Chapter 37

Jin Yuanxiang followed Zhang Jian, who was moving forward without hesitation, and asked, "W-What do you know about this?"

"He said his husband was a laborer doing tough work. The only tough job here in Yanhu City is the salt laborer. There are a few taverns where these laborers often go. I'll go around them to find the laborer whose daughter is sick."

"Daughter is sick... Indeed, that would narrow down the search significantly."

People on the street, huddled against the cold, hurried past Zhang Jian and Jin Yuanxiang. Zhang Jian naturally avoided them as he continued speaking.

"If you want to narrow it down further, think about the characteristics of that woman, Yang Xiaoxiao."

"Characteristics? But as I already told the innkeeper..."

"Not just that she's pretty. There must be specific features on her beautiful face. Perhaps her nose is particularly straight, or she has a mole near her mouth or eyes. She might even have a scar."

As Jin Yuanxiang followed Zhang Jian, he stopped walking upon hearing this. Zhang Jian, a few steps ahead, also stopped and turned around to see Jin Yuanxiang with a downcast, cloudy gaze, lost in thought. He then smiled faintly for some reason.

"...A mole. Yes, there was a mole. On her left cheek, close to her nose. It was a small, cute mole that twinkled when she smiled brightly. I liked it, but she thought it was a blemish and was embarrassed by it."

His faint smile and expression seemed to drift into a beautiful past, almost dreamlike. However, it was a bitter smile, perhaps because that dream was a past he could never return to.

After watching his smile for a moment, Zhang Jian said briefly, "A mole on the left cheek, close to the nose. That should narrow it down further."

Turning around again, Zhang Jian thought that the woman Jin Yuanxiang was looking for could not be his sister. That expression was not one he would have if he were thinking about his sister. Zhang Jian only hoped that this seemingly innocent monk would not be hurt by the changed memories.

They entered the bustling area of Yanhu City without much further conversation. The sun had not yet fully set, but many taverns were already lit up.

"After visiting a few places, the laborers who have finished work will start pouring in. Let's take our time."

Zhang Jian led the hesitant Jin Yuanxiang into a tavern. Already, there were drunkards scattered about, and among them were martial artists with swords, laborers, and a man huddled in a corner with a straw hat covering his face. The tavern was already more than half full with all sorts of people from the new continent.

Zhang Jian pushed his way through the crowd and called out to the tavern owner.

"Here. Two glasses of the strongest stuff."

The tavern owner soon brought two glasses of liquor. Zhang Jian took them and handed one to the hesitant Jin Yuanxiang, then said, seeing his puzzled expression, "Most laborers working in the salt pans and by the lake are low-level workers who can barely make ends meet. Even buying a bottle of liquor is a burden. So, the taverns here came up with a solution. Instead of selling by the bottle, they sell by the glass. This way, laborers can try different kinds of liquor they usually can't afford, and the taverns make more profit, even if it's more troublesome."

Saying this, Zhang Jian downed his glass in one gulp and gestured for Jin Yuanxiang to drink. Jin Yuanxiang hesitated for a moment and then whispered, "As you might guess, I've never drunk alcohol because of my sect."

"Then this is your chance to try it."

Jin Yuanxiang's lips trembled at Zhang Jian's calm attitude. After staring at Zhang Jian's peaceful expression for a while, he finally closed his eyes and gulped down the liquor. He immediately started coughing and choking. Zhang Jian, who had been waiting for him to finish, burst out laughing at his red, coughing face.

"Cough, cough... What is this supposed to taste good...?"

Zhang Jian patted Jin Yuanxiang's shoulder.

"Why would you drink for the taste? You drink to get drunk. Anyway, to talk to the laborers, we need to smell like alcohol. Let's start."

In truth, it was just a joke to help him relax. After that, Zhang Jian led the blushing Jin Yuanxiang from one tavern to another. He would grab the tavern owner or a laborer who was slightly drunk and buy them a drink while asking, "Is there any laborer whose daughter is sick?"

"Huh? A laborer with a sick daughter? Why are you asking that?"

Those who were curious and asked why would just laugh and answer when he bought them a drink.

"Uh, I heard that Mr. Zheng's daughter has had a fever since yesterday."

Hearing this, Zhang Jian turned to Jin Yuanxiang.

"How sick is the woman's daughter? Just a cold? Or does she have a chronic illness?"

"Probably, she hasn't been able to get out of bed for a while."

"Do you know what kind of illness it is?"

Jin Yuanxiang sighed and answered, "The people here wouldn't know. It's a rare disease."

There were many laborers with daughters, but few had been sick for a long time. And when he asked about Yang Xiaoxiao, they would shake their heads.

By the time they had been walking around, the sun had set, and the surroundings had grown dark. However, the bustling area of Yanhu City shone brightly, luring the drunk laborers. The smell of salt from the laborers' sweat, the coal smell from the kilns, and the aromas from the taverns and restaurants mixed in the air, creating a strange, indescribable atmosphere.

Jin Yuanxiang suddenly stopped in the middle of it all and stared blankly at the people. After a while, he came to his senses when Zhang Jian, who had been walking ahead, turned back and snapped his fingers in front of him.

"I thought I wouldn't be surprised by the crowds after passing through Hangzhou and Tianhou City. Those places were even more crowded and complex than here. But this is... This is different. It's not just that there are many people... It's the end of a hard day for these people... They gather and flow here..."

Zhang Jian, who had been listening quietly, snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Snap out of it. Save your meditation for a quiet room. Standing here like this is like inviting pickpockets."

"Ha ha. Pickpockets. Have you ever been a victim?"

Zhang Jian didn't answer but smiled strangely. After wandering the streets, the two returned to the first tavern they had visited. It didn't seem like much time had passed, but the number of people inside had doubled.

Zhang Jian, as usual, bought another drink for a cheerful-looking person and casually asked. This time, he got a slightly different answer.

"Who are you? Why are you asking such things?"

It was a robust old man with a white beard. Zhang Jian realized he wasn't an ordinary laborer.

"Her mother is an old friend from her hometown. She's worried because her daughter is very sick and wants to send a letter. I'm here to help. But I don't know where this friend lives in Yanhu City. And her name has changed since she got married, so I can't find her by her maiden name. I started here because I heard her husband works hard."

It was a story based on Jin Yuanxiang's tale, but with some twists. Jin Yuanxiang, however, was staring at Zhang Jian with wide eyes.

The old man, however, didn't soften his stern face.

"An old friend, huh. I've been watching you ask around. I think I know who you're looking for."

"That's good. Can you tell me?"

The old man maintained his stern face and looked Zhang Jian in the eye. After a moment, he said firmly, "Go back. You won't find a good end by continuing to search."

Zhang Jian frowned, trying to understand the old man's intentions, while Jin Yuanxiang, who had finally found a lead, stepped forward without realizing it.

"Sir, no, I mean, elder! Please! I must see Xiao Xiao. I must."

"Elder!"

The slightly agitated Jin Yuanxiang approached the old man and grabbed his arm. The laborers around them pushed their chairs back and stood up.

"Hey, let go of that hand."

"What insolence to Elder Yan!"

But they stopped when the old man raised his hand. The old man, who had stopped the laborers, looked at Jin Yuanxiang and said, "Drink up and leave this city when the sun rises tomorrow. I'm telling you this for your own good."

"Sir, please. I can't leave like this. Please, help me see her and her child, even from a distance."

The laborer who had stood up shouted at Jin Yuanxiang's refusal to back down.

"This brat! Didn't you hear Elder Yan? Get lost!"

He shouted and threw a punch at Jin Yuanxiang. However, the punch stopped abruptly, caught by Zhang Jian's wrist.

"Hey, we don't want to fight. We just..."

"Damn it!"

Zhang Jian, who had blocked the punch and was trying to speak calmly, was interrupted by the laborer's curse and another punch. Zhang Jian, grabbing the wrist, pulled it and twisted the laborer's arm behind his back. The laborer screamed.

"Ah!"

"Easy, man. Don't pretend to be hurt—"

At that moment, someone shouted.

"Damn! A fight—!"

"Whoa—!"

"A fight—!"

Zhang Jian frowned and sighed deeply as the tavern erupted into chaos, with drunkards grabbing anyone and starting to fight. The old man had disappeared, and Jin Yuanxiang was dodging punches, unsure of what to do.

Kicking the laborer's buttocks and rolling him into a corner, Zhang Jian walked over to Jin Yuanxiang. Laborers who tried to attack him were gently pushed away, and Zhang Jian lightly tapped their faces, knocking them out. After knocking out about four, no one else dared to attack.

Dusting off his hands, Zhang Jian said to Jin Yuanxiang, who was only dodging punches, "Don't just dodge. Attack."

"Attack? But these are civilians. They might get hurt!"

"Just be gentle."

After a moment's hesitation, Jin Yuanxiang clenched his fists, but then relaxed them, showing his palms.

In the next moment, a sharp slap echoed, and a laborer's head snapped to the side, falling to the ground. The laborer was unconscious. Jin Yuanxiang had slapped him hard enough to knock him out.

Zhang Jian chuckled, and the sound of slaps echoed a few more times, followed by the thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The laborers who had been trying to attack Jin Yuanxiang and Zhang Jian looked terrified. Jin Yuanxiang, looking at the fallen laborers with concern, was nudged by Zhang Jian.

"I hear the horn. The Jianlong Sect is patrolling. Let's go before we cause trouble."

"But, sir, the elder earlier—"

"From what I saw, he's a kiln master. There are many laborers, but few kiln masters. We can find him again soon. Right now, it's best to hide your identity."

If the Jianlong Sect discovered Jin Yuanxiang's identity, they would likely detain him and try to find out his purpose. If there were no political reasons, they would create some to tie him to their interests. This was the way of the ancient families and the large sects of the martial world.

Jin Yuanxiang nodded, understanding the implications. They left the fallen laborers behind and naturally blended into the chaotic crowd, slipping out of the tavern.

Two people in black cloaks and straw hats followed them. They had been sitting in a corner since Zhang Jian and Jin Yuanxiang first entered the tavern, remaining calm even as the chaos unfolded. They moved as naturally and stealthily as the two they were following, blending into the street and trailing behind them.

The tavern's chaos subsided when Jianlong Sect warriors arrived, blowing their horns loudly. The warriors lined up everyone, including the onlookers, to find the cause of the fight, but Zhang Jian and Jin Yuanxiang were long gone.