Xuanqing Guard

Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Request

"What’s this, then? Are you trying to pay me monthly wages now?"

Shen Hao glanced at the silver notes in the box but didn’t bother to check them, kept stirring his noodles with his chopsticks and eating.

"No, this is my monthly pay. I... I want to ask the master for something." Xia Nu had heard from Hu Tian that when you want someone to help, you have to ’show your sincerity’, so this was her way of showing it.

When Shen Hao finally realized what this silly slave was up to, he just got a headache. This fool’s being dumb again! She’s actually taking the silver he paid her and now wants to use it as a ’favor’ for him?

"Put it away. Your monthly pay is your pay. You’re my slave, your life is mine, and whether I help you depends on my mood. Giving me silver notes, what’s that supposed to be, a bribe? What are you thinking?" Shen Hao reached over and grabbed Xia Nu’s ear, giving it a good tug.

"Ow, ow! Master, I know I was wrong, please stop pulling my ear, it’s going to fall off!" Xia Nu was tugged until her whole body leaned over Shen Hao’s knee, her feet kicking, but she didn’t dare struggle too hard.

Shen Hao twisted it a bit harder before letting go.

"Alright, spill it. What is it?"

Xia Nu’s eyes filled with mist—she really got yanked hard. She quickly put away the box of silver notes, ducked her head, and while rubbing her ear, explained, "I—I saw a brokerage caravan at the East Gate yesterday. There were two—two Fox Race kids on it. I—I want to ask the master to buy them."

Shen Hao glanced at Xia Nu, who was kneeling in front of him, kowtowing nonstop, but didn’t hurry to respond. He just slurped up all the noodles in his bowl and drank several gulps of soup before wiping his mouth and saying, "Tomorrow go find Housekeeper Hu and have him ask the brokerage for the girls. Now, go boil water, I want a bath."

"Ah? Oh! Thank you, Master! I’ve already got the water boiling. You go back to your room first; I’ll bring it right over shortly."

Shen Hao got up, hands behind his back, and headed back inside.

...

The next day, when Shen Hao got home from his errands, he saw there were two new girls, about eleven or twelve, little Fox Girls, tagging nervously behind Xia Nu, blinking at Shen Hao with curious eyes.

"This is the master! Say hello to the master!" Xia Nu happily pulled the two little Fox Girls out from behind her, proudly introducing Shen Hao.

"Hong Chou greets the master!"

"Brocade and Silk greets the master!"

Shen Hao was exasperated, shooting a look at Hu Tian beside him—he wanted an explanation. Who named these two little Fox Girls? What’s with those bizarre names?

Hu Tian caught his meaning, suppressed his laughter and said, "Master Shen, these two Fox Girls were named by Xia Nu. She said they’re pretty names. Also, since they just got to the brokerage, most of their training isn’t finished yet. There’s a lot still to learn. Do you want to keep them here and have us teach them, or send them back to the brokerage to have them trained in proper etiquette?"

Sure enough, only Xia Nu would do something this silly—she must’ve named them after things from that clothing shop she likes to visit. Hong Chou... Brocade and Silk... Well, tacky as it is, Shen Hao couldn’t be bothered to change their names; he wasn’t going to be the one calling them anyway.

"They’re already here, why send them back? You’ll have to work a bit harder, teach them yourself." As he spoke, Shen Hao glared at Xia Nu, and she shrank her neck and sidled up to his side, leaning down—she knew she’d get her ear yanked again, so she cooperated and made it easy for him.

Shen Hao didn’t use much force, mainly because Xia Nu was getting the hang of things. He tugged her ear a few times, then let go.

"Serve the food, I’m hungry."

During the meal Shen Hao was curious, so he asked the two little Fox Girls, "How old are you two?"

"Answering the master, Hong Chou is eleven and a half."

"I—I, Brocade and Silk, am twelve years and a month!"

"How did you get caught?" Shen Hao liked chatting while eating. He wasn’t home often—if Hu Tian or the others had something to report, they’d wait for this time. Usually, Shen Hao ate in the main hall, everyone else standing at the door, ready to come in when called.

The two little girls were still nervous. They glanced at Xia Nu, who encouraged them with her eyes, then mustered up the courage and took turns: "We’re from the same village... Got taken by the Wolf Race, but met the Human Race army on the road... Then got sent here."

Army?

Hu Tian quickly explained, "Master Shen, what they really mean is a slave merchant convoy. They’re just kids, haven’t seen much, thought lots of people meant an army."

Shen Hao nodded, accepting Hu Tian’s explanation. He was also curious, "Slave merchant convoys can beat the Wolf Race’s raiding parties?" He’d always known slave traders were tough once outside Zhuo Huo Pass, but didn’t expect even organized Wolf Race groups would avoid them.

Hu Tian shook his head, "That part, I don’t know."

Just then, Li Erfu’s dishes arrived. Xia Nu coached the two girls on how to serve and set them out.

The two girlies were quite obedient; seeing Shen Hao wasn’t ferocious, they relaxed a bit, eyes twinkling, always sneaking peeks at their new master. Xia Nu had told them the master was nice—the only troublesome thing was he liked tugging ears, but nothing else to worry about.

And that smiling Housekeeper Hu was pretty good, too—he immediately brought them two new outfits, new shoes, and earlier they’d eaten braised pork with a chubby uncle in the kitchen. It was the best meal they’d ever had. Aside from not being able to see their family, maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.

"Does the Wolf Race come to your village often?"

"Mm, every autumn after the harvest. They came two months ago, actually. Each time they take half the grain, sometimes kill people."

"They used to just steal grain—why did they take people this time?"

The two girls looked at each other, then Brocade and Silk replied: "My mama said the Wolf Race doesn’t know how to farm, lacks farmers, so they wanted us to work their fields."

Shen Hao grunted and stopped asking, though his brow furrowed a bit.

The two little Fox Girls being intercepted by slave merchants meant their original village was near the northwest of the Southern Barbarians, close to Zhuo Huo Pass, and also inside slave merchant activity range. Shen Hao’s earlier judgment was: the Barbarian Race had abandoned their own northwest, huddled in the southeast, leaving the northwest to Jingjiu Dynasty’s ravaging on purpose.

If they deliberately left the northwest to Jingjiu Dynasty, why suddenly start abducting people? Wouldn’t that alert Jingjiu Dynasty?

Or was there some reason forcing the Southern Barbarians huddled in the southeast to do it?

By habit, Shen Hao followed this train of thought, and even after finishing his meal, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the Wolf Race’s actions were odd. As he got up and saw the two girls cleaning up the table, he asked again: "Do you know which branch of Wolf Race took you?"

"Master, we know—it was the Red-eyed Wolf Race."

Red-eyed Wolf Race? They’re supposed to be the largest group among Wolf Race, always the main force fighting Jingjiu Dynasty. Last time, it was Red-eyed Wolf Race who established the Frost Moon Banner among the Wolf Race.