Chapter 93: Chapter 92: You Didn’t Know You Were Raising a Ghost at Home?

Songtao Martial Arts Hall, the rear courtyard.

THUMP!

The dull thud of something heavy hitting the ground drew the eyes of the dozen or so Guards waiting for nightfall.

The old hall master appeared in the courtyard, his face grim. At his feet lay a writhing body, face bloodied and bones broken.

It was Zheng the Skinny, the one who was supposed to leave the city tonight!

The Guards’ hearts plummeted.

"Old Hall Master, what is this...?"

"Ask him." He Bai snorted. He said no more, despite the astonished stares from the assembled Guards.

"Old Hall Master, there must be some misunderstanding!"

Stone Ox, recognizing the man on the ground, pushed his way through the crowd and boomed:

"Zheng the Skinny said he was going home to look after his wife..."

"You idiot! Only you would believe his pack of lies!" He Bai glared at the big oaf. ’How can anyone be so stupid?’

Seeing the fury blazing in the old hall master’s eyes, Stone Ox wisely shut his mouth, realizing he had made a terrible mistake.

He also realized that Zheng the Skinny had probably tricked him and done something to harm the hall, which was why Hall Master He had caught him and beaten him to this state.

As the crowd murmured, Zheng the Skinny, still sprawled on the ground, began to stir.

He lifted his blood-soaked head, looked meekly at He Bai, and pleaded:

"Old Hall Master, I’ll never do it again! Please, give me one more chance. I swear..."

But He Bai’s face remained as cold as ice. Zheng the Skinny finally understood that he wasn’t walking out of the hall alive.

"By what right?!"

He cast aside all pretense and roared, "By what right do you masters always get the lion’s share, while I, Zheng the Skinny, get nothing but scraps?"

"What’s wrong with wanting to become a man of wealth and status in Mountain Mist City?"

"Do you know what Liuhe Martial Arts Hall promised me? I risk my life for you all year, and what do I get? A hundred silver. That’s jack shit!"

As he roared, the Guards finally understood what had happened.

’This bastard was secretly in league with Liuhe Martial Arts Hall!’

’And it looked like he was involved in the last time the hall’s medicinal herbs were stolen, too!’

"You son of a bitch, you deserve to die!"

Unable to contain his rage, one of the Guards immediately rushed forward and kicked Zheng the Skinny.

During the last robbery, three or four of the hall’s Guards had been killed by bandits.

These men had been with Songtao Martial Arts Hall for ten, even twenty years. Some had grown up there since they were children. They were all brothers.

They never imagined they would one day become a sacrificial offering for someone else’s advancement!

"Damn it, he’s an animal!"

"Let’s kill him! I’m in!"

"You traitorous bastard, go to hell!"

"..."

Soon, a whole group had surrounded him, their eyes bloodshot with fury, kicking and beating the man on the ground.

They wanted vengeance for the Guards who had died for nothing.

Besides, Zheng the Skinny had secured his own future, but if Songtao Martial Arts Hall collapsed, what would happen to them? Would they all just starve?

At this thought, their kicks grew even more vicious.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!...

Zheng the Skinny had long since lost the strength to fight back. After a flurry of fists and kicks, he managed a few feeble blocks before being trampled into a bloody, unrecognizable pulp. He was dead.

Everyone present had taken part, making their stance on the matter clear and dissociating themselves from the traitor.

Disposing of the mangled, crimson corpse was a simple task for these veterans, and the rear courtyard was soon spotless.

He Bai, who had been silent the entire time, watched them dispose of the body before finally speaking, his voice cold.

"Food and drink will be brought to you. If anyone dares to sneak out before nine tonight, feel free to try your luck against me!"

As his icy gaze swept over them, the Guards fell silent as the grave, nodding in agreement.

...

The Hour of the Pig.

The moon hung high above the willow trees.

Curfews were for small towns. Large cities like Mountain Mist City didn’t need them.

As a result, the city was a hub of activity, its pleasure districts a riot of sound and color.

He Bai led his Guards out of the city, quietly driving a horse-drawn carriage.

About half a mile out from the south gate, He Bai spotted a lone, aloof figure waiting by the side of the road.

He walked up to him and offered a respectful salute. "Young Master Wu, thank you for your help today!"

"You couldn’t even spot a snake in your own house?"

Wu Chen muttered distractedly, swinging himself onto his horse and motioning for He Bai to lead the way.

’When we discussed the herb transport in the secret room, I made sure to be extra vigilant,’ Wu Chen thought. ’I didn’t expect it to actually expose a spy.’

He didn’t think catching one man like Zheng the Skinny meant the rest of the journey would be smooth sailing, however.

He Bai’s old face flushed with embarrassment at Wu Chen’s words.

He never imagined that a man who had served under him for two or three decades, a man with whom he had faced death several times, would secretly get into bed with another martial arts hall.

It was true, just as Zheng the Skinny had said, that the annual salary was only a hundred silver.

But that didn’t include the food, drink, strengthening tonics, medicinal baths, and extra holiday bonuses, none of which were ever skipped.

All told, the compensation came out to at least two hundred silver a year.

’Have I really been a poor hall master?’

"Hall Master He, it’s not that our hall is lacking. It’s that Zheng the Skinny was insatiably greedy."

One of the Guards, seeing the despair on He Bai’s face, stepped forward to console him. "Did he really think Liuhe Martial Arts Hall would give an important position to a traitor?"

"The moment our hall went under, they would have been the first to kill that traitor!"

At these words, He Bai’s expression softened, but he just waved a weary hand.

"From now on, each of you will receive an extra fifty silver per year."

This was a pleasant surprise for the Guards, but their joy was quickly followed by concern.

Songtao Martial Arts Hall was in dire need of funds, and fifty silver for every man present was no small amount.

But He Bai was clearly still troubled by the matter of Zheng the Skinny and didn’t want to discuss it further.

And so the group urged the carriage onward, speeding down the hard, flat, bluestone-paved main road.

The moon set and the sun rose.

Traveling day and night with empty carts and fast horses, the group finally reached a small town near Cangwu City late the following night.

They were on a slope, under a starry sky.

Gazing into the distance, they could just make out the magnificent silhouette of Cangwu City’s walls, faint in the moonlight.

A bright glow of torchlight emanated from within, and even from a distance, they could sense the bustling activity inside.

After a moment, Wu Chen drew his gaze away from the city and focused on the town before him.

Though it was called a town, it had its own walls and guards.

’It’s even bigger than Fenglin County,’ he thought. ’It must have grown to this size thanks to its location between Cangwu City and Mountain Mist City.’

He Bai worked efficiently. Within an hour, the medicinal herbs were loaded, and the horses had been swapped for a fresh team so they could continue without delay.

The convoy turned around and began its rapid return journey along the same road.

But the carts were now laden with goods, unlike when they were empty on the way here.

After a full day and night of starts and stops, even these fine, strong horses were exhausted, with white foam frothing at their mouths.

If they were pushed any further, they would surely be run to death.

"We rest for two hours!"

There happened to be a water source nearby where the horses could drink and rest. He Bai immediately pulled on his reins and shouted to the men behind him:

"Zhang Feng, Wu Chi, Liu the Second! You three will lead the watch shifts. Keep your eyes peeled and stay alert for any sign of trouble."

"Yes, Hall Master!"

The men immediately set about their tasks—some feeding the horses, others taking a rest.

Since they had brought dried rations, there was no need to start a fire. The men ate their flatbreads, drank some water, and chatted idly.

Wu Chen, for his part, didn’t feel particularly tired.

Not knowing the others well, he found a quiet spot to the side, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest, cradling his sword, Ink Blade, in his arms.

RUSTLE, RUSTLE!

A moment later, Wu Chen sensed someone furtively approaching.

He opened his eyes and saw it was the huge man from their group, the one named Stone Ox.

"Need something?" he asked coolly, looking at the approaching man with his thick brows and wide eyes.

"Oh! You’re not asleep!"

Stone Ox had been watching Wu Chen for a while. He was quite curious about this newcomer the old hall master had brought along.

If it hadn’t been for the incident with Zheng the Skinny a couple of days ago, he would have come over to chat much sooner.

That’s why he’d taken advantage of the break to tiptoe over and see what was so special about the man.

"You blockhead! Don’t be rude to Young Master Wu. Go sit down and rest!"

Just as he was about to say something, He Bai happened to be walking back, leading a horse that had just finished drinking.

Seeing Stone Ox bothering Wu Chen, He Bai hurried over and kicked him in the rear to shoo him away.

"Go on, get out of here! Go rest! How do you have so much energy?"

The other Guards resting nearby noticed the scene and started to laugh.

"Heh, that Stone Ox. His hands must be itching for a spar again."

"If he’s that antsy, he should go punch a rock. Why’s he always looking to pick on someone?"

"With that build of his, though, the old hall master is about the only one who can handle him. Against anyone else, it’s hard to say who would win..."

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