Aftermath

At home, Zhang Cai and the others had already cleaned everything up and were sitting in chairs waiting for them. Even the old lady lying in the sickbed had gotten up. Guo Sufi hurriedly had Zhang Xiaolong speak to his grandmother and explain that his arm was not seriously injured. Only then did the old lady set her mind at ease and return to her room to rest.

When Zhang Cai saw Zhang Xiaolong enter with his arm bandaged, he knew there was no major problem and finally relaxed. Only then did he feel the pain all over his body and the crushing exhaustion in his limbs. He quickly asked Guo Sufi to arrange somewhere for the two girls to stay. This gave Guo Sufi quite a headache. There were not many rooms in the house to begin with, and Zhang Xiaolong and his two brothers were already crammed into one room. Seeing Guo Sufi's troubled expression, Liu Qian said, "Auntie, the two of us can make do for one night. Please don't put yourself out." After thinking it over, Guo Sufi gave up her own room and had the two girls sleep with her. She drove Zhang Cai into the little room shared by Zhang Xiaolong and his brothers, while Zhang Xiaohua slept with his grandmother. Fortunately, everyone had a place to stay in the end.

After watching the two girls enter the room to sleep, Zhang Cai took out the healing medicine Wen Wenhai had left behind and gave it to Zhang Xiaolong and his brothers. He also applied the external healing medicine to Zhang Xiaohu and Zhang Xiaohua before letting the three brothers go to bed.

Once the children had returned to their room, Guo Sufi pulled Zhang Cai aside and asked what had happened. After Zhang Cai told her every detail of the day's events, Guo Sufi turned pale as death. Her body trembled slightly as she wept softly, saying again and again, "Children's father, we almost never would have seen you again. We only went out to the market for the New Year, and we ran into something like this."

Zhang Cai comforted her. "It's all right, children's mother. Hasn't it all passed? Hurry and put away this token and these banknotes. When morning comes, we'll take the two girls home and give them half as well." Guo Sufi said, "That is so much silver. We would never see this much in our entire lives. Shouldn't we return it to them instead?"

Zhang Cai said solemnly, "We don't know who they are. Besides, our benefactor was right—if we rashly try to return it, they might even take our lives. The lives of Agriculturalists like us are worthless. If they come for it later, we'll simply give it back." Guo Sufi nodded and agreed.

After the old couple finished talking, Zhang Cai finally took the medicine meant for internal use and had Guo Sufi apply the external healing medicine to him. He slept in Zhang Xiaohua's spot. After Zhang Cai lay down, Guo Sufi went to check on Xiaolong and his two brothers. Seeing that they had all fallen asleep, she finally returned to her room.

The two girls had been frightened all day and were exhausted long ago. The instant their heads touched the pillows, they fell asleep. They did not notice when Guo Sufi came in. Looking at their peaceful faces, Guo Sufi smiled kindly. Then, as though she had thought of something, she became lost in thought.

That afternoon, after Wen Wenhai left the healing medicine for Zhang Cai and the others, he and his junior sister used their lightness skill for some distance. Seeing that they were about to reach the main road, the two stopped. Wen Wenhai said, "Junior Sister, we're about to reach the main road. We can't keep using lightness skill. We were so busy saving people this afternoon that we left our horses in town. What should we do about the road ahead?"

His junior sister said softly, "I will follow Senior Brother's arrangements." Her voice was still pleasant to hear, yet it carried an air of indifference.

Wen Wenhai gave a bitter smile and rubbed his nose. "Junior Sister, you usually pay no heed to people or affairs, as if you are cold to everything under heaven. Why did you insist that I save those people this afternoon? You even left behind your own token. What if those Agriculturalists use it to do something bad? You would have no way to explain it to Master."

His junior sister said, "I must thank Senior Brother for acting this afternoon. As for the token, I will report it to Master. I believe Master will understand me."

Wen Wenhai said, "Forget it. We'll go back and explain it to Master together. I should have acted this afternoon anyway. To uproot the strong and aid the weak is the duty of us martial artists. It was only because we had a mission that I did not act sooner, allowing Zhang Cai's family to be injured."

His junior sister smiled. "I knew Senior Brother was kindhearted and would not stand by without helping."

Wen Wenhai said, "You little girl, you've been cold on the outside but warm at heart since childhood. We grew up together—how could I not understand what you were thinking? But it is still early. According to what that waiter at the tavern said yesterday, there is still quite a distance to go. We cannot delay any longer. Let's retrieve the horses and ride there."

His junior sister gave the same reply as before. "I will follow Senior Brother's arrangements."

Wen Wenhai considered for a moment. "Junior Sister, you are wearing a veil and would attract attention. Wait here while I go to the inn in town and fetch the horses." Without waiting for her response, he strode toward Lu Town. Her words, "I will follow Senior Brother's arrangements," never left her lips.

After about the time it took an incense stick to burn, hoofbeats sounded from the direction of the main road. His junior sister looked up and saw Wen Wenhai indeed riding over on a horse. When his horse reached her, she caught the reins he tossed her, stepped into the stirrup, and swung herself onto the saddle. With a snap of the reins, she shot out like an arrow, racing down the road and leaving dust in her wake. Wen Wenhai shook his head and smiled, then snapped his reins as well and urged his horse after her.

Meanwhile, Zhao Quansheng of the Fierce Tiger Gang led the two short, fat men and a group of servants back in low spirits. Along the way, countless people spotted them from afar and hurriedly avoided them. Many others noticed that they lacked their usual swagger and could not help feeling deeply puzzled. The two men were the sons of wealthy merchants in Lu Town and had done no small number of wicked deeds, bullying men and ravishing women. That day, the elders of their two families had invited the prominent figures of Lu Town to a banquet at their homes, including members of the Fierce Tiger Gang. This gave the two men a chance to sneak out and enjoy themselves in Xiaoyao. By now, the banquet had long ended. Only the Fierce Tiger Gang's leader and the wealthy merchants remained, sitting idly in the garden. Seeing them leave in high spirits and return crestfallen, they found it quite strange and naturally summoned them for questioning. Seeing that the two fat men were cringing and did not dare speak, Zhao Quansheng stepped forward and reported everything one by one. When Zhao Quansheng mentioned that the two had molested a pair of village girls, the wealthy merchants shot the fat men a glare but said nothing. When he went on to say that several Agriculturalists had actually dared resist, one merchant frowned and said, "Where did these mud-legged peasants come from, daring to stir up trouble?"

Zhao Quansheng did not answer him and continued. Only when he mentioned that two martial artists had appeared did the wealthy merchant's expression change, the fat on his face trembling. He looked toward the Fierce Tiger Gang leader, who was his relative and therefore someone he had always been close to. Only then did the leader frown. He said nothing, merely picked up his teacup and took a sip. But once Zhao Quansheng finished and described the token produced by that white-robed scholar, his hand froze. He asked tensely, "What was written on it?"

Still wearing a terrified expression, Zhao Quansheng answered, "Misty!"

Clang! The leader's teacup slipped from his hand and shattered into several pieces on the ground. The wealthy merchant had not been overly concerned at first, but seeing his usually composed relative frightened into such a state, his heart also lurched. He hurriedly asked, "Third Brother Zhao, what is Misty?"

Third Brother Zhao did not answer. He rose to his feet, walked over to the two short, fat men, and raised his hand to strike them. Smack! Smack! Smack! Several slaps landed in quick succession. Their faces immediately swelled, and streaks of blood ran from the corners of their mouths. The two were so frightened that they wanted to flee but did not dare. They could only cry out, "Third Uncle," and beg for mercy. Third Brother Zhao said furiously, "You two ruinous wastes! You have done more than enough wicked things, bullying men and ravishing women. Your fathers have already provided each of you with four concubines—why are you still not satisfied? Was that village girl so beautiful?"

When the two did not dare answer, he pressed them. "Speak! Was she beautiful?"

The two said, "Not especially beautiful. She just looked delicate and pretty, and our hearts started itching..."

Third Brother Zhao laughed in extreme anger. "Not beautiful, and you still had to molest her? Your hands were itching? Your hands truly ought to be chopped off! Do you know how great a disaster you have caused?"

By then, the wealthy merchant also understood the gravity of the matter. He hurried forward and asked, "Third Brother, is the disaster truly that great?"

Third Brother Zhao did not answer. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and pondered for a while before suddenly asking in confusion, "How did you two return in one piece?" The question came so abruptly that the two short, fat men had no idea how to answer.

Zhao Quansheng took over. "Hall Master, this is what happened." He then recounted every detail of what followed. Third Brother Zhao sat back down in his chair, closed his eyes, and said nothing more, as though weighing the matter. One of the fat men who had just been beaten muttered thoughtlessly, "They said two hundred taels of silver, but I didn't count carefully and gave them five hundred taels in banknotes. Once I have time tomorrow, I'll have someone find which mud-legged peasant took the lead. I'll make them return every last bit of that silver."

Third Brother Zhao opened his eyes at that moment. Slamming his palm onto the table in fury, he shouted, "Bastard! You dare? From now on, do not even think of taking that silver back. That was the money you paid to buy your lives!"

The wealthy merchant leaned closer. "Third Brother, why are you speaking in riddles and leaving your little brother completely confused? Five hundred taels is not much, but you must at least tell me the reason."

Third Brother Zhao gave a bitter smile. "Brother, you know Wu Jian Zhuang, do you not?"

The wealthy merchant said in bewilderment, "Of course I do. Isn't it the great backer of your Fierce Tiger Gang? Naturally I know that."

Third Brother Zhao continued, "Then you know the Lotus Escort Agency?"

The wealthy merchant nodded and said that he did.

"Between the Lotus Escort Agency and Wu Jian Zhuang, which is stronger?" Third Brother Zhao asked.

The wealthy merchant laughed. "Their influence is about the same. Neither can gain the upper hand over the other."

Third Brother Zhao gave a bitter smile. "Brother, you flatter us too much. Wu Jian Zhuang falls short of the Lotus Escort Agency by more than one level. Everyone in the martial world knows this. There is no need to gild our faces."

"But what does the Lotus Escort Agency have to do with Misty?" the wealthy merchant asked curiously.

"The Lotus Escort Agency is merely a branch of the Outer Hall of the Misty Sect!" Third Brother Zhao's words were like a massive club smashing down upon everyone's heads. The two short, fat men were stunned. They had never imagined that molesting two not particularly beautiful village girls in tiny Lu Town would bring such an immense disaster upon them! Fortunately, when Zhao Quansheng had demanded silver from them earlier, although they had been extremely unwilling, they had obediently paid it. Otherwise, the two fat men did not dare think any further.