The inner courtyard kitchen.
After reporting, Feng Xiaobao led Shen Xiuhan here and casually pointed at a wooden tub. “Just put them here. By the way, how much for these fish in your basket?”
Shen Xiuhan cupped his hands and smiled. “Brother Ma said yesterday that they would all be settled at twenty-five coppers per catty.”
“Twenty-five coppers... then we shall do as Third Junior Brother said.”
Shen Xiuhan lifted the cover of his fish basket, reached in, and pulled out three four-striped fish.
Feng Xiaobao focused his gaze. His friendly brow suddenly furrowed, and his voice sank. “Why are they all four-striped ones?”
“Yesterday, I specifically asked the head chef, and he said that the more intricate the stripes on the back of these Silver-Striped Fish, the more delicious the meat is!”
“Could it be... you heard that I, Feng, love eating fish, so you tried to pass off inferior goods as high-quality ones to cheat me of my money?”
Shen Xiuhan's heart skipped a beat. Feng Xiaobao's face changed as fast as turning the pages of a book, almost throwing him off balance.
But he reacted extremely quickly, raising the broken half-rod in his hand with a bitter smile. “Brother Feng, please be reasonable.”
“I also wanted to catch a few more high-quality Silver-Striped Fish, but luck was not on my side today.”
“Not only did I only get these three four-striped ones, but after waiting so long for a big fish, not only did I fail to catch it, but it even snapped my bamboo rod right in half!”
“Fearing that the Silver-Striped Fish wouldn't be fresh if left for too long, I didn't even have time to remake a fishing rod and rushed over to deliver these three... If Brother Feng doesn't believe me, look at this break. It's brand new.”
Feng Xiaobao's eyes were sharp as torches as he stared at the broken end, examining it for a long while.
Suddenly, the gloom on his fleshy face vanished, and he threw his head back and laughed heartily. “Hahaha, so that's how it is! You are quite thoughtful. I've misjudged you!”
After laughing, his eyes darted around as if remembering something, and he slapped his thigh. “I love eating fish. If I go a day without it, I crave it terribly. It just so happens...”
“My Third Junior Brother has been obsessed with fishing lately and bought several high-quality fishing rods. Wait here for a moment, and I'll go pick one out for you to use!”
With that, he turned and swept away like a gust of wind.
Shen Xiuhan's mouth hung slightly open, unable to snap out of it for a long while.
Ma Xianyang was obsessed with fishing and even bought many fishing rods?
He was probably trying to break through the bottleneck of the Blood Tempering Rank. Not only was he spreading eyes and ears outside to collect fish, but he was also trying to personally catch a Precious Fish!
As he was thinking, the sound of footsteps returned.
Feng Xiaobao strode back in like a whirlwind. In his hand was a high-grade fishing rod forged entirely from fine iron, deep black all over!
The dark rod gleamed with a cold light, wrapped in twisted silk lines, with a full set of barbed steel hooks attached to the end.
“Here, I'll lend it to you for now!”
“Now that you have a handy tool, make sure to catch more good fish for the martial arts hall in the future!”
Shen Xiuhan took the fishing rod. With just a slight heft, he knew it was a rare, high-quality item.
At the end of the rod, four small characters were engraved: Bai Family Fishing Workshop.
The Bai family controlled most of the business in the West Market Fish Stalls, and they also manufactured and sold all kinds of fine fishing rods, nets, and boats.
This fishing rod came from the Bai family and was definitely not cheap.
However, Shen Xiuhan showed a difficult expression and declined, “This... this is Brother Ma's possession. How would I dare...”
“No matter!”
Feng Xiaobao waved his hand. “Junior Brother Ma has already departed for Changshui County and won't be back for ten days to half a month. Just use it. If anything happens, I'll take full responsibility!”
Changyun County and Changshui County both fell under the jurisdiction of Nanxiang Prefecture and were built alongside Cloudwater Lake. Most of the residents in both counties made a living by fishing.
Ma Xianyang went to Changshui County...
Could he also be going there for the Precious Fish?
“Furthermore...”
Feng Xiaobao suddenly lowered his voice and laughed. “Junior Brother Ma bought this fishing rod over a month ago. He went to Cloudwater Lake three times and didn't even catch a single fish scale. He returned empty-handed every single time. Leaving it idle is just a waste...”
Good grief, so Ma Xianyang was also a master of returning empty-handed!
Shen Xiuhan pulled back his thoughts and cupped his hands. “Since that's the case, then obedience is better than politeness. I shall take my leave now.”
“Go on, go on...”
Watching his figure disappear past the carved hanging flower gate, the smile on Feng Xiaobao's face gradually faded. Standing under the corridor with his hands behind his back, he said flatly, “Come out.”
Just as he spoke, a figure slipped out from the side room. The man was thin with high cheekbones. He stepped forward quickly and bowed with cupped hands. “Second Senior Brother.”
If Shen Xiuhan were still here, he would have recognized at a glance that this person was one of the two Golden Dragon Gang scouts who had been watching him in the teahouse when he first entered the Inner City.
Feng Xiaobao turned around, a touch of warmth appearing on his face as he said, “A-Zhe, you've been out of the martial arts hall for so long. How are you doing in the Golden Dragon Gang?”
Hearing this, the thin man named A-Zhe quickly smiled obsequiously. “It's all thanks to the support of you senior brothers that I can make a living!”
“Hahaha...”
Feng Xiaobao laughed heartily, pointing at him. “You kid, after leaving the martial arts hall for a few years, you've certainly become much slicker.”
After laughing, his expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, “Let's talk business... How is the matter Xianyang entrusted to you going?”
A-Zhe quickly said, “Replying to Second Senior Brother, I followed that kid the entire way and kept a close eye on him. I'm certain he doesn't have a Precious Fish on him. Tian Erhu has been guarding the Inner City gate the whole time and has also found nothing.”
“Then it seems... he really didn't catch one.”
Feng Xiaobao frowned slightly. He paced a few steps with his hands behind his back, pondering for a moment before saying, “Well, then continue to keep an eye on that brat. Do not slack off.”
“Yes!”
Feng Xiaobao nodded, a meaningful smile suddenly tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I lent him Xianyang's fishing rod. When Xianyang returns from Changshui County, he will naturally seek him out to get it back.”
“You should know that Xianyang's things aren't taken for free. When the time comes, if he can't produce a Precious Fish as rent... hahaha!”
Hearing this, a knowing smile also appeared on A-Zhe's face, and he bowed. “Second Senior Brother is brilliant.”
...
Carrying the new rod, Shen Xiuhan walked out of the martial arts hall and glanced back at the high-hanging plaque.
He could naturally tell that Feng Xiaobao's act of lending the rod, though seemingly generous on the surface, was actually forcing him to accept!
Shen Xiuhan had no doubt that if he had refused, the other party would have turned hostile on the spot!
“Tongbei Martial Arts Hall...”
“Ma Xianyang, Feng Xiaobao...”
Shen Xiuhan pursed his lips, gripped the fishing rod tightly, scanned his surroundings, and then turned to blend into the bustling crowd on the streets.
He walked and stopped in the East Market, using the crowds and stalls as cover. From time to time, he bargained and even bought a catty of sorghum flour.
Wandering around, he repeatedly checked if there were any scouts behind him.
Once he was sure that the previous person was no longer following him, Shen Xiuhan immediately turned his steps and walked quickly toward the north of the city.
...
Mei Family Martial Arts Hall.
Its scale was comparable to the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall, also being a spacious and luxurious three-entry residence.
Surrounded by red walls and covered with gray roof tiles.
Two stone lions guarded the entrance, their eyes wide and fangs bared, exuding a sense of imposing majesty that warned strangers to stay away.
Before even stepping over the threshold, orderly chants could be heard from inside, interspersed with shouts and the sound of fists and feet tearing through the air.
Stepping through the main gates, an open martial arts field lay directly ahead.
Weapon racks lined the perimeter, bristling with sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, and forks.
In the corners lay scattered ironwood training posts and stone locks of various sizes.
On the bluestone-paved field, twenty to thirty disciples were practicing in pairs.
Slightly surprisingly, there were actually five or six women among them.
They wore tight-fitting martial attire with wide belts around their waists and their hair tied high. Their shouts carried a heroic and valiant air, and their movements in advance and retreat were agile and powerful, completely devoid of the delicate weakness of ordinary women.
“Keep your stances steady!”
“If you want to stand out, you must endure the hardest of hardships!”
“Those with loose waists and weak hips, go back and practice for another hour!”
In the center of the martial arts field, a woman stood with her hands behind her back, slowly walking through the disciples practicing horse stances, shouting harsh reprimands from time to time.
She wore a set of black martial attire with tightly bound sleeves. Her black hair was tied up high, secured with a plain silver hairpin, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of eyes as cold as blades.
Just as Shen Xiuhan stopped to look, the woman's gaze swept over.
Her sharp eyes swept across Shen Xiuhan, sizing him up for a moment before she stepped forward and said, “You look very unfamiliar. Are you here to seek a master and learn martial arts at my hall?”
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