In truth, he had never openly fallen out with Chu Fan, right up to the very end. Even his deal with Xu Commandant to have Chu Fan killed in prison was known to no third party. He had maintained appearances impeccably. But he knew that, with Chu Fan's narrow-minded nature, Chu Fan would certainly count him as an enemy. Besides, the man had already screwed him over once during the Martial Examination Trials.
The tower ship sailed north toward Big Stone County. Out on the broad river, Zhao Feng gazed at the banks of the Lancang River. Compared with when he had come a year and a half ago, the houses and roads on either bank were still dilapidated, but the great bands of ragged refugees traveling along the roads had visibly dwindled.
After three days and nights of sailing, the distant outline of Big Stone County gradually emerged from a blur into clarity.
Zhao Feng stood at the bow, feeling a little of that apprehension that came with nearing home. He had long since come to regard his parents, brother, and sister-in-law as his true family. This was his hometown.
The tower ship docked at the wharf outside the city, where a carriage from the Four Seas Trading House was already waiting.
The carriage carried the three of them into the County Seat. Dawn had not yet broken, and the morning mist had yet to fully disperse, but the whole town was gradually awakening, filled everywhere with the lively bustle of everyday life. In the Outer City, commoners in patched clothes had already risen to begin a day of hard work.
Zhao Feng lifted the carriage's window curtain and looked at the familiar streets. The familiar atmosphere of his hometown's streets and markets washed over him, bringing a smile