"Don't go out at night lately."
Song Chengan stretched lazily, then heard several voices coming from next door.
"But I still have to go fishing in the river at night..." Uncle Zhou's voice was laced with hesitation.
"Are a few fish more important than your life?"
"Those are bandits who kill without batting an eye."
Amid several sharp reprimands, someone knocked on Song Chengan's door.
Song Chengan opened it.
Three yamen runners stood outside.
"May I ask what brings the three of you here?"
Song Chengan asked.
He was somewhat puzzled. Why were people from the yamen looking for him?
"Has anyone new come to your household recently?"
"No," Song Chengan answered.
"Several bandits escaped from the yamen prison recently. His Honor ordered us to inform everyone not to go out at night unless necessary."
"I understand."
"Mm."
The runners turned and continued on to the next household.
Bandits?
He remembered that the County Yamen's prison entrance was extremely narrow and twisted through turns. How had anyone managed to escape from there?
Song Chengan could not understand it.
"I'll get myself a bowl of noodles first."
"Then I'll stop by the Zhao Family Rice Shop to buy some rice."
Song Chengan had already eaten all the rice in his home.
"Boss Shi, the yamen has been spreading word everywhere today that thieves escaped from prison. Have you heard anything?"
"Everyone's rather scared. Judging by the yamen's reaction, those thieves must be quite vicious."
Boss Shi lifted his noodle bowl and took a hearty sip.
"How could they not be vicious?"
"In Willow Wave Hamlet, they wiped out an entire household of twenty-seven. Not one was spared."
"They didn't even spare babies still in swaddling clothes."
The others in the Noodle Shop sucked in cold breaths.
"Boss Shi, you're not pulling our legs, are you?"
"Pulling your legs?"
"Heh." Boss Shi snorted coldly. "This happened a month ago."
"That gang drifted over from the neighboring county. They committed three cases along the way."
"At the very least, fifty lives were stained on their hands."
"The county magistrate caught them and already submitted the case to the Ministry of Justice. Once the Ministry sends back its reply, they'll be sentenced to execution after the autumn assizes."
"They were worried it would cause panic, so they didn't post any notices."
"I figured notices would go up in a few days, but I never expected those thieves to escape."
"Then aren't we in danger?"
Someone asked.
After all, Boss Shi had never spread false news.
Boss Shi gave a scornful laugh. "What are you afraid of?"
"You're all so poor your pockets jingle with nothing but wind. Why would bandits bother killing you?"
"The ones who need to be careful are the wealthy households in the city."
"Haven't you seen all the Monk Soldiers from Xuanqing Temple who came today?"
"They were hired by the city's wealthy households to guard their courtyards."
"They've all been scared witless."
"The yamen is under enormous pressure now too. The city's gentry are all pressing them to capture those thieves quickly!"
"Deng Si'er, what are you afraid of?"
"You've only got a yellow-faced wife at home. Those thieves probably wouldn't be interested in her."
"Not necessarily. What if those thieves like men?"
Someone said.
The Noodle Shop immediately erupted in laughter.
Song Chengan nearly sprayed out a mouthful of soup.
"Laugh, laugh, laugh. What are you laughing at?"
"Especially you, Scholar Song. Others might have the right to laugh at me, but what right do you have?"
"You're a thirty-year-old old bachelor. You don't even have a yellow-faced wife."
"I heard that the Zheng Family widow got together with a young lad in Liangzhou."
"Carrying a fire poker—are you planning to become an apprentice at the Blacksmith Shop?"
Song Chengan's face immediately darkened.
Well, well, Deng the Fourth.
Picking on the soft persimmon, were you?
Still, he could not be bothered to deal with him.
Clearly, the man's defenses had been shattered.
Song Chengan shrugged and left the Noodle Shop carrying the Demon Subduing Staff.
Country bumpkin.
This was the Demon Subduing Staff.
"Come to think of it, haven't you noticed that Scholar Song seems like a different person lately?"
"Has he?"
"He hasn't gone to the Gambling House for a month or two."
"He stays at home every day, only occasionally going fishing or heading out to see friends."
"Though he still doesn't have any proper livelihood, at least he isn't gambling recklessly like before."
"Old Du."
"Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to Song Chengan and want him as your son-in-law?"
The burly man who had spoken earlier immediately darkened upon hearing that.
"Bullshit from your mother's dog mouth! My Dou'er is only eighteen, pretty and proper-looking. How could a penniless gambling drunk like him be worthy of my Dou'er?"
The Noodle Shop burst into laughter again.
Only Boss Shi remained.
A thoughtful look appeared on his face.
Along the way.
Song Chengan saw many Monk Soldiers.
Xuanqing Temple was not within Lingqiu City.
It was in the mountains beyond the city.
When the founding emperor of the Chen Kingdom conquered the realm, the Buddhist sect had contributed greatly.
Therefore, after founding the kingdom, the founding emperor vigorously promoted Buddhism, established it as the state religion, and permitted Buddhist temples to raise Monk Soldiers to guard their courtyards.
That founding emperor.
Had been a monk in a temple during his early years.
Thus, he had always favored Buddhism. Combined with the Buddhist sect later helping him win the realm.
Perhaps, in his heart, he had hoped that the Buddhist sect and the Chen Kingdom's imperial clan would remain on good terms for ten thousand years.
But clearly, after all these years, the Buddhist sect had become one of the Chen Kingdom's great problems.
Raising Monk Soldiers, annexing land, and amassing wealth on a massive scale.
It had grown into a tail too large to wag.
Take Xuanqing Temple, for example.
The temple claimed to have three thousand Monk Soldiers and had become an unshakable behemoth in Lingqiu County.
Even the County Yamen had to breathe by its leave.
Like now.
Most of those patrolling back and forth through the streets were Monk Soldiers from Xuanqing Temple.
But none of that had anything to do with Song Chengan.
He arrived before the Zhao Family Rice Shop.
"Why aren't you doing business?"
Song Chengan was somewhat puzzled.
As one of Lingqiu City's largest rice shops, how could the Zhao Family ever stop doing business?
He stepped forward.
The doors were tightly shut.
The Zhao Family residence beside it also had its doors tightly closed.
Just then.
Song Chengan spotted someone familiar.
The Zhao Family's young master.
"Young Master Zhao, why aren't you doing business today?"
He was a plump-looking man in his forties.
He was driving a carriage alone, loaded with wine, meat, and vegetables.
Young Master Zhao jumped in surprise upon hearing Song Chengan call out.
When he turned and saw it was Song Chengan, he cupped his hands. "So it's Scholar Song."
"The grain in the shop has sold out these past few days, so we're temporarily not doing business."
"Does Scholar Song wish to buy rice?"
"Come back in a few days."
Zhao Jingjie said with cupped hands.
Song Chengan said, "Is there no refined rice left?"
"Exactly."
"Then so be it."
"Do you have any flour? I'll buy some flour."
"That's gone too."
"All right."
Song Chengan nodded.
Young Master Zhao cupped his hands, then drove the carriage toward the gate.
The gate opened.
The Zhao Family's steward came out to greet him.
The steward said nothing, silently carrying the goods from the carriage into the residence.
"Scholar Song, are you here to buy rice? Come in?"
Before long, everything had been moved inside.
The steward suddenly called out to Song Chengan.
A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face.
The instant the gate had opened.
He had smelled blood in the air.
"Absorb!"
Song Chengan's consciousness entered the world of the Void Heaven Mirror.
Fire Cloud Staff Technique had not yet been fully comprehended!
But there was no time to wait.
That group was vicious and utterly lawless. Song Chengan had to do something.
He could not watch the Zhao Family suffer disaster.
Nor did he want more people to come to harm.
This was happening right before his eyes. He could not simply stand by and watch.
Before you continue