Chapter 273: 249 Determination Part 1

“Old acquaintance? What old acquaintance? Where’s the invitation card?” Zhang Rongfang gathered his thoughts and looked at the old Daoist.

These old Daoists were recently recruited wanderers working odd jobs within the temple.

Though they were just wanderers, they knew some basic Daoist classics. With some slight training, they could trick offerings out of pilgrims.

“Here it is.” The old Daoist offered the invitation card with both hands.

Chen Han stepped forward to take it, smelled it, felt the paper, confirmed there was no issue, and handed it to Zhang Rongfang.

After receiving the invitation card, Zhang Rongfang glanced at the writing on it.

“Tan Yang’s Sun family? Sun Qinghong? Sun Chaoyue’s father?” He immediately recalled meeting Sun Chaoyue and Grand Chairman Sun a few days ago.

The proud woman spirit who seemed like a grand red rose.

The invitation card mentioned that if he agreed, Sun Qinghong would personally visit tomorrow at four in the afternoon.

“Daoist, should I accept it?” The old Daoist asked softly, “The person who sent the invitation is still waiting outside.”

Zhang Rongfang shook his head.

“Though they’re old acquaintances, Tan Yang’s Sun family is worthless to me. Meeting them is a waste of time. Reject it.”

Sun Chaoyue wasn’t close to him; they just exchanged greetings initially, and this family wanted to take advantage.

Additionally, Sun Chaoyue’s father, he recalled, seemed to hold the position of Ninth Grade Governor.

Once upon a time, Ninth Grade in his eyes was an unattainable top master.

But now… it’s just like that.

In his current position.

Ninth Grade wasn’t even qualified to be his guard.

Below Ninth Grade, above Ninth Grade, it was already two different worlds.

*

*

*

At an inn on the outskirts of Citong.

Two robust men and women wearing black gauze hats and dark green outfits, holding waist knives, entered the inn to check in.

The inn servant led them up to the second floor to a large room in the corner and opened the door.

After entering, they closed it behind them and quickly checked their surroundings.

Once confirmed there were no issues, they approached the dining table.

The woman took out a wide scroll over a meter long from her back, unfurled it, revealing three wanted portraits.

“Sir, I just got news from the precinct; someone quietly went to report Sun Qinghong’s fugitive whereabouts.”

She pointed her finger at one of the portraits.

“Goodness, this family truly knows how to flee.” The other man looked at the portraits on the table in surprise.

“In that case, we should arrest them tomorrow.” The man said seriously.

“But… perhaps we can’t.” The woman shook her head, “Although the Sun family has fallen, I’ve got news that they seem to have some ties with the newly appointed Guardian Priest.”

“Hiss… Zhang Ying, Guardian Priest Zhang?!” The man gasped.

“That’s right.” The woman nodded.

“That’s really troublesome. How did you get this information?” The man quickly asked.

“It was seen by our comrades here while guarding an important figure. Zhang, the Guardian Priest, actively conversed with someone from the Sun family on the street.

They recorded it and informed me ahead.” The woman replied.

“This is troublesome.” The man frowned.

His name was Xue Zicun. He was from Snow Rainbow Pavilion.

However, unlike many other masters from Snow Rainbow Pavilion, he was not involved in protection work.

Instead, he was chasing.

Chasing the region’s listed fugitives.

But even though he was not engaged in protection work, he had heard about that incident before.

“Daoist Zhang Ying, Guardian Priest Zhang. This person is not ordinary.

Previously during the Commandery Princess Yongxiang’s disappearance case, many people were implicated, but Citong hadn’t suffered at all.

Not only was he unscathed, but he even got promoted, from his previous deputy role, he indirectly gained authority over the main role.”

Pausing, Xue Zicun shook his head.

“Such a figure who wasn’t implicated even in the princess’s disappearance, if truly related to the Sun family, then…..”

“Sir, shouldn’t we wait and confirm whether the Sun family truly has a connection to this Daoist? If not, we can directly arrest. If there’s a relationship, then temporarily watch.

After all, Sun Qinghong was heavily injured by us last time, and won’t be able to run far.” The woman quickly answered.

“That works too.” Xue Zicun nodded.

*

*

*

The biggest pharmacy in Citong – Mingjing Pharmacy.

Outside the grand door, many sailor staff carefully pushed carts loaded with sacks of medicinal herbs.

The retail storefront of the pharmacy.

Sun Chaoyue, drenched in fragrant sweat after practicing martial arts, came here to purchase her father’s needed medicines.

She wore very short gray-white short-sleeved and shorts, revealing her fair thighs and arms, covered with a tailored dark green windbreaker to conceal the majority of exposed skin.

Martial arts require loose, minimally restrictive clothing, so she usually preferred wearing less to avoid discomfort from sweat-soaked clothing clinging to her skin.

But this outfit made practicing martial arts alone too revealing; the short-sleeved and shorts hardly covered beyond minimal decency.

To prevent exposure, she added an outer windbreaker.

This kind of attire was very common among female martial artists.

The windbreaker typically blocked cold air and evil winds after sweating.

Sun Chaoyue totaled the remaining money in her pouch.

After nearly getting into a situation where she couldn’t even afford juice.

She still went back and returned the hairpin she bought for her birthday.

Now, being undocumented, unable to work for a living, she could only rely on savings. She had to be as thrifty as possible.

It was only… that hairpin cost merely two taels of silver… compared to back in Tan Yang.

Back then, she casually used hundreds of taels of incense.

And now for her birthday, she couldn’t even afford a two-tael hair ornament…

The huge sense of disparity made Sun Chaoyue’s heart ache.

“Miss Xiaoyue, here to buy the medicine from last time again? It’s all prepared for you.”

The voice of the pharmacy assistant pulled her back to reality from her thoughts.

Recovering her composure, Sun Chaoyue nodded.

“Yes, this time I need three portions.” She pulled out a money pouch, counted out twenty taels of silver from it, placed it on the counter, and pushed it over.

Her father’s injury is quite troublesome. He was previously beaten. If he had been able to take medicine quickly at that time, it wouldn’t have been so persistent.

The key is, at that time, to evade further pursuit and assassination, her father held his breath and hid in a mud pit.

As a result, the wounds became inflamed and infected…

After that, he forced himself to carry on, fleeing with a group for several days, ultimately leading to the illness taking root deep in his organs.

Sun Chaoyue watched as the assistant picked up the silver coins and weighed them on a small balance. Then, he stacked the three packs of herbs wrapped in yellow paper in front of her.

This is the last bit of silver coins…

In fact, her family had already run out of money long ago. If not for the funding from a petty thug who tried to flirt with her, she wouldn’t even be able to cover this round of medicine costs.

And recently, to make matters worse, the security throughout Citonggang Port suddenly became so good that no items were left on the road without being claimed, and no door left unclosed at night.

The streets were patrolled by soldiers and constables everywhere.

Never mind the petty thugs, even drunken men lying on the ground were nowhere to be seen.

The sailors who usually drank and caused trouble seemed to have disappeared during this period as well.

If one appeared, they were immediately dragged away and whipped.

This kind of security, instead, cut off Sun Chaoyue’s last extra income source…

She picked up the medicine packs, sighed lightly, and turned to leave.

“Eh? Meeting again?”

Inside the shop, the short and stout shopkeeper, along with a few others, was accompanying a tall and burly man walking over slowly.

The man glanced over in this direction, his face showing surprise.

Sun Chaoyue did not expect to meet again so soon by chance.

“Zhang Ying?” She recognized the man.

“Are you here to buy medicine, too?” She didn’t know what else to say.

Instinctively, she tightened the windbreaker she was wearing, covering the corset peeking out from underneath.

Such an action seemed to slightly ease the tension in her heart.

“Yes. Did something happen at your home? Do you need help? I happen to have some extra capacity here,” Zhang Rongfang glanced at Sun Chaoyue’s attire.

A hemp windbreaker costing several hundred coins, hair as black and shiny as Qingsu with only a wooden hairpin.

Her feet were clad in somewhat worn-out sheepskin ankle boots with yellowish edges. Looking up from the boots, even the edge of the socks inside was a bit frayed.

Considering the previous visiting letter from the Sun family’s Sun Qinghong, Zhang Rongfang instantly connected the dots in his mind.

He also did not imagine that the once prominent Lady of Tan Yang, Sun Chaoyue, would end up in such a predicament.

Originally, he thought that even if the Sun family had declined somewhat, as Spirit People nobility and Martial Cultivators, they wouldn’t fall to this extent.

But now it seemed… perhaps he had misunderstood.

With this change of perception, Zhang Rongfang did not initially expect Sun Chaoyue to be in this state.

Thinking that despite knowing each other from before, and having some ties through Li Huoyun, he could help out if convenient.

This was his thought and also his approach.

As long as it wasn’t something bothersome, many things, for him now, required just a word.

Sun Chaoyue lightly bit her lip.

“Have you misunderstood something?”

Lifting her exquisite face, she displayed a natural smile.

“I just returned from practicing martial arts, wearing old clothes casually, utilizing them as reused items.

I’ve indeed encountered some difficulties recently, but… the Sun family hasn’t fallen to the point of accepting charity from others.”

She gazed at Zhang Rongfang, with a final touch of stubbornness in her eyes.

“Thank you for your kindness, but do you think that as a formidable Fourth Grade Martial Cultivator, I can’t even earn enough for proper attire?”

“Is that so? Good to hear. Indeed, with Chairman Sun’s talent, it shouldn’t be the case. My apologies,” Zhang Rongfang nodded.

“No problem, you meant well. I will take my leave then,” Sun Chaoyue replied with a smile.

The Sun family’s involvement with the secret sect was a serious trouble, even for ordinary people, it was a huge entanglement.

Although she appreciated Zhang Ying’s good intentions, she didn’t want to involve others in her affairs.

She did not know Zhang Ying’s current status, but no matter his position, once entangled with the secret sect, it assuredly became problematic.

Even when the Sun family once gloried as a commanding office, they too ended up like this.

Thinking of this, Sun Chaoyue quickened her pace out of the pharmacy, not looking back, each step faster than the last, until she vanished into the crowd, silently disappearing.

Zhang Rongfang retracted his gaze, continuing to inquire with the shopkeeper about the medicinal ingredients he needed.

The fasting pills from before had been consumed, and he needed to repurchase the raw materials and refine a new batch.

As for Sun Chaoyue, it was indeed just a coincidental meeting.

Offering help was merely a spur-of-the-moment decision, a rare occurrence of meeting a fellow Tan Yang in Citong.

Since the person did not require assistance, he didn’t force himself into it.

The matter was soon tossed to the back of his mind.

*

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*

Hiss.

The oil lamp flickered slightly in the night, sputtering out a bit of water.

Sun Qinghong coughed twice, rubbing his stomach after having just finished the medicine.

The pain in his back and abdomen gradually subsided as the medicine took effect.

Earlier words from Tong family’s Patriarch, Tong Haocun, still echoed in his mind.

The Sun family has truly reached the end of the road now…

Indeed.

He has always been suspicious.

The shipowner fraud case back then, which undoubtedly had the Tong family involved in it.

His wealth and jewelry, all those years of savings, lost overnight.

Without any evidence, he couldn’t say anything. Didn’t dare to say anything.

But Tong Haocun previously mentioned, the pursuers from Snow Rainbow Pavilion had already arrived in Citong, ready to come knocking any time.

Those damned Spirit Guards were the ones who inflicted such grievous injuries on him.

If they discovered his hideout… fearfully…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep