A Way Out

Watching Jiang Feng walk out of the Guard Hall without looking back, the two guards at the door slipped inside one after the other and sidled up to Tie Rong.

One raised his eyebrows and gave a probing smile.

"Steward Tie, that kid didn't look too happy when he left. Has he finally given in completely? Handed over everything he had to you?"

The other hurried to chime in, his face plastered with flattery.

"Of course he has. Apart from Young Master Wu, who in the Medicine Hall would dare go against you, sir?

What's more, he's just a runt who only recently became a guard. Even if you gave him two more gallbladders, he wouldn't dare disobey."

They chimed in together, laying on the flattery thick enough to shake the rafters.

Tie Rong glanced sideways at them and shook his head with a sneer.

"You're underestimating that kid.

I squeezed quite a bit out of him, but I haven't gotten anywhere near the bottom of his purse.

He could cough up fifty taels in one go. He's got more tucked away than I thought.

Tsk, I'd planned to squeeze him once and be done with it, but it looks like I can't let him off that easily after all."

The two guards were secretly stunned. Together, everything they owned wasn't worth fifty taels, yet that apprentice who'd once seemed so insignificant could produce that much money without a second thought.

"Steward Tie, want us to do something? Trip him up a little, make him give in sooner."

One guard leaned forward, greed gleaming in his eyes. He clearly hoped to pick up some scraps for himself, too.

The other quickly backed him up. "That's right. Leave it to us brothers, and we'll make sure he won't have a leg to stand on."

Tie Rong waved them off. A sinister smile curled his lips as he spoke unhurriedly.

"No need to go to all that trouble. Just spread the word: nobody else is to get too close to Jiang Feng. Isolate him completely.

The cultivation method and martial technique I gave him just now were both incomplete.

Without anyone to guide him, he'll be practicing blindly. It wouldn't be surprising if he wrecked his body or crippled himself. When that happens, he'll be clutching his silver and crawling on his knees to beg me."

The two guards exchanged a look, then gave him matching thumbs-up, their faces beaming with praise.

"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! No wonder you're Steward Tie. You can make that kid obedient without lifting a finger. We could never compare to you."

Tie Rong leaned back in his chair, arrogance and disdain plain on his face. A cruel, amused glint flickered in his eyes, as if he were watching a show whose ending was already decided.

"He's practiced Iron Stake Technique for a few years and thinks he's somebody?

I'd like to see what a pitiful sight he'll be when he's crippled himself."

Meanwhile, after leaving the Guard Hall, Jiang Feng went straight to the Medicine Hall's main chamber.

Although Tie Rong had acknowledged him as a guard, Jiang Feng had no intention of staying in the Guard Hall. Tie Rong had made his hostility impossible to miss, and if Jiang Feng stubbornly stayed, his days would likely be even harder than they had been under Xue Zhao.

If he wanted to keep his footing in the Medicine Hall, he would have to find another way forward.

As soon as he entered the main chamber, Jiang Feng found Xie Shu without difficulty.

Xie Shu was bent over his desk, a letter clutched in his hand. His brows were knitted so tightly they nearly tied themselves in a knot, and his expression was grave.

Seeing him like that, Jiang Feng had meant to come back another time, but Xie Shu looked up and spotted him first.

"Hey, Jiang Feng? What brings you here at this hour? Weren't you supposed to report to the Guard Hall today?"

Jiang Feng immediately put on a smile and walked over, his tone light and respectful.

"Steward Tie told me to report to the Patrol Team this afternoon, so I had some time to spare and thought I'd come tell you. After all, I only managed to get into the Guard Hall thanks to your help."

He said nothing about the indignities he'd suffered in the Guard Hall. There was no point.

The various halls of the Medicine Hall operated independently. Even if Xie Shu wanted to help, he couldn't reach into the Guard Hall.

Xie Shu stroked his beard and chuckled. Some of the worry in his brow eased, and his tone softened.

"Hahaha, Jiang Feng, you're far too honest. You don't have to be so polite with me."

Jiang Feng smiled and agreed. Then he picked up the teapot on the desk and refilled Xie Shu's long-empty cup. As if asking casually, he spoke with just the right note of concern.

"Shopkeeper Xie, you look troubled. Has something else happened at the Medicine Hall?"

Xie Shu let out a heavy sigh and tossed the letter onto the desk. He picked up his teacup, took a long gulp, then spoke at last.

"Alas, it's a letter from the Wu Family.

The evil presence in Black Water Town is bad enough, but now there have been sightings in Ping'an County, too.

Martial arts schools and shops in the county have been attacked one after another, and several of the Wu Family's businesses have suffered losses.

The Wu Family has issued a strict order for Benevolent Heart Medicine Hall to step up pill production and increase the supply of Blood-Qi Pills, but it's not something we can do just by saying so.

Each Alchemist only has so much energy in a day. Even if I wanted to recruit more people, I couldn't do it overnight."

The more he spoke, the more frustrated he became. He tipped back his head and drained his tea, then sighed heavily again, his voice full of helplessness.

A flicker passed through Jiang Feng's eyes. Without drawing attention to himself, he refilled Xie Shu's cup and brought it up as if it had just occurred to him.

"Shopkeeper Xie, to be honest, I actually like alchemy more than martial arts. Alchemist Song once praised me, too, and said I had some talent for it.

Could you... transfer me to the Alchemy Hall?"

Xie Shu stared at him for a moment, then shook his head with an amused smile. He lifted his teacup and took a sip, his tone gentle, like an elder offering advice to a junior.

"You just set foot in the Guard Hall, and already you've got your eye on the Alchemy Hall?

It's good to be ambitious, but you shouldn't rush things.

Besides, you can't prove you have talent just by saying so. You'll have to try your hand at it first."

Jiang Feng saw that although Xie Shu had turned down his request, he wasn't displeased. So he pressed a little further, earnest but not pushy.

"Shopkeeper Xie, I'm only hoping to lighten your burden. Why not ask Alchemist Song? When I was assisting him before, he told me himself that he'd been refining pills much faster than usual."

Xie Shu paused. He did vaguely remember that.

In those few days, Song Huai had refined two or three tenths more Blood-Qi Pills than usual. Though Xie Shu had never believed Jiang Feng possessed any extraordinary talent for alchemy, on reflection, the boy's presence might indeed have helped Song Huai work a little more efficiently.

After a moment's hesitation, he sighed and set down his teacup.

"Very well. I'm heading to the Alchemy Hall now, anyway. Since you say so, I'll ask Song Huai whether he'd be willing to take on an Alchemy Boy.

But let me be clear: getting into the Alchemy Hall won't be as simple as you think. Song Huai's standards for an Alchemy Boy are entirely different from those for an apprentice. You'd better be ready to be turned down."

Jiang Feng's face lit up with undisguised delight. He quickly cupped his hands in thanks, but inside, he remained completely confident.

When he'd assisted in the Alchemy Hall before, Song Huai had occasionally taught him a few alchemy methods. It was obvious that he'd been testing the waters and trying to nurture him.

Given that, Jiang Feng was certain Song Huai wouldn't refuse.

Even if he did, Jiang Feng wasn't worried. He could simply fire up the furnace and refine a pill on the spot. With his current skill, once Xie Shu saw his ability with his own eyes, he wouldn't keep him out of the Alchemy Hall—not when they were so desperate for Alchemists.