Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

The boat was completely limp, and even the old boatman knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the river god.

Xu Hao wiped the cold sweat from his face; his palms were sticky and wet.

That's just how he is; anyone else would have failed here.

In the afternoon, the awning boat finally docked at a deserted, undeveloped wharf.

Ten miles from here, the majestic outline of the city wall can already be seen in the distance.

Xu Hao didn't let everyone disembark directly. Instead, he sent Jia Bao to a nearby village to buy a few sets of tattered clothes and a cart with copper coins.

"Change into these." Xu Hao first stripped off his conspicuous nurse's uniform and put on a burlap outfit that smelled of rancidity. He then grabbed a handful of mud and smeared it on his face and hair.

Before long, the group of strong guards turned into a group of refugees fleeing famine.

Instructor Lin was hidden in the haystack under the cart, while the deadly little box was disguised as a tattered bedding roll, which was carried by Xu Hao.

The group blended into the flow of refugees entering the city, like a drop of water joining the ocean, completely inconspicuous.

Xu Hao told everyone to wait in a dilapidated temple in a deserted village five miles outside the city while he went to the prefectural city to gather information.

Beneath the majestic city walls, a long line of refugees waited to enter the city.

Xu Hao lowered the brim of his hat, seemingly hunching over as he hurried along, but his ears remained perked up.

At the city gate, two heavily armored guards were chatting idly by the barricades. Their voices were not loud, but to Xu Hao they sounded like thunder.

"...Have you heard? This morning, Chen's Trading Company in the North City was raided." The guard on the left, with a face full of scars, spat on the ground. "That's our city's god of wealth, and it was raided just like that."

"How could I not know? The commotion was so loud that half the city could hear it."

The guard on the right was a thin man who was toying with a few copper coins he had taken from the refugees, and a gloating smile on his face.

"Tsk tsk, life is truly unpredictable. Yesterday he was a rich young master, today he's a prisoner..."

Xu Hao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He got arrested?

The guards' words were still ringing in my ears.

"Isn't our prefectural magistrate usually in cahoots with the Chen family? Why is he being so ruthless this time?"

"Shh! Are you fucking crazy?" The skinny guard's face changed. He glanced around and lowered his voice to a whisper, "This time it wasn't the prefectural magistrate who did it, it was someone from above... They say he colluded with rebels and communicated with traitors. That's a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family!"

"What are you spouting nonsense for! Are you tired of living?"

A chillingly soft snort instantly pierced everyone's ears.

A figure slowly emerged from the shadows inside the city gate.

This person was tall and slender, dressed in a brocade robe that shimmered with an eerie luster like fish scales in the sunlight—the Flying Fish Robe.

A black iron plaque hung from his waist, which tapped lightly against the scabbard of his sword with each step, producing a crisp sound.

The Bureau of Astronomical Observation.

The bustling city gate fell silent instantly. The once unbridled guards now stood at attention like quails, trembling and not daring to breathe.

The Chen family is finished.

Xu Hao didn't dare linger. He turned around and went against the flow of people out of the city. He quickly returned to the deserted village and dilapidated temple five miles away.

As soon as I entered, I heard a huge commotion inside.

"Instructor Lin is practically on his last breath, what are we still doing guarding these boxes?" Tieshan's voice was rough and gruff, filled with barely concealed anxiety. "In my opinion, we should divide the loot, everyone go their separate ways, and at least we'll all survive!"

"You're talking nonsense! This is the master's life-saving money!" Li Dahong roared, his eyes red, his hand gripping the knife, but his hand was trembling violently.

"Help? The Chen family is about to be wiped out, whose life are we saving?" Tieshan stepped forward and reached out to lift the tarpaulin covering the box.

"Clang!"

A bloodstained, hundred-refined steel knife was held across Tieshan's wrist, its blade chillingly sharp; just one more inch and it would sever his hand.

Tie Shan froze, looked up to meet Xu Hao's unwavering gaze, his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and he awkwardly withdrew his hand: "Xu...Deputy Captain Xu, I was just doing this for the brothers' own good..."

"Whether it's good or not is none of your concern." Xu Hao sheathed his sword and walked past him toward the straw mat in the corner.

Instructor Lin's face was ashen, his chest heaving slightly, clearly having heard the argument earlier, and he was struggling to open his eyes.

Xu Hao waved for everyone to retreat outside the temple before crouching down and whispering in his ear, "Instructor, the young master... has been taken in. His charge is treason."

A flicker of pain flashed in Coach Lin's cloudy eyes, but he showed little surprise.

He shakily pulled an oil paper packet from his inner pocket and stuffed it into Xu Hao's hand.

"Master... it's been prepared long ago." Instructor Lin stuffed the oil paper package into Xu Hao's hand. "Inside... are everyone's indentures... and... severance pay."

Xu Hao took the oil paper package, only to find it burning hot.

It turns out that Master Chen had already prepared this when he asked him to deliver this shipment. If successful, this would be the reward; if unsuccessful, this would be the severance pay.

This former employer is so benevolent that it makes one feel uneasy.

"Let's disperse... There are too many people... It's too conspicuous." Instructor Lin was breathing even more heavily, as if he had phlegm stuck in his throat. "Xu Hao... you... you're a clever one... cough cough..."

He suddenly grabbed Xu Hao's wrist tightly, his eyes wide open, "In the bag... there's a... new household registration document... it's... it's for a private household, and it was prepared for you by the master..."

Xu Hao's heart skipped a beat.

Household registration documents.

In this chaotic world, refugees were as worthless as weeds, but ordinary households could own property, take the imperial examinations, and live openly and honestly in the sunlight.

This is the thing he has wanted most since he transmigrated, yet it is also the hardest for him to obtain.

Master Chen had already taken care of it for him? This favor is too great.

"For the sake of...for the sake of this fate..." Instructor Lin stared intently into Xu Hao's eyes, his voice gradually weakening, like a candle flickering in the wind, "If...if there is still a chance to see the young master...please...please lend a hand."

"Who is this shipment for... we need to find out... this is... the only... way out..."

The sound stopped.

Instructor Lin loosened his grip and fell heavily onto the straw mat.

His eyes were still open, staring intently at the dilapidated roof, as if he was still waiting for Xu Hao's answer.

Xu Hao remained in a squatting position for a long time without moving.

The oil paper package in my hand was heavy; it wasn't just a few sheets of paper, but also a heavy burden of cause and effect.

He was someone who hated trouble and just wanted to survive by any means necessary.

But people are not plants or trees, and the Chen family treated him well. This household registration document gave him a foothold in this world.

"I'll ask."

Xu Hao said softly, reached out and stroked Coach Lin's face, closing his unwilling eyes.

Half an hour later, outside the dilapidated temple.

Xu Hao distributed the silver notes and indentures.

Tieshan and his men took the money and documents and disappeared into the woods without looking back.

Li Da and Luo Bao held the silver notes and wept. They kowtowed three times to the deceased Instructor Lin, bid farewell to Xu Hao, and then walked away supporting each other.

In chaotic times, people gather and scatter like duckweed; simply surviving is no easy feat.

After everyone had gone far away, Xu Hao returned to the temple. With a thought, the three wooden boxes instantly disappeared and were stored in the Sumeru Warehouse.

……