Chapter 37: Nian Jiu Appears

Returning to the forging room, Li Yuan carefully cleaned up the footprints, locked the door, and hurried back to his room.

"Phew!"

Listening to Fatty Sun's snoring, Li Yuan let out a long breath, took off his bamboo hat, wiped off the rainwater and hung it on the wall: "Now my heart's at ease!"

Giving up a shoe to buy himself peace and quiet—he felt it was well worth it.

"The straw paper stuck to the sole is the most common kind, and my dog-crawl handwriting couldn't be recognized by anyone... Mm, this matter should be considered settled!"

After thinking it over and finding no gaps, Li Yuan finally relaxed a little, though some hidden worries still lingered.

The only one who knew he'd bought this shoe, Liu San, had already been killed by Nian Jiu, but Nian Jiu...

"Nian Jiu is a hidden danger, more or less. I can't count on him dying in the manhunt..."

Taking off his clothes and setting them aside in the room, Li Yuan picked up his hammer and walked out, his expression calm:

"A wanted criminal's words naturally aren't very credible, but to be safe, I still need to raise my standing in the Weapon Forging Shop.

Shopkeeper Cao Da is second only to Qiu Long, the former number one expert of Gao Liu City..."

Crash!

In the heavy rain, Li Yuan closed his eyes to regulate his breath, hammer in hand, holding his stance:

"First cultivate to Great Completion, then pierce through the Six Harmonies, forge inner strength! Hold out until I enter Divine Weapon Valley, and all hidden dangers won't be a problem!"

A breath of turbid air expelled, his body moved with the wind, the hammer shattering raindrops—using the downpour to practice his striking methods, to practice listening to force.

Perhaps because the great stone in his heart had settled a little, Li Yuan's practice today was extremely exhilarating; within the rain curtain, he no longer confined himself to the White Ape Cloak Hammer, and also unleashed the Soldier's Dao Combat Killing Hammer.

Gale and torrential rain, hammer in hand, he danced.

……

……

The outer city's county government office, brightly lit.

In the great hall, several government office Runners held a single shoe, their expressions strange—wanting to laugh but not daring to.

Hup!

A figure darted out from the rain curtain, wrapped in wind, and entered the great hall.

"Captain!"

The several government office Runners all lowered their heads.

"Hmph!"

Qiu Da, still faintly smelling of wine, shook the rainwater from his body, the large lump on the back of his head aching, looked at the murder weapon on the desk that had injured him, his face darkening.

"Captain Qiu, this is a fine pair of Six Harmonies Boots. From the style, they're from the Hidden Dragon Prefecture side, and there's something on the sole..."

A government office Runner stepped forward and handed the battered Six Harmonies Boots to Qiu Da.

"This shoe..."

Having been struck on the head and drenched by rain, Qiu Da's drunkenness had mostly dissipated. He reached out, took the shoe, pulled the straw paper stuck to the sole—dampened by rain—from it, frowning, his expression very poor:

"By... shoe, can lure... Nian Jiu? What kind of scribble is this—even a dog's crawl would be clearer than this!"

"Captain Qiu, this..."

Hearing these words, the government office Runners exchanged uncertain glances.

"That thief's technique was precise—through the heavy rain, the outer wall, he still managed to strike the back of my head. He must be no ordinary person..."

Qiu Da's annoyance flashed across his face, then he fell into thought:

"But how could a broken shoe lure out Nian Jiu? Unless..."

With a ripping sound, he tore open the Six Harmonies Boots. Qiu Da's expression shifted slightly: "Six Harmonies Boots are famous for being wear-resistant—six layers sewn into one. A layer wouldn't just go missing for no reason..."

"Captain Qiu thinks there was originally something on the sole?"

Several government office Runners crowded over.

"That possibility cannot be ruled out."

Qiu Da muttered to himself.

Nian Jiu is wanted because he stole something from Divine Weapon Valley—others don't know this, but he does.

He could even guess that Nian Jiu's reluctance to leave Gao Liu was precisely because he'd lost that thing!

This broken shoe...

"Could Nian Jiu be lingering because of this item? Then the thief who injured you—perhaps he wants to use our hands to sweep away his future trouble?"

A government office Runner speculated.

The great hall was full of veteran clerks; one word from you, one from me, and they deduced quite a lot.

"Wouldn't that just let that thief off cheap?"

Some of the younger government office Runners also looked indignant.

Stuffing the straw paper back into his robe, Qiu Da closed his eyes, feeling the sharp pain at the back of his head, and said through gritted teeth: "Once we catch Nian Jiu, won't we know who this thief is?"

……

……

The next day, the sky cleared. The lingering excitement of the temple fair remained, and both the inner and outer cities were still quite lively.

Early on, the various stall-holders had already set up, the aroma of fried snacks drifting through every alley and street.

"Hear about it? Last night in the rain, a thief broke into the county government office to try and steal, but was driven off by Captain Qiu—and they say he even got hurt!"

"Captain Qiu actually got hurt? No wonder the government office Runners are patrolling the streets again today. That thief has quite the nerve, actually trying to rob the county government office?"

"What's worth stealing in the county government office? Steal some Juan Sect records?"

……

At an early breakfast stall, those well-informed were already discussing the events of the previous night.

"One bowl of tofu pudding costs three wen? Boss, you ought to go rob people instead!"

The customer laughed and cursed.

"Go ask around the whole city — which shop isn't three wen? I'm not jacking up the price!"

The stall owner chuckled, then glanced at the beggar sprawled at the street corner and waved him away impatiently:

"Get lost, where'd this beggar come from, go sprawl somewhere else!"

In the corner, a beggar in tattered rags, hair unkempt and face filthy, dragged his crippled leg as he crawled. A customer couldn't stand watching, bought a steamed bun and tossed it over:

"These years get worse every year, the beggars on the street are multiplying. Don't look, just this one, we're not exactly well-off either…"

"Huh? Where did I just get to?"

"Old Li's still kind-hearted…"

Several customers laughed and joked along — they couldn't bear to part with a steamed bun:

"That thief broke into the government office at night — what was he trying to steal?"

"Right, right! I heard from my brother-in-law, who's a government office Runner, that the thief didn't steal any Juan Sect files, didn't steal any money — went straight for the evidence…"

"They say it was a tattered, ruined pair of Six-Harmony boots that Constable Qiu found somewhere?"

Whoosh!

In the corner, the beggar with his face hidden by tangled hair suddenly raised his head — a glint of shock and suspicion, a cold, sinister gleam, flashed through his single eye.

"Qiu Da!"

……

……

"Qiu Da really is a capable officer — moves this fast. In just two days, the news has spread all over the outer city."

In the forging room, the heat was intense. Li Yuan was hammering at pig iron when he overheard the helpers nearby gossiping. He had been following the matter closely as well.

"Senior Brother Li, the Master is summoning you!"

Just then, someone called out from outside the door. Li Yuan turned his head and saw Niu Gui.

'Has the Master recovered from his injuries?'

Li Yuan's heart stirred. He set down the hammer and walked out the door.

From the day Yu Zhen came to the door until now — nearly four months — Tang Tong had not stepped outside.

"Someone from the government office is here."

Niu Gui said in a low voice, then hurried away.

Ever since his brother-in-law had been transferred out, his time in the inner courtyard had been far from smooth. First, Wang Gong and the others had kicked him out of their little circle, and the other senior brothers had hit harder when sparring with him.

All sorts of trivial chores were dumped on him.

"The government office?"

Li Yuan frowned slightly and strode back toward the inner courtyard.

In the courtyard, Tang Tong stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Beside him stood Qiu Da, his face slightly pale. In the martial training ground stood a dozen or so apprentices — all veteran apprentices who had achieved minor success with the hammer technique.

Soon, Li Yuan already knew what had happened.

"Nian Jiu has shown himself!"

Li Yuan's heart gave a jolt.

"Last night at midnight, Constable Qiu was on patrol. Passing by a certain spot, he was suddenly ambushed — not only was the key evidence destroyed, but that Nian Jiu escaped from the city! Magistrate Lu is furious…"

Tang Tong's voice rang out loud and clear:

"Today, Constable Qiu is here to borrow men to go search for the heavily wounded Nian Jiu!

Anyone willing to go, whether you catch him or not, can claim one tael of silver. If you catch him, three taels each! The imperial court covers half, the workshop covers half!"

Beside him, Qiu Da's already pale face turned a shade of green. He secretly cursed Tang Tong for not leaving him any face, but could only chime in, nodding again and again.

"Just three taels of silver?"

A slight stir rippled through the crowd, but no one spoke up.

Qiu Da's face darkened slightly. He said in a low voice: "The Magistrate said every household must send at least ten men!"

"Hmph!"

Tang Tong gave a cold snort and called out names:

"Yun Jin, you take Wu Ming, Liu Chen, Tian Ding… hmm, Li Yuan, you go along too. Months without stepping outside — what kind of behavior is that!"

"Yes!"

The named apprentices nodded helplessly.

Li Yuan's face also looked helpless, but his heart stirred slightly.

(End of chapter)