Aside from the precious treasure and cultivation technique, Tian Ping'an acted with extreme caution.
Upon learning that Zhao Zheng was coming to Changyun County, he had fled to Changshui County to hide. This showed just how cautious he was.
But as far as Shen Xiuhan was concerned, Tian Ping'an was in the open while he remained in the shadows.
Even if Zhao Zheng departed, Wang Lin and Ding Ning were still secretly pursuing him.
Therefore, he did not need to take the initiative to strike.
He only had to wait and see if Wang Lin and Ding Ning would show up. If he met them, he could just drop a subtle hint in secret.
Having decided on a plan, Shen Xiuhan turned his steps toward the East Market.
He bought two catties of roasted donkey meat, wrapped it carefully in oilpaper, and then went to Zhang's to buy two catties of osmanthus cake and jujube paste pastries.
Shen Momo loved these treats, and his mother also enjoyed their soft, chewy texture.
By the time he left the East Market, the sky had already darkened.
Plum rains began to drift down from the sky, bringing a damp, chilly breeze. The rain was like ox hair and fine needles, drizzling down at an angle.
On the streets, vendors and commoners shouldered their carrying poles, clutched their bundles, and jogged toward their homes. For a moment, the long street was filled with chaotic footsteps and rising shouts.
Shen Xiuhan wore only thin practice robes, and the rainwater slid down his collar and onto his neck.
If an ordinary person were caught in the plum rains like this, they would undoubtedly fall seriously ill.
But his blood qi was perfectly harmonious, and his muscles, bones, skin, and membranes were integrated as one. The wisps of rainwater were instantly vaporized into white mist by his body heat.
The plum rain gradually grew heavier, looking as though a downpour was imminent, so Shen Xiuhan quickened his pace and headed home.
As he walked to South Lane, a figure with a hunched back and an unnaturally limp right arm caught his attention.
The man had a stooped posture and wore a tattered gray cloth shirt covered in patches. He carried a broken carrying pole on his shoulder, with rattan baskets hanging from both ends, emitting a faint, foul odor.
The passing commoners all covered their noses and steered clear of him, their disgust plain to see.
The man kept his head down, trudging forward with uneven steps.
Rainwater streamed down his face, blurring his vision. With only one arm left, he had to balance the heavy load while occasionally wiping his face, looking incredibly wretched.
As he walked, a pair of feet appeared in his field of vision.
The man instinctively looked up.
Their eyes met.
Geng Weizhi's pupils dilated in shock, and he instinctively rasped, “P-Patrol Envoy...”
This person was none other than Geng Weizhi, a guard who had once served under Shen Xiuhan!
Having not seen him for a few months, he looked as though he had aged ten years.
His former appearance was entirely gone, replaced by a face full of numbness. Upon suddenly seeing an old acquaintance, a flicker of panic and humility involuntarily welled up in the depths of his eyes.
Shen Xiuhan's gaze fell upon his limply hanging right arm, then moved to the carrying pole and rattan baskets. His brow slowly furrowed.
“What are you doing?”
Geng Weizhi's lips trembled as he forced a weak smile. “As you can see, Patrol Envoy... I'm hauling manure for the wealthy families in the city to earn a few coins to get by...”
Shen Xiuhan fell silent for a moment before asking, “I can see that. What I am asking is... didn't the main family arrange a livelihood for you?”
Geng Weizhi instinctively lowered his head, not daring to meet Shen Xiuhan's gaze. Only after a moment did he whisper, “The main family treated me well... They not only arranged a job for me but also gave me ten taels of silver as compensation... But my father gave it all to my youngest brother. He's getting married, and the bride's family demanded that he own a house in the Inner City and have a respectable job...”
“As for me... I'm just a cripple now, but my wife and two boys still need to eat... I had no choice but to find other ways...”
Shen Xiuhan listened quietly, his fists gradually tightening. “Why didn't you come find me, or Yan Chuan? After you left the island, he often asked about you. He was very worried.”
Geng Weizhi trembled all over, his eyes turning slightly red. “I'm just a useless cripple... How could I have the face to trouble you and Brother Yan...”
Shen Xiuhan could hear the helplessness, misery, and low self-esteem in his words.
Suddenly crippled and his martial path cut short, he was already disheartened, yet he was still bullied and exploited by his own father and brother.
He hadn't told his former brothers because he feared being a burden, and even more so because he was too ashamed to speak of such embarrassing family matters. Thus, he could only bear it all in silence.
Shen Xiuhan said no more, silently reaching into his robes to retrieve his purse.
He poured out all the silver coins inside—about four or five taels—and stuffed them into Geng Weizhi's palm.
“Patrol Envoy, this... I cannot...”
“Take it!”
Shen Xiuhan's tone brooked no argument. “Take it back to buy some grain and meat. The plum rain is damp and cold, which easily aggravates old injuries. Don't come out to work for a while...”
Geng Weizhi's lips trembled as he clutched the pieces of silver. His eyes welled with tears, which began to flow silently down his face.
Shen Xiuhan paused, then patted him on the shoulder to comfort him. “Why are you crying? You didn't retreat a single step when fighting Mingjin Rank martial artists, yet a few taels of silver reduce you to this?”
Geng Weizhi hung his head and wiped his tears with his sleeve, sobbing, “If I could do it all over again, I would rather have died at that bastard's hands than become a cripple... Patrol Envoy, the human heart... is far more terrifying than any martial artist!”
Shen Xiuhan was taken aback by his words. Sighing inwardly, he changed the subject. “How is... your family doing lately?”
“We're scraping by... Thankfully, the kids are sensible. Dalang fell ill, and Erlang felt so bad for his big brother that he would rather go hungry to save his rations for him.”
“Seeing how hard I was working, my wife went to find some laundry work a few days ago. It pays eight copper coins a day, but the supervisor takes advantage of her kind nature and always finds excuses to deduct a coin or two...”
...
Geng Weizhi seemed to have had no one to talk to for a long time. He went on and on, as if pouring out all the accumulated grievances and hardships in his heart.
He spoke for a good while, only stopping when he noticed the rain getting heavier.
Shen Xiuhan listened quietly to the end, then suddenly pointed down the alley and said, “Tomorrow, tell your wife not to do laundry anymore. Have her come work as a server at my family's eatery. We'll cover both her wages and meals.”
“This... This...”
Geng Weizhi looked up and opened his mouth. He wanted to decline, but the words caught in his throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say them.
“It's settled then. The rain is getting heavy, so head back quickly.”
Shen Xiuhan nodded slightly and continued walking home through the falling plum rain.
Behind him, Geng Weizhi's face was once again covered in either rainwater or tears.
But he didn't bother to wipe it away. Dragging his useless arm, he bent deeply and bowed toward Shen Xiuhan. Choking up for a long time, he finally squeezed out a few words, “Thank you, Patrol Envoy... Thank you for your great kindness...”
...
It was the fifty-second day since Tu Xiaotian, the Ninth Chief of Chenjian Dock, had been blinded.
For the past few days, Shen Xiuhan had not stepped out of his house, focusing entirely on consolidating his realm and familiarizing himself with Anjin.
With the passage of time, the commotion surrounding the Longxiang Martial Feast gradually quieted down.
Unexpectedly, although the Wang family had organized the martial feast ostensibly to recruit new talent for the Longxiang Army,
in the end, not a single one of the top three geniuses from either group joined the military. All of them remained in Changyun County.
Instead, it was the young martial artists who hadn't made the top three who were highly enthusiastic about the Longxiang Army.
This was truly because the terms offered by the Longxiang Army were exceptionally generous.
They were not only given priority in military rank assignments, sparing them from starting as ordinary foot soldiers, but were also promised cultivation resources.
For ordinary martial artists whose talent was not top-tier and who lacked the backing of an influential family, this was undoubtedly an excellent prospect.
It was rumored that at least dozens of young talents from both counties had packed their bags and enlisted in the army.
For the past few days, the Longxiang camp outside the city had been bustling with people coming and going.
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