Chapter 71: The Two Brothers' Family Split Feud (Two-in-One)

The shopkeeper kicked it a couple more times before finally stopping, and now he needs to find an exquisite box to store it, lest he damage such a divine artifact.

In his eyes, only a rustic village woman like Wang Gui would wrap a divine object in tattered cloth—an outright desecration of the heavens.

When the shopkeeper turned to leave with his belongings, Widow Wang finally snapped out of it and seized his thigh.

"Where's my silver? I gave you the treasure, where's my silver?"

The shopkeeper turned his head, his face revealing no emotion: "How much silver do you want?"

"One hundred… no, just two hundred taels, the treasure is yours!" Widow Wang first raised one finger, then quickly shook her head and raised two fingers.

"Two hundred taels? Huh!" the shopkeeper snorted coldly, "You probably don't know how much two hundred taels is. Let me tell you, two hundred taels can buy your wretched life… a hundred times!"

After speaking, the shopkeeper's gaze turned cold, revealing his murderous intent without concealment.

"Then give me back my thing; if you don't want it, I'll sell it to someone else."

Widow Wang couldn't care about any of that now; all she could think of was that if she didn't get silver, she'd take her treasure back.

Seeing she still clung to him, the shopkeeper sneered, "Fine! I'll give you silver."

Overjoyed, Widow Wang let go, scrambled to her feet, oblivious to her wounds, still dreaming of a life of silk and jade drawing near.

The next instant, a wooden stick, carried by a fierce gust, whooshed toward Widow Wang's forehead.

"Bang!"

The newly risen Widow Wang fell to the ground again, a delighted smile still on her face.

"Bang! Bang! Bang…"

The shopkeeper repeatedly hammered Widow Wang's head with the wooden stick; at first she twitched slightly, now she is utterly silent.

Crimson blood ran down the slightly deformed skull to the shopkeeper's feet, and only then did he cease his assault.

After confirming she was dead beyond death, the shopkeeper finally relaxed.

"You still dare demand silver from me, you clueless creature."

He noted that just a few months ago he was a manager at a gambling den, and if he hadn't erred and been reassigned by County Magistrate Liu to this dilapidated tavern, his current comfortable life would be unimaginable.

Even those who won money in the gambling den couldn't hope to take it away; this person actually tried to snatch two hundred taels from him—utterly laughable!

He tossed the bloodied stick aside, seized Widow Wang's legs, dragged her to the courtyard's dry well, lifted the stone covering it, and threw her corpse into the well.

He turned, poured a bucket of water onto the ground, and the blood streaks flowed with the water from the corner, their destination unknown.

Such deeds were merely a matter of convenience for the shopkeeper; now his full attention is on this "treasure."

In a few days would be County Magistrate Liu's birthday banquet, and the shopkeeper was fretting over what to present; this treasure arrived on its own.

He had indeed considered selling the treasure to reap greater profit.

But selling it elsewhere was too risky; such an item he couldn't keep, and selling it in Jiangcheng or beyond the city would still fall under County Magistrate Liu's watchful eyes.

Given that, it would be better to give it directly to County Magistrate Liu, securing a promising future for himself.

Thinking of this, the shopkeeper reluctantly brushed the "treasure," fearing its texture would be hard to handle again.

Meanwhile, County Magistrate Liu was briefing his steward Old Huo on the banquet, "Have all the invitations been sent out?"

"Reply, sir, all have been sent!" Old Huo stood respectfully, awaiting County Magistrate Liu's orders.

"Hmm! By the way, also send one to Yangguangzhai." County Magistrate Liu suddenly thought of Jiang Jinshi.

Old Huo, hearing this, did not immediately comply but hesitated, "Sir, Yangguangzhai is, after all, … not exactly respectable; is this appropriate?"

County Magistrate Liu understood Old Huo's meaning, waved dismissively, "No problem, few know; even if they do, they'd dare cause trouble at my birthday banquet?"

Old Huo said no more; his earlier remark was already inappropriate, and County Magistrate Liu's lack of rebuke was fortunate—any further comment might have ended his career.

Old Huo assumed County Magistrate Liu favored Yangguangzhai or Jiang Jinshi, but that wasn't the case!

County Magistrate Liu's reasoning was simple: having given a big gift to Yangguangzhai, Yangguangzhai should return the favor at his birthday banquet.

If they can return some favor, they should; it's not easy for him alone to run such a large household.

He would never admit to being stingy or greedy; he calls it mutual give-and-take, conducive to building good cooperative relations.

Moreover, Poison Snake Village had also given gifts before; Yangguangzhai is newly involved and might not know, so he must give a reminder—by next year they'll know, right?!

Widow Wang's death caused no stir; even the villagers paid no heed, and if they noticed her disappearance they'd assume she left out of shame.

Perhaps, one day in casual conversation, someone would suddenly mention that such a person once lived in the village.

Early that morning Jiang Jinshi received good news—his mission was completed.

Finding an empty spot, Jiang Jinshi unhesitatingly claimed his mission reward.

【Mission Reward Obtained:

1 SSR General Random Recruitment Card

1 Custom-Made Weapon

1 Golden Silk Soft Armor

1 Great Reincarnation Pill

10 Golden Ulcer Medicine

This reward was exceedingly generous; the SSR card alone was worth ten thousand taels of silver, let alone the other items.

Jiang Jinshi didn't rush to use them, and instead glanced at the other rewards.

After selecting the custom weapon, images appeared before Jiang Jinshi, showcasing every weapon he knew or didn't know.

From the myriad weapons, Jiang Jinshi finally found the long halberd he desired; the system could tweak details according to his wishes until he was satisfied.

After continual tweaks, Jiang Jinshi finally finalized this version.

It measured over one zhang and two chi (≈2.8 m), its massive halberd blade shaped like a crescent moon, emitting a bluish‑gray aura. Between the crescent blade and the main spike formed a terrifying slashing angle. The most striking feature was the three‑edged tip, nearly two chi long, carved with a deep blood groove, and the junction between the tip and the crescent bore a coiled dragon motif.

As a burst of golden light erupted, the long halberd silently settled into the inventory, awaiting Jiang Jinshi's retrieval.

Due to the inventory's special nature, once taken out it cannot be returned, so Jiang Jinshi can only restrain himself and plan to examine it in detail after returning to the mountain stronghold.

Golden‑thread soft armor is relatively simple; it is woven from ultra‑fine golden threads mixed with silk, the lining uses soft satin, the surface is supremely smooth, and it can be worn directly against the body.

Such a life‑saving item Jiang Jinshi naturally put on immediately; it fit perfectly, with no discomfort at all.

Great Restorative Pill: No matter how deep the internal injuries, it won't fear any leakage of tendons and vessels. Swallow the pill, and in the blink of an eye you can descend to the ground and walk! Take a stroll through the Ghost Gate, and you can still have a drink when you return!

Although he didn't know whether this Great Restorative Pill was truly as powerful as advertised, Jiang Jinshi knew it must have extraordinary effects, and unlike the previous pills that came in bottles, this one is a single pill.

If it truly has life‑saving ability, its value would far surpass an SSR recruitment card, since only the living have hope, right?

Jiang Jinshi didn't plan to take it out for inspection; such a good thing should just stay quietly in the inventory until needed, at which point he can pull it out directly—effectively giving himself a second life.

The Golden Ulcer Medicine had appeared before, and its effect was also quite good; this time there are a full ten bottles, enough for a long period.

Overall, the reward for this mission truly was as abundant as the system claimed, and Jiang Jinshi couldn't wait to check the latest quest.

【Quest: You have finally become a fledgling bandit leader; now let more people hear of your infamous reputation!】

【Bandit count: 128/500 (incomplete)】

【Robbery count: 6/100 (incomplete)】

【Quest completion reward: Ordinary Gift Pack ×1】

The quest isn't difficult; it can be completed simply by accumulating over time.

Seeing only an ordinary gift pack, Jiang Jinshi could not hide his disappointment, and soon brushed it aside.

After returning home, Jiang Jinshi heard a piece of news from Jiang Li.

It was that after the village head obtained Jiang Shizai's agreement, he would go to the city to request a doctor for them.

Doctors in the city are not as easy‑going as Huasheng; they won't examine a patient first, they demand a consultation fee up front.

The family, with grim faces, paid the consultation fee, and only then did the doctor leisurely begin the examination.

In the end he wrote a few prescriptions for them to obtain medicine, but the family was stunned after asking the doctor—the medicine was too expensive, they couldn't afford it!

The whole family only had a few taels of silver, and Jiang Shizai, Jiang Fu, and Jiang Gui all needed medicine.

Jiang Shizai mustered his spirit and told the doctor that all the money should be spent on his treatment; he must be cured.

But Jiang Fu and Jiang Gui refused! "What good will it do if we cure you? Besides, won't we both become useless?"

For a while the three argued furiously, and the village head made no attempt to intervene, just watching the spectacle.

The final outcome surprised everyone: Jiang Fu and Jiang Gui unexpectedly demanded to split the family, planning to divide the silver equally and take some land each.

Would Jiang Shizai ever allow that?

Without Jiang Shizai's nod, the division could not proceed.

But unexpectedly Jiang Gui bluntly said that once Jiang Shizai dies, the inheritance will be theirs; they're younger and can endure for a while, whereas Jiang Shizai cannot hold out that long.

When Jiang Shizai passes, the two will split the estate again, treating the illness without delay.

That remark almost sent Jiang Shizai away; his tone took a long while to settle.

In the end, Jiang Shizai, helpless, gritted his teeth and carried out the division.

Even reaching the division stage was far from harmonious; Jiang Fu and Jiang Gui would not budge a step, and Jiang Shizai couldn't even keep a bit more property for his own retirement.

Whenever there was any dispute, they would say, "You don't have many days left anyway; when you die, it'll be ours."

Jiang Shizai was terrified! The city doctor warned that if treatment wasn't timely, he would easily die.

But the two rebellious sons, Jiang Fu and Jiang Gui, blocked the treatment; now the family was at an impasse.

In the end the three equally divided all the family assets, and the farce only ended under the village head's witness.

Jiang Shizai and Jiang Fu split the old house evenly, while Jiang Gui, having no house, took more land; the silver was divided equally among the three.

Jiang Jinshi was left stunned by what he heard; the three lay in bed, unable to get up, and never settled.

Even though the silver was split evenly, it still wasn't enough for medicine!

Consequently, the three took the same action: they sold land.

Jiang Shizai lived with his elderly spouse, who, though uninjured, could still take care of him.

Here Jiang Fu, because Jiang Daya left, had his care fall to Jiang Er Gou's mother; Jiang Er Gou, heartless and carefree, was still delighted about the division.

He believed he couldn't marry, not only because of his sister's situation but also because his grandfather previously refused to put in more money, so no one would agree to wed him.

Now that the division is done, his father also has money, so he can marry a wife.

The worst off is Jiang Gui; although he has two sons, he truly cannot care for anyone, and after the division, with no house to live in, he can only sleep on the field for now.

When Jiang Jinshi was young, he had seen Second Aunt, Jiang Gui's wife, but she ran away after being beaten by Jiang Gui, and has been missing for many years.

Now no one can say Jiang Jinshi is unfilial; this family's antics are more dramatic than the storytellers in tea houses, and who can untangle the right and wrong?

All three simultaneously announced they were selling land, but most were just watching the spectacle; so far no one has been heard buying land.

Mainly because they can't afford it! Everyone's pockets are empty, and even their own fields have no grain, so why buy land?

It's no exaggeration to say that now in Da Jiang Cun, the only one who could buy up all three families' lands in one go is Jiang Jinshi's family.

But will Jiang Jinshi buy land?!

Of course not; he's already a bandit, why would he farm land?

Subordinate: "Boss, you want us to tie our heads to our waist belts, just to plow the fields for you?"

Jiang Jinshi took this as a joke; he didn't care about that family's life or death.

……

Five days passed in a flash; during this period, Yangguangzhai's development was rapid, with the number of members soaring from 128 to 244.

Luo Feng was indispensable in this; his brain‑washing slogans echoed through Lianhuan Shan many times a day, and the "pyramid‑selling" tactics taught by Jiang Jinshi were also mastered clearly by him.

Among the newcomers, some came from other strongholds, and some were friends and relatives of the original crew; Jiang Jinshi naturally understood that there must be some unsavory elements mixed in, so he instructed a few captains to pay special attention.

Having too many members isn't necessarily a good thing; Jiang Jinshi has already halted recruitment, and now the focus is on consolidating the team.

For the bandits to hit exactly where they're pointed, a period of coordination is still needed—a unavoidable stage—but fortunately several captains have considerable prestige, which can greatly shorten that time.

And Jiang Jinshi naturally also received an invitation from County Magistrate Liu; he politely told Lao Huo that he would certainly bring a grand gift to pay his respects, though in his heart he didn't want to spend a single cent.

These past two days I've been constantly pondering what to devise to send, something that both saves money and looks impressive.