boyutpedia Chapter 9 Lesson
Chapter 9 Lesson
The county town is very large, so large that it governs nearly a million people; the county town is very small, so small that even the slightest disturbance is known throughout the town.
Li Bantou's fondness for fine wine was known to the minor official, and similarly, Mo Zheng's job was secured through Wang Dahu, which he also knew.
What may seem like a simple matter is actually a matter of selling something without expecting anything in return. This "good" might prove very useful in the future.
The petty official knows how to get along with people, and so does Mo Zheng.
Fengdezhai, the best restaurant in the western part of the city, had four tables set up for a fine banquet that cost three taels of silver per table.
Li Fei, the head constable, was very satisfied, as were the twenty or thirty constables of all ranks in the West District.
"My friend, you may be young, but you know how to handle people!"
Li Fei, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, put his arm around Mo Zheng's shoulder and said, "Your matter was approved by Constable He, so I have to give him face. From today onwards, you only need to report to the garrison in the morning and patrol in the evening. Unless there's an emergency, I won't bother you."
"By the way, I heard that your restaurant is also in our jurisdiction. We're on the same side, so your family won't have to pay monthly fees anymore."
Shangyin County is divided into four urban areas: east, west, south, and north. Each area is governed by a different headman.
Each squad leader had twenty or thirty constables under his command. Their power wasn't great; they could be replaced with a single word from someone like a county magistrate or county lieutenant. But to the merchants and gangs they associated with, they were like gods. With just a little trickery, they could make them wish they were dead.
Wang Yumei's restaurant was located in the West District. Every month, she had to pay some money to pray for peace. Part of this money went to the constables' allowances, and part of it went into the pockets of these officials. It was a case of everyone getting a share of the spoils.
Li Fei's words saved Wang Yumei and Mo Danian a lot of money.
"Thanks, foreman. I'll finish this one, but please help yourself!"
Mo Zhengji, ever the expert, finished his drink and even showed the bottom of his glass.
"Good brother, good brother!"
Li, the squad leader, patted Mo Zheng on the shoulder and sat down with a smile.
The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely throughout the night. When it was time to leave, Mo Zheng specially arranged two jars of fine wine for Li Fei, which greatly pleased his superior.
After everyone had left, the waiter held the bill, eagerly waiting for Mo Zheng to settle the account: "Master Mo, this is twenty-three taels and seven mace of silver. How would you like to settle this?"
"Twenty-three taels and seven mace?"
Upon hearing the number, Mo Zheng was taken aback. He said, "Shouldn't it be twenty-one taels?"
"The wine and the meal are indeed twenty-one taels, but just now, two constables asked for some wine and dishes to take away before leaving, saying they would put it on your tab. Since we saw that they were your guests, we didn't say anything more," the waiter explained.
Good heavens, these damned, heartless men, eating and drinking while still taking bribes!
Mo was speechless for a moment. Sure enough, none of the servants were any good!
Most importantly, all he had in his pocket was twenty-two taels of silver.
Mo Zheng forced a smile and said, "Hehe, little brother, I want to discuss something with you..."
"Master Mo, this is a small business, we don't offer credit." The waiter interrupted him directly, his tone turning colder.
"It's not that I'm buying on credit, it's just that I left in a hurry and didn't bring enough money. I hope you can be lenient with me for a day or two."
"You'll have to talk to our manager about that."
Mo Zheng went to find the shopkeeper again, and with a smile and apologies, he finally managed to persuade the shopkeeper to agree to pay the remaining 1.7 taels on credit.
Back home, exhausted and lying on his bed, Mo Zheng was on the verge of tears.
Even a hero can be brought to ruin by poverty.
I really envy my older brother for having a wife.
He got the job, but before he even received his salary, he had already spent the money for two Qi and Blood Pills and was still in debt for one tael and seven qian.
Although the monthly salary of twelve taels was enough to pay off the debt.
But he still needed to buy Qi and Blood Pills. After paying off his debts and buying the pills, he only had three coins left.
From now on, on the way home from martial arts school, I'm afraid I'll have to think twice before eating a meat pie.
Poor, so poor...
One Qi and Blood Pill a month isn't enough for him to cultivate Qi and Blood; two a month would be more comfortable.
"Does this mean I have to go hunting in the Cangshan Mountains again?"
The image of the red fox and the twenty taels of silver flashed through his mind, but unfortunately, they were all eaten by wild dogs.
However, he quickly dismissed the idea.
Mo Zheng had already figured out the matter of the demonic beasts. The Black Horned Leopard was only a first-tier demonic beast, which was considered weak among demonic beasts. It was said that many other demonic beasts lived deep in the Great Cang Mountain. What if they encountered one again?
Moreover, the mountains and forests are vast and the terrain is complex. The government officials said they had cleared everything out, but did none of the black leopards really escape?
The gentleman does not stand under the wall.
Mo Zheng was not yet confident in dealing with these monsters, so he would rather take one less pill than risk his life.
Perhaps we could try catching the thief?
Mo Zheng seemed to be deep in thought.
There are rewards for constables to catch thieves.
Some of the most notorious bandits are martial artists who have entered the country. The government offers bounties of hundreds or even thousands of taels of silver, and capturing just one would be enough for Mo Zheng to solve his current difficulties.
Of course, it's just wishful thinking. Money is good, but you have to be alive to spend it.
Ordinary thieves, though only worth a few taels of silver, are safer. Don't waste your time fighting with martial artists who have entered the country.
The days passed peacefully, one after another.
Mo Zheng practices martial arts and patrols every day, rain or shine, and his swordsmanship and qi cultivation are steadily improving.
Perhaps the black leopards were truly wiped out, because no more deaths were reported on Mount Dacang, and the matter of the demon beasts returned to silence in Shangyin County, as if it had never happened.
Late at night, the sky is full of stars.
After finishing his business at the restaurant, Mo Danian returned home.
"Husband, are you hungry? Would you like some late-night snacks?" Wang Yumei asked.
"I just ate at a restaurant."
Mo Danian waved his hand and asked, "Is Qiu'er asleep?"
"Xiao Tian and Qiu'er are both asleep, but Xiao Zheng is still practicing his skills."
"It's almost midnight, and you're still practicing?"
Mo Danian frowned, looked at the starry sky, and walked towards the backyard.
Before he even saw the person, he could hear the sounds of swords clashing and thundering. Standing at the door, he could see the sword lights flashing and the cold air spreading in the backyard. The figure of the young man was hidden among them, indistinct and unclear.
"Madam, has he eaten dinner yet?" Mo Danian asked softly.
"They said they ate outside while on patrol."
Wang Yumei looked at the young man practicing swordsmanship in the arena with some concern and said, "Xiao Zheng has been practicing swordsmanship as soon as he comes back these past few days. How can his body take it if he keeps doing this?"
"He must have found out about what happened to my uncle's family. He works in the county government now and is very well-informed. We can't keep it from him."
Mo Danian sighed, somewhat remorsefully saying, "Perhaps I shouldn't have arranged for Qing'er to marry Xiao Zheng."
Seven days ago, the Wang family got engaged.
Wang Qing'er of the Wang family has been engaged to the son of a merchant family in Jinqing Prefecture. The young man is also a disciple of the prefecture's martial arts hall. He comes from a good family, is skilled in martial arts, and is sure to have a bright future.
Mo Zheng's sudden, frantic sword practice at night began in the last few days.
Therefore, it must be that Wang Qing'er's engagement has provoked him.
"This can't go on forever. How about we arrange another marriage for him?" Wang Yumei suggested. "My father said that the way to forget a relationship is to start a new one. He's a constable now, so he should be able to find a good family."
"That makes sense, but let's wait a few days until Xiaozheng is in a better mood before discussing it with him. Let's keep looking for someone for now." Mo Danian agreed with this idea.
"So, before you fled to Shangyin County, who were you on good terms with back in your hometown?" Wang Yumei asked with a piercing gaze.
"Huh?"
Mo Danian was stunned. Weren't we going to talk about Mo Zheng? How did it turn to me?
The key point is that he was actually engaged back in his hometown, but his fiancée did not escape when the monsters wreaked havoc.
He touched his nose guiltily and said, "Madam, I'll go and try to persuade Xiao Zheng."
Mo Zheng was unaware that he was being used as a shield.
He practiced with great enthusiasm.
It has been four months since he became a constable. He patrols diligently every day and catches thieves every few days. He can barely afford to buy two Qi and Blood Pills a month. So a few days ago, he successfully broke through to the Great Perfection of Qi and Blood.
Unfortunately, while it's easy to cultivate one's qi and blood, mastering swordsmanship is difficult.
He had reached a bottleneck in his Thunderclap Sword Technique a month ago, and the usual frequency of his sword practice had no effect whatsoever. Therefore, he had increased the intensity of his practice in the past few days.
Unfortunately, progress has been slow.
It seemed that the power of the Thunderclap Sword Technique was limited to this point, with no further room for improvement.
But Mo Zheng knew that wasn't the case. In the past few months, he had read through most of the books in the martial arts school's library and had gained a deep understanding of the various levels of martial arts cultivation.
Martial arts training is divided into internal skills and external skills.
Internal strength is a technique that builds a strong physique and increases physical power, like the Wild Ox Stance. External strength, on the other hand, is a technique that hones martial arts skills and increases combat power.
Qi and blood, skin and flesh, tendons and bones, internal organs, etc., are the classifications of internal martial arts levels, while external martial arts are divided into basic, subtle, unity, etc.
The term "entry-level martial artist" refers to the realm of physical strength and skill.
Those who have just entered the Skin and Flesh Realm possess the strength of a thousand catties and can fight against first-order demonic beasts like the Black Horned Leopard with weapons. Those who have reached the Great Perfection of this Realm have the strength of two to three thousand catties. Not to mention ordinary people, even ten or eight martial artists who have reached the Great Perfection of the Qi and Blood Realm would not be their match.
Internal and external martial arts complement each other. Even without considering the cultivation of martial artists who have entered the realm of Qi and Blood, those who want to reach the perfect level must cultivate their external martial arts to the level of subtlety.
The Thunderclap Sword Technique is a sword technique that contains profound mysteries of swordsmanship at a subtle level. Its entry, minor success, and major success all belong to the first level of external martial arts, the foundational realm. Only by cultivating this sword technique to the perfect level can one master it.
This was undoubtedly extremely difficult. Even with his mental powers, he was completely clueless at this moment, let alone the martial arts school disciples.
No wonder Zhao Feng didn't let him focus on cultivating his Qi and Blood. Even if he achieved mastery of Qi and Blood, it wouldn't help his sword cultivation except for increasing his strength. He would have to comprehend it on his own.
Just as Mo Zheng was immersed in practicing his swordsmanship, Mo Danian said, "Xiao Zheng, stop for a moment, I want to say a few words to you."
"Big brother, sister-in-law."
Mo Zheng sheathed his sword and then noticed his elder brother and sister-in-law standing to the side.
Mo Danian smiled and said, "You've been working harder at your cultivation lately, which makes your sister-in-law and I very happy. But we're worried that you might overdo it and hurt your health, so you should still take care to rest."
"It's alright, brother, I know what I'm doing."
Do not take this lightly. Stance training squeezes the body's potential and should not be practiced for too long, otherwise it will damage the body's foundation and be difficult to cure with medicine. Sword techniques are different.
Moreover, now that his Qi and blood are fully developed, his physique is stronger, his strength is greater, and he can practice swordsmanship for longer periods of time, so it is not a problem for him to practice extra at night.
"Alright, your sister-in-law and I can't help you much with martial arts matters. Just be mindful of your limits. If you need money, just let us know."
Mo Danian paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "You know about the Wang family's situation?"
What's going on with the Wang family?
Mo Zheng was somewhat confused, but he quickly realized what was going on and said, "Is it Qing'er's engagement? I've heard other colleagues mention it."
"Sometimes, relationships are a matter of fate. Don't overthink it, just look forward."
Mo Danian comforted him, saying, "A real man should never worry about not having a wife. Besides, your sister-in-law and I will keep an eye out for you. Don't overthink it."
What do you mean? I need to look ahead?
Mo Zheng suddenly realized that she was using his sword practice as a way to vent her anger.
He couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. He had never even met Wang Qing'er, so what was there to miss?
"I……"
"You don't need to say anything more. Your sister-in-law and I have been through this before, we understand." Mo Danian had an expression that said, "Don't overthink it, don't practice too late, get some rest."
After saying that, he walked outside.
"That couple..."
Mo Zheng found it amusing; he had no time for idle thoughts right now, he was too busy practicing his swordsmanship.
However, he soon focused his attention on swordsmanship.
Being this capable all the time isn't sustainable. It seems I should consult the headmaster.
Although external martial arts skills rely on practice and comprehension, he had never seen what the perfect level of the Thunderclap Sword Technique looked like. Relying solely on imagination was like a blind man touching an elephant, and the difficulty was unimaginable.
With that thought in mind, he stopped practicing, washed up, meditated for a while, and then fell asleep.
Early the next morning, Mo Zheng, who had gone to the garrison for roll call, headed straight for the martial arts school.
Inside the martial arts hall, Luo Yiyi was watching a group of disciples practice martial arts.
Wherever his gaze fell, he didn't even need to say a word; the ordinary disciples trembled with fear, terrified of being beaten or scolded.
Seeing this, he felt extremely pleased. He had been practicing martial arts desperately for the past few months. What was he seeking? Wasn't it to become a superior person?
However, this process was not easy at all.
Recalling the competition over the past four months, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. If he hadn't been lucky enough to break through to the Great Perfection of Qi and Blood, he would have had no chance of securing his position as the senior disciple.
Next, all you need to do is practice your marksmanship diligently and wait for the martial arts hall assessment.
Just then, among the martial arts disciples, a chubby boy lost his grip on his sword and, as he made a move, the long sword slipped from his hand and crashed to the ground.
"Chen Wu, what are you doing?"
Seeing this, Luo Yiyi shouted, "You can't even hold a knife properly, what kind of kung fu are you practicing?"
Chen Wu's face flushed red. Being publicly reprimanded was a huge loss of face, but since it was his own fault, he couldn't say anything.
"You'll practice this 'Splitting Mountains and Rivers' move a thousand times today. You're not allowed to go home for dinner until you've finished!"
"A thousand times, you..."
Hearing this number, Chen Wuren was stunned. He couldn't finish practicing even by the afternoon, and he was probably exhausted. Luo Yiyi was clearly taking revenge on him.
"What's wrong with me? If you don't want to practice, you can go back. No one will stop you."
Chen Wu gritted his teeth in resentment and said, "I'll practice!"
He picked up the long knife and assumed a fighting stance.
There's no way around it; when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.
The other party is the senior disciple of the martial arts school. Even if he goes to the school master, the school master will never stand on his side.
Trying to fight me?
Seeing Chen Wu obediently listen, Luo Yi smiled coldly. This fat guy dared to talk nonsense about him before, he had to teach him a lesson.
Suddenly, a figure walked in through the martial arts school's main gate. It was a young man with a sword, handsome features, red lips, and white teeth—his appearance was exceptionally striking. Luo Yi saw this and secretly thought, "Good thing he came!" He shouted, "Stop fighting! Halt!"
"Um?"
Mo Zheng was pondering how to ask Zhao Feng for advice later when he heard this, so he stopped in his tracks and subconsciously asked, "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? You're always a quarter of an hour late every morning. What do you think of the rules of the martial arts school?" Luo Yi said sternly. "As the senior disciple of the martial arts school, I cannot tolerate you, this black sheep, continuing to spoil the atmosphere. I must teach you a lesson."
"Take this!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand, grabbed the spear, twirled it casually, and thrust it straight at Mo Zheng!
This gigolo actually conspired with Chen Wu to frame me back then, and the master of the martial arts school was like he was under a spell, valuing him highly. Today is the perfect opportunity to take care of these two together!
Luo Yiyi had long disliked Mo Zheng. Now that his qi and blood had reached their peak and his spear skills had improved, he believed that none of the martial arts school disciples could rival him.
The red-tasseled spear, like a venomous dragon, moved along an extremely tricky angle, biting fiercely at Mo Zheng amidst a series of whooshing sounds, causing the other disciples' hearts to clench.
Corrupting social morals, me?
Mo Zheng thought about it and realized that it was true; he would arrive at the martial arts school a little late every day after his shift.
However, the owner didn't say anything. Do you think you can teach me a lesson?
A hint of amusement flashed in Mo Zheng's eyes as he raised his hand and drew his longsword.
Boom!
Like a thunderclap from nowhere, the deafening sound of the sword's cry left Luo Yiyi's mind blank.
The next instant, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his entire body was involuntarily sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
silence!
The entire martial arts gym fell into an instant, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
With a single sword strike, Luo Yiyi was defeated!
The disciples were dumbfounded. No one expected that Luo Yiyi, who had won first place in the martial arts competition for three consecutive months, would be defeated by Mo Zheng so easily.
One sword strike, just one sword strike!
Especially the elite disciples couldn't help but gasp. They had fought with Luo Yiyi and knew that he had already broken through to the Great Perfection of Qi and Blood. His strength and spear skills were unparalleled among the disciples of the martial arts school, making him truly deserving of the title.
Ke Mozheng, how could a mere son-in-law's burden, who has never participated in the martial arts test, possibly have such strength to defeat Luo Yiyi with a single sword strike?!
You should know that in the beginning, he was often bullied and humiliated by the martial arts school disciples!
Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable!
Mo Zheng slowly sheathed his sword and chuckled softly, "Senior Brother, you still need to practice your spear technique to teach me a lesson."
After saying that, he strode towards the backyard.
"good!"
Chen Wu suddenly clapped and cheered excitedly, which was extremely abrupt in the quiet martial arts school.
The disciples snapped out of their daze and erupted in a clamor, discussing the sword strike they had just witnessed.
Luo Yiyi's pale face suddenly turned as red as a pig's liver, and she trembled with anger.
He roared, "What nonsense are you spouting? What's there to discuss? Get back to practicing your skills!"
Seeing his anger, the others secretly laughed, but dared not disobey the rules of the martial arts school, and returned to their seats to begin practicing.
Only Luo Yiyi sat on the ground, her eyes filled with uncertain emotions.
Is it the Thunderclap Sword Technique at its peak?
Hmph, what's so great about mastering external martial arts? Without mastering qi and blood, you still won't pass the manor's assessment.
Once I enter the martial arts hall and become a qualified martial artist, I will avenge this grudge sooner or later!
……