936 Small Matter
âWell, they are brothers after all.â
The relationship between Wang Yao and his two uncles was quite average. In his youth, Wang Yao had spent more time with his grandfather from his motherâs side. The grandparents from his fatherâs side seldom visited, so he had little contact with his fatherâs brothers. As such, there was little feeling of kinship to be had. Those brothers rarely visited his father in the village. When they did, it was usually just to borrow money. The blood connection was the only keep keeping the family together.
âJust let him work here. Iâll get someone to knock some sense into him,â Tian Yuantu said.
âAlright, thanks a lot,â Wang Yao replied.
âIt is nothing,â Tian Yuantu said with a smile. This was not much of a trouble for him, but Wang Yao still felt bad about it.
âAre you free tonight?â Wang Yao asked. âHow about we go to dinner?â
âSure,â Tian Yuantu said.
Wang Yao stayed in the town center all afternoon. He visited other friends in town and had dinner with them all in the evening. By the time he was home, it was already well past 8 p.m.
He greeted his family after he returned home.
âWell?â Wang Fenghua asked. That matter had been bothering him all day.
Wang Yao stayed silent for a bit before honestly saying, âRight. Smoking, drinking, and gambling,â
âGambling?â
âYes, and he has messy relationships with several female colleagues.â
Wham! Wang Fenghua threw the glass he was holding onto the table. He was very angry.
Wang Yaoâs mother couldnât help but mumble, âHe just canât be decent, can he? Does he even remember his surname at all? We shouldnât have lent that $10,000 to him!â
Wang Fenghua did not say anything. He just quietly sat and smoked. Honestly, he was very disappointed in his little brother. His brother considered to be in his prime. He should have been working to build a career. Instead, the man had gotten himself mixed up in all those vices.
Sigh! Wang Fenghua exasperatingly sighed.
âDonât worry too much, Dad,â Wang Yao said. âI talked with Brother Tian. He said he would have someone knock some sense into Third Uncle.â
Regardless of how much of a disappointment Wang Fenghua was and how frustrated he was at his brother, he was still a family member. It was fine to be angry, but Wang Fenghua was unable to live with himself letting his brother be.
âAlright.â That was all Wang Fenghua had to say about it, even after being mum for quite a while.
Wang Yao stayed home for a bit before heading out to Nanshan Hill alone.
It was a winter night, but there was no wind. Everything was quiet.
It was just cold, very cold.
Wang Yao took quick strides and arrived at the top of the hill in mere moments. The lamp was lit. Mantra chants were heard until midnight.
Wang Yao was up early the next morning.
When the early morning sun shone on the herbal field, he picked a spot in and planted the Kang wood. The tree was about 2 feet tall and as thick as a thumb. The trunk looked bluish-purple, and the leaves were purple. Both sides of the leaves had tiny silver hairs.
A dog was seen wagging its tail by the side. After watching the tree for a while, the dog went up to smell it.
Wang Yao pointed at the Kang wood and said to the dog, âSan Xian, this is Kang wood. Itâs an upper-level magic herb,â
At the moment, that was the most precious herb found throughout the entire field. It needed a very long time to grow before it would bear fruit. After 10 years, it would have only grown another foot in height.
âKeep a close eye on it.â
The dog barked for a bit, signifying that it had the job covered.
In southern Yunnan, thousands of miles away...
âThis guy looks somewhat like one from our place. Hereâs his photo,â Miao Qingfeng found Yang Guanfeng and showed him a picture.
âWhere is this guy now?â Lu Xiufeng immediately asked after looking at the picture.
âNo idea.â
âNo idea?â
âHe left the place 16 years ago,â Miao Qingfeng said.
He had found them after receiving Miao Xiheâs instructions. He showed them the picture and gave them the news.
âWhat is his name?â
âMiao Tianchuan.â
âWhy did he leave 16 years ago? Did he have some altercation with your chief?â Lu Xiufeng asked.
âIndeed, he and the chief were not on good terms,â Miao Qingfeng said. âHe harbored great enmity toward the chief.â
âWhat were the reasons?â
âIâm not all that certain about the reasons,â Miao Qingfeng replied. âI was still a kid 16 years ago, so there was no way I would have known any of that. If you want to know more, youâd need to ask the chief.â
âWell, ask him when youâve got the time,â Yang Guanfeng said. âWeâd like to know more about the reasons.â
âSure, Iâll ask,â Miao Qingfeng said.
âIs this Miao Tianchuan guy good with poisons?â
âThe chief said that he was very talented using them,â Miao Qingfeng replied.
âRight. Got it. Thank you.â
âYouâre too polite. This is just part of my job.â
They gave Miao Qingfeng an update on the case before leaving.
âSo, are you onto this Miao Tianchuan guy?â Lu Xiufeng asked with a smile.
âThe first time we went there, they got Miao Qingshan to serve as a scapegoat, and that guy ran when we were about to apprehend him,â Yang Guanfeng said. âWorse yet, both of us were poisoned and spent some days lying in bed. This time, there is someone else like this popping up. Also, he left the place 16 years ago and is nowhere to be found at the moment. We donât even know if heâs dead or alive. Itâs another seemingly dead end. Where do you think we should start looking, eh?â
âAre you saying that they just made someone up?â
âThat is not definitely the case, but it is a possibility,â Yang Guanfeng said. âThat guy could really be from their place, and he might actually have something against Miao Xihe.â
âIsnât it simple then?â Lu Xiufeng asked. âItâs a setup. Wasnât that what they were up to?â
âYeah, but why now of all times? And, this guy... Is it really a coincidence?â
âWhat should we do?â
âWe ask.â
âAsk who?â
âWho do you think?â
âI forgot about that. There is still another guy.â Lu Xiufeng sent a message to the person they have never met or even spoken to. There was only the name in that messageâMiao Tianchuan.
âAlright, now we wait for news.â
âWell, who do you think this person is?â
âHow many people from the Valley of Thousands of Medicine do you know?â
âUmm, Miao Xihe, Miao Qingfeng, Miao Changhong, and umm...â Lu Xiufeng stopped to think.
âErr, whatâs the name of that pretty girl who was a good cook again?â
âMan, screw you.â Yang Guanfeng smiled and waved his hands.
âOh, a reply.â The reply from the mystery person came quickly.
âSomeone who left the village 16 years ago and was on bad terms with Miao Xihe. It seems like Miao Xihe had a lot to do with the deaths of the manâs parents.â
âIf thatâs the case, that means it has something to do with murder,â Yang Guanfeng said. âWhat the hell is going on with that valley?â
âFrom the looks of it, we might just get ourselves into a dead end,â Lu Xiufeng said. âSo much for a lead, I guess. It seems like that lead wonât be working for long.â
Meanwhile, in the Valley of Thousands of Medicines miles away...
âChief.â
âAre you ready?â
âReady.â
âLetâs begin.â
âYes, Sir.â
Lights glittered in a wooden building during the night.
Inside it was a young man in his 20s.
âHave you thought it through, Xiao He?â
âIndeed. I owe my life to you, Chief. Iâm willing,â that young man said.
âOK, letâs begin.â
Outside of the Valley of Thousands of Medicine, in the dark of night...
A man was zipping about in the woods. When he came to the foot of the mountain, he found that the cave he usually passed through had been completely blocked off.
âWhy is it suddenly blocked off?â He looked around for a bit, but he was unable to find a suitable entrance.
âMiao Xihe is quick!â He slightly sighed.
âOf course. Youâd probably find something if he wasnât quick enough.â A voice was heard coming from the corner of the foot of the mountain.
âMiao Chengfeng?â
âMiao Tianchuan, I canât believe youâre still alive.â A man walked out of a treeâs shadow.
âIâm not dying until Iâve taken my revenge,â Miao Tianchuan said.
âTsk, tsk, tsk. Since you were able to escape back then, you should have just stayed put somewhere else,â Miao Chengfeng said. âWhy have you dared to return?â
âWhy the hell not?â
âDoes what is happening out there have something to do with you?â
âWhat do you mean?ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWeâll talk after we see the chief.â
Suddenly, the two men clashed in the dark of night.
âWell, it seems like youâve kept your skills up all these years.â
Pfft, pfftt. Two flashes of light were seen in the dark.