Longevity Martial Arts: Obtain Golden Affixes at the Start

The two went up to the third floor one after the other, and pushed open the door to a spacious private room with a large round table in the middle, on which eight cold dishes were already laid out.

The three people at the table stood up as Hong Lang entered.

Lin Yuanzhou introduced them with a smile: "County Commandant Hong, let me introduce you. This is Wang Mingyuan, the head of the Wang family; this is Zhang Shirong, the head of the Zhang family; and this is Zhao Jinglun, the head of the Zhao family."

The three men bowed respectfully, addressing him as "County Commandant Hong," their attitude just right, without being overly enthusiastic or obsequious.

Lin Yuanzhou personally poured a full cup of wine for Hong Lang and said with a smile, "County Commandant Hong, this is a fine aged Shaoxing wine, please have a taste."

Hong Lang picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and thought it was indeed quite good.

"Good wine." He set down his cup, his gaze sweeping over the four men. "What brings you four gentlemen to dinner today?"

Lin Yuanzhou laughed heartily: "County Commandant Hong is joking. There's nothing to teach you. I'm just doing my duty as a host."

After a few rounds of drinks, Lin Yuanzhou gave the other three a wink.

He took an envelope from his sleeve and quietly pushed it to Hong Lang's side.

"Since Magistrate Hong is new to the city, we, as his hosts, should do our part. This is just a small token of our appreciation, and we hope Magistrate Hong will accept it with a smile."

Hong Lang didn't even glance at the envelope, his gaze fixed on Chen Yuanzhou's face: "What's this?"

Chen Yuanzhou smiled and said, "It's just a small token of our appreciation. We each contributed one portion of the five hundred taels of silver notes, totaling two thousand taels. Magistrate Hong will use them to buy some clothes; it's our way of doing our part."

Two thousand taels.

Hong Lang's heart stirred slightly.

This amount is not small, but it's not huge either. The four major families wouldn't reveal their trump cards right away; this is just a small gift to test their strength.

"The four leaders have quite the grand gesture, but I have a question for you all."

Lin Yuanzhou quickly said, "Please speak, Magistrate Hong."

"Did you all know that the former magistrate, Luo Heng, absconded with public funds?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly froze.

Lin Yuanzhou, being a man of composure, only paused for a moment before recovering, letting out a long sigh, his face filled with heartache:

"When County Magistrate Hong brought this up, we had a lot of grievances to vent! That corrupt official Luo Heng spent three years in Hengjiang County, and he plundered the land to an extreme degree. Our families suffered terribly because of his exploitation."

When he left, he "borrowed" some money from several of our families, but he ran away and the money disappeared without a trace...

He spoke with such sincerity that two tears even welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Hong Lang watched his performance quietly, without saying a word.

Lin Yuanzhou wiped his eyes, then changed the subject:

"County Magistrate Hong, to tell you the truth, we heard that when Luo Heng fled, he also embezzled all the silver in the county treasury."

Now that Magistrate Mo has taken office, he's probably a bit strapped for cash... Although our families aren't wealthy, we're willing to share the burden for the county.

If the county faces any difficulties, please let us know, and we will do our best.

That sounds nice, but it's really a test of Hong Lang: how much money do you need? Name your price.

"Master Lin is very kind." Hong Lang put down his wine cup and glanced at the four men. "However, matters concerning money are not my responsibility. If you four are interested, you can go and talk to Magistrate Mo another day."

Lin Yuanzhou's smile remained unchanged, but inwardly he cursed him as a slippery fellow.

If Mo Qiushui were willing to attend the banquet, would she need to go through all this trouble to invite Hong Lang?

Mo Qiushui's attitude was already very clear when she refused them at the county government office that day.

This made them uneasy, unsure of what the new magistrate was planning, so they wanted to sound him out from Hong Lang.

But Hong Lang was completely unyielding, refusing both money and a straight answer.

Wang Mingyuan chuckled and smoothed things over, saying, "County Commandant Hong is right, right! Come, let's drink, let's not talk about official business, let's just reminisce about our friendship!"

The group toasted and drank some more, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

When the wine was flowing freely, Lin Yuanzhou clapped his hands, and the waiter brought over several more dishes, along with an exquisite mahogany box.

Lin Yuanzhou pushed the box in front of Hong Lang and laughed:

"County Magistrate Hong, this is the second matter. There is a house in the east of the city, with four courtyards and four gates, and gardens in the front and back. It is only an arrow's throw away from the county government office."

Originally, it belonged to a salt merchant. Later, the merchant returned to his hometown, and the house became vacant. Several families pooled their money and bought it, intending to give it to Magistrate Hong as a place to stay.

Hong Lang raised an eyebrow slightly.

A house with four courtyards and four entrances—that's no small number.

In Hengjiang County, such a house would be worth at least three thousand taels of silver.

Hong Lang was silent for a moment, then reached out and opened the box.

Inside, there was a property deed neatly laid out, with red ink and black ink marks, and all the paperwork was complete.

There were four envelopes pressed on the property deed, each with the words "five hundred taels" written on it.

Two thousand taels of silver notes, and a four-courtyard house.

That's quite a grand gesture.

Hong Lang cupped his hands in greeting to the four people, without saying anything more.

After the banquet ended, the four men led Hong Lang to the house.

The house is fully furnished.

The room was fully equipped with rosewood furniture, porcelain ornaments, and calligraphy and painting scrolls. Even the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones in the study were of the highest quality, and the kitchen was piled high with rice, flour, oil, and salt.

Lin Yuanzhou accompanied Hong Lang on a tour of the place, pointing out each spot and explaining everything with considerable pride.

"County Commandant Hong, we have specially hired someone to renovate this house. All the furniture and decorations are newly purchased. Please move in directly."

The cook, doorman, and maids have all been arranged in advance; they are all from honest and respectable families. If you feel they are not suitable, you can replace them at any time.

Hong Lang walked around slowly with his hands behind his back, saying nothing and only nodding slightly.

Lin Yuanzhou observed his expression and saw that he was calm, unable to tell whether he was satisfied or not. He then added with a smile, "If County Magistrate Hong has any other vacancies, please let us know and we will take care of them for you."

"Master Lin, thank you for your trouble. I am grateful for your hospitality today. I will take note of it. It is getting late, you may go back first. I will take another look myself."

Lin Yuanzhou and the others tactfully took their leave.

Hong Lang watched the four figures disappear into the alleyway before letting out a long sigh of relief.

He felt a little lightheaded, his chest felt as if it were filled with something, bulging violently.

He couldn't quite put his finger on the feeling.

It felt like walking on clouds, my feet felt weak, but my mind was incredibly excited.

Four months ago, he chopped firewood for a whole year, but it wouldn't have been enough to cover tonight's meal.

He recalled a line from a play he had heard in his past life: "A great man cannot be without power for even a day."

He didn't understand then, but now he does, and he understands it very thoroughly.

What is power?

Power means you no longer have to worry about every penny or have to be mindful of anyone's feelings.

Power is the ability to live with dignity and to live above everyone else.

"Power... truly is the best tonic for men!"