Supreme Martial Venerable: Starting with the White Ape Cloak Hammer skill point allocation

Chapter 100: Repayment (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

"You think you're some kind of scholar? Get lost!"

A burly man grinned maliciously and kicked a lame young man to the ground.

The lame young man covered his head and let the several burly men punch and kick him.

"You can hit me, but you can't take my sister away."

He said in a muffled voice.

In the thatched hut behind him, an old man, thin as a skeleton, leaned on a cane, tears streaming down his face.

Behind the old man was a young woman in a wooden hairpin and cloth skirt. Her face was ashen, and she looked like she was about to collapse.

"As the saying goes, a married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl. Her husband sold her to me. If you want to keep her, that's fine too."

"Her husband took three hundred taels of silver from me. If you give me three hundred taels of silver, I, Master Hu, will take pity on you and release your sister."

The burly man stomped on the young man's hand, grinding it into the dirt, and grinned menacingly. "You're supposed to be a scholar? You can't even come up with three hundred taels?"

"Ha ha

The other burly men burst into laughter.

"Third Master, if this were a martial arts scholar, I think I could pass the exam too."

A burly man smugly patted the young man's unshaven face and spat a glob of phlegm onto his face.

"Even if he was once a martial arts scholar, he is now a fallen phoenix, worse than a chicken."

Hu Laosan said disdainfully, "If you don't have money, get lost."

"This young lady is quite alluring. Men, seize her and take her back. Third Master wants to inspect the goods first."

A group of burly men pounced on the thatched hut like wolves and tigers.

Zhuo Wangsun tried desperately to stop him, but he was old and frail, and was pushed to the ground and unable to get up.

Zhuo Changqiong resisted desperately, screaming loudly.

But the burly men became even more excited, some grabbing her hands, some grabbing her feet, and a few groping hands reaching out to touch her body.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Zhuo Changxiong roared.

But Hu Laosan stomped him back into the mud, his foot grinding against his face.

"Do you still think you're that martial arts scholar who passed the test three times? Since you're already a cripple, you should be prepared to be one. Do you dare to argue with me, Old Man Hu?"

Zhuo Changxiong dug his fingers into the ground, blood and tears flowing into the soil, wishing he had died sooner.

No. 8 Qushui Lane, in a quiet courtyard.

Zhuo Changying washed her face and hands, and the clear water in the basin had turned as black as ink.

The maidservant carried the basin of water away with a smile.

Zhuo Changying, thick-skinned as ever, chuckled dismissively.

He had experienced even more humiliating things after falling on hard times.

"Second brother, didn't you take tens of thousands of taels of silver with you when you left Gaoshan County?"

Zhuo Changyu had a maid bring out the food, and seeing Zhuo Changying wolfing it down as if she hadn't eaten a full meal in a long time, Zhuo Changyu's eyes couldn't help but turn red.

Her second brother had lived a life of luxury since childhood and used to spend money like water. She had never seen Zhuo Changying like this before.

"They're all gone."

Zhuo Changying said nonchalantly, "Wealth may be gone, but people are at peace. Although the money is gone, I managed to rescue my father and eldest son."

We now live outside the city, and I burn some charcoal every day to sell; we're doing alright.

Zhou Yuan sat to one side, inwardly chuckling to himself.

Zhuo Changying was a carefree person. Despite falling from a wealthy young master to selling charcoal for a living, he could still say that he was doing alright.

"By the way, aren't you living in Gaoshan County? How did you end up in the prefectural capital?"

I met a fellow villager from Gaoshan County last time, and when I heard about my brother-in-law passing the imperial examination at the martial arts level, I even bought two ounces of liquor to celebrate.

Changyu, you've finally made it through.

Zhuo Changying burped, not wanting to talk about her own affairs, and changed the subject.

Zhuo Changyu briefly recounted how Zhou Yuan became the commander of the city guards and then resigned from his official post to come to the prefecture to take the imperial examination.

Zhuo Changying listened in a daze, her eyes glancing at Zhou Yuan from time to time.

Has that young craftsman, who was looked down upon by everyone back then, grown up to this extent?

Even if the Zhuo family were at its peak, let alone in its decline, they would be nothing in front of the city guard commander.

Father, you've been in business your whole life, but you still misjudged Zhou Yuan.

However, back then, probably no one in Gaoshan County would have respected Zhou Yuan, a blacksmith.

In other words, her younger sister was blinded by Zhou Yuan's handsome appearance.

"You've eaten your fill, time to get to work."

Zhuo Changying clapped his hands and stood up.

"Second Brother Zhuo, no rush." ​​Zhou Yuan raised his hand and pressed him back into the chair, smiling faintly.

"Do you remember the Qi and Blood Pill you gave me back then?"

"Let's not talk about the past. I'm relieved that you and Changyu are doing well."

Zhuo Changying waved his hand dismissively.

"Guess what? That Qi and Blood Pill has gone up in price."

Zhou Yuan said softly, pushing a silver note in front of Zhuo Changying.

"All investments have returns, and this is what you deserve. It has nothing to do with your relationship with Changyu."

Zhuo Changying turned her head away and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"What do you take me for? Do you think I wouldn't take the money? Even if you didn't make excuses, I'd accept it all if you just gave it to me directly!"

He turned around and laughed heartily.

Zhuo Changying insisted on moving the charcoal to the backyard, even refusing Zhou Yuan's offer to help.

In his words, there's nothing shameful about earning a living with your own hands.

Watching him drive the oxcart out of Qushui Lane, Zhuo Changyu wiped his eyes and turned to Zhou Yuan.

"Brother Yuan, thank you."

She knew how badly her family had treated Zhou Yuan before, and that Zhou Yuan had just given Zhuo Changying money without holding a grudge, which was because of her.

"Don't mention it, we're family."

Holding Zhuo Changyu's small hand, Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "And your second brother did help me. Without that Qi and Blood Pill, my initial stage would have been much more difficult than it is now."

Zhuo Changying drove the oxcart, humming a little tune, with a long-lost sense of ease on his face.

Changyu is so lucky.

Back then, everyone thought that Changyu was destined to suffer for the rest of her life after marrying Zhou Yuan. Who would have thought that now in the prefecture, everyone would have to call her Madam Zhou?

In contrast, Zhuo Changying thought of another sister in her family.

It's true what they say, comparisons are odious; Qin Wu is a beast.

Once outside the city gate, I could see that I was getting closer and closer to home.

Zhuo Changying touched the silver note in his pocket and thought to himself, Zhou Yuan has really struck it rich. He can just casually throw around a silver note worth a thousand taels.

The Qi and Blood Pill I gave away back then wasn't worth this much.

"Let's go buy a house in the city and move there first. What's the point of always living in a shack near the city walls?"

Zhuo Changying thought to himself.

A row of shacks was built at the foot of the city wall of Jiangzhou Prefecture, where homeless poor people and beggars lived.

Zhuo Changying has been trying to save money to move away from here, but unfortunately, he has an elderly person and an injured person in his family, and the cost of their medicine every month keeps him busy.

Now that we have this thousand taels of silver, everything will be alright.

He was in a good mood when suddenly, a chaotic noise came from ahead.

Zhuo Changying's expression changed, and she jumped off the oxcart and ran forward quickly.

"Third Master, please have mercy!"

He lunged forward and shouted.

Hu Laosan's raised leg came down, kicking Zhuo Changxiong several steps away.

After landing, Zhuo Changxiong rolled several times, spitting out blood, but he struggled to get up and then lunged forward again.

Zhuo Changying clung tightly to Zhuo Changxiong, her feet digging into the ground, leaving two marks on the ground.

"Zhuo Changxiong, I can't control whether you want to die, but do you want to get me killed too?"

Zhuo Changying shouted.

Zhuo Changxiong paused, then collapsed to the ground as if his spine had been ripped out.

Zhuo Changying breathed a sigh of relief, looked around, and found her father lying at the entrance of the shack, while Zhuo Changqiong was being carried out by Hu Laosan's men.

"Third Master, I've already paid my monthly allowance. What brings you here?"

Zhuo Changying smiled ingratiatingly.

This Hu Laosan is the manager of a gang called the Earth Tiger Gang in Jiangzhou Prefecture, responsible for collecting protection money in this area.

"What, does Third Master need to explain his actions to you?"

Hu Laosan sneered.

"I wouldn't dare."

Zhuo Changying bowed and said, "Third Master, could you please be lenient? My brother is ignorant and if he has offended you in any way, I will apologize on his behalf."

As she spoke, Zhuo Changying stuffed the few taels of silver she had earned from selling charcoal that day into Hu Laosan's hand.

He felt a pang of heartache. If he hadn't met Changyu today, he wouldn't even have the capital to burn charcoal tomorrow after giving away those few taels of silver.

Only after his family fell on hard times did he realize that the poor couldn't get ahead not because they were lazy, but because too many unexpected events would interrupt their path to success.

Old Hu weighed the contents in his hand and said with a forced smile, "At least there's someone sensible."

"Your brother-in-law sold you, his sister, to me. If you want to keep her, give me five hundred taels of silver. Otherwise, get out of my way and don't delay me from going back to inspect the goods."

Zhuo Changying almost spat out a mouthful of blood. He knew Qin Wu was a bastard, but he never expected Qin Wu to be such a bastard.

He glanced at Zhuo Changqiong, whose face was ashen, and cursed inwardly.

This woman used to be a snob, choosing Qin Wu as her husband. If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have done it in the first place!

"Five hundred taels, is that right?"

Zhuo Changying gritted her teeth, "Third Master, please have mercy and give me a day. I promise to deliver the silver to your residence!"

"Oh?"

Hu Laosan glanced at Zhuo Changying with some surprise.

He just said it casually and never thought that Zhuo Changying would be able to produce it.

The people living here are all impoverished; they might not even be able to come up with a few taels of silver, let alone several hundred.

"You dare to fool Third Master?"

Hu Laosan's face darkened. "If you're thinking of stalling for time to escape, you've made a mistake."

"If you owe Third Master money, even if you run to the ends of the earth, Third Master will still bring you back."

"Third Master is joking, how could I dare to run away?"

Zhuo Changying said, "My family used to be wealthy, and I have some relatives and friends. If you give me a day to borrow money, I guarantee I will not shortchange you."

Hu Laosan rubbed his chin. The Zhuo family used to be quite wealthy, and Zhuo Laoda had enjoyed a period of glory in the prefecture.

Five hundred taels of silver is no small sum.

He wants the money, and he wants the person too!

"One day at a time, what can I do, being so merciful? But tomorrow, it won't be five hundred taels, it will be six hundred taels."

o

A glint of light flashed in Hu Laosan's beady eyes, and he said with a cold smile.

"it is good."

Zhuo Changying gritted her teeth and said.

He had a thousand taels of silver notes in his pocket, but if he took them out now, Hu Laosan wouldn't leave him a single coin.

That's why he wanted to wait until tomorrow so he could go to the money exchange to cash the banknotes.

Hu Laosan left with his men, and before leaving, he touched Zhuo Changqiong's buttocks, which frightened Zhuo Changqiong so much that her face turned pale.

Zhuo Changxiong dragged his limping leg back to the shack, lay down on the dry grass without saying a word, like a dead dog.

Zhuo Wangsun, leaning on his cane, struggled to his feet, tears welling in his eyes.

Looking at this family of elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people, Zhuo Changying sighed helplessly.

If they hadn't met Changyu today, they wouldn't have been able to turn their lives around, let alone survive.

"Changying"

Zhuo Wangsun's lips trembled slightly. He knew in his heart that the Zhuo family no longer had any relatives or friends.

After their downfall, everyone avoided them like the plague.

Five or six hundred taels of silver was nothing to the Zhuo family in the past, but for them now, even a whole body of flesh couldn't fetch that much silver.

"Father, I've met Changyu."

Zhuo Changying helped Zhuo Wangsun back into the shack and whispered in the dim light.

"Zhou Yuan came to the prefecture to take the imperial examination and worked as a blacksmith at Dewang Furnace. Before leaving Gaoshan County, he became the commander of the city guards of Gaoshan County."

Clang.

Zhuo Wangsun's cane fell to the ground, and Zhuo Changqiong's eyes widened, filled with disbelief and deep regret.