Chapter 102: A Cup of Muddy Wine

"Brother Xu, you have truly made me long for you!"

Zhu Huai'an, who had waited bitterly for so long, had bloodshot eyes; he did not know if it was because he had stayed up all night without sleeping, or because he was too excited to see him.

Zhu Huai'an reached out to grab Xu Qing's wrist, while his other hand tightly clasped his palm, fearing he would run away again.

"Let go!"

Xu Qing pushed the little fatty away with disgust; in broad daylight, what propriety was there in two grown men pulling and tugging at each other?

"You are not in Fucheng of Jinmen; why have you come to find me? There is nothing fun here."

Inside the corpse-handling shop, Zhu Huai'an was sighing deeply: "I will not hide it from you, Brother Xu, my heart is filled with sorrow!"

"You, a precious heir, are now sorrowful? How many people dream of a life where clothes come to your hand and food opens its mouth for you, yet cannot even attain it!" Xu Qing looked at the overly familiar Prince Zhu with a bad temper.

With his mouth dry and thirsty, Zhu Huai'an saw a water vat in the shop, so he took a ladle and wanted to scoop the red sorghum fine water from the vat to drink.

After a gulp, the little fatty's eyes immediately lit up.

"Good wine!"

Xu Qing thought, naturally; inside the water vat was soaking the wine worm he had thrown in; a vat of fake wine without any additives was indeed much healthier than the real wine sold outside.

Zhu Huai'an drank a full mouthful and felt the bitterness in his heart suddenly find a place to vent.

"The poor have their sorrows, the rich have their sorrows; why does Brother Xu ask what he already knows?"

Xu Qing's heart stirred slightly.

"Father has a father's grudge? Do you not wish to avenge your father?"

Zhu Huai'an's eyelids twitched, and he silently put down the ladle.

Seeing him silent and speechless, Xu Qing knew his guess was correct.

"So be it. It is just that the road ahead is high and far; I hope Your Highness the Prince will take good care of yourself."

Xu Qing stepped back imperceptibly and clasped his hands toward Zhu Huai'an.

The grudge of Changting Wang was not an ordinary family feud; it was surely a great grudge bound together with the fortune of the state.

He, a mere corpse-driver, and a little corpse in a corpse-handling shop, did not wish to get mixed up in that deep pool of mud.

Struggles between dynasties have always been one-way streets with no retreat; just like rolling wheels crushing an ant hill, let alone human strength, even a Grandmaster of the Martial Way might not escape unscathed from under the wheels.

Seeing Xu Qing's reaction, Zhu Huai'an felt his heart grow even more bitter and depressed.

"I truly envy Brother Xu, able to live a stable life of a carefree cloud and wild crane with single-minded focus."

Hearing this, Xu Qing shook his head and denied it.

"It cannot be called a carefree cloud and wild crane; at most, it is just a commoner scraping by to survive."

Seeing that the other party was impervious to oil or salt, Zhu Huai'an knew he must change his method to open the other's heart.

Since friendship was not enough, then let tragedy make up the difference.

Zhu Huai'an's eyes turned red, and tears immediately fell down with a pitter-patter.

"."

Xu Qing's eyelids twitched as he watched, thinking: we are just chatting, so why does one word lead to dropping little pearls immediately?

"Since I can remember, my father has been fighting in the Northern Border; back then, he might not return even once every three or five years..."

Xu Qing thought Zhu Huai'an was going to speak of the deep hatred he bore on his back, but he never expected this little fatty to instead start talking about his childhood.

"Back then, Mother often said that it was precisely because there were people like Father protecting Shanhe that the common people could live a life of family wealth and full bellies."

"If there were no generals who stood out to resist foreign enemies, once those barbarians began to swallow Shanhe, who knows how many people would be separated from their wives and children."

The more Xu Qing listened, the more something felt wrong; this little fatty was clearly speaking with hidden meaning, hinting at him in a roundabout way.

"The current Emperor does not think of the people's livelihood or state affairs; instead, he only thinks of exterminating my Zhu family completely... Any clear-eyed person knows this matter clearly: the Emperor ordering my Zhu family to move the residence is false; wanting to root out hidden dangers is the truth."

Zhu Huai'an spoke of the oral decree issued by Emperor Yongxing, Zhao Rong, ordering him to go to the Northern Border.

Xu Qing remained silent; Changting Wang had considerable prestige among the various armies in the Northern Border, and Zhu Huai'an was Changting Wang's only heir; if he went to the Northern Border, there would surely be military garrisons to support and protect him.

Emperor Yongxing could not have failed to think of this.

Xu Qing pondered slightly and understood the mystery hidden within this.

Changting Wang had worked hard and made great contributions; even if someone spread rumors and slandered him behind his back, it could not erase the Zhu family's contribution to the Great Yong Dynasty.

If Emperor Yongxing wanted to eliminate the Zhu family, he would absolutely not dare to act openly.

For Zhao Rong, who valued reputation, the cost would be too great.

Xu Qing looked at Zhu Huai'an and said calmly: "Since the situation is so urgent, you should think of countermeasures early; why do you still have the leisure to come to my place to visit?"

"Why does Brother Xu ask what he already knows? Others may not know, but I know that Brother Xu is absolutely not an ordinary person."

"."

Seeing Xu Qing say nothing, Zhu Huai'an lowered his voice and continued: "Months ago at the Wang Fu banquet, I knew it was Brother Xu who saved me; I have kept this matter in my heart all along."

"Brother Xu is accomplished in both civil and military arts, a rare jade talent in the world; if you are willing to come out of the mountains and enter the world, I, your junior brother, would be willing to hold your horse and stirrup without regret."

Where is this holding your horse and stirrup for me? This is clearly returning kindness with enmity!

Xu Qing heard this and shook his head repeatedly.

He was playing with cats and raising ghosts in the corpse-handling shop, living a perfectly good life; only someone with a broken mind would run to the Northern Border to venture out.

Zhu Huai'an was still speaking there like a flowing river.

He reasoned with Xu Qing with emotion and logic; this was the first time Prince Zhu had been so eager to seek talent.

One could say that Xu Qing was the first experimental field on his road to recruiting soldiers and buying horses; if he could not hook the other party onto his warship this time, he felt he would never have confidence again.

If he could not even lure away an old acquaintance, how could he take this personal charm out to recruit other wise men?

"Huai'an, my ambition is not here; no matter how much you say, it is useless."

"If it is merely to request Brother Xu to travel along, and once we reach the Northern Border, let Brother Xu stay or leave as he pleases; would that be good?"

Xu Qing still shook his head and refused.

"Old Hu from the street-side coffin shop, whom I treat as an elder and honor, is already aged and in poor health; I have promised to support him in his old age and see him through his final days, so I truly cannot leave."

"Is that so? Then I was indeed presumptuous."

Seeing Zhu Huaian's face flush with embarrassment, Xu Qing softened the atmosphere and said:

"These are all trivial matters; the main thing is that my female cousin still relies on me to earn money to support her. You don't know how much she eats in one meal; such a big fish isn't even enough for a single bite from her."

"Pat!" Just as Xu Qing was speaking of how gluttonous his cousin was, a shuttlecock suddenly flew in from afar.

Xu Qing casually swatted it away.

Zhu Huaian glanced over but saw no trace of Sun Erniang; he only spotted a black cat leaping down from the counter, then leaving the shop without looking back.

Xu Qing bent down, picked up the shuttlecock thrown at him by Xuan Yu, and said, "Every family has its own troubles; let us not speak of this matter further."

Patting away the nonexistent dust from the shuttlecock, Xu Qing placed it on the table beside him and smiled, "I know your journey ahead is fraught with difficulties. As a friend, I have little to offer you in farewell, but here are a few talismans; take them as a token to ease your mind."

Speaking thus, Xu Qing produced several talismans, including Peace Talismans he had drawn himself, as well as Evil-Driving and Soul-Calming talismans obtained when he previously performed rites for the deceased.

Zhu Huaian straightened his expression and accepted the talismans with great care.

"Thank you, Brother Xu."

Xu Qing smiled slightly.

To be honest, he had always held some affection for this young master.

The other party had never looked down on him due to his status as a young master.

Like the Wu brothers and himself, in the end, their origins were all from the lower depths, yet the little fatty had never cared about their background and had always been willing to form a sincere friendship.

Such a disposition, looking across the entire circle of noble offspring, would likely be hard to find a second of.

It is just that great talent invites envy, and virtuous men meet misfortune; if Zhu Huaian's father had not been so dazzling, the other party might have lived a carefree life as a second-generation noble for a lifetime.

Zhu Huaian did not bring up the matter of asking Xu Qing to emerge from seclusion again; instead, he cheerfully talked about the past and the mischief he had gotten into with the Wu brothers.

"If I had not come this time, I would not have known that Brother Zhiyuan has already married and started a family; why did none of you send me an invitation?"

Xu Qing shook his head and said, "It is not that we did not think to send you one; Wencai thought of you first, but Zhiyuan considered that the Wang Fu is still in a mourning period, yet he must organize a wedding, and his heart truly could not bear it."

Zhu Huaian was instantly speechless.

"When I meet him next time, I must make him drink three cups as a self-punishment."

Zhu Huaian forced a relaxed smile, appearing as carefree and unburdened as always.

"Brother Xu, I must go."

Hearing this, Xu Qing nodded.

"It is hard to leave a poor home, and hard to part with one's native soil. You, born into a wealthy family, must find it even harder to part; this ladle of muddy wine shall serve as my farewell to you."

Zhu Huaian took the wine ladle, took only one sip, and then poured the rest entirely onto the ground at the doorway.

"I drink only one sip; the rest is a tribute to this native soil. If one day in the future, I will surely return here."

Watching Zhu Huaian board the carriage, Xu Qing suddenly spoke, "Brother Zhu, wait; I have something here that might be useful to you."

At the riverside dock, a large crowd had gathered around a fish stall.

Everyone stretched their necks and stood on tiptoe, all just to catch a glimpse of the legendary 'Spirit Fish'.

"This newly arrived young man from the Wang family is truly capable; he actually managed to catch a Spirit Fish."

"That is no Spirit Fish; that is white silver. Such a large Spirit Fish must weigh seven or eight jin; calculated at twenty taels of silver per jin, it should be worth one or two hundred taels."

"Even if we fish for a lifetime, we might not earn so much money."

Before the fish stall, a dark-skinned youth stood guarding his fish basket, waiting for the stall manager to calculate the price.

"The fish head has seven stars, and the fish body has a slanted moon pattern; indeed, it is undoubtedly a Star Fish."

"You lad are truly lucky; this fish only appears at night, and its teeth are incredibly sharp, capable of biting through even iron nets; how did you catch it?"

The youth surnamed Wang, seemingly not good with words, simply said, "How much do you intend to pay?"

The fish stall manager smiled and said, "This is not a matter of how much you pay; your fish has an unclear origin. If it were taken from another family's fish basket, and the owner came to ask me for it back, tell me, would I give it back or not?"

"You must tell me the source of this fish; only then will I dare to accept it with peace of mind."

Spirit Fish are not ordinary fish; aside from martial artists or people from the Jianghu who occasionally come here, only the manager of the fish stall at this dock would accept them.

"When Fourth Master collected fish before, he never asked such questions," the youth surnamed Wang said with a frown.

"Fourth Master? You mean Li Si of the Linhe Market? Well, sorry, now the dock is managed by the Jinmen Gang; the rules he, Li Si, established before no longer apply."

The youth surnamed Wang had no choice but to hastily fabricate a reason to dispel the other party's doubts.

If he could not sell this fish today, it would inevitably attract the attention of those with ill intentions; only by exchanging it for silver early, buying property or shops within the district, or fleeing the dock overnight to hide for a while would it be safe.

"You mean this fish was chased by a river monster, ran aground on its own, and thus you got the lucky break?"

"Do you think the crowd will believe such a reason?"

The youth surnamed Wang, somewhat annoyed, said, "Every word I speak is the truth; if you do not want it, I will go to the martial arts hall to find someone to sell it."

"Wait, wait, young man, why are you so impatient? Very well, I will take some risk and buy this fish of yours."

The fish stall manager was not afraid of the other party going to the martial arts hall; during the time he deliberately delayed, members of the Jinmen Gang had already surrounded them.

The youth surnamed Wang noticed the crowd suddenly fall silent; he turned back and saw more than a dozen fierce-looking strangers who had squeezed into the inner circle of the crowd at some point.

The fish stall manager, feeling secure, became even more brazen.

He lowered the price several times, finally forcing the Spirit Fish, worth nearly two hundred taels, down to fifty taels.

The youth surnamed Wang considered himself unlucky; after taking the silver, he exchanged it for five taels worth of stringed coins, then, in front of the fish stall manager, began distributing the money, begging a group of fishermen to act as witnesses and escort him out of the dock.

Once he left the dock and reached the area controlled by Fourth Master Li, he would not fear the Jinmen Gang seizing the silver on his person.

The fish stall manager watched with a smile, allowing the group of fishermen to guard the youth as he departed.

A gang member nearby stepped forward and asked, "Second Brother Cai, should we..."

The fish stall manager, known as Second Brother Cai, shook his head and said, "One must leave a way open when doing things; one cannot push people too hard."

"We have already made quite a profit from this fish today; Young Master Yao has practiced martial arts for many years and is recently about to begin internal refinement, urgently needing Spirit Fish to replenish his qi and blood. Young Master Yao has always been generous in his spending; reselling this Star Fish will fetch at least two hundred taels of silver."

The fish market manager, twirling his handlebar mustache and lost in self-satisfaction, was suddenly startled by a helper's cry: "A wild cat! Manager, beware, don't let that cat steal your fish!"

Hearing this, the manager hurriedly looked down, only to see a pitch-black cat open its mouth and snatch away his fish basket.

The basket dragged along the ground, jolting all the way and splashing water in droplets.

The crowd immediately reacted, each trying to block the black cat's path, but they did not expect the cat's movement to be so skilled; slithering like a snake and leaping like a fish, it somehow found a gap in the crowd and darted out.

With a single leap, the black cat jumped onto the roof of the fish market, then deliberately paused, turning its head to glance back at the crowd, as if waiting for them to give chase.

The Jinmen Gang was not short of martial arts experts; seven or eight fighters followed closely behind, leaping onto the roof in a pincer formation.

The black cat blinked, then, right before everyone's eyes, jumped down from the roof.

The instant it landed, an inexplicable gale whipped up, filling the sky with dust and sand. The Jinmen Gang members felt the grit sting their eyes; by the time the wind cleared, they searched everywhere, yet not a trace of the cat remained.

After searching in vain, the fish market manager cursed loudly.

"That thieving cat is truly hateful; if we catch it, we must flay its skin and grind its bones!"

At this moment, inside the corpse-handling shop, Xu Qing looked at the vast space manifested by the Shanhe Map and felt a surge of delight in his heart.

That damned Imperial Purple Qi had finally been cast away.

(End of this chapter)