36. Tang Qingfeng Replies

Xie An did not have much silver left.

It was all from the five taels Lady Li had given him before his departure. Having spent fifty coins on a meal earlier, he now had little more than four taels remaining. He could not afford any lavish gifts, so he sought out a local specialty shop, where he purchased some cured meat and *Tianqi* (Panax notoginseng) from Wuqiao Town, wrapping them neatly in mulberry paper.

The total cost was two taels of silver. Though not expensive, it was decent and appropriate.

Having lived two lifetimes, Xie An understood human nature thoroughly. Yet, he was not the type to debase himself or grovel for the sake of climbing the social ladder—perhaps a lingering influence from the educational values of his previous life. His visit to Tang Qingfeng was partly motivated by a desire to gain insight into the secret techniques of the Tang Family Stronghold, but it was also driven by a genuine sense of gratitude for the guidance Tang had once provided him.

After asking passersby for directions, Xie An led his horse toward the Tang Family Stronghold.

In the city, it was generally considered taboo for commoners to ride horses. While Qingwu County did not explicitly forbid it, it was an unwritten rule. Usually, only members of prominent families or government officials and guards rode within the city walls.

Passing through the crisscrossing bluestone streets, he finally arrived at the gates of the Tang Family Stronghold.

Xie An was genuinely stunned by the sight.

The architecture of the stronghold was comparable to the towering, mountain-like walls of the Qiao Family Compound from his previous life. Outside the gate lay a vast plaza, currently teeming with people—mostly young men who had come to audition for the Tang family's recruitment, along with a few middle-aged men who had arrived out of admiration.

At the entrance stood a long table where an examiner sat, flanked by several guards armed with blades, all of whom appeared to be formidable experts. The crowd lined up to register at the table, then proceeded to demonstrate health-cultivation exercises, or undergo pulse-taking and bone-structure assessments by the examiner to test their aptitude. It was a bustling scene.

Xie An tethered his horse to a camphor tree by the roadside, then joined the queue with his gift, inching forward.

After more than an hour, it was finally Xie An’s turn. The examiner caught sight of his full head of white hair and his somewhat aged face, and his brows furrowed.

Most of those who came for recruitment were youths under eighteen, with the oldest being no more than thirty. Why had a man of fifty turned up?

In truth, Xie An’s appearance was not much different from that of a forty-year-old man; it was only his white hair that made him stand out so starkly.

Nevertheless, the examiner spoke with politeness, "Old man, our Tang Family Stronghold’s recruitment is limited to those under thirty. You should... head home early."

The remark drew jeers from the surrounding crowd.

Xie An did not pay it much mind. He held the mulberry-paper-wrapped gift out to the examiner with both hands and explained his purpose: he had come to show gratitude for the instruction Tang Qingfeng had once given him.

Upon hearing Xie An’s sincere words, the jeering crowd fell silent. They all felt that this was an old man who knew the value of gratitude and propriety.

The examiner also gained a measure of respect for Xie An. He knew that the Tang family traveled far and wide to lecture on their health-cultivation techniques, but never before had anyone taken the initiative to visit them specifically to offer thanks. If he were to relay this to Tang Qingfeng, the man would surely be touched and would view him, the examiner, as someone who handled matters well. Perhaps it would even leave a good impression.

With this in mind, the examiner’s attitude improved significantly. "Old man, please wait a moment. I will go and inform Brother Tang."

Xie An nodded and stood waiting in place.

Before long, the examiner returned. He no longer held the gift, but his face was filled with smiles as he looked at Xie An. "Brother Tang says he acknowledges your sincerity. At present, the Old Master of the Tang family is in poor health, and Brother Tang is by his side attending to him, unable to step away. He asked me to convey his thanks on his behalf."

Having said this, the examiner bowed to Xie An, returning the courtesy on behalf of Tang Qingfeng.

The examiner then added, "My surname is Lu, given name Changshui. If you, sir, are also seeking an opportunity, please perform a set of health-cultivation boxing. If you perform well, I can explain the situation to Brother Tang; it may not be impossible to make an exception for your talent."

Xie An realized that Lu Changshui likely assumed he had some connection with Tang Qingfeng and was therefore offering a favor, putting on a show to accommodate him.

Having learned a bit during his visit, and recalling that both Tang Qingfeng and Tang Qingyun had mentioned "Qi sensation," Xie An felt that at his age, his only chance was to cultivate that sensation. However, he also knew that Lu Changshui’s offer of an "exception" was merely a polite gesture.

If no one else was being granted an exception, but Xie An was given one simply because he brought a gift, what would others think? If he truly took advantage of it, it would make things difficult for Lu Changshui and even harder for Tang Qingfeng, leaving a poor impression. Furthermore, Xie An had stated he was there to show gratitude; he should keep his intentions pure. Mixing in personal agendas would have a poor effect.

With this thought, Xie An hurriedly returned the bow. "Thank you, Brother Lu, but you have misunderstood. I am here solely to express my gratitude for Master Tang Qingfeng’s previous instruction. I hope the Old Master recovers soon. I shall take my leave."

Sensing the sincerity in Xie An’s words, Lu Changshui held the old man in even higher regard. He bowed and said, "Safe travels, sir."

Xie An departed.

He felt a measure of disappointment that he had not seen Tang Qingfeng, but he understood perfectly. After all, Tang Qingfeng was the foster son of the ailing Old Master, and with the family patriarch in critical condition, he naturally had no time to spare for others. In the end, Xie An was merely an insignificant outsider with whom Tang Qingfeng shared no real bond.

The gift had been delivered, and his sentiment conveyed. That was enough.

To avoid the dangers of traveling at night, Xie An did not linger in the city. He left early and urged his horse along the main road toward Wuqiao Town.

Although Xie An now possessed the strength to crush a martial artist who had just entered the Copper Skin Realm—making him a top-tier expert in Wuqiao Town—he was still nothing compared to the powerhouses of Qingwu County. The ambush by the Giant Whale Gang still haunted him.

Fortunately, no one followed him on his way out. Additionally, Xie An had learned to ride from his previous trips to Qingwu County with Chen He. His horsemanship was not exceptional, but it was sufficient for the journey.

Reaching the site of the previous ambush, Xie An found the area deserted and stopped to check the pit where he had buried the body. The site remained hidden, with no signs of having been disturbed. It seemed the Giant Whale Gang had not found Li Wei’s corpse. To be absolutely certain, he rode a few miles further to check the ravine where he had dumped Wang Wu’s body, only to find that wild animals had picked it down to the bones.

Only then did Xie An feel at ease. He returned to the road and continued his journey.

It was dusk when he returned to Wuqiao Town. Xie An first went to return the horse to Chen He before heading back to the small hut in the pawnshop’s backyard.

As he entered, he saw Han Li and He Chunli standing respectfully on either side. Their expressions held a mix of joy and reverence, but also a hint of strangeness, accompanied by a faint sense of loss and distance.

Xie An sat in the seat of honor, poured himself a cup of tea, and drained it in one gulp. "What’s the matter?"

He Chunli stuttered, unable to speak, but Han Li said, "Master Chen came by earlier and told us about you buying your freedom..."

Xie An understood.

Han Li and He Chunli were eighteen or nineteen years old. Like him, they had been servants of the Li household. They had felt they were on the same social level as Xie An, which had fostered a sense of natural closeness. Now that they knew Xie An had bought his freedom and become a commoner, a gap had suddenly opened between them, and he had leaped into a higher social stratum.

It was inevitable that they would feel a sense of estrangement and even a deep feeling of inadequacy. After all, buying one’s freedom was the ultimate dream of every servant, yet they were held back by their lack of means.

Xie An saw this but offered no comfort. Everyone’s life path was different; even biological brothers raised in the same home at the same starting point would eventually have some who succeeded and some who failed. These were things even parents could not help with, let alone a master and his apprentices.

Xie An encouraged them, "I have been an appraiser for thirty years; it is time for me to see the world outside. Besides, only when I leave will you have the chance to distinguish yourselves."

Hearing this, the two finally brightened up, looking at Xie An with anticipation. They knew that being an appraiser was a skilled profession; with Xie An leaving, the Li family would certainly ask for his opinion on his successor. And Xie An’s recommendation would essentially determine who would become the next appraiser.