Chapter 7

Despite not knowing how to compensate or what to use, Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and asked, "How should I compensate?"

The steward smiled faintly and said lightly, "This painting was purchased from the Juzhen Pavilion for ten taels of purple gold. I don’t want much from you, just the original price will do! Otherwise, hehe... even if we beat you to death, we still have a place to seek justice."

"Ten taels of purple gold?"

Jiang Yi's eyes narrowed. He only received one tael of silver as his monthly allowance in the Jiang family, and one tael of purple gold was equivalent to one hundred taels of silver. Even if he were sold, he wouldn’t be worth ten taels of purple gold. It seemed this group was determined to keep Jiang Xiaonu.

"Should I fight them?"

Jiang Yi shook his head. There were so many people on the other side, and he no longer had black yuan force. If he tried to fight, both of them would likely be left behind.

The steward was right; even if the two of them were beaten to death today, the Jiang family wouldn’t investigate. The steward was very shrewd, with keen eyes. From Jiang Yi’s attire and the fact that Xiaonu worked there, he must have guessed that Jiang Yi’s status in the Jiang family was very low and that he wouldn’t dare to cause a big commotion.

After a moment of contemplation, he could only say with a stiff upper lip, "Compensation is no problem, but can you give me some time? I will bring ten taels of purple gold in a month. If I can’t, I will send one of my hands over."

"A month?"

The steward’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly shook his head. "Words are just words. What if you run away? You either leave something as collateral or leave the girl here."

Jiang Yi was in a bind. What valuable things did he have? Leaving Jiang Xiaonu behind? In a month, who knew what they would do to her. His eyes darted around, and he reached into his chest, taking out a token and tossing it over. "This as collateral! I will come to redeem it in a month."

This was the token given to him by Rong, the steward, allowing free access to the medicinal fields on West Mountain. The Jiang family’s rules were very strict. If the Punishment Hall found out he used this token as collateral, he would be severely punished. But at this moment, he was at his wit's end and had to resort to this desperate measure.

"Oh? Indeed, you are from the Jiang family!"

The steward took the token, his face showing an unsurprised expression. However, he didn’t immediately agree but instead lowered his head to think.

Time ticked by, and Jiang Yi’s body was tense, cold sweat already breaking out on his back. Jiang Xiaonu’s beautiful big eyes were filled with anxiety and tension. Whether the two of them could safely leave the Fengyue Tower today depended on this steward’s decision.

"Alright!"

Finally, the steward looked up at Jiang Yi and nodded. "I will give the Jiang family some face. I believe that the Jiang family’s descendants will keep their word. Of course... if you don’t pay in a month, I will take this token to the Jiang family’s Punishment Hall to demand payment. You may leave."

"Leave!"

Jiang Yi felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. He gritted his teeth and supported Xiaonu, slowly walking out of the Fengyue Tower’s backyard, heading towards the Jiang family’s courtyard.

Although his face showed no emotion, his heart was bitter. The steward had hit his weak spot. If he couldn’t pay in a month, the Fengyue Tower would come to the Jiang family, and the Punishment Hall would definitely break his and Xiaonu’s legs...

...

The Fengyue Tower was not far from the Jiang family, but it took Jiang Yi and Xiaonu nearly half an hour to return to the Jiang family’s West Courtyard.

Both were injured, but fortunately, the strong man who beat Xiaonu didn’t use his yuan force. Xiaonu only suffered some superficial injuries and no serious damage. Otherwise, Jiang Yi wouldn’t know how to return.

By the time they returned to the Jiang family’s West Courtyard, it was already dusk. The West Courtyard was quite lively, with the family’s guards and servants living there. They all went home after dark. On the way, they encountered many guards and servants, but no one paid them much attention, at most giving them a glance, and some even showed mocking smiles...

Having endured cold looks for so many years, the two were not surprised. As they entered their small courtyard, Jiang Yi immediately felt weak in his legs, clutching his left shoulder and kneeling on the ground in pain, gasping for breath.

He had been hit by a Third Rank Cast Cauldron guard, and although he used the "Stone Crushing Hand" to block, his bones were likely cracked. The subsequent forced actions and the long walk had aggravated his injuries, causing cold sweat to pour down his forehead.

"Master, Master, are you okay!"

Xiaonu panicked, quickly kneeling down beside him. Her dirty little face was filled with pain and guilt, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Jiang Yi waved his hand, forcing a smile, and reached out to pat Xiaonu’s head. "Xiaonu, don’t cry, I’m fine. Your master... won’t fall so easily."

"Um, um, Master is the best!"

Xiaonu nodded rapidly, but still cried, "But... Master, where will we get ten taels of purple gold in a month? Oh, it’s all Xiaonu’s fault, I’ve caused you trouble..."

"Stop talking about causing trouble!"

Jiang Yi’s face darkened, and he glared, scolding, "Xiaonu, you’re not allowed to say such nonsense! In this world, Master only has you as a relative. Nothing is more important than you, understand?"

"Um, Master is the best!" Xiaonu was moved to tears, and her tears fell like rain.

"Alright, trust Master, I will find a way. Let’s go inside first."

Jiang Yi struggled to stand up, and the two supported each other into the house. Inside Jiang Yi’s room, Xiaonu helped him sit on the bed, dried her tears, lit the candle, and hurriedly fetched the ointment to apply to his wounds.

Jiang Yi, however, smiled bitterly and shook his head. "You got the wrong thing, you silly girl. I have internal injuries. Go get the healing pill given by the family, and put this ointment aside. Apply it to the wound later."

Xiaonu scratched her head, her face showing embarrassment, and quickly turned to limp out.

On the way back, Jiang Yi checked Xiaonu’s injuries, which were not too serious, so he didn’t worry about her for the moment. Looking at the flickering candle, he felt troubled...

So much had happened from yesterday to now, making his head a mess. He shook his head, preparing to rest and sort things out after healing.

Xiaonu quickly returned with a small white porcelain bottle and a bowl of water, placing them beside the bed. "Master, should you take the pill now? Or eat something first? Oh, Master, you didn’t eat lunch, right? Should I make two bowls of noodles first?"

"No!"

Jiang Yi shook his head, "Don’t bother. We have some dried meat at home. Let’s eat a little, and then I will heal."

"Okay!"

Xiaonu quickly went to fetch the dried meat. She often went out to work and prepared some dried meat in case Jiang Yi was hungry, which came in handy now.

Soon, Xiaonu brought the dried meat, and the two started to chew it with water. Jiang Yi then had time to ask, "Xiaonu, what happened today? I feel something is not right. Was it a trap set by the Fengyue Tower?"

Xiaonu was taken aback, blinked, and said confusedly, "A trap? What do I have to be trapped? I don’t have any money..."

"Silly girl!"

Jiang Yi sighed helplessly, not explaining, and directly asked, "Tell me the whole story in detail."

"Okay, okay."

Xiaonu quickly recounted the events of the day in detail. After finishing, she asked confusedly, "Master, is there a problem?"

Jiang Yi didn’t speak, but his eyes were burning with anger. Based on Xiaonu’s account and what he saw, he was 100% sure that today’s incident was orchestrated by the Fengyue Tower’s steward.

Xiaonu and Chunya went to the Fengyue Tower every five days to help wash the clothes and bed sheets of the girls in the building. They always worked in the backyard and were never allowed to go to the front yard or the inner hall. Xiaonu, being honest, never wandered around.

Usually, the washed clothes were taken into the inner hall by the Fengyue Tower’s staff, but today, no one appeared. An old woman "voluntarily" called Xiaonu to help her take the clothes into the inner hall.

Xiaonu, worried about Jiang Yi being alone at home, wanted to finish quickly and go home, so she didn’t think much and followed the old woman, carrying a large bucket of clothes into the inner hall. As soon as they entered, a guard "accidentally" tripped her, and she "coincidentally" bumped into a table by the wall, on which "just happened" to be a valuable painting.

Then the steward appeared, slapped Xiaonu hard, and had the guard take her to the backyard, demanding either compensation or a contract of servitude...

Xiaonu was naive and would even count the money if someone sold her. Jiang Yi, being smart since childhood, quickly understood what had happened. He took a deep breath, his face turning fierce, and he growled, "Good, good Fengyue Tower, daring to harm Xiaonu like this? One day, I will destroy your Fengyue Tower completely..."

"Master, don’t be impulsive. I heard that the Fengyue Tower has a powerful backing, and you are no match for them!"

Seeing Jiang Yi’s expression, Xiaonu was somewhat panicked. She quickly realized and asked with wide eyes, "Oh, wait, Master, how did you become so powerful? You were so amazing earlier, injuring those bad guys..."

"Um... don’t worry about that, trust me! Xiaonu, perhaps... it won’t be long before I can give you a good life, and you won’t have to work anymore."

Jiang Yi thought of the mysterious black yuan force, his heart racing again. He quickly finished the remaining dried meat, preparing to heal immediately and then study the black yuan force in detail. He had a feeling that this mysterious black yuan force might bring a complete change to his life.

"Oh, oh! Master is so amazing, Master, keep it up." The simple-minded Xiaonu immediately stopped asking, nodding rapidly, her big eyes forming a crescent moon, filled with admiration.

After finishing the dried meat, Jiang Yi checked Xiaonu’s injuries again, confirming that her bones were not damaged. He told her to go back to her room and have Chunya help her apply the ointment, and reminded her not to let the family know about today’s incident.

Xiaonu, who always listened to Jiang Yi, asked a few concerned questions and then limped out, her thin figure looking pitiful in the candlelight... making Jiang Yi’s heart ache again.

After Xiaonu left, Jiang Yi sat on the bed, trying to organize his chaotic thoughts.

Yesterday, he was beaten by Jiang Ruhu and others, and he was unconscious for the morning. After returning home and sleeping, a mysterious nameless incantation appeared in his mind. Following the incantation, he cultivated a strand of mysterious black yuan force. With this black yuan force, he beat Jiang Bao in the morning and saved Xiaonu from the Fengyue Tower, but he now owed a huge debt of ten taels of purple gold...

"Ten taels of purple gold?"

Thinking about this, Jiang Yi’s lips twitched. Where would he get so much money in a month? And he had beaten Jiang Bao in the morning, so his leader, Jiang Ruhu, would likely come looking for him soon.

Although Jiang Ruhu’s talent was average, he had a good father, the Jiang family’s chief steward, and never lacked cultivation pills. His strength had reached the Fourth Rank Cast Cauldron, and even with the black yuan force, it would be difficult to defeat him.

"Black yuan force, it all depends on you!"

Jiang Yi pursed his lips, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. This black yuan force was so mysterious. If he studied it in detail and discovered new abilities, perhaps he could escape this predicament...

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