Madam Shi Wears Opera Costume

When Madam Jin saw the Purple Flower, her bright eyes widened and widened.

She had read many books. Though she rarely went out, she knew a great many things.

This kind of Purple Flower should have come from Maple Mountain, several hundred li away.

She carefully cradled the Purple Flower and asked in astonishment, "You... where did you get it?"

Chu Qing laughed heartily. "Picked it up outside the County Town."

Madam Jin shot him a glance and said sweetly, "I've gone out of the city for spring outings many times, but I've never picked one up."

"This is called a violet. It's very precious. Most grow in the wild, and those that can survive transplantation are few and far between."

"Thank you, Qing'er."

Chu Qing smiled but said nothing.

Madam Jin personally planted the violet in the flower bed, even clearing out many flowers around it for that purpose.

She told Chu Qing about the violet's habits and how rare it was.

Chu Qing listened while turning the stone balls in both hands.

Training and rest, neither was neglected.

Madam Jin was in an excellent mood and had the back kitchen prepare a great many dishes at noon.

"Eat more!"

"You're still young. You need to grow."

Chu Qing...

After lunch:

Madam Jin climbed onto the windowsill to watch the violets swaying in the wind and rain, her bright eyes full of anticipation.

After a while, she drifted off to sleep.

Chu Qing, however, possessed powerful Spirit and Energy and did not feel sleepy.

At that moment, he wore steel gloves and turned the stone balls, working hard to grind up his martial art progress.

Turning Stone Balls +1

Turning Stone Balls +1

The attribute panel flickered:

You have completed the second requirement of Eagle Claw Skill.

At that moment, Chu Qing smiled.

Eagle Claw Skill had long since reached Perfection.

Now, he only needed to break through the limit.

"Only nine portions of secret medicine left."

"Black Harbor isn't open. Now... it depends on whether Madam Shi can deliver."

At dusk:

Chu Qing set down the copybook he had been tracing and prepared to leave.

Then Xiao Taohong said delightedly:

"Madam Shi is here!"

Chu Qing was surprised.

Didn't Madam Shi usually go to the opera house to listen to opera at this hour? Why had she come here?

"Madam Jin has a set of opera costume she left here for safekeeping..."

"Madam Shi... wants to wear an opera costume?"

A bold thought surfaced in his mind.

At that moment:

Servants came in, clearing the standing water from the flagstone path. The Wind Flower Snow Moon maids also held up umbrellas.

Madam Shi had her hair piled high, adorned with all manner of gold and silver jeweled ornaments. She wore a scarlet robe trimmed in gold, like a blazing fire, like a noble fire phoenix.

Her gaze remained straight ahead, her hands tucked into her sleeves. She moved with lotus steps, every stride exactly the same length, her toes stopping just before they emerged beneath the hem of her skirt.

That bearing, that temperament—she truly was the noblest among noble ladies.

Madam Jin greeted her, and the two went together to Madam Jin's boudoir.

Before long, the two moved to the study.

At that moment, many servants inspected Jin Family Manor before scattering to patrol.

The four Wind Flower Snow Moon girls stood guard outside the study door.

Click!

The window opened.

Madam Shi's face was actually painted with opera makeup as she stared fixedly at Chu Qing.

Chu Qing was dazzled.

He had not expected that this noblest of noble ladies would look so stunning after putting on opera makeup.

Madam Shi continued staring at him without blinking.

He knew Madam Shi wanted him to go inside and listen to opera.

But he refused to go.

Because:

"Madam Shi, may I ask whether you brought any secret medicine?"

Madam Shi's face remained expressionless, her gaze cold and clear.

The four Wind Flower Snow Moon maids glared. "Chu Qing, what do you mean?"

Chu Qing only smiled without speaking.

One minute...

Click!

Madam Shi shut the window.

Before long, soft operatic singing drifted from the study.

Chu Qing cupped his fist and turned to leave.

Without Eagle Claw secret medicine or Universal Secret Medicine, he absolutely could not listen to opera.

Because this was a war between him and Madam Shi.

The Wind Flower Snow Moon maids sneered. "You should have left long ago."

"Stinking man, letting you listen to Miss's opera is a blessing cultivated through ten lifetimes. If you don't cherish it now, you'll never have another chance."

The operatic singing in the study quickly stopped.

The window opened, and Madam Shi gazed into the distance before freezing for a moment.

"Why did he... leave?"

Within her water sleeves, Madam Shi's small hand clenched tightly.

Outside the city;

On the muddy road:

Chu Qing tapped the ground with his toes and sped forward. Wherever he passed, ripples spread across the standing water.

With Dragonfly Touching Water, nearly at Perfection, fully unleashed, he was even faster than a warhorse.

He passed through village after village and soon arrived at the foot of Stone Ridge Mountain.

Stone Ridge Mountain was enormous, said to stretch for eight hundred li, and the mountains were full of bamboo.

Following Tang Wuming's directions, Chu Qing arrived at a place where stonemasons gathered.

Though wind and rain battered the area, most stonemasons still mined stone to make a living.

He asked about the old stonemason and the woman with the birthmark.

A stonemason sighed. "Stonemason Xu was crushed to death by a rock yesterday. His daughter left early this morning."

Chu Qing... was surprised.

"Do you know where his daughter went?"

"No."

Chu Qing asked many people, but none knew where the Daughter of Stonemason Xu had gone.

Unwilling to accept this, he questioned everyone close to Stonemason Xu, but none had any concrete news.

Stonemason Xu was dead. The Stone Bamboo Pearl had to be on the Daughter of Stonemason Xu.

But... the Daughter of Stonemason Xu had disappeared.

"One step late, every step late!"

"Fatty Jin was right!"

Chu Qing sighed, but he still did not give up.

After all, that was a precious Stone Bamboo Pearl.

He visited seven or eight stonemason settlements in succession, yet still found no trace of the Daughter of Stonemason Xu.

Night fell:

He had no choice but to return.

"I'll keep looking tomorrow."

That night, he went to Black Harbor again.

As a result, outside Qinghe County was a vast expanse of water. Black Harbor had long since vanished.

Along the way, he saw people wading through the water with their families, fleeing Qinghe County.

"What happened to Qinghe County?"

"The water inside the county can drown children now."

"The river is rising. There may be a flood, so we're changing locations."

Chu Qing asked, "Doesn't the yamen care?"

The refugees looked at him in surprise. "The lords left by boat long ago."

"How could they care?"

Chu Qing...

The next day, he trained for a while, then continued searching for the Daughter of Stonemason Xu.

"I have to find her as soon as possible. Otherwise, if she dies, it'll be troublesome."

Unfortunately, by noon, there was still no news of the Daughter of Stonemason Xu.

When he returned to the County Town that afternoon, he decided to use the Blood River Gang's people to help search for her.

Though that might cause unnecessary trouble.

But for the Stone Bamboo Pearl, trouble did not matter.

Hall Master Liu was dead, so Chu Qing had no choice but to find Fatty Jin.

As a result, when Fatty Jin saw him, his face lit up. "You came at just the right time."

"The gang leader has ordered that you take people to recruit among the disaster victims tomorrow."

Disaster victims? Recruiting?

Chu Qing said, "There are no disaster victims outside the city!"

Fatty Jin said, "The disaster victims from the direction of Qinghe County won't arrive until tonight."

"Go recruit people tomorrow. Remember, prioritize those with entire families."

"Alright!"

Fatty Jin told Chu Qing what to watch out for when recruiting people.

At the end, he repeatedly emphasized:

"Tomorrow, Fortified Village Disciples and wealthy households will also take the opportunity to recruit people. Remember, don't provoke them, much less clash with them."

"Let them choose first. What's left will be ours."

Chu Qing said speechlessly, "The mighty Blood River Gang has actually become a ragpicker."

Fatty Jin chuckled. "Better than picking up nothing."

Chu Qing nodded, deep in thought.

"Coming to my place for dinner tonight?"

"No. I'm about to break through. I'll work hard tonight and try to cultivate another Iron Sinew."

Fatty Jin fell silent. He wanted to tell Chu Qing that no matter how hard he worked, he would never be able to enter the martial academy.

But on second thought, even if Chu Qing could not get in, having one more Iron Sinew would make it easier for him to work for him.

"Go on!"

Late at night:

Inside the room, which had begun to leak rain:

Chu Qing's hands opened and closed without pause.

Iron Wrapped Hand +1

Iron Wrapped Fist +1

...

You have completed the first requirement of Iron Hand.

You have completed the first requirement of Iron Fist.

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