Why do I have so many masters?

The youth separated from Gong Yu and his entourage at the city gate, lifted the child up, placed him in front, his arms encircling him. He took hold of the horse's reins and gently nudged the Green-Maned Horse with his right foot. The horse, as if enlightened, let out a soft whinny and set off along the road they had come.

Perhaps it knew its own speed was too much for the untrained child to withstand, so it moved quite slowly along the official road and soon disappeared from sight.

In the county town, news of the assassination began to spread gradually.

It was as if a huge millstone of ice had been thrown into boiling oil; in an instant, the entire street erupted. Vendors closed up shop, pedestrians headed home, and in the blink of an eye, the place became a mess, desolate and eerily quiet, the only sound being the Defending General's voice, loud as a gong, which even overpowered the barking of the domestic dogs.

Welcome guests to the second floor.

In the private room, a large round table was set, its color festive, covered with chicken, duck, fish, and a variety of dishes, alongside a white porcelain jug with a narrow neck.

It contained a unique wine from Wangxian County, the richest and boldest of all the northern counties.
Experience exclusive tales on empire

Around the table stood ten carved wooden chairs.

Yet only one person was seated.

A middle-aged man who appeared quite amiable, dressed in gray old clothes—which, although not visually appealing, had become very comfortable after much wear. His palms were washed very clean, so pale that they were almost excessively so, ensuring no scent lingered on them, which he found very comforting.

His body was comfortable, and so was his mind; this man was surely leading a very comfortable life.

He was someone who loved life and knew how to live it well.

He hoped that his life would always remain comfortable.

The man used his chopsticks to eat the dishes on the table in a leisurely manner, paying close attention to his meal, even dipping his bread in the soup to soak up every last bit. His fingers were always positioned two fingers' width from the rear of the chopsticks, his actions refined.

Kneeling beside him was a person, his right hand lightly resting on his knee, the palm bleeding a color even more festive than that on the table.

After finishing the last dish, the man placed his chopsticks on the plate, exhaled, and let his hand hang down, then paused slightly before lightly touching the end of the chopsticks and frowning, adjusting the two chopsticks until they aligned perfectly before he comfortably exhaled and, with a gentle and smiling gaze, looked at the person kneeling on the floor and said,

"This time, there was a slip-up, just let it be."

"Missing one is just missing one."

His voice paused slightly, his fingers interlaced, he said gently, "After all, the person who caused the trouble is already dead."

"A hero must maintain the integrity of a hero, and a villain must maintain the demeanor of a villain. Do not be entangled like a mad dog."

The person kneeling on the floor nodded and replied,

"Your subordinate obeys."

The voice was crisp and pleasant, likely a young woman. She lifted her bowed head, her face bearing nineteen distinct scars, her eyes filled with a fierce gleam.

Just beyond a wall, a Silver-Feathered Flying Eagle took flight, its shriek resonating as it soared into the distance.

In another private room, a man with an ancient-looking face grinned.

Excitement twinkled in his eyes.

Now that you have left Gong Yu by yourself... you can't blame me.

The eerily mocking laughter arose, unlike any human voice, the sight, unlike any human face.

............…

The little boy was named A'Ping.

He lived in a place about which Wang Anfeng had inquired this morning. It should be near the inn where they had eaten before.

Despite the Green-Maned Horse's strength, considering A'Ping's ability to withstand it, the pace was kept very slow. A journey that would normally take only an hour or two stretched into the afternoon, and they finally reached the inn, stopping in between only to eat some dry food with water to fill their stomachs.

In the inn, Wang Anfeng asked the shopkeeper and a waiter for a long time, but to no avail. Eventually, a slightly tipsy guest recognized the village A'Ping mentioned and pointed out the direction.

After thanking him, Wang Anfeng saw the uncontrollable sparkle in the child's eyes, chuckled softly, and discarded the idea of ordering some food there.

Perhaps, seeing his father sooner would make him happier than any exquisite delicacy.

The young man realized something but started to miss the days in Great Liang Village, Uncle Li, Uncle Wang, Mr. Jiang...

I wonder how everyone is doing.

With these unexplained thoughts arising, Wang Anfeng and the child rode on for about half an hour more until they reached a village.

Looking around, there were only about a hundred households, with houses that were quite low and seemed very old, poorly maintained over the years, and even more desolate than Great Liang Village by a notch.

As the sun set in the west, the road was sparsely traveled, with some villagers sitting around. Although their faces showed no signs of hunger, when they looked up at Wang Anfeng on his horse, their expressions were numbly vigilant and unmistakably defensive.

Wang Anfeng gently reined in the Green-Maned Horse and whispered:

"Here, is this your home, A'Ping?"

The child's eyes lit up with joy, and he nodded vigorously.

"Yes!"

The young man breathed a sigh of relief, dismounted first, and then lifted the child down. Holding the horse's reins in one hand and letting A'Ping pull him with the other, they walked towards the village.

The villagers looked at Wang Anfeng with eyes full of xenophobia, and at A'Ping, whose face was marred by scars, they first froze slightly in horror, then recognizing his identity, their horror turned into disgust and comprehension mixed with haughty disdain. They snorted coldly, turned their heads away, and completely ignored the presence of the two.

It was hard to imagine that in such a short time, so many expressions could cross a face.

Wang Anfeng watched these faces, his lips pursed.

He deeply realized a kind of desolation, a true desolation.

The desolation of human hearts.

These people in this rather poor village had managed their domains generation after generation, knew every face in the village, were respected figures here, enjoying absolute dominance over their own world. Every outsider who stepped into their world was seen as a provocation, and with hostile gazes and silent resistance, they drove these outsiders away, then celebrated the return of familiar days.

The village was very small – how big could a village of about a hundred households be?

It took Wang Anfeng and A'Ping less than ten minutes to reach the far end of the village, where they saw a low, dilapidated wooden hut. A'Ping let go of the young man's hand, shouted joyfully, and rushed into the hut, while Wang Anfeng stopped, deciding to leave this time to the father and son.

His gaze lifted, sweeping over the dilapidated wooden house.

The roof already displayed two holes, crudely covered with wooden planks, each corner weighed down with stones as a makeshift fix, and the paper patched over the windows had turned a deep gray, also riddled with several holes. Due to the rain and subsequent drying, it appeared extremely unsightly with its crinkled surface.

The youth lightly tapped his forehead with his hand, his gaze discerning.

There was still plenty of time. Before leaving, he could repair their house to spare them from the cold.

It had been a long time since any repairs were done… Libai's window was the last one I papered over…

I wonder if my skills have deteriorated.

The youth was somewhat distracted.

Just then, a sharp scream suddenly came from inside the door, filled with panic and fear.

Wang Anfeng's expression changed slightly. He immediately could care less; he strode forward and pushed the door open. The room inside was even more dilapidated. Ah Ping ran out from the inner room in a panic, tripped over the threshold, and nearly fell.

Wang Anfeng reached out to steady him, pressing his right fingers at Ah Ping's Neiguan acupoint, channeling his Inner Strength to calm and steady his spirit, while simultaneously shouting softly.

Golden Bell Shield Inner Strength circulated, as if the ringing of a bell resonated, vibrating the soul. A momentary pause took over Ah Ping's panicked face, and Wang Anfeng asked gently,

"What happened, Ah Ping?"

As if grasping his last support, the child clung to Wang Anfeng's hem, his voice trembling slightly as he said,

"Dad, Dad is missing…"

Wang Anfeng's expression subtly shifted, placing his hands on Ah Ping's shoulders, he said,

"First, calm down."

"Where does your dad usually go? What does he look like? Describe him…"

"We'll go look for him now and ask the neighbors around as well."

Perhaps it was due to the heart-shaking effect of the Golden Bell Shield, Ah Ping barely regained some composure. He stuttered with great difficulty as he described his dad's appearance. Afterward, Wang Anfeng and he searched until it was dark outside without a single clue.

And asking those neighbors, they were outright impatient to deal with the two, often responding with sneers and mocking words.

That night, Wang Anfeng let the child stay in the house, while he, having Martial Arts expertise, continued the search, even venturing to the surrounding woods, yet still found nothing.

As dawn rose, he suddenly realized he had been searching all night. He bought some steamed buns and returned to Ah Ping's home. First, patting his face and composing himself, he then pushed the door open and spoke warmly,

"Ah Ping, I've got some leads now. Come, have something to eat."

"Then we'll continue looking…"

The words fell, but no one responded. Wang Anfeng's expression changed slightly. He stepped inside, finding not a single person. His eyes involuntarily sharpened, scanning around. His view was clear, and as his tense nerves relaxed, he sighed lightly and approached a barrel at the back with a tapping knot, lightly knocking as he said,

"What are you doing in there… Come out."

With no reply as his words settled, Wang Anfeng frowned and said,

"Stop hiding. I've already found you."

Receiving no reaction, he straightforwardly lifted the barrel to reveal Ah Ping crouched in a ball underneath, covered in ash, dusting his face and hair. Wang Anfeng patted his head, supporting his face and asked with a frown,

"What are you doing hiding in here?"

Ah Ping remained silent for a moment, his gaze shifting as his fingers lightly scraped the ground.

His face, already marked with injuries, still showed stubbornness as he whispered,

"That girl said, 'Just wait for you, three days.'"

"I can't, hold you back."

"I will find my dad myself. He is so clumsy; he couldn't have gone far… but, we can't, cause you harm because of us."

"You've, already helped, enough…"

Struck by the youth's words, yet unsure how to persuade this obstinately troublesome child, suddenly, rustling noises came from outside. Wang Anfeng's expression altered slightly. Ah Ping, who had been looking down, seemed as if struck by lightning, stiffening for a moment before rushing out the door in disarray.

Wang Anfeng understood and rose to follow, seeing the skinny child staring blankly at a scruffy man who wore a foolish expression. Watching Ah Ping, his face reflected heartache. He opened his mouth but could not express anything coherent. Seemingly recalling something, he reached into his garment, pulled out a candied haw wrapped in oiled paper, and grinned at Ah Ping with a silly smile.

"Candied haw, come back."

"Dear Ah Ping, just—"

"Will, come back…"

Wang Anfeng opened his mouth, witnessing how, despite the villagers' mockery and scorn, the stubborn child's body trembled slightly. He cursed softly, "Fool," his voice frail, as he suddenly threw himself into the silly man's embrace, trembling as if to release all his grievances, fears, and discomfort in a loud cry. The silly man was at a loss, holding the candied haw, his face blank and foolish.

His hand gently patted Ah Ping's back.

Did he think, with just a candied haw, a lost child could find his own way back?

This wasn't just a village; could it be that he wandered to the county town?

Wang Anfeng's eyes swept over the candied haw, leaning against the door, his mind suddenly dismissing the initial thought of taking Ah Ping away to Fufeng to learn Martial Arts.

After all, he might not even be willing.

The youth exhaled a breath, quietly leaning against the side of the door.

There are many things more significant than superior Martial Arts.

For instance, the dependence between father and son.

For instance, a youth's dignity.

Overhead in the village, a clear whistle suddenly sounded; a silver-feathered Flying Eagle spread its wings, circling out of the mist.

PS: Long chapter delivered…