Li Xuan turned around and saw Steward Chen of the Shen Household, whom he had met earlier, jogging over from across the street with a young servant in tow. He was panting, his face full of relief.
"Steward Chen?" Li Xuan sounded surprised.
"Ah, at last I've found you!" Steward Chen patted his chest, caught his breath, and hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting.
"I went to the market to look for you, but heard you had sold everything and left. I asked around along the way, and thankfully, a few neighbors pointed me in this direction after seeing you come here. That was how I caught up! I was afraid you had already left town for your village!"
"Was there something else you needed me for, Steward?" Li Xuan asked.
"Indeed, indeed!" Steward Chen's expression grew solemn. "As soon as my master learned that you had saved their lives, he was eager to thank you in person."
"Furthermore, after the young lady and young master returned home safely, my master immediately went to report the matter to the authorities. The county magistrate was furious to hear that bandits had dared rob and injure people near the official road in broad daylight, and has already dispatched constables to investigate. However..."
"Some details, such as the bandits' movements and appearances, still need to be verified with you, the righteous man who killed them himself. That will help the authorities hunt down any remaining accomplices and keep the area peaceful. My master ordered me to invite you to our residence without fail, both to thank you in person and to give the authorities a clear account of what happened."
He paused, his tone becoming even more earnest.
"My master specifically instructed me not to let you make the trip for nothing. Everyone in the Shen Household will remember this kindness, and you will certainly be handsomely rewarded. Please do us the honor of coming with me."
As Li Xuan listened, thoughts turned over in his mind.
Making connections with a prominent local family might not be a bad thing.
More importantly, although those bandits had been killed, there was no guarantee they had no accomplices or others who knew about them.
If he could use the authorities' help to root them out completely and cut off future trouble for good, it would benefit both his family and the village.
Learning more about the bandits would also help him stay alert whenever he entered the mountain forests in the future.
He nodded. "In that case, I'll come with you. But my elder brother and sister-in-law are still waiting at the market..."
"No trouble, no trouble!" Steward Chen hastily said, pointing to the young servant who had accompanied him.
"I'll send someone to find them, explain what has happened, and take them to a teahouse near the residence to wait. We certainly won't leave them waiting and worrying for long."
Steward Chen led Li Xuan through two flagstone lanes that grew progressively cleaner and quieter, then stopped before an imposing residence.
High walls, blue-gray roof tiles, and vermilion gates stood before them. A plaque reading "Shen Residence" hung above the entrance, flanked by a pair of solemn, majestic stone lions.
Though the servants coming and going wore plain clothes, their steps were brisk and their conduct orderly, revealing an unusual degree of prosperity and good management.
Compared with the bustle of the market, the roughness of the smithy, or even his own little fenced courtyard, this seemed an entirely different world.
The gatekeeper clearly recognized Steward Chen and saw that he was leading a young man dressed in coarse hunting clothes, whose upright bearing could not conceal the dust of his travels.
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but he dared not ask questions and jogged inside to announce them.
Soon, a side gate opened, and a more finely dressed man who looked like a household steward came out to greet them. After nodding to Steward Chen, he politely cupped his hands toward Li Xuan.
"Master Li, our master is waiting in the reception hall. Please follow me."
They passed the screen wall and rounded a covered walkway, and the space before them suddenly opened up.
Though winter had already arrived, the courtyard's pines and cypresses remained verdant, with ornamental rocks artfully arranged among them. There were no blooming flowers, yet the grounds still displayed their owner's refined taste and wealth.
Li Xuan kept his gaze straight ahead, silently committing his surroundings to memory as he followed at an unhurried pace.
Inside the reception hall, a charcoal fire burned warmly, dispelling the chill from outside.
In the seat of honor sat a middle-aged man of about forty, with a fair complexion, a short beard, and an indigo silk robe. His features bore some resemblance to Shen Qingyi's.
He looked more composed and scholarly, however. There was a trace of anger on his face, but his eyes were clear and alert.
Presumably, this was the master of the Shen Household, Shen Wanjun.
Shen Qingyi sat below him, some color having returned to her face. She had changed into a pale moon-white jacket and skirt, which made her look even more delicate and lovely. When Li Xuan entered, she nodded slightly, deep gratitude in her eyes.
Beside her was a boy of seven or eight, studying Li Xuan curiously. He was probably the Shen Household's young master.
Another man sat on Master Shen's other side, dressed in a black official uniform with an iron ruler hanging at his waist.
His expression was stern, his gaze sharp as an eagle's, and there was a lean, formidable air about him as he looked around. He was clearly an officer from the county office.
"Master Li, please, take a seat." Shen Wanjun rose to welcome him with considerable courtesy. "My daughter escaped danger entirely thanks to your righteous intervention. I cannot thank you enough!"
As he spoke, he actually cupped his hands and bowed.
Li Xuan stepped aside to avoid receiving the bow and returned the greeting with clasped fists. "You're too kind, Master Shen. I saw an injustice and did what I could. I don't deserve such a bow."
"You do, you do!" Shen Wanjun invited Li Xuan to sit, and a servant immediately brought hot tea.
"My daughter is headstrong and dislikes taking guards when she goes out. Her previous outings all passed without incident. Who could have known that this time... Fortunately, it ended with nothing worse than a fright."
Shen Wanjun had probably already lost his temper with his daughter, but it was clear that he doted on Shen Qinglian.
Li Xuan thought it over, and the small doubt in his mind finally disappeared.
After all, the Shen Household appeared far wealthier than he had imagined. It was unlikely that they would go out without even a single guard.
Now, however, it seemed that Shen Qinglian had felt guards would be inconvenient when she went out as a young woman, and had dismissed them herself.
Next, Shen Wanjun gestured toward the man in black. "This is Head Constable Wang from the county office. He is here specifically about today's robbery in the woods, and needs to ask you about a few details."
In fact, Li Xuan had been studying Head Constable Wang for some time already.
The attributes flickering above his head were absurdly high!
[Physique 15-16, Dexterity 13-15]
Holy shit!
Li Xuan's hand trembled in shock!
An ordinary person's attributes generally hovered around 1.
Even wild beasts were only somewhat higher.
Yet this Head Constable Wang's attributes were nearly ten times those of an ordinary person!
This was already beyond anything Li Xuan had known.
It meant that Head Constable Wang's strength was simply terrifying!
Head Constable Wang nodded to Li Xuan and spoke briskly. "Brother Li, you have impressive skills. Steward Chen tells me you dealt with six armed bandits on your own? Did you use a bow?"
Li Xuan suppressed the turmoil inside him.
Once he had steadied himself, he briefly described what had happened, saying only that he had relied on a hunter's alertness, familiarity with the terrain, and a little luck to catch them off guard and strike first, using both close combat and archery.
Even so, when Head Constable Wang heard that he had fought six men alone, killed several, and rescued the Shen Household siblings, a trace of surprise still crossed his eyes.
Shen Wanjun was even more effusive in his praise. "A true righteous man!" "A young
hero!"
Head Constable Wang asked further questions about the bandits' appearances, their weapons, and whether Li Xuan had noticed any distinctive accents. Li Xuan answered each one truthfully.
As they spoke, a faint commotion and sharp reprimands came from outside, then quickly subsided.
A constable hurried in and whispered a few words into Head Constable Wang's ear.
Head Constable Wang frowned and addressed Shen Wanjun and Li Xuan.
"What a coincidence. My men were patrolling the streets just now when they caught a suspicious traveler attempting to pick a pocket. After a little questioning, they discovered that he had some rudimentary martial training. His punches and kicks follow a definite method, so he's no ordinary petty thief. He's being held outside. Master Shen, Brother Li, would you like to take a look together? He might have something to do with today's robbery."
Shen Wanjun nodded. "We certainly should."
Soon, two constables brought in a man with his hands bound. His clothes were ragged, but they could not hide his lean, formidable air.
Though bound, the man showed none of an ordinary thief's panic. Instead, his eyes held a fierce refusal to yield, and his stance remained steady.
Head Constable Wang rose and walked up to the man, then abruptly delivered a swift, powerful side kick straight at the bend of his knee.
Despite having his hands bound, the man reacted quickly. With a low shout, he drove strength through his waist and hips, forcibly twisting his body to take the kick on the outside of his thigh. He staggered a step but did not fall to his knees.
"Hmph. A foundation in the Stone Drum Stance. You've gone astray in your breath training, but the framework is still there."
Head Constable Wang withdrew his leg and said coldly, "Speak. Where did you learn it? What are you doing in Pingshan Town? Are you connected to today's robbery on West Mountain Road?"
The man remained silent, merely stiffening his neck in defiance.
Head Constable Wang asked no further questions and turned to Shen Wanjun and Li Xuan.
"See? He's had a little martial training. Though he's not worth much, he's ten times harder to deal with than an ordinary street thug. These are troubled times. Some deserters, men from ruined households, or low-ranking wanderers of the martial world learn a scrap of martial skill and start throwing their weight around, even turning to banditry and theft. It's nothing unusual anymore."
As he spoke, he also cautioned Shen Wanjun.
"Master Shen, whatever happens, be sure to take a few guards with you on future outings, lest disaster strike."
"Thank you for the reminder, Head Constable Wang. Ah, these times really are growing more chaotic... Qinglian, did you hear that?"
Shen Qinglian, sitting nearby, had been stealing glances at Li Xuan ever since he entered.
Suddenly admonished by her father, she immediately answered in a coaxing tone.
"Father, I was wrong. I understand now..."
Before you continue