Chương 59: Uncle Zhan

Qinghe County, the Song Family's new house. After walking around the new house, Song Que quickly allocated the rooms for everyone:"Xiong Ba, the pets, and I will take the main room and the two annexes. Brother Hong and the brothers can move into the West Wing. Aunt Li, you, A'Xin, and Er'ya will take the East Wing. We'll make do with this for now and figure things out later." Compared to Song Que's manor at Mirror Lake, this house was a bit lacking.

But compared to their previous living situations, it was far beyond their expectations! What was there to complain about? Seeing him finish the allocation, everyone happily went to their respective rooms to start unpacking. Leaving Xiong Ba and Wukong to clean up his room, Song Que and Guan Yu found a place to sit and chat about everything under the sun. By the time everyone settled in and Zhong Hong ordered a catered banquet to be delivered, the two were already chatting as happily as old friends.

After a long day of travel, everyone was a bit tired, so the meal didn't drag on. Only the table with Song Que, Zhong Hong, and Guan Yu ate, drank, and chatted enthusiastically. Thanks to this, Song Que learned a great deal about Qinghe County from Guan Yu. In this county, the wealthiest area was the South Gate district, which connected to the docks on the Lingjiang River, making commerce incredibly prosperous. Next was the West City district, where Song Que's group was currently residing.

This area housed the villas of officials and wealthy merchants. The security was tight, and the environment was quiet and spacious. The remaining two districts were far inferior. In a county city, the local officials were the true masters. Unlike the remote Yellow Leaf Town, no faction here dared challenge the authority of the government. County Magistrate Xu Qing was the 'sky' of this place! Following him were the County Commandant Dong Zheng and Chief Constable Wu Tian.

These three were bona fide Fourth-Grade martial artists! In the underworld, the largest faction was undoubtedly the Qinghe Hall. It was a branch of the Lingjiang Gang, with the Fifth-Grade expert, Hall Master Lin Ping, holding down the fort. Even the government was somewhat wary of them. However, these individuals focused entirely on running the water transport businesses at the docks and were indifferent to the profits within the city.

Their headquarters was stationed outside the city, completely occupying hundreds of acres of the Langbo Lake's southern waters and the Lingjiang River estuary. They rarely interfered in the daily activities of Qinghe County. This was also why the local officials turned a blind eye to them. Within the inner city, the two gangs fighting to the death were the Fierce Tiger Gang and the Golden Snake Gang. They could be called evenly matched rivals.

The gang leaders, Lu Tianxiong and Tie Feilong, were both Fourth-Grade martial artists, and the experts under them were roughly equal in strength, making it hard to declare a clear winner. Moreover, both gangs had the backing of the County Magistrate and the County Commandant. Therefore, they knew how to restrain their conflicts, mostly fighting for territory in the shadows without causing major disruptions.

"Fierce Tiger Gang? Back in Yellow Leaf Town, we had the Black Tiger Gang! I wonder if there are any Golden Tigers or Wind Tigers around here?" Hearing the name 'Fierce Tiger', Zhong Hong burst into laughter and joked.

"Now that Brother Zhong mentions it, this Black Tiger Gang actually has some origins with the Fierce Tiger Gang! Rumor has it that the Gang Leader of the Black Tiger Gang is the brother-in-law of Fierce Tiger Gang Leader Lu Tianxiong! His rise to power back then was largely due to his brother-in-law's substantial help!" Hearing this hidden piece of gossip, Song Que and Zhong Hong finally understood. So there was such a connection!

It's a good thing Grandee Song is a merciful man and didn't drive Old Feng to extinction by slaughtering him! Otherwise, if the brother-in-law came seeking revenge, it would have been quite troublesome. The three chatted happily. Seeing that the others had finished eating and looked exhausted, Guan Yu tactfully stood up to take his leave. Although there were still many things he didn't fully understand, there would be plenty of time. Song Que wasn't in a hurry and smiled as he and Zhong Hong walked him to the door.

Only then did everyone officially lock the doors and rest. Song Que bathed, then lay comfortably on his bed, his mind constantly formulating future development plans.... A night of sound sleep. Perhaps due to the long journey, everyone slept exceptionally well. It wasn't until the clattering sounds of the surrounding households started that Song Que lazily woke up. Looking at Xiong Ba and Li Xin diligently practicing fist techniques in the courtyard, he couldn't help but sigh.

If he didn't have his Tesseract cheat, with his lazy, gluttonous personality, he would undoubtedly be destined to have zero connection to the word 'expert'. Rousing his spirits, he washed his face to wake up, and Grandee Song also stepped into the courtyard to begin his physical conditioning. A moment later, a series of booming sounds, like firecrackers, echoed continuously within the courtyard. This was Song Que intentionally holding back!

If he had used Ming Jin at full power, the explosive sounds would have probably been heard within a hundred-yard radius. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Zhong Hong and the others watched with envy from the side. When Song Que finished his routine and used a towel to wipe his sweat, Zhong Hong sighed:"I really envy you guys! Becoming martial artists at such a young age. In the future, you can roam the world with swords in hand, upholding justice!

Unlike me, who's already old; no matter how hard I try, I can't achieve anything."

"Brother Hong, you're just lazy! If you were willing to endure the hardship of training, it's not impossible for you to break through and become a martial artist." Thinking about training hard through freezing winters and scorching summers, waking up early every day... Zhong Hong shook his head in horror:"Forget it! Fighting and punching aren't my strong suits.

If you ever find any 'heavenly treasures' like those in the novels—the kind you eat and instantly break through—A'Que, you can just give me a little bit of that." Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter and shook their heads. Seeing everyone's disdain, Zhong Hong wasn't angry at all, just grinning cheekily:"What are we doing today?"

"No rush for the next few days. We'll start by wandering around the county to gather intel. Brother Hong, take your men and scout the distribution of the gangs' territories, see if there are any businesses suitable for us to run, and mark the locations of the local factions' headquarters and the residences of the town's experts for me."

"Got it! I guarantee I'll have everything thoroughly investigated for you within three days!" Hearing Song Que assign him a task, Zhong Hong happily agreed. Coming here and continuing to idle around while freeloading would have made him feel uncomfortable. Being given a job was exactly what he wanted.

"Let's go have breakfast. Aunt Li and Wukong have already prepared it. Seriously, A'Que, I don't know how you trained Wukong, but that monkey has practically turned into a demon spirit!" Seeing Wukong busily cooking in the kitchen this morning, Pockmark La and the others nearly dropped their eyes out of their sockets! Even though it wasn't his first time seeing it, Zhong Hong was still utterly amazed, his heart filled with endless envy. Song Que merely smiled and shook his head:"You guys go ahead and eat.

Brother Hong, you're coming with me. Let's go taste what's so special about Uncle Zhan's steamed buns!" Hearing this, Zhong Hong's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands in praise:"That's right! We should definitely support our neighbor's business!" Saying that, the two men dressed lightly, left the house, and headed toward the steamed bun stall not far away. Arriving, they saw a few people already waiting in line. Behind the stall, an old man with a limp was busy moving stacks of bamboo steamers.

Standing beside him was a nimble young woman wrapping buns for the customers. Upon seeing this young woman for the first time, both Song Que and Zhong Hong's eyes lit up. She was about 1. 6 meters tall, with a petite and delicate figure, fair skin, and exquisite facial features. When she smiled, two dimples appeared, making her look incredibly charming—the exact image of the 'girl next door'. A county city really is different! The quality of the beauties is much higher than in town!

Getting to feast my eyes first thing in the morning! It's just a pity her chest and hips haven't fully developed yet. But that can be improved! Also, her hairstyle is a bit unsuitable; it needs some adjustments...

'Doctor Song' rested his chin on one hand, using the aesthetic gaze born of years of professional experience to continuously observe and 'adjust' her in his mind. Right in the middle of his 'operation', he suddenly felt a chill wash over him. Shivering, he hurriedly looked up. Who knew how long he had been staring blankly? His gaze had made the girl blush crimson, and she had lowered her head shyly. How dare you openly act frivolously toward my daughter right in front of me?! Where is your gaze wandering?!

Are those places you should be looking at?! Old Man Zhan was furious. The murderous aura forged through years of life-and-death battles erupted, bearing down heavily on Song Que. He intended to make this brat lose face right then and there. Shivering as he looked at Zhan Sheng glaring at him, Song Que smiled bitterly, scratched the back of his head, and apologized. He truly had no improper intentions! He was purely appreciating beauty and identifying imperfections! It's an occupational habit!

But he couldn't exactly explain his profession here, could he? Song Que could only endure the awkwardness, cup his hands, and force a smile. Seeing his reaction, Zhan Sheng was inwardly surprised. He knew perfectly well how terrifying his murderous aura was. It wasn't uncommon for young punks to lose control of their bodies under his pressure, collapsing to the ground or even wetting themselves. This kid's mental fortitude far exceeded ordinary people.

Facing such pressure, he merely shivered slightly and then acted as if nothing had happened! Furthermore, his eyes were very clear, devoid of any lecherous intent. Seeing this, Zhan Sheng snorted coldly and let him off the hook. Only then did Zhan Xiaoxiao raise her head and ask softly:"What kind of buns would you like to buy?" Fortunately, Grandee Song was born handsome and dashing; he didn't look like a treacherous villain, which helped him survive this crisis.

Looking at the blushing little girl asking him, he forced what he believed was his most dazzling smile:"Miss, Uncle, please forgive me. I was lost in thought just now. Please give me ten savory buns and ten sweet buns." Being handsome really has its perks! Zhan Xiaoxiao's face turned as red as an apple. Not daring to look directly at him, she lowered her head and mumbled:"Young Master, our buns are very generously portioned. A normal person would be full after just three.

Buying this many for just the two of you might be too much."

"It's fine. Thank you for explaining, Miss. I practice martial arts, so my appetite is very large. Eating a few extra buns is no problem at all." So that's why! No wonder his body is so robust! Zhan Xiaoxiao smiled, revealing her two adorable dimples:"That's good then. You look very unfamiliar, Young Master. You must have just arrived here. Try our buns today; they are quite famous around here."

Seeing his own daughter's soul practically being snatched away by this little brat, the veins on Old Man Zhan's forehead bulged, and he yelled irritably:"Just give people what they want to buy! What's the point of all this chit-chat?! There are still people waiting!" The neighbors lined up around them were amused by the father and daughter, and many began to tease:"Old Uncle Zhan, why are you breaking up the lovebirds? I think your daughter and this lad make a perfect match!

If they work fast, you might even be holding a grandchild by the end of the year!"

"Haha! Didn't you see the water practically dripping from Xiaoxiao's eyes? Old Man Zhan, you really don't understand romance!" Hearing the neighbors chiming in, Old Zhan became agitated. His eyes widened like copper bells, and he roared like thunder:"Nonsense! Once that brat finishes buying, he needs to leave immediately! Can't you see he's holding up the line?! You people, if you're buying buns, hurry up! If you're not, stop making a racket!"

Seeing the old man acting like this, the crowd wasn't afraid, laughing and cheering even louder. Song Que smiled bitterly, scratched his head, quickly grabbed the buns, and turned to leave. Before walking away, he didn't forget to add:"I just moved here not long ago. I hope we can look after each other in the future." Saying that, he pointed to his house not far away. Zhan Xiaoxiao only had time to blush, glance in the direction he pointed, and hastily lower her head and murmur an "mm".

If Grandee Song's hearing hadn't far exceeded that of ordinary people, he definitely wouldn't have heard that mosquito-like sound amidst the noisy crowd.