Pecking

The ferry parted the green waves, slowly pulling up to the Yunyi Island pier.

Shen Xiuhan stood at the bow, his robes fluttering in the lake breeze.

Before the gangplank was even secured, he saw a figure on the pier waving anxiously at him.

It was none other than Yan Chuan, a patrol guard from Team C!

“Patrol Envoy, you're finally back.”

Seeing Shen Xiuhan disembark, Yan Chuan rushed forward to meet him, taking the bundle and luggage from his hands.

Then, the joy on the man's face was instantly replaced by anxiety, and he asked urgently,

“Patrol Envoy... I heard from the messenger brothers that Old Geng was severely injured while on escort duty... What is his condition now?”

Among the four patrol guards of Team C, Yan Chuan and Geng Weizhi had always lived and eaten together, sharing the deepest friendship.

His anxiety at this moment was palpable, clearly genuine and not just for show.

Shen Xiuhan shook his head and said frankly,

“He was injured to his core, and his main tendons are severed. In the future... I'm afraid he will find it hard to lift a saber again.”

“This...”

Yan Chuan's entire body shook as if he had been dealt a heavy blow.

His eyes turned red, and his lips trembled for a long time, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

“Do not worry.”

Shen Xiuhan reached out, patted his broad shoulder, and comforted him,

“When I returned to the Inner City, I visited the main family. The family head has spoken and said they will do everything to treat Old Geng. Even if he can no longer serve as a patrol guard, they will arrange a proper job for him in the Inner City.”

“I see... That is good then. It's enough that he survived!”

Yan Chuan let out a long sigh of relief and wiped his eyes.

For these patrol guards who lived by the blade and dealt with water bandits year-round, securing a job to support their families in the Inner City was by no means a bad thing.

The two of them walked forward along the green-stone path.

Before they had gone far, Shen Xiuhan stopped in his tracks, his eyes locking onto the muddy beach near the water.

At some point, a thick log dozens of feet high had been driven into the shore.

Bound to the wooden post was a burly man built like an iron tower.

His hands were bound behind him with raw iron chains locked to the post, and his feet dragged heavy shackles. He was pinned to the wooden stake spread-eagled, completely unable to move.

With no shelter on the lake, the man had been baked by the scorching sun for a long time.

His clothes had rotted into rags, and his skin was covered in a terrifying layer of blisters from the sun, which had subsequently burst and peeled, revealing large patches of purplish-black bruised scabs.

Even more hair-raisingly...

every now and then, scavenging waterbirds circling overhead would let out piercing shrieks and dive down.

Their sharp beaks brazenly pecked at his festering flesh.

Yet, the man was extremely weak, his head drooping, showing almost no reaction.

Shen Xiuhan stared at the bloody, mangled silhouette, finding it somewhat familiar. He frowned and said,

“That is...”

Yan Chuan looked over, a look of schadenfreude appearing on his face.

“It's that dog Lu Ya!”

He spat and whispered,

“You might not know, Patrol Envoy, but a secret letter came from the main family the day before yesterday, saying there was a spy on the island, and the initial suspicion pointed to this Patrol Envoy Lu.”

“The Garrison Master received the letter and personally kept a secret eye on him.”

“Sure enough, last night, after learning of Qu Bushi's death, this fellow panicked. He tried to send a message out under the cover of night, only to be caught red-handed by the Garrison Master with both the man and the evidence. His arms were dislocated on the spot, and he was captured alive!”

“Oh?”

Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered slightly. “Did they manage to pry his mouth open and find out which family sent him?”

“That, I do not know.”

Yan Chuan scratched his head and said gruffly, “The Garrison Master interrogated him personally, and no word has leaked out.”

“However, our brothers below privately estimate that this fellow has likely sold himself out to those murderous water bandits of Chenjian Dock.”

Shen Xiuhan raised an eyebrow and did not pursue the topic.

The two of them walked and chatted along the road.

Before long, they arrived at the two-story bamboo building of the outpost in the center of the island.

It was mid-spring, and this bamboo forest in the center of the small island had already shed its wintry, withered yellow.

Thick green bamboos stood tall and straight, their branches bursting with tender green leaves, presenting a dripping verdant view as far as the eye could see.

A slightly damp lake breeze blew past, causing the endless sea of bamboo to sway with a gentle rustling sound, filling the air with the fresh scent of vegetation.

Shen Xiuhan stepped up the bamboo stairs to the second floor and pushed open the door.

Ji Ning was sitting at the table, looking over a map of the lake. Hearing the sound, he looked up.

“Greetings, Garrison Master.”

Seeing him, a smile of appreciation appeared on Ji Ning's face, and his tone was quite polite:

“You're back... I heard from the main family about how you handled the loose ends of Qu Bushi's matter. Your execution was clean and efficient, very good. Also... congratulations, Patrol Envoy Shen, on breaking through to the Bone Tempering Rank!”

“It was a stroke of luck. Thank you for your guidance, my Lord,” Shen Xiuhan replied.

“In the martial path, how can there be so many strokes of luck? It is all forged through one's own hard practice.”

Ji Ning waved his hand, stood up, and walked into a storage closet to the side.

A short while later, he walked out carrying two bundles of dried meat that gave off a rich aroma of cypress smoke.

“Take this. This is top-grade smoked pork and air-dried venison, all high-quality meats.”

Ji Ning handed the meat to Shen Xiuhan.

“This is your ten-catty meat ration from this month's salary.”

“As for the medicinal cuisine, if you have the time, you can collect it daily at noon from the kitchen below. If you find it too troublesome, I can send a servant to deliver it to your room on time every day.”

Shen Xiuhan pondered briefly.

Aside from patrolling the waters, he also had to find time to temper his stance work and practice his martial techniques.

He had no desire to be distracted by such trivial matters, so he readily cupped his fists and said, “Then I will trouble the Garrison Master to have someone deliver it.”

“A small matter, no trouble at all.”

Ji Ning sat back down in his chair, took a sip from his teacup, and changed the subject. “When you came onto the island just now, you must have seen Lu Ya on the shore, right?”

“I did.”

A flash of murderous intent crossed Ji Ning's eyes.

“That dog couldn't withstand the torture. When he finally confessed, he mentioned the name 'Bai Xiuan.' The main family cross-referenced the secret codes and has already verified that he was a spy planted in our family by the Bai family years ago!”

He slammed his teacup onto the table with a heavy thud.

“Since he is a spy, this thief must die. Leaving him tied up by the water to be baked to death by the scorching sun and pecked by waterbirds will also serve as a warning to anyone else on this island with ulterior motives!”

At this point, Ji Ning's expression turned serious as he looked at Shen Xiuhan and instructed,

“Now that we are short of Lu Ya, the position of Team A's Patrol Envoy is vacant.”

“I have already sent a letter to the main family to request reinforcement. I expect they will redeploy another blood qi martial artist within the next couple of days to fill the vacancy.”

“But during these next few days, the island will be at its most short-handed.”

“Since you have returned to the island, have your subordinates keep their wits about them. Under no circumstances must they let their guard down, lest someone takes advantage of the gap!”

Shen Xiuhan cupped his fists and said in a deep voice,

“Understood!”

...

Bidding farewell to Ji Ning,

Shen Xiuhan carried the meat and, together with Yan Chuan, strode along the forest path back to the row of waterfront bamboo houses on the north side of the island.

“Patrol Envoy Shen!”

“Lord Patrol Envoy!”

As soon as they entered, Hu Zhi and Ruan Linhuan enthusiastically came forward to greet them.

Shen Xiuhan nodded in response.

He casually tossed the air-dried meat, which weighed at least five or six catties, to Yan Chuan and said calmly,

“Take it to the kitchen and have it sliced up. Use it to add a dish for the brothers over the next few days.”