Chapter 83: Drawing My Sword, Gazing Around with a Lost Heart

The old man was momentarily taken aback by these words, measuring the other man from head to toe. Broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with a face full of fierce lines—he looked every inch the local bully. Surely, there was some ulterior motive at play? He glanced at his granddaughter, wondering if this brute had taken a fancy to her and was feigning kindness to lure them into a trap, only to reveal his true nature in some secluded place.

At this thought, he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Had this been ten years ago, he might indeed have been outmaneuvered. But Old Jin was no longer the humble fisherman he once was—he was now a different man entirely, a man with extraordinary abilities. Anyone who tried to target him now was like an old tortoise trying to eat arsenic—courting death out of sheer boredom.

With this confidence, he felt no fear and asked calmly, “You truly wish to buy my fish at twice the market price?”

The burly man laughed heartily. “My word is my bond. Since fate has brought us together today, this good deed is mine to do. Releasing fish may not seem a great virtue, but every little good counts!”

With that, he produced a piece of silver from his chest and tossed it to the old man. “Here’s one tael of silver—enough for three or four baskets of fish. If you’re in any trouble or need help, just say the word!” he boomed, laughing again.

He’d wandered the city all day without stumbling upon a single good deed to perform. Now, by chance, he met these strangers—he would not let this opportunity slip away!

The old man stared at the silver in his palm, stunned. Was this man truly so eager to buy his fish? And so generous to boot? Could it be the customs of the people here were so pure and honest?

The girl beside him was also curious. She’d often heard her grandfather say the world was full of danger, yet reality seemed otherwise.

Seeing the burly man reach for the fish basket, the old man quickly stopped him. “Wait! I won’t sell my fish after all.”

The burly man frowned. “Is the price not enough? If it’s some special fish, I’ll pay more!”

The old man shook his head, curiosity shining in his eyes. “May I ask why you would pay so much for these fish?”

“To set them free, of course! What else—make soup with them?” The burly man’s patience was clearly wearing thin. Were it not for the old man and his granddaughter appearing so vulnerable, he might not have controlled his temper so well.

At these words, grandfather and granddaughter exchanged bewildered glances.

Just then, a few onlookers stepped forward, clasping their hands in greeting, and explained, “You must be from out of town, sir. Here in Jinhua Prefecture, everyone does good deeds. Upon seeing you with your fish basket, we thought to buy your fish and release them, all in the name of virtue. Please don’t take offense!”

“What? Releasing fish as a good deed? For what purpose?” The old man could scarcely believe his ears.

“You must not know, sir. Ever since Master Yuchen of Chisong Daoist Temple established the Path of Merit, it’s been only two days and already the customs of the city have transformed. Now, everyone sees doing good as their duty. Releasing fish may be a small thing, but it’s easily done. If you happen upon an opportunity, you act,” someone explained further.

However, if someone were to deliberately catch creatures to sell to others for release, seeking profit thereby, such a person would be arrested and “educated” thoroughly. The jailers would surely relish the chance to guide someone toward virtue.

Listening to all these explanations, the old man finally grasped the gist of the matter, though he found it hard to believe—could such people truly exist in this world?

The girl, meanwhile, had caught onto something else entirely. She quickly asked, “Is it true that doing good deeds can earn you miraculous pills and medicines? Has anyone actually received such rewards?”

At this, the group grew animated. “There’s a philanthropist named Wang in the east of the city, known for his generosity. This time, after housing many refugees from Jiangzhou, the apricot seed he planted in his courtyard suddenly grew three feet overnight, and his elderly mother’s lung illness was completely cured.”

And this was not an isolated incident. In households where apricot seeds had been planted, after performing good deeds, the seeds sprouted into green shoots—some a few inches, some several feet tall.

Once these apricot saplings appeared, it was said the atmosphere of the home changed, as if some deity now watched over them.

Thus, in just two days, Jinhua Prefecture had almost become a place where doors were left unbarred and lost property went unclaimed. Even the usual wrongdoers and villains had been dealt with by others. The city was transformed.

Grandfather and granddaughter looked at each other in amazement. Suddenly, the girl’s eyes lit up. “Grandfather, why don’t we try doing some good deeds too? We’ve just dealt with the river bandits of the Golden River—perhaps we could earn some medicine for our efforts!”

But before the old man could reply, the bystanders shook their heads. One said, “The Golden River bandits were caught by the Chisong Daoists some days ago, brought to the city for trial, and executed the very same day!”

“What did you say?”

At these words, the old man’s eyes blazed with a fierce, dazzling light, his aura surging uncontrollably and turning the faces of those around him pale.

Was he a grandmaster of the martial arts?

The onlookers silently congratulated themselves for not offending this unassuming old man. In recent days, martial grandmasters in Jinhua Prefecture were as common as cabbages by the roadside, especially after the Path of Merit was established. Some grandmasters disguised themselves as the weak, luring bandits from the surrounding hills and wiping them out.

Clearly, this old man was another master in disguise.

One of them replied, “All the Golden River bandits have been executed—word of it is everywhere. Anyone can tell you so!”

Hearing this, the old man felt a pang of disappointment. He was ready to avenge his bitter grudge, only to find his enemies had already perished. Truly, it was a case of “drawing one’s sword and finding no foe in sight.”

No, wait! He remembered—there had been someone behind the scenes all those years ago, a figure he would never forget, clad in crimson official robes.

He immediately asked, “Do you know of an official in Jinhua Prefecture who wears crimson robes and has the look of a scholar?”

At this, the burly man replied in surprise, “Do you mean Zhang Zongcheng, the Prefect of Jinhua? Only the Prefect wears crimson robes here.”

The old man’s eyes sharpened. “Where does he live?”

“You’ve come too late, sir,” the burly man said. “That rat vanished days ago. When the governor investigated, he discovered the Golden River bandits were disguised subordinates of this very man! Ruthless, truly ruthless… In one night, he killed all his own men to cover his tracks. Such cruelty is rare indeed.”

“Zhang Zongcheng…” the old man murmured, his gaze burning with implacable hatred.

Ten years—it was only today that he finally learned his enemy’s name.

Alas, he was still one step too late. Otherwise, with his current cultivation in the second level of True Qi, he would surely have slain the man himself, avenging his son and daughter-in-law.