Chapter 102 - 97: Earth Elemental Stone
Chapter 102: Chapter 97: Earth Elemental Stone
WHOOSH~
An arrow tore through the air, streaking out like a bolt of lightning.
An enormous adult tiger barely had time to react before its head was pierced through.
THUD~
The massive tiger’s body slammed into the ground with a dull thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"My luck’s not bad. I just entered the mountains and I’ve already caught some prey." Fang Yue put away his bow and leaped down from a large, nearby tree.
It was usually not so easy to hunt a tiger in these mountains.
This time, perhaps because he hadn’t been here in a while, more wild beasts had wandered into the area.
Fang Yue immediately shouldered the tiger’s carcass, preparing to leave.
Just then, he noticed a walnut-sized, pale yellow stone in the center of a patch of gravel not far away. It was emitting a faint halo of light.
"What’s this?"
Intrigued, Fang Yue walked over and picked up the pale yellow stone.
As he held it, a gentle, warm Qi began to spread from it.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up in surprise.
’This stone is extraordinary.’
But this wasn’t the place to examine it closely. Fang Yue immediately put the stone away, hoisted the tiger carcass onto his back, and started walking out of the mountains.
This hunt could be considered a complete success. In addition to the tiger, he had also hunted several other wild animals.
It would be enough to last him for a while.
~~~~~~
「One day later.」
"Huh? Why can’t I find it? It should be right here."
"Are these footprints? Did someone come here?"
"Did someone else pick it up?"
Hui Hengli’s face immediately fell. How was he going to explain this?
Yesterday, he had accidentally thrown the Earth Elemental Stone, causing the Elemental Stone to fall straight off a cliff.
Even though he had desperately wanted to go retrieve the Elemental Stone at that moment...
...he had forced himself to be patient and restore the water vein first.
He had to complete the mission for this trip.
After all, the mission was of great importance. If anything went wrong, he couldn’t bear the responsibility.
In comparison, a low-grade Earth Elemental Stone was not as important.
’Besides,’ he thought, ’this is the deep mountains, where people rarely tread. It can’t be so coincidental that someone found and took it, right?’
But the very thing he thought wouldn’t happen, had now happened.
Hui Hengli was thoroughly depressed.
’Forget it, it’s just one Earth Elemental Stone! As a cultivator, I must guard my heart and maintain my tranquility. A mere Earth Elemental Stone... ’
Hui Hengli silently recited the Heart Clearing Spell, trying to quell the distracting thoughts raging in his mind.
But after a long while, Hui Hengli exploded in frustration.
"Damn it, just don’t let me find out who it was! You little thief, if I ever get my hands on you, I’ll deal with you properly!"
His heart was aching over the loss.
But he had no time to investigate who had picked up the Earth Elemental Stone.
He had to hurry to Mo Mountain to participate in unsealing the last water vein.
If not for that, he wouldn’t be... he wouldn’t be so heartbroken over a tiny little Earth Elemental Stone.
In the end, Hui Hengli had lost all semblance of a wise, ethereal immortal. He looked more like a scorned housewife, glancing back every few steps as he left.
~~~~~~
Da Liushu Village, the Liu Family residence.
"Father, if we sell the family fields and ancestral home this time, we’ll have enough money. With my teacher pulling some strings, not only can we secure a post for you in the Prefecture City, but it might even help me pass the next Civil Scholar examination."
Liu Chuanzhi spoke with great eloquence, listing one benefit after another of selling the old house and land to Scholar Liu.
"Father, don’t hesitate. In the current situation, who knows how long this ’drought’ will last? The thousand acres of land our family owns are useless if they can’t grow crops."
"We can’t wait any longer. The longer we wait, the less they’ll be worth."
Liu Chuanzhi urged him on with a pained expression, as if he wasn’t doing this for himself, but for his family, for his father to have a better future.
Well, of course, as the one actually managing the affair...
...he would still be able to control a little of the silver. For example, it had been a long time since he’d gone to Yihong Courtyard to dally with the ladies... oh, no, that’s not right, he meant to find talented women to discuss poetry and literature.
’How could a cultured man be said to be ’dallying with ladies’? That’s a patent for Martial Artists. What we do is called discussing poetry and literature, composing verses and couplets.’
"Hmm, what you say makes sense."
Scholar Liu’s expression shifted, but he finally grit his teeth. "Let’s do it. Sigh, have the Steward handle this matter..."
In Da Liushu Village, the only ones who could afford their land was Fang Yue’s Family.
As for whether they would buy in the current circumstances, he had no confidence.
However, if the price was low enough, they just might.
Of course, in reality, these fields had all been ’entrusted’ to them by the other villagers.
But now that they had decided to sell, they had no intention of informing any of those people.
~~~~~~
Xiahe County Town.
Jade River, Yanhua Lane.
"Hmph, throw him out! No money, yet he still tries to sleep around with the girls. What kind of person is he? He should take a piss and look at his own reflection."
The Madam stood with her hands on her hips, directing two burly men to throw a disheveled young man onto the street. She cursed nonstop, clearly furious.
Her establishment was one of the finest brothels in Xiahe County Town.
Customers streamed in endlessly every day.
With her backing, when had anyone ever dared to try and get a freebie? He must have eaten his fill and had nothing better to do.
"Pah! This young master will remember what happened today. When I pass the exam to become a Martial Scholar, I’ll make you pay! Then I’ll make you serve me!"
Chen Liang struggled to his feet, glaring at the brothel’s Madam, his heart filled with hatred.
"Oh-ho, you’ve got quite the temper, kid. I just wonder if you’re as ’hard’ as your words. If you really pass the exam, this old lady wouldn’t mind serving you."
The Madam’s words immediately drew a wave of roaring laughter.
The surrounding crowd started pointing and whispering about Chen Liang.
Under such circumstances, how could Chen Liang possibly stay? He immediately covered his face and fled as if escaping a disaster.
’I need to find a way to get some more silver. My aunt’s family has so much silver, but they refuse to lend me any. Hmph, sooner or later, I’ll make my aunt’s family pay.’
’And that useless cousin of mine, he’s already crippled. They should just give the silver to me. When I become a Martial Scholar in the future, we’ll see how you all try to curry favor with me!’
As these thoughts churned in his mind, Chen Liang thought of a place where he could get silver.
He immediately headed in a certain direction within the town.
Soon, he arrived at a casino.
Relying on his status as a disciple of the White Tiger Boxing Hall, Chen Liang quickly got a meeting with a minor boss here.
"You’re the one? Want to borrow silver?" The casino owner, Qi Zhantang, sized up the visitor. His clothes were dirty and messy, and he reeked of alcohol and cheap perfume.
His hair was a mess, and there were bruises on his face.
He normally wouldn’t receive this type of person. If you lent money to someone like this, you’d probably never get it back.
If the man hadn’t claimed to be a disciple of the White Tiger Boxing Hall, he wouldn’t have even agreed to see him.
"That’s me. I want to borrow one hundred taels of silver. Once I become a Martial Scholar this year, I’ll pay you back with interest." Chen Liang brushed the dust off his clothes and puffed out his chest to make his words more convincing.
"Paying me back after you become a Martial Scholar... that’s not impossible. But how can I be sure you’ll pass?" Qi Zhantang said with a smile.
This time, Chen Liang didn’t answer directly. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down before speaking to Qi Zhantang. "My aunt is a major landowner in Da Liushu Village, and my cousin is a Martial Scholar. With that kind of background, how could I possibly fail?"
"Da Liushu Village... a Martial Scholar?"
Qi Zhantang, being able to run a casino and a loan-sharking business in Xiahe County Town, was naturally no simple character.
As soon as he heard Chen Liang’s words, he knew exactly who he was talking about.
It was Fang Yue, the youngest Martial Scholar from the White Tiger Boxing Hall. He was indeed from Da Liushu Village.
However, Fang Wuju, who once had a great future, had later been severely injured and was now crippled, with no hope of recovery.
What a pity, a real pity.
At the same time, Qi Zhantang understood that Chen Liang was planning to use Fang Yue as collateral to borrow silver.
He was about to refuse, but before the words left his mouth, he suddenly changed his mind. A smile crept onto his face as he said:
"Haha, you’re absolutely right, Chen. One hundred taels is nothing, nothing at all. With Fang Wuju as collateral, I can even give you double. How about two hundred taels?"
"Hmph. Now you’re talking."
When Chen Liang heard that the man was willing to lend him even more silver after hearing about his family...
’Hmph, isn’t this because he recognizes my Talent and knows I’ll definitely become a Martial Scholar this year?’
’This isn’t lending me silver; this is currying favor with me in advance.’
’People from the city are so much more perceptive, unlike my country bumpkin aunt who has no vision at all.’
’Doesn’t she know that without the protection of martial strength, all that family wealth will attract predators?’
’Instead of helping a talented nephew from her own clan like me, who else can she possibly rely on?’
’She really has her priorities mixed up.’
Feeling immensely pleased with himself, Chen Liang quickly signed and pressed his thumbprint on the document prepared for him, then walked away gleefully with the silver.
"Shopkeeper, you just lent the silver to that kid? What if he can’t pay it back?" At that moment, a Steward came to Qi Zhantang’s side and asked.
In his opinion, that Chen Liang didn’t look like someone who could repay a debt.
And he certainly didn’t look like someone who could become a Martial Scholar.
"Hmph, repay? It’s even better if he doesn’t. Doesn’t he have an aunt who’s a rich country landlord? When the time comes, we’ll just get the money from his aunt."
A greedy smile spread across Qi Zhantang’s face as he continued, "I know what you’re going to say—her son is a Martial Scholar. But that’s Fang Wuju we’re talking about. A crippled Martial Scholar whose family must still have plenty of leftover wealth. Isn’t this the perfect opportunity?"
"Chen Liang. The name’s not bad, but it turns out he’s just a heartless dog. But if it weren’t for heartless dogs like him, how would a casino like this get rich?"
"So that’s how it is! Shopkeeper, you’re brilliant, truly brilliant! This humble one is in awe, I prostrate myself in admiration." The subordinate at his side immediately understood and began to flatter him profusely.
’So the shopkeeper has his eyes on Chen Liang’s aunt’s family.’
’A has-been Martial Scholar, a crippled one at that... his family is naturally wealthy. A rotten ship still has three thousand nails, after all.’
’No matter what, they could definitely squeeze some profit out of them.’