You are unlucky and I am tough

At dawn the next day, the bluestone pavement in Goutou Town was still covered with a thin layer of fog. The steamed bun shop on the street was steaming hot, and the proprietress was busy handing out freshly baked buns to early risers.

At a roadside tea stall, a few old men were cracking melon seeds and chatting idly.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried horse hooves and chaotic footsteps broke the silence.

He Zhou and a group of officials stopped outside Liu's residence. He dismounted with a stern expression and ordered, "Seal off both the front and back gates. Don't let anyone escape."

The officers immediately split into two groups after receiving the order. He Zhou took two of his followers and went to knock on the door. The doorman took a look through the crack in the door and was so scared that he crawled to the backyard.

After knocking on the door a few times but no one opened it, He Zhou drew the sword from his waist and chopped down the vermilion door. The people on the street were frightened by the scene. They were curious but did not dare to go over, and only talked about it in a low voice from a distance.

He Zhou raised his hand and gestured, and dozens of officials rushed in. Suddenly, there was a loud noise from inside, the sound of furniture being overturned, and the maids' screams of fear.

People on the street were whispering, "What crime did Mr. Liu's family commit?"

"Who knows? The soldiers are here so early in the morning."

"It was so scary. The door was broken down."

Everyone was talking at once, their faces full of curiosity and confusion.

After a while, the police brought out Mr. Liu and his family. Mr. Liu was still wearing his underwear, his hair was disheveled and his face was pale. It seemed that he had already expected the outcome of today, but he was still unwilling to accept it.

Watching Mr. Liu's family being taken away by soldiers, their belongings being collected and packed up and shipped away, and the door being sealed, the crowd on the street did not disperse for a long time, and everyone was talking about this sudden change.

Goutou Town was a small town, so the news that the whole family had their property confiscated and was imprisoned was bound to spread like wildfire. The next afternoon, the news reached Chengjia Village.

Chen went to the town every day to sell braised food. She brought back the news, and she described the process of the officials arresting people in vivid detail.

Cheng Shuang felt that the officer leading the arrests seemed to be He Zhou, and He Zhou arrived in the afternoon.

There was a surplus of silver donated by merchants, so County Magistrate Zheng used the remaining silver to buy other medicinal herbs and distributed them equally to each village. He Zhou came to deliver the second batch of medicine today. After he explained the matter to the village, he brought two confidants to Chengjia Village, one of whom was carrying a long box on his back.

Wei Qinglang invited everyone to the main hall for tea. Cheng Shuang called Wei Xinyi and asked her to go to Zhushan to call back Wei Nanxing who was practicing archery.

Wei Xinyi ran out as fast as she could. Not long after, Wei Nanxing hurried back with beads of sweat on his forehead. Seeing He Zhou sitting in the main room, he couldn't call him "Brother He" anymore. He looked nervous and uneasy, but his eyes were filled with joy.

He Zhou looked at Wei Nanxing's awkward expression and smiled. Without further ado, he said directly, "Then hurry up. I have some official business later."

He Zhou said as he moved to the yard and sat upright on a chair.

The whole family came out and stood quietly by the side watching. Wei Nanxing personally brewed tea, knelt down in front of He Zhou, performed a profound kowtow, and then served him tea.

After the tea was served, Wei Nanxing took out his letter of apprenticeship and read it out. "Disciple Wei Nanxing has long admired Master's superb martial arts and noble character. I wish to become Master's disciple and follow him by his side. I will observe the etiquette of a disciple, faithfully follow his instructions, listen to his teachings, and diligently learn his art. Although I may be dull in talent, I possess perseverance and determination. I will respect Master's teachings, study diligently, and live up to his high expectations. If Master agrees, I will be deeply grateful and will remember his teachings for the rest of my life. I respectfully present this letter, hoping that Master will grant my approval."

After reading the invitation, Wei Nanxing lowered his head and held the invitation above his head with both hands. He Zhou sat upright in front of him, looking at him and said in a deep voice, "Since you have accepted me as your master today, I have a few words to warn you. The road of martial arts is extremely difficult, and you need to have an unyielding will. You must train hard in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer, and never slack off. At the same time, you must remember that martial arts are not for fighting and showing off. Martial artists should value martial ethics first and foremost. You must not bully the weak or do evil."

Wei Nanxing lowered his head and said, "Yes, disciple will remember this."

He Zhou stood up, took the letter of apprenticeship, and then reached out to help the man up.

Wei Nanxing stood up and called out with a smile, "Master."

He Zhou nodded slightly and stretched out his hand to signal his followers behind him to bring the things up.

He Zhou handed the long dark purple box to Wei Nanxing and said calmly, "This sword is called Qinglin. It was passed down to me by my master. However, I learned a lot of different techniques. I am more proficient in swordsmanship and sticks. You are extremely talented in archery, which shows that you have good coordination and quick reactions. The two sets of sword techniques my master left me are perfect for you. Today, I will pass this sword on to you."

Wei Nanxing opened the box, revealing a sword, its scabbard detached. The scabbard was engraved with mysterious patterns. The blade was as sharp as frost, its lines flowing and graceful, revealing a deadly sharpness. The hilt was inlaid with four bluish-purple gemstones, one large and three small, and surrounded by intricately carved patterns, creating an indescribably simple and exquisite beauty.

"Thank you, Master, for the sword." Wei Nanxing was a little excited. "I will study hard and live up to Master's high expectations."

Cheng Shuang stood on tiptoe to take a look at the sword in the box. She knew at a glance that it was definitely worth a fortune. She quickly pulled Wei Qinglang into the main hall and opened the box containing ginseng as a gift for becoming a disciple.

Cheng Shuang whispered, "Hurry up and take out that thirty-year-old ginseng."

Wei Qinglang understood what Cheng Shuang meant. The gift He Zhou gave was very valuable. In comparison, their small ginseng seemed a bit insignificant.

He spread his hands and a ginseng appeared in his palm. Cheng Shuang quickly took out the small one and put the big one in, muttering, "I didn't expect that County Lieutenant He is actually wealthy. The gemstones inlaid on that sword alone must be worth at least a thousand taels."

Wei Qinglang nodded, "In fact, judging from his conversation and temperament, I can tell that he comes from a well-off family. Maybe he really has some background."

Cheng Shuang tied the box up again and put the small ginseng away. "There's no wealthy family with the surname He in Qushan County. I'll ask around someday to see if there's a young master from a wealthy family in another county."

After the two of them finished talking, they went out to call Wei Nanxing in to receive the gift of apprenticeship.

It is a rule that no matter what the gift is, you cannot refuse it. He Zhou did not even look at what it was and asked his two close followers to accept the things one by one.

Then He Zhou said, "Nanxing, pack your things and come with me later."

"Follow you?" Wei Nanxing didn't understand what it meant?

He Zhou explained, "The first two months of foundational work are crucial for success, so you'll be living with me for the next few months. I have a small courtyard near the government office. I need to go to work when the government office has business, but I can still find time every day to teach you martial arts."

Upon hearing this, Wei Nanxing looked at Wei Qinglang. Wei Qinglang nodded and said, "Hurry up and pack. The weather is getting colder soon. Bring some thick clothes."

Wei Nanxing nodded seriously, said "Master," and turned back to his room to pack up his things.

Cheng Guqiu also hurried back to the room and took out a set of men's clothes made of brocade.

The last time the prefect awarded her, she received a total of twenty pieces of brocade. Cheng Guqiu said that she could make clothes for her family, so Cheng Shuang gave them all to her. These few days, she chose a piece of green and dark patterns and made a set for Wei Qinglang and Wei Nanxing respectively.

Cheng Guqiu found the suit he had made for Wei Nanxing, brought it to his room, and reminded him, "This material is thick and warm. Take this suit with you. Be careful not to catch a cold when the weather gets cold."

"Thank you, aunt." Wei Nanxing took the clothes, folded them carefully and put them into his bag.

After a while, he packed up his things and walked out with his bag on his back.

"Fourth brother, how long will it take for you to come back?" Wei Xinyi ran over and hugged him reluctantly.

Wei Nanxing rubbed her head and said, "The county town is not far away. I will come back when I have time. You should be good at home and read more books when you have nothing to do. Don't be so wild and run out to play all day."

After a few goodbyes from the Yu family, Wei Nanxing followed He Zhou out. The family members sent him to the door and stood outside watching the group walk away before returning home.

He Zhou returned home with his new apprentice. The small courtyard he bought was located on a street in front of the county government office. It was quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle, and was a very suitable place to concentrate on practicing martial arts.

As soon as he entered the door, a little girl about fourteen or fifteen came over and asked He Zhou and his two followers to take the things to the main room.

Wei Nanxing was looking at the courtyard curiously when he saw an old woman coming out of the house. She had gray hair and a wrinkled face, and she walked with a staggering gait.

"Who is this?" Not knowing what to address him, Wei Nanxing looked at He Zhou puzzledly.

"You can just call her Granny Qi."

After He Zhou finished introducing the old woman, he went over and supported her, saying, "Madam, this is my new apprentice. He will live with us for the time being and will live in the room next to mine."

"Hello, mother-in-law." Wei Nanxing called out obediently.

Aunt Qi was old and her eyesight was not good. She walked forward, squinting her eyes and looked at him for a while before she smiled and said, "Well, well, this young master has clear eyes and a bright mind. He is a good child. Young master has good taste."

As he spoke, he reached out to take the bag from Wei Nanxing's shoulder, turned around and called the maid, "Xiaoyu, come and take the young master's bag to the room and clean up the room quickly."

Xiaoyu ran over to take the bundle. Aunt Qi wanted to take the sword box that Wei Nanxing was carrying, but he quickly stopped her and said, "I can carry this myself. Thank you."

Aunt Qi nodded and asked Xiaoyu to clean the room.

"She was my mother's dowry nanny. When I was a child, she was the one who treated me the best besides my mother."

He Zhou saw Wei Nanxing looking at Madam Qi's back with a puzzled look on her face, so he sat down on a stone bench in the yard. "Since you have become my disciple, it's okay to tell you some things. I was born in Donghuang City, and the He family is a famous imperial merchant in Donghuang City.

I am the legitimate son of the He family. Because I abandoned literature and pursued martial arts, my father disliked me. For many years, my father favored his concubine over his wife, favoring his younger brother. This caused my mother to die of depression. So after my mother passed away, I left home and wandered the world. It was not until two years ago that I came here to visit Aunt Qi. Seeing that she was old and in declining health, I found a job in the county government and settled down.

Wei Nanxing listened carefully, caught the question that concerned him the most, and asked, "Then Master, will you not stay in Qushan County for too long?"

"Perhaps. The doctor said that Madam has less than a year left. After she passes away, I might resign and continue to travel the world, or I might stay for a few more years to help County Magistrate Zheng. He's a good official."

Wei Nanxing thought seriously for a moment, "Then I will go wherever Master goes."

He Zhou laughed, "You better learn martial arts well first, if you don't learn well, I won't recognize you as my disciple."