The next day.
The sky had just brightened.
Shen Xiuhan pushed open the door, scooped up half a ladle of water, and splashed it onto his face.
Most of the poor souls living in the outer city shantytown didn't care much for formalities.
Being able to snap a willow branch in half, dip it in well water, and scrape off their teeth plaque was already considered highly hygienic.
On the other hand, the wealthy families in the Inner City reportedly used premium green salt to rinse their mouths in the morning, and some even boiled medicinal herbs to clear toxins and reduce internal heat, using the decoction specifically for oral hygiene.
“Pah, pah, pah...”
Shen Xiuhan spat out the bitter residue of the willow branch he had been chewing on. From the corner of his eye, he saw Madam Zheng already busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
On the open ground outside the kitchen lay several strands of twisted hemp thread and a bundle of finely split green bamboo strips.
By the looks of it, Madam Zheng was planning to make him a new fishing net and a new bamboo basket.
A wave of warmth washed over Shen Xiuhan's heart. Not wanting to disturb her, he turned back and went into the house.
He sat down on the edge of the kang, and with a slight stir of his mind, the interface appeared.
【Today's intelligence has been refreshed!】
【Intelligence 1: The dark brown stone you obtained from the withered tree hollow last night is actually called a "Yuan Stone." It contains pure worldly essence qi and is of great benefit to the cultivation of Gangjin Rank martial artists.】
A Yuan Stone...
Shen Xiuhan's eyes suddenly lit up. He pulled the stone-jade out of his shirt and rubbed it in his hands.
A Gangjin Rank martial artist...
Could this be a martial arts realm above Huajin?
Not bad. Just this single piece of information alone made it a massive harvest.
As for this Yuan Stone...
Shen Xiuhan looked down at the fingernail-sized stone-jade in his palm and carefully tucked it away.
Something highly useful even to a Gangjin Rank martial artist would undoubtedly be an immense, heaven-sent opportunity for those at the Huajin, Anjin, or Mingjin Ranks.
He must absolutely never flaunt this wealth.
【Intelligence 2: Yan Xiao, the hall master of the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall, was the matrilocal son-in-law of the former hall master, Song Hengjiang. However, harboring wild ambitions and incited by his wife, Song Yanrong, he poisoned his father-in-law to usurp his position!】
【Song Yanrong has imprisoned her biological younger brother, Song Huatang, in a secret room. She subjects him to severe torture day and night to force out the location of the original Huajin-level manuscript of the "Tongbei Stance."】
【Meanwhile, that scoundrel Yan Xiao even lusts after the charm of his mother-in-law, Madam Han, secretly forcing her into an affair in an attempt to seize wealth, beauty, power, and martial techniques all for himself...】
My goodness...
Shen Xiuhan's eyes widened as he eagerly devoured this scandalous gossip.
Incredible!
What kind of shameless, depraved behavior was this from Yan Xiao?
And that Song Yanrong—poisoning her own father, and even imprisoning and humiliating her own brother and mother. She was truly a venomous viper, ruthless to the extreme!
When the top beam is crooked, the lower ones will go askew.
No wonder the likes of Feng Xiaobao and Ma Xianyang had absolutely no scruples, casually committing murder and robbery at the drop of a hat!
【Intelligence 3: Yesterday, Feng Xiaobao forcibly lent you his fishing rod, but he actually harbored malicious intent. To prevent the Precious Fish from falling into someone else's hands, he wanted to use the rod as a pretext to control you.】
【As for Ma Xianyang, who traveled far to Changshui County, he returned empty-handed because the local Precious Fish were already tightly controlled by the prominent clans. Having heard that there are many Precious Fish in Nanxiang Prefecture, he redirected his route overnight, delaying his return by sixteen days.】
Hmph, just as expected!
A trace of coldness flickered in Shen Xiuhan's eyes.
Feng Xiaobao appeared boorish and had intentionally pretended to love eating fish to deceive him, but in reality, he had long learned the truth from Ma Xianyang.
Lending the fishing rod was merely a way to trap him.
Once Ma Xianyang returned, they would have a legitimate excuse to bleed him dry.
This Tongbei Martial Arts Hall...
The entire place was filled with people begging for death!
Oh, except Chen An. He didn't deserve to die.
【Intelligence 4: When Mei Shuangfeng saw you kneeling in the snow, yearning for the martial path, she caught a glimpse of her deceased son, Jiang Luoyun, in your reflection. Moved to pity, she felt a wave of compassion.】
【During his lifetime, Jiang Luoyun loved fish dishes the most, as well as the maltose sweets that Mei Shuangfeng made by hand.】
Shen Xiuhan's gaze paused slightly as he fell into deep thought.
He had originally thought Mei Shuangfeng only valued the Silverback Fish, but he hadn't expected there to be such an underlying reason.
He shook his head and continued reading.
【Intelligence 5: Recently, young boys and girls aged five to eight have been mysteriously vanishing from the bitterly cold outer cities of Changyun and Changshui counties.】
【Rumors in the streets claim that roaming kidnappers are behind this, but in reality, the prominent Bai family of Changyun County is pulling the strings from the shadows!】
“Huh?!”
Shen Xiuhan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The kidnapping and trafficking of children was actually related to the Bai family?
Last night, when Madam Zheng mentioned that Auntie Liu from the textile mill had lost her grandson, her face had been filled with worry and fear.
Everyone in the streets claimed it was the work of traveling kidnappers, but who would have thought the true mastermind behind it all was the wealthy Bai family of the Inner City?
But the question was...
The grand Bai family of Changyun had power and wealth. Why would they secretly abduct these poor children? What was their motive?
Could it be...
...to force them into prostitution?
A thought suddenly flashed through Shen Xiuhan's mind.
He had heard in the streets that the Bai family owned several brothels, pleasure houses, and theaters.
The prostitutes who entertained patrons there were mostly bought at a low price or secretly abducted since childhood, bound to a lowly registry with life-and-death contracts.
“That's probably exactly it...”
Shen Xiuhan muttered to himself, his fists slowly clenching.
These beasts in human skin wouldn't even spare young children. They were truly insane and devoid of humanity.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as he remembered something.
Momo happened to be right at that age!
A chill ran up his spine, hanging over his heart like a dark cloud.
“No...”
Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent thoughts as his gaze turned grim.
“From now on, I can't let Mother and Momo wander around the outer city alone.”
Keeping this piece of intelligence firmly in mind, Shen Xiuhan continued reading down the list.
【Intelligence 6: ...The back courtyard of the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall in the Inner City of Changyun County stores the original manuscript of the Huajin-level stance work, the "Tongbei Stance."】
【Intelligence 7: ...Deep within Cloudwater Lake lies the inheritance and relics of a legacy disciple of the "Diaohai Pavilion"...】
The remaining two pieces of intelligence were still the same as before.
Meanwhile, the previous intelligence regarding the Silverback Fish and the Gold-Tailed Rat had quietly vanished after he successfully obtained them.
Shen Xiuhan stared at the light screen, pondering over it for a long while before his heart suddenly stirred.
The pattern of these intelligence refreshes... seemed to be related to the people and events he came into contact with.
And if he deduced based on this current trend...
Didn't that mean as long as he was given enough time, anyone's background, secrets, and weaknesses would be completely laid bare before him?
“Dalang, wake Momo up for breakfast...” While he was lost in thought, Madam Zheng's voice drifted in from outside.
...
After eating breakfast and stuffing two dry flatbreads prepared by Madam Zheng into his shirt for lunch, Shen Xiuhan hurriedly set off for the Mei Family Martial Arts Hall in the Inner City.
Perhaps because he had arrived early, he didn't see the two spies from the Golden Dragon Gang.
Stepping through the main gates of the martial arts hall, he heard earth-shattering shouts coming from the direction of the martial arts arena.
Twenty to thirty outer courtyard disciples were already sweating profusely, their blood qi surging as the sound of their punches and kicks cutting through the air rose and fell in waves.
The person in charge of supervising them today was not the woman in martial attire from yesterday, but a sturdy man with broad shoulders, a thick waist, and a square face.
He stood in the center of the arena with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as torches as he occasionally offered pointers.
Mei Shuangfeng leaned back in a grand armchair under the corridor, holding a celadon teacup and slowly sipping her tea.
Seeing Shen Xiuhan enter, she merely nodded slightly and waved her hand toward the arena.
“Xu Chuan, show Xiuhan around and explain the rules of the martial arts hall to him. The rest of you, continue with morning practice.”
“As you command!”
The sturdy man supervising the morning practice immediately strode over, his voice booming like a bronze bell:
“I am Xu Chuan, the second disciple of the inner courtyard. You can just call me Second Senior Brother.”
Shen Xiuhan did not dare to be negligent and quickly cupped his fists in greeting. “Greetings, Second Senior Brother!”
Xu Chuan had a hearty personality. He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth:
“We're fellow brothers of the same hall, no need for such formalities. Come, your senior brother will show you around first.”
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