Chapter 18

"Since the thief fled in a hurry, he might have left some key items hidden in his home. You should search his house," Han Tuo instructed his subordinates at this moment.

Several soldiers who had just entered the village from outside received the order and, led by Zhang the Butcher, headed to Cao the Carpenter's house to investigate.

Su Peng took a deep breath. Based on the secret conversation he had overheard between Xu Guohan and the possible itinerant merchant, Su Peng deduced that there might be someone in the village who was the target of Xu Guohan and the Qinglong Mountain bandits, or that this person possessed something of high value. Otherwise, there would be no need for Qinglong Mountain's Ling Tian and his gang to go to such great lengths to attack the village.

Su Peng was not sure whether the valuable item was information or a physical object... However, if it was a physical object, although it was most likely that Cao the Carpenter had it on him, there was also a chance that he had left it at home. Su Peng had originally intended to search Cao the Carpenter's house when no one was paying attention, but Han Tuo had beaten him to it.

"Once again, we owe it to you, young friend Su. If it weren't for your advice to set up a hidden lookout, this person might have slipped through our fingers... I never would have thought that Cao the Carpenter, who had lived in Green Mountain Village for ten years, would actually be..." Village Chief Dr. Han said, sighing deeply. At this moment, Han Tuo's expression was slightly better, and he comforted Dr. Han, "Uncle, human hearts are treacherous. Cao the Carpenter had ulterior motives from the beginning. His discovery now might not be a bad thing for Green Mountain Village."

"That's true," Dr. Han's expression improved slightly. Then, he seemed to remember something, took out a fist-sized ghost mask from his pocket, and said to Han Tuo, "Tuo, this was found on the body of the spy who was killed. Do you recognize it?"

"This... This is the token of the Northern Clown!" Seeing the fist-sized ghost mask, Han Tuo was slightly surprised and said.

"General Han, what is the Northern Clown?" Su Peng asked Han Tuo.

"The Northern Clown is an organization... a very mysterious one. Their people are spread throughout the land, and they make a living by trading information. No matter what your position is, whether you are an official or a bandit, as long as you pay, you can get information from them... I have had some dealings with the Northern Clown due to official business, and we have done some transactions, but I never expected that this killed spy would have a connection to the Northern Clown!"

Han Tuo glanced at the room where Xu Guohan was, and said to Su Peng.

"General Han, is this token of the Northern Clown useful to you?" Su Peng asked. Han Tuo shook his head and said, "Not really. This thing isn't special. When you successfully trade with the Northern Clown, they give you a token, and you can use it to contact them again. This one is a bit more advanced, but it's not very useful."

"Since it's not useful to you, sir, why don't you give it to me? I plan to make a name for myself in the world, and the Northern Clown's information might come in handy," Su Peng said to Han Tuo. Han Tuo had no objections and gave the fist-sized ghost mask to Su Peng.

After waiting for a while, the soldiers who had searched Cao the Carpenter's house returned and reported to Han Tuo, "Sir, we have thoroughly searched the thief's residence and found nothing special, just ten taels of gold."

As he spoke, he presented a piece of gold with both hands. Han Tuo nodded and took it without expression, putting it in his pocket.

Su Peng and Ji Ming couldn't help but smile inwardly. The ten taels of gold naturally ended up in Han Tuo's private pocket.

"Tuo, the Black Water Army's assistance to Green Mountain Village this time was very timely. When the army moves, there should be some tea money. We can't let the soldiers run this errand for nothing. In a while, you and I will take some silver to give your men as tea money."

Village Chief Dr. Han said to Han Tuo.

Han Tuo declined a few times, but Dr. Han was firm. In fact, Dr. Han thought clearly. Although the Qinglong Mountain bandits had been defeated this time, Green Mountain Village might not be peaceful in the future. There was still the unknown Cao the Carpenter who had been hiding for ten years. They might need the Black Water Army again in the future. Establishing a connection now would make things easier later. Although Han Tuo was his nephew, the Black Water Army wasn't his family's. Giving the soldiers some silver would make Han Tuo's position easier.

Moreover, although Green Mountain Village wasn't very populous, it was quite wealthy, and the village had ample silver. Dr. Han himself had a large amount of savings, so he was willing to part with some of it.

Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Han Tuo didn't insist. Dr. Han then said, "This time, we also owe it to young friends Su and the others. Young friend Su, you and the others should come with me."

Su Peng and the others were delighted. This was the rhythm of giving mission rewards!

Su Peng, Ji Ming, Sun Shijia, and Han Tuo of the Black Water Army went to Dr. Han's house. Dr. Han rummaged through his belongings for a while and came out with a small bag, saying to Han Tuo, "Tuo, here are ten taels of gold, which is equivalent to a thousand taels of silver. It's the surplus from last year for the entire village. Each soldier will get five taels. Take it to distribute among the soldiers as a token of my appreciation."

Han Tuo nodded. Although he was a centurion, he could actually command up to three hundred Black Water Army soldiers. It was rumored that he would soon be promoted to a deputy commander. Although promotions in the army were mainly based on military achievements and the favor of superiors, the love of subordinates was also an important factor. Dr. Han's ten taels of gold would be enough to win their hearts.

"General Han, the bodies of the bandits outside can also be searched. During the day, those bandits came to Green Mountain Village to extort money. They probably didn't have time to send the box of silver back to their camp. At night, when they attacked the village, the bandit leader would likely boost morale and distribute the money."

Su Peng said to Han Tuo.

Han Tuo nodded and said, "That makes sense. The soldiers cleaning up the battlefield should be done by now. I'll go check." He then bid farewell to Dr. Han, took the gold, and walked out.

"Young friend Su, this time, it's all thanks to you and your friends for timely arriving in Jiangning Prefecture to request reinforcements. I have nothing to offer in thanks. Here are five taels of gold, from my personal savings, as a gift to you."

After Han Tuo left, Dr. Han took out a small gold ingot from somewhere and said to Su Peng.

Su Peng and the others exchanged glances, politely declined, and then accepted the gold.

Seeing that Su Peng and the others had accepted the gold, Dr. Han looked at Su Peng with bright eyes and said, "I don't know why, but I feel a connection with you, young friend Su. It seems like fate... I would like to have you as a friend, regardless of our age difference. Would you be willing to be friends with me?"

"Of course," Su Peng nodded. Dr. Han nodded, and Su Peng suddenly heard, "Your reputation in Green Mountain Village has reached 1000 points, reaching the Respect level. Your friendship with Village Chief Dr. Han has reached 70 points, reaching the Close Friend level."

"There's also a reputation level?" Su Peng was slightly surprised. At this moment, Dr. Han took out a book from his pocket and handed it to Su Peng, saying, "Young friend Su, I have no other gifts. This item is something I obtained by chance thirty years ago, and it has been very useful to me. I will give it to you as a gift."

"Ah, I can't accept this," Su Peng said, but his hand immediately reached out without hesitation.

Amidst the envious looks of Ji Ming and Sun Shijia, Su Peng took the book and saw that it was titled "The Medical Canon of the Medicine King - Fragment."

Su Peng was delighted and opened it. The first page read, "General Notes on the Medical Canon of the Medicine King. The medical canon explains the human blood, meridians, bones, yin and yang, and the inside and outside, to understand the root of all diseases and the distinction between life and death, and to apply the appropriate treatments..."

Su Peng quickly flipped through the book and saw that this fragment of "The Medical Canon of the Medicine King" had five chapters: "The Chapter on the Organs," "The Chapter on the Five Bodies," "The Chapter on the Nine Needles," "The Chapter on the Five Stones," and "The Chapter on Diagnosis." It covered a general theory of human constitution, internal organs, acupuncture methods, pulse diagnosis techniques, and a section on miscellaneous herbs, which was quite comprehensive.

"The Medical Canon of the Medicine King - Fragment, Usage Requirement: Insight 11 or above." This was the restriction on the medical book.

"Really great... With this, I will have some healing abilities, and being a doctor as a side job might also earn me some money..." Su Peng thought, and thanked Dr. Han again.

At this moment, Su Peng had eight taels of gold, three martial arts manuals, and one medical book.

"The gold will be divided later," Su Peng whispered to Ji Ming and Sun Shijia. This game was very realistic, and five taels of gold was too heavy for Su Peng to divide alone. They would need to find a gold shop to divide it or exchange it for silver.

"Young friend Su, you were originally planning to go to Jiangning Prefecture to make a living, right? Since you're going to Jiangning Prefecture, why don't you join the Black Water Army with my nephew? With his recommendation, you will quickly establish yourselves in Jiangning Prefecture."

Hearing Dr. Han's words, Su Peng and the others showed thoughtful expressions, seemingly somewhat tempted.

"Village Chief, please allow us to consider it," Su Peng bowed to Dr. Han.

"Hehe, of course. But since we are now friends, don't call me Village Chief. Just call me Old Han," Dr. Han stroked his beard and smiled.

Su Peng smiled and didn't respond, then walked to the side with Ji Ming and Sun Shijia and asked, "Do you two want to join the Black Water Army?"

"I do... I've heard that there are very skilled archers in the Black Water Army. As long as you join and have some military achievements, you can learn archery, as well as horseback riding, swordsmanship, and other skills. There are also internal martial arts to learn in the army. Why not go?" Ji Ming said.

"I... I also want to join the Black Water Army. Today, I saw Han Tuo single-handedly defeat so many bandits with his spear. It was so cool. I want to follow the path of a military officer," Sun Shijia also said.

"Since that's the case... let's agree," Su Peng said, then turned around and said to Dr. Han, "Thank you, Old Han. We plan to join the Black Water Army and hope you can recommend us!"

"Hehe, no problem," Dr. Han said, then led Su Peng and the others out.

Dr. Han told Han Tuo, who was talking to the soldiers outside, about Su Peng and the others' decision. Han Tuo nodded and said, "No problem. The Black Water Army recruits people every year. Although you haven't officially joined the Black Water Army yet, you have already established military achievements. I can recommend you to join. You just need to pass some routine physical tests to join the Black Water Army. I see that your physiques are all good... and this Su brother seems to have good strategic thinking. Recruiting you will also be a talent acquisition for the Black Water Army."

"Thank you, General Han."

Han Tuo's serious face showed a slight smile, "Once you join the Black Water Army, we will be comrades. There's no need to be too formal. Since I, Han Tuo, recommended you to join the Black Water Army, I will ensure your safety along the way."

Hearing this, Su Peng and the others understood that Han Tuo was trying to recruit them. They expressed their willingness again, and Han Tuo smiled in satisfaction.

"Sir, we found a total of nine hundred taels of silver on the bodies of the bandits," a soldier reported to Han Tuo at this moment.

"Only nine hundred taels...," Han Tuo was slightly disappointed.

"General Han, if you want more silver, there is another place..." Su Peng stepped forward and said...

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