Chapter 349: Courage and Resolve

When the Zhao Character Camp's household troops were all training, the various parts of He Village were guarded by the militia from each village in the joint defense pact — this was the price for the merchants and laborers from the pact villages receiving the same treatment as the common folk of He Village.

These militia and village braves had received formal training, were well-equipped, and had seen the battlefield, so their combat strength was formidable. To say nothing of petty thieves, even river-and-sea bandits would be no match for them.

The checkpoints in the village were set up under the guidance of the two elders, Zhao Zhentang and Chen Wu. The ones stepping forward to question people were able-bodied men from the village and the ruffians under Liu Yong, while the village braves and militia stood ready in the rear. If anything happened, the questioners only had to flee for their lives — the fighting would be handled by those behind them.

Zhao Jin stared in that direction. If anything changed, he would lead his men over. But nothing happened. The questioners let that group of people pass. Zhao Jin thought to himself that he was being overly suspicious. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw one of the questioners sprinting toward the village interior, while that group of people continued walking into the village on their own.

This sight puzzled Zhao Jin considerably, but he was in no hurry — he would find out what had happened by evening.

Someone brought over dry, clean undershirts. After putting one on, Zhao Jin gave the order to dismiss. The household troops would take over guard duty from the village braves elsewhere after supper.

The ranks had just dispersed when they saw Ruhui running over at full speed, holding up the hem of his robe. Ruhui, who was always composed and unflappable, was extremely anxious this time.

Could it be connected to that group from just now? Zhao Jin had already made the connection. Even the companions around him sensed something was wrong, and Chen Sheng even shouted for the household troops not to rush off as they disbanded.

The sky had already darkened somewhat. It was only when Ruhui reached him that Zhao Jin noticed his face held shock in addition to anxiety. Ruhui leaned in close and said in a low voice, "Master, the guest is waiting in my study. Please come and meet with them."

Ruhui did not live in the He family compound. He had a separate residence in He Village, and quite a bit of silver had been spent on its renovation — it was rather refined, secluded, and quiet.

Zhao Jin turned his head, about to call his companions to go over, but Ruhui hurriedly said, "Master, please also arrange for Chen Sheng to bring a squad to my place, and have Liu Yong conduct a thorough sweep inside and outside He Village to check for any spies. Please have the other squad leaders prepare their men and tighten security."

What Ruhui said was strange, but Ruhui usually acted with great discretion. The fact that he was so tense and alarmed made Zhao Jin take this seriously.

Zhao Jin turned and gave the orders. Chen Sheng picked up his blade and called for a squad of veteran household troops, and they all walked over together.

When they reached the outside of the residence, they saw two large men with conical hats on their backs standing guard with pudao. Seeing Ruhui approach, the two large men nodded in greeting. Ruhui smiled and said, "Gentlemen, hand over your weapons, follow my arrangements to go have supper, and there will be a place to sleep. You needn't worry about anything else."

Near Ruhui's residence, several of Liu Yong's men and a dozen or so village braves could be seen keeping watch. The two large men also looked unfamiliar to Zhao Jin, and the household troops of the Zhao Character Camp were already on alert.

The two large men nodded, bent down to place their pudao on the ground, and raised their hands as they moved away from the door. Ruhui smiled again and said, "I must trouble you two to go inside and call out — have everyone carrying weapons come out one by one, drop their weapons, and go eat and rest. You don't need to worry about anything else."

One of the large men hesitated for a moment, then nodded again, turned, and went inside to call them out. Eleven men came out, every one of them lean, tough, and strong. With the discerning eyes Zhao Jin and his men now possessed, they could tell these men had killed before and were quite skilled. The first row of household troops had already shifted their spear grips, ready to level them forward at any moment. But the process was entirely peaceful — all of them obediently handed over their weapons and stood to the side.

"Please await arrangements, everyone. Do not wander about tonight. If you have any requests, just tell the men at the gate, and we can satisfy them all," Ruhui said with a smile.

Those dozen or so large men all looked toward one person. This man was in his thirties, not the tallest among them, and rather plain-looking. Were it not for the scars on his face and hands, with just his dark complexion and burly build, he would have been indistinguishable from a blacksmith at a forge.

But Zhao Jin and Chen Sheng had been watching this man the entire time. Every detail about this fellow indicated that his martial skill was outstanding and that he had been through many life-and-death battles.

"Everyone, just follow Mr. Cao's arrangements. However, may I be permitted to accompany them inside? My master cannot be left without a single one of his own people," the man said in a deep voice.

Ruhui turned to look at Zhao Jin. The man raised both hands and added, "If you are uneasy, you may send someone to search me. There will not be an ounce of iron on my person!"

"Take the rest away. Search him," Zhao Jin decided succinctly. The man's accent seemed to be from the Shandong region. Zhao Jin was increasingly unable to guess what was happening.

With several long spears pointed at him, the man obediently submitted to the search. There was indeed no weapon on him. Zhao Jin nodded and walked inside together with Ruhui. Chen Sheng deliberately quickened his pace to step in front of Zhao Jin, while the man was surrounded by several household troops.

In Ruhui's courtyard sat a large bamboo basket, about half the height of a person, just tossed there casually. There was nothing inside it.

"Master, the guest is in the house. It would be best if the men below did not enter. There are only two guests inside; Master need not worry for your safety," Ruhui leaned in and said quietly.

"I'm going in first!" Chen Sheng said gruffly. He had just taken a step when Ruhui grabbed him, smiling wryly as he said, "It's not convenient."

Chen Sheng shook off Ruhui without any courtesy, cast a cold glance at him, pressed one hand on his saber hilt, and pushed the door open with the other.

Lamps were already lit inside the room. As soon as Chen Sheng entered and swept his gaze around, he hurriedly turned his head back, coughed once, and said, "Come in!"

Zhao Jin found it even stranger and followed him inside. The man also followed behind. Once inside, Ruhui hastily shut the door.

On one side of the room, a person sat in a chair. This person was dressed much like those large men outside, only shorter in stature and very slender of frame. Even sitting indoors, they still wore a conical hat, so their face could not be seen clearly. A figure shifted beside that person. Zhao Jin looked closely and realized it was a little boy about six years old, hiding timidly at that person's side and peeking over.

Zhao Jin understood immediately — that large bamboo basket outside had been used to carry this little boy. Figuring this out only made him more curious. He had even less idea who the other party was, let alone their purpose in coming.

The large man walked over and stood behind this person. The person removed the conical hat, revealing a delicate, refined, and gentle-looking face, then bowed with a woman's formal greeting and said, "I am Xu Zhenzhen. I pay my respects to Young Master Zhao."

A girl wearing men's clothing and performing a woman's courtesy — it looked very awkward. But at this moment, Zhao Jin could not notice that at all. He opened his mouth to speak, but once it was open, he could not close it. He stood stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at Chen Sheng and Ruhui.

The ever-unflappable Chen Sheng lowered his head, coughed twice, and said, "Should Mr. Cao and I step outside first?"

"That's not what I meant. This... this..." Zhao Jin said, somewhat exasperated. He still could not quite process what was happening.

"These two uncles are not outsiders. Please stay and join the discussion!" Xu Zhenzhen said gently.

Zhao Jin shook his head, finally recovering from his shock. A wry smile appeared on his face first, but it soon turned into a smile of admiration. He walked over and sat down opposite Xu Zhenzhen.

"The matter is urgent and of great importance, so I have had to disregard all propriety. I hope Young Master Zhao will not think ill of me for it."

Dressing as a man, leaving home to come here, and calling the people on Zhao Jin's side "uncle" before any matchmaker's formalities had even taken place — if any of these things were to spread, Xu Zhenzhen's reputation would be utterly ruined. In a household with strict rules, she might even be forced to hang herself.

But in Zhao Jin's eyes, these things had nothing to do with morality. Desperate times called for desperate measures. A girl who could make such a decisive choice must be truly outstanding.

In the lamplight, Zhao Jin could see Xu Zhenzhen's features very clearly. She looked just like a few of the studious girls from his class back in the day — gentle, delicate, and refined. The only difference was her eyes. Her gaze was very resolute. Zhao Jin had only ever seen that kind of expression in himself and his companions.

"Since things have come to this point, let's dispense with empty formalities. Miss Xu, please state your purpose plainly," Zhao Jin said, getting straight to the point.

"This is my young brother, Xu Housheng. Housheng, pay your respects to Young Master Zhao!" Xu Zhenzhen did not answer directly, but first introduced the boy beside her.

Zhao Jin was stunned again. Behind him, Chen Sheng and Ruhui also looked utterly astonished. They exchanged glances, both shaking their heads.

Because the marriage alliance with the Xu family of Jingshan had been confirmed, Zhao Jin's side had mobilized their subordinates and various connections to gather information. They might not know the details, but they naturally knew about how Xu Zhenzhen had used every ruthless method at her disposal to protect her younger brother.

According to the rules of inheritance, the vast family fortune of the Jingshan Xu family would ultimately be under this Xu Housheng's control. Such an important person had actually been brought here? And carried over in a bamboo basket, no less...

The little boy looked first at his sister, then at Zhao Jin. Zhao Jin managed to force a smile onto his face. He knew his own killing intent was too strong and that a moment's carelessness could frighten a child.

"Greetings, brother-in-law... no... Greetings, Young Master Zhao." Probably because the family had been talking about Zhao Jin often lately, and saying that Zhao Jin would be his brother-in-law in the future, the child had heard it so much that in this situation, flustered as he was, he accidentally misspoke.

From the moment she entered, Xu Zhenzhen had been composed and self-possessed, but now she blushed crimson with embarrassment. She reached out and swatted her brother on the forehead, scolding, "Don't talk nonsense," and pulled him straight back.

Ruhui could not hold back — he let out a laugh and hurriedly covered his mouth. Chen Sheng lowered his head; anyone could see he was grinning. Even the man behind Xu Zhenzhen was struggling to hold it in.

Zhao Jin hastily coughed a few times and said, "Miss Xu, the purpose of your visit is...?"

"I ask Young Master Zhao to destroy Kong Family Village. I ask Young Master Zhao to destroy Kong Family Village as soon as possible!" Xu Zhenzhen put away the shyness on her face, sat up straight, and said.

The moment these words were spoken, the lighthearted atmosphere in the room vanished completely. Everyone's expression turned grave. Only Xu Housheng looked this way and that, not understanding what had happened.

Zhao Jin folded his arms and pondered in silence for a moment, then spoke: "Miss Xu, please state your reasons!"