Chapter 93

Su Yi and Huang Qianjun had not been gone for long.

Zhou Zhili, Qingjin, and Zhang Duo, along with the other guards, also gradually walked down from the tower ship.

"Your Highness, Sixth Prince."

Not far away, the old man wearing a cloak walked over, slightly bowing his hands, a smile appearing on his deeply wrinkled face, "I have been waiting for you for quite some time."

Zhou Zhili's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly returned the bow, saying, "For Elder Mu to come in person, it truly makes me feel honored."

Qingjin's eyebrows slightly raised, recognizing the man's identity.

Mu Zhongting!

One of the six counties of Gunzhou, the governor of Yonghe County, a powerful martial arts master.

Yonghe County borders Yunhe County, and it would take only a day to reach Yunhe County from Yonghe County if one rode a horse at full speed.

Mu Zhongting, who looked like an old fisherman, scanned the surroundings and said, "Your Highness, it's not advisable to stay here for long. Let's go into the city and talk."

Zhou Zhili readily agreed.

On the tower ship.

Watching Zhou Zhili and his group leave with Mu Zhongting, Zhang Yiren fell into deep thought. What was the purpose of this Sixth Prince's visit?

Also, Lord Chen Zheng said he would come to Yunhe County soon. Could this be just a coincidence?

After a long while, Zhang Yiren shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

Inside Yunhe County.

The streets were like a spider web, crisscrossing everywhere, with bustling crowds weaving through them, creating a bustling and prosperous scene of the secular world.

Compared to Su Yi's memories, Yunhe County had not changed much.

After all, it had only been a little over a year since he was expelled from the Qinghe Sword Mansion.

If there was any change, it was that he himself was different from before.

Walking leisurely down the street with his hands behind his back, Su Yi casually asked, "Are you going to register at the Qinghe Sword Mansion now, or do you have other plans?"

Huang Qianjun hurriedly replied, "I'll settle down with Brother Su first, and then it won't be too late to register at the Qinghe Sword Mansion."

He had entered the Qinghe Sword Mansion through clan connections and could register at any time.

Su Yi did not say more and, following the memories from his mind, headed straight for the southwestern part of the city.

Halfway there, a beautifully decorated carriage suddenly stopped beside Su Yi.

The curtain was lifted, revealing a face of extraordinary beauty, capable of both anger and joy.

She had a cloud-like hairstyle, a phoenix hairpin tilted to one side, eyebrows like a new moon, eyes like ink dots, and skin as smooth as jade, with a gaze that seemed to exude boundless tenderness, charming and alluring.

Huang Qianjun was stunned. This girl was too seductive!

"May I ask if you are Su Yi, Su Young Master?"

The woman's lips parted, her voice as melodious as a flute, very pleasant to the ear.

Su Yi nodded, thinking, "You are the courtesan Cha Jin from Man Ting Fang, right?"

The woman's beautiful eyes flashed with surprise, then she smiled faintly, "How fortunate I am to be recognized by Su Young Master."

If it were anyone else, they would have been captivated by the woman's charm.

But Su Yi remained calm and asked, "What do you want from me?"

Cha Jin bit her red lip, her eyes like water, and said seriously, "Please don't misunderstand, Su Young Master. I just heard that you saved everyone on the tower ship the other night, averting a danger that threatened everyone. So when I recognized you, I couldn't help but want to thank you personally."

This woman, though not yet twenty, exuded a gentle and alluring charm in every smile and frown, making Huang Qianjun's heart flutter.

Su Yi, however, simply said, "There's no need to thank me. Just don't think I'm in league with that Sixth Prince."

Cha Jin's face froze, her pupils contracting slightly, then she smiled, "I won't disturb you, Young Master. I'll take my leave."

With that, she lowered the curtain, and the exquisite carriage drove away.

Watching the carriage stop in front of an ancient building in the distance, Huang Qianjun's eyes lit up, "Is Cha Jin going to work at 'Lang Tao Sha'? Brother Su... hey?"

Turning his head, he saw that Su Yi had already walked far ahead and hurriedly caught up.

"Brother Su, Cha Jin is going to 'Lang Tao Sha,' the most famous brothel in Yunhe County, known as 'Beauty Abounds, A Dream for a Thousand Gold'!"

Huang Qianjun was very excited, rubbing his hands together.

Then, he cautiously suggested, "Brother Su, how about we find some time to visit?"

As soon as the words were out, he wanted to slap himself.

What a fool! How could he suggest such a thing to Brother Su, a man of such noble character? What if Brother Su misunderstood?

But Su Yi simply said, "Why go to such a place? It's a waste of time."

"Uh..."

Huang Qianjun secretly breathed a sigh of relief but suddenly paused, sensing a different meaning.

A waste of time?

In a brothel, apart from the courtesans, there were indeed few virtuous women.

So, Brother Su must know a lot about this!

Thinking this, Huang Qianjun couldn't help but smile ambiguously.

If Su Yi knew how Huang Qianjun's mind was working, he would probably have slapped him silly.

What does he think about all day!

...

In the southwestern part of the city.

On Yangliu Lane, there were low, dilapidated mud houses, the ground pitted and muddy from a recent rain.

This was indeed the slum area that Cheng Wuyong had mentioned, where the poorest and most destitute people lived.

Looking around, it was a scene of desolation.

Compared to other parts of Yunhe County, it was like a different world.

When Su Yi, familiar with the area, led Huang Qianjun here, his neat and clean appearance drew the attention of many people.

"Sir, please, give me some money. My children have been hungry for days."

A gaunt woman suddenly knelt down in front of them, crying and begging, her body covered in mud and dirty water.

Huang Qianjun felt a pang of sympathy and was about to take out some silver, but Su Yi stopped him.

Su Yi said calmly, "If you take out money now, in no time, a large group of beggars will surround you. If you don't give them all your money, you won't be able to leave this alley."

Huang Qianjun opened his mouth, "With our strength, can we really be stopped by these peasants?"

Su Yi countered, "Given your status, can you bear to use force against them? If they are injured, they won't have money for medical treatment and will only have one path left: death."

"This..."

Huang Qianjun hesitated.

"We are friends of Feng Xiaofeng."

Su Yi looked at the kneeling woman, "If your children are hungry, you can take them to Feng Xiaofeng's house."

The woman was stunned, then quickly got up, cursing as she left, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You made me kneel in the mud."

"Is that it?"

Huang Qianjun almost couldn't believe his eyes.

"These people at the bottom of society can only survive by sticking together. As long as you recognize one of them, the others won't see you as a 'fat sheep' who has wandered into their territory."

As he spoke, Su Yi continued walking.

Huang Qianjun hurriedly followed, "Brother Su, who is Feng Xiaofeng?"

"Friend."

Su Yi said these two words, his eyes filled with a hint of nostalgia.

To the self before his memories awakened, the word "friend" was more important than any treasure in the world.

Feng Xiaofeng was one of the few friends he had in the past.

Walking to a dilapidated courtyard deep in the alley, Su Yi finally stopped.

The courtyard was surrounded by low, crumbling mud walls, the gate rusted and worn. Standing there, one could see inside the courtyard.

Looking around, there were three mud houses, a vegetable patch, a willow tree, and six or seven chickens and ducks.

A gaunt figure sat in a wooden wheelchair, wearing old, rough clothes, cooking by a fire.

Smoke billowed, enveloping his figure, and occasionally, a violent cough could be heard.

Seeing this, Su Yi's eyes narrowed, "Stay here and wait."

He pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard.

"Is it Xiaoran coming back? Review your lessons first, brother will have the meal ready soon."

The gaunt figure in the wheelchair spoke.

But then he sensed something was wrong, looked up, and saw a tall figure standing beside him.

Recognizing the face, the gaunt figure was stunned, then his eyes lit up with excitement, "Senior Brother Su Yi, why have you come?"

He reached for his cane to stand, but Su Yi held him down, "I just arrived in Yunhe County, but I didn't expect to see you like this after just over a year."

Su Yi's eyes were complex.

The gaunt figure before him was Feng Xiaofeng, but he was completely different from the strong and determined young man Su Yi remembered.

His hair was disheveled, his clothes old and torn, his body emaciated, his skin dull, and his once vibrant face now bore the marks of hardship.

His legs were clearly paralyzed, and he could only move in a wheelchair.

Seeing this, Su Yi's eyes narrowed, "Stay here and wait."

He pushed open the gate and entered the courtyard.

"Is it Xiaoran coming back? Review your lessons first, brother will have the meal ready soon."

The gaunt figure in the wheelchair spoke.

But then he sensed something was wrong, looked up, and saw a tall figure standing beside him.

Recognizing the face, the gaunt figure was stunned, then his eyes lit up with excitement, "Senior Brother Su Yi, why have you come?"

He reached for his cane to stand, but Su Yi held him down, "I just arrived in Yunhe County, but I didn't expect to see you like this after just over a year."

Su Yi's eyes were complex.

The gaunt figure before him was Feng Xiaofeng, but he was completely different from the strong and determined young man Su Yi remembered.

His hair was disheveled, his clothes old and torn, his body emaciated, his skin dull, and his once vibrant face now bore the marks of hardship.

His legs were clearly paralyzed, and he could only move in a wheelchair.

Feng Xiaofeng's joy gradually faded, and after a moment of silence, he forced a smile, "It's not so bad."

"It's not good at all."

Su Yi's gaze swept over the dilapidated courtyard, finally landing on the black pot over the fire.

In the boiling water, there were only a few grains of rice bran floating.

Su Yi's mood became heavy.

"Senior Brother Su Yi, the past is the past. I'm just a cripple now. Although life is poor, I can still survive."

Feng Xiaofeng raised his face, speaking earnestly, "I don't need your sympathy or help. I'm already very happy that you came to see me."

"But I'm not happy."

Su Yi patted Feng Xiaofeng's shoulder, "I know what you're worried about, afraid that I'll seek revenge, and that once I appear, those who bullied us in the past will come after us."

As he spoke, Su Yi smiled, his eyes deep and cold, "But you probably didn't expect that I came back this time to settle old scores and clear my heart of grievances!"

Feng Xiaofeng was shocked, "Senior Brother, you want to seek revenge? Could it be that..."

"That's right, my cultivation has recovered."

Su Yi nodded, adding in his heart, "And I'm not the same as before. Not only will I seek revenge, but I will also help you heal your paralyzed legs!"

Feng Xiaofeng exclaimed in joy, "This is truly great news! Hahaha..."

He laughed, but tears welled up in his eyes as he laughed.

He took several deep breaths, holding back the tears that were about to fall, and they quietly evaporated.

A man does not shed tears easily.