Chapter 240: Not What It Was Yesterday

At the mention of this, the Mu family's second uncle's face twisted with resentment. He said sullenly, "That scoundrel hid himself deep. Back when we were hunting the killer, he was the one who provided the lead. I even thought the wretch had done a meritorious deed. When the Xu family proposed him for assembly master, I didn't object. I was truly blind back then!"

"How does Second Uncle Mu plan to set things right?" Zhao Jin asked very directly.

Mu Wuzhen's eyes narrowed. Strictly speaking, such matters were the sect's internal secrets, but Zhao Jin had already done him the favor of avenging Mu Wusheng. With that debt of gratitude between them, refusing to answer would be inappropriate. Back when they picked up Xiaolan, this Zhao Jin was still a hot-headed youth, yet now he was so seasoned and shrewd.

"Those who wormed their way in to bully others under false pretenses, those who used this to line their own pockets — they'll all be purged this time. We'll replace them with a batch of truly loyal men to manage affairs. The assembly master's seat cannot remain vacant. Since the locals can no longer be trusted, I've brought someone from the main altar this time. He's a son of our Mu family. The Xu family previously favored that scoundrel He Weiyuan; now they've lost the face to speak another word about this position..."

"That one outside?"

Having his own words cut off so bluntly by Zhao Jin, Mu Wuzhen's expression darkened again. This Zhao Jin was far too disrespectful toward his elders. Still, he slowly nodded.

"No." Zhao Jin's next words infuriated Mu Wuzhen even more.

Mu Wuzhen instinctively moved to slam the table. His shoulders had just stirred when his body instead flashed backward — a reflex honed through a hundred battles. Because in that instant he moved, Zhao Jin had already reached out and gripped the handle of his short blade. If he himself made a move, Zhao Jin would surely stab him without the slightest mercy!

At this distance, he had no chance of victory. Zhao Jin's actions and reactions proved this was no bluff. Thinking over the information he had gleaned from the local evangelists, Mu Wuzhen drew a deep breath and forcibly calmed himself. Only when he spoke again, his tone had turned icy: "Xiao Jin, the internal affairs of the Holy Faith are not for you to meddle in. These words of yours will bring great calamity upon you. I will pretend I never heard them."

Zhao Jin's hand did not leave the blade handle. His tone was indifferent yet resolute as he said, "Elsewhere, I can't interfere. But here in Xuzhou, when I say no, it means no."

"Oh?" The Mu family's second uncle had also calmed down, countering with an indifferent question.

"Whoever I say no to — come one, die one," Zhao Jin said calmly.

Mu Wuzhen flew into a rage. He was just about to stand when he saw Zhao Jin's upper body lean forward, shoulders sinking — the prelude to drawing his blade and striking at any moment. Mu Wuzhen let out a long breath and said through gritted teeth, "You are far too arrogant. If not for Xiaolan..."

"Second Uncle Mu, you don't need to do it for Xiaolan's sake. I can put it even more plainly. The Xuzhou Fragrance Sect must obey my orders and relay messages for me. Otherwise, I will tear the Xuzhou Fragrance Sect out by the roots. Don't imagine your Fragrance Sect is so secretive — you've only managed to hide from the authorities. If I want to investigate, I can uncover everything at any time."

"You... at your tender age, what gives you the right to say such things? Aren't you afraid of biting off your own tongue!" Mu Shulan's second uncle, Mu Wuzhen, was so angered by Zhao Jin's words that he laughed, retorting with biting sarcasm.

"What gives me the right? The five hundred men under my command. The fact that we eight brothers slaughtered over a hundred hardened bandits. That we brothers wiped out He Village. What I rely on are the blade and spear in my hand!" Zhao Jin answered, weighing each word.

Mu Wuzhen instinctively wanted to sneer, but stopped himself just before speaking. He drew a deep breath. Their earlier back-and-forth had been a clash of rising tempers, but now Mu Wuzhen grew calm. Because when Zhao Jin spoke that last sentence, he suddenly understood — this young man, this Zhao Jin he had always thought of as a child, could truly accomplish all of this.

Since he did not operate in Xuzhou, Mu Wuzhen had no direct sense of Zhao Jin's deeds. Yet in this brief exchange, those deeds suddenly became real. Mu Wuzhen understood: Zhao Jin already ranked among the foremost magnates of Xuzhou. A man of such stature indeed had the right to such arrogance.

The Mu family's second uncle was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Our faith counts its followers in the millions. Do you truly wish to make an enemy of us?"

"I can field five hundred men. In Xuzhou, how many can the Fragrance Sect field for a fight to the death?" Zhao Jin countered coldly.

Followers were followers. Those who could take to the field and fight had to be able-bodied young men at the very least. People joined the faith to pray for blessings and freedom from illness, not to fight and risk their lives. If a real call to arms went out, quite a few would likely just quit on the spot.

Mu Wuzhen shook his head and continued, "Our faith may not field that many in Xuzhou, but we are everywhere. The person beside you could be an assassin. There could be believers in your own household. When the time comes, killing intent will lurk at every turn. Do you think you could escape?"

"If the Fragrance Sect truly had such ability, He Weiyuan would have used it on me long ago. Why am I still alive and well?" Zhao Jin countered with a cold laugh.

Believers were hidden, everywhere — any passerby could be a killer. Zhao Jin had once worried about such a scenario too, but after carefully looking into it with Zhou Xuezhi, he discovered it was fundamentally impossible. This era simply lacked such organizational capacity. Moreover, if they truly possessed that kind of power, Master Mu would not have died suddenly, He Weiyuan would not have needed to make such a show of hiring desperate outlaws to ambush him, and the secret brewing method would have been stolen long ago. None of this had happened — proof enough.

Hearing Zhao Jin's counter, the Mu family's second uncle froze, then fell silent. Zhao Jin straightened his posture as well.

"Your mother is truly at ease," Mu Wuzhen suddenly said, glancing toward the inner room as he spoke. From start to finish, the two of them had not been quiet, and He Cuihua must have heard everything clearly, yet she had never once come out to look.

Zhao Jin smiled but did not pick up the thread. In this context, Mu Wuzhen's remark was merely a preamble. Another silence followed. One could see Mu Wuzhen take several deep breaths before speaking, as calmly as he could manage: "Xuzhou is a vital territory for our faith. The assembly master's seat cannot remain vacant, nor can we let some unrelated outsider take the post. If you, Xiao Jin, insist on this, then blades will truly cross. Just because our faith has no battle-ready troops in Xuzhou at this moment, do you think that will always be the case?"

At this point, Zhao Jin actually laughed. Mu Wuzhen did not flare up this time; his gaze merely turned cold and sharp. Zhao Jin's laughter ceased, and he shook his head, saying, "I never said I wanted to be assembly master. Nor did I say I wanted someone outside the Fragrance Sect to take the post."

Mu Shulan's second uncle was taken aback. Zhao Jin offered no explanation, instead calling out toward the outside, "Zhao San, come here."

Before long, Zhao San pushed the door open and strode in. Zhao Jin whispered a few words in his ear, and Zhao San hurried out again. Once the cotton curtain was lowered back over the door, Zhao Jin said with a smile, "Second Uncle Mu hasn't had dinner yet. Let's eat together!"

A smile also appeared on Mu Wuzhen's face, but he shook his head and replied, "Things have reached such a point. We can no longer share a table for a meal."

Zhao Jin paid it no mind. He turned his head and called out, "Mother, dinner will have to wait a while."

"Your proper business comes first. Mother isn't hungry!" He Cuihua answered from inside the room.

Zhao Jin turned back with a smile. Mu Wuzhen was now staring at Zhao Jin as if he had never known him before. He watched for a long time before finally speaking: "I truly never expected... you would turn out to be such a talent..."

Here Mu Wuzhen paused, then said thoughtfully, "If you could join our faith, your future would surely..."

"There's no need for Second Uncle Mu to bring that up. My family has been military households for generations, and now I work in the yamen. It's best we don't get entangled."

He had barely finished speaking when the door opened and Zhao Zhentang walked in. Zhao Zhentang had been about to say something, but he froze upon seeing Mu Wuzhen, his brow immediately furrowing. Mu Wuzhen rose with a smile to greet him. Zhao Zhentang looked at Zhao Jin, then back at Mu Wuzhen, when He Cuihua's voice rang out loudly from the inner room: "Husband, there's something I need to tell you. Come in and talk."

Zhao Zhentang was somewhat puzzled, but he strode into the inner room nonetheless. Zhao Jin and Mu Wuzhen, still seated in the main room, soon heard voices drifting out: "Xiao Jin has serious business. Don't get mixed up in it." "... I don't even know who's really running this household anymore..."

The main room fell quiet for a moment. Mu Wuzhen shook his head and said, thoroughly baffled, "Your parents really are at ease with you."

After that, the two had nothing more to say to each other. The room settled into silence. Occasionally, a few indistinct whispers drifted from the inner room, impossible to make out.

In truth, it was not a long wait, but the silent, tedious room made both Zhao Jin and the Mu family's second uncle feel as though a great deal of time had passed. Then the sound of footsteps rose from the courtyard. Zhao San opened the door and poked his head in to ask, "Young master, the person you called for has arrived."

"Let him in," Zhao Jin said with a nod.

Zhao San opened the door, and a somewhat timid middle-aged man entered the room. Once inside, the man first bowed and paid his respects to Zhao Jin: "Master Jin called for Zheng Quan. What are your orders?"

Only after speaking did Zheng Quan notice Mu Wuzhen sitting across from Zhao Jin. He froze on the spot.

"You are... you are... Second Master..." Zheng Quan asked, his voice trembling. Mu Wuzhen and Mu Wusheng looked very much alike — they were brothers, after all.

Zheng Quan saw the shadow of his late master in Mu Wuzhen's face. A surge of emotion welled up in him. After a moment's hesitation, he dropped directly to his knees and said, his voice thick with tears, "This humble one... this humble one... pays his respects to Second Master. The young miss... is the young miss well?"

Mu Wuzhen was first startled. He glanced at Zhao Jin, then frowned and studied the kneeling Zheng Quan. In a deep voice, he asked, "You are that Evangelist Zheng who followed my younger brother? The one who always looked after Xiaolan?"

Tears were already streaming down Zheng Quan's face. He could only kowtow there without ceasing. Mu Wuzhen's expression remained stiff for a moment, and he could not help but sigh. When he turned back to Zhao Jin, his expression had softened somewhat.

"You want Zheng Quan to be assembly master?"

"Two assembly masters have died violently in succession. The Xuzhou Fragrance Sect is uneasy in every corner. If a local native who knows the ropes takes charge, hearts will settle considerably. And a follower rising to evangelist, an evangelist rising to assembly master — that's the normal order of seniority. No one can find fault with it," Zhao Jin spoke with assurance.

At these words, Mu Wuzhen's brow furrowed. He stared at Zhao Jin for a long time, and in the end, a look of helpless amusement crossed his face. "You've certainly mastered the bureaucratic tone..." he said, exasperated.

Zhao Jin smiled but said nothing. Mu Wuzhen tapped his fingers lightly on the table, lost in his own thoughts with head bowed. After another moment, he sighed and looked up. Gazing at Zheng Quan, who was still kneeling on the floor and constantly wiping away tears, he said, "He is one of our own as well. The day after tomorrow, I will convene the local evangelists and leaders to open the altar and burn incense. At that time, Zheng Quan will be assembly master."

Hearing this, Zheng Quan froze, then looked up in shock. Zhao Jin waved his hand with a smile and said, "Go back and wait for word. Someone will certainly come find you."

Zhao Jin spoke as if ordering a servant, but Zheng Quan dared not disobey. He rose, bowed, and hastily turned to leave.

Mu Shulan's second uncle, Mu Wuzhen, watched this scene, his brow deeply furrowing once more. In the end, it turned into a helpless smile. He stood up directly. He had meant to simply turn and leave, but after a thought, he looked back and said, "Xiao Jin, perhaps next time I'll have to call you Young Master Zhao. In Xuzhou's affairs, know your own limits. I'll say no more."

Zhao Jin nodded and rose with a smile, saying, "I'll see Second Uncle Mu out."

Mu Wuzhen let out another long sigh and walked toward the door. As he stepped into the courtyard, the aging monkey — which used to bark louder than any dog the moment a stranger appeared — was now utterly silent, too afraid to make a sound.

The two walked through the courtyard. Zhao Jin called out, "Second Uncle Mu," but then stopped himself. Mu Wuzhen turned his head, puzzled, to look at Zhao Jin, then said, "Beyond this courtyard, you and I will be strangers from now on. If you have a question, ask."

"... How is Xiaolan now?" Zhao Jin cleared his throat dryly and asked, hesitant and faltering.

Watching Zhao Jin looking a little embarrassed, Mu Wuzhen shook his head with a rueful smile and couldn't help teasing him: "It's only at times like this that I can treat you like a junior."

After saying this, Mu Wuzhen's tone turned indifferent. He said, "In your current position, you'll have all the beautiful wives and lovely concubines you could want. Stop thinking about Xiaolan. You're not worthy of her."

Zhao Jin coughed violently twice. The first half of Mu Wuzhen's words made him think the other man was saying Xiaolan wasn't worthy of him — he never expected it was saying he wasn't worthy of Mu Shulan.

The girl's voice and smiling face flashed swiftly through his mind. Zhao Jin realized he had always remembered her very clearly. And Zhao Jin had always been very clear about one thing: Mu Shulan was his. When Xiaolan grew up, she had to be his.

Talk of the road being too far, of it being inconvenient to meet, of forgetting her — that kind of talk was one thing. But to say he wasn't worthy of Xiaolan? From just now until this moment, even when he and Mu Wuzhen had nearly drawn blades on each other several times, Zhao Jin had remained calm and even-tempered. But now, a nameless fire surged up from his chest.

"I'm not worthy of Xiaolan?" Zhao Jin sneered in retort.

Mu Wuzhen nodded, looked Zhao Jin up and down a few times, and said, "You may be outstanding, but you're still just a local power in a single prefecture or county. Xiaolan is going to stand very high in the future."

"Who is she going to marry?" Zhao Jin's expression suddenly twisted into something ferocious.

"Marry? That's eight or ten years away." Mu Wuzhen laughed ruefully. With his temperament, there was no need to say so much, but having been thwarted at every turn during their clash inside the house, he had naturally built up some resentment.

Zhao Jin suddenly fell silent. The two of them walked in silence around the spirit screen. When they reached the courtyard gate, Zhao Jin suddenly spoke: "Your Incense-Smelling Sect had better watch itself. If my Xiaolan marries someone else, if she suffers any grievance in your Incense-Smelling Sect, I will tear up your incense-burning cult by the roots and wipe it out completely!"

Mu Wuzhen stopped still, slowly turned around, and stared at Zhao Jin. The two locked eyes for a moment. Then Mu Wuzhen said slowly, "I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said."

After speaking, Mu Wuzhen took down the door bar himself, pulled open the courtyard gate, and walked out.

Outside the courtyard gate, the tough, wiry man who had come with Mu Wuzhen was still being held at spearpoint. The household servants had already lit lanterns and torches — everything outside the courtyard was brightly illuminated. Zhao Jin could clearly see the fury and venomous hatred on the tough man's face.

"Let them go. If they come again next time, treat them the same as today," Zhao Jin said with a wave of his hand.

Only then did the household servants withdraw their spears, though they looked at Zhao Jin with considerable surprise. Judging by how they were addressed, these two were clearly familiar visitors, and there was even an "Uncle" form of address — the relationship seemed rather close. Yet if they came again, they were still to be held at spearpoint and guarded. This was truly bizarre.

Bizarre or not, the household servants carried out Zhao Jin's orders resolutely.

Mu Wuzhen shook his head and, without a word, strode off onto the road. The tough, wiry man glared fiercely at Zhao Jin and muttered, "Relying on numbers and money — what kind of skill is that..."

"None of you move!" Normally, Zhao Jin would have let such words pass with a laugh, but now he couldn't suppress the fire in his heart. He walked straight toward the tough man.

Hearing Zhao Jin's command, the household servants all stood aside. The tough man Mu Wuzhen had brought didn't back down either — he actually walked forward to meet Zhao Jin, striking a fighting stance as he moved.

Zhao Jin's strides grew longer and longer. With no flourishes whatsoever, he charged straight in. The tough man swayed his upper body, his left arm flicking as if to feint an opening. Zhao Jin paid it no mind at all — he stepped forward and thrust his fist straight out. This was using the body to mimic the thrust of a spear, the same fearless, indomitable ferocity.

No matter what feint or opening, when a fist comes smashing straight at your face, you can only counter, block, or dodge. But Zhao Jin was too fierce and too fast — the tough man had no time to react. If he dodged, the punch would most likely smash into his chest. He could only block, reaching out to grab Zhao Jin's fist.

The moment his palm touched the fist, the tough man was horrified to discover how ferocious Zhao Jin's momentum was — he couldn't stop it all at once. He could only retreat, his extended arm recoiling involuntarily. Before he could make his next move, Zhao Jin's fist had already pulled back. One foot stamped the ground, the other kicked out fiercely. His movements were simple and direct, but his power and speed far exceeded ordinary men. This time, the tough man couldn't block it. The kick landed heavily between his chest and abdomen.

The kick connected solidly. The tough man's entire body was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground. He lay there, unable to get up.

A few exchanges, swift as a falcon's strike — Mu Wuzhen hadn't even had time to call out and stop it before the man who had come with him was already beaten to the ground. A trace of surprise showed on Mu Wuzhen's face. Meanwhile, Zhao Jin turned and went straight back into his own house.

Only after closing the courtyard gate did Zhao Jin let out a breath, forcing himself to calm down. There were still eight to ten years — time enough, and the distance between Xuzhou in South Zhili and Caozhou in Shandong wasn't all that far. But there was no need to let his parents know about these feelings. He was about to leave Xuzhou soon; he couldn't give them more to worry about.

When Zhao Jin walked into the room, his expression was calm, showing nothing out of the ordinary. He saw that his parents were already seated at the square table in the main hall. His father, Zhao Zhentang, asked, "Has he left already? When I came in, I saw someone being held at spearpoint."