“Qianying”
could be considered the ancient version of a shrimp boy—his body proportions were excellent, lean but not skinny, with faintly visible abs beneath his slightly open shirt collar.
But his head was large, face square, lips thick—a head that could be removed and used as bark.
Why would a man, in broad daylight, suddenly block the road with a pose more seductive than a woman’s?
If there wasn’t something wrong with his mind, then there was definitely something seriously wrong.
“If you keep attacking others like this, your illness will never get better.”
Song Xian cautiously pulled out white bark pollen and Tree Bark from his sleeve pocket.
In these chaotic times, no one would dare go out without some means of self-defense.
“I’m helping you!”
Xie Zhizhou stomped his foot angrily, pointing at the two bandits behind the Niutou.
Song Xian and Song Hancheng turned their heads to look.
Zhou Xiaoe and Zhou Dae, hiding in the grass, suddenly got called out by name and shivered, shaking the surrounding weeds wildly.
They gave up hiding altogether, each grabbing a sharp stone in one hand and a stick in the other, emerging fiercely.
“Since you’ve seen us, I advise you to be honest and hand over the money willingly!”
Song Xian studied the two men:
“You both don’t look normal. There’s something wrong with your minds.”
Song Hancheng snorted with laughter but didn’t comment, lazily sitting on the Niutou watching the scene unfold.
“There are just two of you. Why do you think three of us can’t handle two?” Song Xian brandished the Chaidao and kitchen knife from the cart. “Our weapons are sharper than yours.”
Zhou Xiaoe was shocked and said to Zhou Dae,
“Big brother, he makes a good point. Should we run?”
Zhou Dae immediately grabbed Zhou Xiaoe and bolted, their figures quickly disappearing at the end of the road.
“That’s it?”
Xie Zhizhou put away his iron fan, disappointed that he didn’t get to beat up the bandits and help the weak.
Song Hancheng urged the Niutou onward, which rocked as it passed by Xie Zhizhou.
“Hey, you haven’t thanked me yet.”
“Do you know who I am? The newly appointed magistrate of Changxian County, Xie Zhizhou.”
“That’s right, the famously notorious Tieshan Gongzi of the Jianghu.”
“Today, as a new official, I was undercover, inspecting the people, and happened to run into you.”
“Your insecticide potion is incredibly useful. If widely promoted, it could improve the lives of many. Would either of you be interested in becoming my Menke?”
Xie Zhizhou rambled on quickly, hurrying to keep up with the Niutou and talking to them.
Eventually tired of the hassle, he simply climbed onto the cart and sat down to chat with the father and son.
“Or you could sell me the insecticide formula. I’m willing to pay Qianjin for it.”
“By the way, why do you both wear masks? Are you fugitives?”
“Why won’t you answer me? If you keep silent, I’ll have to take action—”
Before he finished speaking, Xie Zhizhou’s eyes suddenly glazed over, and he collapsed onto the Niutou.
Song Hancheng gave a gentle kick, sending Xie Zhizhou off the cart.
By coincidence, Xie Zhizhou’s fallen pose was just as seductive.
Fate certainly did not betray his original intentions.
Song Hancheng explained to Song Xian,
“I held back until he said he’d take action first, then I responded.”
Song Xian spat out the Tree Bark in his mouth and praised Song Hancheng,
“Good kick! Luckily we were masked, so he didn’t recognize us.
Let’s go, don’t get involved with people like this.”
No.
First, this guy clearly wasn’t right in the head.
Second, he was connected to both the government and the Jianghu—basically a double scoundrel. Associating with him would only bring trouble.
Song Xian just wanted to protect a few kids, letting them live quietly and safely without too many unexpected risks.
“I want a reward. Something sweet.”
Song Hancheng was still thinking about the berry candy he had last night.
Back when the brothers survived in the wild, finding something sweet to eat required a lot of effort.
For example, Tangdou—the fruit of Dougui Grass—was very sweet, but unfortunately had a medicinal taste, unlike Father’s candy, which was purely sweet with a unique fruity aroma.
“Alright.”
Song Xian was especially happy.
His eldest son had taken the initiative to ask for food.
This was a milestone!
What did it mean?
It meant his eldest son no longer kept him at arm’s length, finally treating him like a proper father.
Before, his eldest son had been polite but too distant, their relationship more like colleagues than father and son.
A normal father-son relationship was just like now—boldly demanding and not holding back, that was a family with no barriers.
Tonight’s dinner was prepared by Bai Ge: steamed Mangtou and wild vegetable soup, which tasted very good and earned unanimous praise.
Bai Ge scratched his head and smiled sheepishly,
“Not as good as Uncle Song’s cooking. I like Uncle Song’s meals better.”
“Of course, it can’t compare to Father’s, but the taste is really good. Didn’t expect you to be such a good cook.”
Song Jimin immediately nudged him playfully.
Song Luyuan was honest and straightforward.
Bai Ge quickly waved his hands to show he didn’t mind and fully agreed with Song Luyuan.
Song Hancheng glanced at Bai Ge’s shoe sole, which was covered in Baiyun Tu.
This soil was native to Jingzhou, and within Yongzhou Prefecture, only the Hongxiulou had it.
Today was interesting.
Two people had Baiyun Tu stuck to their soles.
The other was Song Luyuan, no doubt off betting and sneaking into Hongxiulou to steal things again.
“I’m going to count the money. Who wants to come with me?”
Song Xian brought out a ceramic jar full of coins, smiling as he asked the children.
All four kids fell silent, no one responded.
Song Jimin naturally looked down on such small change and didn’t want to count it.
Song Luyuan was rough-handed and refused to do such delicate work counting small coins.
Bai Ge wanted to go but was stopped by Song Hancheng’s gaze and didn’t dare agree.
“Father manages the household. It’s clearer if only Father handles the money. We don’t need to interfere.”
After watching Song Xian head inside, Song Hancheng’s face turned cold as he called Song Luyuan and Bai Ge away.
Song Jimin shrugged with glee,
“Tough luck, both of you are going to get scolded. I’m the good kid.”
Inside the house.
Song Xian happily emptied the jar of money into a woven basket but suddenly found a strip of Bujiao tangled inside.
Thinking it was some scrap cloth accidentally mixed in, Song Xian looked closer and saw many hastily written characters on it.
“Hand over the insecticide formula within five days, or your three sons will disappear like the Huang family children.”
Song Xian read the message twice, certain that the writer knew who he was, or they wouldn’t know he had three sons.
Besides the Sanhu village, he had masked himself when visiting other villages today, and the Niutou was borrowed.
Few people could recognize him unless they knew him very well.
“Father? Have you finished counting the money?”
Song Jimin bounced in.
Song Xian quickly hid the Bujiao and smiled, asking Song Jimin,
“Do you know about the missing Huang family children?”
Song Jimin was startled.
“Why do you suddenly ask that, Father?”
“I overheard some villagers mention it today, but it was all very hush-hush. I’m curious.”
“It happened last month and caused a big stir. The five children of Huang San Lao from Luhua Village all disappeared overnight. They’re still missing.”
Huang San Lao’s “San Lao” was an official title, fully called Xiang San Lao, responsible for education and culture in the township.
This position was quite high locally, and most people wouldn’t dare offend someone like him.
Yet all five children of such a family had an accident.
“Do you know the details?”
Song Jimin shook his head.
“I only heard that the children were all there before going to sleep, but by dawn, they were gone. Huang San Lao’s family went mad looking for them, even asking the prefect to help. They sent out tens of thousands of searchers but found no clues.”
“That’s really eerie.”
Song Xian grabbed a Gao Tou as he left the house, planning to set traps at the entrance to the valley.
After warning Bai Ge and Song Luyuan not to stir up trouble in Hongxiulou again, Song Hancheng strolled over to the pit Song Xian had dug.
“What’s this, Father?”
“Building some defenses.”
Song Hancheng smiled,
“Were you scared after running into the bandits today?”
When their eyes met, Song Hancheng sensed an unusual worry in Song Xian’s gaze.
He hadn’t seen that during the bandit encounter.
Song Hancheng immediately realized his mistake.
Song Xian wasn’t building this because of Xie Zhizhou or the bandits—he was hiding something else.
“What’s wrong?”
Song Xian hesitated, unsure whether to tell Song Hancheng.
He didn’t want the kids to worry, but also didn’t want them completely off guard.
“Don’t worry. Tell me. It’s okay.”
Song Hancheng saw right through Song Xian’s concern.
Song Xian honestly handed over the Bujiao.
By firelight, Song Hancheng scanned the words roughly and chuckled.
“Just a scare tactic by some kids. No need to take it seriously.”
With that, Song Hancheng clenched the Bujiao in his hand and told Song Xian to go to bed.
“Don’t let something like this delay tomorrow’s candy-making ‘construction.’ That’s the real business. Nothing in the world is bigger than his candy-eating. Anything that stops him from eating candy is the biggest deal. Best not to let him fixate on it.”
“Eh? It really is just kids’ pranks?”
Song Xian doubted it.
How would village children know so many characters?
Song Hancheng feigned offense,
“Don’t you trust me, Father?”
“I do! I do!”
When he first woke up, his eldest son chose to believe him unconditionally, so now he must also choose to believe his eldest son.
Song Xian threw down the Gao Tou and obediently went to sleep.
The next day, Song Xian went to chop bamboo sugarcane, planning to start making candy first.
The sugarcane grew on the barren slopes below the northern Duanya cliff, outside the ancient forest boundaries.
It grew thickly in patches.
The villagers thought it was just hard bamboo and couldn’t be eaten, so no one cut it.
In fact, bamboo sugarcane was a kind of wild sugarcane.
Song Xian selected the thick stalks, bundled two piles outside, planning to gather ten bundles before transporting them.
When he threw down the third bundle, he was shocked to find the two piles gone and two lines of writing on the ground.
“Hand over the insecticide formula, or Songzi will disappear like these two bundles of bamboo. If you don’t hand it over today, your second son will be taught a lesson first.”
Song Luyuan followed Song Hancheng’s directions, driving the Niutou to various villages to collect promised timber and stone slabs from farmers.
Song Hancheng had warned Song Luyuan there might be tails.
Not long after leaving the village, Song Luyuan indeed encountered the road-blocking bandits Zhou Dae and Zhou Xiaoe.
Without hesitation, he kicked each one flying with a single boot.
At the next corner, Song Luyuan met none other than Tieshan Gongzi, Xie Zhizhou.
Xie Zhizhou recognized the Niutou immediately.
“Tell me! Are you connected to those two who sold the insecticide yesterday?”
Song Luyuan was ecstatic.
He’d long wanted to test the iron fan skills of this Tieshan Gongzi.
He was curious how many new tricks the iron fan could pull off.
Song Luyuan drew his Hell Vine greatsword and leapt forward, swinging at Xie Zhizhou’s awkwardly large square head.
Xie Zhizhou let out an
“Ow!”
and hastily blocked with his iron fan.
Crack
A sharp, crisp sound rang out.
Xie Zhizhou’s eyes widened in shock.
Did he see correctly?
His iron fan was actually split by a wooden sword!
Reeling, Xie Zhizhou staggered back and pinched his thigh hard.
“Ow! That really hurts! This isn’t a dream. A wooden sword easily split my specially made iron fan.”
“What… what is that thing in your hand?”
“Don’t stop! Keep going!”
Song Luyuan hadn’t had enough and swung wildly, striking left, right, up, and down, the wooden sword’s afterimages flying in a dazzling display.
Xie Zhizhou struggled to block with his iron fan, but in the end, his prized iron fan was shredded into flying iron shards.
“My iron fan! You… you… this is too much!”
Xie Zhizhou collapsed dramatically to the ground, whining,
“Kill me! I have no face to return and face the village elders.”
“Hey, I’m not from the village, just a single household!”
Song Luyuan puffed out his chest proudly.
“Even if I embarrass myself, it’s only in front of my father. He definitely won’t laugh. Brother, your background is really miserable! Fine, I’ll spare you.”
Xie Zhizhou’s eyes reddened with rage as he suddenly sprang up,
“A scholar can be killed but not humiliated! Today, I will fight you to the death!”
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