Chapter 37: Report To Officials
And Sun Xiao was no better off, devouring the food like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds, eating with great relish.
The two’s starving-ghost-reincarnated eating manners stunned everyone.
Water Carrier at the same table felt somewhat uncomfortable and timidly changed tables.
Only Scarred Liu, Cheng Bin, and others who knew the inside story all gathered over.
But seeing the two’s obvious post-intense combat appearance of replenishing provisions, they couldn’t bring themselves to speak, only watching eagerly.
Sun Xiao ate until about sixty percent full, set down his bowls and chopsticks, tilted his head back, and glanced at Chen Shun’an and the others with a hint of smugness, saying,
“The matter is settled!”
This sudden remark immediately made San Dezi, Scarred Liu, and the others hold their breath.
It turned out Instructor Lin had kept a trick up his sleeve; they were going to burn Wanlong Pounding House’s rice barn tonight?!
San Dezi curiously asked, “Was it smooth?”
“Not smooth!”
Sun Xiao’s one sentence again made everyone’s hearts leap to their throats.
At this moment, Sun Xiao seemed to transform into a storytelling master, his lips flapping to produce the clapper sound.
Gripping the attention of those in front of him tightly.
“Tonight, it could be called Ujiang stepping on the moon, crossbows falling to dust, remnant barn Chu songs rising, rain sounds and gunpowder lingering long!”
Sun Xiao shook his head and swayed, speaking slowly.
Instructor Lin saw this and did not stop him.
A rare indulgence, a rare satisfaction.
On the way there, he had already instructed Sun Xiao that some words could be said, some matters.
For example, Hibiscus Paste Fire, that mysterious expert—not to speak of what shouldn’t be said.
Sun Xiao was speaking animatedly here.
Instructor Lin’s gaze swept over the crowd, suddenly lingering a little on Chen Shun’an’s slightly unnatural right arm, saying,
“Old Chen, what’s wrong with your arm?”
Chen Shun’an had also been listening intently to Sun Xiao’s account like San Dezi and the others; hearing this, he said with an embarrassed face,
“Just now went to Mentou Street to buy wine, couldn’t resist drinking two cups first, fell on the way back…”
Instructor Lin nodded and asked no more.
To avoid hurting Chen Shun’an’s face.
And hearing this, Sun Xiao, perhaps with alcohol getting to his head, showed a smug smile again and pretended to encourage,
“Brother Shun An, in my opinion, you should have come with us to burn the barn. Not to mention what big things you could do, training your body, invigorating your qi and blood—maybe with good luck, you’d breakthrough to second-rate!
So you wouldn’t even stumble while walking at night!”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an sat up straight, his old face solemn, nodding seriously,
“Brother Sun is right…”
“Hahaha, I was just joking, Brother Shun An don’t take it seriously. Uh, where was I? Oh, Instructor Lin and I joined hands to fiercely battle Sickly Big Bug Yang Lu!”
The night rain had completely stopped, the dripping from the eaves no longer urgent.
This storm accumulated over many days had finally passed.
Scattered raindrops occasionally tapped on the window lattice, as if accompanying Sun Xiao’s ‘storytelling’.
Laughter, drinking sounds, fist-guessing cheers…
In the end, even Instructor Lin couldn’t resist and played a few rounds of pai gow with Sun Xiao and the others.
Tonight, everyone seemed fully satisfied.
Wind seeped in from the half-open door crack, carrying the damp scent of grass and trees.
Chen Shun’an sat in the corner, wine rippling slightly, reflecting half his blurry face.
He suddenly chuckled lightly and drained his cup.
“Good wine with a good scene, truly satisfying…”
He murmured softly, unheard by anyone.
……
The east brightened with fish-belly white.
The water carriers left one after another.
Last night, Instructor Lin and Sun Xiao had only delayed a moment before leaving again.
Probably the two landlords had gathered and gone to report the Rice Barn Mountain incident.
Chen Shun’an returned home, hid the gained ill-gotten wealth securely, and as usual, practiced martial arts stake-stepping, pushed the cart for water delivery.
Not rushing to spend or fence it.
He was waiting.
Waiting for Wanlong Pounding House’s reaction, waiting for Landlord Zhao and their reactions.
He didn’t believe that even he could see the terrifying impact of Hibiscus Paste Fire on Wuqing County, or even the entire Sacred Dynasty, yet Landlord Zhao and they couldn’t.
He was also very curious how Landlord Zhao would handle this situation.
Chen Shun’an continued his daily diligent martial arts practice《Flying Immortal》.
When Qing Ji advanced, the tide rose for the boat, and his Wonderful Sound count grew to three hundred one.
And as time passed, Wonderful Sound increased daily.
Under such feedback, Chen Shun’an’s techniques came naturally, mastering them one after another.
Thirty-six technique moves, already practiced twenty-three.
On the verge of entering second-rate late stage.
Once upon a time, the unreachable Instructor Lin in Chen Shun’an’s eyes was now so clear and distinct.
He even had a premonition that with Wonderful Sound at three hundred, Cloud Movement Armor Horse, and twenty-three technique moves practiced, he was no longer inferior to Instructor Lin.
Only compared to before, Chen Shun’an had one more thing each day.
Playing with and studying that ‘Crane and Deer’ matchbox.
He was certain this thing was not simple—either some exquisite mechanical creation or possessing some profound mystery he didn’t know.
Unfortunately, it seemed to lack some method to activate or control it.
“《Flying Immortal》 is about to reach second-rate perfection; the follow-up cultivation method and true inheritance diagram are still at the Zhang family… Hope when Old Lady’s eightieth birthday comes, coaxing her happy, I can ask for them.”
“Additionally, with my root bone changed, there seems to be spare capacity to cultivate other methods. Best would be a finger technique or hand technique to also improve my Flying Knife Technique…”
Chen Shun’an silently planned his future, quietly waiting for time to pass, going on duty to practice martial arts.
Showing not the slightest abnormality.
Only…
He himself had stumbled and fallen into well; since it wasn’t the pounding house’s doing.
Then who was it?
The conversation of those two pounding house hidden sentries in front of the rice barn still echoed in his ears.
The enthusiastic, friendly faces of the water carriers suddenly became blurred and indistinct in Chen Shun’an’s heart.
He vaguely understood something and decided to make a batch of fine Willow Leaf Flying Knives, or other hidden weapons.
His Chen Shun’an’s blade seemed dull in some people’s eyes.
……
Northeast corner of Wuqing County, Xin Lianzi Hutong, was the residential area of prominent figures in Wuqing County.
And right next to Xin Lianzi Hutong was Da Shamiao Hutong, home to pure-blooded Bai Shan Ren and Wuqing officials!
And in Xin Lianzi Hutong, at the Zhao residence by a pomegranate tree, the household head was Zhao Guangxi, one of Wuqing County’s Water Station nine major landlords.
“This Hibiscus Paste Fire is very sinister…”
In the Zhao residence main hall, Zhao Guangxi narrowed his eyes, looking at the armored slave corpse on the ground who died from overdosing on burning Hibiscus Paste Fire.
The corpse’s condition was excellent, muscles full, face ruddy, even emitting a faint fragrance.
Zhao Guangxi was a man in his early thirties, clean-shaven, with fine smooth skin on his face, fair and plump, very prosperous-looking.
In his hand, he held two somewhat paint-peeling iron balls—genuine Baozhou Hollow Iron Balls, seamlessly whole, gleaming brightly, spinning in his palm with whistling sounds.
Below the hall stood quite a few people.
Lin Shou Zhuo, Shopkeeper Li, Tang Jie…
All core figures who planned last night’s raid and barn burning.
After instructing to incinerate the armored slave corpse, Zhao Guangxi turned to a woman beside him.
“Sister Liu, what do you think?”
This woman was the landlord overseeing areas like Jinyuan Street, named Liu Ru Yue.
Liu Ru Yue wore a crimson long skirt, her expression cold and aloof, glancing indifferently at Zhao Guangxi, saying,
“The stuff is all with you; you ask me what I think?”
Zhao Guangxi was extremely domineering; clearly it was a cooperation between two water stations to burn the barn, yet he monopolized all the Hibiscus Paste Fire.
Zhao Guangxi seemed not to hear the annoyance in Liu Ru Yue’s words, his face turning solemn, filled with righteous indignation,
“This Hibiscus Paste Fire has the typical Qianning Country pill-refining technique style; the so-called ‘Nanhai Twelve Guilds Paste Fire Temple’ is just dogs colluding inside and out from the twelve guilds.
The pounding house’s intent to destroy our water station is unyielding; Qianning Country is even more scheming, intending to use this thing to erode the Sacred Dynasty martial artists’ fighting spirit.
I, Zhao, suggest Sister Liu immediately report to the county magistrate, memorialize the prefect, exterminate the petty villains, clean up the Capital City atmosphere, and restore the Sacred Dynasty’s prestige!”
End of the month, begging all dear readers for monthly tickets and follow reads; this little newbie is endlessly grateful, no two words, sliding to kneel on the spot, bang bang bang!
