Chapter 138: He Wu

During their casual chat, Cheng Feng felt that the man speaking with him was quite knowledgeable and asked curiously, "I see that your speech is extraordinary and your knowledge is profound; how did you end up in such a state?"

The man cupped his hands and said, "My name is He Wu. I served as a soldier for a few years and defended against the southern barbarians for several years. Back then, I was high-spirited, determined to protect my home and country, fought bravely, and repeatedly earned military merit. However, things in this world are unpredictable. Later, my elderly mother fell gravely ill, and then war broke out. I had no choice but to take my old mother and flee my hometown to escape the chaos of war. It is a pity that heaven did not grant my wish; despite my best efforts, my poor old mother did not make it to Lianshan Prefecture City and passed away from illness on the road..." Speaking of this, the young man named He Wu could no longer suppress the grief in his heart; tears streamed from his eyes, and his voice became choked with sobs.

His story was like a sharp Sword, deeply piercing the hearts of those around him. The women gathered nearby also wept uncontrollably, lamenting their own tragic fates. They could not help but associate it with their own experiences, feeling empathy, their hearts filled with endless sorrow and helplessness.

"You keep saying your old mother died of illness, not starvation; it seems you still have some ability, at least you didn't let your mother go hungry," Cheng Feng said softly to comfort him, attempting to ease the heartbreaking scene before him.

He Wu cupped his hands again and said with tearful gratitude, "Many thanks for your consolation, brother. But now that my old mother has passed and I am penniless, I am selling myself to bury her. Once my mother is safely laid to rest, I have nowhere else to go. May I ask what your employer behind you intends for us to do after buying us?"

A man does not shed tears easily, only when he has not reached the point of heartbreak.

A trace of confusion and helplessness appeared in He Wu's eyes, as if he had lost his way in this unfamiliar environment. He looked around and found not a single familiar face, a strong sense of unease surging in his heart. He did not know what kind of fate and ending he would face, and could only silently pray to meet a good employer.

Cheng Feng, who was just about to blurt out a response, regained his senses and was startled; he had barely spoken two sentences and had almost been led by the nose by the other party.

After coming to his senses, Cheng Feng observed carefully and discovered that all of He Wu's expressions seemed too deliberate. He keenly sensed He Wu's probing and could not help but sneer inwardly.

Since when had he been so easily led by the nose by someone else?

He steadied himself and began to re-examine the He Wu before him. After some observation, Cheng Feng discovered that although He Wu appeared somewhat confused and helpless, there was a firm light flickering in his eyes. It seemed that this He Wu was not really that weak, but was just looking for a suitable opportunity to reveal his strength.

Thus, Cheng Feng responded ambiguously, "If you really have been a soldier, your own strength should be quite good. With such qualifications, you could completely go and be a thug or a guard for an employer; if you have also read some books and are literate, you might even be able to be a small leader."

He Wu was clearly dissatisfied with Cheng Feng's answer. But he also understood that Cheng Feng had already given a suggestion and that it was out of good intentions. He could not refute it directly and could only hide this dissatisfaction in the bottom of his heart.

He Wu took a deep breath, trying hard to calm himself down. He knew that now was not the time to expose his true strength. He had to carefully observe everything around him and look for a suitable opportunity to show his value.

Without continuing to pay attention to He Wu, Cheng Feng began to make contact with the others.

The others were fine, more honest, and did not have so many devious thoughts.

Cheng Feng's interaction with the others appeared relatively relaxed, and his unique charm always made people unconsciously lower their guard. However, for He Wu, this was a form of invisible pressure. He stood to the side, quietly observing all of this, and could not help but start calculating his next move.

Watching Cheng Feng chatting with ease among the crowd, He Wu sensed an unusual aura. He noticed that in the midst of the lively conversation, Cheng Feng always inadvertently mentioned key information, such as the Red Lotus Sect, where everyone lived before, what they did before, what they could do, etc., as if probing the reactions of those around him.

He Wu stood silently to the side, pretending not to care about all of this, but in reality, his ears were pricked up high, carefully capturing every detail.

Amidst the seemingly casual inquiries, He Wu realized for the first time that the man before him was no ordinary person.

When ordinary families buy servants, would they ask about human customs, geography, and transportation? Obviously not.

When encountering beautiful women, one simply takes them back to the room to share the clouds and rain; when male labor is needed, they are bought and used as forced labor.

When has anyone ever cared about these human and geographical matters?

From Cheng Feng's way of questioning, He Wu felt as if he were seeing an ambitious figure peering into the shifting situation.

Looking at Cheng Feng's sunny and bright face, a chill surged in He Wu's heart; truly, the world is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and experts are as numerous as clouds!

However, Cheng Feng did not think too much; he just wanted to ask if there were many people in their area who found it difficult to survive.

Were the escape routes blocked?

Were there any special things to pay attention to when communicating with local residents?

Cheng Feng was also worried that the Hong Lotus Sect might attack, and perhaps he would have to flee this place in advance.

But facing the crowd's blank reactions, Cheng Feng did not think much else, thinking to himself: "If they don't know, then so be it; I'll just treat it as passing the time."

After asking once, Cheng Feng already clearly knew everyone's name. However, for this man, he did not want to remember too many people's names. After all, here, all males must first go to the Hong Sect Training Camp to receive training; this is the rule of the Cheng Mansion. Through this method, their personal spirit can be eliminated.

By comparison, those girls appeared somewhat green. Cheng Feng did not have much interest in them, feeling that they were like bean sprouts, still needing time to grow and be tempered.

However, two women who were already married caught Cheng Feng's attention. One was named Hong Niang, and the other was named Yu Niang.

Although the years had left some traces on their faces, one could still vaguely see their former beautiful style.

Hong Niang is currently 25 years old, and her daughter Xiao Zhen is 6 years old.

Yu Niang is currently 26 years old, and her daughter Xiao Yu is 7 years old.

Among the women Cheng Feng met, good-looking women were not rare, and women who could cook a good meal were also not few.

However, women who could perfectly combine beauty and cooking skills were few and far between.

Cheng Feng was not coveting their bodies, but rather believed that buying such women who were both beautiful and practical was better than those slovenly, unattractive women.

However, good-looking people won't suffer anywhere, won't they?