Chapter 184: Repaying Debts

"Liu Laizi! I'm begging you, for the sake of the times I helped you in the past, pay me back! If you don't, my family really won't have enough to eat!"

The middle-aged man pleaded, his expression moving to behold.

The onlookers gathered around also began to speak up:

"That's right! You, Liu Laizi, back then you two even came to my teahouse together, as close as blood brothers. If you didn't have the money, that would be one thing, but you have it and still won't pay him back!"

"This guy really isn't a human being..."

"Your cloth shop was only able to get off the ground because he lent you money back then, otherwise how would you have the life you have today?"

The short, dark-skinned Liu Laizi felt a mix of anger, annoyance, and distress upon hearing these voices, which coalesced into ten thousand reasons to refuse, but in front of so many people, he dared not argue or lose his temper.

He did, however, have his own methods.

"Oh, my..."

Liu Laizi let his face fall, putting on a pitiful expression:

"Where would I have any money? If I had money, why wouldn't I pay you back? We two brothers had a bond back then, do you think I don't keep the money I owe you in my heart?"

"How can you say that! Put your hand on your conscience, do you believe it yourself?" the middle-aged man said, weeping.

Among the many onlookers were those who knew them or the situation, and they also spoke up:

"Nonsense!"

"Even a dog wouldn't believe that!"

Liu Laizi didn't listen to a word of it, continuing instead:

"Don't look at my small cloth shop and think I can make money; in reality, I'm losing money, and my family is struggling to put food on the table too! Even this outfit I'm wearing, it looks decent, but I've actually been wearing it for four or five years. If I didn't have to go... go out for a trip today, I wouldn't even bear to wear it; I wear rags at home..."

"You dare say that with such a big box on your back, there's no money inside?"

"This..." Liu Laizi was startled, then immediately said, "Of course there's no money inside!"

"Still lying! How could I have been so blind as to make friends with you!" The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse as he grabbed Liu Laizi's clothes and wouldn't let go. "You're going to pay the goods payment to Shopkeeper Zhang at the South City Cloth Shop today, do you think I don't know? Open the box and let's see!"

"You..."

Liu Laizi panicked instantly and began to argue with him, insisting no matter what that he had no money.

A group of Daoist priests watched from the outside.

Having spent half a day with this middle-aged man yesterday, they knew he was a kind-hearted person; if not for that, he likely wouldn't have lent over a hundred taels of silver to someone he wasn't related to.

It was clear he had come prepared today, knowing Liu Laizi was going to settle his accounts, arriving outside the city a day early and coming to block him at the crack of dawn. Judging by the reactions of the surrounding crowd, this scene had likely played out many times before.

Unfortunately, this man was a total scoundrel.

But since this middle-aged man had helped them clean the Daoist temple last night, even if he hadn't done much, it was still a gesture of goodwill, and the group couldn't just stand by and watch. Not to mention, even passersby felt indignant at such behavior.

Yet, when faced with such a scoundrel, even if they had the ability to subdue demons and eliminate monsters, it was hard to deal with him. Never mind the Daoist priests, who valued money more than their own lives—even if an immortal came, they might not have a way.

Lin Jue, meanwhile, was deep in thought—

He did have an Illusionary Silver Art.

But while his Illusionary Silver Art had only just entered the basics, because the Yin/Yang spiritual techniques he practiced were quite compatible with such mysterious arts, the effect was decent and could last for some time. However, the one asking for money was the middle-aged man, and to get the money out of Liu Laizi's hands using this technique would require some painstaking planning.

"I'm really not lying! I was just planning to go find Shopkeeper Zhang at the cloth shop and ask him to let me buy on credit!"

"Then open the box and let's see!"

"How can that be? It contains a young lady's things; my daughter isn't married yet, how can I just take them out for people to see!"

"My daughter is about to starve to death..."

"I want to pay you back too! Give me a little more time, let me think of a way! Trust me one more time!"

Just as several of the Daoist priests were pondering and thinking of solutions, the Seventh Third Shixiong had already walked out and said:

"Borrowing money is an act of grace and friendship. This kind-hearted person is already unable to put food on the table. Since Master Liu is willing to think of a way to pay back the money, and can get Shopkeeper Zhang at the cloth shop to extend credit, why not borrow a little more money and pay back this kind-hearted person who helped you in the past first? It would also allow his family to afford a meal."

Upon hearing this, both men turned to look.

The middle-aged man felt some gratitude upon seeing it was the Daoist priest he had met yesterday, but in his haste, he didn't have many other thoughts and just raised his hand to wipe away his tears.

As for Liu Laizi, seeing someone else come to speak for the middle-aged man, he felt both distressed and angry, and began to scold:

"That's easy to say! Where am I supposed to borrow money to pay him back?

"Who would be willing to lend me money?

"Everyone here, is there anyone willing? This isn't a small sum, who can lend it?

"Don't tell me you're going to lend it to me, Daoist?"

Hearing this last sentence, the Seventh Third Shixiong smiled slightly; this was exactly what he was waiting for.

"Of course I can!"

"Huh?"

Liu Laizi was stunned: "What did you say?"

"I, this poor Daoist, can lend it to you."

"You can lend it to me?"

"Why not?" the Seventh Third Shixiong said with a smile. "I met this kind-hearted person beside Master Liu yesterday and know he is a good man. If Master Liu could become friends with him in his youth, you are likely a good man as well. I assume you are just in dire straits and truly cannot come up with the money."

"No! Daoist, you mustn't!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man showed a look of panic; even if he could get his money back, he had to dissuade him:

"This Liu Laizi is now a notorious deadbeat; even the shopkeeper at the cloth shop demands payment before delivering goods. If you lend him money, you'll never see it again!"

The Seventh Third Shixiong just smiled and said to them:

"Don't worry, kind-hearted one, I have money. It just so happens that when I passed through Cuiwei County previously, a kind person in the city gifted me quite a bit of silver. If Master Liu is truly willing, I will lend it to Master Liu first, so he can pay back the kind-hearted one."

"..."

After a moment of shock, Liu Laizi stood where he was, secretly pondering.

Beside him, the middle-aged man continued to try to dissuade him.

Some of the onlookers also tried to advise the Seventh Third Shixiong.

But the Seventh Third Shixiong just smiled and declined, stubbornly believing that such things wouldn't happen, and told them not to worry.

Before long, Liu Laizi finally made up his mind:

"Let's get this straight! Even if you're willing to lend it, I don't have any collateral!"

"That's fine!"

"Huh?" Liu Laizi was stunned; the Daoist was so straightforward it made him feel uneasy. A thought flashed through his eyes, and he added, "My shop business isn't good, I'm losing money, if you lend it to me, I'm afraid I won't be able to pay it back in a day or two."

"No matter, I live in the original Qingyi Temple outside the city. As a Daoist practitioner, I don't have many places to spend money, so I'm not in a hurry."

Hearing this, Lin Jue and the Little Shimei exchanged glances.

Liu Laizi thought about it again:

"Then I have to make it clear: since it's money you're lending me to pay back Luo Laosan, I won't handle it; I'll give it directly to this Luo Laosan. Whether the silver is real or fake, I don't care, as long as I pay him back! The debt will be cleared!"

"Master Liu is truly shrewd and cautious, no wonder your business is so big." The Seventh Third Shixiong smiled. "I am a Daoist practitioner, not a wandering charlatan, why would I use fake silver? That's a serious crime."

"Then..."

Liu Laizi continued to size him up, then said: "Then it's settled! I'll pay you back when I have money, but I don't have any now. I'll write you an IOU first and use a bolt of good cloth as collateral, how about that?"

"That's even better!" The Seventh Third Shixiong's smile was radiant. "Master Liu is indeed a kind person!"

"Wait for me a moment!"

Liu Laizi pulled his cart and walked back.

The people around all looked at this foolish Daoist; some were just watching the fun, while others felt for him and worried on his behalf.

The middle-aged man, Luo Laosan, was the most anxious of all.

"Daoist, you've been careless..."

"Daoist, it's not too late to change your mind!"

"Daoist, you don't look young, how can you be so muddled!"

"Lending him money is one thing, but if you take an IOU, if you can hire a lawyer to pull some strings, it's not impossible to get the money back from the government later! But you shouldn't have, you absolutely shouldn't have accepted that bolt of cloth as collateral! That bolt of coarse cloth isn't worth much, and once you take it, it'll be even harder to get your money back!"

Everyone chimed in.

Ordinary folks, who hasn't encountered such things? Regardless of whether they were kind-hearted or not, they all wanted to wake him up.

While they were advising him, Liu Laizi came running back like he was flying, clutching a bolt of cloth, as if afraid the Daoist would change his mind.

"Here you go, Daoist!"

"Many thanks."

The Seventh Third Shixiong looked at the bolt of cloth; it was indeed, just as the onlookers had said, a bolt of coarse cloth, not worth much.

However, he had just arrived at Qingyi Temple, and there was nothing in the temple, and a practitioner of the Dao didn't need fine cloth anyway. This coarse cloth would be fine for making door curtains, pillowcases, or aprons.

He hadn't expected an unexpected gain.

The Seventh Third Shixiong smiled and said: "Write the IOU."

They immediately borrowed paper and pen, wrote the IOU, and signed and stamped it.

"Where's the money?"

Liu Laizi held the IOU and looked at him.

"Wait a moment, let me find it." The Seventh Third Shixiong smiled and walked to the side. "One hundred taels of silver, plus interest, how much should it be now?"

"What interest?"

"Borrowing so much money, how can there be no interest? How can it work without interest?"

Liu Laizi just wanted to refute, but hearing the surrounding crowd start to curse him again, and fearing both the cursing and the impact on his future business, he thought that since it was the Daoist's money anyway, he "couldn't pay it back" regardless, so he simply said:

"Then I'll just rewrite it! How about twenty taels of silver interest?"

"Twenty taels for over ten years? It has to be at least fifty taels."

"Fifty? That's also..."

"Master Liu is borrowing from me, so we can skip the interest."

"You said it! Fifty it is!"

"Please rewrite the IOU!"

Liu Laizi tore up the IOU and wrote a new one.

The Seventh Third Shixiong continued to take out the money.

The crowd saw the Daoist take a bundle off the horse's back; the bundle was bulging but looked very light, and he reached in and fumbled around.

He pulled out a honeycomb-shaped ingot of silver.

Then he pulled out a few pieces of broken silver.

After doing this several times, he finally gathered one hundred and fifty taels.

"Money!"

"IOU!"

"Luo Laosan, where is your IOU?"

The three stood together; Liu Laizi gave the IOU to the Seventh Third Shixiong, the Seventh Third Shixiong gave the money to the middle-aged man, and the middle-aged man gave the old, tattered, yellowed IOU to Liu Laizi.

Liu Laizi tore it up on the spot.

The surrounding folks sighed at the Daoist's muddledness, while others felt the Daoist must have some backing to be so fearless.

Only Liu Laizi felt secretly happy.

This Luo Laosan had been pestering him for years; although he didn't want to pay back the money, he also felt annoyed. He hadn't expected to meet such a kind-hearted, stupid Daoist today...

He could consider himself free.

He couldn't help but look back as he walked.

He saw that although Luo Laosan had received the silver, he was still anxious, following the group of Daoists without taking a step away, constantly saying something.

Likely bad-mouthing him.

But just with that one glance, Liu Laizi happened to see the foolish, stupid Daoist carrying the bundle, putting the IOU he had given him into the bundle with his backhand, but failing to put it away properly.

It was just the beginning of autumn, and it was windy.

A gust of wind blew, and the IOU was blown down.

"Huh?"

Liu Laizi's eyes went wide, and he was quick with his hands and feet, running over immediately to pick up the IOU.

He unfolded it and looked—

It was indeed the one he had just written.

"Haha! Wonderful!"

Liu Laizi clapped his hands and laughed!

Now he was truly happy!

He hadn't expected that joy would turn to sorrow—

It wasn't until he pulled his mule and cart to the cloth shop in the south of the city to find Shopkeeper Zhang to pay and pick up his goods, and opened the box to look, that he discovered that the over one hundred and fifty taels of silver originally in the box had mostly vanished into thin air.

Only a few taels of broken silver remained.

Liu Laizi panicked instantly, cold sweat pouring down, and he searched frantically.

But where could he find it?

It wasn't until he touched the IOU he had written in his pocket and calculated the amount of silver that he realized what had happened.

Liu Laizi's face turned deathly pale, as if struck by lightning, and he couldn't even stand steadily, nearly falling to the ground.

A moment later, half the city could hear his wailing and cursing.

Some folks who had watched the debt-collecting dispute between him and Luo Laosan in the morning passed by and heard his wailing; at first, they were puzzled, but after listening for a while, they gradually caught on.

So that Daoist really did know magic.

The incident spread rapidly through Mingxia County.

Happy National Day to all the big bosses!

By the way, asking for double monthly votes at the beginning of the month! This is really important! ===== CHAPTER 185 =====