Lend a Hand

After eating, Chen Laosan and the others began handling another new batch of corpses.

No one knew how many people that White-Haired Eunuch had killed. These past few days, Chen Laosan had grown somewhat numb. He had found problems with several of the dead bodies.

"Hm?"

Chen Laosan grabbed hold of a corpse and was about to bury it when his movements abruptly stopped. He secretly glanced back and found that neither Wang Laoshuan nor Luo Cheng had noticed anything on this side. Further Away, the White-Haired Eunuch was sitting cross-legged in meditation, seemingly recovering from his injuries.

Only after confirming there was no danger did Chen Laosan lower his head again. Carefully, he reached into the corpse's chest and pulled out a token.

It was a small, ink-black plaque that seemed like jade yet not jade, engraved with the image of a black tortoise. At its center was an ancient seal-script character. Chen Laosan did not recognize the character, but that did not stop him from recognizing the token.

"This is... the Black Tortoise Seal?!"

The Black Tortoise Seal was a symbol of the Imperial Clan. Throughout the realm, only the Imperial Clan dared use it. Anyone impersonating them would be hunted down by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

"These people are from the Imperial Clan!"

Cold sweat instantly streamed down Chen Laosan's forehead. He quickly buried the token to the side and continued covering the corpse as though nothing had happened.

Keeping it on him was out of the question. That Old Eunuch's martial arts were terrifyingly high, and he possessed all manner of unfathomable methods. Carrying the token on his person would truly be courting death.

By the time the last batch of corpses had been buried, night had fallen.

The White-haired Eunuch had also rested enough. After seeing the three of them bury the final corpse and confirming that nothing had been left behind, he rose and walked over. The other soldiers nearby closed in as well. They formed a circle and completely sealed off the site, standing there like emotionless machines.

After approaching, the White-haired Eunuch ignored Chen Laosan and the other two. Instead, he took out a compass and walked three circles around the buried pile of corpses. Only after confirming there would be no trouble did he tuck the compass back into his robes.

"This is your reward."

The White-haired Eunuch stopped three paces away from Chen Laosan and the others, his face twisting in disgust as his gaze swept across them.

Then he took out a bag of silver and tossed it onto the ground.

The three exchanged glances, but not one of them stepped forward to take the silver.

The moment of fate's judgment had arrived. No one wanted to be the first to die.

The White-haired Eunuch seemed to see through their misgivings. With a derisive snort, he turned away.

"Get lost. Your worthless lives aren't worth this eunuch lifting a hand."

As he spoke, his figure gradually receded into the distance. The soldiers sealing off the area also slipped into the forest like ghosts, soundlessly and without a trace, until not even the faintest noise remained.

He really let us go?

The three stared incredulously at the vanishing figures, unable to stop themselves from wondering whether they were dreaming. When they finished burying the bodies, they had already prepared themselves for death. Yet at the very end, the other side had actually released them.

"Who cares whether he really let us go? One more day alive is one more day."

Luo Cheng spun around and pounced on the silver lying in the mud.

"This old man hasn't lived enough yet!"

Chen Laosan and the remaining man quickly came to their senses as well, joining Luo Cheng in snatching at the silver inside the money bag.

They had worked for so long; no matter what, they could not take less money.

All three were veteran Corpse Buriers and could naturally tell whether the money bag had been poisoned. Once they confirmed there was no problem, they began dividing the money.

Half a Day later.

After splitting the money, the three returned to Qingya County.

Chen Laosan headed straight home.

"Third Uncle?!"

Chen Luo, who had been practicing martial arts in the courtyard, immediately ran over and pulled open the door when he heard the commotion. Upon seeing Chen Laosan, he could not help revealing a delighted expression.

He had thought Third Uncle had died. Over the past two days, he had been asking around for news.

"Haha, survive a great disaster and blessings are sure to follow! Come on, Third Uncle will treat you to meat tonight." Chen Laosan was equally excited. On the way back, he and Wang Laoshuan had remained on tenterhooks. He had never expected that they would truly make it home safely.

At the thought of the silver he had earned from this job, Chen Laosan could not stop himself from smiling.

Now there was enough money for his nephew's martial arts expenses.

Tomorrow, he would go to Bao'an Hall to get medicine, buy some prescriptions for martial artists' Blood Tempering, and properly nourish his nephew. And it was time to get him a wife as well. He had to find one with a thick waist and broad hips, the kind suited for bearing children! That way, when he returned home for the New Year, he could give Eldest Brother an account.

"Uh..."

Chen Luo's words caught in his throat.

Eating and drinking was fine, but he could do without visiting women. Third Uncle had become a famous figure in Willow Lane Alley over the years. Whenever Chen Luo passed through that alley, a few cheap "Third Aunts" would occasionally greet him and ask why his Third Uncle had not come by in so long.

"Brat, what are you thinking about?!"

Chen Laosan raised his hand and gave him A Slap.

"I mean eating meat." With that, he turned and headed outside.

Whenever they had finished a long-term job in the past, the Uncle and Nephew would go have a meal at the old Noodle Stall. Today, however, Chen Laosan was feeling generous and took Chen Luo straight to Ju De Restaurant.

They ordered more than a dozen dishes in one breath, along with two jars of wine, before finally calling it enough.

The money in the White-Haired Eunuch's bag was no small sum. Chen Laosan, Luo Cheng, and the others had each received one Small Gold Bar. On top of that, there was some loose silver, all in denominations used in The Capital. Exchanged locally, that was serious money!

After eating and drinking their fill, the Uncle and Nephew packed up the leftover dishes and staggered back to their residence.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Chen Luo got up to practice his fist techniques.

Now that Third Uncle had returned, the only concern in his heart vanished as well. With that state of mind, his breakthroughs in martial arts came faster and faster. The "brains" in his mind continuously helped him optimize the paths of his punches. The Black Tiger Fist that Crippled Ma had Passed To Him had been endlessly refined, and it had now changed beyond recognition.

Yet its momentum and power had only grown stronger.

For the next several days, he practiced martial arts in the courtyard. Only on the third day, after receiving word from his master Crippled Ma, did he leave and make a trip to Crippled Ma's home.

"It's still sealed off?"

When Chen Luo reached the street corner, he deliberately took a look.

The long street leading to Crippled Ma's home had still not reopened, and the blockade remained in place. The atmosphere on the streets also felt somewhat off. There were many more Unfamiliar Faces in the County Town. No one knew what had happened lately, but the situation in Qingya County had become increasingly tense.

When Chen Luo took a detour to Crippled Ma's home, he found that someone was already there.

"You're here?"

Crippled Ma was filing a Bamboo Knife by the doorway. When he saw Chen Luo arrive, he raised his head and said a word.

Crippled Ma had a fairly high opinion of this disciple he had taken in midway. The boy's aptitude for fist techniques was exceptional. In only a few days, he had thoroughly learned Crippled Ma's fist art. What remained were merely matters of experience, and there was not much left for Crippled Ma to teach.

Crippled Ma himself was no Great Expert; there was no possibility that he was some hidden master. Chen Luo had a whole pile of "External Brains" helping him, so learning Crippled Ma's fist art came as easily as turning his hand over.

"Master."

Chen Luo bowed respectfully.

"Come inside and talk."

Crippled Ma set down the Bamboo Knife in his hand and led Chen Luo into the house.

In the courtyard, an unfamiliar young girl was striking a Sandbag. From the crisp force behind her punches, it was clear that her fundamentals were extremely solid, far beyond what Chen Luo had possessed in the beginning.

"Her name is He Min. From now on, she'll be your Junior Sister Apprentice."

Crippled Ma did not say much, merely giving a brief introduction. Like Chen Luo, He Min had entered through connections. Living in Qingya County, Crippled Ma could not escape its web of human ties and social obligations. No matter how well he hid it, someone would know what he was capable of.

"Master Ma."

He Min had already finished a set of punches. Steam rose from her entire body. Her blue-and-white Training Attire clung to her figure beneath the heat, outlining every curve and contour. Combined with her fairly pretty features, she gave off an air of valiant grace.

"This is your Senior Brother Chen, Chen Luo. I took him in as a disciple half a month ago."

Crippled Ma introduced him.

Since both were his disciples, he naturally hoped they could watch out for one another, especially He Min. Her father came from a gang background, so saying this in advance could avoid many troubles.

"Senior Brother Chen."

He Min gave a respectful bow, her attitude quite good.

"Junior Sister He."

Chen Luo returned the bow.

"Since you're both here, lend a hand." Crippled Ma clapped his hands and spoke to the two of them.

"Yes."

The two exchanged glances, and battle intent flared in both their eyes.

Chen Luo also wanted to know exactly what level he had reached. Since this Junior Sister Apprentice came from a gang background, her skills were surely not bad.