From a country cook to a master chef

Sixiang Martial Arts School is located at the intersection of Xiayuanfang and Jing'anfang, adjacent to the south side of Changlefang.

After leaving Chang Le Fang, Lin Jue jogged to the outside of the martial arts school, carrying farewell gifts he had prepared for his senior brothers.

At this moment, five carriages were parked in front of the martial arts school, and the senior students were busy loading their luggage onto the carriages.

Liu Yue stared at the martial arts school's plaque with a melancholy expression, clutching the land deed stamped with the official seal tightly in his hand.

"Master Liu, time is precious. Please hand over the land deed to me as soon as possible to avoid delaying everyone's time."

A round-figured, chubby man with a short beard stood next to Liu Yue, looking very anxious: "If you're worried about not having enough carriages and horses, just say the word, Master, and I, Liu, can immediately gather some helpers for you."

"Liu Yue wouldn't dare trouble Manager Liu. This is the deed to the martial arts school; please keep it safe."

Liu Yue sighed and handed over the land deed.

The man surnamed Liu's eyes lit up, and he happily accepted the land deed. He had finally completed the task assigned by his master.

"Master Liu, we'll meet again someday."

The man clasped his hands in a salute, laughed loudly, and rode away on horseback. As he passed Lin Jue, he gave him a meaningful look.

Ignoring the man, Lin Jue stepped forward and bowed to Liu Yue, saying, "Disciple greets Master!"

"Um!"

Liu Yue responded, and seeing that all the items had been loaded onto the carriage, he slowly took out a letter wrapped in yellow oil paper from his bosom, and said in a calm tone: "This is a letter of introduction written by your master. Chief Dong of the Patrol Office is an old acquaintance of your master. You can use this letter to find a job with him."

After hesitating for a moment, Liu Yue took out an old-fashioned notebook: "This contains some of my insights and experiences in practicing Songhe Changquan, as well as more secrets about cultivating body techniques, hand, eye and footwork. Although you have not been a beginner for long, you are quite talented. You can try to practice on your own, but remember not to be impatient for quick results. You should know that the way of martial arts should be gradual."

After saying this, Liu Yue turned around and boarded the carriage without hesitation. Liu Ruyan and the martial arts school's senior brothers bid him farewell one by one and then boarded the carriage one after another, heading towards Nanping Gate.

Lin Jue stood in front of the martial arts school, watching everyone leave until their figures disappeared. He looked down at the letter of introduction in his hand, then turned and entered the martial arts school, heading straight for the pond in the backyard.

After retrieving the nine hundred taels of silver hidden at the bottom of the water with his bare hands, Lin Jue breathed a slight sigh of relief. This was almost all of his savings, and thankfully he retrieved it in time.

"Matchmaker Wang is right. Money is the only way out; without it, you can't move an inch."

Recalling what Wang the matchmaker had said that night, Lin Jue felt a deep sense of sympathy and quickly returned to Jiming Lane with the silver.

The second young master of the Gao family was found dead in the medicine shop. His father was furious and ordered a city-wide manhunt for the murderer and the arrest of all suspicious persons.

On the way from Chang Le Fang to Si Xiang Martial Arts School, Lin Jue witnessed the yamen runners arresting people on the street. Regardless of whether they were murderers or not, as long as they found someone suspicious, they would immediately label them a suspect and throw them into jail to await their fate.

Lin Jue witnessed the terrifying nature of the Gao family once again.

The first time was when they sent Pan Mang to test them.

According to Master Liu Yue, Chief Dong of the Yucheng Patrol Office had a past relationship with him. Under normal circumstances, given this special relationship, as long as it wasn't a major problem, Chief Dong could usually handle things for the Sixiang Martial Arts School.

But this matter concerns the Gao family, so all Liu Yue can do is lead the martial arts school away from Yucheng.

No. 27 Jiming Lane.

Smoke curled from the chimneys. Yuan Rou had used the silver given to her by Lin Jue to buy two catties of lean meat and was busy cooking rice.

Lin Jue lay comfortably on the warmed bed, holding the letter of introduction that Liu Yue had given him before leaving.

The Gao family of Yucheng wields immense power. Even if someone were to enter the patrol and inspection department in the future, without holding any official position, in the eyes of the Gao family, they would be nothing more than a slightly stronger ant, unable to cause any trouble.

"The Gao family is now certain that the Zhao family's immortal book is with me, yet they haven't made a move against me yet. Could it be because of that Wuyanzi fellow?"

Lin Jue turned his gaze to the window, staring at the Tower of Babel that seemed to pierce the clouds in the distance.

To protect against wind and snow, the government specially built the Tower of Babel, with a total of nine towers throughout the city of Yu.

In his spare time, Lin Jue made a special inquiry into some information. It is said that these nine towers are connected by an array to form a grand array that can withstand wind and snow.

In order to maintain the operation of the formation, the government hired some Qi Refining cultivators at great expense to oversee it. Inside the Tower of Babel, these cultivators often sat for ten days or half a month at a time.

In and around Yucheng, Lin Jue could only think of Wu Yanzi and Han Wenqiao, whom he had met once, as potential counterbalances to the Gao family.

After lunch, Lin Jue divided the silver into nine portions, keeping one for himself, giving one to Yuan Rou, and hiding the remaining seven portions in various corners inside and outside the house.

He knew he couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.

Jiming Lane is crowded and noisy, a fact that Lin Jue had already experienced soon after arriving there.

As soon as he entered the Four Symbols Martial Arts School, the news of him becoming a disciple of the school quickly spread throughout the neighborhood.

This led to more and more people piling firewood into his yard every day in an attempt to curry favor with him.

Ever since the Four Symbols Martial Arts School offended the Gao family, and the people of Jiming Lane somehow found out that the school was about to leave Yucheng, no one has brought firewood to the courtyard since then.

Some people even shamelessly came to ask for the firewood that had been given to them before; in the snowy weather, this firewood was a hard currency.

Seeing that the firewood in the courtyard was about to run out and the wind and snow outside were getting stronger, Lin Jue put on a raincoat and hurried to Jing'anfang.

When he first came to the city, he paid two taels of silver, which allowed him to stay for free in Jiming Lane of Xiayuanfang for a year, and he could also enjoy two meals a day provided by a nearby foot inn.

If he were alone and didn't need to cook, the firewood in the yard would be enough to last him two months.

But now that Yuan Rou is here, cooking and heating the house means the firewood is being used up even faster. He has to go to Jing'anfang to buy some more firewood before the firewood in the yard runs out.

On his way to the market, Lin Jue encountered two constables arresting people on the street. He instinctively tried to avoid them, but was still caught by the constables and labeled as a suspect in the murder of the young master of the Gao family.

The Yucheng government office was adjacent to the city's garrison headquarters, and the patrol office was right next door.

Soon after entering Chang Le Fang, Lin Jue could see the two stone lions at the entrance of the yamen in the distance.

He originally thought that as the location of the city's government, the yamen, even if it could not be described as magnificent, should at least appear grand and solemn.

However, the dilapidated state of the Yucheng government office exceeded his expectations; many roof tiles were broken, and the areas where light leaked out were on the verge of collapse.

The walls were covered with cracks like a spider web, and the whole place looked like a barren wasteland that had been neglected for years.

Of all the buildings inside and outside the government office, only the pair of stone lions at the entrance still retained a semblance of majesty.

Lin Jue certainly didn't believe that the government had no money.

After all, the officials often extorted money from the people under various pretexts, most of which was handed over to the government. In addition, with the maintenance fees allocated by the imperial court every year, it was impossible that they couldn't even afford to repair a government office.

The problem of officials neglecting their duties is not limited to Yucheng; it's likely that similar issues exist in eight or nine out of ten government offices throughout the entire Dawu region.

"Hey, another suspect caught! You two are really lucky!"

As soon as the two yamen runners escorted Lin Jue into the yamen, the yamen clerk from Yucheng, who was walking towards them, gave them a thumbs up.