Shi Yu seemed to feel he had spoken out of turn, gave a light cough, and stammered, "I... I probably overthink things. Let's wait until you remember everything to discuss it. Anyway, now that you're back in Ning'an City, just be careful and stay safe."
Having said this, Shi Yu glanced at Yuan Heng beside him and said, "Though I feel more at ease since you have an ancient beastman by your side."
"I heard you had a falling out with Zhao Xiang?" Shi Yu asked again.
Wang Jin nodded and said, "Where did you hear all this?"
"On the main street, of course," Shi Yu said matter-of-factly. "You are the city lord's only younger brother. Don't you think plenty of eyes are focused on you? I just made some casual inquiries and learned everything about what's happened in your pavilion quite clearly."
"..." Wang Jin fell silent. It seems gossip exists in every world.
Shi Yu said, "That Zhao Xiang is no good. I wholeheartedly approve of you falling out with him. Don't be too upset, I'm still here for you."
As he spoke, Shi Yu noticed Wang Jin's bewildered expression. Considering he might have been overly familiar, he stiffly changed his tone and said, "In short, you can come to me for anything. I'll be in the city for the next couple of days. I came to see you as soon as I returned, and I haven't even gone with my father to report back to the city lord yet. I should go now. I'll come again tomorrow to catch up."
With that, he didn't wait for Wang Jin to respond and left directly, as unrestrained and straightforward as when he had arrived.
Shi Yu's personality was really completely different from the original owner's...
"Uncle Shan, how exactly did this person become friends with Xi... with me?"
Logically, someone with the original owner's timid and fearful personality shouldn't have known such a sharp-tongued and decisive person... let alone been close friends with them...
Uncle Shan laughed upon hearing this and said, "Speaking of how you met, it's quite an amusing story."
"Young master, you've been back in Ning'an City for a while now, so you should know that our Ning'an City has one deputy city lord and three great hall masters."
"Deputy City Lord Zhao Yu assists the city lord in handling the city's affairs and is also responsible for protecting Ning'an City's safety. The three great hall masters are respectively the Martial Hall Master, the Incense Hall Master, and the Merchant Hall Master."
"The Martial Hall Master is Cheng Li. He is responsible for patrolling the forests outside Ning'an City and monitoring the movements of the surrounding tribes to ensure the area around Ning'an City is safe. If the city lord needs to search for something in the forests, he also needs to utilize the Martial Hall Master's forces. The Incense Hall Master is Pan Zhenyi. He is responsible for all matters in the city concerning the treasury, trade, visits from outsiders, and other miscellaneous affairs. Hall Master Pan Zhenyi is now elderly, and currently, these matters are managed by his ger, Pan Shulin. The last one is the Merchant Hall Master, Shi Xian. In Ning'an City, the Merchant Hall Master's position is responsible for going outside to liaise with surrounding tribes and conduct trade with them... so he is often not in the city."
"This Shi Yu, young master Shi, is Shi Xian's only child, but he is a ger. The Shi merchant family has no beastman son, only this one ger. Hall Master Shi has been very strict with him since childhood, raising him as if he were a beastman. This young master Shi grew up versed in both literature and martial arts, and from a young age followed his father outside to deal with people from the tribes. His temperament is quite like that of a beastman, he possesses none of the docility expected of a ger. Now that he is nearly of marriageable age, no beastman has dared to come to the Shi family to seek his hand in marriage... Whereas you, young master, have a reputation for being very gentle and quiet. The city lord and Merchant Hall Master Shi Xian discussed the idea of you two becoming acquainted, hoping your personalities would complement each other... So you two were introduced and met under their arrangement..."
As Uncle Shan spoke, he seemed to recall something amusing and said cheerfully, "When you first met young master Shi, you were actually quite afraid of him. However, although young master Shi's words can be a bit harsh, he is extremely good to you, young master. He always thinks of you, and every time he returns from outside, he brings gifts for you."
"Back when you disappeared, young master, he was also the first to write asking about your situation. It's just that he was outside the city at the time and couldn't return. Now, as soon as he came back, he came to see you first."
Wang Jin could sense Shi Yu's concern for the original owner. Although that person's words were sharp, the worry in his eyes and the whole chest of medicinal ingredients... clearly showed his concern...
For the original owner to have such a friend, his luck wasn't all bad.
"Young master, since we've reached this topic, allow me to say one more thing. This young master Shi treats you sincerely. You were always afraid of him before and kept him at a distance. I think, young master, you should open your heart to him. He will definitely be able to help you with many things..."
Help? Trade with the surrounding tribes?
An idea flashed through Wang Jin's mind...
So the original owner was completely open with Zhao Xiang, but kept his guard up with Shi Yu? He really was a poor judge of character.
But if the original owner had truly been completely open with Shi Yu, then Shi Yu probably wouldn't have allowed the original owner to be bullied into leaving Ning'an City...
"I always felt that your leaving was not simple..." The words Shi Yu had spoken echoed in his mind. Wang Jin frowned and looked at Uncle Shan, asking, "Uncle Shan, Shi Yu repeatedly urged me just now to pay attention to my safety. What did he really mean by that?"
Shouldn't Ning'an City be the safest place in the beastman world...?
Fierce beasts can't even get in...
"This..." Uncle Shan frowned in confusion, lowered his head as if recalling, thought for a moment, and then said cautiously, "Perhaps it's because he finds your sudden departure from Ning'an City puzzling... Not only young master Shi, but also earlier, when I went to prepare things for the evening banquet, I happened to run into young master Cheng and Hall Master Cheng. I overheard their conversation, and they also suspect that your sudden departure from Ning'an City was not a simple matter..."
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