Chapter 30: Night Of Heavy Rain
Smelling the strange fragrance.
Chen Shun’an’s pupils suddenly contracted, his mind shaken in an instant.
This scent was extremely faint. If Chen Shun’an had not also suffered from Hibiscus Paste Fire and remembered it deeply, he might have overlooked it.
The source of these strange fragrances was shockingly from Zhuang Kun and the others.
Emanating from deep within their flesh and blood, from the gaps in their bone joints.
Zhuang Kun and they were also burning and consuming Hibiscus Paste Fire?!
Chen Shun’an remained motionless, restraining his breath, until Zhuang Kun and the others had completely departed. Only then did he get out of bed, and head toward Weihang Street as if nothing was amiss.
The Pounding House was actually involved with Hibiscus Paste Fire?
Moreover, from Zhuang Kun’s tone, they had rushed to the Warehouse overnight, seemingly related to Hibiscus Paste Fire?
Chen Shun’an’s face darkened.
This was bad news for both the Water Station and Chen Shun’an.
Whether the Storage Room was merely a ‘consumer’, or had connected with Nanhai Prefecture through some channel, becoming a black glove among them.
The Pounding House people had no reason not to burn and consume Hibiscus Paste Fire to quickly enhance their strength, or not to make a big deal out of it.
Therefore, the current Heavenly Rice Barn was surely a dragon’s lair and tiger’s den, perhaps with a First-rate Warrior and various armaments guarding it!
Instructor Lin and the others were in danger.
After delivering the dishes to the two brothers at the Well, Chen Shun’an turned back to the Second Meat Shop.
“Brothers, keep playing. Old Bai Gan is finished; I’ll go to the ‘Douyi Shaomai Restaurant’ on Mentou Street to get a few jin of liquor. Their liquor is the real deal.”
Chen Shun’an stood on tiptoe, glanced at the card table, and said in a hearty voice.
“That’s quite a trek, Old Chen. Is it worth going that far?”
“For brothers to drink, no distance is too far!”
“Alright then, Old Chen, be careful.”
“Got it, you play! I’ll be right back.”
Chen Shun’an smiled, pipe in mouth, called out to Wan Niang who was still chopping vegetables at the Stove, then lifted the hem of his long robe and left the Second Meat Shop.
Wan Niang watched Chen Shun’an’s back, and for some reason, felt an inexplicable panic in her heart, nearly cutting her finger while chopping vegetables.
“Brother…” Wan Niang murmured, somewhat dazed.
Chen Shun’an quickly returned home, changed into tight-fitting clothes, wrapped his face with a cloth, revealing only a pair of somewhat turbid eyes.
He tied on the Hanging Knot, brought Flying Knives and a Dagger the length of an arm.
Chen Shun’an took a deep breath, his face stern and cold, pushed open the window and leaped out.
Leaving aside Instructor Lin’s favor of resolving his doubts.
When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. Chen Shun’an naturally would not cover his ears to steal a bell, waiting passively until people were at his doorstep.
If the Pounding House now dared to extend its hand to Hibiscus Paste Fire, would it dare to extend into the Water Station in a few days?
What they might do next, Chen Shun’an didn’t even dare to imagine!
Chen Shun’an made his decision.
Tonight,
If Instructor Lin and the others could hold out, he would run.
If they couldn’t hold out, with his superior Lightness Skill, he could still take two people, set a fire… and keep running.
Rumble!!
The instant he left the Courtyard.
Suddenly, a muffled thunderclap from the horizon, like a giant beast’s low roar, shook the heavens and earth into a sudden white flash.
Immediately after, raindrops suddenly poured down.
At first just scattered drops, tapping on the stone slabs, making crisp ‘tap, tap’ sounds.
In a split second, the rain intensified, like ten thousand Silver Needles pouring down, washing the Long Street into a chilling cold.
Chen Shun’an looked up at the sky, letting the raindrops patter on his face.
Landlord Zhao was right.
The sky that had been overcast for half a month.
Finally, it was raining.
……
In Tongzhou Wuqing County, the Water Station business had nine Landlords in total, dividing and monopolizing the large and small Water Wells, handling the county’s people’s water needs.
While Pounding Houses were scattered everywhere, large and small totaling dozens.
But in truth, they all ultimately belonged to four major Pounding Houses: Wanlong, Changlong, Xinglong, and Jiulong, conveniently located at the southeast, northwest corners of Wuqing County.
Among them, Wanlong Pounding House was in the West of the County, overlapping most of Weihang Street’s territory, so the two sides were like fire and water, with constant conflicts on ordinary days.
And Wanlong Pounding House’s Granary had Heaven, Earth, and Man three classes.
Among them, this Heavenly Rice Barn was the largest in scale and stored the most grain, located at Rice Barn Mountain outside the West Straight Gate.
Called a mountain, it was actually just a small hill, with higher terrain, low shrubs; not to mention towering trees, there weren’t even many decent slender trees.
All for fire prevention and moisture prevention.
Neigh~
In the hazy night, over a dozen tall horses galloped swiftly on the Official Road, like sharp blades slicing through the air along the way, kicking up flying sand and dust.
Instructor Lin led the way on horseback, eyes like a hawk, cloaked entirely in black clothes, only his arms bulging with fabric, seemingly fitted with Gloves.
Rice Barn Mountain was already faintly visible in the distance.
“Dismount, proceed on foot!”
Instructor Lin abandoned his horse and leaped down.
The others followed suit.
Everyone was a carefully selected expert. Though in pure Combat ability, they were inferior to Instructor Lin.
But each had their strengths.
‘Spider Poison Hand’ Sun Xiao who could poison silently, the tracking expert ‘Daytime Rat’ Zhuo Shuzhu, ‘Sea East Green’ Huo Yue with superb archery using bow and Crossbow Bolts…
Nearly pulling out Landlord Zhao’s entire core team.
Zhuo Shuzhu had gray eyes and gaunt cheeks, his whole person skinny and scrawny, with half a Plaster stuck on his temple.
After rushing all night, Zhuo Shuzhu couldn’t help but complain,
“If Senior Lu were still here, with him leading, invincible in Hardening Technique, Jade Flaw Imperfect Art, what burning granary wouldn’t be a piece of cake?”
Instructor Lin gave him a cold glance, walking at the front without speaking.
Huo Yue leaped up a nearby tree in a few steps, scouted Rice Barn Mountain, and chuckled lightly,
“Senior Lu is now the Director of Liangjiang Military Academy. In terms of status, he’s not much inferior to Landlord Zhao… You’d better worry about the matter at hand.”
This Senior Lu was originally an old hand at the Well, cultivating Jade Flaw Imperfect Art, abandoning the tempering of skin and membrane, gathering all his Qi and Blood strength into the Jade Tree, quenching his Bones to the extreme.
His body of Jade Tree was the finest sharp weapon, pushing through fearlessly.
He was also once Landlord Zhao’s trusted aide.
But after Senior Lu broke through to First-rate Realm, he left the Water Station and joined Liangjiang Military Academy.
Sun Xiao took out a bottle of poison, silently applying it to his hands, and said,
“First-rate Martial Artists are either busy Entering the Dao through Martial Arts, Opening Meridians to cultivate immortality; or aiming for Three Aspects Unite to become a Martial Saint of this era. People naturally seek higher places.”
Sun Xiao paused: “After all, there’s no tenth Landlord spot for Senior Lu to squat on.”
“Hahaha…”
At these words, many couldn’t help but laugh.
Precisely because First-rate experts all had their own pursuits, the group wasn’t worried about a First-rate Martial Artist guarding that Rice Barn.
After all, hiring such an expert to guard it would cost more in fees than an entire Rice Barn!
The Desolate Mountain lay like a giant beast, jagged rocks gleaming bluish white under the moonlight.
Rice Barn Mountain was in sight, already able to see the deer antlers, rolling logs, and boulders set up by the Pounding House at the Main Road entrance.
The group said no more, bypassed them, and followed the rugged mountain path known only to local woodcutters, precariously heading toward the Rice Barn.
Along the way, conserving energy for the great battle.
Not long after, at the halfway point up the mountain, Zhuo Shuzhu’s face suddenly changed, signaling to Instructor Lin and the others.
Everyone abruptly stopped, crouching low to the ground.
Huo Yue nocked an arrow.
In the Dense Forest not far away, shadowy figures could vaguely be seen, holding spears and clubs, coldly hiding behind the Pile of Rocks.
Evidently, the enemy had also spotted Instructor Lin and the others.
