Tie Niu

Duan Hongyan rose and looked out the window, but saw no one—only a few withered leaves drifting in the air.

He hurriedly pulled up his two junior brothers and headed deeper into the restaurant.

Su Yuan left the restaurant, but he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that countless eyes were watching him.

Had I really been exposed? His heart tightened.

It had indeed been right to become a Martial Warrior first. At least now, he had some means of protecting himself.

He carefully surveyed the pedestrians along the street, studying their bone structures. He noticed that a few people kept reappearing, and their frames bore some resemblance to one another.

They're not from Cloud-Striding Martial Hall. Su Yuan kept his expression calm and continued on his way.

They wouldn't dare attack him in broad daylight, right out on the street.

Su Yuan first went home, then headed to the Xiangfu Chamber of Commerce and entered through the main door.

The hall was filled with an orderly array of beautiful things: brocades, porcelain, and medicinal herbs. Most of the visitors were distinguished Liang guests.

In a prominent spot stood an elegant display shelf, with various samples of the Building Blocks Su Yuan had made arranged on top. Their delicate, charming designs drew passersby to stop and admire them.

The layout of the entire shop had been based on Su Yuan's suggestions, which drew on his memories of a flagship toy store from his previous life.

Su Yuan showed his token and entered the back room, where Old Liu was waiting.

He took out ten sets of Building Blocks. Old Liu said little and handed him the twenty taels of silver earned from the previous batch.

Su Yuan was now a distinguished guest of the Xiangfu Chamber of Commerce. Their relationship wasn't just business; it was also because Tie Niu had superior bone structure.

The Chamber of Commerce also gave Tie Niu an additional allowance each month.

The two conducted their transaction in private. Su Yuan didn't want anyone to discover that he was the creator of the Building Blocks.

After what had happened with the Shan Family, he was truly afraid of being seized and made a slave again.

Fortunately, after he was sold to the Chai Family, Young Master Chai barely bothered with him. He simply said that the Building Blocks he gave people had been bought on the market, which gave Su Yuan some peace and quiet.

When the business was done, Su Yuan took out the piece of black wood. "Old Liu, could you take a look at this?"

Old Liu took it and examined it through narrowed eyes.

"This... could this be—"

"What is it?"

"Uh, let me take it to someone and have them look at it."

Su Yuan was speechless.

A short while later, Old Liu returned, beaming. "Little Su, you've struck gold! This isn't wood. It's a piece of Monster bone armor—the back plate of a Pangolin Black Rhino. A piece this size is worth at least fifty taels. It would be perfect for making armor. Do you want to sell it?"

"It's worth that much?" Su Yuan hadn't expected the children to have stumbled across such a bargain. He shook his head. "Not for now."

Outside the Chamber of Commerce, Ji Haoyang was somewhat dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Su Yuan to go out after only two days.

As one of the martial hall's informants, he didn't keep an eye on Su Yuan at all times.

In fact, targeting Su Yuan had been more a matter of personal choice. He simply couldn't bear to see Senior Sister Yun humiliated by such a scoundrel.

Worse still, when he found Su Yuan again, he discovered that several people were secretly following him.

That lackey's got quite an entourage! Are they all from the Chai Family? Were they sent to protect him, or have they noticed what's going on here?

Ji Haoyang lamented missing the best chance to take Su Yuan down.

He slipped away and returned to Xiasheng Restaurant.

But just after he got back, several junior brothers hurried over and called an emergency meeting.

In a secret room, five people sat around a long table, with over a dozen others standing nearby.

At their head sat a middle-aged man in his forties. His face was pale, and he coughed softly from time to time.

He was Yun Yan, the master of Cloud-Striding Martial Hall and an Internal Force Martial Master. He had suffered internal injuries during the Shan Family's campaign against them, and still hadn't recovered.

Yun Yan gently stroked the creased letter. His eyes reddened. "This is Xu'er's handwriting."

Only then did Ji Haoyang understand what was going on. Someone had managed to get Senior Sister Yun's letter out of the Shan Family!

"The military deployments in Ji City seem to be old intelligence, so they're no longer much use," Duan Hongyan said. "But the information about Liang martial arts might help us when we face them in the future. Most important is what it says about Void Cloud Horse Ranch."

At the mention of Void Cloud Horse Ranch, everyone's breathing quickened. "If the information is accurate, we might be able to try to rescue her..."

Ji Haoyang couldn't help asking, "How did this letter get here?"

"When I was drinking at the restaurant..." Duan Hongyan briefly recounted what had just happened. "Whoever it was, they had access to the Shan Family and managed to deliver the letter without exposing themselves. They must be an expert—at least a Martial Warrior."

"Doesn't that mean our location has been exposed?" Zhou Xing, the only woman present, cried out anxiously.

At her words, the eager mood in the room abruptly froze.

"It's all right. That expert chose to deliver the letter rather than join the Liang People in hunting us down. We can trust them for now. We still need to verify the letter's contents, and we must find a new base. I'll get in touch with the Jiguang Society," Yun Yan said slowly.

"Junior Brother Ji, you've been keeping the closest eye on Eldest Senior Sister. Who do you think sent this letter?" Second Senior Brother Du Han asked.

Ji Haoyang gritted his teeth in frustration. "After Shan Xiongqing put a price on Senior Sister, there were so many visitors and craftsmen coming and going that it's hard to say."

"Could it have been that Lecherous Carver? He's made the most statues," Zhou Xing guessed.

Ji Haoyang shook his head firmly. "Absolutely not. He's fawning over the Liang People, and he only has inferior bone structure. There's no way he's already become a Martial Warrior."

He had watched Su Yuan for the longest time and knew exactly what he was capable of. He'd sooner believe it was Su Tieniu than him.

"Enough. That expert has their reasons for staying hidden. We don't need to pry. They've also left us a way to contact them. We can investigate slowly later," Yun Yan ordered.

It wasn't safe outside, so Su Yuan returned to the Chai Family Martial Academy and kept cultivating his connection with Chai Nian.

This young master was one of his possible paths forward.

If he could get an exit permit from him, he might be able to flee the city outright.

These days, only first-tier citizens and people with permits could enter or leave the city gates, and they had to give a detailed explanation each time.

Another possibility was to offer him the Golden Horse-Head Technique. It was a genuine Shan Family technique.

The Liang families were not of one mind. The martial arts information about other Liang families in the letter had also come from the Shan Family's secret research.

As Su Yuan walked along, he drew plenty of sidelong glances.

Because of Tie Niu, he was something of a celebrity at the academy.

At first, most people had looked down on him. But Tie Niu had exercised his authority as their senior brother, and they had no choice but to back down.

Everyone had been training at the academy for half a month now. They knew the bitterness of martial training firsthand and had come to understand just how impressive it was to become a Martial Warrior in half a month. They no longer dared provoke Tie Niu.

"Senior Brother Tie Niu, Senior Brother Su Yuan is back," Huang Jiangyue called out eagerly from the side.

"Brother Yuan, why haven't you been practicing these past two days?" Tie Niu asked with concern.

"It's nothing. I had some business matters to take care of," Su Yuan said.

"Is it about what happened over on Fengxing Street? Should I step in? I won't let them slander your good name." Tie Niu's voice deepened as he swept his gaze over those around them.

Huang Jiangyue and the others shrank back. They had said plenty behind Su Yuan's back.

If Tie Niu heard what they'd called the Lecherous Carver, the man probably wouldn't get off easy today. He'd likely be worked until he puked.

Su Yuan shook his head. "It's just a name. I don't care about it anymore. Tie Niu, you don't need to get involved. You and I know what's true and what isn't. I'm going to see Young Master Chai."

Tie Niu fell silent, then nodded.

Su Yuan went to the side room, knocked, and entered.

Chai Nian held a scroll in his left hand and a folding fan in his right, looking relaxed.

A delicate incense burned in the room, its blue smoke curling upward.

Several sculptures, ornaments, and paintings were arranged across the display shelf by the desk.

If he hadn't known the truth, Su Yuan might have thought Young Master Chai was not a Liang martial artist at all, but rather a refined gentleman from Jing.

"Su Yuan, what is it?"

"Young Master, I found a new style of Building Blocks at the Xiangfu Chamber of Commerce. I've brought a set to present to you." He took a larger horse sculpture out of a wooden box.

"A new style? It doesn't look very different." Chai Nian took the sculpture, puzzled. The designs currently popular on the market were all like this.

"Allow me to demonstrate. This one can become many different things, and you can change it however you please." Su Yuan took the horse back, disassembled it, and put it together again. In an instant, it had become ten little horses in different poses.

"This one represents success at a gallop, wishing you a smooth road ahead. This one represents the spirit of the dragon and horse, wishing you a strong and healthy body. This one represents serving faithfully at your master's side, showing unwavering loyalty..." He explained the auspicious meaning of each one in turn.

Then he joined the ten little horses together, forming a large character: Chai.

Chai Nian set down his folding fan and picked it up to examine it. "Interesting. You made this, didn't you? Even the Building Blocks that are most popular on the market came from your hands?"

"Uh, I made this in imitation of what's on the market."

"You don't have to hide it from me. I started looking into it as soon as you gave me the Building Blocks. I won't exploit you the way the Shan Family did. I destroyed your indenture contract long ago."

"The contract was destroyed?" Su Yuan was stunned.

Chai Nian didn't answer. He only said, "Tie Niu isn't your biological younger brother. He used to be a servant in your household."

Before Su Yuan could respond, he continued, "He traded his freedom to get your indenture contract back. From then on, I became his only master."

Su Yuan was struck as if by lightning, and in an instant, he understood.

Why had the Chai Family taken him in so easily, without making him work? Why had Tie Niu stopped asking him for money?

It turned out Tie Niu had sold himself.

Su Yuan's face paled, but he still said, "Young Master Chai, if Tie Niu could sell himself for my sake, then I can find a way to buy his freedom back someday."

Chai Nian saw that he still hadn't given up and sneered. "With what? With these clever little tricks and sweet words? In this world, power comes from your fists. Staying with me is the best choice for him."

I can provide him with resources and connections. Under my guidance, Tie Niu will win the Wolf God Ritual and earn the attention of Great Liang's upper ranks. His prospects will be limitless... And you? To put it bluntly, you're only a burden, giving Tie Niu something else to worry about.

"The Wolf God Festival was the Hunting Tournament Liu Chang mentioned."

Su Yuan clenched his fist inside his sleeve. "Am I really that worthless in Young Master's eyes? Even someone with inferior bone structure can become a Martial Warrior and help shoulder the burdens of Tie Niu and you, Young Master."

"Come talk to me after you've become a Martial Warrior before the Wolf God Ritual. I'm only saying this today to help you see reality clearly. For Tie Niu's sake, I won't mistreat you, as long as you stop causing him trouble. He has his own road ahead." Chai Nian waved a hand, indicating that he should leave.

As he left the side room, Su Yuan's thoughts surged in turmoil. He couldn't tell what he was feeling; his chest just felt hollow.

Even the only family he had left had been taken from him.

Su Yuan looked at the disciples in the courtyard crowding around Tie Niu, all scrambling to curry favor with him.

"Senior Brother Tie Niu, could you spar with me later?" Jiang Yu asked, her cheeks pink as she looked up at him.

"Sure." Tie Niu had always been easygoing. As long as they didn't give Su Yuan a hard time, he was willing to teach them.

The other junior brothers started hooting, their faces full of envy. "Senior Brother Tie Niu and Junior Sister Jiang Yu really are a perfect match."

There were very few women at the academy, and sweet, lovely Jiang Yu was undoubtedly the girl everyone admired.

"Don't talk nonsense." Tie Niu scratched his head with a sheepish grin, then caught sight of Su Yuan looking their way. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes.

Su Yuan gave him a thumbs-up, genuinely happy for Tie Niu.

That was right. Tie Niu had grown up.

Once, Su Yuan had been the only one to take care of him. Deep down, Tie Niu had been insecure, so he had kept quiet and seemed slow-witted.

Seeing him like this now was a good thing.

Su Yuan knew he ought to let go, but he would find a way to get that contract back.

He didn't care about the contract itself. But Tie Niu was honest and loyal, and would undoubtedly choose to obey.

Tie Niu's life was his own. It belonged neither to Su Yuan nor to Chai Nian.

So what if it's the Wolf God Ritual? Martial Warrior or not, ranking or not—they all look down on me. Then I'll just claw my way up!

Su Yuan had never forgotten why he'd started practicing martial arts. Three months was enough time to do a great deal.

Though he'd claimed not to care, he walked out of the academy, leaving behind the noisy place where he didn't belong.

But after he'd gone some distance, he realized he'd come to the martial hall to hide in the first place.

The cool evening breeze brushed across his cheeks.

Those people were still there.

It was dark.