Chapter 31, Leaving the Estate

Translator: StarReader

 

Su Chen returned from the rear mountain and went to the Errand Hall compound to exchange his token for a junior executive one.

 

Even with his new title, he was still considered a menial worker, but this new rank placed him slightly above the bottom of the barrel. With it came a small privilege: henceforth, he could select his own errand duties instead of being randomly assigned tasks by mid- and senior-level executives.

 

This newfound convenience allowed Su Chen to choose roles that offered better pay and more flexibility for his tasks ahead.

 

Su Chen joined the Medicine King Group eight months ago and broke through to the Lower Dantian, but within the vast organization, this was nothing remarkable. However, in the Errand Hall, it still caused a minor stir. For errand disciples, such an achievement was exceedingly rare.

 

Subsequently, Su Chen took over the duty of guarding the herb garden and received nine hundred copper coins from the accountants’ office.

 

Su Chen felt the coppery scent of the coins as he placed them in his money pouch, hearing the faint jingle of coins clinking together. He couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of joy and fulfillment.

 

He was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

 

Fishing in the small rivers of Zhou Village for an entire month would earn him a meager fifty or sixty copper coins. It never occurred to him that he could make nine hundred as an errand disciple in just three short months at the Medicine King Group—a sum greater than what he had earned in his entire life.

 

Had he been a disciple of another hall, he might have earned even more. Disciples of the Medicine King Group were known to be exceedingly wealthy in the martial world of the Wu Region, and this was no exaggeration.

 

Su Chen slipped the money pouch into his jacket, securing it close to his body to keep it safe and prevent others from stealing his hard-earned money. However, on second thought, he realized that such a small amount—less than one tael of silver—wouldn’t last him long at all. Every single coin felt like it was worth its weight in gold to him.

 

Su Chen planned to head to the library to purchase a basic martial arts manual. But even the cheapest martial arts scroll in the library cost an entire tael of silver. Medicine scrolls weren’t cheaper either. He was still short by one hundred copper coins and couldn’t afford anything right now.

 

After pondering for quite some time, Su Chen decided to make a trip to Gusu County City. Having spent nearly three months tending to the fields in the isolated back mountain of the Medicine King Group—a place where he rarely saw another soul—he was starting to feel suffocated. A visit to the bustling Gusu County City would be welcome; not only could he enjoy the lively atmosphere, but he might also find some delicious snacks to satisfy his cravings.

 

Su Chen left the Medicine King Estate, crossed the iron chain bridge, and in no time at all, arrived at the bustling Gusu County City, some two miles away. On the street, he stopped by a little shop and bought several tasty osmanthus cakes and stinky tofu—his own reward for the hard work of the past few months.

 

With a few copper coins in his possession, he was no longer penniless as when he first arrived in town.

 

The streets of Gusu County City remained as busy as ever, teeming with merchants, palanquins, and carriages, with goods-laden carts endlessly passing by. Taverns and teahouses along the street were packed with martial artists, their steady flow showing no signs of letting up. It was common to see wealthy young men accompanied by several servants, strolling with their dogs, amusing themselves with crickets in cages and birds on perches.

 

There were also young misses walking the streets under oiled paper parasols, chatting excitedly as they browsed through exquisite jewelry shops in small groups, selecting ornaments and makeup that caught their fancy. Many street vendors wandered the thoroughfare, carrying fresh fruits on their poles and shouting out loud to attract attention.

 

Su Chen strolled down the street alone, feeling at ease and content, soaking in the lively atmosphere of the bustling marketplace.

 

He found himself back in the bustling Gusu County City, walking among the lively crowd. Everything around him felt so vivid, evoking a sense of familiarity that transcended time and place.

 

Su Chen no longer felt the initial alienation and strangeness he had experienced upon first arriving in Gusu County City. He had now risen to become a junior executive within the Medicine King Group, earning his keep through his own abilities. In this thriving city, he had managed to establish a foothold, no longer worrying about going hungry during the harsh winters or living a life of constant wandering and destitution.

 

As a third-rate practitioner, he had crossed the minimum threshold required to become a martial artist. Within even some of the smaller groups in the Wu Region, where each group numbered only dozens, he could already be considered a minor figure—not just another insignificant lackey.

 

However, given that the Medicine King Group was one of the Five Major Groups in the Wu Region, with thousands of disciples under its roof, Su Chen still remained at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

 

Compared to his situation nearly a year ago, when he was destitute and on the run, Su Chen’s current circumstances were immeasurably better. Reflecting back on those days, he had arrived in Gusu County City penniless, only to be chased by ruffians and their dogs, bullied by several beggars, and nearly left to starve in the streets. It was his good brother Ah Chou who had taken him in for the night, given him a meal, and helped him survive that ordeal.

 

Whenever Su Chen thought about this, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of feelings. He wondered how Ah Chou was faring after joining the Heaven Falcon Group. Had Ah Chou managed to establish a strong foundation in cultivating? They had agreed that once they both achieved success in their cultivation, they would travel together and dominate the martial world.

 

Su Chen woke up from his thoughts to having wandered near the Heaven Falcon Inn.

 

In the inn’s backyard, he spotted Butcher Zhang, who was busy slaughtering a pig. Butcher Zhang was none other than the father of Zhang Tieniu, Su Chen’s former senior brother.

 

After parting ways with Li Kui, Su Chen had grown distant from Zhang Tieniu and his other brothers. However, as fellow townsfolk, Butcher Zhang and Su Chen shared a different kind of bond.

 

Inquiring about Ah Chou’s whereabouts, Butcher Zhang regretfully admitted he had no recent news. In the past several months, Ah Chou hadn’t returned to the Heaven Falcon Inn, leaving little trace of his activities. This left Su Chen feeling somewhat disappointed.

 

As it turned out, Butcher Zhang’s wife was from Zhou Village and often visited her family there. Seizing this opportunity, Su Chen asked Butcher Zhang to pass along half of his coins to his parents upon their return home.

 

He only had a few coppers on him, saving up to buy martial arts manuals for cultivating.

 

Butcher Zhang, of course, readily agreed. He occasionally visited Zhou Village with his wife for family visits, and it would be no trouble to help Su Chen.

 

…

 

Su Chen emerged from Heaven Falcon Inn and wandered aimlessly through the city streets, thinking about what he could do next.

 

Among the bustling crowd dozens of yards ahead, a teenager around twelve or thirteen caught his eye. The boy, wearing a gray hemp tunic, was pushing a cart filled with manure, heading toward the eastern entrance of the city.

 

His face bore a livid scar, and his appearance was rather unattractive. A cloth towel was slung over his shoulders.

 

Su Chen paused in surprise.

 

That kid looked just like Ah Chou!

 

“Ah Chou, it’s me!”

 

Su Chen was pleasantly surprised and quickly waved to call out.

 

The pale-faced youth with a black-and-purple scar on his cheek turned to look. Upon spotting Su Chen at the other end of the street, his expression froze for a moment, but he quickly lowered his head, pushing the manure cart harder as he hurried toward the eastern entrance.

 

Su Chen noticed that Ah Chou didn’t acknowledge him and instead lowered his head to hide his face while trying to walk away. He was taken aback and quickly ran after him.

 

Months ago, he had already come to Gusu County City and visited the Heaven Falcon Group to look for Ah Chou. However, with the group’s massive main branch and numerous disciples, he had no idea how to locate him.

 

Now that they had randomly bumped into each other in the bustling market, there was no way Su Chen would let Ah Chou slip away like this.

 

He caught up quickly and joyfully grabbed Ah Chou’s arm.

 

“Ah Chou! I came to Heaven Falcon Inn looking for you several times before. Uncle Li and Uncle Zhang said you joined the Heaven Falcon Group and became a disciple there. I tried so hard to find you but never succeeded. How have things been going for you lately?”

 

Ah Chou, however, had his face covered with a handkerchief, his eyes evading contact, and an air of shame about him, as if reluctant to recognize Su Chen. But he was pulled over by Su Chen, leaving no choice but to comply.

 

Ah Chou reluctantly lowered the cart, wiped his sweaty face with a towel, and forced a smile, saying, “Oh, Brother Chen! I didn’t notice you earlier. I’ve joined the Heaven Falcon Group now. The manager in charge of recruitment there said that I have to serve them three years of hard labor and do all the tough, dirty, and exhausting tasks. After that, I’ll become a full-fledged outer disciple. Brother Chen, don’t worry about me. I will certainly train myself in martial arts, and we’ll carve out our futures together in the martial world!”

 

“Three years of hard labor?” Su Chen was taken aback.

 

Digging manure or washing clothes were tasks usually assigned to servants or maids. Even though errand disciples at the Medicine King Group also did menial chores like tending to fields, patrolling, and guarding at night, those tasks were still far from what Ah Chou described as ‘tough labor.’

 

But three years of hard labor before becoming a proper outer disciple—that wasn’t so bad. After all, the opportunity to join the Heaven Falcon Group was worth it.

 

What shocked Su Chen, however, was the sight of slashes and cane marks visible on Ah Chou’s sleeves.

 

“Those scars on your body—what’s the story? These are injuries from blades and rods, and many of them are recent, definitely not from you falling. Is someone there harassing you?”

 

Su Chen’s gaze hardened immediately as she rolled up Ah Chou’s sleeves, exposing the hidden scars that were shocking to behold. Some of these wounds didn’t even have time to form scabs yet—they weren’t the old injuries from when Owner Wang at Heaven Falcon Inn had beaten him months ago. These were fresh.