Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 39

Han Li left the Seven Mysteries Sect without a trace of regret. His only lingering thought was for Li Feiyu. Lost in contemplation, Han Li leaned back in the carriage and closed his eyes.

Five days later, Han Li recognized a familiar village at the end of a yellow dirt road.

Low walls, scattered piles of straw, and bumpy, narrow alleys—the sight of his hometown, which he had yearned for, unfolded before him.

He tried to calm his racing heart and asked the coachman to stop the carriage before they reached the village. Leaving Gu Hun in the carriage, he walked briskly towards the village entrance.

His heart pounded as he approached, a sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time.

* * *

Finally, Han Li entered the village.

As he passed through the entrance, he could hear the sounds of musical instruments and cheers from afar, but the winding streets were deserted.

The sound was familiar. Someone in the village must be celebrating a wedding, and the villagers were gathered there for the joyous occasion.

When he focused his vision, he could indeed see a large crowd in the distance, right where his house used to be. Han Li couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘Could it be…?’

He quickened his pace, passing several farmhouses and turning a corner, his eyes widening. Hundreds of villagers were gathered at the mansion.

The mansion looked much grander than the surrounding farmhouses, with several rooms under tiled roofs, and the character ‘喜’ [xi – meaning happiness] was prominently displayed at the entrance. In the courtyard, musicians played trumpets and drums, creating a lively atmosphere.

The villagers were gathered in small groups, chatting animatedly. Children ran around the adults, their laughter echoing through the air. The familiar scene made Han Li feel as if he had been transported back to his childhood, playing among them.

“Hehe! The Han family’s girl is so lucky. I heard her husband is a scholar. A well-educated man, they say.”

“That’s right. And she’s becoming his main wife, elevating her status overnight!”

“I heard she’s taking an enormous dowry. Dozens of taels of silver, they say.”

“They must be very wealthy!”

Han Li snapped back to reality at the villagers’ conversation.

‘The Han family’s girl, that must be my younger sister! Is today her wedding day?’

An unfamiliar emotion surged within him, and he couldn’t stand still. For some reason, he chose a large tree near his house, hid himself, and watched the mansion gate. Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.

“The flower carriage is arriving! The groom is coming to greet the bride!”

At this announcement, everyone became excited, and the cheers grew louder.

“The bride is coming out!”

“Bride, come out! Let’s see your face!”

Even the young children joined in, shouting wildly. Han Li focused his attention even more intently on the mansion.

‘Creak.’

The wooden gate opened, and a dozen men and women emerged, surrounding a young girl dressed in a red wedding dress.

The girl had a delicate chin and beautiful features, her face flushed with shyness.

Han Li opened his eyes wide, carefully examining her to see if any traces of her childhood remained. Except for her familiar eyes, there was no sign of the young child he remembered.

“Ha! It’s true what they say, that women change completely as they grow up!”

Han Li smiled wryly and turned his gaze elsewhere.

“There’s my fat uncle! I can tell at a glance. He’s still fat.”

“Oh, that dark-skinned person, that’s my older brother. Is the person next to him my sister-in-law?”

Han Li muttered to himself whenever he recognized someone, as if it would make him feel a little better. However, when his gaze shifted to an elderly couple with gray hair, his mouth clamped shut.

He stood blankly on the tree, unable to move. He felt a mix of trembling and fear.

His parents looked much older than he had imagined. His mother, who had black hair when he left for Noul Mountain, now had gray hair, and his father’s straight back was now bent. Han Li’s heart ached, and he stood there blankly for a while, not knowing what to do.

When he came to his senses, his younger sister was riding away in a red silk carriage, and next to her was a scholar on horseback.

Han Li looked at the carriage again, then at his parents in the crowd, and then closed his eyes.

After engraving their faces in his mind, Han Li began to walk towards the village entrance without hesitation. He knew that if he left this time, he would probably never return again.

After Han Li learned the Everlasting Spring Arts and became aware of the existence of cultivators, he had no choice but to walk a completely different path from ordinary people.

Whether this would be a blessing or a curse, he didn’t know, but he would never regret his choice.

* * *

Nan Prefecture was the largest of the thirteen prefectures in Yue Country, and it was also considered the second most prosperous after Xin Prefecture. The land here was fertile, there was plenty of water within the city, and the climate was suitable for growing crops. Therefore, it was one of the leading grain-producing areas in the country.

Located in the center of Nan Prefecture, Jiayuan City was not the capital of Nan Prefecture, but it was practically the most developed city.

The Grand Canal, which ran north-south through Yue Country, passed through the center of Jiayuan City, and in addition to this, it was well-connected by both land and water, making it a major transportation hub.

Trade was so developed that countless merchants and travelers passed through each year. With such economic development, it was no wonder that Jiayuan City was called the best city in Nan Prefecture.

In Jiayuan City, there were carriage rental shops and docks of all sizes, and the number of coachmen, laborers, and boatmen who made a living in that field was truly large. Among them, one person who made a living at the docks was Sun Yigu.

He was a man with slanted eyebrows and crooked eyes, but he was quick-witted and good at flattering, so he had formed a small gang within the dock and was acting as the deputy leader. He had dozens of porters under him, and their livelihood was carrying goods for merchants and luggage for travelers.

Sun Yigu, who had arrived at their base, a small dock, early in the morning, was being greeted politely by his subordinates.

“Elder Sun, are you well today?”

“Elder Sun, you’ve arrived!”

Sun Yigu shrugged his shoulders. The fact that people called him ‘Elder’ meant that he was recognized in this area. He pretended to be dignified and accepted his subordinates’ greetings.

“What ‘Elder Sun,’ it’s just Sun Yigu, isn’t it?”

“That’s right, just because he walks on two feet, does he think a dog becomes a human?”

“Haha! Hahaha!”

Harsh mocking sounds reached Sun Yigu’s ears.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the people standing on the opposite side of the dock. Among them, Sun Yigu’s gaze fell on a man with a sturdy build and dark skin, and it was filled with jealousy and hatred.

That man was one of the people Sun Yigu hated the most in the world.

No one knew the name of that dark-skinned man. The people at the dock simply called him ‘Elder Hei’ or by his nickname, Black Bear. He was the deputy leader of another small gang, the Iron Fist Society.

Since he was the deputy leader of a small gang, and the position Sun Yigu held in the Four Peace Gang was similar, they managed workers based on the same dock.

With two gangs on this small dock, there was no way they could get along. Several times, they had fought over business, and their relationship had rapidly deteriorated. When the people of the two gangs met, they would push and shove each other, and fights were common.

If the subordinates were like this, what could be said about Sun Yigu and Black Bear? However, they also had their dignity as deputy leaders of their gangs, and since the Iron Fist Society and the Four Peace Gang had formed an alliance to fight against a larger enemy, the Poison Dragon Gang, they could not act rashly.

They were both eager to drive the other out of this dock, but they had to endure for the time being. Therefore, their day began with mocking each other every morning.

While they were exchanging insults, one of Sun Yigu’s subordinates shouted.

“A boat is coming in!”

At his words, the noisy crowd simultaneously turned their heads to look at the boat. However, after confirming the approaching boat, they all looked disappointed.

It was only natural, as this dock itself was old and dilapidated, and its location was not good, so large merchant ships generally did not come in. Only when there were no spaces at other docks would large ships reluctantly come in.

When the small boat docked, there were only two people on board. One was a young man who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old with ordinary features, and next to him was a giant who was more than two heads taller.

The young man looked around as soon as he reached the dock, as if he had come to the city for the first time. This young man and the giant were none other than Han Li and Gu Hun, who had been traveling non-stop for three months and had reached the hometown of Master Wen.

* * *

Han Li had left his hometown and traveled southeast, finally arriving in Nan Prefecture. The journey to get here was not easy.

To take a shortcut, he had passed through wild mountains and wastelands, and he had even encountered packs of wolves driven by hunger.

Of course, the wolves had become Han Li’s dinner. He had finally arrived here after passing through two villages.

As soon as he entered the border of Nan Prefecture, Han Li was greatly surprised by the waterways that spread out in all directions. Most of the places he had passed through so far were mountainous regions, and it was difficult to see even small streams, let alone canals or lakes.

He became interested in the boats that were freely moving around, and out of curiosity, he boarded a small boat.

Having boarded a boat for the first time in his life, Han Li could not forget the feeling of the boat cutting through the water.

The place where he arrived by boat was the dock of Jiayuan City, which Master Wen had mentioned in his letter.

The dock was made of stacked wooden planks, and it looked dirty because it was too old and small, and there were baskets and sacks scattered everywhere.

Moreover, at the dock, there were dozens of strong men standing in two groups, and they were either shirtless or wearing thin cloths, giving off a sturdy and fierce feeling.

When Han Li and Gu Hun got off the boat, their gazes all turned to them. Han Li was momentarily taken aback by their stares, but he immediately smiled. While riding the boat, the boatman had told him that there were rules at the Jiayuan City docks, and that merchants who docked their boats had to hire the dock’s porters, regardless of the amount of their cargo.

If they broke this rule, they would have to endure the porters’ bad temper, and in severe cases, they could even be beaten.

So, as soon as Han Li set foot here, he immediately raised his voice.

“I need to hire porters. Is there anyone here?”

Sun Yigu glanced at them and roughly guessed their identities. In his opinion, the young man who had just gotten off the boat was definitely a young master from a wealthy family, and the giant behind him was his bodyguard.

This kind of combination was common in Jiayuan City, and most of them would spend money and show off under the pretext of gaining worldly experience before returning home.

However, these were the kind of people who were considered easy targets for the porters. If they were flattered a little, they would give them a few extra coins in addition to the cost of carrying the luggage. But this time, the deal was clearly going to go to the other side.

He and Black Bear had agreed to take turns serving customers, and since Sun Yigu’s customer was the last one yesterday, it was Black Bear’s turn this time.

Getting a good customer was purely up to the luck of both sides. When Sun Yigu looked at Black Bear, they were already choosing porters and excitedly approaching the young man.

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