Ma Sanniang crossed her legs. "If you're worried, I can ask around for you. It's best to be careful about this sort of thing, after all."
"Thank you, then."
Li Ping'an was about to leave.
Ma Sanniang stopped him. "Hey! Are you sure you don't want the gold, silver, and treasures you brought back?"
"I won't take ill-gotten wealth. Keep it as compensation for not taking the commission this time. Don't forget to give some money to those two sisters."
Ma Sanniang snorted. "You really are a slippery one. All this talk of refusing ill-gotten wealth-you're clearly just afraid of bringing trouble down on yourself."
Li Ping'an smiled and offered no further explanation.
In truth, those treasures really were of little use to him.
Put on the market, they could practically be considered antiquities.
As for converting them into cash, never mind the Anbei Four Garrisons.
Even across the whole of Great Sui, there probably weren't many people wealthy enough to manage it.
Calling them chicken ribs was no exaggeration: tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away.
Besides, once these things reached the market, people from both the lawful and criminal worlds would surely set their sights on them.
Then he would become the target of every arrow, hunted throughout Jianghu.
"Ah... I suppose I'll have to take those treasures to the grave."
Then Ma Sanniang abruptly changed her tune. "Still, I'll be content as long as I can sleep with them in my arms every night."
"Be careful. Don't let anyone with an eye for them find out."
Li Ping'an reminded her.
"Don't worry. I've roamed Jianghu for years. I know better than to flaunt my wealth."
Li Ping'an left the Spring Beauty Courtyard and encountered a few of his listeners along the way, greeting them with a nod.
It was getting late, and some of the stalls had already begun packing up.
Before he knew it, he had reached the city gate.
Duha sat atop a stone lion, propping up her head as she gazed beyond the gate.
When she spotted Li Ping'an, she called out brightly, "Uncle, what brings you here?"
"Nothing much. Just taking a stroll. Are you still waiting for your father?"
Duha nodded.
Li Ping'an fell silent for a moment, then said, "Have you ever thought that your father might never come back?"
"He will!" Duha said firmly. "Because he promised me he'd come back. We even made a pinky promise.
"He also said we'd have money when he came back, and our family could live in a big house.
"Aliya would get to go to school. Uncle, do you know about private schools?
"The ones with an old teacher who has a white beard.
"If Aliya goes to a private school, she'll make lots of friends and learn lots of things.
"And we can buy Aliya a pretty pair of shoes, and Father can marry us another mother.
"Father gets lonely all by himself..."
Duha chattered on, telling Li Ping'an about all her lovely hopes.
Li Ping'an patiently listened in silence.
"And then we can find you a really amazing doctor, Uncle. They'll definitely be able to cure your eyes."
The little girl had a kind heart. She thought of her father and her sister.
Even Li Ping'an and Old Ox were included, yet she never mentioned herself.
Li Ping'an smiled. "I believe all of those things will come true."
Duha gazed at the fiery sunset and nodded emphatically.
Time slipped by, and before long, November had arrived.
Overall, it was a fairly uneventful month. Everything had grown much calmer.
After [The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring] reached level 3, its growth became very slow.
There probably wouldn't be another breakthrough for a long time.
Li Ping'an had still made some improvements.
They simply hadn't amounted to much change in his progress.
[Name: Li Ping'an, age: 26] [The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring lv3 (52/10000)] [Lifespan: 130] [Wind-Listening Saber Technique: 90%] [Draw-Sword Technique * Diagonal Rising Draw: 60%] [Turtle Breath Technique: 92%] [Swallow Piercing the Clouds: 30%] Skills: [Aura Lock: 60%]
The greatest breakthroughs had been in Swallow Piercing the Clouds and Aura Lock.
Swallow Piercing the Clouds was a lightness technique.
Li Ping'an's movements grew swifter, and he could execute the technique more smoothly.
If he encountered another situation like the one in Luoshui City, he couldn't promise anything else, but escaping, at least, would be no problem.
Aura Lock had also undergone a qualitative change after passing 50%.
Even without exchanging blows, he could judge how an opponent's force gathered and dispersed, the true extent of their strength, and their intended target from their gaze, bearing, and the vital energy they unconsciously gave off.
However, he had run out of medicinal ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder again.
Because of the region, buying these ingredients in the Anbei Four Garrisons cost several times the usual price.
Even with the generous payment from the commission, Li Ping'an could hardly afford them.
If he had them, he had them. If not, he wouldn't force the matter.
Li Ping'an lived peacefully, but the world outside was far less tranquil.
With South City Master Meng's faction gone, the major gangs had carved up the south of the city.
Friction was constant as they fought for a larger share of the profits.
The Fire Bear Gang and the Venomous Snake Gang, which controlled the street where Li Ping'an lived, also began competing fiercely.
Liu Er came calling more and more often, always asking for money and nothing else.
His demands grew more frequent, and his appetite grew larger.
Each time, he asked for between one and two qian, which made Li Ping'an's heart ache.
He had no choice but to cut back on his drinking outings.
"Why are you asking for money again? Didn't we just pay yesterday?"
An old woman on the street couldn't help complaining.
But one look at Liu Er's fierce, menacing expression silenced her at once.
Although Liu Er belonged to Jianghu, he wasn't bad at heart. He spoke with considerable helplessness.
"Granny, we're fighting hard against the Venomous Snake Gang right now.
"Settlement allowances, medical bills-don't they all take money?
"But don't worry. Once we wipe out the Venomous Snake Gang, everyone will be able to live a good life."
I hope the world becomes a little more peaceful.
Li Ping'an silently murmured to himself.
Some rejoiced while others grieved.
Aliya began attending a private school, and every day after classes, she happily carried firewood home on her back.
Li Ping'an had asked Ma Sanniang to give Duha and Aliya a sum of money.
To the sisters, it was an astronomical amount.
Ma Sanniang had someone pose as a good friend of their father's and deliver the money to them, along with a lovely story she had invented.
Their father was working somewhere very far away and couldn't get away for the time being.
But he had earned a great deal of money, and this was what he had entrusted to a friend to bring to his daughters.
Thanks to that money, Aliya was able to attend a private school.
Duha also expanded her street stall considerably.
Li Ping'an liked this peaceful life.
As the end of the year approached, something neither particularly big nor small happened: the Fire Bear Gang was swallowed up by the Venomous Snake Gang.
Apparently, someone higher up had given the word. The Fire Bear Gang's leader had crossed certain lines and been knocked out of the game.
A new gang took control of Li Ping'an's street.
Its first move was to reassure the residents. The Venomous Snake Gang's leader brought gifts and went from door to door, buying people's goodwill.
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