Chapter Fifty-One: The Great Village of Qinghe

Chen Hao spent an hour at Li Pisen’s residence, studying the Analects under Li’s guidance while also gathering information about the happenings at the county yamen. When he left the Li residence, his expression was dark and brooding. Earlier, he’d tried to set up Sansheng Shi in front of Li Pisen, hoping to bring him misfortune, but Sansheng Shi, unexpectedly formidable, had resolved the crisis with effortless ease.

Sansheng Shi was steeped in family tradition and possessed an innate talent for politics—something Chen Hao couldn’t hope to match no matter how hard he tried. There was no real enmity between them; Chen Hao recalled that Sansheng Shi was born in Qilu Province, but he hadn’t expected to encounter him so soon after entering the game.

Sansheng Shi was always proud. After the dispute over the dual mission at the Land God Temple, having lost the upper hand, he was unlikely to let matters rest. He would surely seek revenge against Chen Hao in the game. Yet Chen Hao would never tell Sansheng Shi they were old acquaintances; his own pride wouldn’t allow it. If Sansheng Shi wanted vengeance, it would have to be settled by skill.

From Li Pisen, Chen Hao learned much: with the connection to Master Liu, Sansheng Shi would soon head for Laizhou, so the two wouldn’t clash again in the near future.

Political mastery and no shortage of funds in the game made it likely Sansheng Shi would rise in the Denglai Military Circuit. If Chen Hao didn’t hurry to develop himself, he’d be powerless when Sansheng Shi launched his thunderous assault.

Chen Hao went to the county’s carriage depot, spent five silver dollars to rent a carriage, and after logging out inside the carriage, exited the game.

Traveling by carriage from Penglai to Jibei would take a full day in game time, which suited him perfectly for rest. Sleep in the carriage wasn’t ideal, but it was better than none.

After logging out, Chen Hao chatted on QQ as usual. When he was about to log off, he ran into Ban Qianqian again—the young girl had logged off barely a minute before him. The coincidence puzzled him, and once more he earned the scorn of two cashiers. After leaving the internet café, he escorted Ban Qianqian back to her school and then returned to his dormitory for a deep sleep.

When Chen Hao logged back in, he found the carriage had stopped. Stepping out, the driver greeted him with delight, “Sir, you’re finally awake. We’ve arrived at Qinghe County, Jibei.”

Wang Wu had told Chen Hao there was a Red Lantern base in Qinghe County. After sending the driver away, Chen Hao made his way to the back street of Qinghe. At the corner stood a small tavern with two large red lanterns hanging above the door. He strode in.

The proprietor was a woman dressed in red, no more than eighteen, her face cold and stern—not the demeanor of someone in business. Chen Hao ordered two small dishes and ate quietly. When the shop was empty, he approached the counter and said, “Sister, I urgently need to see the Holy Mother. Please help me.”

The red-clad girl looked up, her voice icy: “Return my country, return my power.”

“Through fire and blade, I will go,” Chen Hao quickly replied with the secret phrase Wang Wu had taught him.

Her expression softened considerably. “Which branch are you from? Why are you seeking the Holy Mother?”

Chen Hao drew the Wild Goose Feather saber from his back. “I’m not a member of the Righteous Harmony Society. I come at the behest of my master Wang Wu to see the Holy Mother on urgent business. Please, sister, take me to her.”

Though Wang Wu wasn’t a member, his unique status was well-known among Red Lantern followers. Seeing the saber, the girl’s frosty demeanor melted, and she smiled. “So you’re a disciple of Elder Wang Wu. The Holy Mother is here in Qinghe County. I’ll take you to her.”

Chen Hao, puzzled, asked, “Shouldn’t the Holy Mother be in Tianjing? Why is she here?”

The girl in red explained, “Today, Zhao Sanduo and Yan Shuqin, the two altar masters, led their followers to attack the Qinghe Dazhai village church. The Holy Mother came at Zhao’s invitation to show her skills. She’s now at Dazhai.”

Only then did Chen Hao realize that game time had advanced to January 9th. On this day, the Qilu Righteous Harmony Society leader Zhao Sanduo led his followers to burn down the Qinghe village church, triggering Yuan Shikai’s ruthless suppression of the Righteous Harmony Society.

Lin Heier had brought the Red Lanterns to Qinghe, saving Chen Hao the trip to Tianjing. But with Lin Heier mixed up with Zhao Sanduo and others, seeking her at Dazhai risked landing him on Yuan’s blacklist—a disastrous prospect.

Weighing the risks, Chen Hao decided Yuan was too far removed for now; his priority was to enhance his personal attributes to face the imminent Eight-Nation Alliance invasion.

To improve his martial skills, he needed Wang Wu. Moreover, Chen Hao wished to win over the beautiful, skilled women of Red Lantern, so he followed the red-clad girl toward Dazhai.

They hadn’t gone far when a system prompt appeared: “Player Chen Baxian, you have items at the post office. Please collect them soon.”

Chen Hao was puzzled; lately, he’d received many letters inviting him to join various factions, but no one had ever sent him items. After confirming with his guide that the post office was nearby, he took a detour.

He collected his package: fifty silver dollars and a letter. Inside the envelope, delicate handwriting read: “Hubby, I told you I’d support you, hehe! Here’s this month’s allowance. Remember, you can only be kept by me. You are never allowed to be kept by another woman.”

At the end of the note was a drawing of a girl sticking out her tongue. Reading it, Chen Hao was both amused and exasperated. How could his in-game wife—someone who’d already been divorced—act so childishly?

In the early stages of the game, fifty silver dollars was a fortune, worth over twenty thousand yuan in real-world currency; even in Shanghai, it would be hard to save up so much. Chen Hao felt a warm glow inside. A thought struck him: he and his in-game wife had always gotten along; perhaps living together in reality would be just as pleasant.

Because she was divorced, Chen Hao felt his family would never accept her, so he hadn’t considered it before. But now he realized that getting along was what mattered; what difference did a divorce make?

On impulse, Chen Hao wrote her back: “I’m a man—I can’t let you support me! How about you support me now, and when I’m rich, I’ll support you. Let’s spend our lives supporting each other.”

After sending the reply, he tucked the silver dollars into his sash and followed the impatient red-clad girl toward the west gate. Along the way, he saw many burly men hurrying in the same direction.

Outside Dazhai, thousands of Righteous Harmony followers had surrounded the village, shouting insults. To the east, hundreds of women stood out, dressed in red robes and pants, holding red lanterns in their right hands and crimson folding fans in their left. Older women wore high buns, younger ones double topknots—the female organization of the Righteous Harmony Society, the Red Lanterns.

“Cuilian, where did you find such a handsome young man? Are you bringing him for the Holy Mother to officiate your marriage?”

“Cuilian, this lad’s a foreigner! Why didn’t you pick a fine native boy instead of a foreigner…”

“Enough nonsense,” the red-clad guide laughed and scolded, “You’re always gossiping. He’s Elder Wang Wu’s disciple with urgent business for the senior sister.”