Chapter 249: Debt

Xiao Liao Fang's body was skin and bones, yet he somehow had tremendous strength, knocking both entry-grade captains away with a single charge.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face pale, drenched in cold sweat, emitting a beast-like growl from his throat as he burst out of the Nancheng Patrol House and sprinted onto the street, heading straight southeast.

Lang Xiao Ba had already chased out, cursing the two captains: "You two useless wastes! If he escapes, what will you tell my lord when he returns?"

The three of them rushed out together and saw Xiao Liao Fang, who was sprinting, suddenly entangled by a rope and crashing heavily to the ground.

"My lord!"

Xu Yuan: "Drag him back."

"Yes."

Xiao Liao Fang's nose was shattered, blood streaming across his face, yet he paid no heed to the pain, gasping and pleading over and over: "Let me have one puff, please, have mercy, just one puff…"

Xu Yuan, growing weary, slammed a newly refined pill into his mouth.

Lang Xiao Ba applied his technique—one hand gripping the neck, the other tracing the back—and Xiao Liao Fang swallowed the pill with a gulp.

Xiao Liao Fang still struggled, begging for a puff, but Xu Yuan had already walked into the Nancheng Patrol House: "Bring him to me once the pill takes effect."

"Yes."

Xu Yuan returned, and Yu Yunhang had already arranged meals from Wuwei Restaurant.

After Xu Yuan and his stepmother finished dinner, Lang Xiao Ba entered to report: "My lord, Xiao Liao Fang has calmed down."

Xu Yuan nodded: "Bring him in."

Lin Wanmo stepped aside, but Zhang Laoya walked in instead: "I'll watch the show."

Xu Yuan nodded: "Do you know him?"

"I do," Zhang Laoya sighed. "When he was at his peak, I used to come watch his operas."

Lang Xiao Ba led Xiao Liao Fang in.

The latter had tidied his appearance and was about to bow before the Patrol Inspector when he paused, seeing Zhang Laoya.

Zhang Laoya cleared his throat: "My Lord Xu has a task for you. Out of respect for an old acquaintance, I recommended you."

Xiao Liao Fang smiled bitterly: "What use am I now, in this state?"

Xu Yuan said: "I need to borrow your method for one task. But I must warn you—it may cost you your life."

Xiao Liao Fang gritted his teeth, refusing to look at Zhang Laoya, and replied: "Give me half a catty of afuqiang, and this worthless life is yours!"

Xu Yuan hesitated, and Xiao Liao Fang hurriedly added: "Three taels—or even two will do!"

"That pill you just swallowed has already broken your addiction," Xu Yuan said. "I'm telling you plainly—you can live like a human again from now on."

Xiao Liao Fang froze, disbelief rising on his face: "This thing has no cure…"

"That's because the Dan Xiu you found were incompetent."

Dan Xiu of the middle Huang Sanliu tier were rare; even Master Liang had only found seventh-tier ones back then.

Moreover, this formula was developed by Wang Shen—its quality exceeds seventh-tier standards.

Xiao Liao Fang opened his mouth but said nothing.

He fell silent for a long while, his expression shifting constantly.

Zhang Laoya stared at Xu Yuan in surprise.

All this effort to save Xiao Liao Fang was just to make him perform the ritual.

Yet now you're giving him the choice.

Better to live miserably than die, especially since you've cured his addiction.

Xiao Liao Fang voiced the same question: "My lord, won't this be a waste of effort?"

Xu Yuan said: "I have another proposal. Listen."

"My lord, please speak."

"If you survive, I saved you, you served me—we're even."

"If you don't make it, I'll settle your debts as compensation, so you don't depart burdened by guilt."

Xu Yuan paused, then added: "But I suspect you have a way to survive."

Your method can shoulder karmic burdens—if there were no way to escape it, who would cultivate such a method?

Wouldn't that be suicide?

Even if you kept it strictly secret, no wall is truly soundproof.

If powerful clans found out, they'd force you to shoulder their karmic burdens—you'd become their sacrificial pawn!

When Xiao Liao Fang heard "settle debts," his expression shifted.

"My lord is correct—I do have a way to escape," Xiao Liao Fang said. "But my body now… I fear I won't last until then."

Xu Yuan nodded: "If you refuse both options…"

Xiao Liao Fang said: "I'm willing to serve my lord!"

Xu Yuan's next words went unspoken.

Xu Yuan wouldn't waste his effort—on that pill, he had already applied the Shang Fa.

It could buy Xiao Liao Fang's entire Dao cultivation!

A seventh-tier pill that saves his life, in exchange for his entire Dao—this is a fair price.

Xu Yuan had no interest in Xiao Liao Fang's method, but he could assign it to one of his subordinates.

If Xiao Liao Fang kept consuming afuqiang, he wouldn't be human anymore.

Xu Yuan felt no guilt in acting.

Yet he still retained a sliver of "goodness," so he gave Xiao Liao Fang a choice.

"Fine," Xu Yuan agreed.

Xiao Liao Fang smiled sheepishly: "My debts… are rather substantial."

"Over a thousand taels?"

Xiao Xiao Lou Fang shook his head and sighed, "It is not that there are too many taels, but... I owe too many people these years."

He clasped his hands in a bow: "My lord, please grant me paper and brush; I will write them all down. If I die, trouble my lord to deliver them one by one."

"Very well."

Lang Xiao Ba went and fetched paper and brush, and Xiao Xiao Lou Fang wrote them down one by one:

On a certain year, month, and day, stole one hundred seventy-one cash of Elder Chen's neighbor's pension money.

On a certain year, month, and day, used a piece of water stone claiming it was fine Hetian jade, deceiving old man Wang on the street into giving two taels and one mace of silver for his son to marry a wife.

On a certain year, month, and day, while Bai Hualing in the troupe was napping, stole one of her kingfisher-feathered costumes, worth three taels and five mace of silver.

There were many more behind, densely written over several pages of paper.

Many dates he could no longer recall clearly.

Xu Yuan took it, glanced at it, and snorted coldly, "You really have done quite a few despicable things!"

Among these were recorded several times when he snatched a few large coins from the troupe's child actors!

You could bring yourself to do that.

Xiao Xiao Lou Fang lowered his head in shame.

He knew what he did was beastly, and when sober, he was extremely remorseful.

Therefore, he had firmly memorized every single account in his heart.

But...

"When the craving strikes, truly nothing matters anymore."

Xu Yuan roughly calculated, totaling about over three hundred taels.

"Xiao Ba, you keep this."

Xu Yuan said no more, but this was Lang Xiao Ba's karmic debt.

If Xiao Xiao Lou Fang truly died, and if there was a chance before his death, Xu Yuan would activate the Merchant Law to sell Xiao Xiao Lou Fang's cultivation to Lang Xiao Ba.

Xiao Xiao Lou Fang's techniques were very useful; it would be a pity to waste them for nothing.

If he survived, then all talk was off; Lord Xu and he would be even.

"Very well, rest a while; tomorrow morning we will perform the technique!"

"As you command."

After Xiao Xiao Lou Fang withdrew, Zhang Laoya also rose, patted his sleeves, sighed deeply, and left.

He originally wanted to help persuade Xiao Xiao Lou Fang; if he figured it out himself, that would be best.

After everyone had left, Wang Shen suddenly spoke, "That person's body is already ruined; he wouldn't have lived long anyway."

Xu Yuan could not help but shake his head.

Wang Shen spoke again, "He should be able to feel it."

Xu Yuan said, "He is using the last bit of his lifespan to repay his previous debts."

Over three hundred taels of silver was no small sum, but Xu Yuan thought it over and still decided to fulfill the agreement and repay it for him.

(End of this chapter)