Chapter 6: A Chance Encounter on a Long Street Sugar Gourd Thin West Lake has a Cave Heaven

  The ghost fire flickered uncertainly, then suddenly flared up violently, and after a loud whooshing sound, it disappeared into thin air. Xia Jin was shocked, wondering if the ghost fire had reappeared because Wang Changqing from last night was nearby. He couldn't help but raise his hand to gather energy, which pulled on the newly healed wound on his back, causing blood to slowly seep out. Xia Jin gritted his teeth in pain and broke out in a cold sweat, tightly biting his lip as he took a deep breath of cool air.

  "Xia Gongzi, your injuries can't be aggravated further," Shen Daguo said, "I'll take care of this matter from now on. I'll do my best to find Xiaohui Miss."

  But before Xia Jin could finish speaking, another wave of pain hit him, and he couldn't help but take another deep breath.

  Shen Daguo saw his condition and took out a small porcelain bottle from his pocket: "This is slippery stone powder, it can relieve pain. Xia Gongzi, don't eat too much, just a little will do." Shen Daguo carefully poured some of the powder into a teacup from Zheng's house and had Xia Jin drink it down with water.

  After a while, Xia Jin felt his whole body go numb and hot, his head was a bit dizzy, but his spirits lifted greatly. The wound on his back didn't throb in pain like before, although it still wasn't comfortable, the sharp pain had lessened significantly.

  "This medicine can be used to relieve pain, but if taken in large quantities, it will cause excitement and madness, leading to loss of reason," Shen Daguo warned, handing Xia Jin the small bottle. Xia Jin casually put it into his own pocket.

  Shen Daguo continued: "Xia Gongzi, you should rest for a while longer. I'll go find Xiaohui Miss."

  "This is phosphorus powder, which was often used by the Iron Law Department in those days. Because it's too expensive to produce, it hasn't been used for a long time. Now I see it again in Zheng Zong's house, what's the reason?" Shen Bujiang carefully swept up the phosphorus powder on the ground and wrapped it in paper before putting it into his own large cloth bag. "Now that we can't investigate any news, let's go see Zheng Zong. Xia Gongzi, follow me to the Iron Law Department's Guangling branch." Xia thought for a moment, now that they couldn't investigate anything about Xiao Kui's case, he might as well follow Shen Bujiang to the Iron Law Department's branch. Firstly, to visit his uncle and ask about last night's events, secondly, to see if they could use the power of the Iron Law Department to search for Xiao Kui. "Then I'll trouble Shen Daige to lead the way."

  Shen Bujiang walked down the street with a big smile on his face, swaying from side to side. He and Xia Jin had arrived at the lakeside street of Xihu, where the midday sun was shining brightly. The streets were bustling with people, and business was booming. Shen Bujiang strode purposefully towards the ice sugar gourds, while Zhu Bozheng leaned against a bamboo pole, puffing on his pipe. The old man's eyes twinkled as he savored the smoke, blowing out clouds of vapor.

  Shen Bujiang grinned: "Give me three catties of ice sugar gourd!" Zhu Bozheng chuckled: "You're a sly one, old farmer! I only make a few sticks a day, and you want to take them all? The city kids will cry themselves hoarse!"

  Shen Bujiang rolled around on the ground, playing the fool: "I want it, I want it! Tell the kids that the ice sugar gourds were eaten by a pig monster!" Zhu Bozheng slowly stood up, dusting himself off: "You're such a rascal, acting like a child at your age. Come with me, and I'll take you home to get some!"

  Zhu Bozheng gestured grandly: "Hurray! The ice sugar gourds are going home!" Shen Bujiang stood up, pretending nonchalance, and tugged on Xia Jin's sleeve, indicating that they should follow Zhu Bozheng.

  Xia Jin didn't say a word, and from this, it seemed that Zhu Bo was the hidden stake of this iron law. For so many years, Zhu Bo had been watching himself grow up, was it out of duty or affection? Was it surveillance or protection? Would his life be constantly written into secret letters and become a laughing stock for those high above as an after-dinner joke? Were these pedestrians on the street wearing masks or having real faces? Was he living in an environment arranged by those big shots? Was the happiness he thought he had been manufactured by others? Perhaps these sudden events... were the key to changing his life? Xia Jin shook his head, complex thoughts and ideas occupied his mind, and he couldn't help but feel lost, wondering how he had lived for the past decade or so.

  The winding road, the narrower the road, the taller walls on both sides, the darker the road underfoot, unable to see ahead, only a beam of sunlight gently sprinkled on Xia Jin's shoulder, Xia Jin looked up and squinted, couldn't help but use his hand to stroke the sunlight on his shoulder.

  Perhaps this road is getting narrower and darker, and the end may be a dead end, but on the way, there will always be a ray of sunshine. At this time, Xia Jin thought of Xiao Kui, remembered Xiao Kui's laughter, Xiao Kui's angry look, Xiao Kui's favorite candied hawthorn...

  "Xia Gongzi, we've arrived." Shen Bujiang raised his hand and pointed to the high wall in front of them. Xia Jin slowly came back to his senses and nodded. Zhu Bo gently stroked the wall and pressed down on a loose brick, the wall surface moved silently and slowly, gradually revealing a low black hole. Zhu Bo gestured for them to enter. The two men went into the hole one after another.

  Here is the translation:

  Zhu Bo skillfully inserted the bamboo pole filled with ice sugar gourds into a small hole in the wall, and with a slight turn, the stone door behind them closed with a loud bang. Suddenly, a faint green fire flashed out from within the secret passage, and several feet away, a ghostly flame appeared.

  "Hey, back then, the Governor's mansion didn't spare any expense or effort to build this Guangling branch," Shen Bujiang said, clicking his tongue in amazement. "All of it was made with phosphorus fire."

  Zhu Bo hunched over, and the green fire cast eerie shadows on his deeply wrinkled face. He chuckled hoarsely a few times.

  Xia Jin leaned forward to take a look, but the stone staircase seemed to stretch down endlessly, disappearing into darkness. Xia Jin hesitated, wondering if he should follow the two men down. Zhu Bo noticed Xia Jin's uncertain expression and whispered, "Young Master Xia, this place is part of a legend within the Governor's mansion, a miracle, a secret. I reckon only a handful of people within the mansion still remember it today."

  Xia Jin was shocked. "This Guangling branch...it really extends all the way to the bottom of Shouxihu Lake?"

  Zhu Bo nodded. "Yes, back then, the master of the mansion oversaw its construction. This small path leads directly to the lake bed. If not for the recent changes at Fushu Tower, this Guangling branch would have remained buried underground forever."

  Xia Jin was stunned. In just two days, too many unbelievable things had happened to him. His familiar world had been turned upside down.

  Zhu Bo continued, "Alas, the master passed away prematurely...he never got to see the completion of this Guangling branch." Xia Jin's eyes widened in awe as he said, "What a magnificent vision! What an extraordinary idea! He must have been a truly remarkable person!"

  Zhu Bo closed his eyes, and a sigh escaped his lips. "I'm just glad I could assist the master...my life has no regrets now. Alas, if only the master..."

  Shen Bujiang remained silent, but Xia Jin asked, "May I ask what was the master's name?"

  Zhu Bo hesitated for a long time before answering, glancing at Shen Bujiang, who showed no expression. Zhu Bo sighed and said, "The master of the Governor's mansion...the commander of the Brocade Guard...Liu Bowen's disciple...Zhennan Hanhu Xia Hanling...he was your birth father."

  Xia Jin's mind went blank as his heart swirled with mixed emotions. The man Zhu Bo spoke of, his own father Xia Hanling, whom he had never met, was a great hero in his eyes, but also a man who had abandoned him and his family. He didn't know whether to hate, resent, or lament this man who had never seen his son. Perhaps he had been a heroic figure, but to Xia Jin, he was just a selfish man who had neglected his own child.

  Now that he was gone, Xia Jin thought it best not to dwell on the past.

  Xia Jin walked forward indifferently, his head bowed in silence. The two men in front of him, Zhu Bo and Shen Bujiang, had not seen Xia Jin's expression and did not know what he thought about the news. As they finally reached the end of the long stairs and saw the flat ground ahead, Shen Bujiang couldn't help but say: "Young Master Xia, don't blame the master of the house. These things were originally meant to be told to you when you turned twenty. Don't blame the old master either; he did this to protect you." Xia Jin suddenly shouted: "Stop talking! I am Xia Jin, and that's all there is to it! I was born without a father or mother, with only an uncle and a wife! I'm just a common scholar from Guangling. What do these things have to do with me?" Zhu Bo's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, and he let out another long sigh. Shen Bujiang was taken aback at first, but then realized that too many things had happened in the past two days. Even someone like himself, a seasoned veteran, would be at a loss for what to do. The three of them fell silent once again.

  As he walked to the bottom of the cave, a low whisper echoed from within: "Xia Jin... come quickly..."