The Eccentric

The three said nothing along the way. Zhang Yuezhen could not be bothered to speak more to Chen Fei, and Chen Fei naturally would not go out of his way to ingratiate himself.

Should I just leave the Medical Hall?

A thought suddenly surfaced in Chen Fei's mind, but he immediately dismissed it. Chen Fei had already been stamped with the Zhang Family's mark. Could he really pay a termination fee and expect to leave in peace?

Unless Chen Fei left Pingyin County, tearing his face off with the Zhang Family like this would only bring him more trouble. Or he could change his face and continue living in Pingyin County.

In that case, Chen Fei would have no problem supporting himself, given his alchemy skills. But obtaining cultivation manuals and secret techniques afterward would become exceedingly difficult.

The damaged manuals in the Dark market were truly somewhat unreliable.

Chen Fei had placed great hopes on the Thunderous Sword Force before. He had thought that among more than a dozen copies, there should at least be some gain. Yet after reading through all of them, the panel had not acknowledged a single one. None had even met the most basic requirement for simplification.

It could be said that Chen Fei's acquisition of Immortal Points the Way and the Shocking Character Art had been an absolute explosion of good fortune.

But luck was not something that would keep following you just because you wanted it to.

As for leaving Pingyin County, rebel troops now ran rampant outside, and perhaps because their crimes had stirred the wrath of both Heaven and man, strange entities had become more numerous as well.

Merchant caravans that had once been commonly seen now traveled to and from Pingyin County far less frequently.

Unfamiliar with the outside world and lacking sufficient strength, Chen Fei had yet to fully decide where he should go.

"Let's see first."

Chen Fei glanced at Zhang Yuezhen. The Zhang Family had suddenly summoned them today, and he had no idea what it was about. If it was too dangerous, Chen Fei would certainly weigh it carefully.

Before the time it took for one incense stick to burn, the three arrived at the Zhang Family residence. They entered through a side gate and made their way into the main hall.

Many people were already standing in the main hall. Chen Fei stood at the very end, while Zhang Yuezhen took her place in the middle. This alone showed Chen Fei's current position within the Zhang Family.

"Almost everyone is here, right?"

Zhang Ting, the current Zhang Family patriarch, swept his gaze over those present and said in a deep voice, "I won't waste words on idle chatter. We have gathered here today for only one matter: capture and kill Sun Shu!"

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this. They had summoned so many people today over Sun Shu again. After so much time had passed, many had assumed Sun Shu had long since left Pingyin County.

"Alive, I want to see the man. Dead, I want to see the corpse! Whoever can do it will be richly rewarded by the Zhang Family!"

Zhang Ting's voice echoed through the entire hall. This was a guarantee laid down before everyone. With so many witnesses, if anyone could capture or kill Sun Shu, the Zhang Family would likely truly bring out something valuable. Otherwise, they would be unable to convince the crowd.

A quarter of an hour later, the crowd dispersed, and Chen Fei's group arrived at Zhang Sinan's courtyard.

"The matter is just as my father said. Whoever among you has a way to kill Sun Shu, the Zhang Family will not let you down." Zhang Sinan lifted a cup of tea and took a few light sips.

"Hasn't Sun Shu already left Pingyin County? How..." Zeng Defang asked in confusion.

"There are some matters that are inconvenient to explain in detail. I hope Elder Zeng can forgive us."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Zeng Defang hurriedly waved his hands.

"If Sun Shu dares to show himself, I alone can kill him!"

Zhang Yuezhen narrowed her eyes, clearly determined to win this matter. Her status in the Zhang Family was still somewhat awkward, after all, since she had come seeking refuge.

If she could kill Sun Shu and earn everyone's recognition, her position in the Zhang Family would certainly become more secure.

"Sun Shu is now like a rat crossing the street. How could he dare show himself?"

Zhang Sinan shook her head. Sun Shu was in the Bone Forging Realm. Though his strength was not bad, the Zhang Family still had the means to deal with him. The problem now was that they could not find him, while he hid in the shadows.

Just yesterday, two direct descendants of the Zhang Family had actually died. Otherwise, the Zhang Family would not be this enraged.

Chen Fei did not say a word and merely stood to one side. This matter was indeed tempting, but with the strength Chen Fei currently displayed to outsiders, he did not look like someone capable of killing Sun Shu at all.

Even if Chen Fei contributed in the end, he would likely only be making a wedding dress for someone else.

A moment later, everyone left Zhang Sinan's courtyard. On the way, Zeng Defang patted Chen Fei on the shoulder. He knew that the Zhang Family had not given Chen Fei the Light Spirit Pill formula last time.

This matter was somewhat unfair, but although Zeng Defang was an old alchemist, he had no power to change the Zhang Family's decision. In the end, anyone who was not a direct descendant of the Zhang Family was merely a servant in their eyes.

Chen Fei smiled and clasped his hands in farewell.

The Zhang Family's bounty swiftly spread throughout Pingyin County.

The Zhang Family had previously issued a bounty for Sun Shu, but it had yielded no results. This time, however, the Zhang Family was truly serious. The reward was extremely high, and there were additional benefits.

If someone outside the Zhang Family discovered Sun Shu, they would not only receive money but could also directly enter a Zhang Family shop, where their personal safety would be guaranteed.

For ordinary people, the temptation had undoubtedly grown much stronger.

The refugee slums of the northern city.

Compared to other places, not only were the sanitary conditions poor here, but even the order seemed somewhat chaotic.

Zhou Shi occasionally glanced at a figure beneath the courtyard wall. This person had come to the area several days ago. He was never seen going out to work, nor was he seen eating, as if he remained motionless all the time.

Yet there were many such eccentrics in the refugee slums. Zhou Shi had never taken it to heart before, but after the Zhang Family's bounty was announced, something changed in his mind.

Perhaps this person was the one the Zhang Family was looking for?

The thought inevitably arose in Zhou Shi's heart, but he had no way to prove it. He could not simply decide the person was Sun Shu just because he looked strange.

As night fell, Zhou Shi gnawed on the hard black steamed bun in his hand. For some reason, the person he had seen during the day surfaced in his mind again.

After thinking it over, Zhou Shi went to find Zhou Li, whom he had grown up with.

"Report that person to the Zhang Family?" Zhou Li looked at Zhou Shi in surprise.

"I specifically asked around. That person is really strange. He never goes out to work, only leaving once in a while. Unless he has money himself—but if he has money, why would he stay in a place like ours?" Zhou Shi said in a low voice.

Zhou Li furrowed his brow, feeling that Zhou Shi's words made some sense. Of course, the most important thing was that the Zhang Family's bounty was simply too tempting.

As long as they provided useful information, they could receive a considerable reward and might even get work in a Zhang Family shop. Even if the Zhang Family was merely putting on a show for others, they would probably arrange a decent job.

"Then... should we try?"

"Try? Of course we should. We'll go together!"

A radiant smile appeared on Zhou Shi's face. His older brother was currently working as a menial at the Medical Hall. Though he had food and lodging, supporting their entire family still left him stretched thin.

If that eccentric truly was Sun Shu, their entire family would leave the refugee slums behind and live the normal life of ordinary people.

"Let's go!"

Zhou Li nodded. Just as he was about to pull Zhou Shi outside, he suddenly noticed that Zhou Shi had gone rigid, his eyes fixed dead on the space behind him.

Zhou Li's heart jolted. He turned around and saw a figure standing there, staring at the two of them with bloodshot eyes.

"I heard you mention the Zhang Family. It seems this should have something to do with me."

Sun Shu grinned, his teeth somehow stained bright red. No one knew what he had eaten.

"Th-this place is occupied. If you want somewhere to stay, you need to go somewhere else." Zhou Li swallowed and shouted.

"Don't be afraid. It won't hurt. Just once!"

Sun Shu did not respond to Zhou Li. His figure flickered, and he appeared before Zhou Li. Both hands pressed down onto Zhou Li's head.