Chapter 11

On the day of the town market, Gu Chengwu took the wild rabbits and pheasants he had caught in the mountains over the past few days to sell, keeping one back for Zhang Cuilan to make spicy rabbit.

Although pheasant meat is not particularly flavorful, its beautiful plumage makes it valuable. Since they are difficult to catch, some wealthy families enjoy using the feathers for decorations or making shuttlecocks.

A pot-bellied wealthy man approached, money bag in hand. He inspected the pheasant, and upon seeing it was still alive and kicking, he nodded with satisfaction and asked for the price.

"Eighty wen," Gu Chengwu replied.

The wealthy man frowned, clicking his tongue. "Too much, too much. These things are everywhere in the mountains; they aren't rare. How about this, give me an honest price—fifty wen."

Cutting the price by thirty wen at once, the man acted like an expert, picking through the goods and haggling.

Gu Chengwu didn't bother to engage with him. Though pheasants were common, he was no novice; he knew the market value and wasn't worried about selling it.

"Seventy wen. Not a copper less," he said firmly, implying he would rather leave if the price wasn't met.

Gu Chengwu stood tall and imposing. Having been tempered by the bloodshed of military life, he carried a cold, stern aura, and his eyes were enough to make one’s heart tremble.

The wealthy man looked up and met the man’s gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and he wondered, *Where did this King of Hell come from? That cold face is terrifying.* He didn't dare pretend to be an expert anymore and, feigning generosity, said, "Seventy it is. You look young, and it’s not easy for you."

He spoke generously, but when it came time to pay, he dragged his feet, showing no eagerness.

In the end, the last pheasant and a few rabbits sold for about three hundred wen. While not a large sum, for a country dweller, it covered several months of daily expenses.

He did not head straight home; instead, he took a rabbit and turned toward the county magistrate’s office.

The Yunshui County office didn't have much business. The bailiffs mostly spent their time patrolling the streets, managing trivial matters. Still, they were government employees, and the common folk didn't dare provoke them.

Li Si and his companion had just finished their shift and were discussing where to go for some entertainment when they spotted Gu Chengwu outside. Li Si quickly told his companion to wait, ran up, and said, "Brother Gu! Why are you here? You should have told me earlier so I could have come to meet you."

Gu Chengwu replied, "Nothing special. I caught this rabbit yesterday; take it and have it for a meal."

"No, no, I can't take this. This is for you to sell for silver. I’m just a rough man, and I have my government rations anyway. I appreciate the gesture, but I can't accept it," Li Si said, feeling grateful but knowing he couldn't take it for free.

Gu Chengwu was not one to fuss; he simply tossed the rabbit to him. "It’s not worth much. Take it to help your mother regain her strength. I need to get back today; I’ll come find you another time."

Watching the man’s retreating figure, Li Si held the rabbit and smiled.

He and Gu Chengwu were former brothers-in-arms. They had joined the army in the same batch and were assigned to the same squad. Only a few months into their training, the imperial court ordered an expedition against border tribes, and they were hastily sent to war.

The night before the battle, Li Si had cried like a coward, his mind clouded with thoughts of desertion. In the Dali Dynasty, being caught as a deserter meant beheading.

Before he could escape, he was discovered by Gu Chengwu, who had stepped out to relieve himself. Gu’s face was terrifyingly dark, but instead of reporting him, he dragged him into the shadows and gave him a beating.

Beaten until he was a mess, Li Si finally confessed the truth: he had an elderly mother back in Yunshui County, and he was terrified that if he died, there would be no one to bury her. He cried as he spoke, looking nothing like a twenty-year-old man.

Gu Chengwu said nothing, but he gave his own salary to Li Si, telling him to send it to his mother.

To this day, whenever Li Si thought back, he was immensely grateful that Gu Chengwu had "beaten him awake" that night. From the bottom of his heart, he treated Gu as his own brother. Although he was older than Gu, he couldn't match him in strategy or martial arts, so he always addressed him as "Big Brother."

Later, Gu Chengwu earned merit on the battlefield by severing the head of an enemy lieutenant and was promoted to lead another squad. They hadn't seen each other since.

When the war ended, Li Si returned to Yunshui County after much hardship. He never expected to see his benefactor again. He was excited and curious; logically, after the court reclaimed the borders, Gu Chengwu should have been awarded a military rank. Why was he here all alone?

He didn't dare ask too much. Regardless, he was now a bailiff, and they would have plenty of opportunities to drink and eat together in the future.

On the other side, after dropping off the rabbit, Gu Chengwu took the few hundred wen from the sale to the blacksmith’s shop. The dagger he usually carried had been lost in the mountains yesterday, and he needed a new, reliable one.

Master Zhu the blacksmith was hammering iron, his arms bare. Seeing a familiar face, he gave a rough laugh without stopping his hammer. "Brother Gu, what are you here to have forged this time?"

Gu Chengwu handed over a sketch he had drawn. "Make it like this: double-edged, with a groove down the middle..." It was a military-style sabre, rarely seen among civilians.

Master Zhu had never seen such a design, but he knew at a glance it would be effective. "Don't you worry, I'll have it ready for you in two days."

"Thank you," Gu Chengwu said, leaving three hundred wen.

Ironware was expensive, which was why country folk guarded their hoes and sickles so tightly. Gu Chengwu hunted year-round, so he needed reliable tools and didn't mind the cost.

He also planned to go to the county in the next few days to see if anyone was selling dogs; he wanted to buy two. One to take hunting in the mountains, and one for Zhang Cuilan to guard the house.

However, it was getting late, and Zhang Cuilan would have dinner ready at home. On his way back, he had to pass through a large field of wheat. For some reason, Gu Chengwu subconsciously thought of that timid, frail figure. He looked up, and sure enough, he spotted Jiang Yun in the wheat field.

Most of the wheat had already been harvested, and Jiang Yun’s frame looked unbearably thin in the field.

His already gaunt face bore a jagged, ugly wound; though small, it was very visible.

Gu Chengwu frowned. Looking again, he saw Jiang Yun carrying a stack of wheat larger than himself toward the bank. His back was slightly bent from the weight, and his lips were bitten red.

Gu Chengwu walked over, lifted the stack of wheat with one hand, and tossed it onto the bank with ease.

The weight suddenly vanished, and Jiang Yun was startled. He looked up to see the man.

"How did you get that?" he asked, referring to the wound.

Jiang Yun lowered his head, touched his injured forehead, and whispered, "I... I fell by accident."

Gu Chengwu saw through it immediately; the wound clearly wasn't from a fall. Since the other person didn't want to speak, he didn't press the matter.

In the distance, a group of women came running along the field ridge. The elderly village chief was leaning on a cane, his steps shaky but hurried—the urgency was plain to see.

"Hurry, hurry! Let’s go see what's happening!" someone urged.

"Oh, what kind of trouble is this? I think someone’s going to lose their life."

The women led the village chief toward the entrance of the village, a bustling crowd passing right by Gu Chengwu and Jiang Yun. No one paid any mind to why they were alone together.

Jiang Yun breathed a sigh of relief. He then saw the village chief suddenly change direction and hurry toward Gu Chengwu.

In an elderly, raspy voice, the chief said, "Xiao Wu, something has happened in the village. You are a young man and skilled in martial arts; you can handle things better than those other men. I have to lower my pride and ask you for a favor."

The village chief was a good man. When Gu Chengwu had first arrived in Qingmiao Village alone, the chief had helped him settle in.

Gu Chengwu nodded, signaling for the chief to lead the way.

It was Jiang Yun’s first time seeing such a large scene. He was curious and wanted to see what was happening, but he was also afraid...

Gu Chengwu stopped and looked back at him. For some reason, just that one look gave Jiang Yun the courage to follow.

It was high noon, the time when everyone usually returned home for a meal. Now, most of the village was gathered here. The crowd was noisy, with words like "sold" and "find someone" drifting through the air.

Jiang Yun spotted Yu Ge'er in the crowd. Yu loved a good spectacle; he would never miss something like this.

Liu Yu saw his friend and quickly pulled him over, finding a prime spot. He looked as if he were ready to snack on melon seeds.

"Brother Yun, what happened to your forehead?" Liu Yu was shocked by the wound and stopped looking at the scene to ask about it.

Thinking of Jiang Mo's threats from that night, Jiang Yun was surrounded by fear. He didn't dare speak and only said, "I... I fell by accident."

Yu Ge'er exclaimed, "How could you fall like that? Come home with me later. My brother has some ointment; you can use it. Don't let it leave a scar before you're even betrothed..."

As Liu Yu chattered on, Jiang Yun felt warmed, and his forehead didn't seem to hurt as much.

He was small, and even on tiptoe, he couldn't see much. "What... what happened?"

Liu Yu had only just arrived and didn't know the full story. "I heard He Qiaoqiao ran away from her wedding. Her husband's family couldn't find her and sent thugs to the village to demand her."

The women and husbands in the crowd were whispering, with Wang Yunfeng being the loudest. She shrieked, "I know the family He Qiaoqiao was marrying into. The Li family—they are one of the wealthiest in our Yunshui County. Even the magistrate sees them often."

"If she was marrying into such a good family, why would she run away?"

"Sigh, how would I know? Just look at what's happening ahead, and you'll find out."

In the center of the crowd, a group of thugs surrounded He Lao'er and Zhao Xiang. The thugs carried long staves and had fierce expressions. With one hand, a thug slapped Zhao Xiang, turning half her face red.

Looking at He Lao'er, one of his legs had already been broken, and he was lying on the ground, gasping for air.

The leader of the thugs was a middle-aged man with a sharp, monkey-like face. With his hands behind his back and a sinister gaze, he said in a sharp voice, "It was agreed: our house gave fifty taels of silver, and your family would give us your daughter. And now? You took the money, but the person is gone. What, do you think our Master has no influence in this town?"

Zhao Xiang lay on the ground, having lost all her arrogance. She was a mess of tears and snot, crying like a madwoman, shouting, "Murder! There is no law!"

Hearing the steward's words, Zhao Xiang wailed, "You are taking my daughter's life! Tricking our Qiaoqiao into being your Master's concubine—she is so young, how could she enter such a den of wolves?"

The onlookers burst into discussion, sighing at the secrets behind He Qiaoqiao's marriage.

"I said so! He Qiaoqiao is as withered as a demon; why would the Li family's legitimate son look at her? Turns out it was a trick."

"I heard their Master is eighty years old and already has over twenty concubines and mistresses. He might be in the ground any day now. Even if Qiaoqiao was tricked, she might get a share of the estate after he dies."

"Still thinking about the estate? The Master already has a legitimate son; who cares about the children of concubines? Besides, that old madam is not someone to be trifled with..."

In wealthy households, it was always the same stories. For the country folk, it was just a lively topic of gossip.

The steward kept his hands behind his back. "Since you can't return the fifty taels and can't produce the person, you might as well pay with two legs. Our Master is kind-hearted and doesn't want to report this to the magistrate."

Hearing "report to the magistrate," Zhao Xiang was truly terrified. They were just powerless country bumpkins; how could they fight with the law?

He Lao'er groaned on the ground, clutching his broken leg. He wished he could beat that spendthrift wife of his to death. He kicked Zhao Xiang hard with his good leg and roared, "Tell me, where is the fifty taels?"

Zhao Xiang didn't dare talk back even after being kicked. She sobbed, "Master, you know... my brother fell ill a few days ago and needed medicine. I couldn't just watch my own brother die!"

So, it had been used to subsidize her maiden family. Medicine was expensive, and a serious illness could cost several taels a day. How could money spent at a pharmacy ever be recovered?

He Lao'er was so angry his heart ached. With a trembling hand, he grabbed someone nearby and begged, "Quickly, call my son back."

He Lao'er had a son studying in the county seat. He was destined to pass the imperial examinations, and He Lao'er was pinning all his hopes on him.

The steward didn't care for a mere scholar and ordered, "Beat them."

Just as he said this, the crowd parted. It was the village chief and the arriving Gu Chengwu.

The village chief was old, but he had to come out to handle this; it was within his jurisdiction.

"I don't know what crime the people of our village have committed, but let's talk this over calmly. No need for violence."

Steward Li sneered, showing no respect for the old chief. "Your village tried to cheat our Master. Now that he’s lost both his money and the person, what is there to talk about?"

As he finished speaking, the thugs prepared to strike. Just as the staves were about to fall, Zhao Xiang's screams suddenly stopped.

Gu Chengwu had grabbed the other end of a stave. The thug, who looked as strong as an ox, was held firmly in place, unable to move.

The steward looked at Gu Chengwu in surprise, his mind racing to figure out who this man was. Looking at his rough, homemade clothes, he seemed like a commoner.

But that aura, that gaze—he did not look like an ordinary man.

Unsure of his standing, the steward tested him. "Young man, this has nothing to do with you. I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."

Gu Chengwu easily snatched the stave from the thug's hand and tossed it to the ground. Folding his arms, he said calmly, "Since you claim a marriage was arranged, where is the contract?"

Although a concubine's status is lower than a wife's and doesn't require formal wedding rites, in the Dali Dynasty, even taking a concubine required a legal document to prevent human traffickers from trading innocent women and young men.

The Li family’s plan had been that the He family were just rough country folk; they wouldn't know the procedures for concubines, let alone have the paperwork.

Now, caught by the critical question, Steward Li’s expression changed repeatedly. He didn't dare underestimate this young man.

"There is a contract, naturally. But we were in such a hurry to find her that we didn't have time to bring it."

Gu Chengwu ignored his excuses. "Without a contract, this violates the laws of the Dali Dynasty. According to the law, this is punishable by twenty strokes and three years in prison."

He spoke with such authority that Steward Li couldn't even find a rebuttal.

Though Steward Li could read and manage the estate for his master, he didn't know the law. Now, caught by this young man, he didn't dare act rashly.

To avoid a direct confrontation, Steward Li called back his thugs. Taking one last look at Zhao Xiang and He Lao'er, he threatened, "Wait for us. If you don't produce the person, my Master won't let you off. Think about your son studying in the county."

Zhao Xiang finally came to her senses. Although she loved He Qiaoqiao, her daughter wasn't as valuable as her son. Her son was meant to have a bright future—but no one knew where He Qiaoqiao had run off to.

The crowd had seen enough. No one offered to help Zhao Xiang, who looked like a lunatic, while He Lao'er continued to kick her, wailing over his broken leg.

"Someone come and take He Lao'er to the doctor; it's still a leg, after all," the village chief arranged for two young men to help.

He turned back to Gu Chengwu. "Thank you so much, Xiao Wu. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known how to handle this."

Gu Chengwu replied, "It’s nothing. Just a small effort."

He had helped because of the village chief, not because of Zhao Xiang's family.

Liu Yu and Jiang Yun had already left. Liu Yu seemed shaken by the harrowing scene and kept patting his chest. "Indeed, one should live a steady life. You never know when you might stumble into a den of wolves."

Jiang Yun was even more timid. He had truly seen blood, and his face was deathly pale.

On the other side, the women who had watched the drama turned their conversation from Zhao Xiang to Gu Chengwu.

"Everyone used to say he was a 'god of misfortune,' but who knew he could read and understand the law? With just a few words, he silenced that Steward Li."

"He’s a good young man, though his cold face is a bit scary. I wonder where he comes from."

"Oh, he’s definitely not a bad person. Even if he is a bit poor... that’s not a big deal."

Once they finished, everyone understood. Any family with children who hadn't found a suitable match could consider Gu Chengwu.

Only a few days ago, he was feared by everyone; now, he had become a hot commodity. Several matchmakers even brought gifts to his door, probing for information.