Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Since stepping into the inner court, the treatment Shen Xiuhan received was a world apart from before.

Aside from receiving personal instruction from Mei Shuangfeng every few days and a bowl of Ebony Restoration Broth every seven days, even his daily meals were upgraded.

At noon, outer-court disciples were each given two white steamed buns as usual.

The inner court, however, was a completely different scene.

Buns were unlimited. Eat as much as you wanted.

In front of Shen Xiuhan and Xu Chuan sat a large coarse porcelain bowl. Inside, the fish broth was thick and milky, steam billowing up. A layer of golden oil floated on the surface, and a whole plump fish lay beneath.

Changyun County was crisscrossed with waterways and pressed up against the thousand-li Yunshui Lake. Since ancient times, it had been a place that lived off the water.

According to Xu Chuan, freshwater fish appeared at every single inner-court meal.

The big fish in today’s lunch was called yellow pomfret — its flesh tender and delicate, plump and delicious.

Sold at the West Market fish exchange, it would fetch six or seven big copper coins per jin.

The one in this bowl weighed at least two jin — a value of twelve or thirteen wen… enough to buy a jin of pork belly at the East Market butcher.

The one disappointment was that the martial hall kitchen’s skill was decidedly rough.

A perfectly good fish, somehow boiled into something bland and lifeless!

After the midday meal.

Shen Xiuhan, as he always did, pulled out a cornmeal flatcake stuffed with meat and pressed it into Xiao Wen’s hands.

Xiao Wen took it and bit down, head bowed, his eyes faintly red.

The grueling stance work of the past few weeks, combined with Shen Xiuhan’s occasional gifts of meat-stuffed flatcakes, had finally brought color back to Xiao Wen’s face. His sinews and bones were filling out by the day.

According to Xu Chuan, Xiao Wen’s stance progress was unexpectedly fast.

When the boy first entered the hall, Xu Chuan had taken his measure and concluded the lad’s bone structure was unremarkable — half a year wouldn’t be enough to sense his qi-blood.

Yet over the past few weeks of training, his stance had grown steadier and more grounded with each passing day.

His progress was startling — fast enough that he was beginning to catch up to disciples who’d been there for months.

“Good. Steady and solid.”

Shen Xiuhan offered encouragement: “Work toward knocking on Blood’s door early and entering the inner court. By then, your elder brother won’t have to keep working in the mines.”

“…Y-yes. Junior brother understands!”

Xiao Wen’s lips twitched and his eyes flickered — as though he had something difficult to say. But when the words reached his lips, in the end he said nothing, only bowing his head deeply and cupping his fists.

Shen Xiuhan patted the boy’s shoulder, then turned and walked into the inner court.

After a brief moment to settle his breath.

He changed into his training clothes and began drilling combat techniques of the Heavenly Dark Eagle Force with Xu Chuan.

…

Tongbei Martial Hall, inner court.

Wisps of green smoke curled from a brass beast-headed incense burner, and the scent of sandalwood drifted through the warmly heated chamber.

Ma Xianyang’s face was as still as deep water. He held a celadon teacup, his voice ice-cold:

“Yu Zhe is definitely dead…”

“What about Tian Erhu?”

Across from him, Feng Xiaobao sat sprawled in his chair like a great general. At these words, his thick brows shot up.

“I went to Yeci Ward to see for myself. The man’s gone — no trace. There’s blood inside the courtyard, signs of a struggle on the ground…”

Ma Xianyang paused, sinister malice churning in his eyes. “It doesn’t look good.”

Feng Xiaobao’s two thick brows knotted together:

“Could it really be… what the rumors say? That those military bastards from the Raging Waves did it? Killed our man and dumped the body at Golden Dragon Gang’s doorstep on purpose, looking to provoke Gao Fu into a final showdown?”

“Absolutely not.”

Ma Xianyang shook his head immediately, sharp light flickering in his eyes:

“If Zheng Dadao was the one who did it, why is only Yu Zhe’s body here? Why is Tian Erhu nowhere to be found, dead or alive?”

“So you mean…”

“I sent those two to Xiaojing Bay yesterday to lean on that Shen mud-leg. That very night, both of them lost their lives… where in the world is there such a coincidence?!”

Ma Xianyang ground out the words through clenched teeth, each one cold as ice.

Feng Xiaobao’s bronze-bell eyes flew wide. He bolted upright in his chair: “You’re saying… it was that Shen mud-leg?”

“No, impossible!”

“How many days has he been at Mei Martial Hall? To take out Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu silently and without a trace, you’d have to be a martial artist who’d already knocked on Blood’s door!”

“Of course it wasn’t that brat!”

Ma Xianyang’s eyes darkened, and his voice dropped low:

“In my view… it was either that Jiang Qinghong woman, or Mei Shuangfeng — that shrew — stepping in herself!”

“As for the reason…”

Ma Xianyang let out a cold sneer.

“Nine times out of ten, the brat couldn’t take the pressure we put on him and used the secret method for catching treasure fish as tribute, handing it over.”

“Mei’s clan got an enormous windfall, of course they’d step out to back him — and in passing, sweep the Golden Dragon Gang clean as a future complication.”

Feng Xiaobao stroked the stubble on his chin, mulling it over for a long moment, then slowly nodded:

“Put that way, it does add up…”

The two were still mulling when hurried footsteps came from beyond the door.

“Senior Brother!”

A managing disciple’s voice rang out from outside, tinged with caution:

“In a few days, the various merchant guilds and great clans will hold their regular recruitment drive for retainers and guards. Just now, several stewards from those families sent their attendants over with calling cards, saying they’ll also be coming to our hall to assess our outer-court brothers…”

“Coming to our hall?”

Ma Xianyang’s brow furrowed in confusion:

“Our Tongbei Martial Hall hasn’t produced a single Blood-Tempering candidate in the past two months. What do they need to come here for?”

“Uh… this disciple was foolish enough to ask the same.”

The managing disciple outside swallowed hard, his voice growing more hesitant:

“The attendant who brought the message said the various stewards were already heading to the eastern part of the city, so they figured they’d swing by every martial hall along the way… He also said, if they missed another genius, they wouldn’t be able to face the punishment when they returned to the household…”

“What does that mean? Talking in fucking riddles!”

Feng Xiaobao had a quick temper. He snapped impatiently:

“Missed which hall’s genius? Spit it out plain!”

“It’s — it’s Mei Martial Hall…”

The managing disciple shrank his neck in fright. His voice was as low as a mosquito’s whine, but every word came through with perfect clarity:

“They say Mei’s hall produced an outer-court disciple by the surname of Shen who knocked on the gate of Manifest Strength after barely ten days — and was promoted into the inner court by Hall Master Mei on the spot…”

“The surname of Shen?!”

SWISH!

The words struck like thunder out of a clear sky!

Ma Xianyang and Feng Xiaobao went pale at the same instant. Their heads snapped around to lock eyes — and in each other’s gaze, they saw the same surge of stunned horror!

“Go investigate this — right now!”

Ma Xianyang shot to his feet, his voice cracking. “I want every detail on him!”

“Yes!”

The managing disciple acknowledged the order and dashed off.

The warm chamber fell into a dead silence.

Ma Xianyang stood frozen in place, muttering in disbelief:

“Surname of Shen… entered the hall just over ten days ago… and at Mei Martial Hall, no less…”

BANG!

A thunderous crack!

Feng Xiaobao’s qi-blood erupted around him, and his palm came smashing down on the yellow pearwood table!

The sturdy tabletop shattered with a roar, splinters flying everywhere, the whole thing collapsing in a wreck.

He surged to his feet like an enraged bear, eyes wide as moons:

“No need to think about it any further!”

“Other than that little bastard, who else could it be?!”

“Yu Zhe and Tian Erhu — they died at his hands too, no question!”

“Senior Brother! Quiet — watch your tongue!”

Ma Xianyang’s face changed dramatically. He grabbed Feng Xiaobao’s sleeve in a hurry.

Feng Xiaobao went rigid, as if remembering something. He immediately darted to the door, held his breath, and listened with painstaking care.