Chapter 358: Chapter 188: He Brothers
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the Double Ninth Festival. In Chinese, the number nine sounds like the word for "long-lasting," so the date symbolizes longevity.
The people of Linji City would hold many activities, such as climbing mountains with family to ward off misfortune and pray for blessings, or paying respects to their ancestors.
There were also customs of wearing dogwood, eating *peng’er*, and drinking chrysanthemum wine.
After Mu Xiaowan finished cultivating her Skin Grinding Technique, she took her two young maids to the kitchen, where they busied themselves steaming *peng’er*, also known as Double Ninth Cake.
This pastry was made from steamed glutinous rice, red dates, and chestnuts, then sprinkled with chrysanthemum petals for decoration, making it both beautiful and delicious.
The trio—one mistress and two servants—was clearly enjoying themselves so much that when guests arrived at the Chens’ home, there was no one to greet them with tea.
The visitors were Jian Luchuan, along with the couple Ji Qing and Gou Yi.
In the main hall, the three stood respectfully to one side while Jian Luchuan reported on several matters to Chen Cheng.
He was, of course, reporting on matters concerning the Blood Saber Gang.
Zhai Yongba had taken a trip to the Dongcheng District and returned to the Ruyi District this morning. He then made a high-profile public announcement that the Ba Dao Gang was now under the command of the Dongcheng District’s Blood Saber Gang.
Furthermore, the Blood Saber Gang showed no deference to Chen Cheng, a Purple-clothed Guard of the Demon Suppression Department, nor, it seemed, to the officials of the City Guard Department.
They continued to collect the full protection fees from the residents of the streets they controlled.
Additionally, the protection fees levied on the residents of Locust Tree Lane were higher than in other places, having been raised by another fifty percent.
The Ba Dao Gang’s justification was that a lane as large as Locust Tree Lane required a significant number of men for protection, incurring huge expenses.
They naturally didn’t dare collect protection fees from Chen Cheng, so they simply distributed the uncollected portion among the other residents.
Since Jian Luchuan and the other two had pledged their allegiance to Chen Cheng, the Ba Dao Gang didn’t dare make trouble for them.
However, Zhai Yongba, the Gang Leader of the Ba Dao Gang, had sought out Jian Luchuan to tell him that an important figure in the Blood Saber Gang was very displeased and that the three of them should watch their backs.
This was, of course, a blatant threat.
Swordsmen had clashed with officials in the Ruyi District just last night, and today the Ba Dao Gang, now under the Blood Saber Gang, was acting with such bravado.
Anyone paying attention could deduce the connection.
The Blood Saber Gang’s aggressive posture was highly provocative, and it seemed they wanted to send a message.
They clearly held no regard for the Ruyi Square Sub-Department of the South City District’s City Guard Department, nor did they take Chen Cheng, the Purple-clothed Guard from the Demon Suppression Department, seriously.
After listening to Jian Luchuan’s report, Chen Cheng’s expression remained calm and untroubled, but internally, he felt a flicker of anger.
"Yes, I understand."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod, then instructed Shi Fangdong to lead the three of them to the outer courtyard to find rooms and get settled.
After lunch, Chen Cheng and Mu Xiaowan proceeded with their plan to head for the barren hills of Ten-Mile Slope outside the city for an autumn outing and to pay respects to his parents.
The two of them sat in a carriage that departed from the Zheng Martial Arts Hall and headed toward the South City District.
The carriage belonged to the Zheng Martial Arts Hall, but the driver was their newly acquired servant, Jian Luchuan. Ji Qing and Gou Yi also accompanied them on foot.
Ji Qing and Gou Yi were both Martial Artists at the Great Success level of the Skin Grinding Realm. They were as swift as the wind and could easily keep pace even with the carriage at a full gallop.
"Brother Cheng, Xi’Er and Dong’Er found out we were going out and were clamoring to come along!"
Mu Xiaowan leaned against Chen Cheng, letting his large hand rest gently on her soft, slender waist.
Dressed in green, her beautiful face still held a faint blush, and her body felt unusually warm.
Clearly, the vital energy and blood from the Ice Spirit Fish she had eaten the day before had not yet been fully assimilated.
Chen Cheng smiled. "Those two little girls are at that lively, restless age, always eager for adventure."
"But they’re still young and not very strong. If they came with us, we’d be distracted looking after them."
"In a few years, we can have them start cultivating the Martial Dao. Once they’ve gained some skill, it won’t be too late for them to venture out."
"Mm-hmm," Mu Xiaowan nodded.
...
The carriage passed out of the Inner City, traveled through the South City District, and suddenly slowed as it neared the South City Gate.
Chen Cheng lifted the carriage curtain to look outside and saw a large convergence of carriages, horses, and people at the South City Gate.
It was a bustling, crowded, and noisy scene.
As it was the Double Ninth Festival, the number of people leaving the city was clearly much higher than usual.
Of course, this congestion was relative.
Linji City was a large Prefecture City with a population of over a million, and the South City Gate was one of its four main gates. It was tall and wide, able to accommodate eight carriages riding abreast.
If all lanes were open to the public, there would naturally be no congestion.
In reality, the South City Gate was divided into left and right passages. The left was for ordinary commoners, while the right was reserved for high-ranking officials, dignitaries, and government officers carrying official documents.
The left passage was crowded with commoners, and soldiers from the Protectorate Army were posted there to check for wanted criminals or anyone carrying contraband.
During the current travel rush, it had become hopelessly congested.
In the right passage, however, travelers often only needed to show their credentials to pass through smoothly.
Moreover, dignitaries and the nobility were a minority, after all, so there weren’t many people using it.
Even today, it still seemed spacious.
Jian Luchuan had already received his instructions and drove the carriage straight toward the right passage.
When a gate guard officer approached to ask, Chen Cheng lifted the curtain and revealed his Identity Jade Token identifying him as a Purple-clothed Guard of the Demon Suppression Department.
The officer hurriedly offered a respectful bow and waved them through.
"It sure is convenient being one of the Officials. On a normal day, an old man like me would probably be stuck waiting for a long time!"
Once outside the South City Gate, Jian Luchuan muttered quietly to himself. Then with a flick of his whip and a shout, the carriage suddenly picked up speed.
After traveling about a mile and a half down the main road, they turned onto a fork leading to the barren hills of Ten-Mile Slope, and the carriage suddenly slowed.
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