Hex Lei, the Room Leader of the Street Patrol Room, had a thick, bushy beard. Unlike typical Martial Cultivators, who grew taller and stronger with their training, he was a stout, pudgy man who seemed to grow wider, not taller, and sported a potbelly. He gazed at Li Qingxian with a broad smile.
Behind him, a robust Guard shouldered a six-foot-long Coiling Dragon Patterned Bright Copper Round Hammer. The head of the hammer was the size of a man’s head, and the weapon itself stood a little taller than Hex Lei.
"Reporting, Room Leader Hex. I’m completely unharmed," Li Qingxian said, glancing at the puma embroidered on the Senior Seventh Grade rank patch on Hex’s chest.
Hex Lei laughed as he walked. "Well done! I’ve never liked that bastard Pang Mingjing. He’s always so damn passive-aggressive, never straightforward. He sticks his claws into the Street Patrol Room, and they ought to be chopped off! Zheng Hui, you did the right thing. Our people from the Street Patrol Room won’t be bullied by outsiders! I haven’t been wasting my breath praising you lot from Room A9 to Lord Zhou. I’ll be sure to put you all in for a commendation!"
"Thank you, Room Leader Hex!" Zheng Hui was overjoyed.
Walking up to Li Qingxian, Hex Lei patted his left arm. "How are you feeling? If you’re not well, take a few more days off to rest."
"After all the excitement on Ministry of Revenue Street, I’m actually feeling much better," Li Qingxian said.
"Good!" Hex Lei said. "If you need anything, come directly to me. We’re all family here."
"Yes," Li Qingxian replied.
The others watched Li Qingxian with envy, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Alright, you all can chat. I have to get back to my duties." Hex Lei smiled and took his leave.
Hex Lei had only taken a few steps when someone shouted from a short distance away, "Is Li Qingxian here? Hey, you, the one with the dark skin, are you Zheng Hui? Have you seen Li Qingxian?"
A familiar voice rang out.
Li Qingxian, Zheng Hui, and the others looked over to see Dong Ying hurrying toward them with two men in tow.
"Dong Ying, what’s the meaning of this?" Zheng Hui demanded. Seeing the hostile look on Dong Ying’s face and remembering what had happened that morning, he quickly moved to shield Li Qingxian.
In the torchlight, Dong Ying saw Li Qingxian, rushed before him, and dropped to his knees. He kowtowed three times, his forehead striking the stone-paved road with a series of loud thuds.
Dong Ying looked up, his forehead already turning from red to purple. Panting, he said, "I will never forget the grace you’ve shown in saving my mother! From this day forward, you are the benefactor of my entire family."
"It was nothing, really. Instructor Dong, there’s no need for such ceremony." Li Qingxian smiled and helped the tall, thin Dong Ying to his feet.
Though it had only been half a day, he looked so haggard it was as if he had aged ten years.
The area fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, completely baffled as to what was going on.
A short distance away, Room Leader Hex let out a chuckle. "Instructor Dong, you’re always so proud of your fighting skills, picking a bone with this person and that one. Why are you kowtowing to a boy? How did he save your mother?"
"Ah? Room Leader Hex..."
"Take your time. Tell us what happened."
Dong Ying composed himself and recounted what had happened with Li Qingxian that morning. "I ran to Ningsheng Hall to find my mother already unconscious. The moment the doctor saw that I was of Entering Grade, he had me assist with my True Essence, coordinating with his acupuncture and herbal tonics. Only then were we able to pull my mother back from death’s door. I was worried her body was too weak, so I sustained her with my True Essence until nightfall, when the doctor finally said she was out of danger. Only then did I come to thank you. Li Qingxian, I’m convinced. I believe you truly know the Fate Skill."
"Attaboy! To divine corn cakes and Ningsheng Hall... that’s really something!" Hex Lei’s eyes widened. He started walking back, studying Li Qingxian with genuine interest now, no longer just going through the motions as he had been before.
"It was just luck," Li Qingxian said with a modest smile.
Han Anbo laughed. "If we hadn’t all been together for the past two days, I’d almost think you cased Instructor Dong’s house ahead of time."
Dong Ying exclaimed, "Impossible! Let me tell you the most incredible part. My mother originally intended to go to a different, smaller apothecary. But the pain became unbearable, and halfway there, she changed course to go to the larger Ningsheng Hall instead. I worked out the timing—I had just run into Li Qingxian when my mother was leaving the house. He knew she was going to Ningsheng Hall before she did! He has to be a master of the Fate Skill!"
"It was just a fluke. My Fate Skill isn’t accurate every time," Li Qingxian said with a humble smile.
"For the Dong Family, once was more than enough!"
"Yeah, once is enough. Li Qingxian, you’re amazing!"
A chorus of praise rose from the crowd.
After a moment’s thought, Hex Lei walked back and put an arm around Dong Ying’s shoulders with a smile. "Instructor Dong, a life-saving debt like this must be repaid. How about this? Once your mother has recovered, you host a banquet to celebrate, and I’ll come along to liven things up."
"Yes! I’ll definitely host a celebratory banquet!" Dong Ying nodded eagerly.
Li Qingxian quickly interjected, "It was nothing, really, not even worth mentioning. Instructor Dong, if you really want to thank me, a simple meal is more than enough."
"How could that possibly be enough! I insist on a proper banquet! Let’s go to... Hongxiu Building..."
SMACK!
Hex Lei smacked the back of Dong Ying’s head, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Hex Lei swore with a laugh, "Hongxiu Building, my ass! Qingxian is just a kid, and you want to take him to a place like that? What if he gets drained dry by those vixens? How is he supposed to reach Entering Grade then? Pick another place!"
Everyone roared with laughter.
Dong Ying’s face flushed red. He coughed and said, "Then let’s go to the Drunken Country Inn. A lot of scholars frequent it, so it’s considered a refined establishment. It’s so expensive I don’t usually dare go myself. You can’t refuse, or the whole Night Guard will call me an ungrateful bastard."
Looking slightly disappointed, Li Qingxian said, "Since Instructor Dong is so insistent, it would be rude of me to refuse. However, you have to invite all our brothers from A9. They helped out, too."
"Right, right, I’ll invite everyone," Dong Ying said.
Hex Lei looked over the group, then pulled Zheng Hui aside. After a brief chat, Zheng Hui was nodding repeatedly and thanking him profusely.
"Alright, it’s late. Go wash up and get to bed. You have to patrol the streets and keep the peace tomorrow. Everyone scatter, scatter."
The men gradually dispersed. Hex Lei chatted with Li Qingxian for a while longer, and they agreed to all go to the Drunken Country Inn in a few days. Only then did he leave, satisfied.
Dong Ying came over to thank him profusely one last time before hurrying home for the night.
Zheng Hui, Han Anbo, Yur Ping, and Li Qingxian strolled slowly back toward Room A9.
"Guess what Room Leader Hex told me?" Zheng Hui asked smugly.
Before the other three could ask, Zheng Hui couldn’t resist answering his own question. "He said we don’t have to go to the docks anymore! He told me to stay on Wanping Street and to go to him if anything comes up here! He even said he’d look for an opening for my older brother and get him into the Night Guard!"
"Then you really owe Room Leader Hex a big thanks," Han Anbo said.
Zheng Hui slung an arm around Li Qingxian’s shoulders and chuckled. "No, I have Qingxian to thank. Room Leader Hex made it clear he was doing it for Qingxian’s sake. He also told me to look after Qingxian from now on."
Han Anbo looked at Li Qingxian with a relieved smile. "The hardest part is over."
"Yes, it’s finally over," Li Qingxian sighed softly.
"No wonder Chef Wang personally brought over eight oranges this evening," Yur Ping said with a grin. "I put them in our room. That’s exactly two for each of us."
Once inside the room, Zheng Hui started unwrapping the tattered cloth from his arms. "Qingxian, how in the world did you convince that Lord Luo? People from the Evil Sect are no joke. They’re even more sinister than the Demon Sect."
"It was nothing, really. He found out I came from the Fate Measuring Sect and started a conversation. It turned out he knew my late father and Lord Zhou, so he just did me a small favor." Li Qingxian sat on his bed and breathed a sigh of relief.
After such a long and busy day, he was mentally and physically exhausted.
Zheng Hui opened his mouth to ask more, but Han Anbo cut in. "We’ve all had a long day. Let’s wash up and get to bed. We can talk more tomorrow."
"You’re right. Let’s get to sleep."
The men went out one by one to draw water and wash up. When Li Qingxian arrived at the well, the others immediately made way for him. A few of the more perceptive ones even rushed to help him draw water. The atmosphere was cheerful and harmonious.