It was the fifth day since the death of Gao Nian of the Golden Dragon Gang.
Shen Xiuhan felt a tickle on the tip of his nose. Opening his eyes, he saw Shen Momo leaning over the edge of the bed, holding a lock of hair and trying to poke it into his nostril.
Seeing him wake up, the little girl shrieked and bolted outside, not forgetting to look back and make a face at him:
“Big Brother is a lazybones! The sun is already shining on your butt, and you're still not up!”
Normally, the little girl was the last one in the family to wake up.
It was rare for Shen Xiuhan to sleep in, so she had finally caught her chance and was absolutely thrilled.
Chuckling, Shen Xiuhan got out of bed and slipped on his coarse cloth outer robe. Suddenly, his ears twitched.
The voices of Madam Zheng and several neighbors chatting came from outside the courtyard.
“What? The Golden Dragon Gang has been wiped out?”
“It's absolutely true! The Luanbo Gang has been beating gongs and drums in all the wards since before dawn!”
“What about Chief Gao? I heard he was highly skilled in martial arts, and a dozen strong men couldn't even get close to him.”
“Heh, he's dead too! I heard he was surrounded by several Luanbo Gang leaders and hacked to pieces on the spot. It was incredibly brutal!”
“Good! The protection money the Golden Dragon Gang extorted over the past few years got heavier by the year, barely leaving the poor any way to survive. If you ask me, they deserved it!”
“Sigh, all crows under heaven are black. The Golden Dragon Gang is gone, but now the Luanbo Gang is here. I'm afraid their protection fees will be just the same...”
The excited chatter gradually turned into heavy sighs.
Sitting on the bed, a strange look appeared on Shen Xiuhan's face.
Gao Fu...
Dead?
That didn't seem right.
With a thought, Shen Xiuhan summoned the Daily Intelligence System and swept his gaze over it.
The pale-gold light spot had already become distant and tiny, and it was still moving further away.
Clearly, Gao Fu was still alive.
Moreover, he was already far from Changyun County, fleeing in the direction of Nanxiang Prefecture.
While others might not know, the Luanbo Gang was certainly well aware of this.
Yet they still spread these rumors...
They probably assumed Gao Fu was now a stray dog who would never dare return to Changyun County.
This allowed them to ride the momentum of destroying the Golden Dragon Gang to cement their reputation as the undisputed rulers of the Outer City, while also deterring other minor troublemakers.
And for Shen Xiuhan, this was a massive stroke of good fortune!
After all, the Luanbo Gang was taking the fall for him.
Even if Gao Fu returned in the future, his primary target for revenge would only be the Luanbo Gang.
Still, to be absolutely safe, he opened the intelligence system to take a look.
【Today's intelligence has been refreshed!】
【Intelligence 1: Gao Fu was heavily injured by Zheng Dadao's Heart-Shattering Palm. He has now fled Changyun County and is hurrying to a stronghold in Nanxiang Prefecture to recover. He harbors deep-seated hatred for Zheng Dadao and has sworn to return once healed to wash the Luanbo Gang in blood!】
As expected, Gao Fu blamed the Luanbo Gang entirely for this setback.
Shen Xiuhan's heart eased slightly, but when he looked further down, his mood instantly plummeted to the abyss.
The worry that had been hanging over his head had finally become reality.
【Intelligence 2: The urgent letter sent by Gao Fu to the Longxiang Army will successfully reach Tian Ping'an's hands. After reading the letter, Tian Ping'an will set off in a few days to return to Changyun County!】
Tian Ping'an would be returning shortly.
Ever since he first learned of this Tendon Tempering expert, Shen Xiuhan had felt as if a sword were hanging over his head.
Now, that sword was finally about to fall.
If Tian Ping'an returned only to cause trouble for the Luanbo Gang, that would naturally be the best outcome.
But if he somehow discovered that Tian Erhu's death was connected to him...
Shen Xiuhan clenched his fists tightly.
He wasn't afraid for himself, but he didn't dare gamble with the safety of Madam Zheng and Momo.
A martial artist from a military background would definitely resort to underhanded tactics like threatening a person's family to force them into submission.
“‘Things have already come to this, so I can only take it one step at a time.’
‘If Mother and Momo are truly put in danger, I'll just have to swallow my pride and beg Master to protect them.’”
Shen Xiuhan suppressed the sense of crisis in his chest and continued reading.
【Intelligence 3: The mysterious jade plaque you retrieved from the hidden compartment in the ceiling beam seems to be a key to opening a 'Blessed Land'... Countdown to the opening of the Blessed Land: 349 days...】
A Blessed Land?
What kind of place was that?
Shen Xiuhan furrowed his brows, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.
The longer he walked the martial path, the more secrets he came into contact with.
From blood qi martial arts to secret techniques and divine abilities, and now to the ethereal concepts of 'Divine Descent' and 'Blessed Lands'.
These things, which exceeded his current understanding, were like sealed doors slowly opening before him.
Yet, instead of fear, an unprecedented yearning surged in his heart.
Only by standing high enough and having strong enough fists would he be qualified to touch these opportunities.
Shen Xiuhan exhaled a breath of turbid air, glanced over the remaining routine pieces of intelligence that were mostly the same, and stood up.
A formidable enemy was approaching; time was of the essence.
In the days to come, aside from saving intelligence points to deduce techniques, he had to temper his blood qi at the fastest possible speed.
He had to push his cultivation to the Bone Tempering Rank before Tian Ping'an returned to Changyun County.
By then, possessing multiple techniques, he might actually have the strength to protect himself.
But before that, he had to head to the Inner City to finalize the purchase of a house, moving his family in as quickly as possible to avoid any unexpected complications.
Walking out of the thatched cottage, he saw several neighbors standing outside the courtyard.
Some held bags of coarse flour, others carried a couple of palm-sized grass carps, and some even cradled a few farm eggs in tattered cloths.
“Dalang is awake!”
Seeing Shen Xiuhan, Madam Zheng straightened her back significantly, her face beaming as she said:
“Your Uncle Dashuan, Auntie Cui, and Auntie Hu from next door heard we're moving into the Inner City. They came early this morning specifically to bring some housewarming gifts.”
Shen Xiuhan understood immediately.
As the saying goes, a poor man remains a stranger even in a bustling market, while a rich man finds distant relatives even in the remote mountains.
Ever since the news spread that he had entered the inner courtyard of the Mei Family Martial Arts Hall and was going to settle in the Inner City, these neighbors—who would usually squabble over half a flatbread—had suddenly become incredibly warm and welcoming.
“Dalang, we haven't seen you in a while, but you've really made something of yourself! If your late father knew you were taking your mother and sister to the Inner City to enjoy a good life, he could rest in peace.”
“Exactly! I heard you've also taken up a job to go out on the lake, Dalang? The ways of the water run deep. If you ever have questions in the future, feel free to ask your Uncle Dashuan.”
Everyone chimed in with compliments, making the atmosphere in the courtyard exceptionally lively.
Suddenly, Auntie Hu warmly took Madam Zheng's hand and loudly proclaimed:
“Guiping, I see that Dalang is not young anymore. It's time to find him a good match. There's a girl surnamed Huang in the northern village who just reached her youth. She's broad-shouldered and stoutly built, able to work the fields and bear children. Matching her with our Dalang would definitely bring him great fortune!”
The polite smile on Shen Xiuhan's face froze, and his expression changed drastically.
“Cough, I appreciate the kind intentions of all my uncles and aunts!”
Terrified that Madam Zheng might happily agree on the spot, he hurriedly said:
“It's getting late, and I have an appointment with a brokerage in the Inner City to look at houses. I must head over. Once we're settled in the Inner City, I will definitely invite all of you over as our guests.”
With that, he quickly washed up, stuffed two coarse flour flatbreads into his robes, and pushed open the courtyard gate to flee, heading straight toward the Inner City.
A wave of good-natured laughter erupted from the courtyard behind him, filling the air with a merry atmosphere.
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