Chapter 11 - Plunder (2/2)

“How poetic it is!” Magistrate Wu, who was behind the young man in white clothing, clapped his hands.

“You are distinctive in appearance, while your talents are also impressive. What makes you even more extraordinary, is that you have already obtained the peak state of a forged body at such a young age. You deserve to be the inheritor of Zhou Daoqian.“ Wu continued.

“You flatter me, Uncle Wu. I’ve heard from my father that back when you were a student in Guanan, your talent in poem was rivalless. Look now, twenty years later, you’ve become the magistrate of a country. You are destined to be a genius.” The young man in white clothing replied politely.

Magistrate Wu twiddled his beard and smiled.

Up until now, the identity of the young man in white clothing was self-evident. He was the second son of Zhou Daoqian – Zhou Shirong.

The purpose of their return to Guanan was two-folded. Firstly, they would pay a visit to their relatives – Junior Zhou’s family. Secondly, the more important one, they would collect the tributes from their relatives, that was derived from the profits of the mineral veins. As the three-year deadline would soon expire, the Peak Tower had started urging them to hand in the tributes as quickly as possible.

However, the journey from the Peak Tower to Junior Zhou’s family was rather long and rugged. Zhou Daoqian wouldn’t take any risk in losing the tributes, so he had deployed his son to escort this group.

Magistrate Wu was an old friend of Zhou Daoqian, they had encountered each other long before the latter was admitted to the Peak Tower. They used to be classmates in Guanan.

Nowadays, Wu Dao was not only prosperous but also diversified. Numerous new schools and prominent families were quickly emerging because of Wu Dao.

In the old days, when Zhou Daoqian’s talent in Wu Dao wasn’t yet discovered, his only ambition was to learn well and obtain an official rank. Daoqian, together with other students at the time, established the “Club of King Ming” (in order to pay tribute to the king). Magistrate Wu, who was one of the club members, was very talented in literature, while Daoqian’s martial art ability far surpassed that of Wu’s. In terms of social status, Wu was overshadowed by Daoqian, as one’s ability in Wu Dao was the benchmark of social recognition.

Because of this relationship, Zhou Daoqian had asked Wu to join the mission.

Even though the Peak Tower was already one of the three most prominent schools in Guanan and its authority was undeniable. However, they still needed the help of local officials to serve as lubricants in the operation of their missions. Government officials represented absolute authority, and local civilians trusted them more than members from the Peak Tower. Magistrate Wu, for instance, who was only a local official with a rather low rank, had much more influence over the local issues.

Indeed, Magistrate Wu was excited when Zhou Daoqian invited him to join the escort. Due to his presence in the group, the journey was rather successful, as nothing unexpected had happened.

As Zhou Shirong and Magistrate Wu were busy exchanging flattery, a cloud of smoke was slowly ascending. As they spotted the smoke, they stopped in the middle of their conversation. Shirong whipped his horse, making it jump high enough to see what was happening in the distance. Suddenly, his face turned ghastly pale.

Judging from Shirong’s face, Wu’s bouncing heart jerked for a second, as he consciously knew a crisis was imminent. Taking a step further, he saw where the smoke came from. And he was quite sure that it was the Zhou estate that was on fire, because no other buildings in the vicinity would have the same magnitude of damage.

As a distinguished family in the local area, the Zhou Family was the gathering place for local celebrities, including Magistrate Wu. Right now, the place where this dominant family stood, was covered with black smoke and raging flames.

…….

[1]: Jinsi Nanmu: an extremely expensive wood for making furniture. In ancient times, furniture made of this wood is a symbol of prosperity.