Hidden Wounds (Bonus Chapter, Asking for Monthly Votes)

After confirming that Stone's injuries had indeed healed seventy to eighty percent, Jiang Fu'an still could not fully set his mind at ease.

Seizing the chance, he summoned Stone's status panel:

[Name: Jiang Xiangchun]

[Lifespan: 59]

[Hidden Wound: 1 location (reduces lifespan by 1 year)]

[Fate: Rebirth from Death (Blue)]

[Spiritual Root: Four-Element Metal-Wood-Fire-Earth Spiritual Root]

[Special Physique: Devouring Physique (Purple)]

Sure enough!

Seeing the newly added words "Hidden Wound," followed by the tiny note "reduces lifespan by one year," Jiang Fu'an's heart sank, and he let out a silent sigh.

He had long noticed that once a person was injured, even if the surface healed, hidden wounds would most likely remain within.

Ordinary people could not see them and simply assumed they had recovered.

But in truth, most people carried hidden wounds in their bodies. Those who truly lived to die of old age were few and far between.

He waved away the panel and turned his thoughts to the people from Mountain-Calming Martial Hall.

Why had this group come all the way to his home?

Jiang Fu'an ran it through his mind. Counting everything, he had only dealt with people from that martial hall twice.

Once was several years ago, when someone came to steal in the night. He had caught the thief red-handed and scared him off.

The other time was when Xu the Elder and the others had run into them on the battlefield and exchanged blows.

Thinking of this, he turned to look at Xu the Elder, who was squatting beneath the eaves, sharpening his blade with a rasping shhk, shhk.

"Xu the Elder, back on the battlefield, did you and your brother ever injure or kill anyone from Mountain-Calming Martial Hall?"

Xu the Elder answered without even thinking:

"Master, neither my brother nor I injured them. Those people were tough as nails. We were no match for them."

He had turned this question over in his heart countless times already, so his answer was utterly decisive.

Hearing this, Jiang Fu'an nodded thoughtfully.

If Xu the Elder and his brother had not formed a blood feud with them, then those three thieves most likely had not come for their sake.

Could it really be that the thief he had frightened away years ago had harbored a grudge all this time and seized this chance to take revenge?

He mulled it over and felt that the possibility was not small.

Earlier, Seedling had been chosen by the Melodious Sound Sect, and the family had received a reward.

This time, he had traveled far from home, leaving only women and children behind.

If that man had truly remained bitter all these years, it made sense for him to come knocking at such a moment.

"What did you do with the bodies of those three men?"

Jiang Fu'an asked again.

Xu the Elder jerked his chin toward the west.

"They were buried over by the mass graves outside the village. Does Master want to go inspect them?"

Jiang Fu'an fell silent for a while, then shook his head.

He had originally wanted to identify them and see whether one of them was that thief from years ago.

But after thinking carefully, the chances of recognizing him were slim.

The moonlight had been dim that night, and he had never clearly seen the thief's features.

Now that several days had passed since the burial, the corpses had likely changed beyond recognition.

But this matter could not simply be left at that.

How could one guard against thieves for a thousand days?

He had to find a way to uproot this source of disaster.

He gave the order in a low voice:

"Xu the Elder, pick someone clever from the Hunting Team and have him look into that newly emerged band of thieves.

"Best if he can find out where their den is and learn everything about it."

Xu the Elder's eyes immediately lit up.

He gave a heavy acknowledgment, plunged the half-sharpened blade into a water bucket, wiped his hands, and hurried off to make arrangements.

He had long been holding back his desire to avenge his brother, but he had been too weak and alone.

Now that his master also wanted to deal with them, the chances of success had risen greatly.

But he was mistaken. Jiang Fu'an had no intention of personally taking up a blade and charging into battle.

He did not want himself—or Stone—to gain any more hidden wounds.

Ma Ping had also suffered greatly at the hands of those people last time and had nearly lost his life.

Once the information was gathered, all he needed to do was pass it to him. The entire Wang Family naturally would not let them go.

After dinner, the whole family gathered in the main hall.

Jiang Fu'an took out the bundle he had brought back from Melodious Sound City, smiling as he spoke.

"Seedling has been thinking of the family. She prepared a gift for every one of you."

As he spoke, he first took out two eggs the size of fists from the bundle and handed them toward Yue'er.

"These were specially given to you by your sister—"

Before he could finish, Yue'er let out a startled cry and reached out to hug them.

"Such huge eggs! I've never eaten eggs this big before!"

Jiang Fu'an did not know whether to laugh or cry. Smiling, he scolded her.

"You little glutton, all you think about is eating! These aren't for you to eat.

"They're Half-Spirit Beast eggs. Your sister wants you to raise them properly. Once they hatch and grow up, they can help guard the home."

"Ah... so that's how it is."

Yue'er suddenly understood, and some of her excitement faded.

Jiang Fu'an then took out a dagger that felt quite heavy in his hand and looked at Stone.

"This is from your sister. It has spiritual material, Purple Essence Iron, mixed into it, and it's extremely sharp.

"Use it carefully. Be sure not to hurt yourself."

Stone hurriedly extended both hands and solemnly accepted it.

He gently drew the dagger and examined it beneath the lamplight, his eyes gleaming brightly.

He did not look as though he were examining a weapon, but rather admiring a treasure rarely seen in all the world.

In truth, before taking out the dagger, a trace of hesitation had passed through Jiang Fu'an's heart.

When he heard Stone recount how he had dealt with those three thieves during the day, he realized that when the boy spoke of taking lives, his tone was as calm as if he were describing the slaughter of three ordinary wild beasts.

That indifference startled him somewhat.

Yet the thought passed in a flash.

In this world where the strong were revered, if one's heart was not hard enough and one's hand not ruthless enough, one might instead fail to live long.

Jiang Fu'an thought there was no need to deliberately restrain him.

If anything happened again in the future, he could offer guidance from the side, teaching him to know his limits and making sure he did not step onto the wicked path of bloodthirsty slaughter.

Afterward, Jiang Fu'an took out a jujube-red wooden box, roughly five inches square.

He looked toward Su Wanqing, who sat beside him.

"This is from Seedling for you. See if you like it."

Su Wanqing was clearly stunned and asked somewhat uncertainly:

"Seedling brought me a gift too?"

In her memory, the three children had never been close to her.

Seedling truly had not thought of it. Jiang Fu'an had specially reminded her.

But naturally, he could not tell her that truthfully. Jiang Fu'an spoke as though it were only right.

"What are you saying? You're her mother. Isn't it only natural for a daughter to buy something for her mother?

"Don't just sit there. Open it and take a look."

Only then did Su Wanqing accept the wooden box with both hands.

Hooking her thumb around the small bronze clasp, she gave it a gentle pull, and the lid sprang open.

The first thing that met her eyes was a small bronze mirror affixed to the inside of the lid. Its surface had been polished to a brilliant shine, clearly reflecting her face.

Inside the box lay several small porcelain jars and paper packets arranged neatly in rows, filled with rouge and fragrant powders of various colors.

Her eyes gradually curved into lovely crescents, and the smile on her lips could not be hidden.

"Seedling is truly thoughtful. I like this gift very much."

Finally, Jiang Fu'an took out a tiger doll the size of a pillow from the bottom of the bundle, sewn from colorful scraps of cloth.

The tiger was made with an adorably foolish charm, round eyes and a wide mouth, looking both imposing and cute.

He walked to the small wooden bed by the wall, bent down, and gently said to Xiang Qian inside.

"Xiang Qian, look. This is the big tiger your sister gave you. Do you like it?"

Little Xiang Qian's bright black eyes were immediately drawn to the vividly colored thing. He babbled and stretched out his two chubby hands, grabbing the cloth tiger in a single embrace.

He began making streams of incomprehensible babbling sounds.

Though he could now vaguely call out "Father" and "Mother," most of the time, he still spoke in the "baby language" only he himself understood.