Chapter 205 - 152: The Cold Shoulder
"My son, my poor son, what happened to you? How could you have gone mad again?!"
Visibly frail, Master Liu gazed at Liu Chuanzhi, who was bound head-to-toe before him. Disheveled and caked in a mixture of dirt and mud, his son was a wretched sight.
Right now, his precious son’s eyes were dull and lifeless.
He muttered ceaselessly. If one listened closely, they could hear him saying, "Impossible... impossible..."
It was clear his son, Liu Chuanzhi, had gone mad again.
"Father-in-law, my husband... I heard from the men who brought him back... they said he went mad because of that Fang Yue..."
The beautiful young woman at his side—Chen Ru, the wife Liu Chuanzhi had only recently married—had a face full of worry. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed.
Between sobs, Chen Ru told Master Liu what she knew.
It was nothing more than this: upon hearing that Fang Yue had passed the Prefecture Examination, and on top of that, losing a bet of three thousand taels of silver, Liu Chuanzhi couldn’t withstand the blow and had gone mad again.
"That little bastard Fang Yue again! If I’d known it would come to this, I should have had him beaten to death back then!"
Master Liu cursed viciously upon hearing this. ’It’s Fang Yue again! Why does my son always have to get tangled up with him? If I’d known then what I know now, I really should have had that Fang Yue beaten to death!’
Years ago, when his son knocked over the sacrificial vessel, it was Fang Yue who took the punishment in his stead.
According to the rules, the punishment should have been thirty lashes.
’Back then, my heart was soft. I only had him given ten lashes, which allowed that little bastard to live. I never expected that he would be taken as a disciple by Fang Hu, reveal a talent for the Martial Dao, and climb the ranks to become a Martial Scholar. Now he’s passed the Prefecture Examination, and he’ll surely be granted an official post. His future prospects are limitless.’
’Thinking of it now, I’m filled with regret!’
’Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for regret in this world. Even if I had the chance to take revenge on Fang Yue now, I wouldn’t dare.’
’The Liu Family is no longer the high and mighty Civil Scholar family that once lorded over Da Liushu Village.’
’In Shanyang Prefecture City, we’re just an ordinary family. How could we possibly dare to take revenge on a Martial Scholar who is on the verge of receiving an official appointment?’
’Sigh... looking at this situation, my son is finished. I have to ensure the Liu Family has an heir!’
As this thought occurred to him, Master Liu’s gaze drifted involuntarily to his beautiful daughter-in-law, still sobbing nearby. A wicked idea took root in his mind, one he could not shake.
With this in mind, Master Liu immediately picked up a cup of tea, stealthily sprinkled some powder into it, and handed it to Chen Ru with a smile. "Chen Ru, you’ve been tending to things for a long time. Drink some tea and get some rest."
"Thank you, Father-in-law!" Chen Ru’s tears turned to a smile. She accepted the cup and took a small sip.
A flush instantly appeared on her face, and in the next moment, her eyes grew hazy.
Seeing this, Master Liu immediately shut the door and walked toward the beautiful young woman.
~~~~~~
「In a restaurant.」
"Martial Scholar Fang, the Zhou Family is most sincere. Our eldest young miss is well-read, sensible, and gracefully beautiful—she is counted among the finest in all of Shanyang Prefecture City. In the past, the number of suitors was so great they nearly wore our doorstep down."
"If you just nod your head, Martial Scholar Fang, and agree to marry our young miss, our master has promised a dowry of ten thousand taels of silver, a manor outside the city, and three thousand mu of fertile fields," the Zhou Family’s steward said with great enthusiasm.
The surrounding crowd was astonished to hear this. Clearly, this was a hefty price!
"Hmph, is that all? You have the nerve to say that out loud. Besides, who doesn’t know the Zhou Family’s eldest miss is lame? Stop trying to trick Martial Scholar Fang!" A disdainful, mocking voice suddenly cut in from the side.
Looking toward the voice, they saw a middle-aged man dressed in magnificent purple brocade robes.
The man’s expression was filled with arrogance, and a disdainful sneer played on his lips.
The expressions of everyone in the crowd changed upon seeing this man.
It was the Second Master of the Liang Family, one of the Prefecture City’s own—a Martial Master at the Qi Sensing realm.
From his words, it was clear he was also here to propose a marriage alliance with Fang Yue. It was unexpected that a man of his stature would personally attend to such a matter.
"The Liang Family may not be as wealthy as the Zhou Family, and we cannot offer such a large dowry, but if you agree, Fang, we can provide support for your future official career."
His meaning was clear: they could help Fang Yue in the political arena.
Of the two families, one was fabulously wealthy with considerable financial power. The other clearly had connections within the official circles of Shanyang Prefecture.
Both sides had made excellent offers, leaving Fang Yue at a loss for words.
’If my decision were based purely on personal gain, and if I didn’t have my Golden Finger, either choice would be a good one.’
’But I possess a Golden Finger. My future can’t be confined to the level of a mere Martial Artist, or even a Martial Master.’
’As long as I don’t fall prematurely, my future accomplishments will be immense. There’s no need to treat my marriage as a business transaction.’
Fang Yue was just about to find a reason to refuse both parties.
But just then, a young man who looked like a Servant hurried to the side of the Liang Family’s Second Master and whispered a few words in his ear.
Second Master Liang, who had been awaiting Fang Yue’s reply, frowned instantly. He cast a suspicious gaze toward Fang Yue, looking him up and down carefully before shaking his head.
"Since Martial Scholar Fang is unwilling, we’ll just forget it. Farewell."
Fang Yue hadn’t even had a chance to refuse. Second Master Liang’s voice rang out, and then he turned and left in a hurry.
This scene left the onlookers completely baffled, unable to understand what had just transpired.
Meanwhile, the steward from the Zhou Family had yet to recover from the shock.
Just then, another Servant from the Zhou Family ran up. "Steward, sir! There’s been a change of plans! The master says we are to return immediately."