บท 39: Returning Home
The incident occurred yesterday, during the Half Year Festival. When Yan Liqiang was at the Lu Clan, a sudden and unexpected disaster befell the Yan Clan in Liuhe Town.
From Zhou Tiezhu’s brief narration, Yan Liqiang quickly understood what had happened back at home.
Very simply put, it all started with a horseshoe.
Yesterday morning, someone had come to the blacksmith store to have a horseshoe forged. At night, that person came back with a rude and unreasonable attitude, claiming that the horseshoe that he had gotten forged in the morning was ruined by the afternoon of the same day and caused one of his horse’s legs to be broken, so he demanded that Yan Dechang compensate him. Of course, Yan Dechang wasn’t going to comply because he was clearly just trying to extort money, so a dispute broke out between them. The dispute had even barely started when that person suddenly unsheathed a saber and hacked Yan Dechang to the ground. Zhou Tiezhu, who went to help, was also overpowered by that person and sustained a cut on his body.
After injuring them, that person slipped away under the cover of night. Zhou Tiezhu tossed and turned the whole night after he made sure Yan Dechang was stable. He finally recalled that Yan Dechang had secretly told him where Yan Liqiang was, so he hurriedly got onto his horse and rushed to Huanglong County to notify him.
On hearing the news of his father being grievously wounded, Yan Liqiang was instantly enraged. He could feel nothing but the boiling blood in his entire body rushing directly to his head as his whole body trembled. Endless fury surged and burned within Yan Liqiang’s body.
Brother Tiezhu, was that person yesterday from the Hong Clan?" Yan Liqiang’s eyes had turned red, as he asked the question through clenched teeth. He seemed as though he was about to murder someone.
"No. I’ve never seen that person in Liuhe Town before…" Zhou Tiezhu shook his head.
"How’s my father? Who is taking care of him right now?"
"Master is at home. I have already hired a physician, however, Master’s injury is very serious and has been unconscious…" Tears fell from Zhou Tiezhu’s eyes as he continued explaining, "When I made my way here, apart from Mother Wu, I also had my cousin stay by Master’s side to attend to the physician…"
Yan Liqiang shut his eyes and tightly clenched his fists. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and looked at Qian Su, the look in his eyes had turned extremely determined. "Uncle Qian. Thank you for taking care of me all this time. Something has happened back home so I must return there now…"
Looking at the Yan Liqiang who stood before him, Qian Su knew that it was impossible to convince him to stay in the Weaponsmiths Quarter any longer. He sighed and said, "Go pack up, I’ll get someone to prepare the rhinodrake!"
Yan Liqiang wordlessly turned around and made his way towards his own courtyard with large strides.
The expression on Qian Su’s face was extremely gloomy as he beckoned to Zhou Yong. "Zhou Yong, go order two people to get changed into civilian clothes and escort Yan Liqiang to Liuhe Town. You know what to do right?"
Zhou Yong’s eyes flashed as he cupped his fist in response. "Rest assured, Quarter Master, I know what to do!"
...
Yan Liqiang returned to his small courtyard and packed up his belongings with the fastest speed possible. He carried the bow bag that contained the Python Horned Bow on his back and then left the small building. When he reached the center of the courtyard, he suddenly recalled something and turned around to pick up a quiver of arrows under the canopy of the courtyard and added it to his belongings.
By the time he arrived at the entrance to the Weaponsmiths Quarter, Qian Su was already waiting there with a heavy saddlebag made of ox leather. Qian Su’s gaze inadvertently swept past the quiver of arrows that Yan Liqiang was carrying and then he handed over the saddlebag in his hands to Yan Liqiang. "These are the things you left with me, perhaps they will be useful when you return home!"
Yan Liqiang accepted the saddlebag. Just by weighing it in his hands, he knew that it was the gold that he had accepted from the Lu Clan. It weighed about twenty kilograms or so.
At this time, Zhou Yong and two other soldiers from the Weaponsmiths Quarter led four rhinodrake steeds towards them, dressed in their casual clothes and carrying their sabers and swords.
"Brother Zhou, you all are…"
"Master Yan, if you really treat us like your brothers, then don’t say anything at a time like this!" Zhou Yong said with a solemn face and then shoved a rhinodrake steed’s reins into Yan Liqiang’s hands.
Yan Liqiang was touched deep down in his heart. He only nodded his head and didn’t say anything else.
Zhou Yong and the others were from the regular army. According to the military law of the Great Han Empire, without a transfer order, soldiers of the regular army were not allowed to leave their encampment without permission. They were definitely not allowed to cross over prefectures and counties. Zhou Yong and the rest following him back to the Qinghe County would be a criminal offense if they were found out.
Yan Liqiang knew the other two people that were coming along with Zhou Yong too. The one with the extremely robust body was Liu Gang while the other one that seemed somewhat frightful was Zhao Qifeng. They had both push-wrestled with him that day and had gotten familiar with each other over this period of time.
"Liqiang, I want to return together with you all too…" Zhou Tiezhu came over with his jaw clenched.
Yan Liqiang took a glance at Zhou Tiezhu, who looked extremely exhausted and battered at this point. Putting aside the fact that he was injured yesterday, he hadn’t slept for the whole night and had traveled so far out here on top of that. Blood was already seeping out of the wound on his upper arm that was only roughly dressed yesterday. Fortunately, his body was tempered over these years having followed Yan Dechang and was very sturdy. If he was an ordinary person, he would have collapsed long ago.
"Brother Tiezhu, you won’t be able to last if you travel in your current condition. You should have a rest in the Weaponsmiths Quarter first, eat something, have your wound dressed properly and recuperate before you return. There are still many things back at home that will require Brother Tiezhu’s help. We shall take our leave first…" Yan Liqiang gave a heavy pat on Zhou Tiezhu’s shoulder.
Zhou Tiezhu looked at Yan Liqiang and stopped insisting.
"Uncle Qian, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of Brother Tiezhu!"
"Don’t worry about it!"
Yan Liqiang didn’t say anything else and strapped the saddlebag to the saddle of the rhinodrake steed. He stepped on the stirrup and nimbly mounted. He hung the quiver of arrows on the other side then shook the reins. The rhinodrake steed beneath him was the first to charge out of the Weaponsmiths Quarter with Zhou Yong and the other two following closely behind on their rhinodrake steeds.
In just a flash, the four rhinodrake steeds were on the main road.
"Jiaaa…!" At Yan Liqiang’s yell and the squeeze of his calves, the rhinodrake steed started galloping. The sound of their hooves was like thunder as the four of them energetically charged towards Qinghe County on their steeds.
Qian Su wasn’t staying idle on his side either. After arranging for someone to help Zhou Tiezhu settle in, he also got onto a rhinodrake steed and left the Weaponsmiths Quarter as he made for the Lu Residence...
...
Qinghe County and Huanglong County were adjacent to each other, so naturally, Liuhe Town wasn’t that far from the Weaponsmiths Quarter. They were only about eighty or ninety kilometers apart from each other. It took Yan Liqiang four or five hours to travel from Qinghe County to Huanglong County by boat due to the slow speed and meandering rivers. On the rhinodrake steeds, it only took Yan Liqiang about two hours to lead Zhou Yong and the other two into Liuhe Town.
The impatient galloping sounds of the four rhinodrake steeds’ hooves broke the peacefulness of Liuhe Town, causing the pedestrians to rush to dodge. Those that knew Yan Liqiang stared strangely at the murderous-looking Yan Liqiang who had just returned to Liuhe Town. Each and every one of them was whispering and continuously commenting behind Yan Liqiang’s back.
Yan Liqiang’s face was ashen as he pursed his lips and galloped into the courtyard of his house with Zhou Yong and the others.
The moment they dismounted from their steeds, Mother Wu rushed out from the house. She looked at Yan Liqiang, unable to speak, she could only make gestures with her hands as tears streamed down her face.
Yan Liqiang dashed into the room right after he leaped off his steed.
The room was filled with the concentrated smell of medicinal herbs and reeked of blood. The physician that Zhou Tiezhu had hired and his cousin were both there.
Yan Dechang laid on the bed motionlessly with a pale face and deathly white lips.
"Physician, how’s my father…?"
"There’s a limit to my ability and the injury to your father is unusually severe. I fear that he won’t be able to last longer than a few days…" The physician shook his head with a troubled look on his face and then sighed.
The color immediately drained from Yan Liqiang’s face. He walked to the bedside and knelt down, tightly clasping the coarse palm of Yan Dechang with both of his hands. His eyes reddened and his voice quivered, "Father, I’ve returned…"
Yan Dechang’s eyelids that had been shut all this time trembled a few times when he heard Yan Liqiang’s voice before they slowly opened. He forced a small smile on his face and said weakly. "I’m… fine… Didn’t… I ask… you to… ask Uncle Qian to arrange for someone to send you to the county town… county town’s… martial art academy… on the martial arts examination day? It’s... dangerous here… why have... you returned... here…?"
Even at a time like this, Yan Dechang wasn’t thinking about himself but instead, he was still concerned about Yan Liqiang’s safety.
Yan Liqiang’s tears suddenly started rolling off his cheeks...
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