Book 5: Chapter 27: A Night of Wind and Rain Within the Small Building

Third alley.

Within a small courtyard where cantaloupe melons were planted.

Fourth Grandpa Zhu held a large bowl of spicy braised noodles. There were several small dishes on the small table in front of him, several fried fish and a few side dishes among them.

The spicy braised noodles were simmered in a broth made from pork belly, chinese cabbage, and soybeans, the color exceptionally appetizing.

Right now, the one who sat on the other side of Fourth Grandpa Zhu was Xu Sheng, in front of him also a similar large bowl. This fish market thirteen shops young master already changed into clean black clothes, only, there was still a faint fishy smell that was impossible to get rid of.

“Why must I lower my head to him?” Fourth Grandpa Zhu picked up a piece of pork belly and several cabbage leaves, chewing them in his mouth, and then drank a mouthful of the spicy oily broth. He looked at Xu Sheng, asking seriously.

When he heard Fourth Grandpa Zhu say this, Xu Sheng pushed the course chinaware containing braised noodles in front of him, saying, “You all wish to do business, we wish to do business as well. You wish to go head-on against him, but at the very least, you cannot affect the business of other people.”

Fourth Grandpa Zhu gave Xu Sheng a look. “Lu Feng’s matter really was unexpected, you should also understand that if I really wished to assassinate him, I wouldn’t send her, and it wouldn’t happen there.”

Xu Sheng silently said, “However, this pretext of this matter is Fourth Grandpa Zhu, your fault to begin with.”

Fourth Grandpa Zhu laughed, eating large mouthfuls of the spicy braised noodles, instead replying with a question. “I heard that the second shopkeeper of Thriving Prosperity has long favored you, wishing to take you on as a student. You might very well become one of the shopkeepers of Thriving Prosperity, so why are you unwilling?”

Xu Sheng’s face darkened a bit, giving this youngster even more of a bit of a valiant and fierce aura. He looked at this Fourth Grandpa Zhu, saying with a sunken voice, “Does this have anything to do with this matter we are discussing today?”

“It’s actually of the same reasoning.”

Four Grandpa Zhu nodded. “In the end, you also understand our background. People like us are precisely shrimp and crab in the river, struggling for a living on this river, what we rely on is bravery, fierceness, the spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice. What others see in us is also this part of us. However, once we leave the water, leave our birthplace, how brave could we be, how fierce can we be? On the shore, we’ll at most break a few cages, but what if we break our own arms and legs in the process? When others see us, could it be that they’ll forget about our background? That is why you aren’t willing to head to Thriving Prosperity, instead, you’d rather guard your thirteen docks. People like us who rely on bravery, fierceness, the spirit of loyalty and self-sacrifice, what we fight for is precisely face. Elder Mo attacked my face and reputation, if I can’t even purchase his building, how many more people will I be mocked by? Right now, he merely caught two of my people, yet I already have to lower my head to him, then when others catch two of my people in the future, I also have to lower my head, what am I supposed to do? How would I even have any footing?”

After a slight pause, Fourth Grandpa Zhu looked at Xu Sheng, saying, “Don’t forget that we are the same type of people. At this type of time, you all should stand with me, help my side.”

Xu Sheng looked at the red and spicy bowl of noodles in front of him. After remaining silent for a long time, he picked up this bowl, starting to slowly eat it.

“What they’ve committed aren’t serious crimes. The Enforcer Office is only in charge of catching people, imprisonment is the warden’s business. I will get them out.” Fourth Grandpa Zhu looked at Xu Sheng in praise. This later generation’s way of doing things was indeed more honest and decisive than Fatty Xu, no wonder Fatty Xu entrusted all of the work to him. “What did he want you all to do in the fish market today?” While looking at this younger generation in praise, he then asked this.

Xu Sheng ate the noodles, the spice making his forehead sweat a bit. “Nothing much. He only bought an Old River Lump and two Ironhead Dogfish. Just now, I already sent someone out to deliver them to him.”

Ever since Xu Sheng calmed down and began to eat these braised noodles that tasted quite good, the fish market and Fourth Grandpa Zhu’s attitudes already became the same. Xu Sheng’s words also appeared extremely calm, when Fourth Grandpa Zhu heard this, he also only frowned slightly, a bit surprised. However, because of these words, an intense coughing sound suddenly sounded from within this small courtyard.

These loud and clear, windbox-like coughing sounds made Xu Sheng think of someone. He stopped momentarily, his face also completely filled with shock.

Fourth Grandpa Zhu also turned around in shock, only seeing that the bamboo screen was pushed aside by someone. A green silk clothed middle-aged man walked out from within.

This middle-aged man’s condition seemed extremely poor, face pallid yellow, body thin and a bit stooped. While walking, there was a bit of ventilating sounds coming from his lungs and chest.

After confirming that it was who he suspected it to be, Xu Sheng immediately lowered the rough chinaware bowl in front of him, standing up and saying respectfully, “Little nephew pays his respects to Second Grandpa Zhang.”

“There is no need for excessive formalities.” The extremely sick middle-aged man reached out a hand, waving towards Xu Sheng, indicating for him to sit down. Then, he sat down at Fourth Grandpa Zhu’s side, saying in admiration, “Fatty Xu has taught his son well.”

Xu Sheng sat down. When he saw this middle-aged man’s shriveled yellow hands, he felt a bit of an indescribable feeling inside. This Breath River’s Dragon King, who would have thought that he would become sick to this degree.

“Worthy nephew, how did your fish market end up getting your hands on some Ironhead Dogfish?” This Second Grandpa Zhang didn’t look to be that much older than Fourth Grandpa Zhu, but his condition was incredibly bad, he breathed heavily for a bit, and then looked at Xu Sheng, asking seriously.

Xu Sheng explained carefully, “Previously, there was a fishing boat in Five Willows Beach that sank after being scraped by an old drifting tree trunk. Later on, when it was fished up, the two Ironhead Dogfish were found inside. Perhaps because there just happened to be quite a few fish and shrimp inside, these two Ironhead Dogfish went inside, ending up in getting fished up together with the boat. Originally, these two Ironhead Dogfish had already been purchased by Ocean Bowl Restaurant, but because something happened today, he purchased it with silver, so I took responsibility and sold them to him.”

Second Grandpa Zhang nodded. His head hung slightly, asking, “Then how large are those two Ironhead Dogfish? How large is the Old River Lump? Roughly how many years old?”

Xu Sheng said, “The two Ironhead Dogfish are around thirty something jin, as for the Old River Lump, it is at least a hundred and fifty years old, also something that had just happened to have been captured not long ago, at least seventy to eighty jin in weight.”

“This type of Old River Lump can’t even be eaten, why would he buy it?” Fourth Grandpa Zhu turned around to look at Second Grandpa Zhang, unable to help but ask. He didn’t know why Second Grandpa Zhang would be so interested in the things Lin Xi purchased.

Second Grandpa Zhang shook his head. “Normal people cannot digest it by eating it, but some people, if they have a suitable technique, can receive great benefits from eating this Old River Lump.”

Fourth Grandpa Zhu and Xu Sheng simultaneously understood Second Grandpa Zhang’s intentions, their bodies shivering. They cried out in disbelief, “Then your intention is that he might be a cultivator?!”

Second Grandpa Zhang gave Fourth Grandpa Zhu a look, tapping the noodle bowl in his hands, and then saying with a nod, “Even if ordinary people’s food size is great, eating a jin of fish meat per meal is already quite incredible. This type of fish needs twenty to thirty meals before it can be completely eaten, no matter how delicious the fish meat is, what kind of special taste can it have at that point? That is why even if normal people want to taste delicacies, buying one is enough, why did he need to buy both? Cultivators can finish it in just two or three meals… that is why if there is nothing unexpected, he should be a cultivator.”

After saying this, this pallid yellow-faced middle-aged man released a sigh. He looked at Fourth Grandpa Zhu, shook his head, and said, “That is why this matter, I fear that you still have to meet him.”

Kacha

An old pomegranate tree’s dried branch just happened to fall at this time, falling into the earth below.

“I understand.” Fourth Grandpa Zhu’s face also turned a bit pale, nodding and saying.

…

In Green Luan Academy, everyone around Lin Xi was a cultivator. For example, Qiu Lu and others’ ages were even younger than his own.

However, that was Green Luan Academy, a holy land in the massive Yunqin Empire.

The students of Green Luan Academy were all elites of elites, chosen by the empire to begin with.

At night, Lin Xi carefully scraped off the aquatic grasses and dirt from the shell of this Old River Lump on the small building’s riverfront terrace, and then he threw this Old River Lump into a large stone pot filled with clear water, pouring in a black medicinal liquid he had long finished preparing.

Then, he removed an Ironhead Dogfish that had been properly bound from another large stone pot. He first removed the fine scales on its body, its innards and cleaned it, and then he directly stored it in a wicker basket, carrying it up to Pine Bamboo Chamber.

During this period of time, no one disturbed him.

Previously, Elder Mu and the tofu selling elderly woman also heard about the matters related to him.

They didn’t know that it was precisely because Lin Xi had the status of a ‘Divine General’ Green Luan Academy student, and because he had his ability, which was why he dared offend both the Town Supervisor and Thriving Prosperity at the same time. They only heard that the higher ups only gave Lin Xi a seven day time limit.

That was why when Lin Xi returned at nighttime, Elder Mo and the elderly woman already went out for a stroll, helping Lin Xi ask around for information.

Only Wang Buping continued to focus on making an umbrella for Lin Xi.

At this time, Wang Buping already covered the umbrella surface, currently applying a final layer of oil coating on the umbrella. Even though this umbrella was completed with unprecedented care, it was definitely going to be completed within a few days.

Only, Wang Buping’s heart and his hands were a bit cold, because not even he knew if Lin Xi could make it through these next few days.

He knew that the wind and rain of the royal court were much greater than the wind and rain of this river.

However, Lin Xi was instead extremely calm, since it was useless even if he was pressed for time, he could only wait.

The water on the riverside window’s furnace already boiled.

Lin Xi began to cut fish fillets.

The Ironhead Dogfish’s fish head and skin were all dark black, but the fish meat inside was white like fine jade.

Cuts of spotlessly white fillets carried a special fragrance, like magnolia as they scattered into the pot in front of Lin Xi.

Right at this time, a fine drizzle began outside, some wind and rain sounds could be heard from the surface of the river.

Right at this time,a sharp and clear metal dang sound could be heard from the side the little building’s terrace reached out into.

Lin Xi stopped.

His body was nimble as a leopard, with an extremely quick and silent stance, he leapt into the attic, opening the large wooden chest that was arranged like a table.

There were three wooden cases inside. He carried the largest and smallest wooden cases on his back, and then held the other wooden chest in his hand. Then, he pushed open the two windows of this attic.

…

Black figures appeared from the river one after another, climbing up this small building’s terrace, nimble and silent, carrying cold radiance.

Dang

Unknown as to what was touched, another sharp and clear metal sound could be heard in the wind and rain.

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