Shen Xiuhan went up to the third floor. There were two rooms on the left side of the hallway.
One room had its door wide open and was completely empty.
The other was at the very end of the corridor, its wooden door slightly ajar, with the faint sound of pages turning coming from within.
He walked up and knocked on the door.
“Knock, knock.”
“Come in.”
A clear, bright voice echoed from inside.
Shen Xiuhan pushed the door open and stepped inside, and his field of vision instantly widened.
A draft blew across his face.
Looking out from the window frame, the water's surface shimmered like scattered bits of broken silver, offering an excellent view.
Sitting on a chair by the window was a youth flipping through a book.
The youth looked to be only around twenty years of age, with a delicate face that still held a touch of childishness.
However, his attire was completely at odds with his age and demeanor.
He was actually clad in animal skins, with grayish-white fur draped over his shoulders and long boots on his feet.
On the desk beside his hand lay a black longsword of simple and ancient design.
Was this the Garrison Master of Yunyi Island?
He was actually so young...
Surprised as he was, Shen Xiuhan did not let it show on his face. Keeping his back straight, he cupped his hands and said:
“Greetings, Garrison Master. I am Shen Xiuhan, ordered to report to the island for my temporary placement.”
The youth in animal skins finally looked up, shifting his gaze from the book to Shen Xiuhan. His voice carried no discernible emotion:
“Do you have credentials?”
“Yes.”
Shen Xiuhan took out the letter of introduction delivered by the Ji family's servant yesterday, along with the waist token given to him by Ji Zhong, and handed them over together.
The youth took the letter. Once he saw its contents, a clear look of surprise flashed across his face, and his eyes fell back onto Shen Xiuhan:
“Patrol Envoy... You are a Mingjin martial artist?”
Shen Xiuhan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, “I am.”
“Tsk, tsk...”
The youth raised his eyebrows slightly and lowered his head to continue reading the letter, exclaiming in surprise:
“Hmm, from the Mei Courtyard... Jiang Qinghong's junior brother... Oh! Sensing blood qi in just sixteen days. No wonder my father told me to look after you.”
The youth in animal skins folded the letter shut. Seeing Shen Xiuhan's confusion, he smiled and explained:
“My name is Ji Ning. My father is Ji Zhong, the Ji family steward who gave you your waist token.”
Shen Xiuhan's pupils contracted slightly upon hearing this.
Ji Ning...
Ji Zhong's son!
Shen Xiuhan had not forgotten the bloody tragedy on Yunyi Island that Luo Zhan had revealed during the placement meet.
The Ji family's direct descendant genius, Ji Guannan, had been surrounded and killed by Chenjian Dock on Yunyi Island.
In such a dangerous place, Ji Zhong had actually sent his own son to the island to serve as the Garrison Master...
No wonder he was bestowed the surname of the master's family and was even allowed to enter and exit the Ji family's Library Pavilion alone.
If such a loyal person wasn't heavily relied upon by the Ji family, who else would be?
Realization dawned on Shen Xiuhan.
Ji Ning seemed to know what he was thinking and smiled indifferently. “Are you clear on the rules and the monthly allowance?”
Shen Xiuhan suppressed the shock in his heart. “Steward Ji has already explained everything clearly.”
Ji Ning nodded and said seriously:
“Since my father told me to look after you, I will give you a proper breakdown of how things work here.”
“Right now, there are twenty-five people stationed on Yunyi Island in total.”
Ji Ning pointed to the floorboards beneath his feet:
“I personally lead the defense of the island's main pavilion. The remaining twenty men are split into four Patrol Envoys and sixteen patrol guards, taking day and night shifts to patrol and stand watch over their designated waters.”
“The rules on the island are not strict. As long as you finish patrolling your designated waters and no trouble arises, no one will interfere with what you do with the rest of your time—whether you want to practice your martial arts behind closed doors or go fishing in the lake.”
Shen Xiuhan solemnly cupped his hands. “Thank you for the reminder, Garrison Master.”
“Yes. We are currently short-handed on the island, so there is no time to lose. You will begin your shift tonight.”
Having said that, Ji Ning reached out, grabbed a thin rope hanging by the window frame, and gave it a gentle pull.
Instantly, a crisp “ding-ding-ding” of a ringing copper bell came from downstairs.
After just a moment, heavy footsteps resounded from below, coming up the stairs.
The door was pushed open, and the friendly-looking man who had just given Shen Xiuhan directions strode in.
“Garrison Master!”
Ji Ning stood by the window with his hands behind his back and instructed:
“Deng Shan, take Patrol Envoy Shen to Team C. From now on, he will be responsible for replacing Zheng Bao's former river section... By the way, take him to the duty room to collect a uniform and a Cloud-Flint Arrow. Oh, and allocate a black-awning boat from the berths to Patrol Envoy Shen.”
Hearing this, Deng Shan's mouth fell slightly open. He turned to look at Shen Xiuhan, who was standing to the side, in utter disbelief, his tongue completely tied:
“P-Patrol... Patrol Envoy Shen?”
“What, is there a problem?”
Ji Ning raised an eyebrow. “Brother Xiuhan is a genuine Blood Tempering martial artist. You didn't mistake him for an ordinary patrol guard just because he's young, did you?”
“Uh... I, well...”
It would have been better if Ji Ning hadn't said that. Hearing it made Deng Shan's face flush red with embarrassment, leaving him stammering and unable to speak for a long while.
“Brother Deng, sorry to trouble you.”
Shen Xiuhan timely cupped his hands, breaking the awkwardness.
“I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare...” Deng Shan hurriedly bowed. “Please follow me, Patrol Envoy.”
The two went downstairs, one after the other.
In the main hall, the remaining three patrol guards had already cleared away the leftovers of wine and meat from the table. Hearing the footsteps, one of them immediately said:
“Old Deng, what did the Garrison Master instruct...”
Before he could finish his sentence, the words caught in his throat.
He saw Deng Shan walking ahead with a bent back, respectfully gesturing with his hand. “Patrol Envoy, watch your step. This way, please.”
Patrol Envoy?
The three looked at each other. Where did this Patrol Envoy come from?
Right after that, they saw Shen Xiuhan walking down with a calm expression.
Whoosh!
The expressions of the three changed drastically at the same time. Their backs straightened, and as if by reflex, they all dropped to one knee in unison, cupping their hands and shouting loudly:
“Greetings, Lord Patrol Envoy!”
“Uh... no need for such formalities. You may all rise.”
Shen Xiuhan was slightly taken aback by this display. He waved his hand and followed Deng Shan toward the duty room on the side.
Walking along the gravel-paved path, Shen Xiuhan felt somewhat puzzled.
Although Blood Tempering martial artists in Changyun County weren't as common as hair on a cow, they weren't rare either.
Why would these men who lived on the edge of a blade show such an almost fawning attitude toward a newly arrived Blood Tempering martial artist?
Thus, he asked Deng Shan.
Deng Shan let out a bitter smile:
“You might not know this, Patrol Envoy, but although we have practiced a few basic martial arts moves, we haven't entered the blood qi stage. In the end, we only have some clumsy, superficial skills. On the other hand, every Patrol Envoy on the island is at least a martial artist of the Blood Tempering Rank.”
He looked up, gazing at the misty lake surface in the distance, and sighed:
“Yunyi Island's waterway location is critical and close to Chenjian Dock. The water bandits from that place plunder merchant ships year-round. Which one of them isn't a ruthless desperado with hands stained with blood?”
Deng Shan lowered his voice, his tone carrying the unique bitterness of a minor figure:
“The master's family is short-handed. Most of us stationed here are just for scouting, delivering messages, and maintaining the family fleet's shipping lanes. We have no intention of going head-to-head with Chenjian Dock.”
“But the other side doesn't think that way!”
“From time to time, they send people over to cause trouble and take a couple of lives just to show off their strength. No one knows if they will launch a massive invasion of the island one day, just like they did two and a half years ago.”
“Ordinary patrol guards like us can only be as respectful as possible on regular days. If Chenjian Dock ever attacks the island, in that critical moment... we can only hope that the Patrol Envoys will show mercy and save our lowly lives, just like Lord Guannan did back then.”
“...”
Hearing this, a trace of doubt flashed in Shen Xiuhan's heart, and he couldn't help but probe:
“Guannan? Ji Guannan? I heard he was one of the Five Great Geniuses of Changyun, and that he fell here a few years ago...”
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