Chapter 10 of 100

Chapter 10

15 min read3,806 words

Qing Lang stayed in Black Pine Valley to cultivate, while Wei Shizheng left Old Crow Ridge to meet with Mr. Deng's steward in Xinyang Town to claim the 300 taels of silver he had promised.

At the north end of Shangguan Bridge, the side gate of the Zhao residence was half open. A short old servant leaned against the wall, basking in the sun, his head nodding like a chick pecking at rice. Wei Shizheng approached and lightly coughed, greeting him, "Old sir, may I ask if Mr. Deng's steward is at home?"

The old servant was startled by the sudden sound and quickly opened his eyes. He saw a robust man standing in front of him, dressed in a new dark-colored robe, towering and blocking the light, making it hard to see his face. Irritated by being woken up from a comfortable nap, he said gruffly, "Young man, stand back a bit, don't block my sunlight!"

Wei Shizheng was taken aback, finding the words somewhat familiar. He concentrated and recalled where he had heard them before. Surprised, he asked cautiously, "Is your surname Di?"

"Di? Who is surnamed Di? No one in Xinyang Town is surnamed Di!"

Wei Shizheng realized he had jumped to a wrong conclusion. The steward of a wealthy merchant could be quite unpredictable, and encountering such a person was unfortunate. He stepped back, letting the sunlight through, and asked patiently, "May I ask if Mr. Deng's steward is at home?"

The old servant sized him up and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am a hunter from Old Crow Ridge nearby..."

The old servant wiped the sleep from his eyes and said disdainfully, "What kind of person is Mr. Deng? You think you can just see him whenever you want?" He then closed his eyes and continued to doze off.

Meeting the devil is easier than dealing with a minor demon. In this situation, if it were Mulian, he would have turned red, stammered, and walked away in tears; if it were Old Liu, he would have smiled and pleaded, saying all sorts of nice things; if it were Yue Zhiyan, he would have offered a small piece of silver and politely asked the old servant to inform Mr. Deng; if it were Deng Shouyi, he might have proclaimed "Amitabha" and then the old servant would have a splitting headache, vomiting and diarrhea, and would kneel to beg for mercy.

Wei Shizheng smiled and said, "Mr. Deng's grandson is seriously ill and needs bear bile for his medicine. He asked me to bring it immediately. If I delay, you won't be able to take the responsibility."

The old servant jumped up, spitting and cursing, "Brat, you heard a few rumors and dare to trick me! Let me tell you, my son risked his life to find a bear bile, which was already used to make medicine for Little Basket, and he is already better. How can you come here to show off? Get lost, get lost, or I'll beat you out with a stick!"

The information was overwhelming—this old servant was Yue Zhiyan's father, and Mr. Deng's grandson's nickname was Little Basket. The golden-backed bear bile was indeed effective for his illness. Wei Shizheng realized he had been wrong. In this situation, if it were Yue Zhiyan, he would have said, "Father, why won't you let me see Mr. Deng?"

"Father, who are you talking to?" A man dressed as a servant came out from the side gate, and it was Yue Zhiyan.

"Brother Yue, it's me. I came to see Mr. Deng, but this old sir wouldn't let me in."

Hearing the resentment in his voice, Yue Zhiyan was startled. He knew that Mr. Deng valued this hunter highly, and Deng Shouyi also had a good impression of him. His father was always foul-mouthed, and he must have offended him. He quickly stepped forward, blocking the old servant, and smiled, "What are you talking about? Mr. Deng has already instructed that if Brother Wei comes, he doesn't need to be announced; he can go straight in to see him."

"Brother Yue, you're too kind. Is Mr. Deng available now?"

"He was checking the accounts in the accounting room just now. Brother Wei, follow me." He invited Wei Shizheng into the residence, gave his father a meaningful look, and hurriedly followed. The old servant felt embarrassed, scratched his head, and grumbled a few words.

The two passed through the sedan hall and followed the dark eastern corridor northward. At the end, they turned right and arrived at the eastern garden, where the chrysanthemums were in full bloom, colorful and graceful.

Yue Zhiyan said tactfully, "Brother Wei, my father has a short temper. Please forgive him and don't take it to heart." He was worried that Wei Shizheng might complain to Mr. Deng, even though Mr. Deng valued him, he had no good feelings for his father's loose tongue.

Wei Shizheng smiled but said nothing. He knew what Yue Zhiyan was worried about.

The two left the eastern garden through the moon gate and passed a flat training ground where a dozen guards were practicing boxing. Wei Shizheng slowed down to watch for a moment. It didn't seem to be a set routine, just some simple punching, kicking, elbow strikes, and knee strikes.

Seeing his interest in the boxing, Yue Zhiyan had an idea and said, "This is the combat boxing from the border army, widely spread. If Brother Wei is interested, I can give you a boxing manual to study."

"Brother Yue, do you have a boxing manual? If you could give it to me, I would be very grateful."

Yue Zhiyan was relieved. A combat boxing manual was not a rare item. If Wei Shizheng wanted it, he could give him one as a favor, to make up for his father's rudeness.

As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at the accounting room. Yue Zhiyan asked him to wait a moment and went in to inform Mr. Deng.

Mr. Deng had been waiting for Wei Shizheng for about twenty days and guessed that he had stayed at Old Crow Ridge to deal with the bear's remains, which should fetch a good price. Now seeing him, he was quite pleased. He personally welcomed him, led him to a side hall, and ordered a servant to bring tea.

The tea Mr. Deng drank was much better than tea bricks. Brewed in a lidded bowl, the tea soup was emerald green, and the leaves stood upright. Wei Shizheng knew roughly how to use a lidded bowl, though his movements were a bit clumsy, he managed without making any mistakes. This confirmed Mr. Deng's earlier guess: if he were truly a hunter from the mountains, how would he know how to use a lidded bowl?

Wei Shizheng hadn't had such good tea in a long time. He vaguely remembered that in another world, his only hobby besides reading was drinking light tea.

Mr. Deng chatted with him for a while and then came straight to the point, expressing his intention to recruit him. Wei Shizheng was about to decline, saying, "I am a mountain person, used to a free life, blah, blah, blah," but the words circled on his tongue and he swallowed them. He mentioned that on the day at Old Crow Ridge, Mr. Deng's disciple had given him an opportunity, and they would see the results on the seventh day of the seventh month next year. If he had no connection with the Immortal Capital Sect, he would come to join Mr. Deng.

Mr. Deng had heard about this from Deng Shouyi and appreciated him even more. He didn't force the issue, encouraged him a few times, and ordered his subordinate to withdraw 300 taels of silver from the accounting room, pack it in a bundle, and hand it to Wei Shizheng.

After another cup of tea, Wei Shizheng got up to leave. Mr. Deng asked Yue Zhiyan to see him off. Outside the Zhao residence, the old servant who had been dozing in the sun was gone. Wei Shizheng, with a heavy bundle on his back and a boxing manual in his chest, left Xinyang Town leisurely.

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