Chapter 121 - 109: A Borrowed Knife
The next day.
Xiahe County Town, Wei Mansion.
Inside a study that was simple and unadorned, but far from ordinary.
After a day, the Wei Family had naturally used its influence to learn the full story.
It turned out that the Martial Scholar Fang’s cousin had gotten drunk at a brothel, spent all his silver, and then went to the Four Directions Gambling House to take out a high-interest loan. After Shopkeeper Qi Yishou of the gambling house learned the man’s identity, he decided to make a play for the Martial Scholar’s properties.
The gambling house had pulled this sort of scheme before.
Even if the borrower couldn’t repay the money, they would still lend it out as long as the borrower’s relatives were wealthy.
Then, once the borrower inevitably failed to repay, the gambling house would make its move, showing up at the relatives’ home to demand payment.
Their justification was simple: ’This person is your relative. You are his guarantor.’
’Isn’t it only right and proper that you pay his debt?’
The method wasn’t sophisticated—in fact, it was quite crude. But it was effective. All it took was a little shamelessness and a heart cold enough to forge the evidence.
After all, weren’t there plenty of forced confessions and wrongful convictions at the Government Office?
They had, of course, already bribed all the right officials. Even if the victim tried to file a complaint, the Government Office wouldn’t even hear the case.
Or, presented with "irrefutable evidence," the Government Office would simply order the victim to pay up.
Practically everyone running a similar enterprise did the same.
They just made sure to only target people who came to the gambling house, took out loans, and had no powerful backing.
As long as they kept their eyes open and didn’t offend the truly powerful and influential figures, ordinary country squires were just lambs for the slaughter.
So when Shopkeeper Qi learned of Chen Liang’s identity this time, he was immediately tempted. After all, Fang Yue was a cripple who had already left the Martial Arts Hall. The only two people close to him, Fang Hu and Zhang Boyang, weren’t expected back anytime soon.
’Isn’t this a godsent opportunity?’
Now that the region was recovering from the recent disaster, the value of the farmland under the Martial Scholar Fang Yue’s name had skyrocketed. How could anyone not be tempted by that?
A crippled Martial Scholar whose family had only been prosperous for two years and had no deep roots.
’This kind of person was a prime cut of meat, ripe for the carving.’
Wei He admitted to himself that if he had been in Shopkeeper Qi’s shoes, he likely would have been tempted too.
"Qi Yishou... more like Qi the Incompetent. He didn’t even get the full story before making a move. Does he really think a Martial Scholar is an easy target!"
Wei He’s face turned livid after hearing his subordinate’s report.
In reality, this Shopkeeper Qi had previously asked him for instructions.
But at the time, his mind had been on his concubine, so he had dismissed the man hastily, only gathering that he was planning to deal with some country bumpkin with money.
He sent him away without asking for details. Who would have thought that Shopkeeper Qi was actually going after Fang Wuju?
"What’s more despicable is that the man acted on his own without reporting it. He was arrogant and conceited—he deserves what he got."
After venting, Wei He looked up at Wang Quan. "You just said Shopkeeper Qi and his men are being held in Da Liushu Village, farming the land for Fang Yue’s Family? And nothing else?"
The Four Directions Gambling House, run by Shopkeeper Qi, was secretly controlled by the Wei Family.
In reality, not many people in Xiahe County Town knew about this matter.
After all, the Wei Family, on the surface, had to maintain the facade of a benevolent, charitable family. How could they be connected to a gambling house that had ruined countless people?
But now, Shopkeeper Qi was being held in Da Liushu Village.
The others at the gambling house were unaware of the connection to the Wei Family, but Shopkeeper Qi knew a great deal.
If word got out, the Wei Family’s reputation would be severely damaged.
A murderous intent surged through Wei He at the thought, but he quickly suppressed it.
’I can’t kill Shopkeeper Qi yet. At least, not right now.’
For years, all of the gambling house’s accounts have been in this man’s hands, along with thirty percent of the profits.
If they killed him now, finding that silver would be difficult.
"Find someone to report this to the authorities. Tell them the remnants of the Mo Mountain bandits are about to attack Da Liushu Village. Then go and bring all those ’bandits’ back."
Wei He considered the situation. It wasn’t a good time for the Wei Family to get directly involved. His father was in the Prefecture City, pulling strings to secure him a position in the Guard Army. If any unfavorable rumors about the Wei Family were to spread now, it could jeopardize that important matter, which would be disastrous.
This time, he would have the Government Office handle it. ’Those officials have taken enough of our money,’ he thought. ’It’s time they earned it.’
"Yes, Young Master."
Wang Quan bowed, then retreated from the study.
"Damn you, Fang Yue! You actually recovered! And your Martial Dao realm even advanced! The Fourth of the Four Martial Arts Gates—Marrow Transformation!"
Now that he was alone, the calm and composed expression on Wei He’s face vanished, replaced by seething jealousy and venomous hatred.
He and Fang Yue had become Martial Scholars in the same year. He had even been First Place in the Martial Examination, surpassing Fang Yue in both strength and prestige.
Fang Yue’s only advantage was his youth; he was a few years younger.
Later, the man’s performance proved to be truly different from that of an ordinary Martial Artist.
Especially since he was the one who invented stir-fried tea.
’That ridiculous Huang Ziyu! He actually thought the stir-fried tea was an invention of the White Tiger Boxing Hall!’
’He thought he could just find a few tea masters and seize the market for himself.’
Who could have known that the White Tiger Tea House would immediately counter, releasing a higher-grade stir-fried tea with a better flavor? Their marketing was so brilliant that in a short time, they captured all the tea houses and restaurants in Xiahe County. They even managed to get their product into the Government Office.
Eventually, the Government Office even distributed boxes of stir-fried tea to them, the Martial Scholars.
And just like that, everyone in the city, and even the travelling merchants from the surrounding countryside, came to know of stir-fried tea’s existence.