The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 19 Hope
Zhou Yan played with the string, and Shen Cangming opened his eyes and said:

"It was given to you by that musician."

Zhou Yan asked, "He came here?"

Shen Cangming replied, "It came with the morning and evening breezes."

Zhou Yan held the string in his hand, imagining the scene, and teased, "It's so elegant, really so elegant. Even someone as cold as you, Uncle Shen, sounds so beautiful when you say such things!"

Shen Cangming, expressionless, slammed his left hand down on Zhou Yan's head. Zhou Yan had just woken up that morning and his eyes were already a little teary. This slap made the boy, who was gradually becoming more familiar with him and starting to get a bit lax, burst into tears and mutter to himself all the way.

Shen Cangming had no choice but to painstakingly catch two fish for this guy at noon.

Zhou Yan cheered and pushed past Shen Cangming to grill the fish himself. Of course, he still gave one to Shen Cangming. In this world, the two of them had come a long way together and could be considered to have depended on each other for survival.

Zhou Yan was easygoing and came from a modern background, so he wasn't particular about etiquette. Shen Cangming, on the other hand, came from a border army and was bold and fearless, so he didn't care much about such things. Surprisingly, the two got along very well.

Shen Cangming took him to the nearest town to find the official in charge of apprehending thieves and take down the notice.

Because of his sword practice yesterday morning, Zhou Yan had grasped the important rhythm and breathing techniques. After practicing with him for a few more days, Shen Cangming judged that Zhou Yan was just one real battle away from his first qualitative leap, just one battle away from drawing blood.

It wasn't the kind of sneak attack we had before, but a close-quarters battle.

Within ten steps, blades meet, and life and death are decided in the blink of an eye.

Facing the fear of direct hand-to-hand combat is the most crucial step in the transformation of a swordsman. Before that, one is merely a martial artist and cannot be considered a swordsman.

Upon arriving in the city, Shen Cangming went to purchase supplies, while Zhou Yan went to find the official in charge of apprehending thieves.

Seeing many notices, Shen Cangming told him to tear down the notice that described the most despicable person and that made him angry. Zhou Yan saw that there were many petty thieves on the notices, and then his gaze narrowed slightly.

“This wicked thief abducted my child while my elderly mother was not paying attention. My mother died of grief, and my family was destroyed. I am filled with hatred and only beg for a chivalrous person to capture him. My family will reward him handsomely.”

Zhou Yan saw the portrait on the notice, which was probably drawn based on the description given by the deceased old lady. It bore a six or seven-tenths resemblance to Wang Chun. Zhou Yan gripped his knife.

“…Wang Chun, that beast.”

However, there's also news about Wang Chun, so it seems the direction is correct.

He suppressed his murderous intent and rage, and glanced at the other notices.

He took a document that described how the bandits of Shuangcui Peak robbed and killed people, killing and injuring more than twenty people. Zhou Yan went to the official in charge of apprehending the bandits to register the crime, and Shen Cangming prepared identification and a travel document for him.

After finishing his business, Zhou Yan was about to leave when his gaze swept over the notice board. There sat a man, unshaven and looking extremely dejected. The constable looked over and said, "This madman, why is he here again?"

Zhou Yan said, "A madman?"

The officer who was arresting the thieves casually said, "Yes, this man came several days ago, saying he was looking for his relatives. Normally, just putting up a notice would have been enough, but he just wouldn't stop pestering us. There aren't that many people looking for his wife and daughters, it's all so random."

The constable said, "He said his wife suddenly disappeared, and there was only an extra three thousand coins in his package. I told him to use the three thousand coins to ask someone to look for her, but he refused, saying that his wife's disappearance might be related to the money."

"I wait here every day."

Zhou Yan paused, noticing the sign in front of the man and the portrait on it. It was a simple portrait of a woman, but it looked familiar. Zhou Yan suddenly recalled the woman he had met when he was sold to the demon market.

The sentence I said to her.

'I secretly sold myself. Boss Zhao is kind-hearted; I secretly returned the money yesterday before coming back.'

It's him? !
Zhou Yan paused. The man, holding a package, sat there with his head down, looking completely lost. Sensing something, he looked up and saw a young man holding a knife standing in front of him.

"Young master, is there anything I can help you with?"

Zhou Yan said, "I heard you're looking for someone?"

The man's eyes brightened slightly, and he said, "My lord, you..." He stood up abruptly, then everything went black before he could finish speaking. He nearly collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale, and a series of rumbling sounds came from his stomach, clearly indicating that he was starving.

Zhou Yan sighed.

They pulled him to a noodle shop next door and asked the owner to bring out two bowls of noodles. The man was deathly pale, starving, but he still didn't touch the noodles, saying, "This...how can this be..."

Zhou Yandao:
"Eat up. If you faint from hunger, how will I know who to turn to?"

The man swallowed several times and said, "Then, I will be rude."

He picked up his chopsticks and the bowl, his hands trembling so much he couldn't hold the noodles properly. With great difficulty, he managed to put them in his mouth, took a bite, paused, then tilted his head back and used the chopsticks to forcefully shovel the noodles into his mouth, frantically shoveling them in.

In the end, it was almost like drinking noodles.

After finishing his noodles, he finally felt a bit more energetic, but was still embarrassed and said, "I am so sorry, so sorry." Zhou Yan asked him what had happened, and the man replied, "My name is Zhang Shoutian."

“During years of famine, when chaotic and defeated soldiers came, we fled for our lives from the vicinity of our homes.”

“My wife had just come back that day, and she was smiling normally. We had a meal together, talked about what would happen after we got home, and then we fell asleep peacefully. The next day, I couldn’t find her. All I found was this extra money in the package.”

“If you can find my wife, I don’t need this money! Just return it. I’ve been to school for a few years, I can write, and I can farm. I’ll do anything to repay your kindness, my love.”

His eyes were bloodshot. He spoke relatively coherently, but his mind was not very stable. Zhou Yan wanted to draw a portrait, and it was indeed that woman. He looked at the man and saw that his eyes were dim and bloodshot.

Zhou Yan could sense that this man was probably about to collapse. He was like a thread, and now all that was holding him up was a faint hope. But without any trace of him, such hope couldn't last long.

Zhou Yan looked at him, at the life and death of another person, his hand gripping the knife.

He heard his own voice.

"I have seen her."

The man opposite him suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with a fiery expectation. He stood up abruptly and said, "My lord, where have you seen her? Is she still alive? She's still alive!"

The man unconsciously reached out and gripped Zhou Yan's sleeve tightly, his hand trembling. His voice was almost pleading, no, it was a desperate pleas.

It's about telling the truth, so that even if it's cruel, people have the right to know everything.

Or is it a cover-up?

Zhou Yan looked at him, exhaled, and replied, "...Yes."

The boy's eyes still seemed to hold the flames of that day, the severed arm, the hell on earth. He was a pathetic fellow roaring at a horde of demons, and he still harbored the stubborn anger of a weakling towards Pei Xuanbao.

But now, the corners of his mouth slowly curved upwards, and he said in a gentle voice:
"She bandaged my wound and talked about some things."

"They said it was to ensure you could return home alive, so they found a wealthy family to do some work for, in exchange for some travel expenses and money for you."

The man stammered, "Then why didn't she tell me..."

Zhou Yan said, "They probably think you won't agree. That way, both of you can survive, and eventually you'll meet again."

The man murmured for a moment, then said, "My lord, what you say is true."

Zhou Yan took a slight breath and said:

"I never lie."

The man looked at the boy's eyes, clear and serene, and believed him. He staggered back to his seat, his hands trembling, and said, "That's good, that's good..."

Zhou Yan comforted him, saying, "Now that the government troops have pacified Chang'an, order in the surrounding area is slowly being restored. You still have a home. Go back home now, settle down and live a good life. She will definitely come home to find you, won't she?"

The man said, "Yes, yes, home, home is still there."

He raised his head, hope returning to his eyes, and then smiled and said:
"My daughter and my eldest son will come home too."

"I need to go back."

These words caught Zhou Yan off guard, like a thorn, causing his smile to falter. He looked at the man and saw two white cloths on his sleeve, containing copper coins, a tattered rag doll, and a wooden sword that boys would like.

The illusory hope in those eyes.

Actually, his home, everything he owns, is here.

After a while, Zhou Yan said, "Hmm."

The young swordsman answered in this way:
"must."

After thanking him, Zhang Shoutian carried everything he had and staggered away. Zhou Yan looked up and silently wished that he could continue on his journey. Words are also knives and swords; they can destroy a person's hope or ignite a flame.

No matter what, live on, live until the day spring arrives and flowers bloom.

When Zhou Yan stood up, he subconsciously raised his knife.

Shen Cangming led him to the place where the bandits were.

Actual combat.

(End of this chapter)