"Hero, this... this is all I've managed to collect over the years... please spare my life!"
"Here's 4,000 now. I'll sell those antiques tomorrow and get you the remaining 1,000 taels then!"
Chen Ling knelt before Lin Chang'sheng, holding the silver notes up high, desperation written all over his face.
"Hmm!"
"Good. But just in case you try to pull some tricks after getting out of this, write down every benefit you've received, every dirty deed you did, time and place—write it all up, sign and put your seal on it, and leave it with me!"
"That way, I'll be at ease!"
Lin Chang'sheng stared at Chen Ling, his voice calm and cold.
"This..."
Chen Ling hesitated. That was literal blackmail material—once it's in someone else's hands, wouldn't he be led around by the nose forever?
"If you don't write, I'll send you straight to hell right now!"
Lin Chang'sheng's tone turned icy as he held his hand up and slapped the air toward the table—Qi surged, and the table instantly turned to splinters.
"Ah... I'll write, I'll write right away!"
Feeling Lin Chang'sheng's killing intent, Chen Ling broke out in a cold sweat and nodded like a pecking chicken. He knew well enough—those things he'd done couldn't see the light of day. He might as well write less, gloss over the rest—first, survive.
"Oh, and I already have ledgers from all three martial halls and those gangs in Mu City paying their respects to you. If you leave out a single thing, don't blame me for what comes next!"
"Don't think I don't know your family's at that other manor!"
Lin Chang'sheng's quiet words slid into Chen Ling's ear. Chen Ling's hand froze, a deep sigh in his heart. "Y-yes, sir. I wouldn't dare hide anything!"
Right now, this man held the fate of his whole family. He had no choice but to write it all out, honestly.
"Great Yu Calendar, Year 357, Third Month, Fifth Day: Black Tiger Gang's Zhao Qinhu delivered 300 taels..."
"Great Yu Calendar, Year 357, Third Month, Sixth Day: Hundred Herbs Hall sent 200 taels..."
"Great Yu Calendar, Year 357, Third Month, Seventh Day: Landlord Zhang Rang killed a tenant, gifted 150 taels to smooth things over..."
"Great Yu Calendar, Year 357, Third Month, Sixteenth Day: Bought Black Tiger Gang's west side mansion for 1 tael, settled fifth concubine there..."
"Iron Hand Martial Arts Hall..."
"..."
Half an hour later, Lin Chang'sheng saw Chen Ling had written over a hundred items—including both his concubines who'd "accidentally" fallen down wells!
Absolutely wicked!
"Lord Chen, even ten heads wouldn't be enough to chop for all this!"
"Looking at your accounts, there's no way you only have 5,000 taels. You trying to fool me?"
Lin Chang'sheng eyed the records Chen Ling just finished, narrowing his gaze. A wave of killing aura swept over him.
This bastard was rotten to the core—letting him live really would go against the heavens!
Lin Chang'sheng planned to get the last thousand taels, then send the records off to the courier station for his superiors in Mu City, to Min Nan County City.
With all Chen Ling had done, he was certain to be beheaded.
And when that happened, Chen Ling's head would roll—but it didn't count as breaking his word!
"H-hero! I still keep eight concubines, and that takes money! I really have no more! If I dare lie to you, may celestial thunder strike me dead!"
Hearing Lin Chang'sheng's words, Chen Ling's face paled even more. He fell to his knees and kowtowed over and over.
"Hmm. Hope you're not lying. Sign it!"
"Tomorrow, have 1,000 taels ready outside the manor gate. I'll come by to pick it up!"
Lin Chang'sheng narrowed his eyes, his voice deep and menacing.
"Yes! Yes, I will!"
Chen Ling nodded frantically, took a deep breath, pressed his seal and signed. Lin Chang'sheng picked up the 4,000 taels and the ledger, leapt away, and vanished.
"All that bitch Ma Qian's fault! Years of effort down the drain, and now someone's got me by the balls..."
Watching Lin Chang'sheng's leaving figure, Chen Ling collapsed to the ground, eyes flickering. But after all, he'd survived that fiend. The money was gone—he could always make it back later!
...
Lin Chang'sheng took the 4,000 silver notes and went back to his courtyard.
He could hear steady breathing from the room next door, so he headed back to his own chamber.
"That went nicely—damn satisfying!"
"Enough to buy a good stash of Qi Blood Pills for a while!"
Lin Chang'sheng shut the door, counted the 4,000 taels, and broke into a satisfied smile.
Last time, he'd gotten 1,500 taels off Ma Zhankui; after fusing, buying elixirs, and living expenses, he still had a bit over 1,100 left. Now, with this haul, Lin Chang'sheng had over 5,100 taels in hand.
As for Iron Hand, Golden Bell, and Liuyun Martial Arts Halls, Lin Chang'sheng wasn't about to let them off—he'd go pay them a visit tomorrow night, one by one.
Fact is—
Golden Bell Martial Arts Hall's Golden Bell Shield was also up for grabs.
True, the level of their martial arts wasn't anything special—but with his Simplified Fusion Panel, he could fuse them and make them advanced!
To be honest—
Lin Chang'sheng was at First-class Realm now. He could seek out higher-level places for better Secret Manuals. But—that was too risky!
With the Simplify Panel, he'd just farm more Golden Bell Shields, cultivation techniques, stack his power safely first.
This was a xianxia world, after all.
No choice but to take it slow and steady—survival comes first.
Next step: become a Martial Arts Grandmaster!
Lin Chang'sheng had heard in Min Nan County, both of the major sects had Grandmasters holding down the fort!
He'd wait until he was strong enough, then go see for himself.
Otherwise, he'd never take the risk!
Lin Chang'sheng triggered his mind and checked the panel.
[Great Dao is Simple: Level 1]
[Lin Chang'sheng: 16/55]
[Cultivation: First-class (4532/12500)]
[Breathing Technique: Sun and Moon Breathing Technique (Great Success 64394/125000)]
[Martial Arts: Nine-Star Linked Beads (Arrow/Dark)(Mastery 346/2500), Iron Sand Palm (Perfection), Flying Eaves and Light Body Skill (Perfection), Cyan Snake Sword Technique (Perfection)]
[Alchemy: Qi Replenishing Pill (Perfection 11578/62500)]
[Spend some silver taels to simplify cultivation techniques, martial skills, etc.]
[Status: Yin Qi Invasion (Weakened)]
...
The next day—
Lin Chang'sheng, with Yu Wenjing's beautiful eyes silently watching him, set off for Hundred Herbs Hall.
Now that his Qi Replenishing Pill experience was perfected, his mind filled with all sorts of pill-refining methods and tricks, skills for extracting medicinal power from any ingredient—it'd all been absorbed by him.
At this moment, Lin Chang'sheng felt as if he'd been refining Qi Replenishing Pills for over a decade!
"This is the calm life I've always dreamed of..."
Yu Wenjing watched Lin Chang'sheng's back, her emotions tangled. She was just about to head inside to get back to chores, when she spotted a gray bird in the sky, her pretty face paling. She muttered, "I thought... I'd finally escaped the whirlpool, but turns out... sigh..."
Just then—
Three tattooed youths came to Lin Chang'sheng's door. Seeing Yu Wenjing standing outside staring at the sky, their eyes lit up. The leader, Liu Zhuang, stepped forward: "Miss, what's your relationship to Lin Chang'sheng?"
"You guys are... the Black Tiger Gang collecting monthly silver?"
Yu Wenjing shot Liu Zhuang and his crew a look, not answering his question.
"That's right!"
Liu Zhuang nodded.
"Alright."
Yu Wenjing nodded, went inside, fetched three copper plates for them, handed them over, then turned and closed the door.
"Never thought Lin Chang'sheng had such a beauty at home. Damn, she's stunning!"
"Brother Zhuang, isn't it about time you found yourself a wife?"
A short, sharp-eyed youth looked at Liu Zhuang, his beady eyes dancing with mischief.
"Stuff it!"
"Can't you see the gang leader's still short a concubine?"
Liu Zhuang glared at him, frowning.
"Right, right, you're absolutely right, Brother Zhuang. As long as the boss is happy, we'll get plenty of perks!"
The sharp-eyed guy's face brightened.
"Let's go! Time to report back and give the boss some good news!"
Liu Zhuang gave a sly laugh.