Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 142 : Inkling

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Who exactly was the young master in white handing out porridge on the outskirts of the city? Countless commoners inside and outside the city were all scrambling over themselves to guess. Some said he was an adviser of Zhou Gui; some said he was a distant nephew of Kong Ling. Rumors flew all over without a single concrete explanation. It was only when Shen Zechuan left the city that his identity as the eighth common son of the Shen clan spread like wildfire and promptly became the talk of the town in Chazhou.

Compared to the storm of public opinion in the city, Shen Zechuan’s return journey was calm and quiet; it could even be said to be silent. They returned along the public roads, in not that much of a hurry.

Because Shen Zechuan had fallen ill once on his way over. Kong Ling and Qiao Tianya went to great pains to make prior arrangements before they embarked on the journey back; they even bought an overcoat from a peddler from Hezhou, just to cope with the sudden turn of cool weather during their journey.

Kong Ling, being attentive, told Qiao Tianya, “It’d be better to get a physician to take a look at the Vice Commander when we return. He can afford to build up his health while he’s at home. Otherwise, we’re all going to be on tenterhooks if he has to venture out again on business the next time.”

Qiao Tianya held the bowl of water in his hands and looked at the horse carriage parked under the shade of trees. “Where are we going to find a good physician? With the way my master’s health is… only a formidable physician would be able to make a diagnosis. As his guards, there is no matter concerning our master that is troublesome. I’m just worried that my master will feel apologetic for inconveniencing us.”

Kong Ling knew nothing of Shen Zechuan’s consumption of medicine in his early years; he always thought that Shen Zechuan was just not in good health. But from the way Qiao Tianya put it, Shen Zechuan used to be in better health back in Qudu than he was now.

Qiao Tianya drank a sip of water and made no further mention of this matter.

He had been feeling bored during the journey these two days, and thus he had repeatedly thought back to that night the bandits went on a rampage to hurt the others. He felt that even if Shen Zechuan wanted to deploy the trick of injuring himself in order to trap the enemy, he should not have been so badly hurt. Once his body was used to reacting swiftly, it would be even tougher for him to control himself from warding off the blow right that very instant.
Qiao Tianya had seen Shen Zechuan draw his blade before. To the others, Yang Shan Xue was too long, but because Shen Zechuan was swift enough, it was solely just right for him. Qiao Tianya saw the wound on Shen Zechuan’s palm after the incident and found this injury to be unusual.

Although Shen Zechuan looked as he always did usually and never revealed a word of it, Qiao Tianya guessed that it was for the sake of concealment that Shen Zechuan did not draw his blade recently. If that was truly the case, then Shen Zechuan might have sensed that his body was no longer what it once was much earlier than the people around him. However, it had not even been six months since the day they left Qudu.

This matter had to be conveyed to shifu and the marquis.

As Qiao Tianya thought about it, he splashed away the remaining water, kept away the bowl, and rose to instruct the men around him. “It’s almost time. Let’s hurry on with the journey.”

The sound of movements outside woke Shen Zechuan up. His neck was sore and aching. Thus he leaned his head to one side to rest it against the wall of the carriage and slowly exhaled. The curtains of the carriage were not lowered, and he was too lazy to move, so he remained in this position and watched the trees along the way shift backwards slowly as the horses started to run.