leonardwarren Chapter 55 Admonition
Chapter 55 Admonition
Snowflakes fluttered down, and the north wind blew so hard that people couldn't open their eyes.
The two boys, their breath steaming in the air, moved with light steps.
This trip gave Meng Chen hope of discovering the methods of Xuanxiu, and even the ability to light up the Yin Fish and cultivate Xuanwu simultaneously.
Gong Ziming, on the other hand, looked like he had been promoted and made a fortune. He tried hard to hide his joy, but it was impossible to conceal it.
Back at their lodgings, the two put down the silver box and turned around to look at Bamboo Basket Lane, two streets away.
Snowflakes fell, but did little to quell the fire. The howling north wind intensified the flames. In an instant, the crimson waves surged, turning half the sky red.
The two removed their raincoats and rubbed their hands and faces in the snow. They went back inside, lit candles, and checked themselves for any bloodstains.
Seeing that there was nothing amiss, Gong Ziming opened the silver chest, counted the contents briefly, and said, "There are about 1,700 or 1,800 taels of silver in cash and 300 taels of silver notes, totaling 2,000. I'll take 1,500, and you take 500."
"Alright." Meng Chen's trip was not for gold or silver; he considered the five hundred taels as free money.
Gong Ziming was very satisfied and said, "Things will definitely be tense these days. I'll give it to you in a few days."
This was to be expected, and Meng Chen didn't care; he only cared about one thing.
Before tonight, Meng Chen and Gong Ziming were only fellow townsmen and classmates. But after tonight's events, they were now on the same boat.
If Meng Chen is in a state of shock, he will likely implicate Gong Ziming. But if Gong Ziming is arrested, he himself will probably not fare well either.
But as Gong Ziming said, without family connections and influence, one can only take a gamble to move forward.
Therefore, these risks are all bearable. As long as one can move forward, and the path of martial arts and profound cultivation opens up, then it is worthwhile.
Meng Chen asked, "When can I pay my respects to the imperial envoy?"
"Wait for my news," Gong Ziming said.
"..." Meng Chen took a deep breath, feeling more and more like he had boarded a pirate ship.
Meng Chen retrieved a dog leg he had bought beforehand, tore it in half, and gave it to Gong Ziming. He then asked, "Was the envoy male or female? What was his temperament like?"
Gong Ziming took a bite of the cold dog leg, then shook his head and said, "Actually, I've never even seen the envoy's true face, so how can I talk about gender? But as for his temperament... well, it's hard to say."
What's there to be unsure about? It's absolutely appalling!
Meng Chen huffed and puffed as he devoured the dog leg, then inquired about Xuanxiu from Gong Ziming.
However, Gong Ziming was clearly a novice in Taoism, and he was quite vague, only saying that he could speak after Meng Chen met the envoy.
The two of them didn't sleep all night, and the snow outside also fell all night.
When I went outside at dawn, I saw a vast expanse of white snow, thick enough to bury my feet.
Before long, the sound of bells rang out from outside; it was the donkey cart that was collecting manure.
Gong Ziming left in a manure cart, taking all the money with him.
The two did not agree on when they would meet again, because Gong Ziming was also unsure, and only told Meng Chen to wait at home.
Meng Chen felt helpless, but since his future was in someone else's hands, he could only endure it.
After leaving the house, Meng Chen first drank a bowl of mutton soup to warm himself up, and then went to buy a leg of lamb, a jar of good wine and a can of tea.
It was already past midnight when Meng Chen arrived at the Du Family Martial Arts School, only to find out that the apprentices had already been given a holiday.
"It's windy and snowy, so there's no need to stand on ceremony." Du Zhong saw that Meng Chen was sweating and his shoes were half wet, so he knew that Meng Chen had come all the way.
Du Ren chuckled and pulled Meng Chen to warm himself by the fire, poured him some hot tea, and asked, "What have you been doing at home?"
"Nothing much. There's no work in the fields, so besides practicing my sword and fist techniques, I just wander around and cultivate my character," Meng Chen said.
"That's good, but we can't let our guard down," Du Zhongkuan advised. "We martial artists not only need to practice martial arts, but also cultivate our minds. Get rid of your restlessness, take it one step at a time, and that's the way to long-term success."
"Yes," Meng Chen replied respectfully.
After chatting for a while, more people arrived, led by Qian Yi, who brought four others, all of whom were fellow apprentices who had already passed the second stage of the sect's trials.
Soon, Wan Dabao, Qi Miao, and Yan Fei also arrived.
Du Zhong was very pleased. Regardless of the apprentices' backgrounds or skill levels, he asked them questions with a smile, without neglecting anyone. He even had the kitchen prepare a meal so that the apprentices could stay for dinner.
Around noon, Qi Yun arrived, a knife hanging at his waist, his hair casually tied up, looking travel-worn and hurried.
Now Qi Yun has climbed up to Gao Dianshi and transformed into a constable in the county government. He usually follows Constable Xue around to do his duties. With Gao Yuan's mother taking care of him, he is doing quite well.
"Master Du, I'm late!" Qi Yun stepped forward, his eyes reddening as if he had seen his own father.
Seeing this, Meng Chen, Wan Dabao, and the others knew that Qi Yun had become more and more skilled after being tempered in officialdom.
"Good boy, good boy." Du Zhong was very respectful, holding Qi Yun's hand and asking him many questions, but in his heart he thought that this child was only learning hypocritical social skills and was using him as a practice subject.
After a brief, chaotic chatter, the banquet began.
Du Zhong was not a man who cared much about etiquette, and since it was a family banquet, he accepted three cups of wine offered by the apprentices. Not wanting to delay the young people's fun, he used the excuse of being drunk to go to the backyard to rest.
Sure enough, as soon as Du Zhong left, Wan Dabao asked anxiously, "Junior Brother Qi, didn't we agree to arrive before noon? Why are you so late?"
"Ugh, don't even mention it!" Qi Yun said impatiently, his hands tucked into his sleeves, lacking any of the efficiency expected of a constable. "I don't know which bastard burned down Bamboo Basket Lane in the middle of the night, forcing me to get out of bed in the middle of the night. I still haven't closed my eyes yet!"
"I heard the Bamboo Basket Gang was defeated last night?" Qian Yi had connections in Nancheng and knew a lot about what was going on there.
"I heard that the White-Robed Scholar Qu San is dead," Qi Miao added. He had now left the martial arts school and joined a gang in the southern part of the city, so he knew more about the matter.
"Eight are dead. Qu San and his wife were burned to ashes!" Qi Yun said mysteriously in a low voice, "The Bamboo Basket Gang's silver was also stolen, totaling more than ten thousand taels!"
Meng Chen gasped, then asked curiously, "Does joining a gang make money this fast?"
"Probably not that much money." Du Ren was a knowledgeable man. "How many years has Qu Sancai been up and running? He's only been around for three years, and he didn't have much of a reputation before. Besides, the majority of the money the Bamboo Basket Gang collects has to be given as tribute. He'd be lucky to have three to five thousand taels under his command!"
"Is it a gang war or a revenge killing?" Qian Yi asked curiously.
"It's not a fire attack." Qi Yun was very confident. He said in a low voice, "Qu San died in the same way as Senior Brother Gao, with a knife stuck in his back. According to Gao Dianshi, it's probably still aimed at the Yan family."
Upon hearing that the Yan family was involved, the atmosphere at the dinner table became even more lively.
After a long discussion, everyone dispersed one by one.
Meng Chen stayed behind last and invited Du Ren to visit Li Xiangsheng together.
"I was just about to tell you this. Our elder brother took our sister-in-law to the prefectural city to pick up the young lady. You'll be disappointed if you go," Du Ren said with a smile.
"Miss? Miss really became a nun?" Meng Chen thought of Ye Jinhuan's appearance and felt that it was a waste of talent for such a beautiful person to become a nun.
"Not at all," Du Ren chuckled. "When Miss returns, I'll take you to see her again!"
After chatting for a while, Meng Chen took his leave.
Du Ren saw Meng Chen out of the martial arts school, then seemed to remember something and asked in a low voice, "Has Yan Zhao contacted you recently?"
"He hasn't invited me since my third failed attempt to break through to the next realm," Meng Chen said with a smile.
"That guy surnamed Yan is really something..." Du Ren muttered, then added, "If Yan Zhao asks you to introduce us to our older brother, just say you're not familiar with him. Don't be stupid enough to agree."
"Did Big Brother have a grudge against him?" Meng Chen heard Du Ren's words and it seemed that Li Xiang Sheng and Yan Zhao had a conflict.
"It's nothing," Du Ren sneered. "You don't need to worry about it."
After bidding farewell to Du Ren, Meng Chen left, but was stopped again as soon as he stepped onto the street.
The person blocking their way was Qi Miao, who was very excited. "Junior brother, do you want to make a fortune and have a prosperous New Year?"
"What connections do you have, Senior Brother?" Meng Chen asked curiously.
"Qu San is dead, and the Bamboo Basket Gang is leaderless. We want a piece of the pie. The boss told me to invite a few good fighters; the pay will be generous!" Qi Miao whispered.
Since killing Qu San last night, Meng Chen has reformed and no longer does such violent things.
Besides, I received five hundred taels of silver last night, and I also have five hundred taels of silver notes hidden at home, as well as some loose silver. I'm sure I'll have no problem getting through the New Year, so I won't risk my life anymore.
"Didn't you say that Qu San is Gao Dianshi's man? And that he has quite a bit of business with the Yan family? Are you going to seize territory now?" Meng Chen asked.
"Whoever wins will be the next Qu San," Qi Miao said.
"Senior brother, I can't do this kind of risky business," Meng Chen refused.
Qi Miao didn't press the matter. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "If you ever want to do this kind of business in the future, just come find me at the Guanyin Temple in the South City!"
"Of course," Meng Chen replied, bowing in return.