After pleading for a long time, Bian Weikang, whose head was pressed to the ground, sobbing, had already hoarsened his voice. He kept slamming his fists on the ground, a display of endless remorse and intense self-hatred—hatred that he couldn't even protect the woman he loved.
His fists were bloody from the impact.
In the past, as the young master of Wukang Mountain, he had probably never imagined that one day he would be stumped by fifty thousand gold.
His self-reflection today was likely something he would remember for the rest of his life.
Among the onlookers, no one showed him any sympathy; most reactions were ridicule and disdain.
Someone even whispered to a companion: "What's there to be afraid of when a grown man is willing to abandon his dignity? If all else fails, just go and rob them!" Whether he would truly take such a desperate risk if the situation were to befall him was unknown.
In short, to others, Bian Weikang's behavior was a huge joke.
To suffer so much for a courtesan, he had truly disgraced Wukang Mountain.
A batch of onlookers left, and another batch arrived.
"The madam of Liyun Tower is here," someone alerted.
Everyone gradually looked towards the entrance of Liyun Tower.
Madam Feng Chi, with a handkerchief tucked between her fingers, swayed her hips as she descended the steps. The people who had gathered several layers deep at the foot of the steps immediately parted to the left and right.
Before Feng Chi had even found her footing at the bottom of the steps, Bian Weikang, hearing the commotion, turned around and scrambled on his knees to her feet. He kowtowed several times before looking up and pleading: "Madam, I'm still short fifty thousand, just fifty thousand! Please let Lan'er go first, I will definitely repay you, I'll repay you double, no, I'll repay you tenfold!"
Feng Chi looked down, her tone contemptuous: "Tenfold? If you were still the young master of Wukang Mountain, I'd believe you, but what do you have to repay me with now?"
Bian Weikang, his forehead stained with fresh blood, looked anguished and bitter: "I understand, I know.
Please give me more time. I just got the news; where am I supposed to find that much money all at once? Give me two more days, no, just one more day."
Feng Chi couldn't help but smile.
This sudden turn of events was precisely to catch him off guard. Otherwise, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; after all, he was once the young master of Wukang Mountain, and there was no guarantee he wouldn't find a way to borrow some money from somewhere.
She raised her handkerchief to cover her mouth, suppressing a laugh, and sighed with emotion: "Bian Weikang, it’s not that I haven’t given you a chance. I said, as long as you can give me the equivalent amount of money first, for Lan’er’s sake, I would be willing to go back on my word and swallow my pride to endure the humiliation from Master Lu.
After all, she has called me 'Mama' all these years. For my daughter’s wish, suffering a bit is only right, and it completes this bond of affection.
But if you can’t produce the money and won't let me send her tonight, aren't you making me offend Master Lu to death? Will Liyun Tower still be able to do business in Zhaotian City in the future? Bian Weikang, you cannot be so selfish. Lan’er is deeply in love with you and can spoil you, but no one else will.
Tell me, what use are you? You have no money, no ability. For so long, Lan’er has been supporting you.
That’s money she earned from performing, smiling, and enduring others' moods. As a grown man, how can you spend it so calmly? That foolish girl even gave you all her savings to help her buy her freedom.
Now even her hands are empty, and you two have nothing. She’s used to fine clothes and rich food; what will she live on in the future? Do you still expect her to support you? Are you going to make her go back to selling herself? That girl is foolish, she doesn’t know the hardships of this world.
What’s wrong with Master Lu? In my opinion, he's a hundred, a thousand times better than you. I really don’t know why she’s so devoted to you.
Bian Weikang, if you truly care for Lan’er, then let go."
After her speech, many people sighed and shook their heads.
Bian Weikang, with tears streaming down his face, shook his head: "Don't worry, I definitely won't let her suffer. I'll take her back to Wukang Mountain."
At these words, a slight glint appeared in Feng Chi's eyes.
This was exactly what she had been waiting for.
Shi Chun, who had rejoined the crowd, immediately became displeased upon hearing this.
It was right for him to return to Wukang Mountain properly, but what was the meaning of bringing a courtesan back? Didn't the Bian family care about their reputation? Where would Wukang Mountain put its face? It would be a miracle if they accepted his return.
To Shi Chun, Bian Weikang had already been expelled from the sect.
Bringing the top courtesan of Liyun Tower back to Wukang Mountain would only increase the difficulty of Bian Weikang’s return, and then Shi Chun wouldn't be able to blend in either. That would make all his efforts for naught.
Therefore, his determination to sell this top courtesan of Liyun Tower grew even stronger! It just so happened that he was short on money. What good were a few thousand gold? Cultivation required a lot of resources.
How long would it take to earn a few hundred gold a month by doing odd jobs? He had a goal in mind, an ambition to become a cut above the rest, and he was determined to move forward. Since he stumbled upon this matter of the Liyun Tower courtesan, he might as well make a quick fortune.
He felt his cultivation had been stagnant for a long time, with no progress no matter how he cultivated, which was a bit strange. He estimated it was due to the lack of cultivation resources in the Land of Exile.
He planned to buy some cultivation resources as soon as he got the money and try them out.
Meanwhile, Feng Chi, inwardly delighted, put on a cold expression.
She snorted: "Return to Wukang Mountain? What nonsense are you spouting? If you won't listen to good advice, then don't block my entrance crying and wailing, obstructing my business. Guards! Get him out of here, and take him far away!"
At her words, two rows of personnel immediately scrambled down the steps from behind.
Inside the small side room, Xiang Lan'er, who had been listening intently, also raised her hand to untie her cloak, tossing it aside. She quickly moved to the door, intending to rush out.
Suddenly, a sharp shout rang out: "I dare anyone! Stop!"
It was a spirited shout, clearly heard by everyone in the building.
Xiang Lan'er paused, her heart tightening.
She inexplicably felt something was amiss and immediately retreated to the glazed window, peering out cautiously from a corner.
It wasn't just her; the bustling scene instantly fell silent.
Two burly men from the establishment had already seized Bian Weikang's arms. They paused instinctively at the sound.
A group of men who had rushed forward like wolves also stopped in their tracks.
Bian Weikang, pushed beyond his limits, had clenched his fists tightly, his eyes instantly bloodshot, clearly harboring murderous intent.
The sudden shout also made him pause and turn his head.
Old Dong and Big Stone, who had followed inside, also turned back in unison to look at the person beside them.
The one who had shouted was Shi Chun, who was right next to them. The two were startled and puzzled: What was the Chief doing?
Chasi, who had also followed them in, stared blankly at Shi Chun, thinking: What does this brother mean by this? He had just returned from the Land of Exile and had no idea what was going on here.
He had squeezed in to see the situation, thinking Shi Chun just wanted to watch the show. He never expected this guy to directly put himself in the middle of the commotion, giving him a ridiculous sense of bewilderment.
Everyone on site looked at Shi Chun.
Seeing his tattered clothes and obvious bruises from a beating, looking both dark and disheveled, one of Liyun Tower's thugs immediately raised his nose: "Where did this scum come from, daring to act like a big shot here? If you don't want to leave here lying down, then quietly scram!"
He rolled up his sleeves as he spoke, his warning clear.
Shi Chun calmly said: "Jinliang, if anyone dares to act tough, smack him dead!"
He dared to speak so boldly because he had three people from Far-Gazing Tower with him. The tens of thousands of gold had just been given to him, and Chasi shouldn't just stand by.
If it really came down to it, calling a halt wouldn't be too late. He'd first put on the show of standing up for Bian Weikang, to prevent the madam from looking down on him and being difficult to deal with.
He had been messing around in the Land of Exile for years and understood one truth clearly: being able to meet someone's conditions was one thing; whether they were willing to accept them was another. The key was whether you were easy to bully.
Once you were seen as easy to bully, there was a possibility of temporary price hikes, and he couldn't get a large sum of money again in a short time.
He had often done similar temporary price-hiking tricks himself.
"Alright!" Wu Jinliang immediately squeezed forward from behind, and with a swing of the large object he dragged out, he dazzled everyone's eyes.
Whoa, what a huge blade!
The thug, who had been rolling up his sleeves, was stunned when the great blade appeared, a bit intimidated.
Anyone who wasn't blind could see that such a large blade, especially with its crude style, was clearly not for normal people. This meant that the person who had arrived was extraordinary.
Bian Weikang also saw the unusual great blade, and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes.
Old Dong and Big Stone, however, were filled with suspicion.
Having been together for years, they knew Wu Jinliang too well. They had just found the Chief's behavior inexplicable, but now seeing Wu Jinliang's excited and hungry, ferocious grin, they realized this was definitely not a spur-of-the-moment decision; there had to be something behind it.
Chasi, meanwhile, turned his head and whispered vaguely to Shi Chun: "Don't mess around."
A group of thugs uniformly turned back to look at their madam.
Feng Chi's gaze lingered on the great blade for a moment. Then, seeing people dressed from Far-Gazing Tower whispering to Shi Chun, she immediately overlooked Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang's tattered clothes, put away her earlier arrogance, and put on a smiling face.
She tentatively asked: "May I ask, esteemed guest, from what precious place do you hail?"