Chapter 65

Wangdu, Qingyang Alley.

In the courtyard, the morning sun shone in, and a young man in rough linen clothes was practicing a set of sword techniques, drenched in sweat.

The courtyard was spacious, with its vermilion-painted gate, tall walls, and open layout, all of which once proclaimed the wealth and splendor of the residence.

However, now, the vermilion paint on the gate had peeled off in many places, looking somewhat patchy and disordered; the tall walls were also somewhat dilapidated, unable to shield against the wind and rain from outside.

The spacious interior now seemed empty and desolate, with no decent furniture to be found.

No matter how prominent and wealthy this residence once was, the current owner was undoubtedly in dire straits. Every detail proved this point.

However, the young man in the courtyard seemed unwilling to accept this harsh reality. Driven by a desire to revive his family's fortunes, he practiced with great determination. He had been practicing this set of sword techniques since the rooster crowed every morning for eight years.

He had no other choice, seemingly determined to reclaim the lost glory through the sword in his hand, to restore the prominence this residence once had.

Bang!

The vermilion-painted gate was slammed open.

A group of ferocious servants, led by a young man in his twenties, rushed in.

"Guo Jin, you're quite calm, still in the mood to practice martial arts? Today is the deadline. Are you going to give up this residence or not?"

The young man's smile was sinister, but his tone was one of complete confidence in dealing with the sword-practicing youth.

Guo Jin stopped, placed the sword on his shoulder, and said coldly, "Zhou, this residence was passed down by my ancestors; it is the glory of the Guo family. We can talk about anything else, but if you want me to sell the ancestral home, forget it!"

"Unwilling?" The Zhou youth sneered, "Then let's settle the accounts. Last year, you borrowed ten thousand taels from my money house. It's been a year now. With interest, you owe fifteen thousand taels. Either pay up now, or I'll report to the authorities and have this residence seized."

"Don't blame me, Zhou Tan. In the authorities, you'll be eaten down to the bone. I'm offering you eighty thousand taels now. If it goes to the authorities, you'll be lucky to get ten thousand or so. That would be a stroke of luck for the Guo family."

Zhou Tan was the young master of the largest money house in Wangdu, with connections in both the underworld and the upper world. He had his eye on this residence and was confident he could take it, whether through the authorities or other means, from this young man with no support and a declining family.

Guo Jin just shook his head, "Zhou Tan, you can do whatever you want, but you can't have this residence. I won't betray my ancestors."

"Betray your ancestors?" Zhou Tan smiled meaningfully, "You're overthinking it. You're just a young man who doesn't know better. Your father, that notorious deserter, you still have the nerve to mention your ancestors? If I were you, I'd have left Wangdu long ago and found a remote place to hide."

Deserter!

This word, like an electric shock, made Guo Jin's body twitch. His eyes, which had been relatively restrained, suddenly shot out a wild, murderous intent.

"Zhou Tan, repeat what you just said!"

His hand on the hilt of the sword trembled slightly, and his eyes glowed with a terrifying red, as if he was ready to pounce and fight to the death with Zhou Tan.

Father, in Guo Jin's heart, was an absolute no-go zone!

"Hmph, say it or not, the reputation in Wangdu is there. Can you stop the world from talking?" Zhou Tan clearly didn't care about Guo Jin's anger.

However, he was here to seize the residence, not to fight to the death.

"Rubbish, all rubbish! I said my father is not a deserter, he is not a deserter! Whoever says he is a deserter, I'll fight to the death with them! Zhou Tan, say it again!"

The veins on his neck bulged, and the young man roared, his black face turning red with extreme anger.

Zhou Tan's face darkened, "Guo Jin, I'm not interested in your father's affairs. I'm here to give you a final ultimatum. Either transfer the residence to me, or I'll have it seized by the authorities! You only have these two choices! Don't think you can scare me with your threats. Your family's wealth is long gone, even if it wasn't, so what?"

"Me, Zhou Tan, looking at your residence is a favor to your family. If it were anyone else, they'd beg me to take it, and I might not even accept it!"

"Children, get ready. If this Guo doesn't know his place, beat him and his old man out. Don't hold back, if you kill him, throw him to the dogs!"

Zhou Tan's patience was clearly running out.

His servants, hearing their master's order, clenched their fists and moved menacingly toward Guo Jin.

Guo Jin raised his steel sword and roared, "Whoever dares to come, dies first!"

Zhou Tan sneered, "Guo, it seems you won't give up until you see the Yellow River! Attack, if you kill him, it's on me."

Clap, clap, clap, clap!

At that moment, a sharp clapping sound came from outside the gate.

Then someone tsked, "In broad daylight, breaking in and killing, is this still the Eastern Kingdom?"

This scene was unexpected by Zhou Tan. He didn't think anyone in Qingyang Alley would dare to meddle in his family's affairs. Was this person asking for trouble?

"Who are you? The debt dispute between my money house and the borrower is none of your business," Zhou Tan was clearly used to bullying in Wangdu.

"It wasn't my business, but now it is," a young man with a confident and calm smile, his star-like eyes flickering, entered with four subordinates.

The newcomer was naturally Jiang Chen, the young lord of the Jianghan Marquisate.

Rustle, rustle, rustle, rustle!

Zhou Tan's servants immediately surrounded Jiang Chen and the four subordinates of the Shengzi Camp.

Jiang Chen ignored the gleaming weapons and glanced at Zhou Tan, "How much does he owe you?"

Zhou Tan sneered, "What's it to you? It's not about money now, but about the fact that he used the residence as collateral and failed to repay on time. I'm here to collect the residence. Who are you, and why are you meddling in this? Some matters are beyond your reach, and some people you can't afford to offend!"

"Really?" Jiang Chen smiled, "You seem quite impressive."

"Hmph, my Zhou family's money house is one of the most prominent in the entire kingdom. Who are you, and who is your father? Are you an official or a merchant?"

Jiang Chen ignored Zhou Tan and turned to Guo Jin, "Are you surnamed Guo?"

Guo Jin, surprised by the intervention, nodded honestly when he saw this person seemed willing to help.

"Is your grandfather Guo Shun, the Grand Tutor?"

"Yes." Hearing his grandfather's name, Guo Jin's chest swelled with a hint of pride. The Guo family had once had capable people and been wealthy.

"Good, how much do you owe the Zhou family's money house?" Jiang Chen asked again.

"Originally, I borrowed ten thousand taels to treat my mother. With interest, it's now fifteen thousand taels." Mentioning this heavy debt, Guo Jin's expression darkened.

"Fifteen thousand taels." Jiang Chen nodded and said to Sheng Yi, "Sheng Yi, give them fifteen thousand taels in silver."

The four brothers of the Shengzi Camp, having followed Jiang Chen for some time, had seen his various wonders and had developed a deeper master-subordinate relationship.

No longer just a task-based relationship.

Fifteen thousand taels in silver bills were counted out, and Sheng Yi handed them to Zhou Tan, "Count it! My young master is paying it for him. Don't come here making noise again!"

Sheng Yi, a former soldier, exuded a commanding presence.

Standing there, he made Zhou Tan's heart tighten, and his eyes focused on Jiang Chen, sensing that this young man might be someone important.

However, Zhou Tan, who had never feared anyone, didn't take the silver bills but instead said sarcastically, "I made it clear. He failed to repay on time, and now I want the residence, not the money."

"Failed to repay on time? Do you have evidence?" Jiang Chen didn't get angry.

Zhou Tan waved his hand, and a servant brought out the promissory note. The note was full of traps and had Guo Jin's signature.

Jiang Chen casually crumpled the note into pieces, "Is there any evidence now?"

This action caught Zhou Tan completely off guard. He hadn't expected this seemingly composed young man to suddenly cheat and destroy the evidence!

He was used to cheating others, but today, he was cheated!

"You... you're asking for death!" Zhou Tan's anger flared.

Jiang Chen, without turning back, walked into the courtyard, his tone calm, "Sheng Yi, throw them out with the silver bills!"

The four brothers of the Shengzi Camp, all high-level True Qi practitioners and seasoned warriors, easily dealt with the servants.

In a few moves, they threw the master and servants out of the gate.

He casually tossed the fifteen thousand taels in silver bills, "My young master is a reasonable person. Take the money. If you want to cause trouble, think twice."

Seeing the four brothers of the Shengzi Camp beat the Zhou family's servants to a pulp, Guo Jin felt a mix of emotions.

On one hand, he was grateful for their timely help, and the Zhou family's ferocity was completely neutralized by these people.

On the other hand, he was uneasy, unsure of the intentions of these mysterious people.

Especially watching Jiang Chen's back as he walked in, a strange feeling rose in his heart: "As a young man, this is the noble demeanor and the strength of a true hero! I, Guo Jin, must rise to prominence like him and make these tyrants and bullies avoid me!"

Jiang Chen, being friendly, entered the inner courtyard and saw the ancestral tablets of the Guo family.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen stepped forward, lit incense, and bowed respectfully. He then inserted the incense into the incense burner and, noticing some dust on the table, casually wiped it away.

This simple gesture and these ordinary actions made Guo Jin's heart warm, and a lump formed in his throat, making him feel moved to tears.

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