Chapter 20: Investment

Fulin Restaurant!

As Qiu Wenjie pushed open the door to the private room, Xu Yang saw a middle-aged man with a fair complexion and a very round face.

He sported a thin mustache and looked about thirty percent like Qiu Wenjie, smiling extremely kindly.

This was Qiu Wenjie’s father, Qiu Yongqiang.

"Greetings, Master Qiu!" Xu Yang cupped his hands.

Qiu Yongqiang stood up and laughed, "My Qiu family is just a small household; I don't deserve the title 'Master.' You and Wenjie are fellow disciples; if you don't mind, just call me Uncle Qiu."

"Greetings, Uncle Qiu!" ===== CHAPTER 38 =====

Qiu Yongqiang was all smiles, urging Xu Yang to sit down quickly, then went out to order the dishes before returning to his seat.

"Uncle Qiu, I heard from Wenjie..."

"Let’s not talk about that yet. You and Wenjie must be hungry. Eat first, and Uncle Qiu will explain in detail after the meal."

Xu Yang had wanted to ask about the sponsorship for his martial arts training, but hearing this, he had to suppress his thoughts.

Soon, the dishes began to arrive: ginseng-stewed black chicken, braised pork, steamed sea bass...

Over a dozen dishes were served, all meat, making Xu Yang’s mouth water, but he still refrained from picking up his chopsticks first.

Qiu Wenjie couldn't care less, grabbing his chopsticks and picking up a large meatball.

Qiu Yongqiang scolded him jokingly for his lack of manners, then invited Xu Yang to start eating.

In reality, it was mostly Xu Yang and Qiu Wenjie eating; Qiu Yongqiang mainly drank wine, occasionally reaching out with his chopsticks.

After a while, Xu Yang and Qiu Wenjie were somewhat full, and their eating pace returned to normal. Qiu Yongqiang took this opportunity to ask Xu Yang about his family situation.

Upon learning that Xu Yang had been living alone with his younger sister since he was eleven or twelve, his smile grew even wider.

The meal finally ended, and all the dishes were wiped clean. Qiu Wenjie was so full he leaned back in his chair, and Xu Yang was also quite stuffed.

However, since it was someone else’s treat, he worried about appearing unrefined and didn't eat until he couldn't move, as he did at Weiyuan Hall.

"A-Yang, I suppose you’ve heard from Wenjie that I wish to sponsor your martial arts training. What do you think?" Qiu Yongqiang got straight to the point.

What did he think?

Having someone pay for his martial arts training was naturally a good thing.

But he was someone selected and cultivated by the Huang family; accepting sponsorship from others would be tantamount to betrayal.

If he became a martial artist in the future, would he serve the Huang family or the Qiu family?

Xu Yang frowned and voiced these concerns.

Unexpectedly, Qiu Yongqiang laughed heartily and said, "A-Yang, you’re overthinking it. It’s true you’re being cultivated by the Huang family, but I can guarantee that even if you successfully break through to Qi Gathering in the future, the Huang family won't want you as their retainer."

The Huang family only needed Lu Ren!

Xu Yang was thoughtful.

"But what if they still want me as a retainer?" Xu Yang asked.

The Huang family had given up on him because they felt Lu Ren was enough. But who could say what would happen in the future? After all, the Huang family had never publicly stated that even if he became a martial artist, he wouldn't need to fulfill the original agreement.

"Then you become the Huang family’s retainer."

Qiu Yongqiang smiled, "My Qiu family is just a small household; we might not even be able to afford a real martial artist. Even if you do become one, we probably won't have the ability to hire you as a retainer."

"Uncle Qiu will be honest with you: we’re actually just looking to pick up a bargain, to gain your favor while you’re in difficulty, so that we can ask for your help if we ever face trouble in the future."

"Also, rest assured, we won't speak of this to anyone, and it won't affect the Huang family’s cultivation of you."

He spoke very bluntly, which dispelled Xu Yang’s misgivings.

The Qiu family needed a martial artist but couldn't afford to support one, so they were taking a risk by investing in him now to gain his goodwill.

Even if he became a martial artist, the Qiu family might not be able to afford him.

In this way, even if the Huang family needed him in the future, there would be no conflict with the Qiu family; the Qiu family didn't need him to be their retainer in name.

"Then thank you, Uncle Qiu!" Xu Yang cupped his hands.

Qiu Yongqiang waved his hand, "Don't be in such a hurry to thank me. We can't give you much—only three taels a month. If you think it’s too little, then let’s just drop the matter."

Never mind three taels; even one tael wouldn't be too little for Xu Yang.

"This is a kindness; how could I think it’s too little!" Xu Yang said earnestly.

At a time when no one was optimistic about him, Qiu Yongqiang was willing to take out three taels of silver a month to invest in him. Even if Qiu Yongqiang was looking for a bargain or taking a gamble, he would remember this favor.

"This is for the first month." Qiu Yongqiang took out some broken silver and handed it to Xu Yang.

Seeing that the sky had turned dark, Xu Yang worried about Xu Qing, so he stood up to take his leave.

"Dad, aren't you afraid that Brother Xu Yang won't be able to gather Qi in the future, and your money will go down the drain?"

After Xu Yang had been gone for a while, Qiu Wenjie finally asked the question in his heart.

Xu Yang’s situation was widely known at Weiyuan Hall. Even though his performance in all aspects was not much worse than Lu Ren’s, no one was optimistic that he would succeed in gathering Qi.

The Qiu family was a small household, and three taels of silver was not a small amount.

"You might not be able to gather Qi in the future either, but I still spend over ten taels a month on you. If he were 100% guaranteed to succeed, would it even be our turn to use three taels of silver to make friends with him?"

"A Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and it took you ten days to reach the entry level. If you were even a little bit more ambitious, would I need to worry so much?"

Qiu Yongqiang stood up, "Let’s go home."

When Xu Yang returned home, Xu Qing had just finished eating.

"Second Uncle Xu came by again today." Xu Qing said while tidying up the bowls and chopsticks.

Xu Yang frowned, "What did he come for this time?"

"He came to borrow a chicken, saying he’d return it once Yang Jun becomes a martial artist. But I didn't lend it to him."

Xu Yang was almost amused to the point of anger. Borrowing a chicken—only Second Uncle Xu could do something like that.

Xu Qing hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Brother, why don't you tell him about your martial arts training? If he knew you were training and could become a martial artist in the future, he wouldn't be so biased."

"Remember, we have already severed ties with him."

The little girl immediately dared not mention Second Uncle Xu again and started talking about other things.

The new people sent by the Tri-Union Gang had come to White Stone Workshop today, notifying everyone to pay the protection fee in full within three days. Because of Xu Yang’s instructions, Xu Qing hadn't shown herself, so Xu Yang would have to go pay it.

"Right, I heard from Auntie and the others that the Tri-Union Gang people were asking about you in the village." Xu Qing added at the end.

Xu Yang frowned deeply. After slaughtering Li Hu, was the matter not over yet?

It seemed that buying Xu Qing wasn't Li Hu’s idea, but the Tri-Union Gang’s.

There had always been rumors that the Tri-Union Gang engaged in human trafficking; it seemed those rumors weren't groundless.

However, even if the Tri-Union Gang hadn't given up, they shouldn't make a move for the time being; he could still drag it out for a few days.

Now with Qiu Yongqiang’s sponsorship, he wouldn't have much trouble becoming a martial artist this month. Once he became one, the Tri-Union Gang wouldn't dare provoke him so easily.

"I'll go pay the money tomorrow. From tomorrow on, remember to go to the market and buy a catty of pork every day for me to eat when I wake up in the morning." Xu Yang instructed Xu Qing.

He originally had three taels of silver, gained one tael from killing Li Hu and his men, plus the three taels from Qiu Yongqiang tonight; he now had seven taels.

Since he might be breaking through this month, he couldn't skimp on money anymore.

A catty of pork cost thirty copper coins; one tael of silver was just enough for a month.

He had six taels left. He would keep one in reserve, and of the remaining five, he would use one to add to the Body-Strengthening Soup. The final four taels would be used right before the breakthrough to take Health-Preserving Soup and medicinal baths to cleanse his body, laying the foundation for the breakthrough.

Counting it up, he would have eleven taels to use for martial arts this month, not much less than Lu Ren.

And his real confidence was the panel. By the end of this month, his Root Bone should be able to rise to "Grade B-Lower." Even if it wasn't as good as Lu Ren’s "Grade B-Upper," it would at least enter the Grade B realm, and becoming a martial artist wouldn't be too much pressure. ===== CHAPTER 39 =====