“Screeech…”
The young man stepped forward and walked inside.
Seeing this, the few beggars who had been about to approach him to beg exchanged bewildered glances. Then, with a collective rustle, they scattered like startled beasts, retreating back into their respective corners.
Who in Yeci Ward didn't know about this courtyard?
A few months ago, Gao Fu, the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang, and his trusted subordinates had been hiding inside.
For some unknown reason, the Luanbo Gang, now the largest gang in the Outer City, had caught wind of it.
That night, dozens of thugs engaged in a brutal clash inside the courtyard.
Sabers flashed and blood splattered. The sounds of screams, pleas for mercy, and clashing weapons had echoed for a long time.
In the end, all of Gao Fu's trusted subordinates were killed, and Gao Fu himself fled with severe injuries. The Luanbo Gang had won a decisive victory.
To this day, the Luanbo Gang called the shots for all the thug activities, brothels, and shady dealings in the various wards of the Outer City.
This courtyard had also remained vacant ever since. No one dared to inquire about it, let alone live in it.
Yet today, someone actually dared to defy the unspoken taboo and push the door open to go inside.
He's really asking for death...
An old beggar wrapped his tattered padded coat tighter around himself and shifted into a more comfortable lying position.
He couldn't help but recall the young man who had asked him for information a few months ago and rewarded him with ten large copper coins.
“There aren't many kind-hearted people around these days,” the old beggar mumbled to himself, closing his eyes. “If only someone else would come asking for information and reward me with ten large copper coins. This old man would definitely buy three to five of Widow Niu's flatbreads. Mmm, that aroma is truly mouthwatering... and that big rear end of hers is quite tempting too...”
The old beggar lay on the ground, crossing his legs and humming with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, he felt the light dim in front of him as a shadow loomed over him.
The old beggar opened his eyes instinctively.
He saw the young man standing silently in front of him, looking down at him.
Shaking all over, the old beggar scrambled onto his knees and said repeatedly:
“Sir, kind sir, please spare this old man a couple of large copper coins... I haven't eaten in three or four days, and my stomach is twisting with hunger...”
The young man frowned, pulled a piece of broken silver from his robes, and weighed it in his hand.
“Explain what you just said clearly, and this silver is yours.”
The old beggar's murky pupils contracted. His lips trembled, and he instinctively swallowed his saliva.
Instinct told him that the person before him harbored ill intentions.
But the temptation of the silver was simply too great. After a moment of hesitation, he poured out everything that had happened that day.
The young man listened quietly. Once the beggar finished, he asked expressionlessly, “Of the ten copper coins given to you back then, are there any left?”
The old beggar was taken aback. He fumbled around in his robes for a moment before tremblingly pulling out a copper coin that had been worn shiny, offering it up with both hands.
Looking incredibly reluctant, he muttered:
“Yes... there's still one left. This is this old man's life-saving money. I'd only bear to spend it when I'm starving to death...”
Ignoring his rambling, the young man snatched the copper coin and looked down to inspect it.
Then, he brought the coin to his nose, his nostrils flaring slightly.
Great Qi Tabai Camp Secret Technique: Ten-Mile Tracking!
Instantly, a chaotic torrent of scents flooded his nasal cavity.
The sour stench of rotten vegetable leaves, the fishy saltiness of coarse salt grains, the greasy smell of cheap lard, the mustiness of tattered cotton blankets...
And a highly concentrated, pungent stench that slammed into his lungs like a heavy hammer.
It was a smell formed from years of accumulated grime, sweat, and dirt on a person's body, fermented over a long period!
It was thoroughly, earth-shatteringly foul!
The young man's expression changed dramatically. His Adam's apple bobbed as stomach acid rushed up his throat, almost causing him to throw up his breakfast.
Gritting his teeth, veins bulged on his temples as he forcefully suppressed the rising urge to vomit.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.
This Great Qi Tabai Camp Secret Technique: Ten-Mile Tracking was created by a master in the imperial capital, specifically designed for the Tabai Camp of Great Qi's Five Armies to track down spies and search for enemy traces.
Its methods were extraordinarily exquisite, allowing one to distinguish the most subtle and unique scent from ten thousand others.
Tian Ping'an had been able to rise to the rank of Centurion in the Longxiang Army entirely because he had cultivated this secret technique to the Great Accomplishment stage.
Within a ten-mile radius, even if a year or six months had passed, he could still locate a person based on a single thread of lingering scent!
“Found it!”
After about a dozen breaths, Tian Ping'an snapped his eyes open. A sharp glint flashed within them as he turned his gaze toward the south of the city.
Good, good. You're still in the city... Otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to find you.
Tian Ping'an killing intent surged in the depths of his eyes as he set off toward the south of the city.
“Wait... Wait! Sir!”
Panicking, the old beggar scrambled forward a couple of steps on his hands and knees:
“My reward! My reward!”
Tian Ping'an paused. He turned his head slightly, his cold gaze piercing through the beggar.
“I almost forgot...”
Bringing his thumb and middle finger together, he pinched the copper coin tightly. The corners of his mouth curled into a sinister grin:
“Catch!”
Before his voice even faded—
Whoosh!
The copper coin flew from his hand.
Splat!
Blood splurted from the old beggar's forehead as a line of blood pierced straight through his brow. With a heavy thud, he collapsed rigidly to the ground, splashing muddy water everywhere.
And in front of him, there was already no one in sight.
...
“Uncle Chen, Auntie Li, come back again soon!”
The Shen family courtyard.
Madam Zheng stood inside the threshold, waving toward the entrance of the alley with a beaming smile.
Ever since Shen Xiuhan made a stunning debut at the martial feast, many prominent families from the Inner City had been sending gifts to the Shen family.
Some sent fine silks and brocades, some sent herbs to nourish blood qi, and some even carried entire chests of silver coins, bringing matchmakers right to their doorstep.
The young ladies of this family, the daughters of that clan...
In their eagerness to propose a marriage to Shen Xiuhan, they nearly wore down the threshold of the house.
Unfortunately, Shen Xiuhan spent his days in secluded cultivation, never stepping foot outside or even showing his face.
Those sending gifts and matchmaking proposals could only deliver the gifts and registries to the Mei Courtyard, asking Jiang Qinghong to pass them along.
Today, Shen Xiuhan had returned from the Mei Courtyard carrying quite a few items.
Dried salted fish, smoked meat, and additionally, twenty taels of silver wrapped in blue cloth at the bottom of a bamboo basket.
Since this was sent by the Ji family, he accepted it.
As for the silver and money sent by the other prominent families, he hadn't touched a single copper of it, returning everything exactly as it came.
Only after the commotion had quieted down slightly did their former neighbors from the Outer City pick a day to come and offer their congratulations together.
Most of what they carried in their hands were simple, homegrown items.
Eggs, wild vegetables, and fresh fish just caught from Cloudwater Lake, their scales still glistening with water.
The gifts were modest, but the sentiment was profound.
Shen Xiuhan thanked each of them and chatted with them for a while. They conversed until dusk began to fall, after which everyone finally dispersed.
Having cleaned everything up, it was getting late. Just as Madam Zheng was about to slide the door bolt shut, she suddenly heard a voice from outside:
“Owner, three bowls of noodles!”
The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable tone of authority.
Shen Xiuhan was in the courtyard, watching Shen Momo squatting in the corner, playing with the two newly hatched Purple-Beaked Ducks.
The little girl was mimicking duck sounds with soft quacks and chirps, carefully cradling the fluffy ducklings in her small hands, having the time of her life.
Hearing the voice, he instinctively glanced over, and his gaze instantly locked.
The newcomer had an ordinary face and wore a neat, grey short-sleeved tunic.
Behind him stood two burly, fierce-looking men, clearly the type who lived by the blade.
Startled by this sudden sight, Madam Zheng took a step back, her voice stammering.
“G-Guests, this is...”
“Mother, go inside. I'll handle this.”
As he spoke, Shen Xiuhan stepped forward, shielding Madam Zheng behind him.
Madam Zheng let out a sigh of relief. She scooped up Shen Momo, who had toddled out to watch the commotion, and quickly hurried into the inner room.
Gazing at the faint golden spots of light shimmering on the young man's body, Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered slightly. He said calmly:
“Gentlemen, the eatery is closed for the day. If you want noodles, please come early tomorrow.”
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