Free Web NovelChapter 108: Chapter 101: Incurring Debt
"What! One thousand taels of silver? Why don’t you just rob me!"
Chen Liang heard him and thought, ’Just how much silver did I borrow, anyway?’
’I don’t think it was even five hundred taels. It’s only been a few days, and now I owe them one thousand!’
’This is outrageous!’
"Heh heh, Young Master Chen, we’re already giving you a discount on the interest out of respect for your cousin. Otherwise, the total would be one thousand three hundred taels. What, is Young Master Chen planning on welshing on his debt?"
The gambling house attendant’s tone gradually turned cold. In Xiahe City, no one had ever dared to owe the Four Directions Gambling House money and not pay it back.
If they did, the women were sold to brothels, and the men to the Turtle Hall.
They’d spend a lifetime paying off their debt.
"Watch your mouth! Who—who would welsh on a debt? Once I pass the examination and become a Martial Scholar, I’ll pay you back this paltry sum with interest."
Chen Liang said, puffing out his chest, his voice a mix of bravado and fear.
The Martial Scholar examination was in a few days, and he was sure he could pass. After all, he had always been smarter than that cousin of his.
If Fang Yue could pass, he definitely could too.
’Once I pass, my aunt’s family will have to rely on me. All their property will be mine sooner or later.’
’So, this silver—this one thousand taels—I can definitely pay it back.’
"Heh heh, Young Master Chen, don’t forget, the deadline is at the end of this month. Oh, my mistake. By then, it will be Scholar Chen."
The attendant chuckled, but his words were clearly laced with contempt.
Chen Liang couldn’t bear to stay any longer and could only turn and leave in disgrace.
"Shopkeeper, why don’t we demand the silver from him now?" At that moment, on the second floor of the gambling house, in Shopkeeper Qi’s room, one of his subordinates asked in confusion.
"Heh heh, let’s wait a few more days. If the kid gets ridiculously lucky and actually passes the Martial Scholar exam, we can’t pressure him so aggressively," Shopkeeper Qi said with a slight smile.
Although Chen Liang didn’t look like he could pass the Martial Scholar exam no matter how you looked at it, what if he got lucky, or pulled some strings and passed anyway?
’Better to be safe than sorry.’
A few more days wouldn’t matter. In any case, the cooked duck can’t fly away.
"You’re brilliant, Shopkeeper, truly far-sighted! Your humble servant is thoroughly impressed!" the subordinate immediately flattered.
Shopkeeper Qi just smiled faintly upon hearing this, putting on an air of detached indifference.
~~~~~~
"Chief, what do you think is going on with the higher-ups? They’re in such a rush, telling us to hurry back. We still haven’t collected the Talent Silver from several families."
At the gate of Xiahe County Town, a squad of government constables was escorting a dozen or so horse-drawn carts.
Naturally, they didn’t have to wait in line and proceeded straight toward the city gate.
"Who knows? It’s a real shame. Otherwise, with just the Fang Family from Da Liushu Village and the Zhou Family from Zhou Family Manor, we could have squeezed out a lot of profit."
The lead government constable, Zhou Fangwu, was the very same one who had led his men to the Fang Family’s home in Da Liushu Village to collect the extra tax silver a while back.
At the time, he hadn’t planned on offending the Fang Family too grievously.
So, he gave Fang Yue’s Family a few days’ extension.
He just hadn’t expected that the County Magistrate’s Office would later summon them back urgently.
Not only did they have to rush back in a panic, but they also lost the chance to go back and collect the silver from those families.
’By my calculation, with a few hundred taels from each family, that’s at least one thousand taels gone.’
His heart bled at the thought.
"Forget it. Let’s head back to the Government Office first and report in. After this busy period is over, we’ll go get the money from the Fang Family. It’s not like they can run away."
Zhou Fangwu sighed and said regretfully.
Then he led his men and escorted the convoy into the city.
After entering Xiahe County Town, they headed straight for the Government Office’s Treasury.
The grain had to be handed over, but the extra silver they had collected was already divided amongst themselves. They would only need to give a portion to their superiors later. All in all, this trip was quite profitable, and each man could get a share of several dozen silver taels.
~~~~~~
Fang Yue came to Xiahe County Town once again.
He first went to the White Tiger Boxing Hall.
In the hall, Chen Tong and the other disciples who were Martial Scholars were not present; only Hall Master Zheng was there.
"Hm? Fang Yue, you’ve recovered? And your cultivation has improved—you’ve already reached Marrow Transformation!" Hall Master Zheng was first startled when he saw Fang Yue.
Only then did he realize that Fang Yue had indeed achieved Marrow Transformation.
Qi Blood Derivation flowed through his body, and he exuded a faint aura of power—the clear signs of Marrow Transformation.
He never would have imagined it. The Fang Yue who had been declared crippled, whose ability to even stand again was in question, had not only fully recovered but had also advanced on the Martial Dao.
It was simply unbelievable.
But the proof was right before his eyes, and even he could only sigh in admiration, "It seems Yu’Er has had some other fortuitous encounter."
Hall Master Zheng couldn’t help but feel emotional.
Back then, Fang Yue had been diagnosed as crippled, a lifelong injury he was unlikely to recover from.
In truth, however, there was a chance to heal such an injury.
But it would require either the intervention of an expert above the Qi Sensing realm or extremely precious medicinal ingredients. Neither was something that Fang Yue—or the White Tiger Boxing Hall, for that matter—could afford at the time.
That was why no one had been optimistic about Fang Yue’s prospects.
They could only give Fang Yue some silver taels and cut off the Secret Medicine and other benefits they had previously promised him.
"It was just a stroke of luck," Fang Yue said, unable to explain how he had recovered.
After all, it involved his greatest secret, which he naturally couldn’t reveal.
However, judging by Hall Master Zheng’s expression, although he was surprised by the recovery, he wasn’t completely shocked.
’It seems there are methods in this world to treat my injuries after all.’
’It’s just that back then, I probably wasn’t qualified, or for some other reason, I didn’t have access to them.’
This saved Fang Yue the trouble of making up an excuse. Seeing the other man’s reaction, he was sure he wouldn’t press for details.
"Yu’Er, you’ve come at the right time. If you had come any earlier, you would have inevitably been conscripted. But now, you’re fine.
Did you also hear that the court has won a great victory against the Mo Mountain Tribe and that your master is about to return?" Hall Master Zheng indeed didn’t press further, as such matters involved a higher level of society.
Whether Fang Yue was lucky enough to meet an expert or had consumed some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, it had nothing to do with him.
Sometimes, knowing less is a form of wisdom for navigating the world.
"Oh? We’ve already won? My master is coming back too? That’s wonderful news," Fang Yue said sincerely.
A victory against the Mo Mountain Tribe meant that this disaster was truly coming to an end.
"So Yu’Er didn’t know yet. Then why did you come this time..."
Fang Yue immediately explained the purpose of his visit.
"Hmm, planting tea trees right now... that doesn’t seem like a good choice. We still don’t know when the disaster will be over. The tea trees won’t survive."
Although Hall Master Zheng knew the government had defeated the Mo Mountain Tribe, he clearly didn’t know that the disaster was about to end.
It seemed this news was only circulating within a small circle.
At this point, Hall Master Zheng saw Fang Yue’s expression and knew this wasn’t a whim; he was truly planning to do it. So, he didn’t try to persuade him further.
Right now, the relationship between their boxing hall and Fang Yue was even more distant than their relationship with Fang Hu. Some things were better left unasked.
In any case, it was a simple matter to help him out. He wouldn’t concern himself with the outcome.
"Forget it. Yu’Er has his own ideas, so I won’t ask any more questions. I’ll give the order. You can have as many tea trees as you need, no problem."
Afterward, Fang Yue spoke with Hall Master Zheng for a little while longer before taking his leave.
Although Hall Master Zheng had said he could take as many tea trees as he wanted without payment, Fang Yue couldn’t accept his kindness now.
He insisted on paying the market price.
Of course, he didn’t have any silver at the moment.
~~~~~~
「Xiahe County Magistrate’s Office, Treasury.」
"Heh heh, we meet again," Fang Yue said with a smile to the steward official.
As it happened, the official here was the same one he had met last time.
If he remembered correctly, this middle-aged official was named Zhang Jiu.
"You—you! What are you—I must be seeing things! Why are you here?!"
Zhang Jiu, who had been dozing off, was woken up and was about to snap at the person who disturbed him.
But then he got a clear look at Fang Yue’s face.
’Isn’t—isn’t this Martial Scholar Fang! Wasn’t he crippled?’
’How did he get to the Government Office?’
’What is he doing here?’
"Wh-what are you doing here?" Zhang Jiu’s tongue felt tied, and he couldn’t speak clearly.
He was truly terrified. After he collected himself, he realized...
...this Martial Scholar Fang appeared to be completely unharmed.
’Could it be that his injuries have healed?’
"Heh heh, what do you think I’m here for? I haven’t collected my official stipend and Secret Medicine for a long time. Since I happened to be in the city with some free time, I thought I’d come and get them."
Fang Yue said with a slight smile.
He didn’t have any silver to buy tea saplings anyway, so this was the perfect opportunity to collect his government stipend.
Over a year’s worth should amount to nearly one thousand taels of silver, right?
At current prices, that silver would be more than enough.
"Ah, but... but..." Zhang Jiu was dumbfounded. He and a few others had long since divided Fang Yue’s silver and Secret Medicine among themselves.
What could they give him now?
Could he be expected to spit out the benefits he had already swallowed?
Of course not.
But looking at Martial Scholar Fang’s demeanor, how was he going to get through today if he didn’t hand them over?
Zhang Jiu’s eyes darted back and forth.
He suddenly had an idea.
The panic on Zhang Jiu’s face immediately vanished.
"Heh heh, Martial Scholar Fang, you must be confused. Evading the Government Office’s conscription is grounds for stripping you of your title. If you leave now, I’ll pretend I saw nothing. Otherwise, if someone sees you and reports it to the County Magistrate, you’ll be in for a world of trouble."
Zhang Jiu instantly put on an act of looking out for Fang Yue’s best interests.
He wanted Fang Yue to leave quickly because he was afraid Fang Yue would make a scene, which would be difficult for him to handle.
In any case, his first priority was to trick Fang Yue into leaving.
As for Fang Yue’s stipend and Secret Medicine, he could figure that out later.
Or perhaps Fang Yue would be too scared to come to the city for a few years, and by then, what happened would no longer be his problem.
"Heh heh, I never imagined Lord Zhang would be so considerate of me. I’m truly moved. But if I were to leave just like this, and the Lord County Magistrate found out later, wouldn’t he punish you, Lord Zhang? How could I leave with a clear conscience!"
Fang Yue said with a smirk.
Since the other party wanted to play dumb, he would play along.
"I’ll go find the County Magistrate right now. I can’t let Lord Zhang be unjustly accused!"
Fang Yue immediately made a move as if to leave, and Zhang Jiu instantly panicked.
"Martial Scholar Fang, my dear Grandmaster Fang, I beg you, please don’t go!"
