Chapter 82 - 80: Staying Overnight in a Ruined Temple
Chapter 82: Chapter 80: Staying Overnight in a Ruined Temple
"Haha, Nephew Fang, you are too modest. You gave that Huang Ziyu of the Huang Family a harsh lesson this time. It has truly brought great honor to our Martial Arts Hall."
"The Hall Master was very pleased when he heard the news. He specifically instructed me to improve your benefits at the Martial Arts Hall."
Chen Tong’s tone was amicable, and he managed a slight smile on his square face.
Whether or not a Martial Scholar becomes an official, they hold a significant status. The privilege of being exempt from taxes and corvée labor alone is enough to create a powerful local landlord.
Therefore, the Martial Arts Hall places great importance on Martial Scholars.
They provide Martial Scholars with an additional stipend.
Without having to do anything, as long as they remain a disciple of the White Tiger Boxing Hall, they receive a monthly payment of fifty taels of silver.
However, this was just for an ordinary Martial Scholar.
If they could help manage the hall’s business or teach apprentices, they could actually earn additional income.
Fang Yue certainly wouldn’t do that. He was still young and definitely needed to focus on breaking through to Marrow Transformation.
Therefore, Chen Tong didn’t go into these details with Fang Yue.
What was mentioned above was the standard for an ordinary Martial Scholar. For Fang Yue, Hall Master Zheng specifically instructed that his benefits should be enhanced.
For example, an extra portion of Secret Medicine every month until Fang Yue achieves Great Success in Marrow Transformation.
As for the monthly silver coins, that was also increased to one hundred taels.
This showed they were optimistic about Fang Yue’s potential and were investing in him.
A Martial Arts Hall, if it wishes to continue to prosper, must be able to continuously recruit outstanding disciples.
Why would those with Talent choose to come to the White Tiger Boxing Hall?
It all comes down to the hall’s reputation.
And the hall’s reputation is naturally supported by outstanding disciples like Fang Yue.
Take this time, for instance. After news spread that Fang Yue had become a Martial Scholar, the number of people coming to the Martial Arts Hall to learn has noticeably increased over the last few days.
"Thank you, Hall Master, and thank you, Master Chen, for your great kindness."
’The benefits aren’t bad: one hundred taels of silver a month, plus a dose of Secret Medicine. Moreover, the Secret Medicine will be provided continuously until I achieve Great Success in Marrow Transformation.’
’This could easily last for over a decade, and that alone would cost a huge amount of silver taels.’
’It’s enough to see the White Tiger Boxing Hall’s sincerity.’
"Haha, this is all something Nephew Fang earned himself through his own ability," Chen Tong said.
Next, Fang Yue and Chen Tong sat and talked for a while longer.
Fang Yue also took the opportunity to ask Chen Tong about some difficult points regarding the Martial Dao, and Chen Tong answered them one by one.
As the chief instructor of the Martial Arts Hall, Chen Tong might not be good at managing business, but he was excellent at teaching the Martial Dao.
He clearly explained all of Fang Yue’s difficulties.
Time passed without them noticing. By the time Fang Yue left,
snowflakes were still drifting down endlessly, blanketing the entire county town in a layer of silver-white.
Although it was already getting late and still snowing,
Fang Yue returned to the inn, gathered his luggage, checked out of his room, and set off on the journey home.
「By the Jade River, below Yihong House.」
Snowflakes drifted down, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the river’s surface.
"Why didn’t that fool show up again today? I think he’s been gone for two days now. Did something happen to him?"
"Or did Xiangjun have someone teach him a lesson that day?"
Miss Lian’Er’s brows were tightly furrowed, and she kept glancing towards the quiet, empty clearing on the opposite bank of the river.
The young man who used to practice his fist arts there every day, regardless of wind or rain, hadn’t come yesterday, and he hadn’t come today either.
Yesterday, she had been thinking, ’Hmph, he’s finally stopped coming.’
But today, for some reason, she couldn’t help but think of him.
And so, every now and then, she would come to take a look.
He wasn’t there.
Lian’Er was very disappointed and also worried that something had happened to him.
When she remembered how Xiangjun had seemed to say a few days ago that she would teach him a lesson,
she couldn’t stand still any longer and immediately rushed towards Yihong House.
"You came looking for me just for this? Hmph, you little minx, it seems you’ve taken a liking to him. But does he even look your way?"
"That man is a newly-minted Martial Scholar from this year’s examination. You and he are worlds apart, so you should stop pining for him."
Li Xiangjun felt a slight headache coming on. She had indeed said before that she would teach Fang Yue a lesson.
However, once she had someone inquire about his identity, she no longer had any such thoughts.
A Martial Scholar was not someone she could afford to offend.
Forget about marrying him; they would probably have a hard time even becoming his concubine.
Prominent families place the utmost importance on one’s background.
「Outside Xiahe County Town, at the Five Miles Pavilion.」
"Nephew Fang, you should have told me you were returning. If I hadn’t gotten word from the Martial Arts Hall, I would have missed you."
Zhang Boyang sighed softly. Ever since his last attempt to matchmake Zhang Shu and Fang Yue had failed,
especially since his unworthy daughter had been too unruly and had shown Fang Yue no respect at all,
it had instead created a considerable distance between Fang Yue and himself.
’However, the poor boy my daughter had looked down on is now the White Tiger Boxing Hall’s youngest Martial Scholar.’
’Even in all of Xiahe County Town, among his peers, only Wei He of the Wei Family can compare.’
’Huang Ziyu from our hall could have been considered one as well, but who would have thought that Huang Ziyu, who has been at the Bone Forging stage for at least three years, would be defeated by Fang Yue?’
’Such an achievement is dazzling enough.’
’Unfortunately, my own foolish daughter still looks down on Fang Yue.’
’It’s enough to break an old father’s heart.’
"Master Zhang, you’re busy managing the tea house. I’m just returning home and will be back next spring, so I didn’t want to disturb you."
Fang Yue’s tone was respectful. Regardless of Zhang Shu, Zhang Boyang had been very good to him.
He had been able to pass the Military Strategy portion of the examination smoothly this time in large part thanks to Zhang Boyang’s help; at the very least, it was Zhang Boyang who had taught him how to write.
"Ah, you’ve become a Martial Scholar this time, and I haven’t prepared much. This is just a small token of my regard. Please accept it."
Zhang Boyang took out a packet of silver taels. It must have just been withdrawn from a bank, as it was still sealed—a full one hundred taels.
"How can I accept this?"
Fang Yue tried to refuse, but Zhang Boyang gave him no chance.
A single phrase—"a gift from an elder"—stuffed all of Fang Yue’s words back down his throat.
Next, Zhang Boyang offered Fang Yue a few more words of encouragement and then returned to the county town.
Just as Fang Yue had said, the tea house’s business was now taking off.
He had many things to attend to. It was only because he heard Fang Yue was leaving that he managed to find the time to see him off.
Otherwise, when he was busy, how could he possibly have the time?
「...」
Walking alone on the road back to his village, Fang Yue carefully recalled the events of the past few days.
After becoming a Martial Scholar, he had received over one thousand taels of silver in just a few days. One thousand taels of that had been used to buy Bone Forging Secret Medicine from the Martial Arts Hall.
Right now, he still had over three hundred taels of silver left, along with enough Bone Forging Secret Medicine to last for more than half a year.
’Money comes fast and goes fast.’
’But from now on, I can be considered to have a steady income.’
’The Martial Arts Hall, the Government Office, and the tea house combined will bring in one hundred sixty or seventy taels of silver a month.’
’Although it isn’t much for a martial artist’s training,’ Fang Yue believed that earning some silver coins would no longer be difficult for him.
Thinking of this, Fang Yue couldn’t help but feel a little proud of himself.
’Flushed with success, a swift horse carries me... wait, that’s not right. Why didn’t I buy a horse?’
He had been walking for half a day, covering nearly sixty or seventy li.
Only then did it occur to Fang Yue that he was a Martial Scholar, yet he was still walking on his own two feet.
’If other Martial Scholars saw this, they probably wouldn’t believe their eyes.’
’But I’ve already walked so far.’
’No horse is no horse, then.’
However, Fang Yue secretly made up his mind: next time he came to town, he would buy a horse.
If nothing else, if he were to go to the Prefecture City in the future,
the journey of a thousand li was not a short one. He couldn’t rely on walking the entire way.
’How many pairs of shoes would that wear out?’
「Xiahe County, White Tiger Boxing Hall.」
Hall Master Zheng, dressed in martial attire, had just returned to his room when Chen Tong pushed the door open and entered.
"Master, you went soft on him."
Chen Tong only needed one look at Hall Master Zheng to know that he hadn’t dealt a fatal blow.
As for his junior brother, Wang Yuangang, he must have defied their master’s orders and chosen to protect his nephew, even if it meant being exiled from the Martial Arts Hall.
’Oh, I can’t say nephew. It should be his biological son.’
Although Wang Yuangang did his best to hide the truth about Wang Teng’s birth,
how could he hide it from the Martial Arts Hall, or from Hall Master Zheng?
It was merely their own disciple’s scandal, and they simply didn’t want to expose it.
Otherwise, the matter of Wang Yuangang having an affair with his own sister-in-law and fathering an illegitimate child would have long ago become a huge public uproar.
Since neither of them had been brought back, the father and son, Wang Yuangang and Wang Teng, had definitely escaped.
And to escape from Hall Master Zheng’s grasp, it could only mean that his master had gone soft.
"I taught him personally for over a decade. My heart went soft; I couldn’t bring myself to do it."
Hall Master Zheng shook his head. "If he escaped, then he escaped. Tong’Er, tomorrow, confiscate all the properties under his name and return them to the Martial Arts Hall. We’ll consider the matter closed."
"Yes, Master."
Chen Tong gave a respectful bow and then withdrew.
「A barren mountain, a ruined temple.」
The bonfire flickered. Wang Yuangang poked the firewood, trying to make the flames burn brighter.
"Hmph. That old man showed no regard for our past relationship this time. He actually acted personally to cripple my son... my nephew. He can’t blame me for betraying the sect, then."
Wang Yuangang’s gaze was cold and sinister. There was a bruise on his cheek, and his entire face was swollen as if stung by bees, almost puffed up like a pig’s head.
This was all thanks to his master, the Hall Master of the White Tiger Boxing Hall.
The Martial Arts Hall had still managed to find out that his nephew had leaked the secret tea-roasting recipe.
At that time, his master had come to him personally.
He had ordered him to cripple his own nephew, Wang Teng, as a form of punishment.
But how could he bring himself to do it? After all, Wang Teng was his biological son.
So he had come to blows with his master. He had originally thought that his master, old and frail, would be no match for him.
But unexpectedly, he was at a disadvantage within just a few dozen moves.
In the end, he could only flee for his life.
The result was a punch to his own face, and his nephew, Wang Teng, was also injured and was now unconscious.
’Hmph, that old bastard! Just you wait! I, Wang Yuangang, will get my revenge for this sooner or later!’ Wang Yuangang thought fiercely as he looked at the still-unconscious Wang Teng.
Immediately, he turned his attention to the medicinal soup brewing over the bonfire.
’Wang Teng’s injuries must be treated quickly, or he might end up permanently disabled.’
Just then, a familiar voice sounded out.
"Hello in there! I’m traveling home and missed my chance to find lodging for the night. I was wondering if you could spare some convenience."
Wang Yuangang’s gaze immediately turned sinister.