Chapter 13 Shut up, lower your voice
There is an elm tree planted in the small courtyard.
"Boss, I've finally found you! You have no idea, I almost thought I'd never see you again! Boss!"
A burly man walked in and started yelling.
The other two people inside the room, who were about to draw their knives, twitched at the corners of their mouths.
There was also a young man at the table dressed in shorts, looking like a small vendor, who looked at the man who came in with utter disdain.
"Shut up! Keep your voice down!"
The burly man didn't shut up and continued howling, though his voice lowered a bit. "Boss, you have no idea what I encountered in the mountains last night! Ghosts! No, demons! It was terrifying! I almost died..."
"You're not dead yet, so why are you wailing like a ghost? Why don't you say there's a female ghost in the mountains trying to drain your life force? How disgusting is that for a grown man!"
Chu Xiujie's eyelids twitched rapidly as he tried to suppress his urge to hit someone. What an idiot.
Why did he only care about strength and not use his brain at all?
Another person in the room, suppressing a laugh, said, "Wang Dagang, the boss has already arrived, but you're three days late."
They've been holed up in this run-down little town for three days now.
They were all brothers who had gone through thick and thin together since childhood, but this Wang Dagang was someone the eldest brother had rescued from outside a few years ago.
He's incredibly strong and quite capable, and he's certainly loyal, but he's a grown man who loves to whine and whimper, which always makes the boss look utterly disgusted.
Wang Dagang, kneeling on the ground, felt even more aggrieved. "Boss, it's not my fault. I risked my life to come all the way from the capital."
He was chased so many times along the way; it was only by God's grace that he survived and saw his boss.
"Shut up, where's the stuff?" Chu Xiujie's eyes hurt just looking at him; why did he have to talk so much nonsense?
"Things, huh?"
Wang Dagang reached into his purse, only to find his belongings gone.
Is it really gone?
"Boss, something's missing."
Wang Dagang searched his entire body but couldn't find it. This time, he didn't dare to cry anymore and knelt on the ground, looking as aggrieved as a little wife.
He kept it with his savings. When the things were lost, the money was lost too.
Chu Xiujie jumped up from the stool, his face turning green with anger. "Lost it? Such an important thing, you just say you lost it? Why don't you lose yourself! Where did you lose yourself?"
"I was chased into the mountains, and the things were still there when I went in... No, it was that male demon! Boss, the things must have been taken by that male demon. I hid them very well, and I was awake the whole time except when I was unconscious in the mountains."
Wang Dagang's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered that last night, he heard the male demon trying to strip him of his clothes.
The item must have been lost around that time.
"Wang Dagang, you..." Chu Xiujie was so angry that he almost hit him.
What kind of time is this to still be calling someone a male demon? What, are they all demons now? Demons steal people's things!
"Without our supplies, how can we expect Master Fang to willingly come with us, you idiot!"
Chu Xiujie was furious. Seeing Wang Dagang looking like a savage, his clothes torn at the chest, clearly injured, he held back and didn't kick him.
Chu Jiu, who was standing nearby, spoke up at the right moment, "Boss, is the news true? Is Fang Daru in this remote and impoverished place?"
Chu Xiujie sat down again. "The information is definitely correct. Fang Daru suffered imprisonment in Min County back then, so he shouldn't have left here. Now that the token is lost, how am I going to explain this to my superiors!"
Wang Dagang, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly stood up, his face turning pale for a moment. "Don't worry, boss, even if it means going through fire and water, I will definitely find the things. I'll go right now!"
"Chu Shi, take this idiot to get his injuries treated first."
Chu Xiujie rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Never mind, I'll find someone first."
Even if you have the item, it's useless if you can't find the person.
Lin Anyuan did not approach the courtyard from outside; he simply looked at the elm tree that had grown over the courtyard wall.
It's quite rare to see elm trees planted in a yard.
Lin Anyuan memorized the location and turned to leave.
As I approached the noodle shop from before, a flicker of disgust crossed my eyes as I looked at the people at the entrance.
"Brother Lin, I've finally found you! I've been looking for you these past two days. Have you forgotten about your master now that you have a beauty in your arms?"
Old Master Zhang, heavily pregnant and accompanied by two lackeys, stood panting in the shade of the noodle shop on a sweltering day. His eyes lit up when he saw Lin Anyuan.
"Master Zhang, I came here today specifically to see you." Lin Anyuan said, skillfully concealing the emotions in his eyes.
Master Zhang smiled, glanced around, then leaned closer to Lin Anyuan, staring at his fair neck. "Does the imperial court really allow merchants to participate in the imperial examinations?"
Beautiful, so incredibly beautiful, how can a man be so handsome?
Especially her overall demeanor; compared to this person, even the top courtesans in the brothel who paid a fortune for her were nothing special.
Lin Anyuan subtly moved a little further away, saying, "Merchants can't, but Master Zhang isn't a merchant, so naturally he can participate in the imperial examinations."
Master Zhang's initial displeasure was instantly replaced by excitement. "Good, good, good! If I pass the imperial examination and become a successful candidate, and then pull some strings to become the magistrate of Min County, you'll naturally receive plenty of benefits. You'll be living the high life by my side, and I guarantee you won't suffer any hardship..."
"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. I've already prepared what you requested for the poetry gathering tomorrow." Lin Anyuan took out a slip of paper from his sleeve.
"Sir, I have some matters to attend to at home, so I'll head back now."
Lin Anyuan handed the note to Master Zhang, then left.
The lackey nearby seized the opportunity to sow discord, "Master, this Lin Anyuan is really asking for trouble! He actually dared to try and steal someone from you! If it weren't for your compassionate heart last year and not punishing him for going into the mountains, he would have been beaten to death."
Master Zhang had just finished reading the poem on the note and was very satisfied. His displeasure of the past two days had subsided somewhat. He squinted at the direction Lin Anyuan had left in, and a smile appeared on his fat face.
"If something is both beautiful and useful, what's wrong with going along with it?"
"What a fine poem! How can a poor boy like him write poetry? Are some people born with this talent?"
She's a real beauty.
The lackey fawned, "No matter how talented someone is, they still have to rely on the master's whims to survive. Otherwise, those few good-for-nothings he keeps at home would have been sold off long ago!"
Upon hearing this, Master Zhang narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.
Yes, not to mention the entire Minxian County, in this small town alone, he is the king.
No matter how talented others are, they can't make any waves.
It is said that the great scholar Fang will be taking on disciples at Qingfeng Inn tomorrow. Once he becomes the great scholar's disciple, passing the imperial examination will be a piece of cake.
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