Days passed by, one after another.
They moved as slowly as river water—seemingly stagnant, yet drifting far away before one even noticed.
One day.
The rain fell like mist, weaving down in thin, dense slants that shrouded the world in a hazy bluish-gray.
Chen Zui moved his bamboo chair to the doorway, tucking himself under the eaves. He held a cup of fresh tea sent over by Shopkeeper Li, sipping it occasionally.
He sat quietly, watching the Jiangnan water town where distant mountains were tinged with dark beauty and nearby waters shimmered with green.
He had lived here for two full months.
The injuries on his body had long since healed completely.
The fist force left by He Bailou’s two punches had rampaged through his body for over half a month, but he had eventually used his own internal energy to dissolve it bit by bit.
In fact, it had even widened his meridians slightly.
Although he was still in the Inquiry Realm, his internal energy was now more than a level more profound than it had been two months ago.
However, he hadn't even touched his spear during this time.
Since he left Luoyan City, a certain piece of news had begun to circulate in the martial world.
It was said that an anonymous spearman had obtained the sword inheritance left by Sword Immortal Shen’s Sword Attendant.
Supposedly, he possessed a Peerless Sword Manual.
Anyone who obtained this manual could directly enter the Second Rank peak, just like that Sword Attendant who had reached the Second Rank peak without ever practicing any swordsmanship.
Consequently, more than half of the martial world was currently searching for this anonymous spearman.
In the past, Chen Zui would have certainly sought out this spearman himself to get involved and earn experience points to raise his realm.
Unfortunately, that anonymous spearman was himself.
There was an old saying: “A common man is innocent, but possessing a jade is a crime.”
In his case, it had become: “A common man is innocent, yet guilty without the jade.”
Chen Zui couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
At this point, no matter how much he tried to explain, it would be futile.
He simply hid in this Jiangnan town, recovering from his injuries while waiting for the storm to blow over.
However, he was quite curious.
Who exactly had released this news?
If that person truly believed he had obtained Senior Gu’s sword inheritance, why hadn't they personally come to snatch the manual from him?
Therefore, the person who spread this false news had done so intentionally.
Their goal was to use others to eliminate him.
The rain suddenly grew heavier.
Chen Zui set down his teacup and looked up at the sky.
Raindrops from the eaves formed a continuous line, crashing onto the bluestone slabs and splashing into fine droplets.
Just then, a hurried set of footsteps echoed from the mouth of the alley.
The sound of feet hitting the water-logged bluestones was a frantic pitter-patter, urgent and chaotic.
Chen Zui turned his head and saw Xiao Shitou rushing out of the curtain of rain.
The boy was soaked to the bone. It was impossible to tell if the moisture on his face was rain or tears, and his eyes were frighteningly red.
“Big Brother Chen!” Xiao Shitou threw himself in front of Chen Zui, his voice shaking uncontrollably.
“My mother... my mother was beaten!”
Chen Zui’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Stay here for now. Don't go anywhere.”
Xiao Shitou nodded through his tears.
Chen Zui hesitated for a moment before finally picking up his red-tasseled spear and bolting out the door.
By the time Chen Zui reached the bun shop, the door panels had been kicked down and were lying on the ground.
Steamer baskets were scattered everywhere. Snowy-white buns rolled in the mud, trampled into a pulpy mess.
Yun'niang was curled up in a corner, half of her face swollen high, with a trail of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Her clothes had been torn, exposing a section of her shoulder.
She bit her lip hard, not crying, but her entire body was shaking incessantly.
Four men stood before her.
The leader was a middle-aged fat man with a greasy, powdered face, wearing silk clothes. He held an oil-paper umbrella and was leisurely picking his teeth.
Behind him stood three burly men, each broad-shouldered and thick-waisted with short clubs tucked into their belts. They were laughing as they rifled through the loose silver in the counter.
“Oh, Yun'niang, Yun'niang, why must you do this?”
After he finished picking his teeth, the fat man flicked the toothpick onto the ground and squatted down, reaching out a thick, fleshy palm to pat Yun'niang’s face.
“Debts must be paid; it’s only natural.
You rented this shop from our master. Now that the lease has expired, you either renew it or get out. Isn't that simple?”
“This shop is my own!”
Yun'niang somehow found the strength to slap his hand away, her voice raspy as she shouted.
“My father-in-law bought it when he was alive! The deed is still locked in my room! What right do you have to collect rent? What right do you have to hit people!”
“The deed?”
The fat man reacted as if he had heard the world’s greatest joke, turning back to wink at the thugs behind him.
“Did you hear that? She says she has a deed.
I say, Yun'niang, when your father-in-law bought the shop, the seller was our late old master.
Back then, the old master was muddled and sold the shop for the price of a head of cabbage.
Now that the Young Master is in charge of the household, the Qian family is no longer selling this shop.
Do you really think that scrap of paper is still useful?”
He spoke with total confidence.
Yun'niang trembled with rage, yet she couldn't say a single word.
Her father-in-law had indeed passed away, and the seller back then had indeed been surnamed Qian.
But a sale had a contract, written in black and white. How could he just declare it void?
Yet in Meiwu Town and the surrounding hundred li, who didn't know of the Qian family?
And who could afford to offend them?
“So,” the fat man stood up and looked down at Yun'niang.
“You have two choices.
Either pay the back rent and continue to pay monthly from now on.
Or... I take back this shop first.
As for you, you’ll go work at Cuihong Pavilion.
You might not know this, but some people these days have a taste for married women like you.
I’m sure after two or three years of work, you’ll have paid back all the money.”
Yun'niang’s face instantly turned white, drained of all color.
Cuihong Pavilion was a brothel in town.
Her gaze instinctively drifted toward a corner of the shop, where a pair of rusty scissors lay.
She would rather die than go to such a place.
“It seems Yun'niang wants to choose the third path?”
The fat man followed her gaze and saw the scissors, the contemptuous smile on his face deepening.
He nodded toward one of the thugs behind him.
“Go, take those scissors away so Yun'niang doesn't hurt herself. Then bring her over to me. Let this manager inspect the goods first to see if she’s worth the price.”
The thug chuckled and stepped toward Yun'niang.
Just then, a foot stepped over the threshold.
To be precise, it was a foot wearing a straw sandal. It stepped into the water splashing on the threshold and caught the fat man’s eye.
Everyone turned around together.
At some point, a person had appeared outside the door.
He wore a set of faded coarse cloth tunic and carried a long red-tasseled spear on his shoulder. Rainwater flowed down the shaft, condensing into a crystal droplet at the spear tip.
“Who are you?” The fat man narrowed his eyes.
The man ignored him, instead turning his head toward Yun'niang in the corner, his brow furrowed slightly.
“The injury on your face—who hit you?”
When Yun'niang saw Chen Zui, her lips trembled, and her eyes instantly turned red.
She desperately fought back her tears and shook her head, signaling for Chen Zui to leave quickly.
“I hit her. What of it?”
The thug who had been about to grab Yun'niang turned around, sized Chen Zui up, and let out a sneer.
“Where did this bastard come from, thinking he can meddle in others' business with a fire poker? If you know what's good for you, hand over the silver on you and get lost, or I'll beat you too!”
As the words fell, Yun'niang saw Chen Zui move.
Rate on N.U.
