Chapter 11: 11 Night Raid

The moonlight drifted, and several branches of wild plum blossoms scattered a faint fragrance in the deep winter.

Yet the world of the blind youth had no color, only ink-wash and negative space.

Seeing his strength stats about to rise, his heart grew all the more joyful; ignoring the night, the weather, and the soreness in his arms, he simply focused on sharpening his blade, and sharpening it again.

The blade with its plain white lines moved back and forth in the darkness, and the rust shavings falling with a rustle were like negative space spreading in ink-wash.

The more Song Cheng sharpened, the more he looked forward to it.

He looked forward to becoming strong far too much.

Not for anything else, just to be able to live securely.

Things like vying for hegemony, claiming supremacy, or fighting ruthlessly were things he did not want to do at all.

The previous incarnation's plan was "to silently protect the Young Mistress of the house, watch the Young Mistress of the house get married, while remaining a servant for life, and then focus on serving the beloved Young Mistress of the house and her husband," and this plan had already been over-fulfilled.

As for Song Cheng's plan, it was: to move to the county seat, the Prefecture City, the Zhoucheng, and even the Huangcheng.

The reason was simple.

This world was nine times out of ten the worldview of "Infinite Hell."

"Filling the Yin" was an extremely important point in this worldview.

In places with few people, Yin energy is hard to fill.

The first places to have incidents and the first to reach the "end of the world" would inevitably be places with few people like mountain forests, villages, mass graves, and battlefields. When the first Taboo appeared, Forbidden Lands would follow; as the number of Forbidden Lands increased, the county seats would fall, then the Prefecture City, the Zhoucheng... and finally, it would be the turn of the Huangcheng, which had the heaviest human presence.

Of course, this was theoretically speaking. Now that it was a chaotic era, Ghost knows if there would be dynastic changes or other variables in between.

Song Cheng intended to go with the flow and move to a prosperous, large city to avoid the "initial shock" of the Taboos.

But without a travel permit or household registration, these were all just empty talk.

A travel permit in the village was issued by the village head.

For household registration, you needed a local power to take you in, or you needed a legitimate reason to stay, for it to be possible to go to the yamen to process and obtain it.

Otherwise, even if you secretly ran off to another town, if you hadn't brought a travel permit, you would be treated as a thief.

This was the government's means of restricting the movement of personnel.

And more importantly, of course, one had to have strength.

Song Cheng did not know how long he had been sharpening his blade; he lifted the corner of his eye slightly and saw four data points approaching from afar, one of which was naturally the Young Mistress of the house with 【Favorability: 100】.

And the three around her were also existences with 80 favorability.

A doctor saving lives was still relatively capable of making some people feel favor.

Before long, the sound of the wicker gate being pushed came.

"Brother Cheng, what are you doing?"

"Sharpening a blade."

"Pfft."

Tong Jia covered her mouth to block her laughter, then said: "It's just a thin, long iron rod, right? Are you sharpening a stick?"

Clearly, she also didn't see the power of this iron rod.

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she didn't know what she thought of, and actually started laughing "goose, goose, goose."

Song Cheng didn't mind the Young Mistress of the house's non-malicious mockery and said calmly: "That's because the edge hasn't been ground out yet. I originally wanted to pick one out for you, but apart from this blade, the rest are ordinary goods. By the way, I only spent twenty-two wen on this blade."

Twenty-two wen?

Not even as expensive as a kitchen knife.

Tong Jia curled her lips and ignored this point; she glanced at the rusty iron rod again, very suspicious of whether her own man was even qualified for the status of an "Ordinary Disciple of a sect." But she didn't say anything more, just said: "Are you bathing?"

Song Cheng nodded and rinsed the Fine Blade again with water.

Both of them had been busy today and had sweated quite a bit, so they rarely went to the kitchen to boil a pot of hot water.

In the soaking barrel, this pot of water wasn't enough, but it was enough for the two of them to use towels to clean every corner of their bodies well.

In the kitchen, the husband and wife washed together without shame or reserve, one moment you helping me wipe here, the next me helping you scrub there.

Finally, they left a little water for Tong Jia to wash her hair, then wrapped themselves in outer garments and ran hurriedly across the courtyard back to the bedroom.

On the bed, the two warmed their bodies and then embraced to talk in bed.

"Went to the Ding family today, didn't find the money."

"Who hides stolen goods at home?"

"Mainly because they hid it too fast. Chen Quezi must have thought that those three brats of the Ding family had just taken the money and must have stored it in the room, but... sigh, if it really was those three brats who took the money, they would be too cunning."

"Still calling them brats; are there brats in this world who commit home invasions and molest women?"

"They are young in age."

"So what if they're young?"

Tong Jia sighed and said: "About that cultivation technique, I quietly asked Yun E. Yun E wouldn't say, but..."

The Young Mistress of the house thought for a moment and added: "She didn't refuse either. Anyway, I have to go see her mother-in-law these days, so I'll just pester her a bit more."

After saying this, she suddenly twisted her hips.

Song Cheng was stunned for a moment.

The Young Mistress of the house silently issued an invitation.

Song Cheng gritted his teeth and leaned in like a cicada clinging to a tree.

After a long time, it subsided.

The Young Mistress of the house commented: "Not as fierce as those first few days, are you tired of me?"

"How could I be! It's just that my body is weak." Song Cheng hurriedly explained, then clenched his fist and said, "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully the young because they are poor. Once I get the cultivation technique, I will definitely suppress you, you little enchantress."

The Young Mistress of the house giggled and provoked: "The little enchantress is waiting for you."

The two were just joking on the bed.

To be honest, Song Cheng really felt this body was incredibly weak. Before, he hadn't gone out, and on top of that, he had just engaged in intimacy, so he had been full of energy, but today he clearly felt exhausted, his whole body aching as if he had run several laps around Tanghe Village.

He couldn't help but cover his face.

This body is no good; even in bed, one has to give it their all so as not to be looked down upon. Song Cheng lay there for a good while, recovering his senses, then said, "Mistress, I am going to have my Soul leave my body. I will be back in half a stick of incense's time. If my body gets cold in a moment, don't be afraid."

Tong Jia nodded.

Song Cheng visualized the Tower, his Soul left his body, and he slipped out through the window crack with practiced ease, heading toward the Ding family's direction like a gust of wind.

As for the points, he didn't add any today.

He was saving these points while waiting for a cultivation technique.

As soon as the cultivation technique arrived, he could be "Not Yet Initiated" one second and at "Completion" the next.

No matter how good a skill is, one must have a foundation of cultivation realm.

He wasn't that close with Yun E, and it wasn't convenient to be close either.

The only person who could help him get a cultivation technique was the Young Mistress of the house.

Just as he was thinking this, suddenly, a black shadow also quietly walking in the night fell into his eyes.

Song Cheng scanned over.

【Strength: 2~2】

【Favorability: 70】

It was Chen Quezi!

Chen Quezi was leaning on a crutch with one hand and holding a knife in the other, taking advantage of the darkness to hurry toward the distance.

No! Not the distance.

It was the Ding family.

Chen Quezi had already stopped outside the Ding family's door, his back against the white-washed wall, and then slowly groped his way into the shadow on the side away from the moon, pressing his ear to the wall to start eavesdropping.

Song Cheng slipped directly into the house.

One look! Good heavens, those three Ding brothers were clutching a money box covered in dirt, counting the copper coins and silver fragments inside.

The eldest of the Ding family, Ding Siyu, said, "That Cripple is truly damnable! He was the only one who insisted on coming to search our house! Damnable!"

The second of the Ding family, Ding Siyan, said, "It's a good thing the third brother was clever and buried this money early on."

A cold, gloomy light flashed in Ding Sigu's eyes, and then he said, "This money must continue to be hidden; take it out only when using it. Keeping it outside is safer than keeping it by our side.

By the way, Big Brother, now is not the time to rest."

Ding Siyu seemed to share his thoughts, and he suddenly looked up.

Ding Sigu asked, "Big Brother, do you dare?"

Ding Siyu said, "Kill Chen Quezi?"

Ding Sigu said, "If he is here, he will definitely keep watching us. It is better to resolve it early. Don't we have that treasure we picked up?"

Ding Siyu fell into thought.

To actually kill someone, he was still a bit hesitant.

Beside him, Ding Siyan said, "Chen Quezi is, after all, from our same village; should we just kill him like this?"

Ding Sigu said indifferently, "Second Brother, that is why among the three of us, you are the most useless.

Big Brother is meant to do great things. In this chaotic world, if you don't eat meat, others will eat you.

Yun E is beautiful and doesn't know how to hide her wealth, and her mother-in-law is sick; this is called 'Heaven gives it but one does not take it, so one suffers the blame'."

Ding Siyan fell silent.

His big brother had practiced some moves, and his third brother had been sent by their father to study at a private school for a few days... yet he had achieved nothing and just guarded the house.

Seeing him silent, Ding Sigu stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and laughed, "Second Brother, once Chen Quezi is dead, we will enter through the back door of Yun E's house. At that time... the three of us brothers will go after that beautiful woman together."

Ding Siyan hesitated for a while, thinking that such a delicate woman must be incredibly intoxicating, so he finally gritted his teeth, slapped his thigh, and said fiercely, "Let's do it!"

Ding Siyu listened to his two brothers' discussion from the side, and seeing Ding Siyan's reaction, he laughed, "That's more like it."

Then he said fiercely, "In this life, I am not willing to live like this, nor am I willing to be holed up in the village, and even less willing to have spent half a lifetime saving up only to be bankrupted by a single conscription!! Since the officials have already determined the social classes in this world, then I will be a bandit!

There happen to be mountain bandits outside, so I will go join them!"

As he spoke, he walked to Ding Siyan's side, patted his shoulder heavily, and said, "Second Brother, now is the time to train your courage. Third Brother letting you go scout is called being a scout. You did well too.

Once we finish off Chen Quezi, no one in this Tanghe Village will be able to manage us anymore.

Tomorrow night, when we go to Yun E's house, I'll let you go first!"

After finishing his words, the Ding family's eldest, Ding Siyu, reached into his crotch and said, "I'm going to take a leak."

Saying this, he swayed as he walked toward the back door.

At the back door, Chen Quezi was leaning against the wall, having heard everything inside clearly. At this moment, he was so angry that his hair stood on end and his eyes were about to split. When the back door creaked open, he held his breath and focused, and as soon as Ding Siyu stepped out, he thrust his knife forward with a sudden force.

Ding Siyu was terrified and dodged, but he still felt a chill in his chest.

He fell backward, and Chen Quezi fell down along with him.

"You beast!"

Chen Quezi cursed in anger, let go of the crutch with the hand holding it, and used his palm to exert force, pressing down on the knife handle.

Pfft!!

The knife pierced completely through Ding Siyu's back.

And just at this moment, Chen Quezi heard a sharp whistling sound coming from the darkness.

As he looked up, he felt a pain in his eye socket.

A short crossbow bolt shot into his left eye and came out from the back of his head.

The third of the Ding family had a cold expression, holding a powerful crossbow in his hand that would never be found in the village.

Chen Quezi widened his eyes in disbelief.

The third son of the Ding family picked up his weapon again, stepped forward, and viciously delivered another strike.

Chen Quezi, dead! (End of this chapter)