nownovels Chapter 73: I'm just feeling a little unwell.
Chapter 73: I'm just feeling a little unwell.
Chapter 73: I'm just feeling a little unwell.
At the entrance of the alley.
Luo Changshou, leading a large group of men, had already spotted the constables who had completely surrounded the alley.
It seems they weren't lying to me; this little guy named Mo Zheng has indeed greatly offended these local bullies.
A thought flashed through Luo Changshou's mind, and he asked, "Which one is Mo Zheng's residence?"
"Sir, it's over there. Look, our Lord Fang is standing there too," the head constable pointed to Luo Changshou.
The Luo family looked closely and saw a large group of people gathered at the entrance of the mansion, all of them exuding extraordinary airs.
Standing at the very front was a middle-aged man in an official robe, presumably Fang Daquan.
"Let's go see him—"
Luo Changshou was about to go up and say hello. After all, he was the local official, and although his Luo family was a large and powerful family, they still had to ask for some courtesy when arresting people on someone else's turf.
Unexpectedly, the noise coming from there immediately extinguished his idea of going up.
"Excuse me, is Lord Mo Zheng at home? Magistrate Fang Daquan of Shangyin County has come to pay his respects with some friends."
Hearing Fang Daquan's extremely respectful and polite tone, Luo Changshou couldn't help but frown and ask, "Is your county magistrate always this polite when arresting people?"
"This petty person—this petty person is ignorant."
The head constable was also extremely puzzled. His master, Lord Fang, was a formidable figure. Apart from dealing with his superiors, he was ruthless towards prisoners and would never show mercy when he took action.
Luo Changshou snorted coldly, thinking that he would teach this Magistrate Fang a lesson later, when another voice came: "Xiang Ying of the Sihai Trading Company has come to pay respects to Young Master Mo on the orders of the Chairman!"
Xiang Ying, the owner of Sihai Trading Company, that name sounds so familiar.
Wait a minute, Sihai Trading Company?
He was startled and was about to ask when a series of voices came from afar: "You Feilong of the Northern Liang Caravan, on the orders of the caravan leader, wishes Young Master Mo a joyous New Year!"
"Qin Zhongnan, the protector of the Black Fiend Cult, requests an audience with Young Master Mo on the orders of the cult leader!"
Northern Liang caravan! Black Fiend Cult!
The names of the seven or eight people who came up were all powerful forces that dominated the entire Liangzhou!
He sat motionless on his horse, as if frozen in place, his face filled with a dazed expression.
Not only him, but all the worshippers and clansmen who came with him couldn't help but gasp, their hearts stirred by the names.
Dead silence. The scene was completely silent.
"Did I hear that right?"
Luo Changshou was starting to lose confidence. He turned to the Luo family members beside him and asked, "The Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, the Black Fiend Sect,..."
"Have all these powerful caravans from Northern Liang come to offer their congratulations and wish Mo Zheng a happy new year?"
"It seems...it seems to be true."
The Luo family member was also somewhat incredulous. He looked closely at the group of people and said, "Cousin, that is indeed Qin Zhongnan, the protector of the Black Fiend Sect. I've drunk with him before."
"That's right, I've met Xiang Ying, the elder of the Sihai Trading Company, once before."
"There are also members of the Luo family from Yincheng inside; no one dares to imitate the Luo-character flag they fly." —
The Luo family members all spoke up, pointing out that most of these powerful forces that dominated Liangzhou had established bases in Jinqing Prefecture, and the Luo family members had dealt with them several times.
Hearing the confirmation from so many people around him, Luo Changshou's heart sank to the bottom. His face turned deathly pale, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
He's here to arrest people.
But what did he see?
The county officials of Shangyin County bowed and scraped, and several powerful forces, including the Sihai Merchant Guild and the Black Fiend Sect, came to offer their congratulations.
You should know that these powerful forces were all founded and established by experts at the Visceral Realm, and most of the representatives they sent were even martial artists at the Bone and Tendon Realm!
Compared to them, the Luo family is nothing at all. Any family could easily destroy the Luo family!
However, Luo Changshou found it incomprehensible that representatives of so many powerful forces would actually come to a young man's door to congratulate him on the New Year.
Even though he is a disciple of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall, this young man has only been taking the exam for two months. You should know that even a true disciple might not be taken seriously by these powerful forces.
Why? Why?
Luo Changshou couldn't understand.
The scene unfolding before his eyes left him completely stunned and almost unable to think straight.
But instinctively, he felt fear.
That young man, with the ability to attract so many powerful forces to befriend him, must be extraordinary.
But ironically, he found himself on the opposite side of the Luo family!
In case he decides to target the Luo family—
The thought amplified Luo Changshou's fear. He shuddered, glanced again in terror at the figures heading into the courtyard, and without hesitation turned his horse around, saying, "Go, hurry, report this to the patriarch!"
The other members of the Luo family also fled the place in a panic, as if avoiding a plague.
In the blink of an eye, the large group of knights vanished without a trace, leaving only the squad leader bewildered and at a loss.
Mo Zheng stood at the gate, smiling as he watched everyone leave.
After the representatives from various forces left, he rubbed his cheeks, which were a little sore from smiling, and ignoring the surprised looks from the neighbors around him, he turned around and went back into the house, immediately locking the courtyard gate tightly.
"I never imagined that becoming a disciple of Master Liu would have such a huge chain reaction." Mo Zheng thought of his conversation with the representatives of those powerful forces earlier. They were all incredibly enthusiastic. On the surface, they came to congratulate him on the New Year, but in reality, their words were all meant to invite him to join their forces.
The key was those invitations, with incredibly good benefits.
Almost every faction offered more than 50,000 taels of silver per year, along with pills, weapons, and so on. This was the most they would offer to invite a martial artist at the Bone and Tendon Realm.
But Mo Zheng is clearly more popular than the Muscle and Bone Realm.
Liu Qing's vision and the disciples he trained, even if they couldn't reach the Visceral Realm, would still be among the best in the Bone and Tendon Realm. Moreover, inviting Mo Zheng would allow him to establish a relationship with Liu Qing.
Otherwise, why would these powerful forces rush to congratulate Mo Zheng on the New Year?
Isn't it because they valued Liu Qing and Mo Zheng's potential?
All of Liu Qing's disciples are true disciples, and all the true disciples of the Martial Arts Hall are strong in the Bone and Tendon Realm, with the hope of breaking through to the Visceral Realm.
It's definitely worth spending some money to recruit such a promising martial artist.
"If I were to actually agree to their request, I'm afraid these people would be terribly disappointed. My Twelve Wind-Riding Swords are not something that can be mastered overnight," Mo Zheng thought to himself.
Liu Qing gave him fifteen years.
If someone graduates from the Martial Arts Hall without making a breakthrough, these powerful forces will probably regret it to the point of bleeding, and might even come knocking on their door demanding a refund.
However, Mo Zheng has no plans to join these major powers for the time being.
He was short of money and resources, so he could have gone hunting monsters. Joining a powerful force would have been easier, but he would still be subject to someone's control and would have been somewhat restricted in his freedom.
Step into the living room.
Mo Zheng immediately spotted Mo Xiaotian, who was curiously playing with the gifts left by the guests, and the bewildered and shocked Mo Danian and his wife.
The gifts were plentiful, including pearls, agates, furs, gold and silver, elixirs, and weapons. Almost every family's gift was worth more than several thousand taels of silver. A rough calculation showed that the gifts in this living room alone were worth at least thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver.
It can only be said that powerful forces are generous with their spending.
"Second...Second brother?"
Mo Danian asked uncertainly, "Are they all for you?"
Mo Zheng nodded with a smile.
However, upon receiving a definitive answer from the other party, the couple fell silent once again.
Although the couple had personally witnessed these important figures visiting their door and heard them say that they were coming to congratulate Mo Zheng on the New Year.
But Mo Zheng was just a lowly constable and a disciple of the Shangyin Martial Arts School two months ago.
The little guy is only fifteen years old today.
Even though he was admitted to the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy and became the "other people's child" in the eyes of everyone in Shangyin County, earning the Mo Danian family the respect of others, that was all.
It did not bring about any further changes.
Although the whole family knew that Mo Zheng would be successful, that was a long, long time from now.
They would even accept if Mo Zheng offered them so much money.
Money? Martial artists are naturally good at making money.
But now, early in the morning, the constables are clearing the streets, and a large group of important figures, whom even Magistrate Fang Daquan of Shangyin County has to serve carefully, are coming to visit one after another. Moreover, they are warm and friendly, and they are offering them gifts that they could never earn in their entire lives.
These are all powerful forces that they've only ever heard of; these important figures are probably never even seen in Shangyin County.
The stark contrast left Mr. and Mrs. Mo stunned and speechless.
The value of these gifts alone exceeds tens of thousands of taels of silver, enough to buy countless restaurants owned by the couple, and this is just a congratulatory gift.
The couple looked at Mo Zheng, unsure of what to say or how to treat their younger brother.
Just like a well-behaved and docile kitten that suddenly transforms into a fierce tiger, who can accept such a change in a short period of time?
Mo Zheng smiled and walked forward, took their hands, and placed them on the seats, saying, "Brother and sister-in-law, don't misunderstand. They only sent this because of my teacher. My teacher is the real big shot."
"Is it because of your teacher?"
Upon hearing this, Mo Danian breathed a sigh of relief.
He picked up a clean teacup from the table, poured some tea, drank it himself, and patted his chest to relax, saying, "I am your second brother. Although you are a martial arts genius, it shouldn't be that so many important figures have come to visit you in such a short time. After the New Year, you must properly thank your teacher."
"Our Xiao Zheng is definitely very outstanding as well."
Wang Yumei said with a smile, "Otherwise, why would such a skilled teacher accept Xiao Zheng as a disciple? But, Xiao Zheng, what is your current skill level?"
Mo Zheng could sense the worry hidden beneath his sister-in-law's smile, which he guessed was because of what Wang Dahu had just said about what happened last night.
"Brother and sister-in-law, do you still remember Senior Brother Zhou Xianzhou who came to pick me up two months ago?"
"I remember, Brother Tiger said he was a Golden Seal Constable of the Six Doors, a fifth-rank official, with great power, and even the Prefect had to give him some leeway."
Wang Yumei was deeply impressed. After all, Shangyin County was just a small county town, and it was not easy for such a high-ranking official to come, not to mention that he came to pick up Mo Zheng.
"The Six Doors are powerful. I heard from the patrons at the restaurant that they wield immense power, are in charge of martial artists, and have three types of constables in each state: those with gold seals, silver seals, and bronze seals. They can arrest officials whenever they want," Mo Danian added.
Mo Zheng smiled and took out the silver seal from his pocket, placed it on the table, and said, "Brother and sister-in-law, this is the silver seal of the Six Doors representing the Silver Seal Constable."
"A silver-stamped constable?" Wang Yumei and Mo Danian were both dumbfounded.
Especially Mo Danian, who was just talking about how powerful the Six Doors constables were, but in the blink of an eye, a silver-seal constable appeared in his own home.
This is a much higher rank than that of County Magistrate Fang Daquan.
"In short, elder brother and sister-in-law, you don't need to think too much. Let's have a good New Year together as a family. After the New Year, we'll all go to Liangzhou City. Xiaotian and Qiu'er need a better education. Elder brother and sister-in-law, you can open a restaurant in Liangzhou City, and our family can be reunited again." Mo Zheng said, expressing the idea he had before returning.
We didn't have the means before, but now that we do, we naturally want to go to better places.
With his current financial means, he could easily afford to buy a house and live comfortably in Liangzhou.
"Ah, going to Liangzhou?"
The couple blinked, still not quite processing the news about the Silver Seal Constable, and now they were going to Liangzhou again?
"This is too sudden, Xiao Zheng. Let's discuss it and decide later," Mo Danian said.
"It's alright, there's still plenty of time," Mo Zheng said with a smile.
The couple nodded, looking at the boy in front of them, and a thought arose in their minds at the same time: Xiao Zheng has grown up.
People come and go on the street.
Wang Qing'er was shopping with Jin Tianbao when she suddenly noticed pedestrians on the roadside making way for her, which puzzled her.
"Qing'er, come here."
Jin Tianbao pulled Wang Qing'er along and stood by the roadside.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
"What's wrong?" Wang Qing'er asked, puzzled.
"Didn't Brother Da Hu say yesterday that many powerful forces have arrived in our Shangyin County?"
As Jin Tianbao spoke, he kept peering into the distance, looking very curious.
Soon, a group of knights riding black-scaled horses came into view, each carrying a flag that indicated their identity.
"The Four Seas Trading Company, the Black Fiend Sect, the Luo Family of Silver City—tsk tsk tsk, these are all powerful forces with experts at the Visceral Realm in charge."
Jin Tianbao, a disciple of the martial arts hall in the manor, was quite knowledgeable. He said to Wang Qing'er, "Qing'er, do you know any masters of the Visceral Realm? They are all very powerful. Even the Governor of Liangzhou has to give them some face."
"Even the Governor-General of Liangzhou has to give him face?"
Wang Qing'er's eyes widened. The highest-ranking official she had ever met was County Magistrate Fang Daquan, and the Governor-General was a complete legend to her.
Shh! Don't talk, it's coming.
As the black-scaled horse approached, the surroundings instantly fell silent, with only the clatter of hooves and the sounds of the rider conversing.
"That Brother Mo Zheng truly has limitless potential, to the point of catching the eye of Lord Liu Qing. Lord Liu Qing is a sword master who has slain several experts at the Internal Organs Realm. Lord Fang, you are truly fortunate to have such a talent emerge from your territory!"
"That's right, that's right. My sect leader also values Brother Mo very much and will definitely visit him often in the future. We'll have to trouble Lord Fang then."
"You flatter me, but I will obey your orders."
The sound of conversation drifted over, but it faded away with the sound of horses' hooves, becoming increasingly indistinct until it could no longer be heard.
As the surroundings gradually returned to their usual bustling state, Jin Tianbao couldn't help but exclaim, "This Young Master Mo Zheng is truly remarkable, to have so many powerful figures come to visit him."
Even if he graduates from the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall in the future, he will still be far removed from these powerful forces, let alone have them come to visit him.
"Qing'er, let's go."
Seeing the crowd disperse, Jin Tianbao called out.
-
However, no response was received.
He turned his head and saw Wang Qing'er standing there blankly, her pretty face pale, her gaze fixed on the black-scaled horse in the distance, her eyes filled with confusion.
"What's wrong, Qing'er?" Jin Tianbao asked with concern.
Wang Qing'er opened her mouth as if to speak, but hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It's nothing, I'm just feeling a little unwell. Let's go home."
After saying that, he turned around and went home, looking blank and dejected.