Chapter 37: 37 Approaching

Song Cheng picked out his weapon and returned to his room.

He was already very familiar with this cane-like Fine Blade and knew he had to sharpen it first.

Ling'er felt uneasy and nervous in her heart, following him silently.

"From now on, we are our own people" is not an empty phrase.

Only when exchanging information, providing value, and beginning to strive for a common cause and common interests can one be considered "our own people" in substance.

If one cannot share in weal and woe, "our own people" is nothing more than a verbal self-delusion.

Ling'er had come to discuss matters, or rather, to complete the ritual of "being tied to the same rope."

Splash—a ladle of cold water soaked the whetstone.

The youth sat down and began to skillfully sharpen the thin iron rod.

Ling'er, in a pink outfit and skirt, wearing her hair in two ring-shaped buns, stood nervously to the side with her hands hanging down.

Tong Xiaoniangzi had long been practicing the blade until she was panting, and at this moment, she suddenly said, "I'm going out for a while."

Song Cheng said, "Don't, I wouldn't hide anything from you."

Tong Xiaoniangzi said, "But I don't want to listen."

Song Cheng said, "It's very important."

Tong Xiaoniangzi laughed coquettishly, "I know it's very, very important, but I just don't want to listen."

A woman's heart is a needle at the bottom of the sea; many thoughts flashed through Song Cheng's mind, yet he could not determine what his own wife was thinking.

Perhaps having insight into Song Cheng's thoughts, Tong Jia smiled, "You worry about your own affairs, I have my own worries too."

Song Cheng said helplessly, "Alright then."

Ling'er, who was to the side, suddenly took a token from her bosom, hurried forward, and said, "Tong Dafu, take this token, you can go to the Chamber of Commerce's library to read. Although there are no cultivation techniques inside, there are quite a few books collected by the Young Miss, including medical texts."

Tong Xiaoniangzi did not refuse; she took the token and said, "Many thanks, Miss Ling'er."

Ling'er hurriedly waved her hands.

Tong Xiaoniangzi turned and left, closing the door tightly behind her.

In the courtyard, it suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of sharpening the blade, stroke by stroke.

Muddy yellow rust water immediately appeared around the whetstone, seeping into the soil.

Song Cheng scooped another ladle of water to rinse away the rust, took the Fine Blade to look at it, and continued to sharpen the rusted side, while suddenly saying faintly, "I killed Shi Yi."

Ling'er's body trembled, and she said in a trembling voice, "This servant knows."

Song Cheng said, "Do you not hate me?"

Ling'er said bitterly, "A rootless duckweed, a slave who betrayed her master, almost ending up in prison with nothing—what right do I have to hate? Mr. Song... Mr. Song, what... what do you need this servant to do?"

Song Cheng sharpened the blade quietly, the rust falling in rustles, especially at the interface.

Suddenly, Song Cheng stopped, stood up, and pulled at the hilt.

Click—click, click, click. The rusted blade came out.

The power bonus it provided had actually changed from 5 to 6.

Song Cheng exerted his strength, and a surge of blood Qi drilled into the blade; a magical feeling of the blade being an extension of his arm was transmitted to him.

Hum~~~ The blade hummed; its material was clearly not ordinary iron.

Song Cheng laughed, praised it as a "good blade," and then swung a "Transforming into a Flood Dragon."

At this moment, even though Ling'er did not understand blade techniques, she could see the terror of this strike.

It was a combination of speed, power, and ruthlessness. The blade was far from her, but the blade wind it cut out brushed past her.

She only felt that as Song Cheng swung the blade, he had swung out the wind of half the courtyard.

In the courtyard, the insects of the Awakening of Insects, as if hearing the roar of a great beast, were all terrified into silence.

The new buds on the old tree were struck by the blade wind, and the entire tree shook with a rustle; the sound of the leaves was exactly like a dreamlike wind chime.

The old tree sprouted new buds, and struck by the blade-wind, the entire tree shook rustlingly, the sound of its leaves like the wind chimes of a Dream.

Ling'er curled up her body, her face lowered, looking at her toes.

Although she knew Shi Yi was killed by him, and knew his power should be strong, seeing it with her own eyes still caused fear to well up in Ling'er's heart.

Especially since such a terrifying person had pretended not to have entered the Jin Realm to come to the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce, allowing the Young Miss to cultivate him—his schemes must be vast.

After finishing the strike, Song Cheng continued to sharpen the blade and said, "Miss Ling'er perhaps thinks I have come with ill intent and have vast schemes.

But in truth, Song just wanted to find a place to stay. Song has seen ghosts and monsters, and coming to the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce is also due to a connection with this place, so I thought of sharing in weal and woe."

But in truth, Song Cheng only wanted to find a place to stay; Song Cheng had seen demons and monsters, and coming to the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce was also due to a connection with this place, so he thought to share in its fortunes and misfortunes.

She had thought Song Cheng came here on purpose. However, she had seen Song Cheng when he first returned, and that disheveled appearance really did not look like it was on purpose.

Thus, she asked, "Mr. Song, is the Ghost Disaster in your Tanghe Village really that terrifying?"

"Ghost Disaster? That is also appropriate.

But it is not just Tanghe Village, or perhaps the wilderness is filled with evil ghosts."

Song Cheng's eyes showed gravity and fear, and he muttered, "If the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce gets dragged into it, I fear the entire household will be wiped out, with not even a chicken or dog left."

He looked up at Ling'er and said, "Therefore, I want to save myself, but I need the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce. I will also save the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce, because this is my place of refuge.

He looked up at Ling'er and said, "Therefore, I want to save myself, but I need the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce. I will also save the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce, because this is my place of refuge."

He stood still, looked at Ling'er, and said solemnly, "I want to marry An Chenyu."

"So you want to be the son-in-law..." Ling'er let out a breath and looked at Song Cheng again, feeling that in terms of strength, talent, or appearance, there was not much difference. If he really became the son-in-law, as long as he did not abandon her, she would also rise with the tide. As for whether he would abandon her or not, that would depend on her own methods.

"So you want to be the son-in-law," Ling'er let out a breath, then looked at Song Cheng again, feeling that in terms of strength, talent, or appearance, he wasn't lacking much. If he truly became the son-in-law, as long as he didn't abandon her, she would also rise with the tide; as for whether he would abandon her or not, that would depend on her own methods.

After saying this, she looked troubled and said, "The Young Miss said she wanted to find a matrilocal son-in-law, and that son-in-law was chosen by the Chamber of Commerce's First Madam; it is said to be a useless scholar.

Before, this servant also spoke to Shi Yi about this matter."

I also spoke to Shi Yi about this matter previously.

Shi Yi says this scholar is just a showpiece found by the Young Miss, unable to even touch the Young Miss, yet I am still worried.

Because the Young Miss is very independent; she has wanted to compete for first place since she was small, like a strong-willed man. I accompanied her when I was little and saw how she would grit her teeth and persist, never admitting defeat. Therefore, the Young Miss actually needs such a useless scholar to be her puppet most of all.

On the contrary, for someone as powerful as you, sir, while she might grow close and use you as a confidant, she would never consider you as a candidate for a husband."

Song Cheng said, "One mountain cannot hold two tigers?"

Ling'er nodded repeatedly, indicating her agreement.

Song Cheng thought for a moment.

Should he change his target? After all, he needed to integrate with a power to resolve many needs, thereby allowing himself to better lie low and cultivate in a safe environment. It was not that he absolutely had to marry An Chenyu.

At this moment, he really wanted to ask, "Then does Miss Ling'er know of any other wealthy, beautiful women from powerful family forces whom one could marry to enter their inner circle?" But the words reached his lips and he took them back.

First of all, how could it be that easy?

It is easy to want to be a "one-wave" thief.

But it is very difficult to reasonably marry someone and then integrate into their power.

Secondly, the relationship between Ling'er and him was actually limited to the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce.

If he changed his target, Ling'er would certainly still be obedient to him out of fear, but because they would lose their shared schemes and shared interests, unnecessary variables would arise.

Furthermore, as time passed, this connection would also fade.

Many thoughts flashed by, and Song Cheng said, "Each takes what they need; the freedom the scholar can give the Young Miss, I can give as well."

Ling'er clenched her fists and said, "Then I will also work hard to help you, sir, become the master of the house as soon as possible."

"Yawn, when will the Young Miss let us go back?"

"Right, right, right, no one else will come out of this Ghost village; Miss Guan Xi is also unlucky."

"Forget it, let's wait a bit longer; didn't we wait for that Song Cheng earlier?"

Outside Tanghe Village, the waiting Chamber of Commerce Guards had changed another shift, replacing the previous partner of Gao Yiwen with two others.

These two sat on an ox cart, legs crossed, drinking a little wine.

What they needed to do every day was wait.

The sky had not yet darkened, and dusk had not yet arrived, when suddenly, the moisture in the mountain forest turned into fog, curling up and covering people's knees.

The two Guards looked at each other and decided to retreat a bit, retreating to the rustic inn where they were temporarily staying.

Thus, one got into the driver's seat, and the other sat at the back of the cart.

Just as they adjusted the cart's direction and were about to raise the whip, the Guard sitting in the back suddenly shouted, "Wait a moment."

"What is it?"

"Someone, someone has come out!"

"Huh?" The person in the driver's seat was stunned for a moment and said with a trembling voice, "It wouldn't be a Ghost, would it?"

The person in the back said again, "No, it's a woman."

Having said that, he widened his eyes to look again; he always felt this woman was somewhat familiar.

Finally, he saw clearly, and with a bit of surprise and a bit of disbelief, he shouted, "Guan Xi!! It's Miss Guan Xi!!"

The fog was thick, rising like a sea tide; the woman in the fog tide walked over faintly, her face appearing and disappearing, only her way of walking was very strange, with a posture of someone who did not quite know how to walk and was still learning.

The fog quickly submerged the Guards and submerged the ox cart. In the fog, it quickly became deathly silent, as if there had never been the slightest breath of a living person.

(End of this chapter)