Chapter 49: Of course, it's to send you on your way

Just as he finished speaking, Qin Jiang realized what was happening. "Oh, oh, oh! Old Tian, you actually invited him over? Quickly, sit down and rest a while."

The two walked to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down, while Meng An stood where he was, staring blankly.

His eyes darted around, and he silently went to sit next to Tian Shangfei.

After chatting for a moment, Qin Jiang took a sip of tea. "Old Physician, why not move into the Inner City? I can find a place in the Xiuzhen Ward for you to open a medical hall."

The old physician smiled and shook his head. "No need. The Outer City has more people who need me. Just like today—if I had been in the Inner City, I wouldn't have been able to come here."

Having said that, he looked at Meng An. "By the way, besides the golden sore medicine, there is also a decoction for internal use. It would be best if it could be taken before tonight."

Meng An nodded. "Alright, don't you worry, I will definitely bring it back before tonight."

The old physician nodded and sighed slightly. "I don't know how he ended up so severely injured. With both palms broken, I fear it will be difficult for him to make a living in the future."

Hearing this, Qin Jiang picked up the cup on the table; the rising steam obscured his face.

"Making a living isn't that hard; there are many jobs that don't require hands. Sigh! Speaking of which, it's my fault!

I had good intentions in preparing a batch of farm tools, but who would have thought they would start fighting over them? Those tools were indeed a bit too sharp; I never expected they would end up cutting his hands off."

Tian Shangfei wore a look of regret, tinged with self-reproach, and pinched Meng An's thigh hard under the table.

Meng An immediately reacted. "Ah, yes, yes, yes! It's all Old Tian's fault! This is what you call good intentions leading to bad results! Yes! That's exactly it!"

The old physician sighed upon hearing this and took a sip of his tea. "So that's how it is. That really shouldn't have happened."

Having said that, he stood up. "Since there's nothing else, I'll be heading back now."

Qin Jiang stood up to see him off. "Alright, I'll find a place and keep it reserved for you. If you ever decide you want to go to the Inner City, just find any disciple of the Red Tiger Gang, and they'll be able to find me."

That night, at a large courtyard near the edge of Daliu Village.

Qin Jiang and a group of Red Tiger Gang members were playing *pai gow* in the room. In the center of the spacious room, a fire was burning, and a large iron pot with a diameter of over two meters was set up on wooden poles.

A rich, meaty aroma wafted from the pot, mixed with the unique scent of spices.

"Old Meng, go see how the cooking is coming along," Qin Jiang said.

Meng An put down his smoking pipe, walked to the pot, and picked up a shovel to stir it. "Not yet, Boss. The meat of these two old black pigs is hard to stew; I reckon it'll take another half an hour."

*Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! * Just as he was speaking, outside the house—no, outside the courtyard—came a series of urgent knocks on the door, and one could vaguely hear someone shouting anxiously.

Meng An put down the shovel and looked through the doorway toward the direction of the courtyard gate.

"Boss, what about us?"

Qin Jiang shook his head. "No need to pay attention to it."

As he spoke, he raised his palm slightly, and a streak of black-red *Sha* Qi landed beneath the large iron pot.

*Whoosh—! * The fire flared up instantly, yet it was restrained by the *Sha* Qi at the bottom of the pot.

Before long, the iron pot was bubbling continuously, emitting a rich meaty aroma, and the scent of the spices was also fully activated.

"Let's eat; we'll play again later," Qin Jiang said, throwing down the *pai gow* tiles in his hand.

"Ah——!!!"

*Thud! Thud! Thud! * A series of terrified screams came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by low roars, as if something were smashing against something else, blow after blow.

Meng An paused for a moment, then beckoned for people to bring bowls to serve the meat.

Qin Jiang stood up and pushed open the door. A cool breeze blew in; in the summer, the night wind was undoubtedly wonderful.

"Boss, your meat."

Meng An walked over carrying a basin as large as a person could embrace and set it down. Inside were two whole pig hind legs and four kidneys.

Qin Jiang nodded. With *Sha* Qi wrapped around his hands, he picked up a pig leg and began to gnaw on it, chewing up and swallowing even the bones.

A moment later, the screams outside the courtyard gradually faded away, and Qin Jiang finished the basin, drinking down the meat juices.

"Boss, it's cold at night."

Tian Shangfei walked over and took out a black cloak to drape over his shoulders.

Qin Jiang looked at the cloak with some surprise. "Where did this come from?"

"It's from Elder Chen. He already knows that you, Boss, have mastered the Red Tiger Fist. This cloak doesn't have the Red Tiger mark embroidered on it; only those in the gang who have mastered the Red Tiger Fist are qualified to wear it," Tian Shangfei said.

Qin Jiang nodded slightly. In reality, at his current level, he was already impervious to cold and heat.

However, it was, after all, a kind gesture. He tightened his collar and looked quietly at the sky, where dark clouds obscured the moonlight and the stars.

The next morning, at the open space in Daliu Village.

A group of villagers gathered around the perimeter of the open space, looking at Zheng Deyu in the center with terror in their eyes.

At this moment, his face was ashen, and he held a wooden box, gathering the ashes from the ground.

"Move! Hurry up and make way!"

Red Tiger Gang disciples pushed the villagers aside to form a small path, and Qin Jiang walked into the open space.

"Boss, I heard that this guy's wife turned into a corpse-demon last night and killed quite a few people in the village. As soon as the sun came out today, she turned into ashes," Tian Shangfei whispered behind him.

Qin Jiang nodded and walked over to help gather the ashes.

【Potential Points absorbing... 0.1, 0.1】

【Potential Points: 14.3】

In just half a breath's time, the potential points were fully absorbed.

He looked at the ashes on the ground with some surprise. Was their bond really that deep? Previously, when he was at the pawnshop, he had tested quite a few so-called "tokens of love," and unsurprisingly, none of them contained potential points.

It could also be that he had looked in the wrong place; if the bond were truly deep, they wouldn't have been taken to a pawnshop.

"If you can't stay here, you can come with me to the city and join the Red Tiger Gang," he said.

Zheng Deyu shook his head, carefully gathering the ashes. "No need, My Lord. I want to stay in the village and guard my wife's grave."

Tian Shangfei, behind Qin Jiang, couldn't understand it. "Don't be ungrateful! What's so good about staying in this broken village!"

Qin Jiang shook his head and, with a wave of his hand, a swirl of *Sha* Qi sent all the ashes into the box.

He stood up, his palm resting on the hilt of his blade.

"Is it still not enough? You are really being very troublesome. Have I been too lenient with you?"

Zheng Deyu stood up with a blank look in his eyes. "My Lord, what do you mean by this?"

Qin Jiang did not answer, speaking to himself: "Actually, before this, I always thought that weird entities didn't have much self-awareness.

Now it seems that is not the case."

*Zheng! * The blade emitted a trembling sound as it slashed horizontally across Zheng Deyu's neck.

*Sss~* Blood splattered, tinged with a faint black color. As it landed on Qin Jiang's clothes, it made a hissing, corrosive sound. In the blink of an eye, it corroded Qin Jiang's entire upper garment, revealing his muscular torso.

*Thump~ Thump. *

Zheng Deyu's head fell to the ground and rolled two or three meters away.

*Hiss——! * Tian Shangfei widened his eyes, looking at Qin Jiang and the rolling head in astonishment.

That head clearly still wore a blank smile?! "How did you know?" the head on the ground asked, smiling.

The headless body in front of Qin Jiang walked over, gently picked up the head, and placed it back on the neck.

Qin Jiang waved his hand, and Tian Shangfei's body was swept back by *Sha* Qi.

He looked at Zheng Deyu. At this moment, Zheng Deyu's skin had turned a greenish-black, and his eyes had become black, hollow voids.

"At the very beginning, it was the food I prepared for you that you didn't eat. But at that time, I didn't actually suspect anything; I just thought you couldn't eat."

As he spoke, Qin Jiang used his fingers to gently wipe the blood off the blade; the blood that could corrode clothes caused him no harm at all.

"Later, when you fainted and I slapped you awake, I felt something was wrong, but I just thought you had *Yin* Qi entering your body.

It wasn't until that night, after you handed me the silver hairpin and left, that I noticed the next morning that there were only my and Old Tian's footprints on the layer of mineral dust outside the door.

Only then did I feel you might be a weird entity. Finally, what made me confirm your identity... care to guess?"

Having said this, Qin Jiang swung his Black Water blade and twisted his wrist, looking at Zheng Deyu.

Zheng Deyu held the ash box and pondered slightly. "What was it?"

"You shouldn't have let them dig up your wife's corpse. You forgot: the heart-blood of a weird entity is black," Qin Jiang laughed.

Zheng Deyu stood where he was, black Qi swirling around him. After a long silence, he spoke. "Since you knew I was a weird entity, what did you mean by telling me to join the Red Tiger Gang?"

Qin Jiang tilted his head slightly and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "That's truly interesting. You didn't actually believe it, did you? Of course, I intended to send you on your way when we returned."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 50 =====