Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

Hammer Cloud Martial Arts School, backyard.

Zhou Sheng is diligently practicing the Mountain-Stepping Leg technique. With his grandfather's guidance, he is making rapid progress. In just a few days, he has already mastered it.

"Junior brother is indeed amazing! In just a few days, he has already mastered the Mountain-Stepping Leg technique so skillfully!"

Liu Cheng walked over, his face showing surprise and admiration.

"You flatter me, senior brother."

Zhou Sheng finished his practice and said.

Liu Cheng smiled and then asked, "Junior Brother, the Weiyuan Escort Agency has another shipment departing in three days. This time it's to the prefectural city, and the reward is ten taels of silver. Would you like to go?"

"The prefectural city? Doesn't that mean it takes more than half a month to travel back and forth?"

Zhou Sheng frowned slightly upon hearing this. The reward was substantial, but the distance was too great, which would hinder his cultivation.

Liu Cheng explained, "It won't take that many days. This time we'll be traveling by water, and it will only take eight or nine days round trip."

"Okay, I'll go."

Zhou Sheng thought about it and agreed. Eight or nine days was a bit long, but still acceptable.

"Alright, I'll let the escort agency know."

Liu Cheng nodded, then smiled, "Speaking of which, this escort mission isn't for outsiders."

"Oh?" Zhou Sheng asked in surprise.

"It belongs to Junior Brother Wang's family. The Lianfeng Ship is transporting a batch of weapons to the prefectural city, and the Wang family has hired Hong Tianhua, the deputy chief镖头 (chief镖头, head镖师, or镖局, a type of security escort agency), to lead the team. He is a veteran master of the Tendon and Bone Technique, and with him in charge, everything is guaranteed to be safe."

"OK!"

......

"Father, Father,"

A piercing shout came from ahead.

Zhou Fugan frowned, stopped cultivating, went to the door and opened it. He saw his eldest daughter-in-law, Zhang Xiufen, standing outside the door, her face covered in tears, being supported by Li Qiuhua.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Fugan asked hurriedly.

"Yes, Guangshun, sob sob~~"

Zhang Xiufen opened her mouth to speak, but she was so excited that she trembled all over and could not utter a word.

Li Qiuhua quickly explained for her, "Father, it's my eldest brother. There's news about him."

"What? How is Guangshun?"

Zhou Fugan was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly pressed for details.

"Qiangzi, the laborer from the front street, is back. He brought news of my older brother. He's waiting for me in the front yard," Li Qiuhua replied.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fugan dashed off into the front yard as fast as the wind.

"Why is Dad running so fast?" Li Qiuhua muttered without paying attention, and then comforted her sister-in-law.

Upon arriving at the front yard, Zhou Fugan saw his son, Zhou Guangcheng, chatting with a ragged, emaciated man.

"Is that Qiangzi?"

Zhou Fugan didn't recognize him and asked a question.

In his memory, Qiangzi was a strong man, which was completely different from the thin man in front of him.

This only made him more worried, because his son, Zhou Guangshun, had gone to perform corvée labor with Qiangzi. If Qiangzi was in this state, what if Guangshun...?

"It's me, Uncle Zhou."

Qiangzi's face was filled with grief, his tears still wet on his cheeks. He must have learned of what had happened at home: his wife had been sold by the Black Snake Gang, and his elderly father had died from his injuries. How tragic.

"How is Shunzi doing?"

Zhou Fugan disregarded everything else and asked in a trembling voice.

"Uncle Zhou, Shunzi is alright for now. But he's been selected again and sent to the prefectural city to continue his service."

Zhou Fugan breathed a sigh of relief; at least the person wasn't dead. He was afraid the person would have died, which would have meant he, an elderly man, had to bury his child.

But then his heart jumped again.

"You went to the prefectural city again? Why are you back?"

"I was released only after I lost an arm."

Qiangzi gave a wry smile and pointed to his left hand.

Zhou Fugan then noticed that his left hand was hanging limply at his side, clearly broken. He thought of his son who had suffered similar pain, and his heart clenched again.

Kuliqiang added, "I don't know exactly where Shunzi and the others went in the prefectural city. I only heard the steward say that they were going to repair the river embankment."

"Repair the river embankment?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fugan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Knowing it was about repairing the river embankment was good; it would be easier to find the right people to help.

That's right. When he learned of his son's whereabouts, he prepared to go to the prefectural city to find and bring his son back.

There's no use rushing things now. Zhou Fugan changed the subject, asking Qiangzi, "Qiangzi, what are your plans for the future?"

"Uncle Zhou, I... sigh! My father is gone. I'm thinking of earning money first to redeem Juanzi." Kuliqiang sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow as he answered.

"How much silver do we need to redeem Juanzi?" Zhou Fugan asked after a moment of silence.

"I went to ask, and it's fifteen taels of silver," Coolie Qiang said dejectedly. Fifteen taels of silver was no small sum, especially now that he had lost one hand; he didn't know how long it would take to earn that much.

"Here's thirty taels of silver. Take it first, go and redeem Juanzi, and use the rest to start a small business and make a good living."

Zhou Fugan then took out several silver ingots and stuffed them into Kuli Qiang's hands. The amount of silver was neither large nor small, but giving too much would be bad, as it would only bring trouble.

"Uncle Zhou, this, this, I can't accept it," Ku Liqiang stammered, his face turning bright red.

"Please accept this! I am extremely grateful that you brought news from Guangshun. This is just a small token of my appreciation." Zhou Fugan pressed the money into his hand, and only then did he accept it.

"Uncle Zhou's kindness will be remembered by my husband and me for the rest of our lives." Kuliqiang knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Get up quickly. Guangcheng will go with you to redeem the person in a moment," Zhou Fugan said, pulling him up.

"I, I," Kuliqiang was so moved he didn't know what to say.

After Zhou Guangcheng and the laborer left, Zhou Fugan stood quietly for a while.

At this moment, the two daughters-in-law came over.

Zhou Fugan said, "Elder sister, don't worry too much. I will find a way to go to the prefectural city as soon as possible and bring him back." After saying that, he turned around and went back to the backyard.

...

In the evening, Zhou Sheng rushed to the backyard.

"Grandpa, what about my dad?"

Zhou Sheng asked excitedly. He had already learned about his father's situation from his mother and was extremely worried.

"Don't rush. I'm going to the prefectural city myself to bring your father back."

Zhou Fugan said in a deep voice.

"I'm going too. In three days, I'll be escorting goods to the prefectural city with the Weiyuan Escort Agency. Grandpa, let me tell my senior brother that you should come too. I'll use the Wang family's connections with the escort agency to inquire about my father's whereabouts," Zhou Sheng said hurriedly.

"Oh?"

Zhou Fugan thought for a moment. He had originally planned to set off on his own the next day, but after hearing what Zhou Sheng said, he realized that even if he was highly skilled in martial arts, it wouldn't be of much use in finding someone in an unfamiliar place. It would be better to go with the escort agency and ask the Wang family and Weiyuan Escort Agency for help inquiring.

So he nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll go to the prefectural city with you."

"Alright. I'll talk to Senior Brother Wang tomorrow and ask him to let you go on the ship."

Zhou Sheng felt relieved upon hearing this; with his grandfather, a hidden master, accompanying him, he could rest assured.