Holding the steamed buns, Shen Xiuhan found a corner, leaned against the wall, and took small bites.
His vision blurred slightly as a small hand reached out, offering him half a pickled mustard tuber.
Startled, Shen Xiuhan looked up and saw a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy standing beside him.
The boy wore an old, heavily patched jacket. He was thin and somewhat shy, clearly someone from the outer city.
“Senior Brother, eat it with some pickles. It's really tasty...”
Stunned for a moment, Shen Xiuhan did not refuse. He reached out to take it and said, “Thanks. But I only joined the outer courtyard today. By the rules, I should be calling you 'Senior Brother' instead.”
“I only arrived two days before you, and I'm younger with poor talent. I wouldn't dare...”
The boy waved his hands frantically, then squatted down beside Shen Xiuhan, his voice filled with envy. “During morning practice, I saw you master several stance postures in just one morning. In martial arts, capability comes first. It's only right that I call you 'Senior Brother'.”
Having accepted the boy's food, Shen Xiuhan felt obliged to offer some comfort, using Mei Shuangfeng's words: “Master said that in martial arts, the most critical taboo is impatience. Stance work requires slow, steady cultivation over a low fire. In time, you'll find your way.”
The boy nodded silently, but a look of sorrow and anxiety, far too mature for his age, crept onto his face. “That makes sense... I just feel that I'm so dull-witted. I'm truly letting down my elder brother, who worked so hard to support my martial arts dream.”
Leaning against the blue brick wall, they chatted while they ate.
Shen Xiuhan learned that the boy's name was Xiao Wen. His elder brother, Xiao Wu, was five years older and worked as a miner at the Bai family's mining estate outside the city.
Both brothers came from a tenant farmer background.
To give his younger brother a chance to stand out in the world, Xiao Wu worked in the mines every day, scrimping and saving just to scrape together the tuition fee.
However, Xiao Wen's natural talent was mediocre, and his progress in stance work was painfully slow. He felt he was failing his brother's expectations.
Since Xiao Wen was comparing his own shortcomings, Shen Xiuhan didn't want to seem arrogant. He offered a few more words of comfort.
Seeing that Xiao Wen's steamed buns weren't enough to fill his stomach, Shen Xiuhan even shared one of the cornbread cakes he had brought.
After finishing lunch, Shen Xiuhan threw himself back onto the martial arts field to grind away at his stance work.
Over and over, he practiced with his head down, sweating like rain.
During this time, Xu Chuan stopped by to offer some pointers on the key details of the postures.
He even praised Shen Xiuhan for his rapid progress, noting how he could already perform four postures in a continuous sequence.
But the more Shen Xiuhan practiced, the more he realized the Mystic Eagle Stance was far from simple.
With each additional posture, the difficulty increased significantly.
By the time dusk fell, Shen Xiuhan still hadn't mastered the fifth posture.
The martial arts hall grew emptier. The master was nowhere to be seen, and Xu Chuan had long since left.
Shen Xiuhan glanced at the darkening sky and decided to head home as well.
He first made a trip to the East Market to buy some supplies. Since it was late, many vendors had already packed up, but fortunately, the butcher shop was still open.
He bought five catties of pork belly and two skewers of candied hawthorns from an old man.
Before leaving the city, he specifically searched for the two lookouts Ma Xianyang had sent.
But he didn't spot them.
Had they given up?
Unlikely.
Shen Xiuhan pondered. They were probably lying in wait for him somewhere else.
...
West Market.
Outside the fish stalls.
In a quiet corner.
Seeing the fish market close its gates, A-Zhe finally lost his patience and spat fiercely.
“Damn it!”
“Did that little beast fail to catch any fish these past two days? Has he not even entered the city?”
“It's possible...”
Tian Erhu, who was built like a bull, nodded with a dark look in his eyes. “Starting tomorrow, we'll wait by the city gates from the hour of Chen. I refuse to believe he won't come into the city to buy grain and flour.”
“Alright!”
A-Zhe gnashed his teeth and nodded. “Senior Brother Ma traveled all the way to Changshui County to look for Precious Fish. If he can't find any, he'll definitely buy back a batch of blood qi pills.”
“If we do a clean job, and Senior Brother Ma rewards us with a single pill, maybe... we can reach the great perfection of blood qi and break through the barrier of Mingjin!”
“Mingjin...”
Tian Erhu licked his dry, cracked lips, a flash of longing in his eyes.
...
Shen Xiuhan walked back to Xiaojing Bay. Just as he approached his home, he suddenly stopped.
The sound of crying echoed from inside the fenced yard.
He narrowed his eyes and looked closely. Three figures were blocking the gate. Leading them was a young, white-robed young master, flanked by two arrogant, black-clad guards with goose-feather sabers hanging from their waists.
Inside the yard.
Madam Zheng shielded Shen Momo in her arms, kneeling in the snow as she begged piteously, “My lord, wasn't the agreed amount two taels of silver? Why has it increased again?”
Shivering, Madam Zheng pulled out a small cloth pouch and poured out all the silver pieces and copper coins inside, offering them with both hands. “My eldest son has already earned some money. This... we'll return all of this to you, my lord...”
The young master's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent.
The black-clad guard beside him stepped forward immediately, snatched the pouch, weighed it in his hand, and sneered.
“Two taels was indeed the agreed amount, but you didn't pay it back on time, did you? You dragged it out for three whole days. The interest for this period is two hundred wen a day. That's not too much, is it?”
Two hundred wen of interest per day!
Madam Zheng felt her vision go dark. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out hoarsely, “Please, my lord, wait just a little longer. My eldest son will be back soon. He will definitely pay the interest...”
The young master in white frowned slightly and gave a subtle look.
The guard understood instantly.
Crash!
He kicked down the wooden fence.
With a cruel grin, he reached out to grab Shen Momo from Madam Zheng's arms.
“Too late!”
“My master was generous enough to give you a three-day grace period. Since you can't produce the money, this little girl will serve as payment!”
“No!”
“Mommy! Brother, save me...”
“Stop right there!”
A thunderous shout suddenly erupted.
Shen Xiuhan strode forward with a dark face, his gaze as sharp as a knife, piercing right at the white-robed young master.
The man wore a moon-white silk robe cinched with a jade belt, his collar and cuffs embroidered with intricate silver patterns.
He was remarkably handsome, with a face like carved jade. However, his skin was incredibly pale, and a sinister smirk played on his lips, casting a shadow of malice over his good looks.
Seeing Shen Xiuhan approaching quickly, the white-robed young master raised an eyebrow. “Are you the eldest son of the Shen family?”
“I am.”
“I am the third young master of the Bai family, Bai Fufeng.”
Bai Fufeng smiled faintly, stepping toward Shen Xiuhan as he spoke in a slow, measured tone, “I assume you heard everything just now?”
“I did.”
“Very well. In that case, I am sorry. Bai Zhong, take—”
Before he could finish, Bai Fufeng's smile suddenly froze.
Shen Xiuhan produced six strings of copper coins and held them out on his open palm right before the young master's eyes.
“Here is the money we owe you.”
Bai Fufeng's smile slowly faded, his gaze lingering on the strings of coins for a moment.
“...Shen Dalang, you seem to have quite a bit of money.”
“Far less than you, Young Master.”
Shen Xiuhan spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, but his voice suddenly turned ice-cold. “However, for you to bring men to kidnap my sister in broad daylight...”
“If word of this gets out, those who know the truth will say you were collecting a debt. But those who don't... might think you're just like those heartless child-snatchers from the outer city rumors!”
“Impudent!”
Bai Fufeng's expression shifted instantly.
The faces of the two guards twisted in anger. Hand on their hilts, they drew their sabers with a sharp clink, stepping forward to seize him!
“A mere lowly tenant farmer dares to slander our master? I'll rip your tongue out right now!”
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