Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23. Moving House
“The inner city?”
Xu Zheng froze for a moment, then frowned. “The rent there is not cheap. With our situation…”
“You do not need to worry about money.” Xu Yuan set down his bundle and unfolded it piece by piece. “This is enough. After all, the inner city is where officials reside. The security is excellent, and constables patrol the streets at night.”
“The Wild Wolf Gang cannot extend their reach there. It is also close to the Shangyang Residence—if anything happens, you can come find me at any time.”
Seeing the gleaming silver and gold jewelry spread across the table, both Xu Zheng and Zhang Shi stared in stunned silence.
Even so, Xu Zheng still hesitated. “You took so much of their money. Won’t they act desperately out of anger?”
At this, Zhang Shi could not hold back and spoke first, “Look at you, so lacking in vision. You used to be from a wealthy household, yet you think like this? This amount may seem like a lot to us, but to the Wild Wolf Gang, it is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. Have you not seen how many businesses they run?”
“Sister-in-law is right. I am working for the Shangyang Residence now. The Wild Wolf Gang will not easily tear things apart,” Xu Yuan nodded and added.
Xu Zheng and Zhang Shi exchanged glances. Only then did they truly realize how much their second son had changed.
He now possessed not only strength, but also responsibility and decisiveness.
That night, the three of them barely slept.
At dawn, when the sky had only just begun to brighten,
Xu Yuan helped his brother and sister-in-law carry their belongings. Quietly, they left the small courtyard they had lived in for years and merged into the flow of people in the early morning, becoming an unremarkable part of the crowd.
Though the outer city and inner city were separated by only a single wall, the difference in living conditions was like heaven and earth.
The streets were clean and orderly, houses neatly arranged, and passersby dressed decently. Even the air seemed less murky and oppressive.
With the status of a martial artist from the Shangyang Residence, even the property agent handled matters more efficiently and even offered a considerable discount.
After all, everyone knew that the Shangyang Residence and the Bai family were locked in fierce competition. At any moment, this area might fall under the control of the Shangyang Residence.
Building a good relationship with its martial artists brought only benefits.
In the end, Xu Zheng rented a small standalone house with a courtyard in a quiet alley not far from the Shangyang Residence.
The annual rent was ten taels of silver—quite expensive. Xu Zheng had wanted to keep looking, but Xu Yuan found it suitable and immediately signed the lease contract.
Though the place was not large, it was clean and bright. Buying daily necessities was convenient, and it was far better than their old residence in the outer city.
Seeing their new home settled, Xu Zheng’s eyes reddened slightly. He patted Xu Yuan’s shoulder and said earnestly,
“A-Yuan, you have grown up and become more capable. I should not nag, but I still feel the need to say this—those risky things… try not to do them again.”
Xu Yuan could not help but laugh. “Brother, I am not a bandit. Why would I be doing such things often?”
“Our A-Yuan must have his own considerations. Do you think he is as foolish as you?” Zhang Shi, whose attitude toward Xu Yuan had softened compared to before, actually spoke up in his defense.
“I am talking to my own brother. Why are you interfering?” Xu Zheng retorted, feeling somewhat embarrassed in front of others.
“Oh? So now you have some backbone?” Zhang Shi raised her brows and moved forward, clearly ready to teach him a lesson.
Watching the two of them relax, Xu Yuan stood aside with a quiet smile.
With his brother’s worries resolved, a great weight had been lifted from his heart.
But Xu Yuan knew that things were not over. That Quan Xiong was clearly not someone easy to deal with. Once he returned, trouble would likely arise.
Before that, he had to strengthen himself as much as possible. That was his foundation for survival and his capital for climbing higher within the Shangyang Residence.
…
After lunch, Xu Yuan left ten taels of silver for his brother’s household expenses, then bid them farewell and returned to the Shangyang Residence.
Upon entering the training courtyard and approaching the Ding-character room, he saw that someone was already inside.
“Brother Xu, you are back?”
Li Shan was overjoyed to see him. He immediately stepped forward and gave him a bear hug, laughing.
“I heard all about what happened two days ago. You nearly beat Liu Hong to death with a single palm strike—truly impressive! Too bad I was not there to see it…”
Xu Yuan smiled without replying. As his gaze swept around, he suddenly noticed two additional people.
Tian Yang had gone home on leave yesterday and had likely returned today.
Inside the room were Li Shan, Wang Huan, and—unexpectedly—two familiar faces: Xiao Sheng and Chen Sanli.
“Xiao Sheng’s aptitude may be average, but his persistence and tireless training make it understandable. But Chen Sanli…”
Xu Yuan gave him a long, measured look.
In his eyes, this man was a typical opportunist. He had been unremarkable before, and his talent was likely not exceptional. Yet he had still managed to break through.
Not simple at all.
Li Shan walked over and introduced them, “Xiao Sheng needs no introduction—he is from our dormitory. As for Sanli, you already know him. Both of them broke through to Formal Martial Artists today.”
Chen Sanli, hearing this, said somewhat proudly, “This morning, while I was practicing stance training, the bottleneck suddenly wore away. I thought it would take a few more days.”
Xiao Sheng merely smiled at Xu Yuan without saying much, consistent with his usual personality.
After greeting them, Xu Yuan placed his bundle on the bed. Inside were some clothes and a jar of soybean paste made by his sister-in-law, sealed with oiled paper—perfect to accompany meals.
“Brother Li, I just arrived here. Take me to the latrine and the washing area,” Xu Yuan said, turning to Li Shan.
“Sure, that is easy,” Li Shan replied with a smile, leading him out.
The two of them walked around the training courtyard, familiarized themselves with the layout, and chatted briefly. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they returned.
“There are quite a few trainees here, but their attitudes are not great. Each one acts like they are above everyone else,” Li Shan said, pointing toward the other dormitories with a shake of his head.
“There are always hierarchies, no matter where you go,” Xu Yuan replied with a sigh as he walked forward.
Unexpectedly, just as he reached the door of the Ding-character room, he heard Chen Sanli’s voice from inside:
“…Wow, I have to say, Brother Xu’s soybean paste smells incredible! Definitely homemade—the flavor is so authentic!”
Xu Yuan paused, his expression turning cold as he pushed the door open.
Inside, Chen Sanli was standing beside his bed, holding the opened clay jar. He brought it close to his nose, making exaggerated expressions as he commented on the aroma.
The oiled paper had been torn open and tossed aside, and the rich fragrance filled the room.
“Oh, Brother Xu, you are back?”
Seeing Xu Yuan enter, Chen Sanli showed no embarrassment. Instead, he lifted the jar with a grin.
“Your soybean paste is really something. I just took a sniff, and it made me hungry. Your sister-in-law’s cooking skills are excellent!”
His tone was casual, as though it were merely friendly sharing.
But opening someone else’s belongings without permission and acting so nonchalantly was not just shameless—it was an outright crossing of boundaries.
“Sanli, this…” Li Shan frowned.
“I already tried to stop him,” Wang Huan and Xiao Sheng both shrugged at Xu Yuan, indicating it had nothing to do with them.
“It is just a jar of soybean paste,” Chen Sanli said dismissively. “Do not worry, Brother Xu. Next time I will have my mother make a jar for you to try!”
Xu Yuan stood still, his gaze resting on Chen Sanli’s smiling face before shifting to the jar. He said nothing.
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the lingering aroma in the air.
Then Xu Yuan moved.
He walked over in a few steps and took the jar directly from Chen Sanli’s hands. His movements were steady, even deliberately avoiding contact with him.
The cold distance conveyed through that silence caused the smile on Chen Sanli’s face to stiffen.
Xu Yuan carefully resealed the jar with the oiled paper and placed it back on the inner side of his bed. Only then did he look up at Chen Sanli, whose expression had turned awkward, and spoke in a lightly mocking tone:
“With such thick skin… so you actually have a mother?”
Though his voice was not loud, the remark carried sharp force. Chen Sanli’s face flushed red instantly.
“You… what do you mean? I only opened your jar. Is there a need to be so stingy…”
Xu Yuan cut him off directly. “Did you break through to a martial artist relying on that mouth of yours, or on your hands and feet?”
“My belongings are mine. If I say you can have them, then they are yours. If I do not, you cannot take them—let alone steal them.”
He spoke each word slowly, his tone calm yet unquestionable. “This is the first time, and the last time. If you touch my things again, you can try it and see what happens.”
He had just killed someone—did Chen Sanli think he was some easy target?
Xu Yuan sneered inwardly as he sat down calmly on his bed, looking at him in silence.
From previous observations, he already knew this man was thick-skinned, lacking in moral boundaries—the kind who would push further if given even an inch.
Backing down now would not earn genuine gratitude. It would only encourage him to take even more.
Xu Yuan despised such people, because in his previous life, he had had a roommate exactly like this—utterly unbearable.
“You…”
Everyone in the room was stunned by the exchange. Chen Sanli’s face turned ashen. Even with his thick skin, he now found it difficult to maintain his composure.
…