Chapter 17: A Bright Future Beyond the Willows

Huang Ling knitted her delicate brows, thought for a while, then took another sip of tea before saying in a cool tone, “Although this Patrol Hunter Li is handsome and carries himself with impressive bearing, I do not think highly of him.”

“Why?” Huang Qi said in confusion. “He has looks, he has ability, and although Spirit Hunters are not officials, no matter what, once he grows up, he will become an important figure capable of standing on his own. According to Patrol Hunter Su, Brother Kunge is the most talented Spirit Hunter in all of Yulin County, without equal.”

“He... has no ambition to advance!” Huang Ling explained. “If he did, he would have accepted your invitation just now and gone to Jin City to obtain an opportunity of his own. But he did not, and even used some twisted reasoning to fool people. I do not like that.”

Huang Yan subconsciously stroked his beard, his expression becoming somewhat anxious.

Huang Qi asked in confusion, “Could it be that Second Sister hopes Brother Kunge will rise to the highest ranks beneath the throne?”

“That is not necessary.” Huang Ling thought for a moment before saying, “I simply do not like a life without excitement. He does not like striving forward. The highest step he can reach in the future is no more than guarding a corner of the world, protecting the people of a town or county. He will be trapped there for his entire life. I do not want that kind of life. It is no different from a cage.”

The Huang father and son both fell silent.

Although Huang Ling’s words seemed somewhat ambitious and restless, it could not be said that she was wrong.

A woman wanting to marry a better husband was only natural.

At this moment, the Hu maiden spoke, “But I think a person like that is precisely a good match. Second Sister, you really should think it over carefully.”

Huang Ling looked at her elder sister and sighed. “Big Sister, he has no ambition. He may never leave Jin City in his entire life, nor will he become wealthy or powerful.”

“That sounds quite good. Life would be stable, and there would be no need to drift from place to place.”

“He is probably the type who is dull and does not understand romance or refined pursuits.”

“You do, don’t you? Then teach him.”

“Big Sister, why do you always argue against me?” Huang Ling became somewhat agitated. “Anyway, I refuse to marry him. If someone is going to marry him, then you do it.”

The Hu maiden froze for a moment and said somewhat dejectedly, “I was only thinking of what is best for you...”

Huang Ling immediately realized she had spoken too harshly. She quickly took the Hu maiden’s hand and said, “Big Sister, I was wrong. Let us stop talking about this. Can we let it go?”

The Hu maiden nodded gently.

At this time Huang Yan said, “Your mother is preparing the evening meal. Go help her.”

The two young women knew the men had important matters to discuss, so they left hand in hand.

Huang Yan drank his tea and said, “I recently had people investigate this Patrol Hunter Li. His character is good and his conduct upright. He has never used his position to bully others, nor does he seek pleasure in brothels. He is a rare talent among Spirit Hunters. He is more than worthy of your second sister.”

Huang Qi smiled and said, “That is indeed true. I noticed half a year ago that he was an upright person.”

Huang Yan sighed and said, “Especially his view of the word ‘virtue’ just now. It revealed the essence of why the Master, traveling through the seven states with three thousand disciples, was welcomed everywhere as an honored guest.”

Huang Qi smiled bitterly. “Yet such an explanation is enough to shatter one’s convictions. It is a pity that Second Sister misjudged him. Her prejudice is already deep. The two of them probably have no fate together.”

Huang Yan let out a cold laugh and said, “Women are all like this. Their hair is long, but their insight is short.”

Huang Qi’s expression nearly broke. “Father, how can you speak of your own daughter like that?”

“It is simply the truth.” Huang Yan snorted. “I hired people to teach her reading and principles. In the end, all her cleverness only allowed her to understand books. She still cannot see through the realities of the world. She is ignorant without realizing it, yet quite proud of herself. It irritates me just looking at her.”

“Then go teach her.”

Huang Yan said unhappily, “If I dared scold her twice, your mother would come charging over to fight me for my life. Would you be able to save me then?”

Huang Qi immediately looked utterly helpless.

In the Huang family, the First Madam was the one truly in charge.

But soon afterward, Huang Yan stroked his beard and began smiling smugly. “Son, let me tell you something. The fate between our Huang family and Patrol Hunter Li may not be severed just yet.”

“Hmm?” Huang Qi looked at his father in confusion.

“When I brought Patrol Hunter Li home earlier, he happened to run into your eldest sister.” Huang Yan narrowed his eyes and smiled. “The expression on his face at that moment was very strange. It was exactly like the look I had when I first met your mother.”

“What kind of look?”

“His eyes lit up.”

Huang Qi was rather surprised. “Brother Kunge likes women who look like Eldest Sister?”

“Very likely!” Huang Yan could not help lightly clapping his hands. “Your eldest sister’s marriage has always been a thorn in both my and your mother’s hearts. She is already nineteen, yet still has not found a suitable match. If this drags on and she becomes an old maid, it will be even harder for anyone to want her. But judging from Patrol Hunter Li’s expression just now, I think there is hope.”

“Then I will find opportunities to invite Brother Kunge to our home more often.”

“That is exactly what should be done.”

Meanwhile, Li Lin bought two red-tasseled spears from the blacksmith’s shop in the marketplace, then bought more than ten common medicinal pills from a general store, along with some oil and salt, before returning to the village.

Recently his strength had increased somewhat, and his walking speed was much faster than before. He reached the village entrance while it was still early.

Then he saw a crowd gathered at the village entrance.

Looking more carefully, he found they had split into two groups and were shouting insults at each other.

Carrying a rather heavy cloth sack, he walked over.

The villagers noticed him as well and all turned to look.

Zhao Xiaohu rushed over first, his eyes as wide as bronze bells and his bearded face full of anger. “Brother Lin, some thieves are trying to take your house.”

Hmm?

Li Lin turned his gaze toward the group of outsiders. There were seven of them, two elderly people, four young people, and one middle-aged woman.

“Zhao Xiaohu, who are you calling people trying to steal someone’s house? We are merely taking back our own old home.”

One of the young men walked over and shouted. His attitude seemed rather arrogant.

Li Lin put down his cloth sack and asked, “Who are you people?”

“We are also people of Shangtikou Village. Now we are returning here to live. Is that not allowed?” The young man raised his chin stubbornly as he spoke.

Li Lin looked toward Zhao Xiaohu. “Is that true?”

“Yes, they used to be...” Zhao Xiaohu said angrily. “But they moved away. They moved away four years ago. Now they heard that you, Brother Lin, killed the wandering gui, so they shamelessly came back. They have no sense of shame at all.”

Actually, in Li Lin’s view, there was nothing particularly wrong with that.

After all, a wise man does not stand beneath a collapsing wall. Previously there had been a wandering gui causing trouble outside the village. Running away was perfectly normal.

If it had been him, he would have run too.

Still, he felt these people were somewhat strange.

What ordinary villager was not nervous and trembling when meeting a Spirit Hunter? These people instead seemed highly aggressive.

When something is abnormal, there is usually a hidden reason behind it.

He decided to stay cautious and first see what the situation was. Perhaps there was some trap involved.

Li Lin narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Since you were originally from Shangtikou Village, there is no problem with returning. The more people there are, the more prosperous Shangtikou Village will seem.”

Zhao Xiaohu said furiously, “But they want to take back the old house, the very one you are living in now, Brother Lin.”

Oh! So that was it.

Li Lin continued smiling with narrowed eyes. “Do you have a deed?”

“Not that.” A middle-aged man walked over. “We are from a small village. Who talks about deeds? But our ancestors lived there for generations. Others can testify to that.”

Zhao Xiaohu’s expression became ugly, and he was unable to say anything.

Li Lin understood. He nodded and said, “In that case, I will move somewhere else. There are still plenty of empty houses in the village anyway. However, you will need to give me a few extra days, so that I have enough time to sort out the furniture and miscellaneous belongings inside.”

“Fine.” The middle-aged man agreed. “In five days, our whole family will move back.”