Wu Liangchen hid behind a tree, not daring to even breathe.
The man observed for a moment longer. Seeing that there was truly nothing out of the ordinary, he finally departed.
Wu Liangchen waited for a good fifteen minutes more, only letting out a long breath when he was certain the man with the blade was gone. He didn't reveal himself, simply retreating on silent feet.
Once he was clear of the area, Wu Liangchen broke into a run.
Wu Liangchen didn't finally relax until he was back inside the city walls.
'That was close!'
Thankfully, his hearing had sharpened considerably after his breakthrough in the Five Animals Fist, allowing him to notice something was off ahead of time. Otherwise, he might have lost his head just now.
'I should probably avoid desolate places outside the city from now on. It's just too dangerous if you run into something.'
Having made up his mind, Wu Liangchen returned home.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Wu Liangchen arrived at Yuan Er's house.
Yuan Er was waiting for him. He nodded when Wu Liangchen arrived. "Let's go."
Soon, the two arrived outside the Five Blessings Hall rickshaw depot. Wu Liangchen didn't get in line, waiting instead in a nearby alley.
A moment later, Yuan Er appeared, pulling a first-class rickshaw that was in excellent condition.
"Brother, give it a try," Yuan Er said.
"Alright."
With that, Wu Liangchen took the handles and pulled the rickshaw in a loop around the alley.
'The money was well spent. A first-class rickshaw is so much more comfortable to pull than a third-class one.'
Seeing Wu Liangchen's practiced movements, Yuan Er felt completely relieved.
He had been worried that Wu Liangchen, being used to hauling goods, wouldn't be able to adapt to a first-class passenger rickshaw so suddenly.
But watching how steadily Wu Liangchen pulled the rickshaw now, Yuan Er knew his worries had been for nothing.
"Brother, carrying passengers isn't like hauling freight. Remember to be pleasant and say nice things. Not only will it help you avoid trouble, but you might also get a tip from a generous customer."
"I understand, Brother Yuan. You should get back to your wife. I'm heading out."
With that, Wu Liangchen pulled the rickshaw out of the alley and headed straight for East City.
The residents here were mostly well-to-do families, and the majority of them chose to take rickshaws when heading out in the morning. That's why business was best here at this time of day.
Before long, Wu Liangchen picked up his first customer of the day.
He was a middle-aged man with glasses who looked like a Shopkeeper.
Sure enough, the man got in and immediately asked, "How much to the Hundred Treasures Building?"
Wu Liangchen's spirits rose. "Ten coppers will do, sir."
The Hundred Treasures Building was in West City. It wasn't far—a short trip.
"Fine. Be quick about it, I'm in a hurry."
"You got it! Sit tight, sir."
With that, Wu Liangchen lifted the handles and set off toward West City at a brisk pace.
At first, the man didn't pay much mind, but after riding for a while, he noticed something different.
This impossibly young rickshaw puller moved with a light and nimble gait, weaving effortlessly through the bustling morning streets.
Most importantly, the ride was perfectly smooth, without the slightest jolt. It was incredibly comfortable.
The man was so pleased that when they arrived, he deliberately gave him an extra two coppers.
"Good work. This is for you."
"Thank you, sir. Have a good day."
His first fare was a great start, which boosted Wu Liangchen's confidence. For the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, he was hardly ever idle, pulling a good seven or eight customers.
He didn't get a break until a little past one in the afternoon.
As he counted his morning's earnings, Wu Liangchen couldn't help but feel pleased.
A good eighty coppers. Even after deducting the rickshaw rental fee and Yuan Er's thirty percent cut, he was still left with much more than he made hauling cargo.
'And there's still the evening rush to look forward to.'
'It seems carrying passengers is the real way to make money.'
Since he'd made good money, he decided to treat himself to a nice meal.
Wu Liangchen found a small eatery and ordered Moo Shu Pork, specifically asking the waiter to make it a saucy stir-fry. He then ordered half a jin of hand-pulled noodles.
In just a few moments, the Moo Shu Pork was ready.
The bright yellow eggs, glistening black wood ear mushrooms, and tender pork made for a very tempting dish.
Wu Liangchen also ordered three liang of Shaodaozi, not so much to drink as to have something to do while he waited for his noodles.
He picked out the eggs and mushrooms from the Moo Shu Pork to pair with his liquor. Once the noodles were cooked, Wu Liangchen downed the rest of his drink, poured all the sauce and juices from the plate into his noodle bowl, gave it a stir with his chopsticks, and created a fragrant bowl of improvised gravy noodles.
SLURP. After devouring the half-jin of noodles, a light sweat broke out on Wu Liangchen's forehead. He felt the morning's fatigue melt away, replaced by a surge of renewed energy.
[Life Fire +0.1 wisps]
Wu Liangchen was very satisfied with this.
'This is a meal I've figured out recently. It doesn't cost much, but it's filling, provides a balanced diet, and most importantly, it's the most economical way to earn Life Fire.'
After paying for his meal, Wu Liangchen took up his rickshaw and headed nonstop for the South City market.
There were fewer passengers at this time of day, so it was the perfect opportunity to swing by the market and see if there were any delivery orders for the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall.
'It's not about the money. I just want as much contact with the people from the martial arts hall as possible.'
And as luck would have it, he'd come at the right time. Sister Hu's shop had a delivery for the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall.
"Oh? Xiaowu, you're making deliveries with a passenger rickshaw today?" Sister Hu asked in surprise.
"Yeah, I'm just helping a friend out for a couple of days. It's no problem, I'll just clear some space."
Wu Liangchen covered the seat with a few clean cloths to keep it from getting dirty, then loaded up the goods and headed straight for the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall.
As he passed under the main gate of the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall, Wu Liangchen made a point to look up, but the space was empty. He saw nothing.
But Wu Liangchen knew that the young man must be hidden in some corner, observing the people on the street.
He lowered his head, bypassed the front entrance, and went through the back to the kitchens. After unloading the goods, while waiting for the return slip, Wu Liangchen couldn't help but gaze toward the front of the hall again.
Despite the many buildings in the way, he relied on his keen hearing and could just make out the faint sound of human voices.
It sounded like people chatting and laughing, but he couldn't make out any of the words.
"Young man, your slip!" the head chef in the kitchen called out.
"Coming!"
Wu Liangchen turned to take the slip and was just about to leave when he heard approaching footsteps. A moment later, a man and a woman entered the kitchen's courtyard.
The man was tall and powerfully built, with an impressive air about him.
The woman beside him was also quite tall. Her features were delicate and pretty, but a faint, almost imperceptible air of arrogance made her seem unapproachable.
Wu Liangchen glanced at them, and his heart skipped a beat.
'This man... why does he look so familiar?'
Just as he was wondering, he heard the man say with a beaming smile, "Junior Sister Yan, the head chef here at our Long Wind Martial Arts Hall is quite famous. His skills are excellent. I'll have him whip up a couple of dishes for you to try."
Hearing that voice, Wu Liangchen's heart sank.
'Isn't that the voice of the man from last night? The one who beheaded someone in the woods outside the city.'
'No wonder he looked so familiar.'
'So he's from the Long Wind Martial Arts Hall.'
A thousand thoughts flashed through Wu Liangchen's mind in an instant, but his expression remained unchanged. He simply pulled his rickshaw and started to leave.