Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 22 The Tycoon

Jiang Xun was led into the bathhouse, where the steam hit him in the face, making him squint.

It was quite large inside, with a pool taking up half the room. Steam rose from the pool, creating a white mist that made it seem as if you were looking through a veil.

Several people were squatting by the pool, soaking in it with their eyes closed, some even humming tunes, looking like they were in paradise.

An old man was leaning against the edge of the pool in the corner, with a towel under his neck and a hot towel covering his face. He was completely still. If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest, Jiang Xun would have thought he had passed out in the water.

The waiter asked solicitously, "Sir, would you prefer a private room or a large pool room?"

"A big pond will do." Jiang Xun paused, looked down at his leather coat, and added, "Go buy me another set of clothes, a good one."

When he said "good things," he emphasized the words and straightened his back.

Having two hundred taels of silver in your pocket gives you a different kind of confidence.

"Okay! Just a moment, I'll be right there!" The waiter dashed off.

Jiang Xun quickly took off his leather coat and threw it on the ground as if it were a rag.

He went down the steps into the pool, and the moment his feet touched the water, it was so hot that he almost pulled back.

And then—it feels good.

That feels fucking good.

It's been three months, and this is the first time I've soaked in hot water, and the first time my body hasn't been itchy.

The warmth surged up from the soles of my feet, down my calves, down my waist, down to the back of my head, making my whole body feel soft and relaxed.

He leaned against the edge of the pool, his neck resting on the rim, his eyes closed, and let out a long breath.

The steam made his face wet, and beads of sweat streamed down his temples.

A fat man next to him glanced at him and leaned over to strike up a conversation: "Brother, first time here?"

Jiang Xun opened his eyes and glanced at him.

The fat man had a smile on his face. His body was covered in white, flabby flesh, and he looked like a small mountain when he was soaking in the water. He seemed quite kind.

"Um."

"Judging from your accent, you're not a local, are you?"

"no."

"What brings you to Jiangning Prefecture?"

Jiang Xun thought for a moment and said, "To make a living."

The fat man laughed, his face jiggling. "Making a living is good, it's easy to make a living here. My name is Qiao Dazhou, I've been around this area for over ten years. If you need anything, just come to me, don't hesitate to ask."

Jiang Xun nodded but didn't reply.

Seeing that he didn't like to talk, the fat man wasn't annoyed. He went back to his own spot and started humming a little tune.

After soaking for half an hour, until his fingers were wrinkled, Jiang Xun finally climbed out of the pool.

The young shop assistant has already delivered the new clothes.

He wore a light blue robe made of smooth, silky material. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with subtle patterns, and it looked expensive.

The belt is made of satin and comes with a jade pendant, a vibrant green color. I don't know if it's real or fake, but it looks quite nice when worn.

Jiang Xun dressed and looked in the mirror—the bronze mirror was a bit blurry, but he could still make out a person's appearance.

After washing my face and combing my hair, I tied it up with a ribbon and felt much more energetic, like a completely different person.

He took out another piece of silver from his pocket and tossed it to the waiter casually.

"Keep the change, please."

The waiter's eyes lit up, and he bowed and scraped, almost touching the ground: "Thank you, sir! Please take care!"

…………

When Jiang Xun came out of the bathhouse, it was already dark.

The streets were even more lively than before.

One lantern after another lit up, illuminating the entire street as if it were daytime.

All the food stalls were set up, selling roasted chestnuts, roasted sweet potatoes, and fried dough sticks. The aromas mingled together, filling the streets and tempting people to stay put.

Jiang Xun rubbed his stomach; he was hungry.

He walked along the street, looking around as he went, wondering what to eat.

After walking for a while, I suddenly felt something was wrong.

Someone is following him.

It wasn't one person, but two or three, hanging at a distance behind them.

They were fast when he was fast, and slow when he was slow; they were sneaky and furtive.

Jiang Xun's lips curled up slightly.

petty thief?

Should we play these tricks on him?

He slowed his pace, pretended not to notice, and turned into an alley.

Those people did indeed follow them in.

The alley was quite deep, with high walls on both sides. At the end, there was a dead end with no side paths.

Jiang Xun stopped.

Footsteps sounded behind me, neither too loud nor too soft, deliberately made.

He turned around.

Three burly men blocked the entrance to the alley, completely obstructing the way.

The leader had his shirt open, revealing a patch of black hair on his chest, and he was holding a stick in his hand, weighing it in his palm.

"Kid, you don't look very smart, huh? Daring to walk into a dead end?" Black Hair grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Jiang Xun looked at him without saying a word.

Black Hair took two steps forward, looked him up and down, and his gaze lingered on the bag of silver at his waist.

"You showed off your wealth at the bathhouse just now, didn't you? Dressed in tattered clothes, yet casually handing out silver coins—a big shot, huh?"

Jiang Xun remained silent.

Black Hair slung the stick over his shoulder, tilted his head, and looked at him: "If you know what's good for you, hand over the money. We're in a good mood today, so we'll let you off the hook."

Jiang Xun sighed.

He took the money pouch out of his pocket, weighed it in his hand, and the silver jingled.

Black Hair's eyes lit up, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"Yes, this is it—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

Jiang Xun was already in front of him.

Black Hair only felt a blur before his eyes, and before he could even see the figure clearly, he was punched in the stomach.

The punch wasn't heavy, but its placement was tricky; it landed squarely on his heart.

"Bang!"

Black Hair flew backward, his back slamming against the wall with a dull thud. He then slid down the wall and collapsed to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of acidic water. The stick slipped from his hand and rolled to the side.

The remaining two burly men were dumbfounded. They looked at each other, their legs starting to tremble.

"This, this kid—"

Jiang Xun looked at them and smiled.

The smile on his lips was a bit roguish and cheeky; he was a completely different person from the country bumpkin they had been staring at outside the bathhouse.

He is now a martial arts expert.

Although I don't care about martial arts, it's enough to beat up a few thugs.

"Come on," Jiang Xun said lazily, raising his chin. "Didn't you want money?"

The two burly men exchanged a glance, then turned and ran at the same time, faster than rabbits, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Jiang Xun did not pursue.

He walked over, squatted down, and looked at the black fur lying at the base of the wall.

Black Hair raised his head, his face full of terror, and there was still sour liquid at the corner of his mouth.

"Sir, please spare me!"

"What's your name?"

"Joe, Joe..."

Jiang Xun smiled.

"Who is Qiao Dazhou to you?"

Black Hair paused, his lips trembling slightly, "He's...he's my older brother..."

Jiang Xun nodded, his face expressionless.

"Go back and tell your older brother," he said, his tone flat, as if he were talking about what he ate that day, "My name is Jiang Xun. If you want revenge, come find me anytime. But—"

He reached out and patted Black Hair's face lightly, making a slapping sound, as if he were patting a child who didn't know any better.

"Next time it won't be just one punch."

After saying that, he stood up, clapped his hands, and walked out of the alley without looking back.