Chapter 48: Fate, Marvelous Beyond Words
Zhuang Kun looked anxious, holding the Altar Suppressing Wood, pacing around the room a few times.
Wuqing County had thousands of alleys, countless side paths with masts like a forest; finding Ah Hua in a short time was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Zhuang Kun didn’t dare sit idly by, just waiting at Ah Hua’s home for him to return.
After all, Ah Hua had taken the treasure out, like a child holding gold through a bustling market.
Zhuang Kun feared Ah Hua had met with an accident and lost his treasure again!
The only way was…
“Brother-in-law!”
Zhuang Kun slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering this.
His brother-in-law was the shopkeeper of Wanlong Pounding House, commanding nearly a hundred gang members—people from all walks of life, a mix of dragons and snakes. With his brother-in-law’s help to find someone, it would be a cinch!
As long as he could find this Immortal Fate, it should be enough to make up for his mistakes, right?
Thinking of this, Zhuang Kun hurriedly left the room, carefully closing the already unsteady two wooden doors, and strode toward Wanlong Pounding House.
The night was deep, lamps lit in thousands of households.
The rice pounding sounds that had echoed all day at Wanlong Pounding House finally stopped; shop assistants got off duty, mules and horses returned to the stable, leaving only four or five guards cleaning and checking accounts.
Zhuang Kun knew his brother-in-law quite well.
He knew that with these recent frustrating matters, his brother-in-law must be eating and sleeping in the pounding house, not going home, and certainly not daring to visit his old flames, fooling around in places like goldfinch shops or prostitute brothels.
Upon arriving at Wanlong Pounding House, two stone Pixiu that only went in but not out stood on either side of the shop, looking extremely imposing.
Zhuang Kun didn’t go through the front door; he first circled to the back field street, sneaked into a roast duck shop, casually grabbed the fattest, glossy roast duck, then slipped to the backyard.
Plop!
With immense strength that sent bricks flying, he stepped on the eaves, trod the walls, jumped onto the roof several zhang high, and in a few steps reached the pounding house side.
“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law…”
Lifting a green tile, Zhuang Kun lay on the roof, calling softly.
Inside the room, Shopkeeper Xiang lit a lamp, studying the account book at night.
His originally fair face had suddenly grown thin these days, with more haggardness on it.
To his right hand was a notebook like a diary.
It recorded all of ‘Landlord Zheng’s Sayings’.
From the landlord’s instructions and scoldings to him, down to daily trifles.
Even when going to Eight Great Hutongs to tame Yangzhou sing-song girls, how long he tossed on the bed, how many times he cursed ‘stinky out-of-towner’, all recorded clearly.
The notebook was polished from handling, clearly wiped often and updated frequently.
Landlord Zheng was half Bai Shan Ren, with only his mother being Yu people.
So in Shopkeeper Xiang’s eyes, Landlord Zheng’s words were golden advice, his writing worth a thousand gold.
Worth his repeated study, hoping to guess some deeper meaning.
“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law…”
A faint voice came; Shopkeeper Xiang’s expression sharpened, he closed the account book and looked up.
“Get down here!”
Seeing the visitor, Shopkeeper Xiang was stunned for a moment, then his eyes grew cold.
With a ‘bang’, Zhuang Kun jumped into the courtyard, tiptoed into the room, face full of fawning.
As soon as Zhuang Kun entered, Shopkeeper Xiang feared he would run, his body shook and unfolded; his originally bulky frame was surprisingly swift, appearing before Zhuang Kun in a blink, flipping his hand to grab, full of ferocity!
Startled, Zhuang Kun knelt on the spot, hands clasped in supplication, saying urgently,
“Immortal Fate!!”
Shopkeeper Xiang’s palm paused at Zhuang Kun’s forehead.
Zhuang Kun: “Brother-in-law! I’m here to make amends. I found a treasure… it might be Immortal Fate!”
Zhuang Kun quickly recounted everything: that night escorting Hibiscus Paste Fire to Rice Barn Mountain, up to returning to the city today and what happened at Ah Hua’s home.
Even his own slacking off, neglecting duty to play with grasshoppers, and seeing the rice barn burned upon return, he hid nothing.
Zhuang Kun was shrewd at heart; since choosing to return and seek refuge with his brother-in-law, these matters were no longer issues.
Hiding them would instead harm him and his brother-in-law!
Looking at the Altar Suppressing Wood and… big fat roast duck Zhuang Kun offered.
Shopkeeper Xiang was silent for a moment, then grabbed the Altar Suppressing Wood.
He examined it closely, tapping and rubbing it now and then, even probing with qi and blood.
Moments later, Shopkeeper Xiang nodded and said,
“It is indeed Immortal Fate.”
Since ancient times, immortals were hard to trace: either laughing as they tossed scriptures and retired to hidden mountains; or dressed in rags, posing as beggars or refugees, wandering the mortal world.
Without fate, even gods passing by go unnoticed.
Thus, things like Azure Gang Yang Huo or Altar Suppressing Wood, possessing extraordinary abilities or auras, could be called Immortal Fate.
Fate close to immortality, transcending the mundane.
Shopkeeper Xiang’s gaze grew fervent,
“You’ve done one thing right, didn’t run away! I’ll go find someone right now…”
Shopkeeper Xiang put away the Altar Suppressing Wood, instructed Zhuang Kun to stay in the room and not leave on his own, then stepped out into the courtyard in a few strides.
“Shopkeeper!”
Suddenly,
A shop assistant hurried in.
“Someone outside is looking for you, says it’s important.”
“Who?”
“Don’t know, that person is masked, voice unrecognizable.”
This shop assistant kept his eyes on his nose tip, with a few taels of new silver in his pocket, looking very obedient and pleasing.
Shopkeeper Xiang gave him a deep look and said,
“Invite him in!”
Not long after, the shop assistant led the way, followed by a figure wearing a large half-round felt hat with corners folded down covering most of his face, head bowed low.
From the walking posture and build, it seemed a young man.
“Sir—hm?!”
Shopkeeper Xiang looked suspicious, just about to speak, when the figure wiped his face, removed the felt hat, revealing a face very familiar to Shopkeeper Xiang.
Ah Hua?!
Shopkeeper Xiang was stunned.
How did he deliver himself to the door?
Ah Hua stepped forward, cupped his fists and said,
“Shopkeeper Xiang, I want to hire you to kill someone for me!
As reward, I have a family heirloom called Li Tan Banner, a genuine Immortal Family Treasure that summons Yin Wind, extinguishes Yang Fire… wonder if Shopkeeper Xiang is interested?”
Shopkeeper Xiang blinked and asked: “Kill who?”
“Weihang Street, real water carrier Water Three, Chen Shun’an!”
Shopkeeper Xiang’s mouth fell open instinctively, stupefied for a long time,
These water carriers sure knew how to play dirty!
Infighting, and so vicious?
Shopkeeper Xiang was extremely curious and couldn’t help asking,
“What grudge do you have with Chen Shun’an?”
Ah Hua paused, then said: “No old hatred, no recent grudge. Please, Shopkeeper Xiang, don’t ask too much. Do you take this business deal or not?”
Ah Hua thought clearly.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
Chen Shun’an was already a second-rate martial artist, even suspecting and investigating his stumble and fall into well.
He, Ah Hua, would be exposed sooner or later.
Since so, better go all the way—no half measures!
This Li Tan Banner, Ah Hua had used only twice.
Once was that night, he quietly crouched behind the shed at Grit Well, anxious and tense, agonizing if he should take such a risk.
Could only blame Chen Shun’an’s bad luck; after returning the water cart, he still dutifully circled to the shed below to check Grit Well.
Ah Hua wanted to advance too badly!
If he could eliminate a real water carrier spot, with his strength and reputation, he could surely move up!
The banner shook, instantly wailing ghosts, Yin Wind rolled in, blowing Chen Shun’an straight into the well.
But there was a mishap; Chen Shun’an was tough and hard to kill, and his cousin Wan Niang arrived promptly.
Fortunately, perhaps heaven had eyes; not many days later, major water stations had successive deaths or drownings from falls into wells.
Helping Ah Hua shift suspicion.
The second time was when Chen Shun’an, just recovered from serious illness, was hassled by Qing Pi Ma and others.
To claim credit, show loyalty upward, and get closer to Chen Shun’an, Ah Hua played underhand, urging Li Tan Banner again.
But no third time.
Ah Hua dared not risk it again; even with the banner, he felt it unreliable to kill Chen Shun’an flawlessly alone.
So, enemy’s enemy is friend.
He came to Wanlong Pounding House.
“Take it!”
Shopkeeper Xiang answered readily.
He beamed with joy, happier than taking a sixth concubine, nearly pasting funeral money on the windows.
“Brother Ah Hua, come in; your matter is my matter… come, into the room! Fresh old Liu’s roast duck, the crispy skin from the breast sliced into one plate, dipped in sugar wrapped in hollow sesame cake is absolute top-notch! You must try it.
Oh, forgot to tell you, Zhuang Kun is here too. By the way, I want to ask you about something: what exactly happened that night with the barn fire?”
……
Deeper into the night, heavy with dew, the waning moon like a hook.
Not far from Wanlong Pounding House stood an octagonal brick tower, with upturned eaves, covered in Sanskrit, relief lotus petals, fully over twenty zhang high, nearly overlooking all of Wuqing County.
This tower was called Kui Xing Tower; Wuqing scholars knelt and bowed before it before heading to the capital for exams.
Upon passing and returning in glory, they wore black gauze hats, red robes, rode fine steeds under Kui Xing Tower to boast of their official rank.
But with imperial exams every three years, Kui Xing Tower was usually deserted and lonely.
And at this moment,
A black shadow quietly stood at the tower’s peak, form like ink, robes fluttering; high places are bitterly cold.
“Fate, wondrous beyond words. Tonight, so lively too…”
Chen Shun’an looked down, taking in all the activity at Wanlong Pounding House.
