Chapter 246 - 172: This Box Looks So Familiar
On the way over, Commander Liu had hinted at his improper intentions toward Chen Shicheng’s wife, Zhang Shu. But since it was broad daylight and they were on a public street, he hadn’t succeeded.
This had already left him simmering with anger. Now, upon seeing Zhang Shu’s junior martial brother and recalling what Xiaolv had said, Chen Shicheng could no longer contain his fury.
He didn’t dare take issue with Commander Liu or Lord Chen, but surely he could vent his temper on a nobody like Fang Yue.
So, he immediately sneered at Fang Yue.
"Well, look who it is. So you’re a Gatekeeper here. Heh, not a bad job. For someone of your station, being a Gatekeeper for an important person is an honor. Maybe next time I visit, I’ll have to rely on your favor."
At that moment, Commander Liu, who was trailing behind, was about to stop Chen Shicheng. After all, as the saying goes, even a Prime Minister’s doorman is a high-ranking official.
Even though Lord Chen had retired, his influence remained, and his Martial Arts Cultivation was formidable.
Therefore, one should be polite even to his Gatekeeper and avoid causing offense.
But as he got closer, he realized the so-called Gatekeeper was an old acquaintance.
"Heh heh, it’s you. What’s this? Here to beg Lord Chen for mercy? I thought you had a backbone. Turns out you’re just a spineless coward!"
Commander Liu recognized Fang Yue at a glance.
Seeing him here, he assumed Fang Yue had come to beg Lord Chen for forgiveness. After all, the man had not only offended him on the ship but Lord Chen as well.
Back then, Fang Yue had acted so tough. ’To think he’s nothing but a coward.’
Hearing this, Chen Shicheng, who was standing to the side, immediately understood that Commander Liu was also at odds with Fang Yue. This made him even more audacious.
The thought of borrowing a knife to kill a man instantly came to mind.
He immediately snorted. "Stay away from my wife. Don’t think that being her junior martial brother gives you the right to have any improper ideas."
"Oh? Is that so? I wasn’t aware of such a thing."
The moment Commander Liu heard that, a faint killing intent flickered in his eyes as he stared at Fang Yue. ’Anyone who dares to vie for my woman deserves to die.’
If he weren’t wary of their current location, he might have attacked already.
"Kid, you better hope I don’t see you again. Or else..."
"Or else what?" Fang Yue sneered.
Anyone would be furious if two strangers started taunting them out of the blue.
Even a clay doll has a temper, to say nothing of Fang Yue.
He had advanced to the Qi Sensing realm, his strength increasing severalfold. Of the two men before him, one was merely at the Bone Forging realm. The other, though also at Qi Sensing, was at the middle stage at best.
He felt no threat from them whatsoever. In fact, he had the feeling that if he made a move, he could kill them with ease.
"Or else, I’ll break both your legs and have you thrown into the river to feed the fish."
With that, Commander Liu laughed heartily and departed.
Chen Shicheng shot Fang Yue a smug glance before turning to leave as well.
~~~~~~~
A short while later, Qi Ming finally emerged.
"Haha, Fang, come quickly! Lord Chen is waiting."
Qi Ming spoke as he pulled Fang Yue into the courtyard.
Soon, the two found Lord Chen fishing by a pond in the inner courtyard.
The moment Fang Yue saw this Lord Chen, however, he recognized him. It was the old man from the ship who had wanted to buy his fish.
’It’s a small world,’ he thought. ’To think we’d meet again here.’
"Hehe, Lord Chen, this is the man I was telling you about, Inspector Fang Yue of Shanyang Prefecture."
Qi Ming began the introductions, but before he could finish,
Lord Chen, who was still fishing, spoke up. "Hehe, no need for introductions. This young friend and I have met before. My surname is Chen. If you don’t mind, you may call me Elder Chen."
After the introductions, Fang Yue and Lord Chen grew more familiar with each other.
Any slight awkwardness from their encounter on the massive ship naturally vanished.
In truth, there had been no conflict between them on the ship; the unpleasantness had been between Fang Yue and Commander Liu.
"Haha, Fang, you’re headed to Yujing City, I take it? Since you’ll be passing through the Prefecture City of Yongzhou Prefecture, could you do an old man a favor and deliver a letter for me?"
In the end, Lord Chen produced a letter and handed it to Fang Yue.
"As for the matter you brought up, rest assured," Lord Chen said. "I will ask around. If we find the person, I will bring them to Denglai City at the first opportunity. I’ll have Qi notify you if there’s any news."
"I see. In that case, thank you, Elder Chen," Fang Yue replied.
Afterward, the three of them chatted about other matters. As dusk fell and Fang Yue prepared to leave, Lord Chen presented him with a brocade box. He insisted Fang Yue accept it, saying the contents would benefit his current cultivation.
An old man like him, he explained, was too frail to handle such potent items.
Unable to refuse, Fang Yue accepted the brocade box and departed.
Outside, Qi Ming had to return to the Government Office, so the two parted ways.
Only then did Fang Yue examine the brocade box.
’This looks a little familiar.’
He murmured to himself, then cracked open the box. Inside, just as he’d suspected, was a stalk of blood ginseng.
Fang Yue couldn’t help but marvel. He had searched all over Denglai City for blood ginseng to no avail.
Now, in the last two days, he had received two of them, both as gifts.
’Sometimes, the world works in mysterious ways.’
Closing the box, Fang Yue headed back to his residence.
Meanwhile, at a street corner.
After leaving Lord Chen’s residence, Chen Shicheng didn’t depart immediately. Instead, he waited at a corner down the street.
He wanted to see exactly why Fang Yue was at that courtyard.
Sure enough, he soon saw Fang Yue emerge from the courtyard.
’It seems Fang Yue must have heard of Lord Chen’s reputation somewhere and decided to pay a visit.’
Seeing Fang Yue’s demeanor, Chen Shicheng confirmed that he wasn’t one of Lord Chen’s servants.
He decided to find out where Fang Yue was staying so he could inform Commander Liu and use him to exact revenge.
But just then, he spotted the brocade box in Fang Yue’s hand.
The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. It was identical to the box containing the blood ginseng he had purchased.
’That box... could it be... Did Fang Yue steal it from Lord Chen’s home?’
The thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
Chen Shicheng grew ecstatic. ’This time, Fang Yue is finished! The audacity! Stealing from Lord Chen’s home—he must have a death wish.’
Now, he wouldn’t even need to invent a pretext. Commander Liu would be overjoyed to hear about this.
Of course, there was another possibility: that Lord Chen had given the box to Fang Yue.
’But is that possible?’
’Of course not. Even Commander Liu has to tread carefully around Lord Chen. Who is Fang Yue? Just some Martial Artist who fled from Shanyang Prefecture, his title of Martial Scholar lost. Why would Lord Chen give him a second glance?’
The possibility was so unbelievable that even though it crossed Chen Shicheng’s mind, he immediately shook his head, dismissing it.
With that thought, Chen Shicheng hesitated no longer and began to follow Fang Yue discreetly.
「Half an hour later.」
Chen Shicheng watched as Fang Yue disappeared into an alley up ahead.
"Heh heh, so this is where you live." A vicious expression crossed his face.
Having confirmed the address, Chen Shicheng turned and left.
What Chen Shicheng failed to notice, however, was that after he left, a street vendor selling candied hawthorns inconspicuously began to follow him.
Night fell quickly.
In County Magistrate Lin’s office at the City Lord’s Mansion.
"Are you certain you saw correctly? A suspicious person was watching Lord Fang’s residence?" County Magistrate Lin asked the government constable reporting to him.
After the previous incident, he had posted men to stand guard and protect Fang Yue’s residence, fearing another mishap.
He hadn’t expected to discover something amiss so soon.