Raising Orphans, Not Assassins

After breakfast, Xiao Lian washed the dishes and walked out of the kitchen, saying, "We're almost out of firewood. We need to buy some."

Her bright eyes fixed on Chen Ye, implying that money was needed.

Chen Ye understood Xiao Lian's meaning. After a moment of thought, he said, "I'll go. I'll also buy some benches and oil lamps. The study room needs some things."

He paused and added, "You should come too. I can advance you half of your wages. If there's anything you like or need, you can buy it yourself."

Xiao Lian's eyes sparkled with delight upon hearing this.

Yesterday, Chen Ye and Xiao Lian had agreed on a monthly wage of four taels of silver, equivalent to about two thousand yuan in modern terms (please refer to the book for specifics on silver currency in this fictional world).

Perhaps in Xiao Lian's eyes, joining the orphanage meant becoming a maid.

But to Chen Ye, she was just an orphan. Giving her a monthly wage was entirely to respect her dignity.

"Th... Thank you, Director."

Xiao Lian expressed her gratitude gracefully.

Chen Ye looked at the little girl, as delicate as a fine jade, and smiled slightly. Since Xiao Lian arrived yesterday, she had eagerly taken on various household chores.

It was clear that Xiao Lian was a good child.

"Da Ming?"

Chen Ye called out.

Da Ming, who was practicing with a bench in the courtyard, responded clumsily, "Dad!"

"Continue practicing after we return. Let's go buy some things first."

Da Ming put down the bench and ran to Chen Ye's side, looking ready to go.

After locking the door, the three of them went to the market together.

The streets were bustling with people. On either side of the street, various small vendors had set up stalls, and the sounds of hawking filled the air.

Da Ming and Xiao Lian each held a skewer of candied haws.

Da Ming took big bites, a silly smile on his face.

Xiao Lian, on the other hand, ate much more gracefully, taking small bites with her white teeth nibbling on the bright red hawthorn, her fair face showing a hint of joy.

Although Xiao Lian usually acted very mature, she was still a child at heart.

Seeing this scene, Chen Ye's lips curved into a slight smile.

As they were walking, Chen Ye suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.

"You there, young man..."

Chen Ye stopped, and Da Ming and Xiao Lian turned around together.

Upon seeing the person, Xiao Lian's pupils contracted slightly, and her expression became somewhat uneasy.

A black-faced man, dressed in black clothes with a long knife at his waist, stood authoritatively in front of the three of them.

Captain Song?

Seeing that it was Song Cangjie who stopped him, Chen Ye was a bit surprised.

I was dressed so thoroughly that day, and my voice was different too. Could he still recognize me?

"Captain Song, is there something you need?"

Chen Ye suppressed his doubts and asked calmly.

Song Cangjie glanced at Chen Ye, then looked at the two children beside him, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

With a strong voice, he said, "No, I thought I recognized you from behind and mistook you for an old acquaintance."

"Sorry to bother you."

Song Cangjie clasped his fists and turned to leave.

'Recognized from the back...You can tell just from that?'

Chen Ye inwardly scoffed. Seeing Song Cangjie leave, he stopped thinking about it and continued shopping with the two kids.

"Brother Song, did you know that person just now?"

The group of officers, seeing Song Cangjie return, quickly asked.

Song Cangjie shook his head, "I was mistaken, no worries."

"What happened yesterday?"

The officer with small eyes said, "Yesterday, we questioned the children who were abducted and pieced together a rough account of the events."

"According to the children, there was another guard in the room, but that guard got drunk and fell asleep."

"Then a fool kept ramming the prison door, breaking the wood, and they all ran out."

"As for why the fire started, they don't know either."

The tall and thin officer added, "The prison door the children mentioned was actually a wooden fence door."

"The wood was as thick as a bowl. If a strong person rammed it a few times, it would break open."

After hearing the account, Song Cangjie nodded, "The one who broke open the door must be the disciple of that senior."

"It seems the child has been practicing martial arts from a young age."

The other officers agreed.

Thinking back to the senior from yesterday, the officers still felt a deep sense of gratitude.

Thanks to that senior, they were able to return home to their families safe and sound, otherwise, they would likely have ended up dead under the enemies' blades.

"By the way, Brother Song, the private residence of Magistrate Liu caught fire, and he's furious, blaming us for it."

The officer with small eyes had a worried look, his eyes frequently glancing at Song Cangjie as he spoke.

Before taking action, Song Cangjie had assured them he could handle this.

A faint smile appeared on Song Cangjie's dark face, "I'll go see Magistrate Liu."

"This is nothing."

Upon hearing this, the other constables beamed with joy.

"I told you, Brother Song has connections in the Liu Shan Men Sect!"

"Hehe, Brother Song, let us treat you to drinks tonight."

The officers quickly headed towards the justice hall.

Walking along the street, Chen Ye muttered to himself, "A martial artist of the lowest tier almost recognized me."

"If it's a higher-tier martial artist, would they recognize me at a glance?"

Thinking about this, Chen Ye's heart burned with excitement.

Yesterday, upon learning that there were indeed sects in this world where one could practice martial arts, Chen Ye had been thrilled for a long time.

He had always fantasized about wearing white robes, wielding a fine sword, and roaming the martial world on horseback. {ED: Don't we all...}

Now that this fantasy could become a reality, Chen Ye's dream of becoming a hero was reignited.

Where are those sects located, and what are their requirements for accepting disciples?

'There doesn't seem to be a martial arts school in Yuhang County...'

Chen Ye pondered as he walked.

In Yuhang County, a constable was a martial artist of the lowest tier.

Given this ratio, it seemed that the number of martial artists wasn't very high.

Suddenly, Chen Ye looked at Xiao Lian beside him and asked, "Xiao Lian, what are the levels of martial artists?"

Xiao Lian paused, blinked her eyes, and looked up with a puzzled expression, "Levels?"

"What levels?"

Chen Ye stared at Xiao Lian for a moment, feeling that she didn't seem to be lying, and shook his head, "Never mind."

Xiao Lian was completely puzzled, not understanding why Chen Ye had suddenly asked about martial arts levels.

After walking for a while, the three arrived in front of a courtyard. From within came the constant sound of chopping and splitting.

A burly man with a robust build was shirtless, wielding an axe. He lifted it high above his head and brought it down heavily.

The log on the chopping block split in two with a crisp crack.

Seeing Chen Ye, the man paused and asked with a smile, "Here to buy firewood?"

"Give me some."

Chen Ye stepped into the courtyard, with Da Ming following closely behind. When Da Ming saw the glinting axe and the split wood, his eyes widened.

He even stopped eating the half-finished sugar-coated hawthorn in his hand.

He stared intently at the axe and the split wood.

After Chen Ye negotiated the price with the man, he turned around to see Da Ming squatting by the chopping block, holding the axe.

Da Ming, gripping the axe, called out to Chen Ye, "Dad!"

"Dad!"

He called out several times in a row.

The man carrying a bundle of firewood saw Da Ming holding up the axe and couldn't help but laugh, "Young man has some serious strength."

"In a few more years, he'll be even stronger. He'll probably be able to do any kind of work."

The man looked at Da Ming with a hint of envy. He had two daughters but no son, and it had always been his dream to have a son. A strong son like Da Ming.

Chen Ye squatted down, patted Da Ming's head, and said, "What's up?"

"Calling me so affectionately---do you want this axe?"

Da Ming nodded vigorously, his eyes glued to the axe in his hands.

Chen Ye found it curious why Da Ming was so interested in the axe.

Xiao Lian, standing nearby, thought for a moment and came up with a possible explanation. Perhaps Da Ming liked the axe because it could easily split wood, unlike the way he had to break things by force yesterday.

Xiao Lian blinked her lively eyes. It was just a guess and might not be accurate.

The man placed the bundle of firewood down and said with a smile, "If the young man likes it, I have a smaller axe at home. I can give it to him."

He went into the woodshed and brought out a slightly smaller axe. It looked a bit old but was still usable.

Da Ming looked up, holding the axe tightly, and called out again, "Dad."

Chen Ye smiled, stood up, took out some copper coins from his pocket, and added a bit extra to cover both the firewood and the axe.

"Chen Gongzi, this is too much..."

The man wanted to decline, but Chen Ye wasn't the type to accept favours without reciprocation.

After paying for the small axe, Da Ming now had a small axe that was just the right size for him.

Da Ming held the small axe, his honest face beaming with excitement.

[Ding!]

[Mission progress update: 1/2]

A cold mechanical voice sounded in Chen Ye's ear.

A translucent blue screen appeared in front of him.

Seeing that the mission progress was half complete, Chen Ye's expression was quite remarkable.

"This counts as establishing a future career direction?"