Chapter 57 : Chapter 57
Chapter 57. Hong Qianshan
Inside the private room,
Xu Yuan, Yang Yan, Zhou Yu, and the others entered and took their seats according to rank and precedence. Naturally, the seating arrangement had its own rules. The three captains all sat in places just below the seat of honor.
The best and most central seat of honor was reserved for Street Guard Hong, while everyone else sat according to seniority and how long they had been there.
Zhou Yu remained as aloof as ever. She sat upright to one side with her eyes closed, resting quietly, while only Xu Yuan and Yang Yan spoke to each other in low voices.
From their casual conversation, Xu Yuan had already learned that the street guard’s name was Hong Qianshan. He was a genuine Fourth Meridian martial artist and had been stationed on Changshun Street for nearly half a year.
A moment later, a middle-aged man in dark black brocade robes hurried in. His complexion was ruddy, and his expression was stern, giving off the impression of a man who rarely smiled.
The moment he arrived, Yang Yan was the first to stand. Xu Yuan, Zhou Yu, and the other newcomers also recognized who he was and promptly rose as well.
Hong Qianshan gave a slight nod and, without any false modesty, took the seat of honor. Then he raised a hand to signal everyone to sit, and only then did the others sit back down.
At that moment, his gaze swept across the room before settling on Xu Yuan. With a smile that did not reach his eyes, he said, “So you are Xu Yuan?”
“I have long heard of you. Rising from a mere menial servant to a three-striped retainer at your current rank, you can truly be called a young genius... And this Zhou Yu as well. True to her name, she is indeed a fine talent, like uncut jade.”
“The arrival of you two has truly brought honor to my Changshun Street.”
Although the man’s words were full of praise, his tone held little warmth. Xu Yuan thought to himself, ‘Is he trying to put me in my place right from the start?’
Seeing the look Yang Yan secretly cast his way, Xu Yuan gave the slightest nod. He did not bother offering any more modest disclaimers, but instead said,
“I do possess a bit of talent, though whatever reputation I have only exists because others were kind enough to praise me. Now that I have the good fortune to serve under Street Guard Hong this month, I will need your support all the more. Allow me to offer you a toast, sir.”
“Excellent!”
As Xu Yuan rose and spoke those words, Yang Yan immediately cried out in approval. He then stood as well and cooperated by pouring the wine, inwardly admiring how well Xu Yuan had handled it.
His attitude was neither servile nor arrogant. He had acknowledged his own ability and value, then expressed his willingness to get along well with his superiors and colleagues alike. This toast was, in itself, a sign of obedience.
Chen Sanli also nodded to himself in approval. Brother Xu really had a pleasant way with words.
The others reacted differently. Some seemed thoughtful, some smiled and echoed the sentiment, while others looked blank and had no idea what was really being said.
And Zhou Yu happened to be one of those who did not understand. In her view, this meal was simply a chance for everyone to meet one another. As long as each person did his own work well afterward, what was the point of all this empty ceremony?
As a martial artist, the thing that ought to matter most was cultivation.
So she merely stood and said to Hong Qianshan, “You are too courteous.”
With the two responses placed side by side, Xu Yuan’s words appeared all the more proper and agreeable. Hong Qianshan gave him a deep look.
Logically speaking, Zhou Yu’s reaction was the more typical one for a gifted youth flush with pride. Xu Yuan, on the other hand, had somewhat exceeded his expectations.
‘Not bad. Although people call him a battle maniac, he clearly understands how to conduct himself.’
In truth, his opening display of provocation and verbal sparring stemmed from a slight envy of the two youngsters’ talent. But as a street guard, he would not act purely on emotion. He merely wished to make one point clear:
‘No matter how talented you are, you are working under me now. You must obey orders and know your place.’
Judging from Xu Yuan’s attitude, he was obviously not some reckless hothead or troublemaker. That spared Hong Qianshan quite a bit of trouble.
‘As for this Zhou Yu...’ Hong Qianshan cast a nearly imperceptible glance at the short-haired young woman and gave the slightest shake of his head. Then he said to Xu Yuan,
“Very good. You are a sensible man. In the future, while you are on my Changshun Street, there will naturally be benefits waiting for you.”
‘Here it comes. After the show of intimidation and favor, the boss is beginning to sketch the usual grand promises.’
Xu Yuan mocked inwardly, but on the surface he looked deeply moved with gratitude. He drained three cups in a row and cupped his hands.
“Many thanks for Street Guard Hong’s support. I will remember it always.”
Hearing that, Hong Qianshan grew even more satisfied. Xu Yuan clearly knew how to handle things. Coupled with his outstanding talent and the fact that there was no conflict of interest between them, it was naturally better to make a friend than an enemy.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed that Zhou Yu had already sat back down. His expression darkened slightly, and he deliberately cold-shouldered her, speaking and laughing only with Xu Yuan and Yang Yan.
Xu Yuan naturally understood the situation. He tactfully kept the conversation moving between the two men, while Chen Sanli occasionally chimed in to enliven the atmosphere. By the end of the meal, both host and guests were thoroughly satisfied.
By contrast, Zhou Yu merely sat there eating by herself. The members under her command wore troubled expressions. Knowing her temperament, they wanted to persuade her, yet none dared to do so.
Wang Huan, in particular, was frantic with anxiety. How could a street squad captain fail to maintain a good relationship with the street guard? If the man decided to make things difficult for her later, would that not be as easy as saying a single word?
Seeing the encouraging looks his teammates were sending him, he thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and edged closer to her, lowering his voice as he said,
“Captain Zhou, you need to join in during this banquet. Otherwise, if you offend the street guard, none of us will have an easy time in the future...”
“Get away. Don’t stand so close to me.” Feeling that odd aura around him, Zhou Yu frowned and rebuked him.
“And as a martial artist, you ought to keep your mind free of distractions and focus on the martial path. Your aptitude is mediocre to begin with, yet you spend all day thinking about this kind of empty nonsense. No wonder you still haven’t entered the Third Meridian even now!”
“I...” Hearing the undisguised disdain in her voice, Wang Huan’s face shifted between green and white. In the end, he forced his voice low and said, “Wasn’t I doing this for your own good?”
Zhou Yu suddenly turned to look at him. Narrowing her eyes, she said coldly, “If you dare harass me with your words again, do not blame me for being impolite!”
Wang Huan was so angry that he nearly choked, but all he could do was flick his sleeve resentfully and stop speaking to her.
In the distance, Chen Sanli, who had been drinking and exchanging toasts with the captains and the street guard, was inwardly delighted as he watched the scene unfold. There was wine to drink and drama to watch. Wang Huan truly knew how to stir things up.
After the meal,
the squad captains drew lots to determine the order of night watch duty. Xu Yuan’s luck was not bad. He drew a favorable lot, which placed his squad after Yang Yan’s and Zhou Yu’s, on the sixth day of the fifth month.
After that, the group returned home.
Not long after Xu Yuan and the others left, inside another private room in Hesheng Tower, Chen Qimei looked at the two men before him with a smile.
“Brothers, I came to find you today because I have a favor to ask...”
...
At dusk, after returning to the little courtyard,
Xu Yuan gave a casual order, and Hu Quanshui led the others off to rotate patrols with the other squads.
“As expected of a Fourth Meridian martial artist. What imposing authority.” Xu Yuan stood alone in his room, a smile on his face. “Still, I am almost there myself.”
The reason he had been so restrained today was because he was still serving under Hong Qianshan. In all matters, he had to take the man’s attitude into account, so it truly was not wise to offend him.
He might be on the verge of breaking through, but he had not actually crossed that threshold yet.
At that thought, his mind stirred, and he opened the panel to look at it.
【Skills: Tai Chi Exercise (Perfection 70%), Stone Platform Stance (Perfection 93%), Benlei Fist (Minor Mastery 67%)】
【Aptitude: 15 (Exceptional Bones)】
“At this pace, I should only need another six or seven days. Before I reach the Fourth Meridian, it is still best to keep my head down whenever possible.”
Shaking his head, Xu Yuan threw himself wholly into his stance training. Within his body, a faint crack had already appeared in the bottleneck of the Dai Meridian.