Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Shen Xiuhan glanced down at the jacket he was wearing.

Old and tattered, patches stacked upon patches.

When his qi-blood had surged earlier, he’d torn it off in a panic and flung it in the snow. Snowmelt had soaked through the cotton padding, leaving a sprawl of mottled water stains. The thing looked utterly wretched.

‘Time to find a moment and get some decent clothes.’

“Then I’ll trouble Second Senior Brother.”

“What trouble? It’s the hall’s rules — every disciple who enters the inner court can draw a set of training clothes from the storehouse.”

Xu Chuan waved a dismissive hand.

A short while later.

Shen Xiuhan found himself holding a white martial outfit, finely stitched and supple in fabric.

Only then did he understand what Xu Chuan had meant by “hold you back.”

Because the training clothes were thin.

Any outer-court disciple who hadn’t awakened their qi-blood and dared wear this to train in the dead of winter wouldn’t last an hour before falling deathly ill the next day.

But for inner-court martial artists, with qi-blood surging through their bodies, the cold held no threat. A thick padded jacket was nothing but dead weight.

A single garment — yet it marked the chasm between ordinary people and martial artists.

…

After settling on a time with Xu Chuan for tomorrow’s sparring drills at the hall, Shen Xiuhan set off into the dusk, making his way back to Xiaojing Bay.

He pushed open the wicker gate, and a tiny figure came darting out of the thatched hut.

“Gege’s back!”

Shen Momo, her hair tied in two little buns, came bouncing over with delight, holding up her little hands as if presenting a treasure: “Gege, look!”

Shen Xiuhan looked closely, and a smile spread across his face before he knew it. “Is that an egg? The old hen finally laid one?”

A few days ago, he’d bought that old hen at East Market, hoping she’d lay plenty of eggs to help nourish his mother and sister.

He hadn’t counted on the stubborn beast refusing to lay after being moved to a new place, driving Madam Zheng to stomp around brandishing a cleaver every day, swearing she’d stew the thing.

Perhaps it really did understand human speech and got scared, because today it had finally squeezed one out.

Shen Momo stood on her tiptoes, pressing the boiled egg into his hands:

“Gege, you eat it…”

Shen Xiuhan took it, tapping it lightly with his fingertip. The shell cracked in a web of fine lines.

In a few deft motions, he peeled away the shell to reveal the smooth, tender white beneath, and held it up to the little girl’s mouth:

“Momo should eat it.”

“Momo can’t eat it.”

The little girl swallowed hard but shook her head like a good girl, shrinking back:

“Mama said Gege is learning martial arts to do great things, so Gege has to eat eggs to get strong…”

BANG!

“Well, well… what a touching little scene of sibling devotion.”

A heavy thud, accompanied by a voice dripping with mockery, shattered the warmth of the courtyard without warning!

The wicker gate was kicked open violently, several slats snapping apart, splinters scattering into the muddy snow.

Two figures swaggered into the yard.

None other than the two Golden Dragon Gang lookouts who’d been absent for days!

Ah Zhe and Tian Erhu!

Yu Zhe stood with his arms crossed, his mocking gaze sweeping the yard before locking onto Shen Momo’s young face. A gleam lit up in his eyes.

“What a pretty little thing…”

Shen Momo’s face went white with fright. She grabbed the hem of Shen Xiuhan’s jacket and hid behind him, only daring to peek out with one eye.

In the kitchen, Madam Zheng heard the commotion and came rushing out. The scene in the yard set her trembling.

“Ma…”

Shen Xiuhan’s expression didn’t change. He pressed the egg into Shen Momo’s hands and said quietly:

“Take Momo inside and bolt the door. I’ll handle this.”

“…All right. Be careful, Dalang!”

Madam Zheng’s face was ashen, but she nodded hurriedly, scooped up Shen Momo, and fled into the inner room.

Three people remained in the yard.

Yu Zhe leaned back with his arms folded, watching the whole scene with a cold sneer on his lips:

“Kid, you took Senior Brother Ma’s fishing rod — so where’s the follow-up? Where’s the fish you were supposed to deliver?”

Shen Xiuhan lowered his gaze slightly, already piecing it together.

Ma Xianyang was back in Changyun County.

News of his enrollment in Mei Martial Hall’s outer court had surely reached Ma Xianyang’s ears, arousing his suspicion.

After all, eight taels of tuition was no small sum.

Where would a mere fisherman’s son conjure up that much silver?

For now, he didn’t know what Ma Xianyang was planning. Better to retreat first and draw out the truth before acting.

Shen Xiuhan’s eyes flickered. He cupped his fists:

“There’s been a misunderstanding, brothers. It’s just… the hall had its assessment this half-month, and I didn’t dare slack off — trained day and night. That’s why I fell behind on the fishing…”

“Pfah! Don’t you fucking try using Mei Martial Hall to lord over me!”

Ah Zhe spat viciously, cutting him off:

“You think I don’t know how your martial halls work? An outer-court disciple who hasn’t received the true teachings — you think you can throw around your hall’s name out here like a fox parading in a tiger’s skin?!”

That was true enough…

But that rule only applied to outer-court disciples.

Ah Zhe stepped forward and jabbed a finger hard into Shen Xiuhan’s chest, brazen as could be:

“Kid, don’t push your luck!”

“Mei Martial Hall isn’t going to wade into the Golden Dragon Gang’s business and Senior Brother Ma’s affairs over one worthless mud-legged outer-court nobody like you!”

“Let me spell it out for you!”

“Senior Brother Ma already knows you stepped in dog shit and got lucky — landed a treasure fish, sold it to pay your tuition!”

“But he’s a generous man. He doesn’t want to bother squabbling with a junior like you.”

“Otherwise, it wouldn’t be us two brothers standing here today — Senior Brother Ma would have come in person!”

Ah Zhe sneered again and again, holding up two rough fingers as he delivered his ultimatum:

“Senior Brother Ma has spoken. For the sake of your brief acquaintance, he’s giving you two days’ grace!”

“Within two days, if you obediently hand over a treasure fish as tribute to Senior Brother, then the matter of taking the rod without delivering — that’ll be wiped clean!”

Shen Xiuhan furrowed his brow on cue, letting a look of panic surface at just the right moment:

“Brothers, please understand… a treasure fish — a heaven-born creature — isn’t some broken rock lying on the riverbank that you can just pick up!”

“In a mere two days, even if I had powers that reached the heavens, where am I supposed to conjure one up for Senior Brother Ma…”

“Quit your fucking sniveling!”

Tian Erhu, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly yanked the dagger from his waist. A flash of cold steel, and the water vat in the yard was split open with a gash!

“Two days!”

“If we don’t see a treasure fish in two days… heh heh!”

He turned and cast a greedy glance at the tightly shut door of the inner room, baring a mouthful of foul yellow teeth. His voice slithered out like a viper’s tongue:

“On this little patch of outer-city turf, when the Golden Dragon Gang wants someone dealt with, we haven’t yet seen anyone who could stop us!”

“When that time comes, your old mother and that pretty little sister of yours… don’t blame us brothers for not knowing how to be gentle!”

“Ah Zhe! Let’s go!”

With that, the two of them turned and disappeared into the night, cackling with arrogance.

Watching the two figures vanish into the wind and snow, Shen Xiuhan slowly straightened to his full height.

Hoo…

A scalding plume of white breath erupted from his nostrils.

His lowered eyes slowly rose. In the depths of those pitch-black pupils, the murderous fury he’d been forcing down erupted like a volcano!

‘Ma Xianyang…’

‘And these two rabid dogs from the Golden Dragon Gang…’

‘Shaming my mother, coveting my little sister… you have earned your deaths!’