Inside the room, Liang Qu was soaking in a tub, feeling refreshed.
In the homes of Martial Masters, especially those who are well-off, bathtubs are never in short supply.
With five people, each can easily have one.
The five brothers were soaking together like they were in a public bathhouse, filling the entire room with steam.
After bathing, the smell of blood dissipated.
Liang Qu retrieved the Twin-Winged Heavenly Water Centipede he had hidden in his clothes and changed into clean garments, pleasantly surprised to find they fit quite well.
Xu Zishuai, fastening his belt, explained, "Our martial sister likes to make clothes for us. During the holidays, she gifts us a few sets, so I rarely buy clothes myself. What she sends is more than enough."
Liang Qu was taken aback, "Your martial sister made them by hand?”
"How could that be?" Xu Zishuai laughed, "Our martial sister is getting on in years, and with so many brothers, making one set for each would already be exhausting, let alone multiple sets, so servants do it. But she occasionally makes sachets for us. Her skills are top-notch."
Xiang Changsong chimed in, "Could Miss Xu from the Xu Clan have poor skills? The Xu Clan’s silk is well-known."
Xu Zishuai laughed heartily, "Ha ha, that's true. If I ever have the ability, maybe I’ll let our martial sister arrange a match with someone from the Xu Clan for me."
"I doubt it. Our martial sister wouldn't push family into a pit," joked Xiang Changsong.
"You punk, what do you mean by that? Ah?" Xu Zishuai grabbed Xiang Changsong by the head, bent his finger, and gave him a hard knock on the forehead, "I'll give you a chance to rephrase."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, Senior Brother Lu, save me!"
"Alright, that's enough," Lu Gang said as he stepped out of the tub, with golden medicinal liquid dripping from him.
Lu Gang had sustained minor injuries from his battle with Huang Zejun and was soaking in a medicinal bath, staying longer than the others.
Upon hearing his words, the two stopped their antics.
"Senior Brother Xiang, which Xu Clan are you talking about?"
"Junior Brother, you're still learning, so it’s normal not to know the prominent families," Xiang Changsong said as he sat on a nearby bench, adjusting his clothes.
"Our martial sister is from the Xu Clan in Yellow Prefecture. In the Xu Clan, her clan isn’t just big in name—in the time of the Great Shun founding, they produced a grand chancellor and several ministers."
Liang Qu was curious, "How did our martial sister meet our master?"
"Our master joined the army when he was young. He worked his way up to captain. Because he was so brave in battle, he caught the attention of General Xu Wenzhu, who personally arranged the marriage for him. General Xu Wenzhu was the third son of Duke Xu Youguang, so of course, the person he introduced wasn't ordinary. She was the daughter of Xurong Guang, a third-grade minister of the Court of Imperial Banquets. That’s our martial sister. You could say she married down when she married our master."
Xiang Changsong mused.
Hu Qi laughed, "Be careful saying that around Master, or he might beat you."
Xiang Changsong put his hands on his hips, "I’m not afraid. Our martial sister will back me up."
"Alright, if everyone is done bathing, let's go out. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest."
Lu Gang rose, and the group stopped their chatter, heading back to the main hall.
By now, Ms. Xu was already seated at the head of the table.
At some point, a large table had been set up in the hall, laden with dishes steaming with heat, evidently freshly prepared by the servants.
Ms. Xu sipped her tea and said calmly, "You all came over reeking of blood in the middle of the night? And brought along a cripple and a dwarf, disrupting an old woman's sleep?"
"Apologies, martial sister."
The five brothers all bowed in respect.
"Enough. Seeing you've been busy all night, and Xiaoba has eaten up almost an entire tray of snacks, I had the servants prepare some food for you. Eat first, we can talk as you eat."
At Ms. Xu's instructions, there was no point in being polite, so the brothers sat around the eight-immortals table and started serving themselves rice.
Given the time constraints, there was no chance for roasted meat, so the table was mostly fried dishes, still rich with pork slices and cooked in lard, just right for filling hungry stomachs.
In the corner, Huang Zejun swallowed his saliva.
He hadn’t eaten dinner and had gone through a fierce battle, leaving his stomach empty and truly suffering from hunger.
Ms. Xu didn't rush with questions, instead surveying the group.
Only after everyone had eaten at least a bowl of rice did she begin questioning them.
Lu Gang, having taken a bite, gestured toward the couple tied up in the corner, "Just to inform you, martial sister, all the Water Baptism Sect rebels have been executed. There shouldn't be any trouble for a while."
The brothers had all seen Zhao Hongyuan’s letter and unanimously agreed that the name ‘Ghost Mother Sect’ was far better than ‘Water Baptism,’ and thus changed the name.
Ms. Xu raised her eyebrows slightly, wearing an expression suggesting this was no surprise to her.
"I've said before, those who couldn't achieve anything decades ago still can't today. They attempted something sneaky to divert your master's attention specifically. Constrained, cowardly, stuck in one corner—aptly described as defeated stragglers."
Liang Qu couldn't help but laugh.
This judgment was exactly what he had heard when he first sought out Ms. Xu.
Huang Zejun, in the corner, coughed up blood and glared angrily.
Ms. Xu glared back and said, "You brought them in, so make sure to clean up afterwards. Explain everything clearly. We might as well treat it as a late-night tale."
Lu Gang glanced around and said, "Junior Brother Liang, you explain. You had more dealings with the Zhao family."
Liang Qu swallowed his food, beginning the tale from the note he received from the Zhao family’s steward, Zheng Xiang, leading up to the capture of Huang Zejun.
He also filled in his history with Zheng Xiang, though he didn’t mention Scabby-head Zhang.
His brothers were greatly shocked at his tale.
Xu Zishuai laughed, "That Zheng Xiang certainly has a discerning eye."
"Junior Brother, why didn't you mention any of this before?"
"I just thought it was unimportant."
Hu Qi pondered, "Rumors of Zhao Hongyuan being interested in men are widespread, but now it seems it might have just been a ruse. Thankfully, Junior Brother didn’t agree back then, or else we might not be seeing you today."
"It’s good he escaped quickly. To nurture hundreds of mountain spirits, who knows how many were harmed. Anyway, don’t let me run into him; if I do, I’ll definitely take him down myself."
Xu Zishuai spoke with a hint of menace.
"You can't underestimate people in this world."
Xiang Changsong sighed deeply.
In these past five years, he managed to contend with the Ghost Mother Sect for so long—certainly due to the favor of saving lives—without undergoing a blood curse, ensuring he could safely retreat after the deed.
"Zhao Hongyuan! I will kill you!"
In the corner, Huang Zejun, having silently heard everything, felt his blood boiling with rage, and once more spat blood.
Ms. Xu was annoyed, "Shut him up and throw him out for me!"
Xu Zishuai moved swiftly, tossing Huang Zejun out of the door.
The severely injured Huang Zejun landed heavily on the stone pavement, aggravating his wounds, and cried out in pain.
Inside, the faint sounds of his wails were miles better than the loud complaints of before.
"Right, martial sister, how should we handle the shop deed valued at over two thousand silver taels, and what about Huang Zejun and the dwarf?" Xu Zishuai asked, resuming his seat.
"What do you all think?"
"We leave it up to martial sister's decision!" *5
Zhao Hongyuan’s shop could potentially mean division troubles.
Though the message implied it was a gift for the Martial Hall, who gets how much was tricky.
Although the second and fifth siblings weren't in Peaceful Sun Town, their trip to Tide River County was to counter the Ghost Mother Sect, so they deserved a share.
Also, there was elder brother, and everyone deserves a part.
Leaving him out wouldn't be right.
Moreover, after living together for so long, Liang Qu knew that the elder brother was precisely Master Yang’s firstborn.
Ms. Xu shuffled through the deeds, contemplating briefly, "I'll convert it to cash; third brother takes three hundred taels, fourth takes two hundred taels, and the rest get one hundred and fifty taels each. How does that sound?"
"No complaints here."
"Would you prefer the shop, or cash?"
"Cash, please."
"Martial sister, I'd prefer the cash too."
"Same for everyone."
Everyone had their own jobs to focus on, and no one wanted to waste effort running a business, so cash was the best option.
"Alright, I’ll have someone fetch some banknotes and divide them among you. As for Huang Zejun, wait until your master returns in a few days; keep him secure until then to prevent escape or death."
(This chapter ends)