Chapter 23: Collecting Rent Outside the Manor, Demons Appear
Li Xian frowned. "Jiang Yun is deliberately making things difficult and has no credibility whatsoever. What exactly did you say to her when you went to see her?"
Zhao Han sighed softly and said resentfully:
"That Jiang Yun is indeed a scoundrel, but... what can we do when she's so powerful?"
"That's just how the world is, we have to accept it, there's nothing we can do about it."
“We went to find Jiang Yun, but she deliberately refused to see us at first, forcing us to kneel and kowtow before we could speak to her.”
"You knelt down?" Li Xian asked.
"We're just servants, haven't we knelt enough already?" Zhuo Yilie suddenly said, "Jiang Yun forced us to kneel because of her. We begged Jiang Yun to let us go, but she just kept smiling."
Wang Chun said, "We had no other choice but to propose that we offer the Tiger Blood Pill as a condition. She said... as long as the Tiger Blood Pill is offered, everything will be fine."
Li Xian asked, "Is that really true? Did she really say that?" Her eyes were scrutinizing.
Although he had only met Jiang Yun twice, he knew that she was not an easy person to talk to.
"well."
Zhao Han sighed softly, took over the conversation, and said truthfully:
"Jiang Yun's original words were, 'You three are quite amusing. First, make Li Xian kneel down and kowtow, and obediently offer up the Tiger Blood Pill. We'll talk about the rest later.' That's probably what the second brother meant."
"Jiang Yun didn't even give you a promise, and you believed her?" Li Xian calmly analyzed.
"Her statement, 'We'll talk about the rest later,' was clearly an attempt to postpone the matter. If we believed her, we'd not only lose the Tiger Blood Pill, but we'd also be humiliated for nothing."
Zhao Han gritted his teeth and slammed his fist against the wall, feeling both indignant and powerless. "I know that myself, but there's really nothing I can do. I can only pray that Jiang Yun will have mercy and let us go after taking the Tiger Blood Pill."
"Don't worry, Fourth Brother. As long as you agree, we'll give you the salary for the next two months. The bento boxes are from us; we bought your Tiger Blood Pills."
"Why would I need you to raise funds for me?" Li Xian shook her head slightly.
He patted the three men on the shoulders, expressing his reassurance.
When people are desperate for a cure, they may try anything and lose their composure.
"If you trust me, please be patient a little longer."
"To be honest, I went to see Commander Pang yesterday and asked about how to enter the Leisurely Martial Pavilion. Although I haven't received a reply yet, it's better than pinning my hopes on Jiang Yun!"
Li Xian's voice was gentle and kind, and he tried his best to calm the three of them down.
However, the three of them avoided eye contact.
Suddenly, with a "thump," Wang Chun knelt down and pleaded, "Fourth brother, please, we're begging you, just take the Tiger Blood Pill and go see Jiang Yun!"
Li Xian was taken aback. He quickly grabbed Wang Chun's shoulders, secretly channeled his inner energy, and helped him up, saying, "Second brother, to tell you the truth, I've already taken the Tiger Blood Pill. I won't be able to see Jiang Yun anymore."
"What!?"
The three of them were all startled. Zhuo Yilie said, "Fourth brother, you mustn't be lying to us. I saw your chest pouch bulging slightly last night, and the Tiger Blood Pill was still there."
"I took it this morning," Li Xian admitted.
"This...this..."
Zhao Han and the other two looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Li Xian knew that saying more would be useless, but she still solemnly said, "Trust me."
Zhao Han and the other two forced a smile, hesitated to speak, and fell into an even deeper silence before finally leaving dejectedly.
...
From this point on, Zhao Han and the other two began to intentionally or unintentionally distance themselves from Li Xian.
Pang Long was already being lenient by having the three of them take two days off in a row. Starting from the third day, they would resume their usual routine of morning training and martial arts practice together.
The purplish-blue palm prints on their faces could no longer be concealed, drawing sneers and mockery from the guards. The three of them were utterly ashamed and embarrassed.
Seeing this, Li Xian knew that arguing was useless, so he threw even more determined punches, prioritizing improving his own strength.
He would frequently visit Pang Long's residence to inquire about the "Xianwu Pavilion".
Thanks to Pang Long's influence, Jiang Yun didn't cause any trouble.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. There was still no news, but his strength had improved greatly.
Li Xian's skill in running has reached its peak. He moves with incredible speed and endurance, and can easily overcome difficult terrain such as mountains, forests, and swamps.
During his daily morning training run, he was able to leave the guards far behind, allowing him to spend more time practicing his boxing.
[Four Directions Fist]
[Proficiency: 715/1500 Minor Mastery]
The internal energy in my dantian is already the size of three fists. The circulation of this internal energy can strengthen the spirit, revitalize the body, and dispel illness while keeping me warm.
The uses are endless.
"It is said that the effects of internal energy of those who are skilled in martial arts are ever-changing and inexhaustible."
After finishing his morning training that day, Li Xian exhaled a light breath, feeling he had gained a great deal.
"Class D guard, number 269, Li Xian."
A shout came from behind, and when he turned around, he saw seven people walking towards him.
Two familiar figures were among them: Qiao Dashou and Zhao Dachun.
Zhao Dachun laughed and said, "Brother Li, your patrol duty today has been canceled. It's quite a coincidence that we've bumped into each other again."
"Oh?" Li Xian asked, "Is it another mission?"
"We need to go to the village to help Madam collect rent." Zhao Dachun was clearly very familiar with these matters.
When there is nothing to do, the guards of Yihezhuang mainly patrol. However, at the end of each month, most of the guards go down to the villages to collect rent.
"We're in a group of eight. We're going to the longevity village to collect rent. Let's pack up quickly, the journey is long, and we'll try to get there and back as soon as possible."
The speaker was Feng Huo, in his thirties, lean and wiry. He was a Class C guard and temporarily the leader of the eight-person team.
"Okay." Li Xian wiped his sweat; there was nothing to pack.
Before leaving, the group of eight went to the vegetarian restaurant to get food for their journey. Each person took as much as they could, otherwise they would have to endure hunger on the way if they didn't have enough to eat.
Li Xian ate as he ate, stuffing his stomach full. Then he used his internal energy to flatten the steamed buns and dry biscuits and hid them in the pocket of his sleeve.
In these times, more food is always a good thing.
The weather was getting colder, and snowflakes were already falling outside the village. Li Xian thought to herself, "Although it's cold, I bought a new coat for my younger brother last time. With my father's hemp clothes, he shouldn't get cold."
The guard's uniform is warm in winter and cool in summer. In addition, Li Xian has cultivated internal energy, so his resistance to cold is far superior to that of ordinary people, and he is not afraid of snow.
"Damn it, it's really weird. It rains all the time, of all times, just when I'm going on a long trip."
Feng Huo spat, impatiently brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders, and said to the crowd:
"Longevity Village is a full thirty miles away from the village. Be careful on the way."
"It would be best if this snow stopped; if it doesn't, it'll only get heavier. Don't blame me for not warning you, there are many strange things happening outside!"
"If we encounter ferocious beasts like bears, leopards, or tigers, that's alright. Everyone has some martial arts skills, so we won't be completely helpless. The real danger is... encountering strange and mysterious things. Nine times out of ten, we won't come out on top."
"Furthermore, if you get blown away by the evil wind and lose your way in the snow, you'll be in a truly hopeless situation."
Feng Huo reminded him.
The message was mainly for Li Xian. The others all looked solemn upon seeing the snow. It was unclear whether they had experienced anything strange, but they probably knew that the mountain roads were very difficult to traverse in the snow.
"The world is not at peace, and demons and monsters are roaming around." Seeing the solemn expressions on everyone's faces, Li Xian dared not be careless and took Feng Huo's warning to heart.
(End of this chapter)
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