Chapter 93

However, Chen Sheng in front of him seemed not to have heard, and continued on his own, saying, "From now on, I will call you Brother Zhao."

After saying that, he quickened his pace. Zhao Jin was taken aback, thinking to himself that he was actually a few months younger than Chen Sheng, so how did he become Brother Zhao? But he did not argue, as it was more important to hurry on the journey.

Not long after entering the northern part of the city, Zhao Jin called a halt to the group and said to Liu Yong, "Take off your clothes and give them to me. Go back and sleep now. Get up early tomorrow and send Shi Tou, Da Xiang, and the others to our courtyard first. Then send for Chen Ergou. The earlier everyone arrives, the better. Understand?"

"Please rest assured, Brother!" In the late-night exchange, everyone no longer bothered with formalities, the conversation carried a sense of command and obedience, but everyone found it natural.

After saying that, Liu Yong handed the blood-stained outer garment to Zhao Jin and turned to leave. The three of them had not walked far when Zhao Jin whispered, "Let's go to the courtyard where we practice martial arts first."

Wang Zhaojing and Chen Sheng, though they did not know why, followed along. When they arrived at the courtyard left by Zhao Zhenxing to Zhao Jin, Zhao Jin retrieved the key from under a stone by the door, quietly opened it, and gestured for the two to enter.

"Brother Zhao, I still need to get back early." "Me too," Wang Zhaojing and Chen Sheng said in succession.

Zhao Jin turned and "shushed" them, and they immediately fell silent. Zhao Jin then raised his voice and said, "We shouldn't come out so early in the future. You two are yawning all the time, how can you practice martial arts?"

Chen Sheng was taken aback, but Wang Zhaojing immediately understood and replied with a smile, "Brother Zhao, the ancients would rise at the crow of the rooster. We can't be worse than the ancients!"

Zhao Jin then lowered his voice and said to Chen Sheng, "Change out of the blood-stained clothes with me."

Chen Sheng finally understood the purpose of Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing's previous conversation and muttered, "You guys have so many tricks up your sleeves."

After Zhao Jin's uncle Zhao Zhenxing passed away, his old clothes were washed and neatly arranged by He Cuifang, and they were now ready to be put on. During the fight, Zhao Jin had been brave in the front, and Chen Sheng had killed Cheng Tongtou, so both of them had bloodstains on their clothes. Zhao Jin's change into Zhao Zhenxing's old clothes fit well, but Chen Sheng, being larger, found the clothes a bit tight.

After they tidied up, they washed their faces with water from a bucket and soaked the three blood-stained clothes. Only then did they leave the house.

Zhao Jin did not stay in the courtyard any longer, but slammed the door and made a loud noise when locking it.

When they were on the street, Chen Sheng whispered, "Even if the neighbors hear the commotion, they will only hear us leaving the courtyard, which could raise suspicion."

"If they hear us leaving, they will assume we came when they were asleep and didn't hear us, and won't suspect us," Zhao Jin replied, feeling relaxed and smiling.

Chen Sheng was taken aback, then nodded thoughtfully.

After a few steps, Wang Zhaojing whispered, "Brother Zhao, why did you have Xiao Yong chop the body with an axe?"

"Our weapons and martial arts techniques are special, and experienced people can easily tell. But axes and knives are common in brawls and won't lead back to us," Zhao Jin explained in a low voice.

"Brother Zhao, your thinking is truly meticulous," Wang Zhaojing nodded in deep thought.

Chen Sheng, walking beside them, laughed and said, "Why would the constables in Xuzhou put in so much effort? He's just a low-life. If he dies, who cares?"

At this point, everyone was more relaxed and chatted casually. Each of them yawned involuntarily, as the excitement of the night was fading and sleepiness was setting in.

Just as they left the street, it was already the fifth watch of the night, and the sky was beginning to lighten. After a short walk, Chen Sheng turned onto the road home. Before leaving, Zhao Jin said, "Make sure to go to the courtyard early today. Don't delay. The matter is not over yet."

Zhao Jin and Wang Zhaojing's homes were not far apart, so they parted ways at Zhao Jin's doorstep. Zhao Jin reminded him, "If your family asks, tell them you went to find me for running and practicing martial arts. I'll explain everything."

Wang Zhaojing nodded with a smile, bowed, and left. Zhao Jin stood at the door, watching Wang Zhaojing walk down the street, thinking that if it weren't for Wang Youshan's nostalgia for this area, he and Wang Zhaojing would be like heaven and earth, with no connection.

After a moment of reflection, Zhao Jin turned to push the door. Before he touched the door, he was a bit puzzled. The door had been slightly ajar when he left, but now it was half open. What was going on? Could the wind have blown it open, but there was no wind all night.

Zhao Jin pushed the door open in confusion and walked in. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard a familiar sound—his father practicing with a knife.

Turning around the screen wall, he saw Zhao Zhentang practicing with a knife. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and he could see Zhao Zhentang dressed neatly, swinging his knife repeatedly. The monkey was sitting listlessly on a wooden frame, yawning.

Zhao Jin clearly remembered that his father only practiced with a knife the day before a red duty, which meant an execution. But he did not recall his father mentioning it last night, and usually, Zhao Zhentang would have said something.

"Father, you're up so early practicing with the knife!" Zhao Jin greeted with a smile.

Zhao Zhentang made a feint with the knife, then stood still and said calmly, "If you can go out so early to run and practice martial arts, why can't I get up early to practice with the knife?"

Hearing this, Zhao Jin's heart skipped a beat. He did not know what his father meant, but it sounded off. Could his father know about last night?

Before Zhao Jin could speak, Zhao Zhentang continued, "Martial arts require hard work. I see you've been slacking off lately. Get into a horse stance and stab the wooden target on the east wall a thousand times. Make sure to hit it accurately. Start now!"

Just as Zhao Jin was about to speak, Zhao Zhentang glared and scolded, "Do you want to bargain about practicing martial arts? Go now!"

This morning, Zhao Zhentang seemed inscrutable. Zhao Jin felt something was wrong but did not dare to question or argue. He obediently took the spear and walked to the wooden target on the east wall, starting to stab it repeatedly.

After arranging this, Zhao Zhentang went into the house. Zhao Jin, while practicing, tried to recall if there were any loopholes. They had been very secretive, and it was unlikely anyone knew.

Soon, Zhao Zhentang came out of the house with a teapot and a teacup, calling out to Zhao Jin, "Going out so early to practice martial arts, you don't even know to drink water. Are you strengthening or weakening your body? Come and drink some water."

Zhao Jin did not argue, feeling a bit puzzled, and obediently went to drink. The water was still warm, and he really felt thirsty, so he drank several cups. While drinking, Zhao Zhentang poured water and sniffed a few times, then stopped.

This action made Zhao Jin even more confused. Zhao Zhentang was silent for a moment, then sighed and patted Zhao Jin's head, saying, "Practice martial arts, but don't hurt yourself. Practice well."

After saying that, Zhao Zhentang picked up the knife again, and the two of them practiced in silence. Since his father did not say anything, Zhao Jin naturally did not bring up the matter or explain.

In the repetitive and monotonous movements, Zhao Jin's sleepiness gradually returned, but he had to endure it. After a while, the sleepiness finally passed.

When it was time for their usual run, He Cuifang and the Zhao family couple also got up. Seeing the father and son practicing, He Cuifang did not think anything was wrong, just muttered, "Why are you up so early today," and went to prepare breakfast.

After practicing and eating, Zhao Zhentang went to the yamen for work, not saying anything more. Zhao Jin finally relaxed.

Mu Shulan's eyes were still red, whether from crying or lack of sleep. After helping to clear the table, she wanted to follow Zhao Jin to the courtyard to practice, but Zhao Jin told her to stay home. The intelligent girl quickly caught on and asked in a low voice, "About yesterday's matters?"

Yesterday, Zhao Jin had discussed with Chen Ergou and Liu Yong in the courtyard, and Mu Shulan had been listening in the house, so she could guess what had happened.

Zhao Jin nodded, and Mu Shulan grabbed his hand and whispered, "Brother Jin, be careful."

He Cuifang, who had just come in with something, saw them and couldn't help but laugh, teasing, "It's just a few streets away, and you two act like you're parting for a long time."