Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

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Shen Qing, with his head lowered, poured himself another bowl of wine. He stared at the bowl filled with wine in his hand, silent and wordless.

It seemed to him that he now faintly understood why the Four Great Eastern Families had been able to monopolize business in the county for so many years, compelling tens of thousands of households, and over a hundred thousand people throughout Taiping County, to rely on them for a living.

The foundations of the four great families of the county were profound; their relationships complex and intricate, shielding one another, in addition to having powerful martial masters in place.

No one could challenge them.

And those born into these families were like children with golden keys in their mouths, out of reach for the likes of him, brought up with muddy legs.

Maybe even while they were in their mother's wombs, they were already being nourished with various tonics to cultivate their Qi-Blood.

After they were born, it goes without saying.

The precious medicine and spiritual plants that were rarely seen by the likes of him were nothing but ordinary meals to them.

For these noble offspring practicing Martial Arts, the path was undoubtedly smooth and wide.

They, who had tumbled through gullies and ditches, couldn't even match up to one of their toes.

But Shen Qing wasn't discouraged in the least.

No matter how formidable they were, they couldn't measure up to one who was "cheating".

Shen Qing raised the bowl in his hand and drank all the wine in one gulp, saying, "Now, who has the Blood Bird's Nest?"

"It's in the hands of a ruffian named Kong Tiantu, a peasant lad who came over from Jinzhou. He's strong and knows some farming techniques," Ouyang Tie Niu took a sip of wine, moistened his throat, and continued, "He's a clever one, and Wang Mazi trusts him a lot. He was present when the hunter gave Wang Mazi the Blood Bird's Nest.

After that incident, he took advantage of the chaos to take the Blood Bird's Nest, and I secretly saw him."

"Where does he live?"

"Right between the hovels of Wang Ma and Old Ba, and he hasn't left."

Shen Qing frowned and said, "So much time has passed, the Blood Bird's Nest might not be in his hands anymore, right?"

"It should still be," Ouyang Tie Niu said, looking down, "I still heard a few hints of news yesterday."

"What kind of hints?"

"The other Great Eastern Families, in order to prevent Song Gongming's sons from advancing too smoothly, have also been secretly offering high prices to acquire any of those mountain delicacies, each one higher than the last. Kong Tiantu will surely wait for a good price and won't sell hastily."

Shen Qing nodded, not continuing the topic, and changed the subject, "Let's eat and drink."

The dishes at Fengwei Restaurant, without monosodium glutamate and modern seasoning, tasted mediocre in Shen Qing's eyes.

But it had to be said, this was the most satisfying meal Shen Qing had since his transmigration.

Shen Xiaohu, Xiao Zhi, and the others all ate until their bellies were round.

When it came to paying the bill, Shen Qing found that just this one meal cost him eleven taels silver, which took him aback.

Indeed, it was not cheap.

After leaving Fengwei Restaurant, Shen Qing did not linger, parting ways with Ouyang Tie Niu and the others, each going their separate ways.

At that time, he had no real intention of taking Ouyang Tie Niu and the others as his subordinates.

In his opinion, if he really wanted to take on followers, it was better to find someone reliable back in Hongshan Village.

They were from the same village and could be trusted.

People from outside were always unreliable.

After leaving Fengwei Restaurant, Shen Qing did not wander around the Inner City. He took Shen Xiaohu and went straight back to Linfeng Hall.

Previously, with not much silver on hand, he had planned to return to Hongshan Village to fetch some money before coming back.

Now that he had gotten a sum from Zhao Ba, enough for his expenses for two or three months, there was no need to rush back.

...

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Ouyang Tie Niu and Yang Zhao Ping left Fengwei Restaurant and headed towards the direction of the Outer City.

After walking for a while, Ouyang Tie Niu's face was filled with worry.

He felt a bit of regret for being too concerned with his safety at noon and for not being more proactive, saying many things to Shen Qing that he shouldn't have.

During today's noon meal, he could see that Shen Qing didn't trust him at all.

Although Shen Qing was very polite, he kept a controlled distance, which made him start to worry.

After thinking for a moment, Ouyang Tie Niu turned to Yang Zhao Ping and said, "What do you think of Shen Qing?"

"Very strong, with a sophistication that doesn't match his age, quite decisive," Yang Zhao Ping replied without hesitation, then added, "Not someone easy to get close to."

"I feel the same way," Ouyang Tie Niu continued, "What are your thoughts now?"

Having spent a long time with Ouyang Tie Niu, Yang Zhao Ping knew what he was getting at.

"We don't have a better place to go right now, I suggest we stick with him. Your brother seems to have a good relationship with him; trust can be built gradually. You need to keep in mind that we are not like those lowlifes from the Outer City, we are ruffians with principles, we need to have some ambition, not flip-flop all the time."

"What you said makes sense," Ouyang Tie Niu nodded, "Then shall we go and snatch the Blood Swallow's Nest?"

Yang Zhao Ping was stunned for a moment, then leaned in and said, "Are you talking about... a pledge?"

Ouyang Tie Niu hooked his arm around Yang Zhao Ping's shoulder, pulling him closer, and spoke in a lowered voice, "Shen Qing doesn't have a good impression of us now. If we present a pledge, it will undoubtedly be better, the Blood Swallow's Nest is an opportunity."

After some thought, Yang Zhao Ping finally agreed, "Right, we can't just think about reaping the rewards without effort. That won't take us far. I'm with you on this one!"

"Good brother, come with me, I know where Kong Tiantu lives."

...

The shantytown of the Outer City mostly consisted of houses made of simple bricks, tiles, and wooden boards, dilapidated from lack of repair.

Kong Tiantu's home was particularly inconspicuous amidst this decay.

The roof tiles were uneven, some already broken, exposing the wooden beams within.

In the house, besides a worn-out bed and a few chairs, there was hardly any furniture.

At this moment, the slovenly Kong Tiantu came in from outside, fumbling under the bed and tightly holding a wooden box.

The box didn't look remarkable, just some wooden blocks cobbled together that barely formed the shape of a box.

But seeing the box intact, Kong Tiantu seemed to let go of a huge weight on his heart.

He stared at the wooden box, his eyes filled with hope and longing.

Kong Tiantu carefully opened the box, revealing what was inside.

A bright red, crystal clear Blood Swallow's Nest lay quietly inside, emanating an enticing fragrance.

"I'm glad I held back from selling it. The Zhou Family is already offering one hundred and twenty taels outside, and the Zhou Family's steward has agreed to my terms. Whether I can become rich and live a superior life depends on this move."

As he was lost in his thoughts, suddenly, a large stone was thrown through the window, landing on the bed, startling him.

He quickly closed the wooden box and held it in his arms, shouting, "Who's there?"

Kong Tiantu leaned against the door, peeking outside through a three-inch gap in the doorway.

There was nothing outside.

It must have been the prank of some local kids.

While he was thinking this, a sharpened stick suddenly thrust through the gap, stabbing into his eye.

"Aah!"

A piercing scream burst forth from Kong Tiantu's throat.