Chapter 12: Unexpected Encounters and Hidden Agendas

By the time the sun had climbed high, Wǔ Língfēng, laden with a cart of dried pelts, followed a familiar route to a shop known as Zhang’s Leather Goods.

“Uncle Wu, it’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well?”

The moment he stopped the cart, a young man stepped forward to greet him, eagerly taking hold of the reins.

“Ah Long, I’m here to see Shopkeeper Zhang. Is he in?”

For some reason, Ah Long glanced up and down the street, then deliberately lowered his voice to reply, “Shopkeeper Zhang is currently enjoying tea in the back hall. You can go straight in, and I’ll look after your cart for you.”

“Thank you.” With that said, Wǔ Língfēng strode confidently into the shop, heading directly for the back hall with practiced ease.

The very moment he pushed open the door, Shopkeeper Zhang happened to be sipping tea, his lips pursed around the cup. Without any prior warning, he was startled by Wǔ Língfēng’s sudden entrance, the scalding tea splattering over him like spilled ink. “Hot, hot, hot—”

Seeing this, Wǔ Língfēng hurried forward to apologize. “Esteemed Zhang, I apologize for startling you. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Though the leather shop appeared rather unassuming from the outside, its back hall was unexpectedly furnished with exquisite taste.

Several valuable calligraphies and paintings adorned the walls, while the furniture itself boasted a quaint and elegant design.

Incense burned within the censer on the table, permeating every inch of the air with a refreshing, subtle fragrance, such that merely inhaling it could soothe one’s mind.

Shopkeeper Zhang was advanced in years, appearing to be in his early seventies. His face bore the indelible marks of time and hardship; his temples were completely white, and even his goatee was frosted with age.

Draped in a robe embroidered with dark blue patterns, he sat upright before the table like an old scholar.

“Esteemed Wu, how many times have I told you to knock before entering?” he chided. “You always rush in heedlessly. Look, I’ve spilled most of this fine tea due to your carelessness. What a pity!”

“Yes, yes, yes…” Wǔ Língfēng nodded repeatedly.

“You’ve come this time to…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Wǔ Língfēng placed a wax-sealed letter on the table.

“It’s been several months since any letters were sent. I imagine he’s worried about his daughter by now. I’ll trouble you to make the trip yourself.”

“A trifle,” Shopkeeper Zhang said, accepting the letter and tucking it into his robe. “We few left the imperial court and came to Huangnan Prefecture, living in anonymity for sixteen years. Wasn’t it all for her?”

“Ah, it’s an honor to serve our superiors,” Wǔ Língfēng mused. “As long as the task is accomplished, any hardship is inconsequential…”

Changing the subject, he then inquired, “By the way, Esteemed Zhang, you are a man of vast knowledge and experience. May I ask if you know of a place called the Eastern Hua Kingdom?”

“Eastern Hua…” Shopkeeper Zhang murmured. “I’ve never heard of it. Is this place particularly far away?”

“This…” Wǔ Língfēng trailed off. “If even you haven’t heard of it, it must indeed be quite distant.”

At this moment, Shopkeeper Zhang opened the censer lid and looked down at the burning incense within. “There’s something you should know,” he said. “I might be delayed in going to the capital.”

Wǔ Língfēng asked, a note of alarm in his voice. “Has something happened?”

“Esteemed Zhang Xianzong from the General Directorate has sent a secret letter,” Shopkeeper Zhang divulged.

“It states that Prince Jingming has secretly colluded with the Blood Alliance, and undercurrents are already stirring in Huangnan Prefecture.

He demands that we act cautiously, avoid causing any trouble if we can remain inactive, and prioritize the preservation of the lineage above all else.”

“The Blood Alliance?!”

“Indeed, the Blood Alliance it is,” Shopkeeper Zhang affirmed.

“It’s a martial arts organization completely opposed to the chivalrous Boundless Alliance, specializing in hiring assassins and contract killings. The pile of their heinous deeds would stack higher than the Phoenix Immortal Pavilion in Tianyu City.”

“One is an ambitious schemer who commands half the realm of Huangxia,” Wǔ Língfēng mused.

“The other is the foremost assassin organization in the martial world. With these two forces intertwined… they will be truly difficult to contend with.”

“Esteemed Wu, the situation in the imperial court changes rapidly. You and I, as outsiders, cannot afford a moment’s carelessness.”

As he spoke, Esteemed Zhang raised his teacup. Yet, unexpectedly, at that very moment, Wǔ Língfēng, as if his tail had been stepped on, slammed the table with sudden force, startling Esteemed Zhang so much that he spilled the remaining half of his tea.

“Oh no!”

“Are you ever going to let me drink my tea in peace?”

“Esteemed Zhang, I have an urgent matter of the utmost importance! I must take my leave now!” With that said, he took two steps for every three, rushing out of the back hall without a backward glance.

***

Meanwhile, Hu Junan was carried into a medical clinic by a group of burly men. A plaque hung above the clinic’s entrance, emblazoned with four prominent characters: “Heavenly Dao Clinic.”

“Stop, stop, stop—” an old woman, frail and leaning on a walking stick, confronted them with a fierce demeanor as they swarmed inside. “What’s the meaning of this? Do you intend to burst this old woman’s clinic wide open?”

Wǔ Xīyǔ struggled to push past the burly men and approached the old woman, asking respectfully, “Granny, my elder brother is gravely injured. Is the doctor in?”

“This old woman is the doctor,” the old woman declared, pursing her lips, where only a few teeth remained. “Young lady, this clinic is not a relief shelter. See all these idlers out!”

Wǔ Xīyǔ turned around and instructed the burly men to place Hu Junan on the bed. “Please, everyone, place my elder brother on the bed. Be very gentle!”

After they had done so, she took a gleaming ingot of Huang silver from Lin Shaodong’s purse and handed it to the most diligent of the burly men. “Here,” she said, “this is the agreed-upon payment. Share it with the others.”

“Hehehe, young lady, you are truly generous! An ingot, just as promised!” The burly man revealed a sly smile.

“Um… when we were carrying your elder brother just now, I accidentally twisted my ankle. Do you think you could perhaps give a little more?”

The words had barely left his mouth when an incredibly sturdy walking stick swung from behind him, landing squarely and precisely on his backside.

“Ow! Old woman, why did you suddenly hit me? I wasn’t even asking you for money!” he cried out.

“You scoundrel! An ingot of Huang silver is already a sky-high reward! Now get out!” the old woman snapped, her volatile temper evident, her tone aggressive, as if she were stabbing him with a knife while speaking.

“Yes, yes, yes,” the burly man nodded repeatedly, skillfully stuffing the Huang silver into his pocket.

Seizing a moment when no one was looking, he took to his heels and fled. Fortunately, the burly man behind him reacted quickly and grabbed him.

Seeing this, another immediately pounced, followed by the rest, one after another, piling on top of him and pinning him to the ground.

Oddly enough, facing such a predicament, the burly man managed a carp jump, shaking off the others. Seizing this chance, he bolted, disappearing in a flash.

“Zhang Ergou, stop right there! Leave the money behind!” The crowd, unwilling to suffer a loss in vain, chased Zhang Ergou through the streets and alleys. The Heavenly Dao Clinic instantly became quiet.

The old woman rolled her eyes and muttered impolitely under her breath, “A dog can’t change its nature.”

“Granny, my elder brother is gravely ill. Please, treat him quickly!”

“Don’t fret,” the old woman said, casting a glance at Hu Junan before unhurriedly walking over to the sickbed and slowly sitting down. “Young man, you…”

At this moment, she finally noticed that he had neither a qilin horn nor a qilin tail, and her eyes widened in shock.

“Granny, don’t be alarmed. My elder brother is a traveler from the Eastern Hua Kingdom, not some strange being…”

“Eastern Hua?”

“Yes, a very distant place. It’s normal for you not to know of it.”

“Heh heh, this old woman has seen plenty of strange beings. I was merely curious just now. I never imagined there were people from the Eastern Hua Kingdom in this world…”

Hearing this, Hu Junan frowned slightly. “Old woman, do you perhaps know…”

“First, let’s treat your illness, then we can chat. Tell me, where does it hurt?”

“It hurts everywhere…”

The old woman grasped his wrist, pressing a finger to his pulse, and her eyebrows rose slightly. “Do as I say: take a deep breath, then exhale, then a deep breath again… repeat several times.”

Hu Junan obediently followed her instructions, breathing in and out, while she maintained a solemn expression as she took his pulse.

“Granny, how is my elder brother’s injury? Is it serious?”

“This child’s recovery ability is quite strong…” the old woman mumbled softly.

“Granny?”

“Don’t worry, your elder brother is not in any grave danger. I’ll prescribe a few doses of medicine shortly, and you just need to brew it for him to drink on time.”

Hearing her words, Wǔ Xīyǔ was immediately overjoyed, nearly jumping with excitement. “Thank you, Granny!”

No sooner had she spoken than an old man with a head of silver hair impatiently pushed open the wooden door to the back hall, declaring with a booming voice, “Old woman, I can’t wait! Let me see my fellow countryman!”

“You old fool, were you eavesdropping on our conversation through the door? Have you no shame?”

“Heaven and Earth bear witness, I only decided to find out more when I heard you mention ‘Eastern Hua’! I wasn’t intentionally eavesdropping!”

He possessed a typical square face, and besides his abundant silver hair, a pair of magnificent qilin horns, as beautiful as jade, adorned his head.

A slightly dull qilin tail swayed behind him. His steps were small but steady and orderly as he walked, clearly a hale and hearty old man.

“It’s good that you’ve come; it saves me the effort of calling you,” the old woman said, slowly rising.

With one hand, she leaned on her walking stick, and with the other, she took Wǔ Xīyǔ’s hand. “Young lady, come with this old woman to rest in the back hall. We’ll leave this place to the two Eastern Hua people.”

“Eastern Hua people…” Wǔ Xīyǔ looked at the old man’s qilin horns and qilin tail, a large question mark appearing above her head. However, she didn’t ask further, obediently following the old woman into the back hall.

Initially, the clinic was utterly silent. The old man scrutinized Hu Junan with a peculiar gaze, and Hu Junan returned his gaze with an equally strange expression. They stared at each other for quite some time.

“Are you an Eastern Hua person?”

“Do I not look like one?”

The old man broke into an excited smile. “Truly, heaven has eyes! After all these years, I’ve finally had the good fortune to meet a fellow countryman…”

“Wait a moment,” Hu Junan interrupted before he could finish. “I am indeed an Eastern Hua person, but you… you don’t seem like one.”

The old man understood his implication, and without another word, he removed the so-called qilin horns right in front of him. “These qilin horns are fake!” Upon closer inspection, the horns were indeed carved from jade, appearing incredibly lifelike.

“Then the qilin tail must also be…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the old man chuckled and took off the crudely made qilin tail.

“It’s woven from bamboo strips to form a frame, then covered with a layer of oiled paper, and finally, iridescent shells are glued onto it. From a distance, it looks just like scales, doesn’t it?”

“Ah, this…”

“Young man, don’t doubt it; you and I are our own people!” The old man chuckled, patting his chest. “By the way, what’s your name, and where are you from?”

“Hu Junan. Hu, as in the ‘Jia Bei’ character; Jun, as in ‘monarch’; An, as in ‘peaceful.’ I am from the Shangyang Metropolis.”

“Hu Junan…” The old man stroked his beard. “A truly fine name, with both the meaning of peace and a unique ambition within it.”

“How should I address you, Old Mister?”

“My humble surname is Lang, given name Shuhuai, courtesy name Anyou, and I am from Langya…” As he spoke, tears welled in the old man’s eyes, yet the same smile remained on his face.

“Old Mister, you…”

“My apologies, I’m just too excited. Let me compose myself…”

At this moment, Wǔ Xīyǔ, hiding behind the door and eavesdropping, blinked twice and whispered, “Granny, is it really alright for us to do this?”

The old woman’s lips curved slightly upward. “Don’t you want to know about the Eastern Hua Kingdom?”

“I…”

The old woman declared righteously, “Hmph, if that old fool can eavesdrop on us, why can’t we eavesdrop on him?”

Just then, the old man sat down by the sickbed, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and asked mysteriously, “Junan, do you want to go back?”

“Go back… back where?”

“Of course,” the old man said, his expression turning serious, “to your original world.”