The Zhao Family Rice Shop

"Don't go out at night recently."

Song Chengan stretched lazily, then heard several voices from next door.

"But I still need to go fishing in the river at night..." This was Uncle Zhou's voice, mixed with hesitation.

"Is the fish more important, or is your life more important?"

"They're all ruthless bandits."

Amidst a few scolding sounds, someone knocked on Song Chengan's door.

Song Chengan opened the door.

It was three yamen runners.

"What brings you gentlemen here?"

Song Chengan asked.

He was a little confused as to why people from the yamen would be looking for him.

"Are there any new people in the house recently?"

"No," Song Chengan replied.

"Several bandits have escaped from the yamen prison recently. The magistrate has ordered that no one should go out at night if it's not necessary."

"I understand."

"Mm."

The runners turned and went to the next house.

Bandits?

He remembered the county jail's entrance was extremely narrow and winding. How could anyone escape from there?

Song Chengan was puzzled.

"I'll go get a bowl of noodles first."

"And I'll go buy some rice from the Zhao Family Rice Shop later."

Song Chengan had already finished all the rice in his house.

"Boss Shi, the yamen has been going around all day saying that some thieves escaped from prison. Do you have any news?"

"Everyone's a bit scared. Looking at the yamen's reaction, those thieves must be quite ferocious."

Boss Shi picked up his bowl of noodles and took a satisfying sip.

"Could they not be ferocious?"

"A family in Liulangwu, all twenty-seven members, not a single one was spared."

"They didn't even spare the infants in swaddling clothes."

Others in the noodle shop gasped.

"Boss Shi, you're not fooling us, are you?"

"Fooling you?"

"Heh." Boss Shi snorted coldly: "This happened about a month ago."

"This group of people came from the neighboring county, committing three cases along the way."

"They've got at least fifty lives on their hands."

"The county magistrate caught them and has already reported it to the Ministry of Justice. Once they receive a reply, they'll be executed in the autumn."

"They didn't post any notices because they were worried about causing panic among the public."

"I reckon there will be notices in a few days, but I didn't expect these thieves to escape."

"So, are we in danger?"

Someone asked.

Everyone knew that Boss Shi never spread false news.

Boss Shi chuckled: "What are you afraid of?"

"You're all dirt poor. Why would robbers kill you?"

"The ones who need to be careful are the wealthy families in the city."

"Didn't you see many Monk Soldiers from Xuanqing Temple arriving today?"

"They're all hired guards for the wealthy families in the city."

"They're all scared."

"The yamen is under a lot of pressure now, with the gentry and scholars in the city all pressuring the magistrate to catch the thieves quickly!"

"Deng Si'er, what are you afraid of?"

"You only have an old hag at home. I doubt those thieves would be interested."

"Who knows, what if that scoundrel likes men!"

Someone said.

The noodle shop burst into laughter.

Song Chengan almost spat out his soup.

"Laugh, laugh, what are you all laughing at?"

"Especially you, Scholar Song, everyone else can laugh at me, but you can laugh at me too?"

"You're a thirty-year-old bachelor, you don't even have a wife."

"I heard that widow from the Zheng family got involved with a young man in Liangzhou."

"You're carrying a fire poker, are you going to be an apprentice at the blacksmith's shop?"

Song Chengan's face immediately darkened.

You're a real piece of work, Deng Si'er.

Picking on the easy targets, huh?

But he couldn't be bothered to deal with the other guy.

It was obvious the other person had been provoked.

Song Chengan shrugged and left the noodle shop, carrying the Demon Subduing Staff.

Country bumpkin.

This is the Demon Subduing Staff.

"Speaking of which, didn't you guys notice Scholar Song seems like a different person?"

"Really?"

"He hasn't been to the gambling house in a month or two."

"He just stays at home every day, occasionally goes fishing, or goes out to see friends."

"Although he still doesn't have a proper job, at least he's not gambling recklessly like before."

"Old Brother Du."

"Are you perhaps eyeing Scholar Song and want him as your son-in-law?"

The man who had spoken earlier turned dark.

"Don't spout such nonsense! My Dou'er is only eighteen, she's a good-looking girl. How could a poor gambler like him be worthy of my Dou'er?"

The noodle shop erupted in laughter again.

Only Boss Shi.

Had a thoughtful expression.

Along the way.

Song Chengan saw many Monk Soldiers.

Xuanqing Temple was not in Lingqiu City.

But in the mountains outside the city.

When the founding emperor of the Chen Kingdom took the throne, the Buddhist faith played a significant role.

So after establishing the country, the founding emperor vigorously promoted Buddhism, making it the state religion, and allowed Buddhist temples to raise Monk Soldiers for protection.

This founding emperor.

Had been a monk in a temple in his early years.

So he had always had a good impression of Buddhism, and with the Buddhist faith helping him gain the throne later.

Perhaps in his heart, he wished for Buddhism and the Chen royal family to be on good terms for eternity.

But clearly, after so many years, Buddhism had become a major problem for the Chen Kingdom.

Raising Monk Soldiers, annexing land, and amassing wealth.

They had become too powerful to control.

Take Xuanqing Temple for example.

The temple claimed to have three thousand Monk Soldiers, and it had become an unshakeable behemoth in Lingqiu County.

Even the county yamen had to defer to them.

Just like now.

Those patrolling the streets were mostly Monk Soldiers from Xuanqing Temple.

But this had nothing to do with Song Chengan.

He arrived in front of the Zhao Family Rice Shop.

"Why aren't you doing business?"

Song Chengan was a little confused.

As one of the largest rice shops in Lingqiu City, why would the Zhao Family not be open for business?

He walked forward.

The door was tightly shut.

Next to it was the Zhao Family's residence, its door also tightly shut.

Just then.

Song Chengan saw a familiar person.

The young master of the Zhao Family.

"Young Master Zhao, why aren't you open for business today?"

It was a prosperous-looking man in his forties.

He was driving a carriage alone, laden with wine, meat, and vegetables.

Young Master Zhao was startled by Song Chengan's shout.

After turning around and seeing that it was Song Chengan, he cupped his fists and said, "So it's Scholar Song."

"The store ran out of grain these past few days, so we're temporarily closed."

"Does Scholar Song wish to buy rice?"

"Please come back in a few days."

Zhao Jingjie said, cupping his fists.

Song Chengan heard this and asked, "But you're out of polished rice?"

"Precisely."

"That's fine then."

"Do you have any flour? I'll buy some flour."

"Also out."

"Alright."

Song Chengan nodded.

Young Master Zhao cupped his fists, then urged the horse and carriage towards the door.

The door opened.

The Zhao Family's steward emerged.

The steward didn't speak, silently moving the items from the carriage into the house.

"Scholar Song, do you want to buy rice? Come in?"

Soon, the items were all moved.

The steward suddenly called out to Song Chengan.

A smile appeared on Song Chengan's face.

The moment the door opened.

He had smelled the scent of blood in the air.

"Absorb!"

Song Chengan's consciousness entered the world of the Void Heaven Mirror.

He hadn't fully comprehended the Fire Cloud Staff Technique yet!

But he couldn't wait.

These people were vicious and evil; Song Chengan had to do something.

He couldn't stand by and watch the Zhao Family suffer.

He didn't want any more people to be harmed.

The incident was happening before his eyes; he couldn't just ignore it.