Chapter 16: The Reason

Mrs. Shen's tears finally fell. Faced with her daughter's persistence, she relented and spoke. Although her account was intermittent and somewhat jumbled, she managed to explain the situation clearly.

Many years ago, the Shen Family had received a great favor from the Old Manor Master of Meihua Mountain Villa. Mr. Shen had never dared to forget this kindness all these years. A while ago, someone came knocking on their door. The visitor arrived in absolute secrecy, holding a Token, and asked Mr. Shen to do something for him. Mrs. Shen did not know the exact details of this task. She only remembered that that night, Mr. Shen sat alone in his study, staring at the Token for the entire night. Mrs. Shen asked out of concern a few times, but unfortunately, he said nothing.

Not long after this incident, another person arrived. The man claimed to be a steward of the Yang Family from Yuzhou. Dressed in luxurious clothes, he spoke with an arrogant tone. He cut straight to the chase, demanding Mr. Shen reveal the whereabouts of the previous visitor. Naturally, Mr. Shen refused. The steward did not say much else, merely dropping a single line—"Don't regret this"—before turning on his heel and leaving.

The real trouble began on that very day. First, it affected their dozen or so shops in Qingzhou City. Old patrons who had done business with them for decades suddenly stopped coming, one after another. Then came the farmlands outside the city; overnight, the crops in the fields were completely trampled and destroyed. Later, several warehouses mysteriously caught fire, burning the stored goods to ashes. Mr. Shen ran around seeking help, only to hit a wall at every turn. Former friends suddenly became strangers—some avoided him entirely, while others simply bolted their doors and refused to receive guests.

Then, last month, a young man calling himself Yang Qinghe swaggered into the Shen Family estate with over a dozen retainers in tow, forcefully taking away Shen Qingci's younger brother, Shen Zheng. Mr. Shen tried to stop them, but how could he possibly hold them back? Reporting it to the authorities was useless. The eldest young master of the Yang Family seemed to have bribed them beforehand. The constables from the Government Office merely came by, took a quick look around, asked a few perfunctory questions, and were never heard from again.

Reaching this point in her story, Mrs. Shen was already sobbing uncontrollably. "Your father forbade us from making a fuss or seeking you out. He said this is a debt he owes, and he has to shoulder it himself."

Shen Qingci listened quietly, feeling utterly helpless in the face of her father's stubbornness. The Yang Family of Yuzhou... She was the eldest daughter, and her brother was the only male heir of the Shen Family. Now that he had fallen into the hands of others, with his fate unknown, her father was just stubbornly bearing the brunt of it. When would it ever end? Was he truly going to give up on her brother? She wanted to speak up and persuade him, but she knew full well that once Mr. Shen made a decision, not even nine oxen could drag him back. Words were sometimes the most powerless things. She fell into deep confusion.

The room remained quiet for a long time. The child had fallen fast asleep in her arms, his small chest rising and falling, completely oblivious to the sorrows of adults. Mrs. Shen stopped her tears. Suddenly recalling something, she looked up at her daughter.

"You just said... you know a very formidable martial arts master?"

Shen Qingci froze for a moment. Lin Yan! That lean, handsome face suddenly surfaced in her mind, much like a drowning person catching sight of a floating log.

"Yes." Shen Qingci stood up from her stool, her expression growing visibly more animated. "Mother, I'll go ask him first. Perhaps there is still a chance to turn this around!"

Mrs. Shen wanted to ask something, but Shen Qingci had already hurried out.

In the long corridor, she found the butler, Mr. Shen, who was on night duty.

"Sixth Uncle, help me find someone."

The butler bowed slightly. "Please give your orders, Eldest Miss."

"It's the young cart driver who escorted me back to the estate earlier. I don't know if he has left yet, but Sixth Uncle, you must help me find him!" She didn't know if Lin Yan had already departed, so she could only take a gamble.

The butler looked up and, observing his young miss's expression, asked no further questions. He simply nodded. "This old servant will get to it right away."

Shen Qingci stood beneath the corridor roof, gazing out at the heavy night. The wind blew through her sleeves, its chill seeping straight into her bones. She didn't know if her gamble would pay off. But she knew that if she didn't take this risk, the Shen Family probably wouldn't hold out much longer. Moreover... would Lin Yan agree to help? Shen Qingci didn't even dare to imagine what she would do if he refused. She could only tell herself that Lin Yan wouldn't just stand by and watch.

The next day.

In the same city, another piece of news was brewing. The news of Doctor Zhou receiving funding from a mysterious benefactor had already spread across more than half of Qingzhou City. In the teahouses, someone slammed the table and claimed it was a masked hero who came and went like the wind, throwing away a fortune without blinking. In the restaurants, some swore they had personally seen a dilapidated ox cart park at the entrance of Willow Tree Village. From the cart, an iron box was unloaded, and when the lid was opened, the gold and jewels inside illuminated half the sky. Others said it was merely a local landlord who had struck it rich and wanted to accumulate some good karma to make his business run smoother.

Rumors of all kinds were flying. Yet, no one knew the man's surname, his name, where he came from, or where he went. Doctor Zhou didn't say, nor did the woman dressed in black, wielding the Black Sword. They merely devoted themselves even more attentively to caring for the villagers, pulling them back from death's door one by one.

As for the Lin Yan currently being discussed by countless mouths, he was driving his ox cart, meandering leisurely down the most bustling street in Qingzhou City. The mid-afternoon sun had lost its scorching midday intensity. Instead, it cast a lazy warmth over the people, making them feel as if they could drift off to sleep at any moment. Lin Yan strolled down the street, holding a freshly baked sesame flatbread and chewing on it slowly. The flatbread was fragrant, the sesame seeds roasted to perfection. With a single bite, the crispy dough mixed with the rich aroma of oil, melting slowly on his tongue.

The vendors were an elderly couple. Their stall was set up on a street corner with no signboard, yet their business was surprisingly brisk. He ordered a bowl of jellied tofu from the neighboring stall, drizzled it with bright red chili oil, sprinkled a handful of vibrant green cilantro over it, and ate it bite by bite along with his flatbread. Only when a person doesn't have to worry about a few pieces of silver can they truly enjoy life.

After finishing his meal, he led his ox cart and wandered around for a while longer. He watched a dough-figurine maker, listened to some drum storytelling, and stood in front of a bookstore for a while, flipping through some yellowed old books. These unremarkable things, along with the faces carrying all sorts of emotions, helped settle Lin Yan's previously restless heart. In the mortal realm. In the mortal realm. Among mortals. The bustling energy of the mundane world was the best comfort for an ordinary heart.

The sun gradually leaned toward the west. He hitched the ox cart again, planning to find a place for dinner before returning to the inn to rest. At that moment, a figure suddenly darted out from the alleyway, standing right in front of the ox cart to block his path. It was that old man again. Upon seeing this guy, Lin Yan's expression instantly turned cold. He was not typically prone to anger, but this old man's constant pestering had already made him lose his patience. Just as Lin Yan was debating whether he should teach the other party a lesson, the old man suddenly chuckled and spoke.

"Young man, you've stirred up some major trouble."

"Heh... major trouble? How major?" Lin Yan asked coldly.