Chapter 44

Now that Xu Yang refused, he was afraid that Wu Yongfeng wouldn't lend it either.

In the morning, the atmosphere in the Retainer Courtyard was a bit strange. Everyone was worried that Bao Gang would borrow money, so they all cultivated to death, not giving Bao Gang a chance to speak.

After eating at noon, they all ran away in a flash.

"You bunch of things with eyes but no pupils."

Bao Gang cursed, and soon arrived at the gambling house. First, he paid back the two taels he had borrowed before. He originally thought about taking the remaining money to the Tiger Roar Fist Hall to pay the apprenticeship fee, but his hands itched and he couldn't help but play a few rounds.

In less than half an hour, not only was the three taels of silver on him lost completely, but he also borrowed another two taels.

Coming out of the gambling house, Bao Gang's expression was pale.

Majestic Might Hall!

A group of inner-courtyard disciples were gathered in twos and threes.

After Qiu Wenjie joined Xu Yang’s small group, it had grown to five members, and they always practiced their boxing together.

"Do you know why Lu Ren didn't come today?" Zhang Hong asked in a low voice.

Qiu Wenjie was curious: "Why?"

Xu Yang’s gaze swept across the inner courtyard, and only then did he realize Lu Ren was indeed missing. He also revealed a look of curiosity.

Zhang Hong spoke with intent, clearly implying that something must have happened to Lu Ren.

"Come to think of it, Lu Ren should be getting married to that young lady from the Huang family soon. Could it be today?" Wu Yongfeng asked.

But after saying it, he felt something was off.

If Lu Ren were getting married, even if he didn't invite them, he would have invited others from the inner courtyard, yet all the senior brothers and sisters who were close to Lu Ren were present.

Zhang Hong shook his head: "That Huang family young lady was defiled by Jade Butterfly, so how could Lu Ren possibly marry her? But the matter is related to this."

He lowered his voice: "Because Lu Ren adamantly refused to marry her, that young lady from the Huang family hanged herself a few days ago, and then the Huang family started a huge conflict with him."

Zhang Yong and Xu Yang, the two who had been cultivated by the Huang family alongside Lu Ren, didn't know what to say for a moment.

One couldn't call Lu Ren ungrateful, because if it were them, they probably wouldn't be able to accept marrying such a person either.

Forget about feelings; it was merely a binding of interests, so where would any affection come from?

Zhang Hong continued: "The Huang family accused Lu Ren of being ungrateful, while Lu Ren accused the Huang family of disregarding his reputation. After arguing for several days, they finally had a complete falling out yesterday. Lu Ren announced he was no longer a retainer for the Huang family and moved out of the courtyard they had given him."

Xu Yang felt a bit of melancholy.

Back then, the Huang family only wanted Lu Ren. Even though the talent he himself displayed was not inferior to Lu Ren's, the Huang family had turned a blind eye to him. He hadn't expected such an ending.

It could be said that both sides suffered.

Regardless of the reason, Lu Ren would inevitably bear the reputation of being ungrateful, while the Huang family had lost a genius who could have potentially ascended the dragon gate in the martial examinations.

"So this is the genius you all treated like a treasure? Looks like you ended up with nothing."

Zhang Yong still held resentment toward the Huang family's unfairness and immediately began to gloat.

Xu Yang frowned: "The Huang family just let him leave like that?"

The great clans of Qingyuan County were not just wealthy fools. If they relied solely on retainer martial artists, they would have been eaten clean by those retainers long ago; these clans had their own experts.

As far as he knew, the head of the Huang family was a master at the Great Completion of Qi Gathering, and the Liu family he served also had many experts of their own.

Hiring retainer martial artists was, first, because they didn't have enough martial artists, and second, because if you have money, you can make others risk their lives for you—wouldn't it be idiotic to risk your own life?

Wealthy people value prestige. If others are using hired hands to risk their lives while your own family has to step into the fray, no one would even talk to you when you go out to do business.

Although Lu Ren had talent, he had not yet reached the Great Completion of Qi Gathering. If he wanted to walk away clean, the Huang family was certainly not a benevolent household.

Zhang Hong said: "He found a backer in advance and joined the Gu family, where Senior Sister Gu Fang resides. The Gu family sent an expert at the Great Completion of Qi Gathering to talk to the Huang family, and since the Huang family had only just begun to rise, even if they were unwilling, they had no choice but to let Lu Ren go.

However, it is said that he compensated the Huang family double for the resources he received, so it didn't end too ugly."

Xu Yang finally understood why Zhang Hong knew so much. When Jade Butterfly visited the Gu family and was besieged by a group of their experts, although he escaped heavily wounded, he had killed some of the Gu family's martial artists.

At that time, Zhang Hong had just successfully gathered Qi, and under Sun Tao's arrangement, Zhang Hong became a retainer martial artist for the Gu family.

Xu Yang found it difficult to judge the matter between Lu Ren and the Huang family; he only knew the outcome, not the process of how the situation developed.

But regardless, Lu Ren was cultivated by the Huang family, and others would only think he had failed the Huang family; his reputation would inevitably be poor from now on.

Lu Ren probably had the intention to leave the Huang family for a long time, and this incident was likely just the fuse.

One must know that even with his own bone structure, which was not highly regarded, the Liu family was willing to offer such conditions to entice him into a matrilocal marriage. The Huang family only gave Lu Ren the treatment of fifteen taels, so Lu Ren must have been dissatisfied for a long time.

From some of Lu Ren's behaviors, the signs had long been visible.

Although Luo Dehu had failed and left long ago, his influence on Lu Ren had always remained.

Xu Yang had thought this matter had nothing to do with him, but unexpectedly, as dusk approached, his cousin Zhou Xia came to find him, called him to his uncle Zhou Shunchang's house, and once again mentioned the matter of the Huang family marrying their daughter to him.

However, unlike last time, the Huang family wasn't thinking of getting something for nothing this time; as long as he was willing to marry, the Huang family would provide him with ten silver taels every month to support his martial arts training.

Zhou Shunchang puffed heavily on his dry tobacco pipe. Xu Yang pondered for a moment and said to Zhou Shunchang: "Uncle, please tell the Huang family for me that I do not wish to marry into their family, nor do I wish to get married at this moment.

If the Huang family needs it, I can leave the Liu family and become a retainer for the Huang family."

He roughly understood the Huang family's intentions; now that they had lost Lu Ren, they were turning around to place their bets on him.

But he had already become a retainer for the Liu family, and they couldn't afford to offend a great clan like the Liu family by poaching someone so blatantly, so they could only try to build a relationship through marriage first.

This way, even if he left the Liu family in the future, the Liu family wouldn't have an excuse to make things difficult for the Huang family. He simply kicked the ball back to the Huang family to see if they dared to offend the Liu family.

Zhou Shunchang nodded: "Good!"

Xu Yang chatted with Zhou Shunchang for a while longer before stepping into the night to head home.

Not long after he left, Huang Jin walked out from the room next door.

"Fifth Master, you heard what A-Yang said, right?" Zhou Shunchang said in a muffled voice, continuing to smoke his pipe.

Huang Jin sighed: "I felt from the beginning that Lu Ren was unruly and feared he would be difficult for our Huang family to use in the future. It’s a pity my second brother wouldn't listen to my advice, and we missed out on A-Yang for nothing."

Xu Yang was unwilling to marry into the family, and the Huang family didn't dare to poach someone from the Liu family at this moment.

He had favored Xu Yang from the start, but under Huang Ping's analysis, he had given up on him.

"Let this matter end here. Help me tell A-Yang that it is our Huang family that failed him."

After speaking, he turned and walked into the wind and snow, his back appearing somewhat lonely.

"The heavy snow is going to seal the mountains!"

Xu Yang walked across the wilderness. The snow between heaven and earth was getting heavier, already reaching nearly to his calves.

Although it was close to the Hour of the Bo, because of the heavy snow, there was still light in his field of vision.

He vibrated his blood energy to resist the cold wind, his whole body steaming with heat like a steamer.

Although he was only wearing a single layer of clothing, he didn't feel cold. At his current realm, while he couldn't say he was immune to cold and heat, resisting the wind and snow for a while was no problem.

"Hmm?"

He suddenly sensed something unusual; it seemed as if he heard a heartbeat in his ears.

There was someone nearby, and they were extremely close.

Otherwise, even with his Small Completion of Qi Gathering and extraordinary five senses, it would be difficult to hear someone else's heartbeat under normal circumstances.

He only heard the heartbeat, but no breathing. It couldn't be someone collapsed in the snow covered by the drifts; they were lying in ambush for him, holding their breath.

As soon as this thought arose, Xu Yang paused his steps, and the snow-covered ground beside him exploded with a bang.