Heaven's Silence

Chapter 59 – The poet is Cheng Feng

Regarding everything about Lu Chuan, it all seemed exceptionally dangerous. Wen Chaoshen naturally wouldn't drag a girl like Si Xiaohong, who shared a similarly unfortunate fate, into the fire pit. He didn't answer Si Xiaohong's question but instead gave a vague response and told her that his issues had been completely resolved.

Perhaps Wen Chaoshen's acting was too superb; he had deceived Lu Chuan, and naturally, he also deceived Si Xiaohong, who finally felt relieved.

Just as Wen Chaoshen was about to leave, Si Xiaohong suddenly thought of something and called out to him. She ran back to her room and returned with a small box, handing it to Wen Chaoshen with a bit of embarrassment, saying:

"Brother Chaoshen, could you do me a small favor?"

Seeing Si Xiaohong's slightly flushed face and her fidgeting fingers, Wen Chaoshen understood immediately and asked with a smile:

"Go on, who is it for? I promise to deliver it."

Upon hearing this, Si Xiaohong's youthful face turned even redder. She hurriedly waved her hands and explained:

"It's not what Brother Chaoshen thinks. Three months ago, there was a banquet held by some nobles at the Mandarin Duck Tower, and a poetry gathering took place. Some nobles got drunk and caused a scene, making things very awkward. I heard those people have some status in the county city and are on good terms with Liu Jinshi. Madam had to apologize and offer drinks, but they wouldn't accept it. They insisted that Madam find someone who could outdo them in literature, or else they wouldn't let it go that night..."

"That night, everyone drank a lot, and there were many people causing a ruckus and watching the commotion. Both the nobles and Madam were cornered, and the situation was getting out of hand. Later, a drunken guest stood up to help and wrote a poem on the wall pillar of the Mandarin Duck Tower, which finally settled the dispute."

Wen Chaoshen, deep in thought, smiled and said:

"That must be a talented person."

Si Xiaohong's face showed a hint of embarrassment, but she still spoke with a slightly flushed face:

"Brother Chaoshen, don't tease Xiaohong. It's been three months since that incident, and Xiaohong hasn't had the chance to thank him. I originally wanted to thank him in person when he returned to the Mandarin Duck Tower, but I never saw him again..."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of understanding flashed in Wen Chaoshen's eyes. He collected his thoughts and nodded:

"Alright, I'll deliver it for you. Do you have his address and name?"

Si Xiaohong replied:

"I asked the sisters in the tower and found out his name is Cheng Feng, Cheng as in 'journey,' and Feng as in 'peak.' He lives at No. 10, North Bend Water Alley in the county city. If Brother Chaoshen has time, please help Xiaohong deliver this gift to Brother Cheng."

Wen Chaoshen was truly surprised to hear the name Cheng Feng from Si Xiaohong's mouth. He stood there in a daze for a moment, only snapping back to reality after Xiaohong's reminder.

As he left the Mandarin Duck Tower, A Shui glanced at the box in Wen Chaoshen's hand and said:

"You sly one, in a place like this, other men go in with money and come out empty-handed, but you went in empty-handed and came out with something... How did you manage to make that girl so moved after just a few encounters?"

After she finished speaking, Wen Chaoshen sighed, placing the exquisite little box in front of A Shui, and said:

"It's for someone else."

"I'm just running an errand."

A Shui was taken aback:

"For someone else? Who?"

Wen Chaoshen replied:

"Cheng Feng."

A Shui:

"Cheng Feng... isn't that the one you mentioned?"

Wen Chaoshen nodded.

"Yes, that's him."

A Shui glanced at him and remarked:

"Kuhai County is really small; it seems like everyone knows each other."

Wen Chaoshen moved swiftly, striding towards the address Si Xiaohong had given him. When he first met Cheng Feng, he was curious about why Cheng Feng was living so miserably. Now, he had a vague answer in his heart.

On the way, he recounted to A Shui how Cheng Feng and Si Xiaohong had met.

Upon reaching No. 10, Bend Water Alley, the walls along the road were full of peeling marks, and green mold and moss grew at the base of the walls. Especially today, with the strong sunlight, the smell after the snow melted was particularly unpleasant.

As they approached Cheng Feng's residence, a stench of rot hit them. Wen Chaoshen sensed something was wrong and quickly went to the entrance, only to find that Cheng Feng's house didn't even have a door, as if it had been violently demolished. Moreover, there were piles of dead rat carcasses at the entrance.

Originally, these carcasses wouldn't have smelled after being frozen, but today the sunlight melted the snow covering them, exposing the rat corpses.

Ignoring the nauseating stench, Wen Chaoshen squatted beside the rat carcasses and, after a careful look, said:

"Kuhai County is so cold in winter that even if the sun shines for two more days, the rat corpses couldn't have rotted like this... And the rat fur on the ground is matted, clearly soaked in a lot of water. I guess someone soaked the rat corpses in hot water to rot them and then dumped them at Cheng Feng's doorstep..."

Listening to Wen Chaoshen's analysis, A Shui frowned slightly, looking towards the interior of the house.

"Ordinary people wouldn't do something so disgusting, and they even tore down the door... It's probably a grudge from three months ago at the Mandarin Duck Tower, no wonder Cheng Feng is living so miserably now."

Incidents of petty theft and robbery weren't uncommon in Kuhai County, mainly because the punishment for theft wasn't severe. Moreover, with Cheng Feng's house door being smashed open, thieves could easily enter and take things at any time.

Wen Chaoshen and A Shui stepped over the rats and entered Cheng Feng's house, calling out a few times. Finally, the dilapidated, drafty house opened its door, and a wary face hid in the darkness behind the door. Once he saw it was Wen Chaoshen, the hostility in his eyes slowly faded.

Creak—

The door opened completely, and he limped out, his face still bruised.

What caught their attention was that Cheng Feng was holding a kitchen knife in his hand.

"It's you... how did you find me?"

Cheng Feng showed no joy at Wen Chaoshen's visit, his tone instead carrying a hint of urgency.

Wen Chaoshen looked at Cheng Feng's disheveled appearance and smiled:

"What, got beaten up?"

Cheng Feng glanced at him, didn't respond, and turned to head back inside until Wen Chaoshen spoke again:

"It wasn't me looking for you; it was a girl from the Mandarin Duck Tower."

Cheng Feng immediately stopped in his tracks, and when he turned back, Wen Chaoshen was already in front of him, flipping his wrist to reveal the exquisite box in his palm.

"The girl originally planned to thank you in person the next time you went to the Mandarin Duck Tower, but after that poetry gathering, you disappeared."

"She asked the sisters in the tower for a long time before finding your address."

"This is from her, take it."

Cheng Feng stared at the box in Wen Chaoshen's hand for a long time without taking it. Finally, his dry lips parted slightly, and he said:

"I've received her kindness, but could you return the gift for me?"

Wen Chaoshen looked at Cheng Feng's messy hair, noticing the blood scabs visible in the sparse hair on the side of his head.

Facing him, Wen Chaoshen placed Si Xiaohong's gift in his hand and asked seriously for the second time:

"Who beat you up?"

Before Cheng Feng could even answer, footsteps and arrogant shouting echoed from the alley outside:

"Cheng—Feng!"

"Hahaha!"

"Have you prepared today's meal money for us, brothers?"

"Brothers, time to collect the debt!"

...