Chapter 10

"How could you get in?" Faced with the old classmate's humiliation, Qin Dewei did not retort this time but instead asked calmly.

Yang Bo seemed to have been waiting for this question. For someone who came to show off, not giving him the chance to do so would be very frustrating.

"I have a cousin who is a county student. By a stroke of luck, he obtained an invitation, so he can bring me in!" Yang Bo said proudly.

Only then did Qin Dewei notice that there was another person behind Yang Bo, a man in his thirties dressed in a scholar's robe. This must be the cousin Yang Bo mentioned.

Having a scholar cousin to bring him in, even though scholars in Nanjing were not particularly valuable and there were many poor scholars, was still a step up in the cultural circle.

As for himself, he only had an uncle who was a constable, who could only squat at the alley entrance with him to "broaden his horizons." What a miserable fate!

Seeing his old classmate again, Yang Bo felt a strong sense of superiority and mocked, "Back in the community school, you had the teacher's favor, so what? Once you're out of the school, you're worth nothing!

I have my uncle's vast inheritance waiting for me to inherit, and I have a cousin to introduce me to senior peers. What do you have? As soon as we left the school, our fates were already different!

My fate is better than yours, are you angry? The world outside the school is completely different, and the gap between us will only grow larger. Today is a turning point!

In the future, I will at least be a gentleman, while you will be nothing more than a lowly peddler. Our fates will be as different as heaven and earth!

Today, I'm still willing to talk to you, and you should feel honored. In the future, I might not even bother to acknowledge you! This is the difference between our fates!"

Qin Dewei's face darkened, and he countered, "Do you know why I hate you? Because I hate it when people act superior in front of me, especially when they do it so poorly!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Yang Bo laughed, "I don't understand what you're saying, but you must feel very frustrated, so I'm still very happy."

Qin Dewei looked at Yang Bo with a cold eye and asked strangely, "You've been talking about fate, but have you ever heard of 'qi yun' (fortune)?"

Yang Bo was taken aback, not expecting Qin Dewei to say something so out of the blue.

What about qi yun? Even if we talk about qi yun, it's clearly he who has more of it! Qin Dewei talking about qi yun is just asking for humiliation!

"Qi yun is something you can't see or touch, but it can be taken away..." Qin Dewei's tone was like he was telling a ghost story, "The biggest mistake of your life might be showing up in front of me today."

"Pfft, do you think I'll be scared by your empty threats?" Yang Bo didn't believe it for a second.

Qin Dewei closed his eyes and sighed deeply. When he opened them again, they seemed to shimmer with tears of sadness: "I once wanted to be a good person, but you've destroyed my chance to be one..."

In the next moment, Qin Dewei suddenly lunged forward, and in the blink of an eye, he was next to Yang Bo, throwing a fierce punch.

Yang Bo was completely unprepared and was caught off guard, immediately becoming furious and instinctively grabbing Qin Dewei to start retaliating.

In no time, the two young men were rolling on the ground, fighting.

Qin Xiang, the constable, was used to seeing fights, and he knew exactly how to handle street brawls.

Without even thinking, Qin Xiang habitually pulled out the iron ruler from his waist, rushed forward, and started swinging it wildly, raining blows down on both fighters like a storm.

However, in the chaos, all the blows landed on Yang Bo, and Qin Dewei didn't get hit at all. Qin Xiang, a seasoned official, was indeed skilled.

What could you do when the referee was biased? So, as the fight went on, Yang Bo couldn't hold his own and could only cower in defense, protecting his head.

At this point, Qin Xiang shouted at both of them, especially at Qin Dewei, "Stop it!" Qin Dewei, unusually obedient, quickly moved to the side.

Qin Xiang then grabbed Yang Bo, pulled out a leather rope, and skillfully tied his hands, securing him to a nearby tree. This wasn't illegal detention; Qin Xiang was an official and had temporary law enforcement authority.

After finishing, Qin Xiang complained to his nephew, "What are you trying to do? Causing trouble for no reason, how are you going to clean this up?"

He had acted instinctively, helping his nephew and dealing with the opponent. But he didn't understand what his nephew was trying to achieve. Was it just to beat someone up?

The other side had a scholar, and although Nanjing was full of nobles and scholars had little power, who knew what connections they might have.

The Yang family scholar, standing nearby, finally reacted and hurried over, about to say something.

But Qin Dewei spoke first, pointing at the bound Yang Bo, "Today, the East Garden is filled with distinguished guests and virtuous scholars. Yang Bo openly fought on the street outside the garden, disgracing the scholarly community. What should be done?"

The Yang family scholar blinked, taken aback by Qin Dewei's words.

Didn't you start it? Even if we take a step back, with a constable helping you twist the facts, a fight can't be one-sided. You both fought, so why are you so righteous?

Qin Xiang scratched his head and gave his law enforcement opinion, "We don't have extra hands, so we can only tie him here and take him to the county office later for further handling."

Yang Bo was furious, "This Qin Dewei is shameless, dragging me down with him! Using such a despicable tactic to drag me down with him!"

In the end, Qin Dewei suffered no loss, but he lost the chance to attend the grand event in the East Garden. What good would come from being taken to the county office?

"Brother, save me!" Yang Bo shouted a few times.

The Yang family scholar's face fell. He was a scholar, after all, and couldn't be treated like a commoner by a constable. He said to Qin Xiang, "You can't go too far, do you really think my family is afraid?"

Qin Dewei ignored Yang Bo and said to the Yang family scholar, "Mr. Yang! If you keep this up, you'll miss your chance to enter the garden! If the commotion gets too loud and disturbs the dignitaries inside, it won't look good for you!"

This hit a nerve with the Yang family scholar, who hesitated slightly.

But he was responsible for his cousin, and he couldn't just leave him tied up and taken to the county office.

Thinking about it, the Yang family scholar inwardly cursed his cousin for being so troublesome, choosing to show off instead of taking a straightforward path.

What was the point of arguing with these corrupt constables? Even if he won, it would take half a day or a day to resolve, and he would miss the most important event.

Today's East Garden gathering was a rare cultural event, and he couldn't afford to miss it.

"Hehehehe." Qin Dewei laughed mysteriously, "I have an idea that will benefit both of us. Didn't you get an invitation? Can't you bring Yang Bo in?"

The Yang family scholar nodded, "So what?"

Qin Dewei rubbed his hands together, looking very eager, "If you can bring me into the garden, I'll have my uncle release Yang Bo and let him go home. You won't have to worry about him anymore..."

What the hell! The Yang family scholar was shocked. Could he really be so calculating?

What the hell! Qin Xiang was also shocked. His nephew had such a plan all along!

What the hell! Yang Bo, tied to the tree, was also shocked. What the hell is this? You and the corrupt constable beat me up, and now you want me to give up my entry to the garden?

At that moment, Yang Bo suddenly remembered Qin Dewei's earlier words: "Qi yun can be taken away..."