Chapter 353: This is the Time to Talk About Outsiders?

The stairs then creaked loudly under heavy weight, seemingly unable to bear the burden.

The pig actually knew how to go upstairs.

Just two breaths later, the long-tusked pig climbed to the second floor, breaking several steps of the wooden staircase. Its small, furious eyes immediately fixed on He Lingchuan, who had stood up.

The diners, vendors, and shop assistants on the second floor fled in a flash.

He Lingchuan stepped in to help the hunter, but it wasn't solely out of indignation at seeing a monstrous beast injure someone in the street.

In his eyes, the wild boar was wreathed in black mist, and several imps were actually perched on its head!

Yes, in broad daylight, these imps dared to peek out and look at him, glaring angrily and gnashing their teeth—though the sunlight wasn't directly on them.

Just now, it was these imps who had coveted the hunter's two yellow sheep and instigated the long-tusked pig to seize them.

The appearance of such ghostly creatures anywhere was always suspicious.

The imps pointed at He Lingchuan, and the long-tusked pig lowered its head and charged.

Its momentum was so fierce that it damaged the floorboards.

He Lingchuan took two steps aside, but the long-tusked pig was surprisingly agile; it spread its short legs and continued to charge at him.

However, He Lingchuan was more nimble in his turns, his feet circling almost in unison with the pig's body. His right hand instinctively gripped the handle of his Fusheng Blade.

A cold gleam flashed.

He Lingchuan leaped back.

The long-tusked pig couldn't stop its momentum, falling and sliding sideways.

At the same time, its head was severed from its body.

Warm, reeking pig blood splattered everywhere.

The imps and black mist attached to the long-tusked pig all vanished into smoke, leaving no trace.

The shop assistant, huddled in the corner, pointed at the pig's carcass and stammered, "Tusker! Sir, you killed Tusker!"

"This thing is called Tusker?" He Lingchuan picked up the pig's head and examined it carefully. "No need to thank me."

Come to think of it, after he threw his flying dagger, he seemed to hear someone shout "Come back," but he hadn't paid attention amidst the hubbub. The long-tusked pig, in its pain, had paid even less attention and charged straight at him.

"That was Master Gan San's hunting pet!"

"Master Gan San?" He Lingchuan was startled. "This demonic creature has an owner?"

At that moment, footsteps sounded as many people entered through the hall and rushed up to the second floor.

It was the same group who had just ridden through the street in fine clothes.

The leading young man saw the long-tusked pig in two pieces, his pupils constricted in shock, and he roared, "How dare you kill my spirit beast!"

"This is your pet?" He Lingchuan tossed the pig's head at his feet, took out a handkerchief, and wiped the tip of his blade. "If you let your pet roam unleashed, how is anyone supposed to know it's yours?"

A guard behind Master Gan San stepped forward and reprimanded him, "You dare cause trouble in Wuze, young man? Do you even know who you've provoked?"

All the attendants swarmed forward, surrounding He Lingchuan.

Whether they would fight or not was secondary; establishing dominance was crucial. He Lingchuan understood this very well from his past.

Master Gan San raised a hand to stop his subordinates. "My Tusker is a spirit species from the Demon's Lair Swamp and rendered great service to the county in eradicating demonic threats. I'm not unreasonable, but this account must be settled properly."

"Can clearing a few demons compensate for a murder charge?" He Lingchuan glanced out the window. "By letting your pet run wild and commit violence, you would have had a human life on your hands if I hadn't intervened in time. How do you intend to thank me?"

The hunter slowly picked himself up from the ground to look for his hounds. Several wounds on his body were bleeding, the most severe on his leg, where a round hole had been gored. He had encountered wild boars while hunting in the mountains before, and just now, he had used all his strength to brace against the pig's tusks, desperately preventing it from goring his upper body.

However, the hunting dog nearby wasn't so lucky; it lay on the ground, twitching its legs.

The hunter gently stroked it a few times, and after two choked gasps, it stopped breathing.

"Tusker has lived in Wuze for six years; it wouldn't easily kill someone. At most, it would just teach him a lesson." Master Gan San's face was as cold as frost. "Tusker injured him, and I will compensate him. But you killed my spirit beast, so how will you compensate me?"

He Lingchuan asked, fully knowing the answer, "Who are you?"

The guard behind Master Gan San interjected, "You don't even recognize our Master Gan San, and you dare cause trouble in Wuze?"

He Lingchuan nodded: "Gan Laosan of the Gan Clan Merchant Guild."

Master Gan San lifted his chin.

"A mere merchant family, with no officials among them, presumes to be so overbearing?" When Young Master He ran rampant in Blackwater City, at least his backing was the local prefect.

"Enough to deal with you." Master Gan San's face darkened. "Tie him up and take him to the county yamen."

The guards acknowledged and stepped forward to seize him.

This young fop actually wanted to send him to the authorities—how law-abiding of him. Of course, whether he'd actually be "dealt with by law" at the yamen was another story. He Lingchuan jabbed one guard in the nose; the man fell to the ground, clutching his face and crying out in pain, only to open his eyes and see a wide-open pig's mouth directly in front of him.

He Lingchuan pressed another guard's neck and made him loudly kowtow three times on a table.

On another table, of course.

He Lingchuan's own table still had unfinished food and wine, so it couldn't be smashed.

He said with a smile, "Then do you know who I am?"

The most troublesome aspect of being a fop, as he well knew, was the very small chance of running into someone genuinely formidable.

The very hard, very long kind.

To act without knowing the opponent's background—this kid's judgment was too poor.

Master Gan San, his face livid, was about to reply when two house servants ran up from downstairs, calling out, "Master San!" They then whispered a few words into his ear.

Master Gan San's face changed dramatically, and he waved his hand, saying, "Stop! Everyone stop!"

The guards were only too eager to stop.

Master Gan San shot a fierce glare at He Lingchuan, dropped the classic line, "You just wait, young man, I'll deal with you later!" and then hastily led his group downstairs.

He Lingchuan walked to the window and looked down, seeing Master Gan San leap onto his horse and gallop quickly towards his home.

Only after the group noisily departed did the shop assistant dare to approach, righting tables and picking up bowls. He then whispered to He Lingchuan, "Sir, you should leave quickly. It won't be good when Master Gan San returns."

He Lingchuan retrieved his flying dagger from the pig's body, carefully wiped it clean, put the pig's carcass into his storage ring, then returned to his table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of wine. "What's the rush? I haven't finished my meal."

Soon after, the shopkeeper also came upstairs and bowed deeply. "Esteemed guest, we won't charge you. Please, leave."

"So generous?" He Lingchuan said in surprise, gesturing around him. "You'll bear the losses from the smashed dishes and the scared-off customers yourselves?"

"Well, you, you..." The shopkeeper simply stated, "Master Gan San is formidable. Neither you nor we can afford to offend him. For your safety, it's best if you leave."

"I'm waiting for someone," He Lingchuan said, placing two gold ingots on the table. "Don't worry. If the Gan family doesn't compensate me this amount later, these two ingots are yours."

Seeing his calm and self-assured demeanor, the shopkeeper's sigh caught in his throat. He looked at the gold ingots, then at He Lingchuan, and dared not say more.

He Lingchuan then asked him, "Does that long-tusked pig always run wild in the street like that?"

"Master Gan San always parades it through the streets. It has injured people a few times, and the Gan family always settled it with money."

"Has it ever eaten anyone?"

"N-no, not that we've heard of, at least." The shopkeeper whispered, "Previously, this long-tusked pig was very fierce and couldn't be taken out. I heard two of the Gan family's servants were injured by it. But a few months ago, Master Gan San tamed it completely; it became as obedient as an extension of his arm. Recently, after the Emperor's Flow Nectar, there was a demonic plague along the main road, and this long-tusked pig even helped the county eradicate the demons. Master Gan San boasted extensively about this, and everyone in the county knew about it."

"Alright, bring me another pot of wine."

As he went downstairs, the shopkeeper specifically instructed the staff to clear away all the nearby tables and chairs.

The eyeball spider remained securely in Steward Zhao's belt as he returned with it to the Gan family mansion.

The He family always had impeccable taste. Having lived there for so long, He Lingchuan hadn't particularly appreciated how good his own home was. But compared to the Gan family mansion, the He residence was truly exquisite and elegant everywhere, demonstrating understated luxury without ostentation, showcasing Madam Ying's high standards.

Simply put, it projected subtle sophistication.

In contrast, the Gan family's buildings, furniture, and decorations were all opulent, with even large pillars adorned in gold, as if afraid people wouldn't know they were rich. Even the crabapple trees in their garden were massed into vast seas of flowers, emphasizing a sense of overwhelming completeness everywhere.

It was like a long scroll painting where every section was filled with heavy, dark colors, lacking any light or subtle touches. The finished painting was just a chaotic mess, devoid of aesthetic beauty.

Now, this veritable mansion was enveloped in a pall of sorrow and gloom, and even the servants wore expressions of confusion and unease.

The pillar of the household had just fallen.

As soon as Steward Zhao returned to the Gan residence, he was stopped by an old woman who served the Eldest Madam Mao:

"Where have you been? The Eldest Madam just woke up and then fainted again from crying!"

"Has the doctor left?" When Steward Zhao had previously delivered the bad news, Eldest Madam Mao had frozen, then shrieked, "My son!" and rushed to bang her head against a pillar with such speed that no one could stop her.

But the old lady wasn't injured because she had fainted just before hitting the pillar, missing it by a hair's breadth.

"Not yet. Seeing the Eldest Madam faint, he prescribed another remedy."

Immediately after, various trivial matters piled up, keeping Steward Zhao so busy he didn't even have time to drink water. Chief Steward An Xing had died along with Master Gan, and the Eldest Madam was unconscious in bed, so it seemed he was the only one who could arrange things.

Although Steward Zhao was busy, he quite enjoyed the feeling of giving orders.

If the Gan family didn't appoint Luo Xuni as the Chief Steward, but rather chose him instead...

Before he could indulge in further daydreams, the Eldest Madam's room door opened, and Master Gan Er, with swollen red eyes, walked out.

"My Lord, please accept my condolences."

Master Gan Er grunted in acknowledgment and told a servant boy to fetch water.

Upon hearing the tragic news about his elder brother and seeing his mother unconscious, he, too, had shed many tears.

Steward Zhao quickly stepped forward to ask for instructions, "My Lord, should we set up the memorial hall in the White Deer Hall or in front of the ancestral shrine?"

"The White Deer Hall, then." Master Gan Er hesitated. "No, in front of the ancestral shrine instead."

"Very well."

"Wait, let me think... It's better to use the White Deer Hall after all." Master Gan Er sighed. "I need to quickly paint a portrait of my elder brother to be displayed in the hall for people to pay their respects."

Steward Zhao then asked, "Since the Eldest Master met his demise in a distant place, we should, by custom, hold a soul-pacifying ritual. Which eminent master do you think we should invite?"

After much back-and-forth, he finally settled all these matters with Master Gan Er. He then hesitantly added, "Oh, by the way, this time the caravan also brought back a person from the Demon's Lair Swamp. He was entrusted by the Spider Queen to..."

Before he could finish, Master Gan Er grew impatient and cut him off, "Why are you talking about outsiders at a time like this?"