Song Shidao, Li Xiuning!

As dawn broke, sunlight streamed into the room through the window cracks, falling on the wooden door covered in knife marks.

Su Yang sheathed his ring-pommel sword and reinstalled the dilapidated wooden door back into its frame—it was, after all, a product of the cloth shop, and he couldn't just chop it into pieces. After doing all this, he quickly washed up, changed into his blue cloth short shirt, and pushed open the door to leave the main room.

The sounds of the shop assistants cleaning could be heard from the front of the cloth shop. Zhao Qian was sitting at the entrance of the accounting room, fiddling with an abacus. When he saw him come out, he quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Good morning, Mr. Su."

"Good morning, Manager Zhao."

Su Yang nodded lightly: "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back before lunch, the cloth shop will remain the same."

Zhao Qian didn't ask any further questions and quickly replied, "Don't worry, sir, I'll take care of everything."

Su Yang hummed in agreement, slowly walked out of the fabric shop, and merged into the morning crowds of the city.

He didn't head straight for the pawnshop or the pharmacy; instead, he turned directly towards Wang's Soup Restaurant at the end of the street.

I spent half the night chopping door panels, which depleted my energy and blood. A bowl of hot soup can not only fill my stomach but also help me improve my proficiency in the liver-nourishing and energy-replenishing exercises.

"Shopkeeper, one pot of wild sweet potato and mutton soup, and two steamed buns."

Su Yang found his usual spot by the window and sat down. Before long, a steaming pot of mutton soup was served. The milky white broth was topped with bright green scallions, and the aroma of meat mixed with the fragrance of bones wafted over him.

He picked up the spoon and began to drink slowly and deliberately.

The warm soup slid down my throat, warming my whole body along my esophagus, and my limbs felt relaxed.

Sure enough, after only a few sips, the panel in my mind gave a slight jolt.

[Proficiency in the Nourishing Life and Strengthening Qi Exercise +1!]

【……】

"That's right, the better the soup, the more skilled you become."

A hint of anticipation flashed in Su Yang's eyes.

Now that I have money, I'll buy ginseng after I finish the soup, go back and make soup, and work up my internal strength as soon as possible.

After finishing the bowl of soup, Su Yang felt completely refreshed, the fatigue from last night's cultivation swept away. He paid the bill, looked at the sky, and saw that the sun was already high in the sky, and there were more and more pedestrians on the street. Judging by the time, it was already past nine o'clock in the morning.

Next, I need to go to Huichuntang in the south of the city to buy ginseng.

The older the ginseng, the better it nourishes the blood and qi, and the faster he accumulates the simplified points and the faster he masters the liver-nourishing exercise. He now has nearly four thousand taels of silver; let alone a hundred-year-old ginseng, he could grit his teeth and buy even a three-hundred-year-old one.

..........

The inner hall of the Grand Canal Gang headquarters.

The grinding sound of the rotating iron suddenly stopped.

Sitting on the tiger-skin chair, gang leader Liu Meng raised his gloomy eyes and looked at hall master Wang Jian: "Hu San is dead?"

"Yes, boss."

Wang Jian's voice was tense: "He died in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, his throat bones were broken, and three copper coins were embedded in his heart, between his eyebrows, and in his throat."

"No survivors?" A fierce glint flashed in Liu Meng's eyes. "Who did he offend last before he died?"

Wang Jian's Adam's apple bobbed: "It's... Su Yang, the new team leader of Ruifeng Cloth Shop. When Master Hu went to Ruifeng Cloth Shop to collect the commission, he lost four brothers and had to pay an additional eight hundred taels."

"Su Yang..."

Liu Meng slowly leaned back in his chair, clenching the iron clapper in his palm with a dull creak: "The Huang family's cloth shop... Doesn't Hu San know that Huang Shiyun is backed by the Duba Manor?"

Wang Jian hesitated for a moment: "He... should know."

"You knew?" Liu Meng's eyes flashed sharply. "You knew and still dared to provoke him? Is he a pig?"

"In previous years, the cloth shop... also paid its customary fees."

Wang Jian explained in a low voice, "Perhaps they felt that this year would be no exception."

The only sound in the inner chamber was the muffled thud of the iron bladder being slowly crushed.

After a long pause, Liu Meng spoke in a deep voice: "Find two sharp-eyed men to keep a close eye on that Su Yang. I need to see his daily movements, what martial arts he practices, and who he meets."

He raised his eyelids, his gaze icy: "Look, but don't touch. If I can't afford to offend Huang Shiyun, I can at least crush this little grasshopper!"

"Yes, boss."

Wang Jian bowed and withdrew.

Liu Meng released his grip, leaving several finger marks on the iron gall.

He looked toward the cloth shop, his eyes filled with malice.

..........

As Su Yang walked west along the long street, he suddenly noticed a slight pause in the flow of people ahead, and a refined and elegant atmosphere, completely different from the hustle and bustle of the city, wafted towards him.

Looking up, a group of people were slowly walking out in front of the ornately decorated Lanyue Tower at the street corner.

This is the most famous restaurant in Jingling City, a place where high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and magnates gather. Today, however, there are very few carriages and horses in front of the restaurant, with only two elegantly decorated carriages parked there. Eight strong guards stand on both sides, their eyes scanning the passers-by warily, exuding a chilling aura that keeps strangers away.

The group of people who came out of the building were particularly outstanding, attracting the attention and making way for passersby.

On the left was an older man, dressed in a moon-white long robe with a jade pendant at his waist. His face was as elegant as jade, and his demeanor exuded a refined and composed air, like the moon shining on a pine-covered hill. The young man beside him possessed a different kind of compelling heroic spirit. His eyes sparkled with brilliance, and his entire being radiated a refined and graceful aura, like a clear mountain spring.

Half a step behind, stood a stunningly beautiful woman in a pale yellow dress. Her face was exquisite, and her temperament was gentle yet subtly noble. Beside her stood a tall woman in red, with sharp eyes and an imposing presence, clearly a formidable figure.

Surrounding the four were more than ten plainclothes guards, each one sharp and composed, with eyes like lightning. Their seemingly casual positions had already secured the key points on all sides, creating an invisible barrier that kept strangers away.

"These four young men and women certainly have an extraordinary air about them!"

"His martial arts skills are quite impressive!"

Su Yang's gaze lingered on the four people for a moment longer.

At that very moment, the young man in the moon-white robe sensed Su Yang's gaze and looked over, his eyes meeting Su Yang's calm gaze.

"Um?"

Song Shidao's heart stirred slightly.

The young man before me, dressed in plain clothes, was already unusually tall and handsome, but what was even more remarkable was his demeanor. His steps were unusually calm, each step as even and solid as if measured, his body as stable as a mountain rooted to the ground, and his aura was harmonious and restrained, without a trace of impetuosity or weakness.

Especially those eyes, calm and deep. When they met your gaze, there was not a trace of the surprise, scrutiny, or flattery that ordinary people would show when they saw this group. It was like the moon reflected in still water, passing by without a second thought, and the rhythm of their steps remained perfectly steady.

This profound and unwavering composure, coupled with an unyielding and dignified demeanor, was something that ordinary martial artists could not possess. Even Song Shidao, who had seen countless people, couldn't help but show a clear hint of surprise in his eyes at this moment.

His subtle change in expression was immediately noticed by Li Xiuning, who was standing beside him and had a keen sense of observation.

"Young Master Song, what's wrong?"

Li Xiuning asked softly, following his gaze, and just then saw Su Yang's profile as he turned and left. Her martial arts skills might not be as refined as Song Shidao's, but coming from a powerful family and having seen countless talents and heroes, her eye for people was extremely sharp.

With just one glance, the calm and composed aura emanating from that figure stirred something within her.

"This person..."

A thoughtful glint flashed in Li Xiuning's beautiful eyes as she said softly, "His demeanor is exceptionally composed; he is no ordinary person!"

Although she spoke softly, it made Song Yuzhi, who was standing to the side, widen her eyes in curiosity. Meanwhile, Hong Fu Nu, who stood as still as a pine tree, had already locked her sharp gaze on the entrance of the soup shop, as if she wanted to see through the young man in plain clothes.

Song Shidao nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Li Xiuning's judgment.

He said gently, "Let's go, don't keep the host waiting."

Even so, Su Yang's calm and deep figure had left a deep impression on his heart.

The four of them did not linger. Surrounded by guards, they boarded the luxurious carriage in front of the gate and drove away.

.........

As the sun rose higher, the long street became increasingly crowded, with shouts of vendors and the sounds of bargaining mingling together. As Su Yang passed by an inconspicuous little tavern, a fierce shout and muffled sounds of fists and kicks came from the doorway.

"You penniless wretch! You dare to come here and try to dine and dash?!"

Two burly tavern waiters were dragging a man dressed in a faded blue shirt out from behind the door.

The man was in his early thirties, with a lean face and a lingering scholarly air about him, but now he was in a terrible state. There was a large tear in his shirt at the waist, revealing the lining underneath. His face was covered in bruises, blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth, and blood mixed with dust smeared half of his face. One of his eyes was swollen shut, leaving only a slit.

"I... my purse... it really was stolen..." His voice was hoarse, filled with humiliation, as he tried to explain in vain. "My name is Chen Wenyuan, I'm not the kind of person who tries to renege on debts... you can go and ask..."

"What the hell are you asking!"

One of the waiters spat, grabbed him by the collar, and shoved him into the dusty street: "You drank two jugs of wine, three taels of silver, and if you can't pay, you're a freeloader! Beat him to death!"

Another man kicked him in the ribs, and Chen Wenyuan groaned, curling up like a shrimp, clutching an empty coarse porcelain wine pot tightly in his hand, as if it were his last refuge. His blue robe was stained and looked like a discarded rag in the sunlight.