Rise from a Poor Family: My Martial Arts Counterattack

Chapter 264 The Four Great Families of Linhai County

"Miss, that bead is quite valuable?"

After the waiter left, the shopkeeper looked at his young mistress. If even his young mistress was moved, then this bead must have an extraordinary origin.

But having spent over ten years in the Treasure Pavilion, what kind of treasures haven't I seen?
How could someone not recognize a treasure brought out by a martial arts practitioner specializing in internal organs?

"The other party is probably an entry-level martial artist, not a practitioner of dirty martial arts."

Dan Muqing's beautiful eyes shone with a strange light; she had indeed recognized the origin of the bead.

Azure Pearl!
Treasures from the Canglan Sea.

A single Azure Pearl is worth a hundred gold pieces.

As for the possibility that a martial artist practicing internal energy cultivation might obtain a Azure Pearl by chance, the likelihood is extremely small, almost negligible.

The Azure Pearl has a fragrance, and even if they don't know its origin, many martial artists will taste it just by smelling the fragrance. Moreover, the Azure Pearl melts in the mouth, so even if a lucky martial artist obtains the Azure Pearl, it is difficult to keep it.

Moreover, how easy is it to come across a treasure like the Azure Pearl?

"Advanced warrior?"

The shopkeeper's pupils shrank suddenly. It wasn't that there were no rank-3 martial artists in the entire Linhu City, but they belonged to the four major families, and the Dan family, which was his own, was one of them.

Apart from those four families, there are no other martial artists of the highest rank in the entire Linhai County.

If it were a top-tier expert from the Dan family, the waiter would definitely recognize them, and top-tier martial artists from the other three families wouldn't come to the Dan family's treasure pavilion in Linhai City to sell their goods.

Are they martial artists of entry-level rank passing through from other counties?
……

……

The second floor of the Treasure Pavilion.

Led by the waiter, Lin Chen went up to a private room on the second floor, where a beautiful maid served him fragrant tea.

However, Lin Chen did not touch the tea on the table. Since the other party had invited him to the private room on the second floor, they must have recognized the Canglan Pearl.

A dozen or so breaths later, a sound came from the steps. Lin Chen looked in the direction of the sound and saw a woman appear at the top of the stairs, his eyes showing surprise.

The manager of the Treasure Pavilion is a woman, and she's so young.

When Dan Muqing saw Lin Chen, her beautiful eyes also showed surprise. Originally, she thought that this rank-3 martial artist who was selling the Canglan Pearl should be over thirty years old or even middle-aged, and had no more pursuit in martial arts, so he would take out such a treasure as the Canglan Pearl to sell.

Any martial artist who still has aspirations in the martial arts world would never put the Azure Pearl up for sale.

The Azure Pearl is a rare treasure that, when consumed, is effective for martial arts willpower and even the soul, ranging from the ninth to the seventh rank.

For any martial artist, there is never a situation where there isn't enough Azure Pearls; there is never a situation where there are too many.

The person in front of me is so young, there's no reason why he wouldn't pursue a higher level in martial arts, so how could he be willing to sell such a treasure as the Canglan Pearl?

"My name is Dan Muqing. May I ask how this senior brother is addressed?"

Dan Muqing spoke first, her bright eyes and white teeth gleaming, a gentle smile on her face.

"Gu Fei," Lin Chen said calmly.

"So it's Brother Gu."

Dan Muqing quickly searched her mind for the surname Gu, but there were no Gu families of high rank in the surrounding area.

"May I ask where Senior Brother Gu comes from?"

"What, does your Treasure Pavilion need to pry into everything you accept?" Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, crossed his arms, and looked at Dan Muqing.

"Brother Gu, please don't misunderstand. If it were other items, my Treasure Pavilion might need to inquire about their origins, but this Azure Pearl is not necessary."

Dan Muqing's expression remained unchanged, and his smile persisted. He did not change because of Lin Chen's words and continued, "A single Azure Pearl is worth a hundred gold coins. My Treasure Pavilion is willing to buy the one in Brother Gu's possession for one hundred and ten gold coins."

"Does Your Excellency have any conditions?"

Lin Chen looked at Dan Muqing. The market price of the Canglan Pearl was 100 gold coins. As the buyer, they would generally try to lower the price, because only by lowering the price could they make a profit by reselling it.

He wouldn't be so narcissistic as to think that Dan Muqing was willing to give him ten extra gold coins because she had feelings for him.

Although this man always had a smile on his face, it was a standard professional smile. Lin Chen believed that even if it were an ugly old man, this man would still be smiling like that.

When someone takes the initiative to show goodwill, they must have something in mind.

"Brother Gu, I'm not talking about conditions, I just want to discuss something with you."

"What does Miss Dan want to discuss?"

Lin Chen looked at Dan Muqing with a calm expression. Dan Muqing did not rush to speak, but picked up his teacup: "Brother Gu, this is Yi Shen Tea."

Yi Shen Tea, though not as precious as the Yun Ding Tea of ​​the Zhao Kingdom, is still extremely valuable.

One ounce of Yi Shen Tea is worth ten gold coins.

This pot of tea is the hardware.

Dan Muqing thought that once Gu Fei knew this was Yi Shen Tea, he would definitely pick up the teacup and drink it.

Gu Fei must be extremely short of money to be selling all the Azure Pearls; he probably can't afford to eat or drink this Divine Tea on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, Lin Chen remained unmoved.

He had never heard of Yi Shen Tea, but in order not to reveal his identity, he could not ask Dan Muqing what the effects of this Yi Shen Tea were.

"Miss Dan, please speak frankly."

Seeing that Lin Chen remained unmoved, Dan Muqing realized for the first time that she couldn't quite understand someone.

As a young lady of the Dan family, Dan Muqing took over the family business at a young age and met all sorts of people. She believed that she had a good eye for people.

The Gu Fei in front of us is not old, but he is already a rank-entry martial artist. According to the situation, he should have a good family background. However, a person with a good family background would not sell the Canglan Pearl. So there is only one possibility: either there is a change in Gu Fei's family, which led to the decline of his family.

A martial arts prodigy from a once-wealthy family who has fallen on hard times has no reason to be indifferent to Yi Shen Tea.

After gathering her thoughts, Dan Muqing spoke softly in the red sandalwood: "Brother Gu is a man of few words, so I will speak my mind. May I ask if Brother Gu is over twenty years old?"

"Under twenty years old".

"A martial artist under the age of twenty, Brother Gu truly deserves to be called a martial arts genius."

Dan Muqing's eyes lit up. Although she deduced from Gu Fei's appearance that he was probably under twenty years old, there was still a possibility that she was wrong without Gu Fei's personal confirmation.

"Brother Gu, I would like you to represent my Dan family in a competition."

"Competition?"

Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. Although this Miss Dan exuded the mature beauty of an intellectual woman, Lin Chen was certain of one thing: she was probably not even twenty years old and was also a rank-entry martial artist.

The Dan family is no small family; they must be capable of cultivating a rank-1 martial artist who is not even twenty years old. They would never be short of a rank-1 martial artist like themselves.

"Sorry, I'm not interested."

Lin Chen shook his head and refused. His purpose in coming to the Treasure Pavilion was to sell the Canglan Pearl, get the silver, and then rush back to the Canglan Martial Academy.

If I don't show up for a long time, I'm afraid my senior sister will worry about me.

“Brother Gu, as long as you agree to represent my Dan family in a competition, I will give you fifty gold coins as a reward, regardless of the outcome.”

“Miss Dan, since the Azure Pearl is worth one hundred gold, let’s calculate it as one hundred gold.”

Lin Chen still refused. Fifty gold coins was a lot, but not enough for him to care about. He didn't want to cause any trouble in Zhao.

Dan Muqing tried to persuade him further, but Lin Chen had already stood up, and his refusal was quite obvious.

"Since Brother Gu is unwilling, I will not force you. However, the price of the Canglan Pearl will still be settled at 110 gold. Please wait a moment, Brother Gu."

……

After a short while, Lin Chen left the Treasure Pavilion.

"Miss, since this person refuses, why did you give him an extra ten gold coins?"

The manager of the Treasure Pavilion looked puzzled. Ten gold coins was not a small sum; their shop's monthly profit was only ten gold coins. "Just trying to make a good connection."

Dan Muqing's beautiful eyes darted around. She had a strange feeling about Gu Fei and a premonition that he was hiding a big secret.

As for ten gold pieces, it's a considerable sum for Treasure Pavilion, but it's nothing to the Dan family. The Dan family is one of the four major families in Linhai County, which has twelve cities. The Dan family owns hundreds of shops, and Treasure Pavilion is just one of their many inconspicuous businesses.

Upon hearing his young mistress's words, the shopkeeper lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

……

……

Medical clinic.

When Lin Chen returned, Yu Shan had regained consciousness under the doctor's treatment.

Upon seeing Lin Chen enter, Yu Shan immediately stood up to express his gratitude. He had already learned what had happened from his younger sister after waking up.

He was able to survive because the adult in front of him saved him from the siren.

"If you're injured, just lie down."

Lin Chen raised his hand to stop Yu Shan from getting up and said to Yu Qing, "Come with me."

At the entrance of the clinic.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Chen handed over the ten gold and silver notes that Treasure Pavilion had given him to Yu Qing.

"My lord... this... I cannot accept it."

Yu Qing had never seen a gold note before. The largest denomination she had ever seen in her life was a ten-tael silver note. But she had heard from the neighbors that gold notes were gold in color, and the one that the gentleman in front of her had taken out was indeed gold.

"Take it. It's fate that we met. Your brother needs medical treatment. As for the rest of the money... if you encounter someone in the same situation in the future, please help them out."

"Thank you so much, sir."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qing accepted the gold note.

"Remember, don't flaunt your wealth. You can ask the doctor at the clinic to exchange money at the bank later."

Ten gold coins, in Daliang, is equivalent to a hundred taels of silver, which is a huge sum of money for ordinary people. On the way to the clinic, he already knew about Yu Qing's family situation.

With both parents dead, the three siblings depend on each other for survival. Now that the eldest brother, Yu Shan, is injured, if it is revealed that he has a hundred taels of silver, he may be targeted by some local thugs.

Sending the doctor from the clinic to the money exchange would avoid the risk of Yu Qing's money being exposed.

As for the doctor at the clinic, anyone who isn't stupid wouldn't try anything with Yu Qing, since the doctor saw that he had accompanied Yu Qing there.

"Alright, take good care of your brother. I'll take my leave now."

Lin Chen had no intention of staying in Linhai City, but upon hearing this, Yu Qing looked anxious: "M-Sir, could you please wait a couple of days until my elder brother is feeling better? Then I will go with you and serve you."

In Yu Qing's heart, she begged this official to save her brother and said she would serve him like a slave. From the moment this official paid for her brother's medical expenses, she was his person.

Uh……

Lin Chen's eye twitched slightly; he had no intention of taking in a maid.

"I helped your family only because I saw my past reflected in you and your brother. I had no other intentions. Take good care of your brother. If fate allows, we may meet again."

See you again if we are destined to?

Lin Chen knew in his heart that he and Yu Qing and her brother probably would never have the chance to meet again.

Yu Qing was stunned. Did this man see his past reflected in her and her older brother?
She didn't understand what that sentence meant.

Could it be because this person also has a younger sister?
In Yu Qing's mind, she never thought that Lin Chen would have the same background as her, because in Zhao Kingdom, poor people did not have the right to practice martial arts.

Only the descendants of those adults are qualified to learn martial arts.

When Yu Qing looked up again, she realized that Lin Chen had disappeared.

"I...I don't even know the adults' names."

……

……

Outside Linhai City, Lin Chen walked several miles out of the city and headed towards the woods on the side of the official road.

A dozen or so breaths later, two figures appeared at the edge of the woods.

"It's really strange that this person didn't take the official road but instead went into the woods."

"It would be better if we were in the woods; that way, the two of us wouldn't be discovered if we made our move."

The two middle-aged men exchanged a glance, both with murderous intent in their eyes.

As entry-level martial artists, the two rarely committed murder and robbery. After all, they were only ninth-rank martial artists and did not have much of an advantage over other entry-level martial artists. They also did not covet the possessions of martial artists below the entry-level rank.

Of course, the main reason is that every martial artist who has reached the rank of a certain level has a family behind them. Once they are attacked and killed, their family will definitely investigate.

But this time the situation is different. The people who just entered the forest are not from the four major families, so they are not afraid of retaliation from the families behind them.

Most importantly, based on the information provided by the manager of the Treasure Pavilion, the two of them made a judgment in their minds that this person's family was very likely to have declined.

A genius from a fallen family has nothing to fear without a powerful backer.

As for the other party's strength, at this age, they are only at the initial stage of the rank, while the two of them, although also at the ninth rank, have been at the ninth rank for several years, not to mention there are two of them.

……

……

call out!
Not long after the two middle-aged men entered the woods, a golden light suddenly shot out.

The speed was so fast that the middle-aged man on the left had no time to react. His head was pierced through, leaving a bloody hole as he fell to the ground.

The man's companion looked on incredulously at the sight.

"be cheated!"

In just a moment, he realized that the so-called fat sheep in their eyes had already discovered them. The reason he entered the woods was to lure them in so that he could ambush them there.

However, the man did not run away, but instead looked at the boy holding a bow and arrow in front of him.

A bow and arrow... might work for a sneak attack, but once you're on guard, the enemy's arrows won't hit you.

"Boy, you dare kill a member of my Zhuang family, you'll pay the price..."

Before the man could finish speaking, another golden light swept in.

The man moved the moment Lin Chen nocked the arrow, watching the arrow whistle past him with a smug look on his face.

boom!
Then, before the man's smile could fade, he lowered his head and clutched his abdomen, where blood was spurting out.

His abdomen was pierced by another arrow!
He clearly only saw the other party shoot an arrow, which he dodged, so why was he still hit in the abdomen?
"Tell me, why were you following me!"

Lin Chen slowly walked over with his bow and arrow in hand. As soon as he left the city gate, he noticed that someone was following him, so he deliberately walked towards the woods to lure the other person into the woods.

"I don't understand what you're saying. We're just passing by."

Seeing the middle-aged man clutching his stomach and still trying to argue, Lin Chen smiled, raised his bow and arrow once more, and this time aimed at the man's forehead.

If it weren't for the need to spare his life, that arrow would have been fatal.

"three……"

"two……"

Lin Chen counted down the numbers, his expression icy.

Zhuang Xin trembled as he looked at the cold expression on the boy's face. He understood what the boy meant: he was only given three seconds, and if he didn't tell the truth, the other party would kill him without hesitation.

(End of this chapter)