Chapter 61

* * *

Zhang Jian, who had been lying flat on the bed, opened his eyes.

For a moment, he only blinked, then slowly sat up and looked out the window. In the courtyard of the annex of the Zhang family trading house, the bright morning sunlight was filtering through the bare branches of the trees, casting fragmented shadows on the ground. With a slightly drowsy face, Zhang Jian stared blankly at the scene for a while before slowly getting out of bed.

Yesterday, after sending the girl from the Zhu family trading house back home, he had returned to the Zhang family trading house, tended to his wounds, and immediately fallen asleep. Although he could have relieved his fatigue through qigong, he simply slept. He just wanted to have a good rest. He had slept soundly from midday until now.

When he got up, he found a basin of water and a towel on the table. His sister-in-law must have prepared them and left. Zhang Jian washed his face lightly and headed outside.

In the inner courtyard, the Zhang Yun family was having breakfast.

“Aunt!”

“Aunt!”

His nephews, Zhang Shang and Zhang Ying, who were eating, were the first to spot Zhang Jian and called out to him. Beside them, Yan raised her hand and greeted him.

“You’re up? Come and sit down. You need to eat.”

“Ah, yes.”

Zhang Jian approached the table and plopped down in a chair. Yan left to fetch a bowl of rice and chopsticks, while the two siblings stared at Zhang Jian with bright eyes, munching on their food. Zhang Yun, with a stern face, was chewing his rice with his eyes closed.

While scratching his chin, Yan returned with a bowl of rice and chopsticks. Zhang Jian took them and started eating. Unlike the excitement of the siblings who had called out to him, there was no conversation at the table during the meal. They were all watching Zhang Yun, who was eating silently, and the children and Yan were being cautious.

After a while, as the clinking of chopsticks continued, Yan, who had been watching, cautiously tried to start a conversation, but Zhang Yun suddenly put down his bowl and chopsticks and opened his eyes, looking at Zhang Jian, who was chewing his rice.

“...I’m sorry. You got dragged into this mess because of me.”

Zhang Jian, who had been eating stir-fried vegetables, looked puzzled at this. Zhang Yun avoided his gaze, as if he couldn’t face him, and continued.

“When the Wulin Alliance warrior asked if you had any suspicions about the incident, I should have immediately told you about the threatening letter I received. If I had, the Wulin Alliance would have pursued the case, and you wouldn’t have had to fight. But when I saw them disguised as the wet nurse, I was terrified. I could tell they were dangerous...”

While listening to Zhang Yun, Zhang Jian slowly brought the stir-fried vegetables to his mouth and chewed them. He hadn’t heard about the threatening letter because he had come back and gone straight to sleep, but it seemed the Zhang family trading house had indeed received one.

“...So, I was planning to use the wet nurse’s death as an excuse to return to Central Plains immediately.”

“Dear...”

Yan grabbed Zhang Yun’s hand, and the siblings stopped eating, watching their father. Only Zhang Jian continued to eat and chew. Zhang Yun lifted his head and looked at Zhang Jian.

“After taking my family back to the main house in Central Plains, I planned to come back and deal with the situation properly. After all, I’m the eldest son of the Zhang family in Hunan; I can’t just run away like a scared mouse, can I? And I was planning to take you with me.”

Zhang Jian chuckled as he chewed his rice. It was a bold move, not completely avoiding the fight, but also cautious, considering his family’s safety. After swallowing, he said,

“You’re quite the businessman.”

“Hahaha! That’s right! That’s why I’m the eldest of the Zhang family in Hunan! To run the family without ruining it, one must be a businessman.”

Zhang Yun took a light sip of the tea beside him and continued.

“Anyway, thanks to you, things in this Xinshanchuan seem to be going well. The Xinshanchuan Association was behind the threatening letter, right? The Wulin Alliance will likely dissolve the association. Then, the commercial scene in Xinshanchuan will enter a new era. If we play our cards right, the Zhang family trading house can be at the center of the new commercial association.”

Zhang Jian nodded and continued eating. He hadn’t eaten since lunch the previous day, so he was quite hungry. After that, Zhang Yun excitedly talked about various business plans, and Yan and the siblings resumed their meal.

After finishing their meal, a servant came to clear the dishes and serve tea. Then, Zhang Yun left to meet another Xinshanchuan merchant who had come early to the trading house. The underground struggle for the new association had already begun.

Zhang Ying sipped his tea, and his brother Zhang Shang helped him. Zhang Jian and Yan watched them with fond eyes.

At that moment, Yan quietly said,

“Young Master, actually... I saw the threatening letter too. But when the wet nurse suddenly fell ill and didn’t come out, I felt uneasy...”

Zhang Jian chuckled. Unlike Zhang Yun, who had dismissed the letter as a mere prank or show of force, Yan had genuinely felt anxious. But when Zhang Jian appeared, she had placed him next to the children, remembering that he knew some martial arts.

“It’s fine. I was just protecting the children.”

Zhang Jian answered without any ill feeling. If something had happened to the siblings that afternoon because he wasn’t there, he would have been angry with himself.

“...Thank you, Young Master.”

Yan said this with slightly teary eyes. She had been very scared when she heard from Jixi that the daughter of the Zhu family trading house had lost a finger. If something had gone wrong, the same could have happened to the siblings.

After that, the four of them spent some time drinking tea. Then, Zhang Yun returned, followed by a woman.

“Zhang Jian!”

Jixi raised her hand to greet Zhang Jian and gave a light bow to Yan. She was truly relaxed, as if she had been told to be at ease. Zhang Jian smiled faintly and asked,

“What brings you here?”

“I came to inform you how things were resolved. Zhang Wushi was the one who made the biggest contribution in this matter, wasn’t he?”

At her words, Zhang Yun and Yan nodded, and the two siblings looked at Zhang Jian with bright eyes. Zhang Jian scratched his chin awkwardly and asked again,

“So, how is that big guy doing?”

“Big guy? Ah, the one with the tiger mask. He’s well secured. The other members of the commercial association have also been arrested. Now, it’s just a matter of the higher-ups taking care of it.”

Her way of referring to the Huang Army indirectly made Zhang Yun’s expression brighten, likely because of the news about the arrest of the commercial association members.

“And regarding your contribution, the Alliance Leader will personally award you a medal. There’s also a substantial reward. If you wish, we can offer you a position in the Wulin Alliance. What do you think?”

Zhang Yun and Yan’s eyes widened in surprise. The Alliance Leader was a famous hero in Central Plains, recognized by the Emperor as a symbol of justice and order in the New Continent. The fact that he had been offered a position in the Huang Army by the Emperor made him even more impressive to the Zhang family.

However, Zhang Jian looked at the courtyard trees with a blank expression, sipping his tea. Jixi, looking puzzled, asked,

“...Aren’t you happy?”

“Well, I was planning to leave Xinshanchuan in a day or two. Will you give it to me before then?”

“That... The Alliance Leader’s schedule is free only in a week...”

Zhang Jian put down his teacup.

“Then I can’t accept it.”

Jixi’s eyes widened, and she was speechless for a moment. After staring at Zhang Jian for a while, she finally smiled faintly and nodded.

“...I see. Then I’ll bring the medal and reward to you tomorrow. You should accept it, right?”

Zhang Jian nodded. Jixi then told Zhang Yun that a Wulin Alliance official with good news would visit in a few days and left. After she left, Zhang Yun sat down and asked Zhang Jian,

“Are you really going to turn down the opportunity to join the Wulin Alliance? A position that could lead to the Huang Army?”

“Dear, that Huang Army thing is just a rumor.”

“Still, it’s better than wandering around like this...”

Zhang Jian didn’t respond, just looking at the courtyard and drinking his tea. Zhang Yun sighed.

“...Alright. It’s your life, after all.”

But he nodded, still looking puzzled, and then a servant announced a new visitor.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Mr. Zhu Yue from the Zhu family trading house.”

Zhang Jian chuckled. He couldn’t understand why so many people were visiting him in the morning.

* * *

Jian Wuying was kneeling in a dark underground prison, his neck and wrists restrained by knives. Unlike the other Dark Dragon members, he was imprisoned alone, with additional acupuncture points on his dantian and back to suppress his inner energy. A warrior from the Wulin Alliance was sitting in front of the iron bars, watching him. The only parts of his body he could move were his neck and face.

In his mind, he was replaying the fight with Zhang Jian. The movements and techniques Zhang Jian had shown, which he hadn’t noticed during the fight, amazed him. The fact that these techniques had shattered his own martial arts skills confused him.

This feeling was a shock to his worldview, which he had built over the years by only practicing fast and powerful martial arts. It was also a whirlwind of joy, realizing that there was another world, a new horizon in martial arts.

At some point, while lost in these thoughts, the prison door creaked open. Jian Wuying, who had been recalling Zhang Jian’s martial arts, turned his eyes to the three people entering the prison.

Two were Wulin Alliance warriors, and the other was a hunched, shabby old man. The old man was carrying a large plate with a steamed fish, which was still giving off a faint steam.

“It’s mealtime. The cook from your house was worried about your health and prepared this special meal. He insisted on bringing it in a bundle, saying it might get cold. Enjoy your meal.”

The Wulin Alliance warrior opened the iron bars and spoke respectfully. This was because, despite his crimes, Jian Wuying had been a member of the Huang Army, and the Wulin Alliance, being a military organization that followed the Emperor’s will, showed him respect.

The two warriors stood by the iron bars, watching him, ready to stop any trouble if he tried to break free.

The hunched old man, who was indeed a servant named Jiang, was responsible for feeding Jian Wuying, as his hands and body were restrained. Jiang slowly picked up some of the steamed fish with his chopsticks and brought it to Jian Wuying’s mouth.

Jian Wuying’s eyes were fixed on the steamed fish. There were already marks where some parts had been picked at, indicating that it had been checked for poison. Jian Wuying opened his mouth, and Jiang slowly fed him the fish.

As Jian Wuying chewed, he felt puzzled. The cook he had recently hired wouldn’t have prepared such a nourishing dish for him, as the cook disliked him.

He wondered if it was an attempt to poison him to cover up the information about the Huang Army and the Dark Dragon, but the guards had already eaten some of the fish and confirmed it was safe.

At that moment, his eyes met Jiang’s.

“...”

Jian Wuying stopped chewing. Jiang, despite his shabby appearance, had a peculiar glint in his narrow, wrinkled eyes. Jian Wuying recognized this look.

Jiang picked up more fish and brought it to his mouth. After a moment of hesitation, Jian Wuying opened his mouth and accepted it.

Soon, Jian Wuying had almost finished the large fish. Jiang picked up the remaining pieces and sauce with a spoon, holding the plate under it, and brought it to Jian Wuying’s mouth. Jian Wuying looked directly into Jiang’s eyes as he accepted the spoonful.

After chewing, Jian Wuying lightly coughed, causing the two Wulin Alliance warriors to glance at him for a moment. This created a blind spot in the prison, hidden by Jiang’s hunched back and the large plate. In this blind spot, Jiang’s hand moved secretly.

No one saw the blade. It was so precise that even Jiang couldn’t see it, relying only on his sense of touch.

The thin blade, attached to the bottom of the plate, pierced Jian Wuying’s heart. The blade was so sharp that there was no sign of a tear in his clothes.

After that, Jiang stood up with the plate and utensils, and Jian Wuying, who had coughed, swallowed the food in his mouth. The Wulin Alliance warriors, confirming that he had finished his meal, closed the iron bars and left the underground prison with Jiang.

Jian Wuying watched the prison door close, his vision blurring. Since the other Dark Dragon members were low-ranking and knew nothing, his death would allow the Huang Army to deny any connection to the Dark Dragon. Even if they all knew the truth, the difference between having a witness and not having one was significant.

And perhaps the Dark Dragon Trio, the leaders of the Dark Dragon, had also decided to punish Jian Wuying for his personal manipulation of the organization.

After a long yet short moment of reflection, his vision blurred further, and he muttered without realizing it.

“Your Majesty... I just...”

“What?”

A Wulin Alliance warrior, sitting in a chair, heard his muttering and asked. But Jian Wuying didn’t respond, and the warrior, puzzled, stood up and approached the iron bars.

“...Eh, eh?”

Blood was now seeping from Jian Wuying’s chest, slowly soaking his shirt. The Wulin Alliance warrior quickly opened the iron bars and entered to check on him, but despite the blood now pouring out, Jian Wuying was already dead.