Master Ma

"Hmm? These demons from the Yinyun Sect never give us a moment's peace," Lin Qing remarked.

"Who says otherwise?" Yu Qiuyu echoed.

After chatting for a while, Lin Qing continued practicing martial arts, Yu Qiuyu turned and went back into the house.

In the following days, news of the appearance of Yinyuan Sect Fiend spread throughout Jiangyin County. Then, a young girl died tragically at home, her life force drained and she turned into a dried-up corpse.

The whole city was in an uproar, the people were filled with anxiety, and people were talking about it everywhere.

"Waiter, a bowl of mutton soup noodles, please!"

In the Outer City, at the entrance of an alley, there was a mutton noodle shop. Lin Qing entered the shop, sat down at a table against the wall, and called out a greeting.

"Alright, please wait a moment." The waiter was incredibly enthusiastic.

Before long, a steaming bowl of mutton soup noodles was served, garnished with bright green scallions, and topped with a layer of oil. Stirring it with chopsticks released an irresistible aroma.

Lin Qing picked up a large chopstick and put it in his mouth, chewing it heartily, the aroma of mutton lingering in his mouth.

At the next table, locals were also eating and chatting, discussing the major events that had occurred in the city in the past two days.

"Those damned Yinyuan Sect Fiend! Old Man Yang's daughter from the tofu shop in the alley of the South City was drained of her life force yesterday, leaving him a dried-up corpse. Old Man Yang was so terrified he went insane on the spot."

"Yang Xiaohua is only fifteen years old, such a lovely little girl, how could those beasts do such a thing?"

"Who can argue with that? These beasts deserve to be torn to pieces once they're caught."

While listening to the people around him talking, Lin Qing ate his noodles heartily, and in no time, he had finished the whole bowl of mutton soup noodles.

"Waiter, two more bowls, please!"

A moment later, Lin Qing went out and ate eight large bowls of mutton soup noodles. At this moment, his stomach felt warm and satisfied.

"The mutton smells so good, I wish I could have a bowl of it."

"Xiao Chuanzi, stop dreaming. I'm starving. If only some gentleman could give me a simple steamed bun."

Lin Qing's heart stirred slightly as he heard several young beggars talking in the corner not far from the noodle shop. They were all sallow-faced and thin, and their voices were weak and feeble.

He shook his head, started walking home, and as he reached the door, he suddenly saw a large green sedan chair parked in front of him.

A thought struck him, and he pushed open the door to enter the courtyard, where he saw Lin Cheng talking with an elderly man in a white robe.

"Master Ma, this is too much and too valuable. You should take it back," Lin Cheng said respectfully.

"Take it. My Ma Family is large and prosperous; this little thing is nothing to us," the old man said with a smile.

As he was speaking, his gaze swept across the room and he saw Lin Qing entering.

"Oh? Brother Lin Qing is back! You truly are a handsome and talented man!" The old man's face lit up with a bright smile. "My name is Ma Yuankui, and my daughter Ma Ziye. We had dinner together before, and she's been talking about you every day since she came back, saying that you have a steady temperament, strong abilities, and high Talent, and that you will definitely achieve Major Mastery in the future."

"So it's Master Ma. You flatter me too much. May I ask what brings you here today?" Lin Qing asked.

He paid no attention to these compliments, letting them go in one ear and out the other.

"Yesterday, Lord Ran came to our door and put my Ma Family's thirteen sons to the test. Unfortunately, the others were all useless, and only my daughter Ma Ziye was granted Silver Token."

I've heard that you are Talent and have been granted Gold Token by Lord Wang. You will soon be heading to the Prefectural City, and my daughter will accompany you.

My daughter has never left home since she was little. I'm afraid she'll be bullied if she goes to the Prefectural City. I would appreciate it if you could take care of her. Don't worry, I, Ma Yuankui, won't take advantage of you. Just tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to fulfill it if I can."Ma Yuankui's attitude was very kind, and his posture was very humble.

After hearing this, Lin Qing felt a greater liking for Ma Yuankui.

The fact that only the Ma Family escaped Wang Ling's purging during this incident is enough to prove that the Ma Family is clean.

Moreover, Ma Yuankui has always been known for doing good deeds, and the public's opinion of him is mostly positive.

Thinking of this, Lin Qing said loudly, "I have long heard that Master Ma is a cultured and philanthropic man, and seeing him today, I can confirm it. He has none of the airs of a wealthy man. Moreover, your daughter Ma Ziye, is also a straightforward person, and I admire her character. Once we are in the Prefectural City, we should help each other out. Rest assured, I will help as much as I can within my power."

"That's great. I've heard that Brother Lin is a kind and loyal person. I'm relieved to hear that." Ma Yuankui nodded with a smile.

"I also have a request. I have left home a thousand miles away, and my two elderly parents are left without anyone to take care of them. I would be grateful if you could look after them in the future, sir," Lin Qing said.

"Of course, of course. My Ma Family has a vacant mansion in the Inner City. You can move out anytime. As long as my Ma Family doesn't fall, you can stay here indefinitely," Ma Yuankui replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Ma." Lin Qing nodded slightly, feeling much more at ease.

With Ma Yuankui's promise and the care of Shen Lian, Yang Feng, and others, he believed that even if he wasn't in Jiangyin County, his parents could live a good life.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ma Yuankui left. Lin Cheng stood to the side, quite reserved, not daring to interrupt for fear of saying something wrong. Only now did he dare to speak, "Aqing, Master Ma sent over a huge amount of stuff—rice, flour, cooking oil, and even ginseng! We can barely store it all at home."

Lin Cheng smiled. The news that Lin Qing had been granted Gold Token and would soon be going to the Prefectural City had spread. The neighbors were all very enthusiastic when they saw him, and he felt proud of Lin Qing.

Lin Qing nodded slightly, pushed open the door and entered. Sure enough, he saw a large amount of food piled up in the corner, enough to last for two years.

"We can't finish it, we can't possibly finish it. This is a pastry from the Spring Breeze Hall, it'll spoil soon, we have to eat it quickly." Lin Cheng said, stuffing a large piece of mung bean cake into his mouth, his words muffled.

"Dad, don't waste what you can't finish. Take some to the neighbors. There's a group of beggars at the alley entrance; they look like they're starving. Let's take some food over there too," Lin Qing suggested thoughtfully.

"Aqing is right, don't waste it, doing good deeds is never wrong," Han Ying added from the side.

"Okay, I got it," Lin Cheng said with a chuckle.

In a short while.

At the alley entrance, Lin Qing distributed several boxes of pastries to the group of little beggars.

"Thank you, sir!"

"May the young master enjoy boundless blessings, peace, and a long and healthy life."

"Delicious, so delicious!"

The seven or eight beggar children were starving and kept stuffing food into their mouths, afraid that they wouldn't eat enough.

Seeing this scene, Lin Qing sighed softly. Countless people were starving to death on the streets in this world, and this was all he could do.

On the way back, Lin Qing felt something and glanced back. The alley was empty and there was no one in sight.

He frowned. He had just felt a sudden prickling sensation all over his body, which meant someone nearby was releasing malicious intent. However, he hadn't noticed anyone following him, which meant the stalker was either very strong or very good at stealth.

"Is he Yinyuan Sect Fiend?" Lin Qing murmured to himself.

If so, then things are in trouble. It means that the secret of the Han Family's Hidden Chamber has been exposed, and my situation has become very dangerous.

However, Wang Ling had previously said that he would send people to protect him secretly, so Lin Qing was not too worried.

As Lin Qing walked out of the alley, a thin young man who had been lying on a rooftop nearby slowly stood up.

"Lin Qing has been going alone these past few days, and I haven't noticed anyone behind him. Perhaps I'm overthinking it?" the young man thought to himself.

As he was pondering this, his expression suddenly changed, and he turned around abruptly to see a man in white standing right in front of him.

"Wang, Wang Ling!"

A chill ran through him, and his body stiffened instantly, his eyes filled with fear.