Neither of them mentioned Wu Shuangren.
What seventeen-year-old, held in such high regard, treated with such importance, and courted so eagerly, wouldn't be dazzled and swept off his feet?
Besides, Hong Fan couldn't think of any reason Wu Shuangren would have to refuse him.
Even if He Zhixu and the others tried to win Wu Shuangren over in the future, Hong Fan could always offer a higher price.
So Wu Shuangren was destined to be his man.
"Young Master Hong."
A voice suddenly came from outside the door.
The burly, dark-faced man and the long-haired man stood outside.
Hong Fan looked at them, treating them more warmly than he had Si Congjian, and asked with a smile, "What is it?"
The burly man rubbed his close-cropped hair. "I just wanted to ask, will Young Master Hong have the final say in everything in Bo County from now on? Can the two of us have a little fun?"
Beside them, Si Congjian looked at the pair as though they were venomous snakes, wariness plain on his face.
Hong Fan laughed aloud. "I don't have the final say just yet, but I will soon."
The burly man licked his lips. "When Young Master Hong has the final say, can I kill that fellow Xu Jing?"
Hong Fan's expression turned serious, and he cautioned him, "That man is an official appointed by the imperial court, and he comes from a distinguished family. You mustn't touch him!"
The burly man looked disappointed. "Damn it, that arrogant look on his face makes my blood boil!"
Hong Fan reassured him, "It's fine. Even if you can't kill him, there will be plenty of ways to humiliate him in the future."
The burly man smiled. "All right, I'll do as you say, Young Master Hong."
Hong Fan looked at the long-haired man, who hadn't said a word. "Luo You, you can do as you please with the women in this city, as long as they aren't relatives of officials or gentry and have nothing to do with the Mo Family. Just don't kill anyone."
The long-haired man named Luo You gave a chilling smile:
"Thank you, Young Master Hong."
Chapter 31: Hou Huai
Early the next morning.
Wu Shuangren practiced Sun-Observing Meditation at the hour of the rabbit as usual, then ate breakfast with his parents.
At the table, he could tell that Wu Dongrong and Xu Nanzhi both wanted to ask him something, but hesitated to speak.
In the end, though, neither of them asked.
After breakfast, Wu Dongrong went to the county yamen, while Wu Shuangren stayed behind to continue learning the Cloud Tide Returning Wave Steps from Xu Nanzhi.
After practicing for a while, Xu Nanzhi stopped and looked at Wu Shuangren. "Your heart isn't calm."
Wu Shuangren fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."
Xu Nanzhi said gently, "Your father told me what happened at the banquet last night. What I want to tell you is that no matter what you decide, your father and I will be there to back you up."
As she spoke, she smiled and winked. "Your father's formidable, but your mother's even more formidable."
"..."
Wu Shuangren was momentarily stunned.
In his previous life, he had been used to fighting his way forward alone. On the field, whether he won or lost, he had borne it all by himself.
The feeling of having someone there to back him up was utterly unfamiliar to him, and it gradually calmed his restless heart.
"I understand. Thank you, Mother."
"Shall we continue practicing the footwork?"
"All right!"
In the courtyard, two figures surged like waves, crashing again and again against an invisible reef.
That afternoon, Wu Shuangren went to the county yamen and handed Liao Yu the hundred taels of silver he had put in a money pouch the night before.
"Uncle Liao, please turn this money in for me."
Hong Fan could ignore the rules, but Wu Shuangren couldn't afford to be thoughtless, or he would make things difficult for Liao Yu and Wu Dongrong at the county yamen.
To his surprise, Liao Yu handed the pouch back. "Early this morning, Lord Xu told me to let you keep these hundred taels of silver. All the lords agreed on it."
Wu Shuangren was stunned.
Liao Yu smiled. "After the way Hong Fan tried to win you over last night, how could the lords not show you some favor? You're the hottest rising star in Bo County now!"
Wu Shuangren thought for a moment, then poured the silver out of the pouch, counted out seventy taels, and pushed them toward Liao Yu. "Uncle Liao, the brothers from the Mo Family and the constables' office all did their part that night, and some of them died. Please help me divide this among the brothers at the constables' office, and give a share to the Mo Family too."
Liao Yu said approvingly, "Good. If you become militia commander, your relationship with the Mo Family will grow strained. You should take the initiative to show goodwill."
Wu Shuangren asked, "Uncle Liao, do you think I'll accept Hong Fan's offer?"
Liao Yu asked in return, "Don't you want to be militia commander?"
Wu Shuangren smiled.
In this world, with an age of chaos approaching, a powerful sense of urgency made him unwilling to miss any chance to ride the tide and rise.
So, after weighing his options, he had decided to accept the position of militia commander.
Liao Yu looked at him. "Go out there and do your best. Your father and I will be right behind you to back you up!"
It was much the same as what Xu Nanzhi had said.
"Thank you, Uncle Liao."
"Go on."
On the third day after Hong Fan's banquet.
Word spread that the Bo County militia was being rebuilt and was recruiting men.
After the massacre at Mo Family Village, the people of Bo County had been left with a fear of joining the militia. Yet the news of its recruitment still drew many people to sign up.
That was because the terms were better-
Food and lodging were provided, along with wages of 120 copper coins a month!
Most ordinary people in Yi Province made their living farming, and most were tenant farmers. Of the grain they grew each year, they ate some themselves and had to surrender most of the rest. If what remained was exchanged for money, their income worked out to roughly seventy copper coins per person each month.
When the Mo Family had formed the militia before, the terms had been food and lodging, plus wages of ninety copper coins a month.
These days, some families who couldn't get enough to eat would willingly sell themselves into slavery if they were provided food and lodging.
Now the militia was offering wages much higher than before, and that naturally won people over.
In just one afternoon, the militia recruited more than fifty men, even after turning away some who weren't strong enough. Otherwise, it might have filled all its places in a single afternoon.
On the fourth day after Hong Fan's banquet, Wu Shuangren received word-
County magistrate He Zhixu and the others had all agreed to recommend him as commander of the Bo County militia.
In other words, on the day the new militia was officially formed, Wu Shuangren would become Bo County's new militia commander!
"Congratulations, Constable Wu."
"Constable Wu, you'll have to look after us brothers from now on."
"I knew all along that Constable Wu would soar into the sky!"
"..."
Once word got out, the constables and yamen runners at the constables' office no longer dared call Wu Shuangren "Little Brother Wu." They all addressed him respectfully as "Constable Wu."
In a few more days, they would have to call him "Commander Wu."
"In two days, when the militia is formed, Hong Fan will hold another banquet at Moxian Tower to congratulate you on becoming commander."
Liao Yu told Wu Shuangren, "Everyone of importance in Bo County will be there!"
Two days from now would mark a new pinnacle in Wu Shuangren's life!
That afternoon, Wu Shuangren sparred with Hou Huai as usual.
After they finished, he took a money pouch from inside his robes and handed it to him. "Uncle Hou, this is next month's payment."
Now, if he went all out while in the [Match for One Person] state, he could easily defeat Hou Huai. So when they sparred, he sometimes equipped the Trait and sometimes went without it.
This allowed him to master the enhanced Three Ultimates Tiger Baleful Intent Saber Technique more quickly.
In addition, when he fought Hou Huai, his Internal Skill was stronger after being enhanced by [Match for One Person], which also helped Wu Shuangren improve his own physique and Internal Skill cultivation.
Whenever Hou Huai sparred with him, he took it very seriously. He continuously circulated his Internal Skill every day, leaving him not only hungry but also profoundly exhausted.
But Hou Huai had never slacked off, which made Wu Shuangren feel that the string of coins he paid each month for lessons was well worth it!
So he intended to continue sparring with Hou Huai every day.
"Thank you, Constable Wu."
Hou Huai accepted the money pouch with both hands.
Wu Shuangren said helplessly, "Uncle Hou, we know each other so well. Why be so formal?"
Hou Huai bowed slightly. "You're about to become militia commander. You don't need to be so polite to me."
Wu Shuangren sighed inwardly.
For some reason, he had felt these past few days that the old constable was growing distant from him.
"Uncle Hou, would you like to take a nominal position in the militia? You could draw some extra pay every month."
Wu Shuangren extended the invitation anyway.
He was about to become militia commander, and he had no intention of being a puppet. Instead, he meant to use this opportunity to build up his own forces and ride the tide to rise.
So he needed people to help him.
Wu Shuangren held both Hou Huai's abilities and his character in high regard, and he very much hoped Hou Huai would join the militia and help him.
Hearing this, Hou Huai hurriedly cupped his hands. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Constable Wu, but I'm old and don't want to go through any more upheaval. I'm sorry, truly sorry."
That was the same excuse he had given when he said he wouldn't take part in the operation to surround and kill Peng Tianlang.
"...All right."
Wu Shuangren felt helpless.
At the hour of the rooster.
As dusk fell, Hou Huai walked out through the gates of the county yamen and headed home.
He passed through several streets and turned into an alley.
A bluestone road stretched beneath his feet, while high walls on either side cast deep shadows.
A piercing scream suddenly came from deeper in the alley, like a wildcat being strangled.
Hou Huai stopped in his tracks and frowned.
Soon, he heard a woman sobbing and wailing in broken bursts.
Without hesitation, Hou Huai ran forward and came to a residence.
He recognized it as the home of Butcher Zhang from the west of the city. The outline of its gray-tiled roof and white walls loomed heavily in the dusk, and Spring Festival couplets were pasted on either side of the gate.
The sound of a saber leaving its sheath rang especially clear in the alley. Hou Huai drew his saber and kicked open the half-closed wooden gate, and the scene in the courtyard rushed into view-
A dark-faced man sat with his legs spread on a locust-wood bench, a sheathed saber as long as a man was tall laid across his knees. Beneath his foot was a bloody, mangled man: Butcher Zhang.
Butcher Zhang struggled desperately to get up, but the burly man kept him firmly pinned underfoot, as though he were treading on a dog.
Inside the house, a woman's piercing screams rang out without cease.
"Stop!"