Chapter 534 - 298: Unexpected News (2)
Chapter 534: Chapter 298: Unexpected News (2)
Chu Qing looked at the small old man with some surprise. He had thought the man would shy away from him, but unexpectedly, he answered his questions.
The small old man quickly showed a smile to Chu Qing.
Chu Qing nodded slightly:
"I see, it seems you’re not an ordinary character in the Martial World either."
After speaking, he glanced at Niao Shisan:
"Do you know this Li Shengxing?"
Niao Shisan was hiding behind a table at this moment. It was only because of Chu Qing’s quick actions that he hadn’t already crawled beneath it.
Upon hearing Chu Qing’s question, he shook his head repeatedly.
Chu Qing was taken aback:
"Don’t know him?"
He then looked at the person on the ground whose face turned gloomy:
"You’re daring to lie to me?"
"I wouldn’t dare! Hero, I am wronged!!"
The man hurriedly said:
"It was Wang Kuan who asked us to come and get the person. He even personally gave us the portrait.
"Moreover, he clearly stated that this person is the most lowly servant in the household. If it weren’t for him stealing the family’s belongings, he wouldn’t have gone to such great lengths.
"He even said... It doesn’t matter if the items can’t be retrieved, but rules must be established. So, once found, no matter dead or alive, it’s okay to take the head back for accountability."
Niao Shisan, hearing this, turned pale again, shaking his head continuously at Chu Qing:
"I, I didn’t steal anything, Young Master, I really didn’t steal anything."
Chu Qing stroked his chin, gesturing him to stay calm.
He then opened the portrait and took a look; it was indeed the likeness of Niao Shisan.
He pondered slightly and asked Niao Shisan:
"Do you know this Wang Kuan?"
Chu Qing knew Niao Shisan was timid and avoided trouble, and when it came to speaking, he was the kind who spoke only when necessary. So questioning him required targeted questions for him to answer.
This was related to his experiences; perhaps someone around him had once died from speaking too much.
Things that seemed trivial to others were matters of life and death to him.
So, when he said he didn’t know Li Shengxing, Chu Qing asked again whether he knew this Wang Kuan.
This time, Niao Shisan nodded:
"I know... Steward Wang is also a nobleman."
Chu Qing laughed:
"It seems that Li Shengxing is indeed incomparable, as even a steward in his house is a nobleman to others.
"Alright, now that things are clear..."
The person on the ground hurriedly looked at Chu Qing, his eyes filled with hope.
Chu Qing smiled:
"That’s right, you can leave now. But, though the death sentence is pardoned, the living crime cannot be avoided."
With that, he flicked his finger, and the man’s entire body trembled, as he was swept out of the inn.
After landing, he spat out a mouthful of blood, ignoring his injuries. Flipping over, he kowtowed to Chu Qing repeatedly:
"Thank you, Hero, for sparing my life. Thank you, Hero, for sparing my life."
After saying this, he got up to leave.
Yet, Chu Qing frowned slightly:
"Take the corpse with you. Leaving it here impedes the Shopkeeper’s business."
The Shopkeeper, who had hidden behind the counter since the beginning, didn’t know whether to be grateful that Chu Qing still considered him during such a crisis.
The man outside, after taking a few steps, hurriedly returned to take his companion’s body with him before leaving step by step.
Wu Qianhuan paused for a moment:
"No need to silence them?"
"Are we doing anything shady?"
Chu Qing asked back, a bit amused.
Wu Qianhuan thought for a moment, and indeed, they weren’t doing anything shady.
After killing one and injuring another, as long as they weren’t brain-dead, they wouldn’t dare retaliate against Chu Qing in this lifetime.
The gap was too big; he would just be grateful for his big luck today, thanking Chu Qing for his mercy.
Realizing this, Wu Qianhuan said no more.
Chu Qing then glanced back at the small old man and smiled:
"Thank you, old man, for clearing things up for me just now."
"No, no."
The small old man hurriedly cupped his fists:
"Earlier, I didn’t know I was facing the real deal. I apologize for any offense and hope the Hero won’t mind."
"You’ve overstated it, Senior. I’m new to the Martial World and have many things I don’t understand. I must greatly thank you for enlightening me.
"However, I originally planned to stay with the caravan for a while longer to learn, but it seems... that’s not feasible now.
"I must detour to find Li Shengxing; I’m afraid I can’t accompany everyone."
He had previously thought, after arriving in Lingbei, to first settle the matter with Niao Shisan.
The initial idea was to find a suitable place to arrange things, as Niao Shisan had many skills. While these skills weren’t enough for him to stand firm in the Martial World, he could live as an ordinary person.
In this way, even the trust given by Gongyang Chou would be fulfilled.
As for delving into the issues behind Niao Shisan, that was a matter to consider later, after the Little Cold Valley.
He hadn’t expected that, after such a long time, people were still seeking traces of Niao Shisan outside Heaven-Reaching Ridge, making Chu Qing feel that the issues behind Niao Shisan might not be simply oppression.
It seemed like Li Shengxing and Steward Wang were worrying about something, intending to silence him.
All along the journey, Niao Shisan’s emotions gradually stabilized, but at the mention of Niao Shier, he would break down.
Who knows what he had seen...
After hearing Chu Qing’s words, the small old man quickly said:
"We’re going the same way!
"Hero, you can travel with us.
"Li Shengxing lives less than a hundred miles from here in Tongyao City, which is also on the way to the Little Cold Valley."
"Oh? Such a coincidence?"
Chu Qing looked at the small old man with some surprise.
The small old man nodded repeatedly:
"Indeed it is, indeed it is."
"Very well then."
Chu Qing smiled:
"Since that’s the case, would you kindly ask the Shopkeeper to let us travel together on the way?"
"Sure, sure."
The small old man nodded repeatedly:
"This won’t be a problem. May I ask which room the Hero is staying in? I’ll go upstairs to ask the Shopkeeper, and when there’s news, I can report back to the Hero."
Chu Qing then told him his room and said with a smile:
"Senior, there’s no need to call me Hero every time. I’m new to the Martial World, just call me by my name."
The small old man shook his hands repeatedly, seeing that Chu Qing genuinely didn’t want to be called Hero, and finally called him ’Brother Han San.’
Chu Qing was momentarily speechless. You’re nearly old enough to have one foot in the grave, and you’re calling me brother. Is that really appropriate?
However, seeing the small old man’s cautious face, Chu Qing ultimately didn’t argue about this matter and let it be.
He figured the small old man might have his own requests, and Chu Qing, newly arrived in Lingbei, knew little about many things.
The small old man’s insight might not be high, and he might not know too many secrets.
But at this stage, it’s more than enough to clear up any confusion for himself.
Contemplating this, he thought that once this trip was over, he should show some gratitude.
After that, Chu Qing didn’t dwell much on the matter. After eating with Wu Qianhuan and the others, they went back to rest.
Especially Niao Shisan, who was incredibly exhausted.
He was the kind who couldn’t sleep soundly unless he was in a cage, which should be a psychological issue.
However, along the journey, seeing that he couldn’t sleep, Chu Qing would simply knock him out or press his sleep acupuncture point.
In an almost unreasonable way, he forcibly corrected him.
Now, he can barely fall asleep naturally.
In the evening, the small old man brought the Shopkeeper along to visit.
Who knows what the small old man said to the Shopkeeper, but the Shopkeeper’s attitude toward Chu Qing was extremely respectful.
During the conversation, Chu Qing learned that the Shopkeeper’s surname was Zhou, and the small old man’s surname was Sun, so he called them Shopkeeper Zhou and Old Man Sun.
After the three of them set the departure time for the next day, Shopkeeper Zhou and Old Man Sun took their leave.
So went an uneventful night, and the next morning, before dawn, Shopkeeper Zhou was already busy preparing the carriage and organizing the goods.
When Chu Qing and the others came out, Shopkeeper Zhou greeted them with a smile, saying:
"This caravan life is rugged, and the hospitality may not be up to par. We can only prepare a carriage for you. I hope Brother Han doesn’t mind."
Chu Qing was amused upon hearing this. They had mostly traveled on horseback along the way, and before entering Heaven-Reaching Ridge, even Wu Qianhuan’s Snow Green was left in the Celestial Sect.
He hadn’t expected that, just upon entering Lingbei, they would have a carriage to ride in.
...
...
ps: The incident yesterday was resolved. The perpetrator fled the scene and hid in the mountains, but the police arrested him. The mother and child stayed overnight in Yantai and returned early today.