Chapter 25: Recruitment

As the martial artists of the Tiger-Subduing Gang scavenged the Black Wind Fortress, Chen Yuan held Li Yong's Autumn Water Sword in his hands, his face contorted with grief and his eyes streaming with tears.

The sword had been hanging on the wall in Xie Quan's quarters; Chen Yuan recognized it instantly, snatched it down, and wept uncontrollably.

Seeing his profound respect for his teacher and his adherence to moral principles, the others felt a sense of melancholy and silently gave him a wide berth.

Standing to the side, Zhao Shan was not as emotional as Chen Yuan, but his eyes were also rimmed with red.

They had learned from the bandits that Manager Li's body, along with the other caravan guards, had been thrown off a bottomless cliff and could not be recovered. Their belongings had been scattered among the crowd, leaving only this Autumn Water Sword behind.

When the Tiger-Subduing Gang began their second round of scavenging, Chen Yuan pulled Zhao Shan aside and proposed going to the edge of the cliff to pay respects to Manager Li. Wei Wuding naturally granted their request.

On the way to the cliff, Chen Yuan took the initiative to slow his pace, observing his surroundings carefully for a long while before finally reaching the precipice to pay his respects alongside Zhao Shan.

By the time the two returned to the Black Wind Fortress, Wei Wuding had completed the third round of scavenging, which had also yielded nothing.

Finally losing heart and refusing to waste any more time, Wei Wuding ordered all the captured bandits killed, set the Black Wind Fortress ablaze, and led his men back to the ambush valley to regroup with those remaining in the gorge.

He then ordered the execution of the bandits captured during the ambush and drove the four large wagons back to the valley where the horses were kept.

The four wagons of the Black Wind Fortress were packed to the brim with grain, cotton clothing, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and daily sundries, with only six hundred taels of silver remaining.

This had been specifically purchased by Xie Quan after he fenced the stolen goods to prepare for winter; the silver was the reward money intended for the Black Wind Fortress bandits.

Wei Wuding distributed the six hundred-odd taels, giving three taels to each person and doubling the amount for the wounded. He also made it clear that there would be further rewards upon their return and pensions for the dead and wounded.

The morale of the Tiger-Subduing Gang martial artists surged, and the exhaustion from the journey and the ambush largely dissipated as they set out on their return journey overnight.

Two days later, the group arrived at the manor. Several physicians had been waiting for days and immediately set to work treating the wounded.

The arrow in Chen Yuan's left arm had long been removed and treated with golden sore ointment, so it was of no great concern.

However, the physician still carefully re-bandaged it, wrapping it in a layer of white cotton cloth that looked quite gruesome.

Chen Yuan was happy to comply and even specifically asked the physician to wrap it thickly.

At the time, he was completely confident he could block the incoming arrow, but he had chosen to charge forward proactively because he didn't want to appear too effortless.

If he had killed Jiang Feng, a Bone-Refining stage expert, in just two strikes, he would have stood out too much; paying the price of an arm made his feat seem much more reasonable.

Chen Yuan's original intention was to hide his true abilities, but Jiang Feng had viewed him as an enemy. To prevent future trouble, he had no choice but to pull the weeds out by the roots.

However, Jiang Feng's archery was superb and difficult to guard against; Chen Yuan had nearly been hit, and even now, the memory left him feeling shaken.

If not for a sudden, inexplicable warning sign that had surfaced in his mind, causing him to dodge instinctively, he certainly would have been struck by Jiang Feng's arrow, and there was a high probability he would not have survived.

This warning sign was not the first time it had appeared; when Manager Li had tried to assassinate him with a sleeve arrow, it was this same sudden warning that had saved his life.

During the journey over the past two days, Chen Yuan had been pondering where this warning sign came from, but he could never find a clue and eventually had to drop the matter.

Still, he secretly cautioned himself never to act recklessly just because he possessed this warning sign.

If he encountered a life-or-death moment where the warning failed, he would surely face certain death.

...

The wounded of the Tiger-Subduing Gang needed treatment, and the bodies of the deceased needed to be laid to rest; after two days of traveling, everyone was exhausted.

Wei Wuding ordered a day of rest at the manor, with the departure for Leping County scheduled for the following day.

Chen Yuan's energy was far greater than that of an ordinary person, but he still feigned a state of extreme exhaustion and mental fatigue, lying on his bed to rest.

After days and nights of traveling and ambushing, an arm injury, and the news of his master's tragic death, it would have been too abnormal if he were still full of vigor.

But not long after Chen Yuan lay down, Yu Zhenchuan's surprised voice drifted from outside the room

"Deacon Wei, why have you come?"

"I came to see Erniu..."

Chen Yuan's heart stirred, and he rose to go out and greet him.

Wei Wuding happened to reach the doorway and raised a hand to stop him, smiling.

"You are injured; there is no need for such formalities. Sit down and talk."

"Thank you for your consideration, Deacon Xie."

The two sat down, host and guest. Wei Wuding glanced at Chen Yuan's left arm and asked, "How do you feel? Has the injury worsened?"

Chen Yuan lifted his left arm and gave a simple, honest smile. "It's fine. The doctor applied medicine, and it doesn't hurt at all. It should be better after a few more days of rest."

Wei Wuding nodded. "That is good. You have achieved great merit by killing Jiang Feng; your future is limitless. It would be a pity if you were left with any lasting complications."

Chen Yuan smiled sheepishly. "I just wanted to avenge my master. I lost my head and charged in. Fortunately, I am strong and Jiang Feng wasn't prepared, so I was able to kill him in two strikes. If he had dodged, I wouldn't have known what to do..."

Wei Wuding picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and said, "Regardless, it is a very rare occurrence for someone in the Bone-Refining stage to slay someone in the Marrow-Refining stage. This small Leping County likely cannot contain you anymore."

Chen Yuan hurriedly waved his hands. "I don't have such great ability. As long as I can become a guard captain, I will be satisfied."

Wei Wuding smiled. "You have achieved such great merit and possess divine strength; being merely a guard captain of a branch hall would be a waste of your talent. I intend to transfer you to the main headquarters in the prefectural city to work for me in the future. What do you think?"

Chen Yuan froze, hesitating. "I am honored by your appreciation, Deacon Xie, but before my master met with his misfortune, he specifically instructed me to look after my master's wife and junior sister. Manager Sun also said he would arrange a position for me..."

"You don't need to worry. As long as I speak, Brother Sun will surely not make things difficult for you. I will also ask him to help look after Manager Li's family. As long as you are willing to come to the prefectural city with me, none of this will be an issue... Or is it that you do not wish to work for me?"

"Erniu wouldn't dare! Since the Deacon is willing to intercede, Erniu is willing to serve you!"

"Good, then it is settled. Take these twenty taels of silver. You were injured this time, so this is compensation. Once we reach the prefectural city, we will discuss further rewards."

Wei Wuding pulled a silver ingot from his robe, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan took the silver and said gratefully, "Thank you for the reward, Deacon Xie!"

Wei Wuding stood up, patted Chen Yuan on the shoulder, and said, "You have good talent and great strength. In the future, I will petition the gang for the Dragon-Tiger Strength, one of our supreme techniques, to help you break through to the Internal Strength stage!"

Chen Yuan lifted his injured left arm and performed a difficult bow. "It was because you wiped out the Black Wind Fortress that I was able to avenge my master, and you value me so highly. From now on, I will follow your every command. Whatever you tell me to do, I will do!"

Wei Wuding supported Chen Yuan and smiled. "Good! Rest assured, I have always been fair with rewards and punishments; I will never mistreat you. Follow me to the prefectural city in three days, and I will arrange your duties."

Chen Yuan showed a look of difficulty. "Could the Deacon grant me a few extra days? I don't know how long it will be before I return from the prefectural city. I want to go home to see my parents and leave the silver for them."

Wei Wuding pondered for a moment. "I will give you seven days. After seven days, come find me in the prefectural city."

"Thank you for your understanding, Deacon Xie!"

"Can you still ride a horse?"

"I can."

"Then set off now. The guard unit of the Leping County branch has suffered heavy losses. If Brother Sun finds out you killed Jiang Feng, there might be some complications regarding your move to the prefectural city. If you don't show your face, things will be easier to handle."

"I will follow your instructions, Deacon!"

...

After seeing Wei Wuding off, Chen Yuan informed Zhao Shan of the matter.

Zhao Shan was extremely surprised. "Junior Brother, why are you suddenly going to the prefectural city?"

Chen Yuan said helplessly, "Deacon Wei made the request, so I have no choice. I'm going home first. Once you return to the county town, remember to act cautiously. I will come back in a few days to discuss important matters with you."

Afterward, Chen Yuan requested a jin of white sugar, two jin of rice cakes, ten jin of flour, five jin of pork, and one yard of cotton cloth from Manager Liu. He mounted a horse and left the manor.

Once away from the manor, he no longer needed to pretend to be heavily injured. He covered the wound with his sleeve and galloped onward. In less than an hour, he arrived near Chen Family Village.

He did not rush into the village but dismounted outside to wait.

After about half an hour, a peddler passing by allowed Chen Yuan to buy some hairpins, jewelry, exquisite toys, and sewing needles. He also selected a tobacco pouch before leading his horse into the village.

It was currently the busy farming season, and the villagers were all working in the fields; even the children were helping out.

As Chen Yuan walked along, he surprisingly did not encounter a single person.

Looking at the three quite grand tile-roofed houses before him and the high courtyard walls surrounding them, a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

For the past three years, every three months, he had sent money back through Chen Er'er, and during the festivals, he would personally bring silver home.

As he broke through the Skin-Refining and Bone-Refining stages, the silver he sent back increased, and the Chen family's life grew better and better. They had become a prosperous family in Chen Family Village and had built new houses.

The villagers had learned from Chen Er'er that Chen Yuan had been taken in as a disciple by a manager of the Hundred Weapons Hall and had learned martial arts. They treated him with great awe and respect, and no one dared to bully Chen Tiezhu and his wife.

Because of this, Chen Daniu had also caught the eye of the landlord, Chen Rongcai. Being a diligent man, he soon became a manor manager, earning a generous monthly wage and marrying a wife.

However, Chen Tiezhu and his wife had not forgotten their duties as farmers; they continued to work hard and meticulously tend to the crops in the fields.

Looking at the copper lock hanging on the door, Chen Yuan knew they must have gone to the fields to work again.

He had no key on him and could only wait outside the door.

It was not until the sun began to set behind the mountains that the figures of his parents and younger sister finally appeared at the end of the path.