Crying Out for Justice

Fu Shaoping had spent over half a month in secluded cultivation.

When he emerged from the cultivation room, he saw large red lanterns hanging over the entrance to the Training Hall.

In two more days, it would be Lunar New Year's Eve.

Apart from one person left on duty in each essential department, all his colleagues at the Hundred Households Office had gone home to buy supplies and prepare for the New Year.

When he reached the rear compound.

Unlike the festive bustle elsewhere.

The rear compound was particularly quiet.

Inside the side hall.

Old Zhan was still lying alone in his wicker chair.

He woke at once at the sound of footsteps. Seeing Fu Shaoping, a smile appeared on his otherwise expressionless face.

"You've become addicted to cultivating, lad. Your family has come by several times already. New Year's Eve is almost here, yet you, the head of the household, aren't the least bit anxious. Hurry home. Your family must be tired of waiting."

Rather than going home as soon as he finished his seclusion, Fu Shaoping had come to see him out of habit.

A warm current flowed through Old Zhan's heart.

Being alone ordinarily did not bother him much, but when the year's end came and whole families gathered together in festive cheer, his own loneliness became all the more stark. Who did not wish to have children and grandchildren gathered around their knees and enjoy the warmth of family?

"Uncle Zhan, that's where you're in the wrong. I was away cultivating, but you're the eldest member of the family. You should have helped with the preparations. You can't hide away and shirk your duties like this."

As Fu Shaoping spoke.

His hands kept moving as he helped pack Uncle Zhan's clothes.

Old Zhan lived alone, so he usually stayed in the side hall of the rear compound. Going home only meant being alone in an empty, silent house. Staying here was more convenient, too, sparing him the trouble of hobbling back and forth on his crutch.

"You don't know how to respect your elders, lad!"

Fu Shaoping's words had unmistakably treated Old Zhan as an elder of his own family.

Old Zhan was delighted.

He did not make a fuss about accepting, either. He had spent the New Year alone for so many years that he could not help feeling a little excited now.

The two of them went together to East Street.

Zhou Xinxiang, who had been squatting by the entrance, sprang up in delight when he saw them and cheered.

"Brother-in-law's back! Sis! Sis, hurry out! Let's go buy our New Year supplies together. If we're late, everyone else will snap them all up!"

He had clearly been waiting a long time.

Hearing him, Zhou Pan'er came out from inside.

First, she gave Fu Shaoping a questioning look. When he nodded slightly, she knew he had broken through to the sixth level of the Body Tempering Realm. A smile instantly lit her face, her two dimples particularly lovely. Then she greeted Old Zhan with the formal respect due from a junior.

Delighted, Old Zhan pulled a pouch of silver from his sleeve and tossed it to Zhou Xinxiang.

"Little Xin, take this and buy our New Year supplies!"

"Wow, silver ingots!"

Zhou Xinxiang's eyes shone.

Still, he looked to Fu Shaoping for permission.

Knowing that Old Zhan needed to feel included, Fu Shaoping nodded slightly and said.

"Make a list of everything we need to buy. Once I've settled Uncle Zhan in, we'll head out."

"Sure thing, brother-in-law!"

Fu Shaoping had long since suggested bringing Old Zhan home for the New Year.

So the guest room was already prepared. Fu Shaoping also asked if there was anything in particular Old Zhan wanted to eat, and the old man replied with a chuckle.

"I'm not picky. I'll eat anything."

Fu Shaoping came out of the guest room.

And reached over to clasp Zhou Pan'er's small hand.

They had not seen each other for so long.

The more Fu Shaoping looked at her, the more he felt that Pan'er had grown even lovelier. When they were about to leave, he insisted that she put on a veil, unwilling to let anyone else steal even an extra glance at her.

Zhou Pan'er shot him a reproachful look.

"Sis, brother-in-law, if you don't hurry, everyone will have closed their stalls!"

Zhou Pan'er felt that shopping for New Year supplies only had the right atmosphere when the whole family went together, so she had insisted on waiting until Fu Shaoping finished his seclusion.

The three of them took the carriage out.

They visited all four streets and eight lanes in the east, south, west, and north.

They bought a whole cartload of New Year supplies, with every kind of item imaginable and fine silks filling their view.

Zhou Xinxiang was so happy that his mouth never stopped grinning.

On their way back.

They saw, at the entrance to town.

A fine horse trotting in with a clatter of hooves.

Its rider was Junior Banner Zhuo, whom they had not seen in a long time. Once as handsome as Pan An, he now looked utterly haggard, with wounds of all sizes covering his body. His eyes were hollow, and he resembled a walking corpse. As he passed Fu Shaoping, Fu Shaoping called to him twice, but he seemed not to hear.

Zhou Pan'er's eyes reddened at the sight.

Fu Shaoping tightened his grip on her small hand and said gently.

"Pan'er, don't worry. Our daughter will never end up with a man like Chen Shichao!"

The moment he spotted any warning signs.

He would cut through the tangled knot with a swift blade, leaving the man not even a chance to reincarnate.

Once they returned home.

Everyone happily began decorating their new home.

Early the next morning.

Fu Shaoping discovered that Old Zhan was gone, though his luggage remained unpacked in the guest room. After asking, he learned that the old man thought fewer people would be collecting missions from the Mission Hall now, and he might be able to snag an easy one for Fu Shaoping, letting him earn merit with barely a lift of his hand.

"Pan'er, start stewing the lamb. I'll go fetch Uncle Zhan."

Fu Shaoping was touched.

Leaving East Street, he hurried to the Hundred Households Office, where there were even fewer people today.

He rushed all the way to the entrance of the Mission Hall.

After the wind had picked up last night.

Snow had begun to fall.

The entire Hundred Households Office had turned into a blanket of white.

After he waited a while.

The doors of the Mission Hall opened.

Old Zhan hurried out on his crutch, excitement written all over his face. Seeing Fu Shaoping, he immediately said.

"Shaoping, I've accepted a good mission for you."

The snow made the ground slippery.

Seeing how excited Old Zhan was, Fu Shaoping feared he might fall. He quickly stepped forward and supported him.

Old Zhan said with a chuckle.

"Shaoping, make a trip to Qiuchang Village. A little girl came early this morning crying out for justice, saying that someone had murdered her mother. Everyone in Qiuchang Village is a non-martial artist, so go take a look. Normally, this wouldn't qualify as a level-nine mission, but with no one left at the Hundred Households Office, the Mission Hall had no choice but to raise the reward. Heh, we've landed ourselves a bargain."

"Here's the case file. Take it and have a look."

"Qiuchang Village isn't far, either. Hurry there and back, and you might even make it home for lunch."

Old Zhan felt that he could finally do something for Fu Shaoping, and his joy came straight from the heart.

After thanking him.

Fu Shaoping took the file and gave it a quick read. The complainant was a little girl from a large extended family. Her father was the third of five siblings. According to her account, her mother had quarreled fiercely with the people in the main house the previous evening. When her mother failed to return to their room that night, she assumed her mother had been locked in the woodshed and went looking for her. Passing the well, however, she discovered her mother floating at its opening. She insisted that her mother had been murdered.

But as for who had done it.

She did not know.

Fu Shaoping put the file away.

As the two of them left the Hundred Households Office, he caught sight of a little girl off to one side, half her body stiff with cold. After asking, he learned that she was the complainant.

"It's so cold, and you're wearing so little. Aren't you afraid of freezing stiff?"

Fu Shaoping took off his outer coat and draped it over her.

The little girl seemed overwhelmed and apprehensive.

Only after asking did he learn that she had run away from home during the night after discovering her mother's body.