Chapter 69: The Net |
After returning from the Zhou courtyard, Chen Qing hadn't yet had time to change out of his practice clothes when there was a knocking sound at the door.
"Who might you be?"
Chen Qing walked out and opened the door, seeing a man dressed in plain clothes with a constable's badge hanging from his waist.
The sturdy man smiled, "Brother Chen, I'm Zhao Yousan who lives next door to your house. Due to busy official duties, working nights and resting days, I haven't had a chance to meet since Brother Chen moved here. I've come specially to congratulate Brother Chen on breaking through barriers. This small token doesn't amount to much respect."
Speaking thus, he produced five taels of silver.
He had just finished roll call and heard this news while passing the Zhou courtyard, immediately rushing to the Chen household without stopping.
He hadn't expected that Changping Street would produce a transforming strength master, and moreover one who was his neighbor. Naturally, he needed to maintain good relations.
"Brother Zhao is too kind." Chen Qing smiled and didn't stand on ceremony.
Seeing this, the smile on Zhao Yousan's face deepened.
Because this was their investment, and it established at least a nodding acquaintance.
After chatting briefly, Zhao Yousan tactfully left.
Like a stone thrown into calm water, news of his breakthrough to transforming strength had quietly spread to certain keen ears throughout Gaolin County in just half a day.
The first to visit were mostly shop managers and wealthy household stewards from Changping Street.
They came with full smiles and respectful words, offering congratulatory gifts that weren't particularly expensive but showed sincerity and timeliness, exquisite porcelain, several bolts of fine silk, or heavy envelopes containing several taels of silver.
The stewards spoke of "modest gifts, not worthy of respect," but their eyes held awe and desire to curry favor.
Chen Qing cupped his fists in thanks to each, his expression calm without any arrogance, only instructing Lady Han to record their names and accept the items.
Soon after, people from the Han and Li families among the five major families also sent gifts.
Their gift lists were obviously much more substantial, mostly sending blood qi pills, with silver starting at ten taels.
These people were more cautious in attitude, their words clearly carrying probing and courting intentions.
Chen Qing remained composed in dealing with them, neither servile nor arrogant, accepting the gifts.
Receiving and seeing off guests, there was hardly a moment's rest.
Zhou Liang's friends Shen Zhenzhong and Liu Ze also sent disciples with gifts.
As the sun set in the west, the last visitor came.
The visitor was the Cheng family's steward, whom Chen Qing had met twice before.
Upon seeing Chen Qing, the steward's face bore a genuine yet somewhat nervous smile, bowing deeply, "Master Chen! Congratulations! What tremendous joyful news!"
Chen Qing said, "You're too kind."
The Cheng steward took out a red cloth bundle from his chest, "Master Chen, when my family head heard you'd broken through to transforming strength, he was overjoyed! The family head says you're a talent rarely seen in Gaolin County in a hundred years. Though the Cheng family is a small household, this token of our feelings... we earnestly hope you'll accept it!"
The red cloth held a hundred-tael silver note.
Chen Qing cupped his fists, "I thank the family head for his generous kindness here!"
Afterward, the Cheng family steward departed.
"These are good things indeed."
Lady Han caressed the smooth silk, all of this seeming like an unreal dream.
Just over a year ago, she had still worried about the grain consumed by her son's martial practice, calculating whether to stay up late weaving more fishing nets.
At that time, a bowl of thick porridge, a garment without patches, were luxuries requiring careful budgeting but now, people came carrying thick gifts, wearing smiles, eagerly bringing silver to their home.
Chen Qing organized things briefly.
Of course, his main concern wasn't remembering who sent gifts, but seeing who hadn't sent any.
"Ah Qing."
Lady Han's voice carried a tremor as she looked at those items and said softly, "These were all sent by others? Just because you... you mastered that what 'strength'?"
"Mother, it's transforming strength." Chen Qing corrected calmly, "Put these away properly."
Lady Han responded, her face still showing mixed surprise and joy, then asked, "By the way, Aunt Cuihua told me the elders in the bay want to rebuild the Dragon King Temple. Will you go when the time comes?"
The Dragon King Temple held extraordinary significance for fishermen, serving as a life-preserving talisman in storms and a barometer for abundant or poor fishing seasons.
Although Chen Qing and his mother had moved away from Mute Bay, the neighbors there had never forgotten them.
"If I have time, I'll go."
Chen Qing spoke while walking to the well.
He took out the Three Yang Grass Zhou Yu had given him, carefully washed it clean, then began brewing the medicinal soup.
Small bubbles began forming in the water in the clay pot, medicinal fragrance mixing with the crackling sounds of firewood drifting out.
About half an hour later, the medicinal juice had boiled down to just a small half cup.
Chen Qing blew on it, waited for it to cool, then drank it all in one go.
The spicy taste rolled down his throat into his stomach, followed by a warm current. Chen Qing seemed able to hear his own heartbeat, each beat striking his chest cavity.
He tried practicing Toad Fishing Force, qi sinking to Yongquan on inhalation, force flowing through both arms on exhalation.
[Toad Fishing Force Great Achievement (421/500)]
Golden light appeared in his mind, the cultivation progress of this Toad Fishing Force had accelerated several times over.
Chen Qing took a deep breath, no longer wasting time, and began concentrating on practicing Toad Fishing Force.
…
Gaolin County, County Military Camp.
In a secret chamber, under flickering candlelight, Pang Qinghai sat upright like an abyss.
His face was pale, with bloodstains showing through white cloth wrapped around his chest. That carefully planned 'fatal wound' at the River God Festival was merely his means of paralyzing opponents.
"My lord, medicine."
His trusted guard Pang Jiu appeared silently, presenting a bowl of thick black medicinal juice whose pungent smell pervaded the secret chamber.
This wasn't healing medicine, but poison to maintain his 'severely wounded and dying' facade, perfectly mimicking symptoms of severe internal injuries and depleted qi and blood.
It was because of this medicine that he could deceive all the medical experts in Gaolin County.
Pang Qinghai took it and drank it all without changing expression. His throat moved, fine cold sweat immediately appeared on his forehead, and his breathing deliberately became rough and disordered.
He set down the bowl, his voice low but every word clear, "How goes the investigation?"
"The fish have taken the bait, my lord."
Pang Jiu's eyes flickered with excitement and awe, "Just as you predicted, the water bandit remnants were merely a smokescreen. The real big fish couldn't restrain themselves."
He presented a secret report:
"Our people disguised as desperate men urgently needing 'Blood Gathering Pills' successfully made contact with the source. The trail leads directly to 'Renhe Medicine Shop,' ostensibly managed by the Li family shopkeeper, but actually controlled by the Huang family's third branch. They use the convenience of river transport to mix prohibited 'Blood Gathering Pills' and 'Bone Corroding Paste' with ordinary medicinal materials or fish catches, distributing them to major martial halls and gambling houses throughout the county! These medicines bring huge profits and can quickly accumulate wealth to support retainers and guards."
"Wu Peng, the chief escort of Far-Sight Escort Agency, secretly visited the back door of the Zhu residence on the third day after news spread of the Colonel's 'severe injury,' staying nearly an hour. That same day, the Blood River Gang's gambling house in the south of the city received a sum of 'regular payment' from a Huang family steward, an amount far exceeding previous times. The weapon forging shop has frequently transported 'special products' to Pine Breeze Martial Hall recently. Upon investigation, these contained hidden armor and crossbows. The master of Pine Breeze Martial Hall, Shi Wenshan, is brother-in-law to Second Master Zhu."
"There's also Canal Transport Office Director Liu. After the Wu family took control of Goddess Temple Dock, secret investigations revealed that while Director Liu didn't directly show himself in many matters, his trusted clerks repeatedly allowed suspicious vessels to pass and secretly destroyed inspection records. We intercepted fragments of secret correspondence between him and Huang family stewards, mentioning 'tribute has entered the inner treasury.' And the county magistrate... seems not entirely ignorant either. Zhu family head Zhu Qing frequently visits the back residence of the county office, ostensibly to inquire about illness."
"Not only that, Pine Breeze Martial Hall colluded with chief examiner Liu Ang to manipulate lot positions. Several promising young talents the Colonel had regarded highly either died or disappeared."
Pang Qinghai listened while looking at a map of Gaolin County, precisely pointing to the locations of the five major families' residences.
Candlelight cast his stern profile on the wall like a hawk poised to strike.
"Private medicines, military equipment, corrupting officials, colluding with gangs, interfering with martial examinations..."
He spoke in low tones, each word carrying bone-chilling coldness, "What an intricately rooted malignant tumor! Do they really think this official's 'severe injury' is their ladder to heaven?"
He picked up another secret report containing records of abnormal river transport and copies of some "overlooked" cargo manifests.
"Let them run wild."
A cold smile curved Pang Qinghai's lips, "The more 'severely' this official is injured, the more unscrupulous they become, and the more evidence they leave behind. The Blood River Gang is eager to divide up territory after the River Gang's destruction? Shi Wenshan wants to manipulate martial examinations? The Huang and Zhu families want to completely control Gaolin, becoming a state within a state?... Excellent."
He looked at Pang Jiu, his gaze like lightning, "Continue the close surveillance! Every batch of 'special' goods from Renhe Medicine Shop, all monetary exchanges between Blood River Gang and the Huang family, the 'special products' received by Pine Breeze Martial Hall, every abnormal clearance document from the Canal Transport Office, and the 'illness visits' to the county magistrate's back residence... every detail must have ironclad evidence! Especially the private medicines and armor sources, destinations, transaction ledgers, must be dug to the roots!"
"Yes, sir!" Pang Jiu solemnly accepted orders, his figure silently melting into the shadows.
The secret chamber returned to silence, only the occasional crackling of candlelight.
Pang Qinghai closed his eyes, the severe pain brought by that bowl of medicine was utterly real.
The five major families thought his downfall marked the beginning of their revelry, not knowing this was precisely the moment his carefully woven net was tightening.
On the map before him, Gaolin County resembled an intricate chess game.
"Soon."
Pang Qinghai opened his eyes, candlelight dancing in his unfathomably deep pupils.
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