Chapter 73: Father-in-law and Son-in-law

Afternoon.

A tea stall.

Ling'er skillfully used a copper mortar to grind the tea into powder, placed it into a bowl, poured in boiling water, and whisked it into a tea paste. Then, while pouring in more boiling water, she whisked it vigorously with a tea whisk. Before long, a "Fortune" character appeared on the surface of the tea.

She pushed the tea toward the son-in-law, then repeated the process for a bowl and handed it to the Young Miss.

After finishing these tasks, she rose and took her leave.

Aside from her poor martial arts, worrying intellect, and bad character, the little tea maid was actually quite talented.

An Chenyu took the tea and sipped it lightly.

Song Cheng broke the silence, saying, "You never come to me for these kinds of matters."

An Chenyu said, "But this time, even I am not sure."

Immediately, she repeated what Song Cheng already knew through "Soul out-of-body," and then disclosed the results of interrogating An Kai.

An Xu is her father, and An Kai is her third uncle. While out carousing, these two met a disciple of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall. Afterward, that disciple actively invited them to play everywhere—casinos, brothels, they went everywhere. "My father and An Kai just felt it was very prestigious to call that disciple brother. Of course, it wasn't just them; there were other dandies from other families too.

The person from the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall that An Kai wanted to find earlier was that very disciple.

And this time, my father was gambling in a casino and got desperate after losing, but then discovered the other party was cheating, so he slammed the table.

As it turned out, the dealer was the wife of his 'good brother.'

Just like that, he was arrested on the spot."

An Chenyu spoke eloquently, "But this disciple's conduct differs from what I know of the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall. I feel the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall shouldn't be so base.

So I had Steward Huazi take people to investigate.

Huazi is a capable person. The information he gave is that the disciple is indeed from the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, but... he is just a peripheral outer-sect disciple.

According to Huazi, this person is nine times out of ten doing private business by 'borrowing the tiger's skin.'

This is what I think: if we really send the ten thousand taels to him, that person will inevitably be insatiable. He will keep asking for more, pushing his luck, and never be satisfied.

Therefore, I intend to pretend I don't know about this, and instead have someone openly send it directly to the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall. Then, I will find the External Affairs Envoy on duty at the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall, give the ten thousand taels to him, and ask him to let my father go.

In this way, the private business that person is doing will be exposed.

Offense is offense, but my An Family can still withstand a Martial Artist who has lost his 'tiger's skin.'

However, the person who goes to the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall to deliver the money must be someone who can hold their own.

I've thought it over and over, and it still has to be you, little Song, who goes in person."

Song Cheng thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "An Jie, have you considered that the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall cares about its reputation? Especially during this period of recruiting Martial Artists, even more so. During this time, they cannot allow their reputation to fall.

Once this happens, that disciple who borrowed the tiger's skin will definitely be in trouble, but the matter will also inevitably be covered up. Afterward, they might even hold a grudge against our An Family for causing them trouble... of course, they might not.

But we cannot take the risk."

An Chenyu said, "I have thought of these things too, but what other way is there?"

Song Cheng said, "Give the ten thousand taels to me. I will send it to that person, and then you don't worry about it. The silver that was spat out, I will get it back."

An Chenyu gazed at her man with her beautiful eyes and said softly, "Don't take risks, my father..."

The Young Miss lowered her head and sighed softly, clearly not knowing how to put it.

But if she didn't save him? She couldn't bring herself to be that heartless.

Before, when she became the head of the chamber, it was certainly due to An Zhangsheng's incompetence, but it was also due to her father's strong recommendation.

Although this recommendation was because her father felt she had the ability and could make money, and thus persuaded many people, yet... her father ultimately never harmed her.

Song Cheng changed the subject, saying, "They shouldn't be extorting only our An Family, right?"

An Chenyu looked up and said, "That's right."

Song Cheng said, "That's fine. Let Old Wang go with me.

Wang Da Xiansheng is the face of our chamber of commerce. When people in the Prefecture City mention the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce, they will certainly think of him."

An Chenyu nodded, then added, "Little Song, two Martial Artists from the family have gone to the yamen.

These days, the streets are filled with rumors about how many benefits there are to being recruited... and that true Form Realm experts from the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall and White Camel Manor are there to hold the fort, personally teaching those people techniques and gifting them cultivation resources.

The person surnamed Chen came over today and said his cousin also received so many benefits... Such a situation didn't exist two days ago, but now it is everywhere.

Moreover, some people are boasting that the barbarians are not scary, that as long as the Martial Artists are of one mind, they can surely be defeated, and that now is the time to perform meritorious service.

Others are shouting to expel the foreign enemies and drive the barbarians back to the north.

This atmosphere is very heated, so heated that it doesn't allow anyone to sing a different tune. As long as someone sings a different tune, saying one needs to be careful and cautious, they will be insulted and scolded for having no backbone and being as timid as a mouse.

I am worried that more people will run over there."

Song Cheng was silent for a moment and said, "Let them go if they want. Expelling the barbarians is right. I also hope they can succeed. With the atmosphere stirred up like this, it's good for more people to go."

An Chenyu nodded and said, "However, I truly didn't treat them unfairly. The travel expenses that should be given, the indentures that should be torn up, I didn't miss a single one." Song Cheng smiled and said, "An Jie is generous."

An Chenyu said, "My An Family does not block others' paths. Those who want to rise in rank and get rich, to reach the sky in one step, let them go."

Song Cheng smiled and said, "There is no time to lose. I will go to the accounting office to get the ten thousand taels in silver notes, and then I will go with Wang Da Xiansheng."

In the evening, the sky grew dark.

There was no sunset.

Rain clouds gathered, and in the blink of an eye, there was faint thunder, but it was suppressed and did not fall.

In the North City district, a carriage stopped quietly. The one driving was the Steward, and beside the Steward was a young man dressed as a servant.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Wang Da Xiansheng, clutching the silver notes, walked into an alley.

The young man dressed as a servant sat back into the carriage, leaned back slightly, and closed his eyes to rest. Suddenly, his body stiffened, becoming like a hard, unbreakable statue.

After a long, long time... Wang Da Xiansheng returned, leading a man covered in filth with disheveled hair.

And the young man dressed as a servant had already sat back in the driver's seat.

"The master has returned." Wang Da Xiansheng's voice was very hoarse, his eyes still a bit red, and he even had the urge to cry when looking at the servant, but he only said, "I have not failed the mission."

The servant was naturally Song Cheng.

He said, "You have worked hard."

As the four words fell, Wang Da Xiansheng actually wept.

Just a moment ago, he had endured unprecedented humiliation.

That disciple from the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall had actually made him crawl in on his knees from the entrance and hand the silver notes into his hand, otherwise it would not count.

Wang Da Xiansheng had never suffered such disgrace, yet in the end, he still lowered his head, still crawled over on his knees, and then retrieved the Old Master.

At this moment, An Xu, the Old Master, glanced at this strange situation and said, "Wang Da Xiansheng, what kind of thing is this blind servant? Why is he speaking to you like this? I have never seen him; my An Family does not have this person."

Wang Da Xiansheng said in a deep voice, "Old Master, shut up."

His reddened eye sockets glared in anger, and the murderous aura he carried gave An Xu a fright, causing him to hurriedly say, "I won't say it then, I won't say it. Thank you for this time, Wang Da Xiansheng."

"Eh, Chen Yu should be handing over her power and returning soon, right? That child is truly being reckless; if she is married off, then so be it. By the way, Chen Yu, has she already married that young master of the Chen Family?"

Wang Da Xiansheng looked at Song Cheng helplessly, then said again, "Shut up!"

"Oh."

The Old Master stopped talking.

The biggest difference between him and the likes of An Zhangsheng and An Kai is: he only knows how to indulge in pleasure and does not manage affairs, but he will not cause trouble, or rather, he is so useless that he cannot even cause trouble. The spring rain was like silk, falling slowly. When Wang Da Xiansheng boarded the carriage, the youth gently patted his shoulder.

Everything Wang Da Xiansheng had experienced, he had long since seen through his Soul leaving his body; at the same time, he had also clearly seen the appearance and strength of that disciple from the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall.

A mere Jin Realm, that is all.

Wang Da Xiansheng felt the youth's pat and looked back; his old eyes were bitter, and it was unclear whether the wrinkles around them were filled with rain or tears.

Just before entering the curtain, he lowered his voice and said, "The other party forced me to kneel; I suspect they are suppressing my An Family, and I fear it will be endless from here on out."

Song Cheng nodded, then waved his hand; the Steward cracked the whip, and the carriage started moving.

Song Cheng said, "Old Master An."

An Xu asked curiously, "Are you calling me?"

Song Cheng said, "Besides you, which other families have fallen into the trap of that disciple from the Mountain and River Martial Arts Hall?"

An Xu said angrily, "I did not fall into a trap, I did not! I did make a discovery, it is just that they do not follow the rules and actually locked me up directly."

"But those two from the Gao Family and the Chi Family did not have my good luck."

"One of them lost twenty thousand taels, and another lost twenty-eight thousand taels. Hehe, the people from their families will also have to come to redeem them."

"Hey, tell me, does this count as me saving money for the An Family?"

The Steward raised his hand to pat his forehead, speechless.

Song Cheng smiled and said, "It counts."

The Old Master had originally been watching Wang Da Xiansheng's angry glare in the carriage, but upon hearing the word "counts," he was truly overjoyed, feeling as if he had found a soulmate, so he put on airs and said, "I didn't expect you, this servant, to understand me so well. You should be rewarded! However, I have no money on me. Once we reach the An Family, I will have my wife take some for you. My wife is the most gentle, considerate, and skilled at managing the household."

Inside the carriage, Wang Da Xiansheng was almost amused to the point of laughter.

And Song Cheng also sighed inwardly, feeling that the level and methods An Daxiaojie possesses today are truly inseparable from this old father.

A muddled old father, a stupid and wicked older brother, a Great Madam who is good at deceiving and sowing discord, an extremely biased Old Master, a selfish and self-interested third uncle, and a Guard who covets her body—that Chen Yu could rise above such an environment is simply a god-like existence.

(End of chapter)