Starting from the Tiger Demon Yaksha, the demon immortality

Chapter 36: Huge sum of money in hand, second-level flesh and blood (36 two-in-one)

Green weeds surround the mossy courtyard, and the chrysanthemum petals curl up in the courtyard as the sun sets.

Birds fly up to the steps, and the curtains hang down freely.

"Uncle, this garden is truly ingenious and elegant."

Li Cunxiao followed He Bi through the deep courtyard, red walls and green tiles, listening to the other party's introduction from time to time, and also followed suit with a few exclamations of admiration.

The He family in Chuqiu County was not a prominent family. This branch of Hebi was a migration from other places. After three generations of operation, they established today's "Good Grain Shop" - the He family's grain shop was called "Good Grain Shop".

As one of the most affluent merchants in the outer city, his residence couldn't be shabby. While it wasn't as vast as the several acres of land and pavilions and towers that the major families in the inner city had, it wouldn't be difficult to install a few rockeries and a pond with koi.

"Hahahaha, Brother Li, you're too kind. Back then, my father was also a student at the Songzhou Provincial Academy. If it weren't for the wars going on everywhere in the world, maybe he could have gone to the capital and taken the imperial examination."

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of footsteps behind the screen gradually became louder. A moment later, a wealthy middle-aged man turned out and glared at He Bi as soon as he saw him.
"You're unlearned! In the imperial examinations of our country, only those who pass the Jinshi exam are called Jinshi. Your father took the Mingjing exam. How can you not remember this?"

As the saying goes, at thirty, one is old enough to become a Mingjing, while at fifty, one is young enough to become a Jinshi. The former is indeed easier than the latter, but the scenery after passing the Jinshi exam, such as the banquet at the Qionglin Garden and the scene of riding a horse with flowers in the hair, is incomparable to the former.

It's a pity that war is about to break out and the military will be powerful. I am afraid that this future world will turn into a hunting ground for wild beasts, and poetry, books, rituals and music will soon disappear.
"This must be Brother Li Cunxiao, right? If you don't mind, would you mind if I call you Sanlang?"

Although Mr. He is wealthy, he is not greasy. Perhaps because of his early study experience, he even looks somewhat elegant, and his smile is quite friendly.

"Uncle, please"

Li Cunxiao also smiled back. He knew in his heart that compared to He Bi, this man was the real boss of the He family.

A shop that can make a profit of one hundred taels a month can be called a wealthy man in the outer city, let alone a big shop like a good grain shop that can make hundreds or even a thousand taels a month.

The amount of money he needed this time was not small. If he wanted to achieve success, he had to please the old man first.

With a plan in mind, Li Cunxiao acted decisively at the banquet.

Knowing that the other party was not a warrior but a serious scholar, he deliberately asked him for advice on some books he had read recently.

Mr. He usually deals with rivals in the business world, so this experience of being a mentor is truly rare.
For a moment, it seemed as if he had returned to the past. He couldn't help but like the young man in front of him more and more, and he had a vague answer to his son's mention of sponsoring Li Cunxiao.

Mr. He is certainly not the kind of person who makes decisions on a whim.

Long before today, he had deliberately sent people to inquire about and learn more about the person his son often mentioned. He even arranged for a business meeting to be held at Donglai Restaurant, taking the opportunity to contact the other party's former acquaintances.

After some investigation, Mr. He was surprised and happy, because his son, who had always been unreliable, had really found a golden egg in the chicken coop this time.

We don't talk much about a person's character, but only about his ability and how he deals with people. Li Cunxiao started as a waiter in a restaurant and suddenly became a bodyguard of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency. Others said it was just luck, but Mr. He knew that there is no love or hate without reason in the world.

Even if it was just to make someone laugh, it was a manifestation of ability. Moreover, Li Cunxiao could make Zhang Lishi, the head of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, happy and accept the two brothers. Who could say that this was not a skill?
Not to mention that his younger brother Li Mucha is now working as a servant in Zhang's mansion. To exaggerate a little, isn't he the emperor's close associate and the eunuch who communicates with the inside and outside?
His brother Li Cunxiao also has a talent for martial arts. In just over a month, he has mastered the art of qi and blood to become a bodyguard. Recently, he was transferred to the warehouse with the help of the chief escort.

Maybe we can't see anything now, but wait a few years, the two brothers will be able to do something and have a place under their feet. With the two of them working together, won't their future be much brighter than those escorts?
A potential stock!

Mr. He remembered reading in history books that year about a flying general who was born into a poor family and later became a general. His nephew was raised by the emperor in the palace. When he grew up, he became a famous general like his uncle. Both of them were granted titles of nobility and became the highest officials in the world.

Although the achievements of the uncle and nephew are certainly inseparable from their talents, but then again, the emperor has never been seen keeping other generals' nephews by his side?

By the same token, there are so many escorts in the escort agency, but the Li brothers are definitely the only ones who have relatives in the Zhang Mansion and with Zhang Lishi's family and wives.

Others may not know how powerful the wind blowing in one's ears is, but how could Mr. He not know it?
Many difficult problems can be easily solved by simply giving gifts to the other party's wife or concubine.
"I heard from Dalang that my nephew is highly regarded by Cui Yao, the escort leader, and was recently promoted to warehouse manager by the chief escort leader due to his merits. He is truly a promising young man."

"You are so young, yet you have already mastered your Qi and blood. If you could get more help, your path to martial arts would surely be smoother, right?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was almost right, Mr. He put down his wine glass and said these words with a smile.

When Li Cunxiao heard that the main show was about to begin, he didn't hesitate and simply nodded.

"Uncle, you're absolutely right. A hero doesn't depend on his background, but practicing martial arts requires money. Being a treasury manager may be a leisurely job, but it's bound to leave a dent in your purse."

When Mr. He heard this, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.

"How about my He family make up for what you're lacking?"

After saying that, he clapped his hands, and the butler, who had been prepared, came forward holding the lacquer table.

Twenty five-liang horseshoe silver coins were neatly placed, with five one-hundred-liang silver notes next to them.

Six hundred taels!
Li Cunxiao was surprised. With what the other party gave him, plus a little more on his body, he could go and bring home ten kilograms of second-level demon meat tonight.

This is no small sum.

Despite such good treatment, Li Cunxiao became cautious:
"Uncle, I am deeply touched by your kindness. I am in the food store, but what trouble is there?"

Mr. He admired the other party even more when he saw that he was not blinded by the huge sum of money.

Just thinking of something in my heart, I couldn't help but sigh secretly, but I had a bright smile on my face:
"Don't overthink it, nephew. I only have Dalang as my only son, and you are Dalang's good friend. As an elder, I naturally have to help you."

"But since my nephew has concerns, I will speak frankly."

Mr. He said, holding up three fingers.
"First, thank you for teaching Dalang martial arts. My boy is not stupid, but he lacks perseverance and likes to take shortcuts. Good teachers and helpful friends are rare. I hope your friendship will last forever."

"Secondly, my dear nephew, you don't know your own reputation, do you? Even when I was asked to escort grain, I heard of the name of Li Sanlang, the filial and righteous man. I trust your character and your potential."

"Third, my nephew is now the storekeeper and has a bright future. You're registered in my grain shop. If not for yourself, then for the reputation of the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, so the red envelope can't be too small. Twenty taels a month, isn't that too much?"

"So, of these six hundred taels of silver, two hundred and forty taels is the advance payment for one year's salary, another two hundred taels is a red envelope to congratulate my nephew on his promotion, and the last one hundred and sixty taels is a meeting gift from the elder to the younger one."

"Sanlang, look at this, can you accept the silver?"

"father"

Why did he have to be dumbfounded listening to this from the sidelines? He thought to himself, weren't we the ones who helped, so how did we become the ones begging for money?
Li Cunxiao looked at the smiling Mr. He and felt a sense of gratitude. Otherwise, why do they say that old people become cunning? Even the money he gave was given out of kindness, without even a trace of money.

So will you accept this money?
Of course he would accept it. Although he hadn't announced it yet, he was already Zhang Lishi's direct disciple, so he would be willing to accept even a thousand taels, let alone six hundred.

The He family will definitely not lose money, on the contrary, they will make a lot of money!
"Uncle, your kindness is sincere, and I would be disrespectful to refuse it."

"Sanlang is here, thank you uncle for your kindness."

Seeing the other party accept the silver, Master He was immediately even happier. He was not the son selling his father's land without feeling bad, but just felt that his own father had given him face in front of his friends for the first time, and he was also very happy.

They drank until almost the first watch, and Li Cunxiao left with a huge sum of money, feeling satisfied.

"Dad, I've never seen you so generous when my friends came to visit me before. You and I have similar views. You see that Li Cunxiao will become a great man."

"You little brat, you think the same as me, but you're the one who's against me!"

Mr. He laughed and scolded as he opened his son's hand that was massaging him attentively, but Mr. He just smiled and slipped behind his father like a piece of taffy, loosening his grip slightly. The old man hummed a few times in comfort, and then he gave some instructions:

"It's not that Dad is stingy, but look at those bad friends you had in the past. Not only can they not accomplish anything great, but it's hard for them to even be trusted with sincerity! If it weren't for your face, I, your father, wouldn't even let that kind of person into the house."

"But Li Cunxiao, apart from other things, at least he remembers your kindness and is willing to teach you his experience in controlling Qi and blood without reservation. This shows his sincerity."

"You are my only son. If I don't help you with something you really want to do, who will?"

He was so moved that he secretly decided not to drink any alcohol for the next month, so that he could regulate his energy and blood as soon as possible and let the old man have a good new year.

But when Mr. He looked at his only son who was massaging hard, his eyes showed not only doting but also a bit of worry.

Grain merchants are the first to know whether the world is in chaos or not.

The lack of loyal backbones is a major flaw of the grain store. After two generations of operation, it has failed. How could Mr. He not make plans?
Does Li Cunxiao have potential? Yes, but not much.

Is he a tough person? It seems okay now, but it’s hard to say in the future.

So is it worth the six hundred taels?
value!
It is hard to say whether Li Cunxiao is worth six hundred taels, but as the warehouse manager of Feihu Escort Agency, he is definitely worth six hundred taels, not to mention that he has a younger brother living in Zhang's house.

Mr. He knew that sometimes what takes a life is not a big person or a big action, but a word or a look from a small person.

The kindness you show to your son today may become a lifeline to him in times of trouble tomorrow.

As life-saving money for my son, more than six hundred taels?

Not much at all!

"Sir, are you really not going to consider this anymore? The evil energy in the flesh of a second-level demon is far beyond compare. Never mind eating it, even a few breaths would make you dizzy and swollen."

"Shopkeeper, no need to say more. Just give me the money and the goods. I have something urgent to do."

You dare to eat the second-level demon meat without cooking it? Are you in a hurry to reincarnate?

The shopkeeper of the Chaibang shop looked at the man in black in front of him, secretly criticizing him in his heart, but he still smiled and said something. After giving an order, a tall and strong waiter turned around and went behind the door curtain.

Li Cunxiao held the banknotes in his arms, feeling a little nervous amidst his anticipation.

Mr. He's six hundred taels, plus his own savings of more than eighty taels, and borrowing more than ten taels from Qian Laosan and others, and even Mu Cha contributed one tael and a few coins, added all together, he barely managed to get together the seven hundred taels.

Just for these ten kilograms of second-level demon meat, Li Cunxiao almost lost everything.

On the way here, he couldn't help but ask himself in his heart, is it worth it?

Because of poverty and the wooden fork, he had to tighten his belt for almost eighteen years of his life.

After a lot of hardship, he finally had money and free time, with a huge sum of 700 taels in his hands.

Whether it's gorgeous clothes, fine wine and delicious food, beautiful maids and horses, or luxurious mansions. After working so hard for so many years, can't you enjoy yourself?

No.

Li Cunxiao constantly denied these indulgent desires in his heart.

The closer he got to success, the more nervous he became. He was indeed already halfway to becoming Zhang Lishi's apprentice, and all he needed to do was break through his muscles to become Li Biaotou or Li Sanye. However, he wasn't the only one about to become Zhang Lishi's apprentice. There was also Ye Chengxiao chasing him relentlessly.

Although he didn't say it, Li Cunxiao knew in his heart that sometimes who comes first and who comes later will leave completely different impressions on people.

Since he has already gained the upper hand by relying on the perfection of Qi and blood for two months, he must continue to lead in breaking through the muscle barrier, so that he will be more important in Zhang Lishi's heart, instead of relaxing at this time and allowing his opponent to catch up.

For this purpose, Li Cunxiao needs these ten kilograms of second-level demon meat, and he believes that today's decision will soon bring rewards that are ten or a hundred times greater than what he paid!

“Here’s what you wanted, sir.”

The shopkeeper came out from behind the door curtain with a tightly wrapped animal skin package in his hand. Li Cunxiao simply took out the silver and when the other party was checking it, he gently lifted a corner of the package and took a light sniff.

A strong fishy smell rushed into his nose. Li Cunxiao, who was experienced in eating meat, did not even need to taste it. He just felt the slight evil aura stirring his emotions, and then he said with relief:

“You can’t go wrong, this is the taste.”

Damn, could it be that he has gone crazy eating demon flesh?

The shopkeeper had seen warriors who went crazy after eating meat before, but Li Cunxiao, who was holding the raw meat of the demon with an intoxicated look on his face, was really scary.

He simply stepped back three feet, and only after the other person left did he pick up the silver ingot with a smile on his face, stroked it gently, and put everything that had just happened behind him.

The second-level demon meat is far from comparable to ordinary ones, especially the unprocessed demon meat. The person who ate it just now either exploded and died or went crazy and died.

Many civilian warriors do this to stand out. Who knows, tomorrow there will be another wandering ghost somewhere in this city.
(End of this chapter)