After leaving the Yamen, Chen Xun prepared to head home with Old Li and his granddaughter.
Seeing that Chen Xun had not brought Black Tiger out, Old Li sighed inwardly. He guessed the Town Lord must have confiscated it, but dared not say anything. As long as Chen Xun was safe, that was enough.
Chen Xun smiled and offered no further explanation.
Only when they ran into the eagerly waiting proprietor of the Spring Breeze Restaurant halfway home, and Old Li heard their conversation, did he learn that Chen Xun had sold Black Tiger to the Town Lord.
The proprietor sighed and left in disappointment.
Since the Town Lord had beaten him to it, there was nothing the proprietor could do.
Nor did he blame Chen Xun. After all, if the Town Lord wanted Black Tiger, then as far as he was concerned, Chen Xun had no choice. He might even have been forced to sell it for a pittance.
They continued home, and neither Old Li nor Li Yuan asked how much Black Tiger had sold for.
In their eyes, that was Chen Xun's own money, and it would be inappropriate to pry.
Of course, neither Old Li nor Li Yuan coveted his money in the slightest.
Evening came.
Chen Xun sat down to dinner with Old Li and his family.
Halfway through the meal, Chen Xun suddenly put down his chopsticks, took out a money pouch, and held it out to Old Li.
Old Li froze, while Li Yuan stared at the pouch in surprise.
"Chen Xun, what are you..." Old Li had an inkling.
Chen Xun smiled. "This is the money from selling Black Tiger. It's for you and Yuanyuan."
Old Li said haltingly, "Chen Xun, keep that money yourself. You'll surely need it someday. Yuanyuan and I aren't after your money."
Chen Xun gave a helpless smile. "There isn't much in there, Grandpa Li. Please take it. Otherwise, after eating and drinking here for free all this time, I won't be able to rest easy."
Old Li wanted to say more.
Seeing that Chen Xun was still holding out his hand, Li Yuan said, "Grandpa, just accept Brother Chen's kindness. Think of it as keeping his savings for him!"
"All right, all right." Old Li had no choice but to accept the pouch. "Chen Xun, I'll keep this saved up for you, then. When you get married or need it for anything else, just ask me for it."
Old Li and Li Yuan assumed there probably was not much money in the pouch. Only then did they reluctantly accept it, intending to save it for Chen Xun.
Little did they know that it contained one hundred gold.
Only then did Chen Xun nod and smile.
Li Yuan gazed at his smile in a daze, her thoughts a mystery.
After dinner.
Chen Xun stood in the courtyard, his head tilted back as he quietly watched the stars in the night sky.
"Brother Chen."
Li Yuan's voice suddenly sounded beside him.
Still looking at the night sky, Chen Xun smiled. "What is it, Yuanyuan?"
Li Yuan tipped her head up slightly and watched his profile for a moment, then lowered her gaze. "Are you leaving soon, Brother Chen?"
Chen Xun paused, then turned to look at her. Realizing she had noticed something during dinner, he nodded. "Yes."
Hearing his answer, Li Yuan felt a pang of reluctance to part. "Then... where will you go?"
A trace of uncertainty flickered in Chen Xun's eyes. He shook his head and said softly, "I'm nothing but rootless duckweed. Wherever I drift, that's where I'll stay."
Li Yuan's lips parted slightly, her gaze blank. For some reason, an inexplicable ache rose in her heart.
Brother Chen, standing before her, gave her the sense of a loneliness that spanned eternity-a loneliness she could neither describe nor explain.
Li Yuan badly wanted to say that since he had no home, he should stay here and make this his home. Yet somehow, she already knew he would refuse.
Li Yuan murmured, "Will you come back, then, Brother Chen?"
Chen Xun considered for a moment. "Perhaps."
He added, "When I have time, I'll come back to visit Little River Town."
The tension in Li Yuan's heart eased a little. She nodded silently, unsure what else to say.
Chen Xun turned toward her. "Yuanyuan, come to think of it, where are your parents and grandmother?"
Sadness flashed in Li Yuan's eyes. "There was a terrible drought that year, and we had no food at home. So many people died in Little River Town. Father, Mother, and Grandmother all starved to death. Grandpa almost... Fortunately, Town Lord Ji Bochang took office just in time and brought famine relief grain. That saved Grandpa's life. Afterward, Grandpa and I had only each other, and we've been together ever since. More than ten years have gone by in the blink of an eye."
Chen Xun nodded slightly and gently patted Li Yuan's head. After withdrawing his hand, he offered no further words of comfort.
Natural disasters were merciless. Li Yuan could already be considered fortunate. Who knew how many elderly people, women, and children had died in those calamities?
Being alive was enough.
Li Yuan hid her sadness and giggled. "Brother Chen, when you leave, you have to say goodbye to Grandpa and me! Let us see you off! Don't suddenly leave without a word, all right?"
Chen Xun nodded with a smile. "All right."
The moon was dark, the wind high.
Old Li and Li Yuan had long since drifted off to sleep.
Inside Chen Xun's room.
Chen Xun slowly opened his eyes on the bed, and then his figure gradually faded away.
Meanwhile, in the government prison.
The two jailers were also snoring away. In this sealed prison, the prisoners could not escape even without anyone guarding them.
Most of the prisoners were asleep as well.
Only three prisoners stared at one another through the cold iron bars, their eyes dull.
These three prisoners were, of course, Da Wei, Xu Qiang, and Skinny Monkey, who had been locked up earlier that day.
"Skinny Monkey, this is all your fault. What kind of rotten plan was that? Now we have to spend two years in prison! Damn it! If we'd known, we'd have been better off just stealing it and making a run for it!"
Xu Qiang sighed.
Skinny Monkey bristled at his words. "Second Brother, you can't put all the blame on me! My plan would definitely have worked. We just had too little time and weren't prepared enough. Who could've guessed Black Tiger wouldn't have a single wound on its body?!"
Xu Qiang nodded silently. "You have a point. Looks like Chen Xun was telling the truth. It probably really was an immortal's doing. Black Tiger's injuries must have been inside its body."
Da Wei's eyes slowly regained their focus. He said weakly, "Enough. Stop talking about it. What's done is done. We should just behave ourselves and serve our two years."
Now everything, including getting married, would have to be postponed for another two years. How many two-year stretches did a person have in a lifetime?
"Hiss..."
Perhaps he had pulled at a wound, for Da Wei sucked in a sharp breath of pain.
Skinny Monkey pressed his lips together and lowered his voice. "Big Brother, Second Brother, once we get out, we can't let Chen Xun off. We ended up like this because of him! Hmph!"
Da Wei's and Xu Qiang's eyes shifted at his words, but neither said anything.
In truth, they knew they had brought this upon themselves, but they simply could not swallow their anger.
And what could they do if they could not swallow it?
They could hardly take it out on the Town Lord or the Yamen. They would not dare!
That left only Chen Xun for them to vent their anger on.
"Those are harsh words, gentlemen. Just what heinous crime have I committed to make the three of you hate me so?"
Suddenly, an ethereal voice sounded beside their ears.
All three jolted and immediately looked around, then exchanged startled, bewildered glances. Each saw the terror in the others' eyes!
Then a young man appeared out of thin air like a ghost...
Their pupils abruptly contracted, and they recoiled in fright!
Chen... Chen Xun!!
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