Chapter 14

Shen Yu is going to cook a big dinner tonight.

Early in the morning, Zhao Ze summoned Xu Dahe away. The case of Huichuntang was to be tried at the yamen, and Xu Dahe had to attend as a witness.

Although Xu Dahe might not be able to eat much regardless of whether things go smoothly or not, he still has to live alone after suffering such an undeserved disaster, losing his family and loved ones.

Qiu Chiyan did not go, even though his identity was already public knowledge, this was, after all, Sanhe Town's home ground.

He sat in the kitchen helping Shen Yu.

"I haven't seen Yao Liuliu much these past two days. She hasn't gone out or greeted any guests." He started chatting casually.

"She's in the kitchen. Maybe she's been itching to cook these past few days."

“The town is lively, and she feels a little uncomfortable if she doesn’t go out and join in.”

"What kind of crazy commotion is this?" Shen Yu replied subconsciously.

"Um?"

"...It's nothing. Help me prepare the vegetables."

Shen Yu couldn't lie, and she always seemed flustered when trying to hide something. She tossed her hair with her wrist and decided to take the initiative: "How's things going with Zhou Sinian?"

Qiu Chiyan sighed: "Once the mysterious person's challenge became public, the victims' companions got together and managed to piece together some information. They did indeed die from the same type of weapon. Zhou Sinian's suspicion has been greatly reduced."

"But they haven't released them yet?"

"Yes... Mo Yuntang's actions are too eccentric; sooner or later, trouble will ensue."

Qiu Chiyan never wanted to get involved in the affairs of the martial arts world, and he couldn't understand some of the people in the martial arts world.

"Tell me, who can tolerate someone who becomes famous this way? He's already surrounded by enemies right from the start?"

"Wasn't Teng Kang, the 'River-Breaking Blade,' just like that back then? He challenged the young successors of various sects everywhere, killing so many that they almost wiped out their entire ranks. But in the end, didn't many people still respect him as the uncrowned leader of the alliance?" Shen Yu said while chopping vegetables. "Many people only need one day to stand out in their entire lives; those achievements are more important than living."

Qiu Chiyan craned his neck and looked at her with great interest: "Judging from your tone, you seem quite sentimental. Have you ever encountered someone like this before?"

Shen Yu pondered for a moment: "When I was little, there was an uncle who taught me how to use a knife. Everything was fine until one day he suddenly disappeared. I asked my dad, and he said that he had to make himself exist."

"And then what happened?"

"I have never seen him again, nor have I ever heard of his name in the martial arts world."

She held the cleaver, the tip lightly tapping the cutting board, producing a crisp, rhythmic sound, and the slices of meat were as thin as cicada wings.

"The result of his heart being faster than his knife is that if he wins, it's called confidence; if he loses, it's called arrogance. A person's entire life is determined by their words." She sighed slightly, her knife not stopping, as if she were just chatting casually. "The winner doesn't seem to mention the loser; he only mentions how tragically so-and-so died when he's intimidating others."

Perhaps feeling that she had spoken too pessimistically, Shen Yu looked up and smiled at Qiu Chiyan: "But practicing martial arts is still very good. It broadens one's horizons and makes it easy to understand oneself."

Qiu Chiyan's heart stirred slightly, and his gaze followed her slender arm.

He lowered his head, and with a forceful pull of his arms, broke the vegetable stalk in two: "That's right, what people fear, what they think, and what they can't bear to part with are all hidden in their weapons and their movements."

Shen Yu hummed in agreement and then chuckled foolishly.

"Shen-Yu-!"

Gong Er's howl echoed from the main hall.

"Please save me!" He bowed frantically to Shen Yu as soon as he entered the kitchen. "If my two junior brothers don't study your internal energy, they'll torture me. Save me, save me!"

Shen Yu looked up: "So you can cook?"

Yes, but we just can't sell them.

"Then you'll just have to bear it yourself. I still have to run the shop."

"It won't take up much of your time!" Gong Er suddenly became extremely attentive. "Just take up a little of your afternoon!"

He clearly thought it through before he spoke.

Shen Yu was too lazy to call him out. In this situation, cooperating was much easier than making excuses, and perhaps more interesting.

So she nodded.

"Thank you very much, shopkeeper!"

Gong Er pretended to kneel and hover in the air, but his knees did not actually touch the ground.

"But I also want compensation."

"Go ask them for it, those two guys are rolling in money!"

The two hit it off immediately.

"Make a fortune, you get 70% and I get 30%," Gong Er said in a low voice, speaking solemnly.

After he left, Qiu Chiyan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

When it comes to betraying their own people, they show no sorrow or distress, only a thirst for money and a penchant for scheming.

He got up, washed the vegetables, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "I'll cook."

Can you?

"It's alright, at least it's edible. Why bother giving Zhao Ze a fancy meal? Just a token amount will do."

"I made this for Dahe!"

"Kids can eat anything and still feel full, they just gulp things down every day."

…

While they were playing around, the meal was ready, and Zhao Ze and Xu Dahe returned.

However, Xu Dahe's eyes were red, clearly indicating that he had already been crying.

He followed behind Zhao Ze, keeping his head down, not wanting anyone to see him like this.

"Well? Has the case been finalized?" Gong Er was the first to rush up and ask.

“The evidence is conclusive that Huichuntang is selling hallucinogenic drugs. Yanyu Pavilion also gets its drugs from them and has been ordered to rectify its practices,” Zhao Ze replied.

The result was as expected.

There's not much suspense regarding Huichuntang, but with such a large business as Yanyuge, the relationships behind it are intricate and complex, so the investigation into them can only go this far.

"Then, how did the medicine leak out?"

Zhao Ze glanced at Xu Dahe and said in a deep voice, "They brought in more than one type of prohibited drug. The daily flow of goods was very complicated. But a new employee came along and made a mess of things, distributing the drugs to the wrong places several times. When they raided Huichuntang, he tried to cover it up, but the new guy was too timid. After several attempts, he finally broke down and confessed."

Gong Er was stunned.

Just because of this?

For a moment, the lobby was so quiet that only the simmering sound of soup in the casserole could be heard.

Qiu Chiyan broke the silence first: "Let's eat first, we've been busy all day."

He patted Xu Dahe on the back, and the other tried to put on a reassuring expression, but it looked worse than crying.

The meal was rather unappetizing, and few people spoke at the table.

Just as everyone was leaving, Xu Dahe quietly pulled Shen Yu aside.

"Shopkeeper, what else can I do here?" He asked in a low voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

Shen Yu blinked: "Otherwise, where are you going?"

"...I...I have no home, no money, I'm all alone, I can do anything." Xu Dahe choked up for a moment, but quickly hid it back. "I still want to follow you!"

“I thought you’d found another job. What else is there to say? I’m not going to kick you out,” Shen Yu said softly. “Although I don’t know how long this inn will stay open, as long as I’m still working here, you’ll have a place to stay.”

"Then...then I can!" Xu Dahe mustered his courage and looked directly into Chen Yu's eyes, but his courage vanished in an instant, and his voice became hesitant again, "Can I...learn martial arts from you...?"

Shen Yu asked seriously, "Why do you want to learn martial arts?"

"If I knew kung fu, at least I wouldn't have been treated like trash and blocked at the door from the very beginning."

"And then what? You can investigate on your own, take revenge on your own?"

"I…"

Xu Dahe wanted to say, "I'm not reconciled."

But what he really wanted to say was, "I hate it."

Some say that people always make mistakes, and it's even more common to make mistakes when distributing things.

Yet, human lives can be lost for such absurd reasons.

He hated these reasons, and he also hated himself for having, for even moments, tried to find reasons for those kinds of people.

If those drugs hadn't been taken, none of this would have happened.

If he could be a little stronger, perhaps someone would hear his voice.

“If you haven’t thought it through, then I can’t teach you.” Shen Yu refused him, her tone calm but unquestionable. However, she added, “If you want to learn, you can find Yao Liuliu. She has been practicing martial arts since she was a child and has a solid foundation. As for Gong Er, forget about him. His skill level is average; he can only swing a sledgehammer.”

After saying that, Shen Yu went back to her room, while Xu Dahe stood there stunned.

He didn't know what Shen Yu's attitude was. Logically, she had refused, but she hadn't stopped him from learning martial arts.

Unable to figure it out, and with his mind in turmoil all day, he went back to his room, didn't even take off his clothes, and went straight to sleep.

The next day, as dawn broke, the sound of pots and pans clattering came from the courtyard, and the air was filled with the aroma of breakfast.

The innkeepers were still busy, and no one looked at him differently because of what happened yesterday.

Everything remained the same, uneventful and ordinary.

This actually made Xu Dahe feel a little better.

Shen Yu's attitude remained unchanged, and he did not treat him coldly because of his rash request last night.

So he tried to find Yao Liuliu in private.

In his eyes, Yao Liuliu was a lazy, sharp-tongued, but kind-hearted older sister. She loved to chat with people in a way that was sarcastic and pointed.

So he was prepared to be ridiculed.

Unexpectedly, Yao Liuliu agreed without saying much.

So when he wasn't working, he would practice basic skills in the backyard according to Yao Liuliu's methods, such as doing a horse stance, leg presses, and lifting stone weights.

Occasionally, Zhao Ze would come to the inn, and when he saw him, he would offer some pointers.

The matter of hallucinogenic drugs is not yet over in Sanhe Town.

The details of those who had taken hallucinogenic drugs, as diagnosed by the itinerant doctor Feng Shun, were still not fully investigated.

But Xu Dahe felt that they had intentionally or unintentionally kept some things from him afterward, unlike before when they would talk about everything at the dinner table or in casual conversation.

Although he hadn't read many books and knew he wasn't particularly clever, he vaguely understood the reason.

He didn't say anything, and just lived quietly in the safe atmosphere created by everyone.

Unfortunately, this is Sanhe Town, which has never been a place of tranquility.

The town's anticipation for the Hundred Gates Sacrifice Knife turned into widespread fear, all because of the mysterious man's constant appearances, and the increasing number of promising young talents dying at his hands.

The guests who come to the inn for meals no longer smile much; they always talk about something in hushed tones.

However, the people in the inn remained unchanged, still eating and drinking, still gossiping, as if the storms outside had nothing to do with them.

Perhaps they were never related.

Xu Dahe privately asked Gong Er why no one was afraid.

Gong Er drank his wine and chewed on peanuts:

As long as the shopkeeper is there, anyone who comes to cause trouble is a fool.

Xu Dahe didn't actually have a clear idea of ​​Shen Yu's abilities.

He didn't understand the difference between high and low martial arts skills, nor did he have anyone to compare himself to.

But the feeling that "nothing will happen as long as she's there" was very real.

So he started lifting the stone weights even more frequently, thinking that he might need them someday.

The autumn wind grew cooler, the leaves outside the wall turned yellow, and a few occasionally fell into the yard.

As always, he assumed a horse stance as soon as he came out of the kitchen.

But suddenly a cold voice came from behind.

"Your lower body is unstable; if there is any external force, you will be easily defeated."