your poor aptitude and that third-rate perfection was far off—you sneaky bastard!”
“Congratulations, Old Liu! Push a bit harder and see if you can advance further!”
“You gotta treat us!”
The other colleagues, seeing this, were either envious or congratulatory.
Scarred Liu kept being polite, saying left and right ‘it’s all thanks to Elder Brother Chen’s example’ and ‘it’s all due to Instructor Lin’s usual guidance,’ but his face was grinning ear to ear.
Practicing martial arts and cultivation—wasn’t it all for this moment?
Only San Dezi’s face was ashen.
How come everyone else is winning, but I’m the only one truly slacking?
Seeing this scene, Ah Hua felt as if he’d been hit on the back of the head with a stick, dizzy and lightheaded. Some sense of superiority in his heart was directly snuffed out.
The lame senior, Scarred Liu who reached third-rate perfection without a word, and Chen Shun’an whom Instructor Lin valued and who was expected to reach second-rate…
Ah Hua subconsciously retreated a few steps, his expression dazed, eyes blank.
How are these old guys all better at hiding than the last?
A tender young man like me, a fine youth—can I outplay them?
Seeing Ah Hua’s reaction, Instructor Lin’s mouth curved up slightly, revealing a faint smile.
He immediately restrained it.
“Sun Xiao will go with me. Under Landlord Zhao, along with the rest from Brother Well Stations, we’ll form a team of about ten people, basically all second-rate mid-to-late stage strength. Your strength is too weak.”
Except for Sun Xiao, the others’ faces looked somewhat ugly.
Chen Shun’an inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Such an assault team would be considered strong even across all of Wuqing County. It should be a piece of cake to just burn Wanlong Pounding House’s rice barn.
Instructor Lin looked up at the overcast sky and said,
“Landlord Zhao said it might rain these couple days. To be safe, we’ll set out tomorrow night. These few days, the well will be under Old Chen’s watch—be sure to guard it well and don’t let the pounding house people take advantage.”
Oh, to be safe, set out tonight.
Chen Shun’an understood in his heart.
Chen Shun’an thought for a moment and said, “When Instructor Lin has time, definitely come to the Second Meat Shop for drinks. Chen Mou will treat you well.”
Instructor Lin nodded: “I’ll come when I have time.”
With that,
Instructor Lin’s gaze was calm as water. He gave a few more instructions, then left quickly with Sun Xiao.
The rest dispersed, while Chen Shun’an called his friends, shouting for San Dezi, Scarred Liu, and others to go drink at the Second Meat Shop.
At the feast, cups clinked, wine aromas filled the air, and glasses chimed.
But Chen Shun’an’s thoughts were somewhat scattered.
He didn’t know if Instructor Lin’s mission would go smoothly.
He didn’t know how much weaker his current strength was compared to Instructor Lin’s.
……
Dusk fell, streetlights were sparse, and the few passersby hurried along with tense expressions.
Inside the Second Meat Shop, however, a pai gow game was set up. The water carriers sat shoulder to shoulder, smoking dry tobacco and playing, their shouts of bids endless.
Of course, the stakes weren’t high; total wins and losses were just one or two silver taels—it was just for fun.
Some brothers responsible for dredging arrived late, only making it for the evening meal.
Chen Shun’an carried two rattan food boxes to deliver to the brothers guarding the Grit Well.
Suddenly,
Walking on the street, head down in a hurry, Chen Shun’an faintly heard a familiar voice.
“Move faster. We must reach the Heavenly Rice Barn before dark.”
“Brother Zhuang, isn’t this just polished rice and japonica rice? Worth all this fuss, sending it to the rice barn overnight?”
“Shut up! Do what you’re told! If you mess this up, I’ll skin you!”
Chen Shun’an’s expression hardened. His figure light as drifting dust, he tiptoed and twisted his waist onto the roof with a few pushes.
Hidden in the darkness, Chen Shun’an peeked toward the adjacent street.
He saw Zhuang Kun and a few from Wanlong Pounding House looking around warily as they loaded bags of polished rice onto the cart.
Zhuang Kun’s qi and blood were insufficient, his face still somewhat pale, as if he hadn’t fully recovered from Instructor Lin’s single strike.
The others were all tough men who could chew nails, each with robust auras, bulging temples, bright eyes—clearly practitioners whose skills had reached a certain level.
Heavenly Rice Barn?
Zhuang Kun and these people were also going to the rice barn tonight?
Chen Shun’an narrowed his eyes but wasn’t worried about Instructor Lin and the others.
With Zhuang Kun and these guys, no matter how many, they’d just be sending themselves to death.
As Chen Shun’an was about to withdraw, he saw Zhuang Kun and the others drive the horse-drawn carriage right below him.
A hot wind brought a faint sweet fragrance.
Strands of it seemed to drill into the pores.
Hibiscus Paste Fire?!
