OL CH49

Seeing that the thugs had completely lost the ability to fight back, Chen Tian stepped forward and planted a foot firmly on the chest of the leader.

Hearing the man wail in agony, Chen Tian asked him, “Speak! Who sent you!”

These thugs had originally been hired for money. Usually loafing around, they only dared to engage in petty thievery and bully the weak, so they naturally possessed no backbone. Especially since they were originally told their target was a poor, frail scholar who couldn’t even truss a chicken, no one warned them that this scholar had a veritable god of slaughter by his side. It resulted in them taking a beating for nothing! Consequently, these men harbored immense hatred toward their employer.

Without Chen Tian even needing to press hard, they poured out everything they knew like beans spilling from a sack. However, the man who had approached them was not Li Zixiu, but a gambler named Li Ergou.

Li Ergou was actually from Li Family Village as well. Normally penniless, the thugs had also found it strange, wondering how this Li Ergou had suddenly struck it rich and had money to hire them to beat someone up. Furthermore, he hadn’t mentioned why he wanted to target Bai Su; they had simply taken the money to do the job.

Hearing the name Li Ergou, Chen Tian and Bai Su fell silent for a moment. This man was a local hooligan from Li Family Village. Bai Su had heard of him, though he had rarely crossed paths with him. Word was that he was an incorrigible gambler who practically lived in the town’s gambling den, occasionally doing odd jobs and throwing every copper he earned right back into the den. Yet Bai Su had no grievance or enmity with him, so reasonably, the man had no cause to harm him. Therefore, someone was definitely pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

Chen Tian naturally knew who the true culprit behind the curtain was. He just hadn’t expected Li Zixiu to actually be so cunning as to find an unrelated third party. By using Li Ergou to cause trouble, he avoided leaving any evidence behind. But Chen Tian had no intention of letting him off either. Thus, he escorted the battered thugs and ordered them to lead the way to find Li Ergou.

Li Ergou was also a well-known figure in the area. Sure enough, they quickly located him beside a steamed bun stall near the gambling den. At a glance, Chen Tian saw a dark, skinny man with ordinary features, though his eyes revealed a glint of shrewdness. Seeing the formidable group marching over, Li Ergou recognized the thug leader and immediately sensed trouble. Shoving the remaining piece of steamed bun into his mouth, he bolted. But having just suffered at Chen Tian’s hands, the thugs were itching to settle scores with him. How could they let him get away? They rushed forward, seized him, and dragged him into a nearby secluded corner.

“Grandpas, this lowly one was wrong! I truly know nothing! When that person approached me, he was masked! He gave me silver and told me to be the middleman. I really don’t know who he is!” Li Ergou cried out while kneeling on the ground and kowtowing repeatedly, begging them for mercy.

Seeing this, Chen Tian frowned. If things were as Li Ergou claimed, the trail went cold right here. It seemed they wouldn’t be able to send Li Zixiu directly to the magistrate’s yamen this time. Turning to look at Bai Su, he was glad to see his lover’s expression looked calm and normal. With him personally guarding Bai Su, safety was guaranteed, so Chen Tian wasn’t in a rush. The thugs had just been beaten black and blue by him, and as for this middleman… Looking at Li Ergou still kowtowing on the ground, Chen Tian knew full well that the thugs behind him wouldn’t let him off lightly.

Chen Tian couldn’t be bothered to dirty his own hands. Seeing that nothing more could be pried out, he picked up the goods they had purchased and left with Bai Su. Unsurprisingly, as soon as they walked away, the sounds of the thugs violently thrashing Li Ergou echoed from behind. Li Ergou wailed in misery, but he also understood that he was bound to take a beating today. Thinking of the silver he still owed the gambling den, Li Ergou gritted his teeth and ultimately chose to keep his mouth shut to leave himself a way out. However, the hatred in his eyes only deepened.

Meanwhile, looking at the sun approaching midday, Bai Su led Chen Tian to a small food stall and ordered two bowls of wontons along with two meat-stuffed clay oven rolls. The town’s wonton stall used generous fillings, each wrapper stuffed with a solid ball of minced meat. The meat rolls were savory, flaky, and fragrant, releasing a burst of rich juices with every bite. Of course, they were not cheap; ordinary households only visited occasionally to satisfy a craving, and few could bear the expense of the meat rolls.

“Zichen, I didn’t expect your martial arts to be so formidable!” Bai Su remarked with a beaming smile, watching the man greedily gulp down wontons.

Hearing this, Chen Tian nodded happily, patted his sturdy arm, and declared, “That’s right! My martial arts are top-notch and I have great strength. Whatever happens in the future, you can leave it to me. Suzhi, I will protect you!”

Seeing the earnest look on Chen Tian’s face, Bai Su’s smile deepened. “Since Zichen remembers his martial arts, have you recalled anything else?”

Hearing Bai Su’s question, Chen Tian felt inexplicably guilty, yet he still maintained a bewildered expression and shook his head. “No. The martial arts just came out naturally when I needed them.”

Bai Su did not press any further, leaving Chen Tian unsure whether he believed the excuse or not. After finishing their meal contentedly, the two strolled around the market for a little while longer.

Just when it was time to head back, Chen Tian suddenly spoke up: “Suzhi, I remembered seeing a stall selling water chestnut cake earlier. I’d like to buy some to bring back for Auntie. Wait for me here, I’ll be right back!”

With that, Chen Tian dashed away like a puff of smoke.

His goal in slipping away was naturally not merely buying pastries. Having noticed that they were not far from the bookstore, he needed to seize this opportunity to contact his subordinates.

When Chen Tian hurried to the bookstore, the elderly manager was already waiting anxiously at the door. Seeing him enter, the manager immediately ordered a servant to shut the doors, then ushered Chen Tian into the inner chamber.

The manager initially moved to kneel, but Chen Tian caught his arm, forcing him to remain standing. Chen Tian felt that his time was limited, so there was no room to fuss over tedious etiquette.

The old manager was visibly overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing Chen Tian. Seeing that his master wouldn’t permit him to kneel, he stood obediently, his eyes reddening as he said, “Second Prince, it is truly wonderful that you are safe!”

This old manager belonged to the original host’s maternal family and had served by his side for several years. He held deep affection for the maternal family and was exceedingly loyal. As he grew older, and because Anping Town was his hometown, he had requested to be transferred here to retire. The original host then allowed the youngest son who returned with him to take charge of the operations here. The old man casually acted as a manager in this bookstore, spending his leisure time drinking tea and reading books, living quite a peaceful life.

The manager had received the news early on, knowing that the Second Prince had suffered an ambush and had been missing for over twenty days. They had sent people searching for a long time without any leads, leaving him frantic with worry. Had Young General Qi not suppressed the news, the capital would surely have fallen into chaos. Fortunately, their Highness was blessed with great fortune and resilience, appearing safe and sound now.

“I am temporarily safe, and my body has recovered,” Chen Tian offered a word of reassurance, continuing, “You only need to instruct the others here to hold their positions for now. We can use this opportunity to see who among us is stirring trouble.”

Hearing this, the old manager narrowed his eyes immediately. “Does Your Highness mean there is a traitor?”

Chen Tian nodded. Huo Tianchen commanded plenty of capable subordinates; giving them a subtle hint was enough, and he could trust them with the rest.

“Huo Kangcheng’s men in this vicinity likely haven’t withdrawn either. I do not plan to reveal myself just yet,” Chen Tian said.

In the original timeline, the host had spent several months before recovering his memories after the provincial exams. By that time, the First Prince had assumed he was dead, and the news of his disappearance could barely be kept under wraps any longer. The original host’s sudden return upon regaining his memory had caught Huo Kangcheng completely off guard. Understanding the plotline, Chen Tian felt no rush, realizing this was the perfect opening to weed out the traitors around him.

After delivering a few brief instructions, Chen Tian inquired about Bai Su.

Hearing Bai Su’s name, the old manager recalled seeing them together earlier and could not help asking, “May I ask why Your Highness was with Young Master Bai today?”

Having served closely around Huo Tianchen, the old manager knew the Second Prince was always distant with people and rarely grew close to anyone. Yet Young Master Bai, who had accompanied him today, had clearly captured His Highness’s favor.

“When I was gravely wounded and unconscious, Bai Su saved me. I heard him mention that he has ties with this bookstore. What is that about?”

“So Young Master Bai is actually Your Highness’s savior!” The old manager marveled at the wonder of fate, feeling immensely grateful toward Bai Su. He already held great admiration for Bai Su, and now he resolved to discuss increasing Scholar Bai’s manuscript fees and profit share the next time they met.

He then praised Bai Su lavishly to Chen Tian, saying that Bai Su possessed outstanding character and immense talent. It was only due to a modest family background that he penned storybooks for the shop to earn silver, and thanks to his great ability, his books were exceptional bestsellers.

Hearing the old manager’s praise of Bai Su, Chen Tian felt an overwhelming sense of contentment, happier than if someone had praised him directly, and swelled with pride. His partner was truly extraordinary; even from humble beginnings, he possessed countless ways to stand out above the rest!

Later, the manager suggested providing him with some silver for emergencies, and Chen Tian did not decline. Right now, he was eating his wife’s food and living under his wife’s roof. Being penniless truly tied his hands. Considering that the bookstore was effectively his own asset, he accepted the money with a clear conscience.

On his way back, Chen Tian bought plenty of pastries, along with a large roast chicken and ten meat buns, before heading to find Bai Su where he was waiting.

Bai Su had been waiting at the street corner for a long time without seeing Chen Tian, his heart filled with worry. He had entertained doubts that Chen Tian might have fully regained his memories, yet after these days of interaction, he felt he had a good grasp of Zichen’s character. If the man truly intended to leave, he would never do so without saying goodbye. His primary concern was those thugs from earlier, fearing his sweetheart had run into danger.

So when he saw Chen Tian running toward him from afar loaded with packages, Bai Su hurried over to meet him.

“Why did you buy so much!”

Bai Su looked at the pile of goods in surprise, but seeing that it was almost all food, he felt amused. He had not expected the beauty to be so fond of delicacies; it turned out he had quite a sweet tooth, which was truly adorable!

The two sorted out their purchases. Relying on his strength, Chen Tian insisted on carrying the bulk of the load. Bai Su could only shake his head helplessly at his sturdy, robust sweetheart and follow along.

The ox cart had long been waiting at the original spot. Boarding the cart, they were jolted along for a good while before finally returning to Li Family Village.

Because they had brought back plenty of food, Chen Tian merely prepared a simple broth, stir-fried a plate of greens, heated the meat buns, and shredded the roast chicken before serving dinner.

The roast chicken and meat buns tasted wonderful, leaving all three thoroughly satisfied.

However, when Chen Tian brought out the pastries, Bai Su noticed that many of them were quite expensive. Though the outer packaging looked plain, some were items sold exclusively at Zhenxiu Pavilion, which Bai Su had seen before. The price of such pastries was hardly something an ordinary family could afford.

He had given Zichen some silver, but that amount should not have been enough to cover all this.

Watching the beauty happily savoring the pastries with innate grace and poise, a glint flickered in Bai Su’s eyes.

Striking beauty, formidable martial arts, elegant bearing, and now this mysteriously acquired silver…

The secrets surrounding Zichen seemed to be piling up more and more.