Soaring Wood Court, Disciple Peak west side.
At dusk, Chen Jianghe was adjusting his breath in the quiet room.
The Jade Skin Bone-Mending Paste given by the Criminal Law Hall is indeed extraordinary. After three boxes have been used up, 90% of the remaining strength has been removed. The remaining 10% relies on the day and night nourishment of the second level "Flawless" of <Withered Wood Meets Spring Art>.
[Fate: Heaven Rewards Diligence, you will succeed]
[Current skill: Withered Wood Meets Spring Art(Flawless 19%)]
[Efficacy: Qi and blood are unified, strength is accessible]
He slowly stopped his exercise and was about to stand up to stretch his muscles -
There was a knocking sound outside the courtyard door.
"Is Jianghe here?"
Chen Jianghe stood up, put on his robe, and opened the courtyard door.
Qian Shouyi was wearing a plain silk shirt and holding Ebony Cane, standing alone outside the door.
He looked up at Chen Jianghe, his eyes stopped on his right shoulder for a moment. "Is the injury healed?"
"Nothing serious." Chen Jianghe turned sideways, "Qian Family Lord, please."
Qian Shouyi nodded and entered the hospital.
He sat down on the wooden bench in the quiet room, glanced around the quiet room, and saw that the furnishings were minimal: a couch, a table, a chair, and several rolled-up volumes of "Hundred Herbs Illustrated Manual" stacked in the corner.
Qian Shouyi withdrew his gaze, did not exchange pleasantries, and went straight to the point. "Master Li, I personally went to visit that place."
Chen Jianghe's hand holding the tea paused slightly.
"Although his condition is still not good, his life is not in danger for the time being."
Qian Shouyi took the tea cup and said in a steady voice, "Su Derong and He Shouzhuo cooked medicine every day and drank it with ginseng soup. He also gave Master Li the bottles of healing elixirs sent back by the three families. The three of us also I invited an old doctor from Chang Xi Mansion who specializes in treating internal injuries. His surname is Qin. He is seventy-seven in his sixties. He specializes in studying the meridians and viscera of the human body. I asked people to go around and make connections, and promised him a lot of money. I asked him to come to the house for a consultation every ten days."
Qian Shouyi paused and looked at Chen Jianghe: "I also sent a letter to your mother. She only said that you should concentrate on your practice and don't worry about your family. Shen Mansion The old servant surnamed Liu, Su Derong, has been taken to the back alley of the escort agency to settle down, and he has enough food and clothing."
Chen Jianghe Clenched his fists and slowly released them.
He didn't speak, just breathed out gently.
Qian Shouyi continued, "At the martial arts school and escort bureau, Su Derong and He Shouzhuo are in charge of the operation and are on the right track. He Shouzhuo Although It's Dark Strength, but he is careful and steady. His disciple's homework, daily expenses, and contacts with the three families are all in order. Su Jingming has woken up and started to take over the normal operation of the escort agency."
The corners of his lips raised slightly. "The most surprising thing is the surge of new disciples."
"Last month, the martial arts school admitted twenty-three new disciples. This month is not even halfway through, and seventeen people have already signed up. They are all young men aged twelve, thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen years old. Most of them are children from Outer City poor families. There are also a few children from small families who have attended private schools and are literate."
Qian Shouyi looked at Chen Jianghe with some emotion in his eyes. "I asked them why they chose Xingyi Martial Arts Hall."
"What do you think they said?"
Chen Jianghe shook his head.
"They said that Senior Brother Jianghe developed his strength at the age of eighteen, and it was from our martial arts school."
Qian Shouyi repeated the sentence word for word, and then sighed softly, "Jianghe, you are already a flag in the hearts of those young people Yilin County."
Chen Jianghe was silent for a long time.
He remembered that he had gone from Bright Strength to Dark Strength, from Dark Strength to Huajin, and from Minor Completion of Transforming Force to Huajin Dacheng.
From a young boy who couldn't even stand on a pile to being called "Flag".
But the master was still lying on the couch, unconscious.
He took a deep breath and raised his eyes. "Qian Family Lord is here today for important matters."
Qian Shouyi nodded.
"Jianghe," he said slowly, "I won't beat around the bush with you."
"The current situation of the three Yilin families in Changxi Prefecture is more difficult than expected."
He put down the tea cup and spoke in a slightly lower voice, "The caravan has to pass three dangerous passes and two wild ridges where banditry is rampant along the way. In the past, the Zhou and Zhao families were not eliminated, and the three of us were local snakes behind closed doors in Yilin County. But outside of that palm-sized territory, who would recognize you Qian Family Sun Family Li Family?"
"The batch of medicinal materials that went to Yulin Road last month was robbed by a group of masked men just thirty miles outside Changxi Prefecture.
Two of the convoy's Huajin experts were injured, and the goods were damaged by 40%."
He paused and looked directly at Chen Jianghe.
"So I came here today because I have something to ask of you."
He took out a square piece of plain paper from his arms and spread it out on the table.
"The three families of Qian, Sun and Li are willing to hire Xingyi Sect Soaring Wood Court's disciple Chen Jianghe as a guest to worship him with an annual salary of one thousand taels of gold."
"No need to accompany you with bodyguards, no need to sit in a store, and no need to personally take risks."
"As long as you Chen Jianghe agree to allow our three families to release the news in the Changxi Prefecture business world - Xingyi Sect Chen Jianghe, who has a life-and-death relationship with Yilin's Qian, Sun and Li families, has been hired as a guest worshiper."
Qian Shouyi raised his eyes and said in a sincere voice, "Jianghe, what I want is not for you to fight for the three families. What I want is your name."
"As an eighteen-year-old Huajin, a disciple of Soaring Wood Court, you survived the battle of Black Wind Cave and returned with key information. Although Criminal Law Hall did not commend it with much fanfare, the news has spread among the various forces of Changxi Prefecture.
"Those people don't care how Sun Hongyao died, or how many heads Black Mountain Five Bandits has left." Qian Shouyi lowered his voice, "They only care about one thing - Xingyi Sect gave birth to an eighteen-year-old Hua Jin disciple, who not only survived the pursuit of Gang Jin's bandit leader, but also escaped safely from Gang Jin's hands."
"This record is a deterrent that no real money can buy."
He paused and said word by word, "I want to lend you this flag to suppress the small gangsters in this town who covet the three trade routes.
Chen Jianghe lowered his eyes.
He had read the terms on the plain paper word for word.
For the Huajin Dacheng disciple who ranks at the bottom among the Five Courts of Xingyi Sect, the annual salary of one thousand taels of gold is regarded as an extremely high-paying temporary job among Changxi Prefecture.
And he really needed money urgently. After all, Hunting Grounds couldn't go for the time being, and other Mission Hall's errands affected his cultivation.
Chen Jianghe raised his eyes.
"Qian Family Lord," he said slowly, "I have something to ask."
"You said."
"If I offend other forces in the future, will your three families still be willing to have a life-or-death relationship with me?"
Qian Shouyi looked at him.
There was no surprise, no offended displeasure in his eyes, but a little more - relief.
He smiled.
"Jianghe," he said softly, "You are asking this question not only of me, but also of yourself."
"I can answer you - if that day comes, I will weigh it. Measure how much chips you are worth for the three families to bet on, and measure whether the cost of offending that force exceeds the limit that the three families can bear."
"I won't lie to you and say something nice about life and death and never give up."
He looked directly at Chen Jianghe, "But I can tell you that if you accept this offering today, tomorrow you will be the guest whom I, Qian Shouyi, personally come to seek employment for. This feeling will be remembered by the three families. If you encounter difficulties that you cannot overcome in the future, as long as I am still alive and as long as the three families are still alive, you will not be allowed to fight alone."
He paused, with a hint of self-mockery in his smile, "I'm old. In my life, I've seen many icings on the cake, but very few people who offer help in times of need. You are kind to the three families, and the three families cannot let you down. This is not only business, but also the bottom line of my life."
Chen Jianghe Silence.
After a long while, he reached out, took the pen from the case, and signed his name at the end of the contract.
The moment the words "Chen Jianghe" fell, Qian Shouyi's hand holding the staff finally relaxed a little.
He took out a stack of gold tickets from his sleeve, ten of them neatly, one hundred taels each, and placed them gently on the table.
"This is this year's salary. I paid it in advance." He smiled, "Don't think I'm tacky. I gave it to you willingly."
Chen Jianghe didn't refuse.
He put away the gold ticket and took out a letter from under his pillow that he had already written.
"Please, Master Qian Family, ask a reliable person to deliver it to you." He offered it with both hands.
Qian Shouyi took it solemnly and put it in his arms.
He stood up, walked to the door with a cane, and suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Jianghe," his voice was low, "I once heard a sentence when I was young, and I still remember it to this day."
"--In troubled times, we should control the danger with calmness, break the situation with stability, sweep away the smoke, and establish a foundation."
He looked at Chen Jianghe, and in his shrewd old eyes, only the expectations of the elders for the younger generation remained. "You are a child with great ambitions. The three old guys like us don't have much ability, we can only help you pave the way for these mundane things."
"Practice well and don't let down your abilities."
He said no more, opened the courtyard door, and left slowly.
Chen Jianghe is in an independent hospital.
He lowered his head, looked at the stack of gold tickets in his hand, and touched the letter from Su Derong entrusted to Qian Shouyi in his arms.
He did not open the letter immediately.
Instead, he turned around, returned to the quiet room, and sat down cross-legged on the couch.
Close your eyes.
Breath control.
He needs to be stronger.
The next day, Soaring Wood Court.
Chen Jianghe Go through the bluestone path among the medicinal fields and go in the direction of the Skill Transmission Pavilion.
Halfway through the journey, there was a sudden noise ahead.
He looked up.
More than twenty disciples gathered in the Qingshi Square in front of the Skill Transmission Pavilion.
In the center of the crowd, a young man in brocade clothes was directing three servants to unload boxes of heavy mahogany boxes from the bullock cart.
The young man was about sixteen or seventeen years old. He had red lips and white teeth. His brocade clothes were embroidered with complicated cloud and thunder patterns, and he had a mutton-fat jade pendant hanging around his waist. It was obvious at a glance that he was from a noble family.
Behind him was an old man who looked like a butler, who was taking out a banknote from his sleeve and handing it to the deacon in charge of registration with a smile.
"It's just a small gift, but it's not respectful. My young master has just joined Soaring Wood Court. I hope the deacon will take care of him in the future."
The deacon had a smile on his face and said "How can this be done", but his hand had already naturally put the banknote into his sleeve.
Some disciples in the crowd lowered their voices and whispered, "Who is this? The ostentation is too big----"
"Shen Qingyun, Changxi Prefecture The third son of the Shen Family. Didn't you just listen to what the housekeeper said? On the first day he was admitted to the hospital, he donated three thousand taels of silver to Soaring Wood Court to repair the medicine field."
"Three thousand taels! Oh my god----"
"What is this? Look at those boxes. They are filled with top-quality medicinal materials - century-old Ganoderma lucidum, Snow Mountain Cordyceps, ambergris. Any one of them is worth a thousand taels."
"Tsk, it's nice to have money."
"What's so good? He's got Six Forms, he's in the middle stage of transformation at the age of 16. Do you think he made it with just money?"
"That's true----but why do you have to enter our hospital? Our hospital is not----"
"I heard that they wanted to join Master Han specifically, but I don't know the specific reason."
Chen Jianghe stood on the edge of the crowd and watched quietly for a moment.
The young man in brocade clothes, Shen Qingyun, seemed to realize something and turned around.
Their eyes touched lightly in mid-air.
Shen Qingyun raised the corners of his lips slightly and nodded to Chen Jianghe in a respectful and polite manner.
Chen Jianghe nodded in return without saying much, and turned to leave.
He did not stay in the square for long.
His eyes swept across the crowd, and he soon found the figure he was looking for.
At the outermost edge of the crowd, under the old locust tree beside the medicine field, squatted a thin young man.
He was about in his early twenties, and he was looking down at the rolled-up book "Hundred Herbs Illustrated Manual" on his lap. He seemed to be completely uninterested in the excitement in the square.
It was Fei Wenli, a fellow candidate who was also a candidate at Anju Inn that day and whom I had met once before.
Chen Jianghe walked through the crowd and walked towards him.
"Junior Brother Fei."
Fei Wenli heard the sound and looked up, saw it was Chen Jianghe, and quickly closed the illustrated book and stood up.
He moved a little too quickly and almost stepped on the hem of his own clothes, so he held on to the tree trunk to steady himself.
"Chen, Senior Brother Chen." His voice was low and somewhat reserved, "Senior brother, are you looking for me?"
Chen Jianghe nodded.
He did not exchange greetings and asked directly, "Junior Brother Fei, does he know that Senior Sister Liu can be in the hospital today?"
Fei Wenli was slightly startled, as if he didn't expect that he came here specifically to ask about this. But he didn't ask any more questions.
"Senior Sister Liu went to Sharpening Martial Cliff at about ten o'clock." He answered quickly and in a steady voice, "I haven't returned yet."
After a pause, he added, "Senior sister will go to the cliff to practice every morning, rain or shine. Today it seems that she practiced for an extra long time."
He paused, his eyes fell on Chen Jianghe's right shoulder, and he lowered his voice. "Senior Brother Chen. What happened to Black Wind Cave that day - I heard that you were injured by Gang Jin. Are you feeling better?"
Chen Jianghe nodded. "It's okay."
Fei Wenli was visibly relieved, with an unskilled smile on his lips.
He didn't seem to be very good at making small talk with others, and he got stuck after saying this sentence.
Chen Jianghe suddenly asked, "Junior Brother Fei's <Hundred Herbs Illustrated Manual>, which page have you memorized?"
Fei Wenli was startled.
He lowered his head and looked at the rolled-up illustrated book in his arms, his ears reddening. "Three hundred --- three hundred and seventeen pages. There are one hundred and eighty-three kinds left."
After a pause, his voice became even lower. "I don't have a good memory either. I can only make more efforts before the stupid bird flies."
Door Chen Jianghe nodded.
"Three hundred and seventeen pages." He repeated the number in a calm tone, "Work hard and you will reap the rewards. There is no need to belittle yourself."
Fei Wenli looked up suddenly.
He looked at Chen Jianghe, his lips moved, but he couldn't say a word.
There are too many and complicated things surging in those eyes that are always lowered and somewhat reserved -
Shock, disbelief, and a hint of warmth that has been suppressed for so long that I almost forgot how to express it.
Chen Jianghe said nothing more.
He nodded to Fei Wenli, turned around and walked in the direction of Sharpening Martial Cliff.
Behind him, Fei Wenli stood under the old locust tree, holding the rolled-up illustrated book and did not move for a long time.