Free Web NovelChapter 15: Chapter 15: Same Illness
After settling his two sons, Chen Li did not return home right away.
He had acquired one hundred and twenty mu of farmland at a low price before the new year. Although he’d already signed deeds with each household, he still needed to go to the County Magistrate’s Office to complete the official transfer paperwork.
The process was tedious. One crucial step required a guarantee from a reputable local member of the Gentry.
The simplest way was to find the clan leader, Chen Xingjia, and have him write a letter of guarantee.
But Chen Li’s acquisition of this land was already like snatching food from a tiger’s mouth. If he approached Chen Xingjia, there was no telling how the man would make things difficult for him.
Another option was to directly find a clerk at the County Magistrate’s Office to act as a guarantor.
That, however, would require pulling some strings.
Fortunately, when he had visited his father-in-law before the new year, he learned that a former classmate of his, Liu Wende, was now the Chief of the Criminal Division at the County Magistrate’s Office. He might be able to help.
After strolling through the county town’s market, Chen Li was shocked to find that prices hadn’t fallen after last year’s drought. In fact, they were still rising.
The price of grain had risen to two and a half taels of silver per one stone, and pork had nearly tripled!
"How is anyone supposed to live!"
Chen Li sighed. He prepared some cured meat, tea leaves, and two jars of fine wine, then set out for his visit. freewēbnoveℓ.com
When he found Liu Wende’s home using the address he’d been given, the sight that greeted him was quite unexpected.
To his surprise, Liu Wende, the Chief of the Criminal Division at the County Magistrate’s Office, lived in a small courtyard of only about one hundred square meters, tucked deep inside a shabby alley.
The courtyard walls were mottled and the gate was old. Although it was kept neat and tidy, with a blooming plum blossom branch in the corner adding a certain charm, it was utterly incongruous with Liu Wende’s status.
’The Court may prioritize the martial, but Mirror Mountain is a large county with a population of nearly four hundred thousand. Even though the Chief of the Criminal Division isn’t a formal official, the amount of graft that passes through his hands each year must be substantial. How can he be this poor?’
After he knocked for a moment, a haggard-looking woman in plain clothes opened the door.
When she heard he was there to discuss business with her husband, a flash of wariness appeared in her eyes, but she still politely let Chen Li in.
In the main hall, Liu Wende sat beside a square table with peeling paint. freewebnσvel.cøm
He was around fifty, slightly plump, with a face that seemed kind. However, a deep, unshakeable sorrow was etched between his brows.
Upon seeing the gifts Chen Li had brought and the letter from his father-in-law, a smile spread across his face. He greeted him warmly, "Ah, so you’re Brother Song’s son-in-law. Quick, have a seat."
Chen Li quickly presented the gifts. "You’re too kind, Uncle. My father-in-law mentioned before the new year what a deep friendship you two shared as classmates, so I came especially to pay a visit."
"You’re being too formal. Your father-in-law and I have been friends for many years; there’s no need for gifts." Despite his words, Liu Wende accepted the presents and gestured for Chen Li to sit down and speak.
After a few pleasantries, Chen Li got to the point. "Uncle, to be perfectly honest, I came here today not just to pay my respects, but also to ask for a favor..."
He tactfully explained the difficulty he was facing, namely the need for a member of the Gentry to act as a guarantor for his land purchase.
Liu Wende stroked his beard and pondered. "According to the Court’s regulations, a land transfer does indeed require a guarantor to prevent disputes. As for this... why don’t you seek out your clan’s leader? He is a local member of the Gentry, so it would be perfectly legitimate for him to act as your guarantor."
Chen Li shook his head with a bitter smile and briefly explained the conflict with Chen Yongquan’s family and the circumstances surrounding the land.
After listening, a look of understanding flashed in Liu Wende’s eyes. He nodded. "I see. Clan infighting is as old as time. Very well, this is a simple matter. I will write you a letter of guarantee and affix my personal seal. In two days, take this letter to the Household Department at the County Magistrate’s Office. I’ll have a word with the clerk on duty, so I don’t foresee any issues."
"Thank you for your righteous help, Uncle!" Chen Li exclaimed, quickly rising to his feet to offer his thanks.
As the two were chatting, a young man’s heart-wrenching screams suddenly erupted from the adjacent room. "Let me go! Let me go! I have to find Ban Xia! I have to find Ban Xia..."
The smile on Liu Wende’s face froze instantly, as if replaced by a mask of anguish. Annoyance and an unconcealable shame welled up in his eyes.
Seeing Chen Li’s confused expression, he sighed heavily and gave a bitter smile. "Ai... this is a family disgrace. I must be a laughingstock to you, my boy. That is my son... He was bewitched by some vixen from Yanhua Lane. It wasn’t enough that he squandered our family fortune, but now... now he’s become this raving madman..."
Chen Li’s heart jolted. An image of what his body’s previous owner’s father had been like surfaced in his mind.
He, too, had been entranced by a woman from a brothel. He wasn’t just swindled out of his fortune; he lost his life over it.
A thought suddenly struck him. ’Back then, the death of my predecessor’s father... it probably wasn’t so simple.’
Ever since he’d first transmigrated, a question had lingered in Chen Li’s mind.
’How could a mere courtesan from a brothel infatuate his predecessor’s father to the point of being swindled out of four thousand taels of silver, losing his life, and remaining unrepentant to the very end?’
In the end, he had just chalked it up to his predecessor’s father being exceptionally lovesick.
But hearing today that Steward Liu’s son was the same, his suspicion was instantly piqued.
’Could it be that those courtesans have some sort of special ability?’
Having lived two lives, Chen Li was no innocent.
Especially in his previous life. He had seen his fair share of adult films, so he had plenty of theoretical knowledge and no shortage of practical experience.
When it came to worldly experience, Chen Li was confident he wasn’t lacking compared to the people of this world.
Yet, the more he thought about it, the less he understood.
So he said, "Uncle, forgive my forwardness, but would you allow me to take a look at your son?"
"My son has already gone mad; I’m afraid he might frighten you. It’s best you don’t go." Liu Wende hesitated for a moment before politely refusing.
Seeing his reluctance, Chen Li decided to tell him about his own predecessor’s father. "To be honest, Uncle, I’ve studied a bit of medicine over the years. Please let me examine your son."
He didn’t actually know medicine, but he could use his Inner Qi to examine the man’s condition.
Liu Wende hesitated for a moment, but seeing the sincerity in Chen Li’s expression, he finally nodded. "This way, my boy."
They entered a side room. It was dimly lit, with heavy curtains blocking out the sunlight. Only a few faint beams of light streamed through the gaps, spilling onto the floor.
A young man lay on the bed, his hands and feet bound tightly with thick hemp ropes. He struggled nonstop, mumbling the name "Ban Xia" over and over.
His face was pale as paper, his eye sockets were sunken, and his lips were cracked. He looked completely worn out.
’It’s just like before!’
The moment Chen Li saw the young man, an image of his predecessor’s father on his deathbed flashed through his mind. The scene was identical.
Chen Li approached the bed and observed him carefully. The young man’s eyes were vacant, yet they burned with an almost maniacal obsession.
Placing his fingers on the man’s pulse, he slowly sent a sliver of Inner Qi into the young man’s body to investigate.
The moment he probed, Chen Li’s brow furrowed.
The young man’s meridians were in disarray, his qi and blood were stagnant, and threads of a sinister, foul qi were coiled within him. Strangest of all, his body felt like it was decaying, on the verge of death, and seemed incapable of healing itself.
’This is... a Charming Skill?’
Chen Li was shaken. He suddenly recalled descriptions of certain cultivation techniques from novels he’d read in his past life.
But he couldn’t be certain. After all, he knew very little about the Martial Dao of this world.
Chen Li pretended to massage and pat the man’s body, but in reality, he was using his Inner Qi to try to reopen his Acupoints and meridians.
Gradually, the young man’s struggles subsided, and the pained expression on his face lessened.
Finally, he stopped screaming. His breathing steadied, and he fell into a deep sleep.
"My boy, you... you did this? Is he... is he cured?"
Liu Wende was overjoyed at the sight, scarcely able to believe his eyes.
"This only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. If the source of the problem isn’t dealt with, he will relapse."
Chen Li shook his head. He didn’t have the ability to truly cure the man, only to alleviate his symptoms. Just moments ago, his Inner Qi had struggled to even penetrate the man’s meridians and Acupoints. A full recovery would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.
Liu Wende’s expression immediately fell. "My boy, is there any way to cure him?"
Chen Li could only shake his head again.
He did have a theory, however. If he could help the man expel that sinister, foul qi and unblock his meridians and blood flow, there might be some improvement.
But in the seven years since Chen Li had cultivated his first wisp of Inner Qi, he was still in the Qi Storage stage.
He hadn’t even met the conditions for Ascension described in the Five Grains Qi Storage Technique—reaching Qi Storage Perfection. He hadn’t even managed to open his own Eight Extraordinary Meridians, so of course he couldn’t help someone else.
