Chapter Sixty-Two: Paying for Redemption
“What’s there to be afraid of? Since I dared to step into this mess, I was well prepared to get my shoes muddied,” said Li Haisong. Gu Changqing, who had worried that the aftermath might drag Li Haisong into trouble, had planned to urge him to leave once they grew a bit more acquainted. But to his surprise, Li Haisong turned out to be a man of remarkable fortitude.
“Well spoken, brother. Your words are forthright… Come with me, let’s have a proper drink tonight.”
“Gladly.”
With Lin Gang, still unconscious, in hand, Gu Changqing invited Li Haisong to join him upstairs to the second floor of the side courtyard.
…
Little did they know, at the very moment Lin Gang’s men surrounded the villa, two figures standing atop the tall tower of the Prefectural Governor’s mansion had also set their sights on the scene.
One was none other than Cang Aotian.
Standing before him was an elderly man in elegant gray attire, his sharp, chiseled features stoic and dignified, his narrowed eyes hinting at both wisdom and authority. His beard, streaked with black and white, was meticulously trimmed. This was Song Wuji, the Prefect of Nanyan.
“How intriguing!”
“Xiao Cang, who is that young man to you?”
“Uncle Wuji, here’s what happened…” Cang Aotian explained Gu Changqing’s repeated rescues of his family, and that by late Foundation Establishment he was already able to go toe-to-toe with a Core Formation expert. Song Wuji could not hide his astonishment.
“No wonder! No wonder that Lin Gang fellow wasn’t even a match for him.”
“Uncle Wuji, forgive my impudence, but this young man has done my family a great kindness. I cannot allow any harm to befall him! Especially since all this trouble began with my daughter…”
“Haha! Xiao Cang, you can rest easy. Though I am old, my mind is still sharp; I know right from wrong.”
…
“Wuying, send someone to handle it.”
“Yes, sir.”
The air shimmered, and from the shadows, a hardly perceptible figure responded and slipped away.
…
“Greetings, General!”
The thunder of hooves sounded, and the thousand soldiers encircling the courtyard all dropped to one knee, saluting the newcomer.
“Hmph! All of you, get back to your posts!”
At this angry command, not a single soldier dared linger. Hastily, they scrambled to maintain formation as they retreated, as if afraid the general would tear them limb from limb if they fell behind.
“Young man, I am Lei Zheng, the General in charge of the Prefecture’s forces and a close friend of Cang Aotian…”
“Oh? So it’s Uncle Lei in person. Your name precedes you, Uncle Lei! I was just thinking to finish up this trivial matter so I could pay my respects to you…”
“Haha, you’re welcome anytime, my boy.”
“Uncle Lei, we want to visit too!”
“My dear nieces, when have I ever stopped you from visiting?”
Lei Zheng replied warmly, though in his heart he muttered, This rascal—when I arrived, he pretended not to know me, and now, in the blink of an eye, he claims he’s long wanted to come visit… Slick indeed.
“By the way, Changqing, about Lin Gang—do you think we can…?”
“Of course.”
…
Grabbing the still-unconscious Lin Gang, Lei Zheng took his leave to report back.
“Come, Brother Li, let’s continue.”
“Changqing, ladies, since matters are mostly settled, let’s finish this cup and then I’ll be on my way…”
“Is there something urgent?”
“To be frank, I’m a disciple of the Hidden Tiger Sect, traveling to temper myself… I just received a summons from my family and must return at once.”
“I see. Then I won’t keep you, Brother Li.”
“If you ever come to the capital, visit the Li family and mention my name.”
“Absolutely! Safe travels.”
…
Not long after seeing Li Haisong off, Cang Aotian returned with a hundred guards at a leisurely pace.
When the two young ladies began to clamor and complain to him, he simply replied, “With your Brother Changqing here, what do I have to worry about?”
…
Late that night, a few uninvited guests arrived.
“Brother Xuanyuan, what brings you here at this hour?”
“Brother Cang, my son was reckless and offended your daughters. I beg your forgiveness.”
…
“What do you mean I don’t get to decide? Changqing? That boy who struck my son in public?”
“Brother Cang, just give me a straight answer—can you or can’t you… Don’t tell me I have to humble myself before a mere boy.”
…
Driven to exasperation by Cang Aotian’s evasiveness, the middle-aged man surnamed Xuanyuan had no choice but to ask Cang Aotian to take him to Gu Changqing in the back courtyard, his attendants trailing behind.
“Changqing, let me introduce you: this is Xuanyuan Leng, the boy’s father…”
“Oh? Here to ransom your son?”
“Ahem… You must be nephew Changqing. Truly a fine young man, outstanding among your peers… It’s my fault for not disciplining my son. I’ve come to take the rascal home—I promise to teach him a lesson. So, about…”
…
“Hey, you, wake up—your father’s here to fetch you.” Gu Changqing kicked the pampered youth, who was bound and fast asleep, rousing him.
“Ah! Father, you’re here! Seize this brat for me—I’ll tear him limb from limb! You have no idea how your son was bullied today…”
“Fool! Shut up!”
“Sorry, Nephew Changqing. I promise he’ll be punished when we get home…”
“Pay the ransom.”
“What?!”
“Father, did you hear that? He doesn’t take you—or the Xuanyuan family—seriously at all…”
“Nephew Changqing, did I hear you right? Or did you misspeak?”
“You heard right, and I misspoke not. Pay up.”
…
“You dare toy with me, boy?”
“Don’t misunderstand—I was going to let you take him home, seeing as you came personally… But look, the moment he wakes up, he threatens to dismember me. I’m scared out of my wits… So, ransom is required.”
“If one day your son really does me in, at least I won’t have lost out entirely.”
…
“Boy, I advise you not to push too far. Better to leave some room.”
“Oh? Are you threatening me?”
“Hmph! I wouldn’t dare!”
“How much for your son’s release?”
…
“You, how much do you think you’re worth?” Gu Changqing tossed the question to the pampered youth as Xuanyuan Leng barely suppressed his murderous rage.
“I… I’m worth one low-grade spirit stone.” Not stupid, the youth immediately stuck up a finger, declaring his worth as a single low-grade spirit stone. Gu Changqing was momentarily taken aback.
“Heh, one low-grade spirit stone?”
“Very well, then I’ll just take something off you worth that much and hand it to your father. You asked for it—don’t blame me.”
With that, Gu Changqing reached for the youth’s ear, intent on tearing it.
“Ah! No! Here! Father, pay him! A hundred spirit stones! No, a thousand!”
“Middle-grade ones!” Gu Changqing reminded.
“Huh? Oh right! Father, pay him! A thousand! Middle-grade spirit stones!”
Pain and fear overwhelmed the youth, and as blood trickled down his cheek from his torn ear, he howled, wetting himself in terror.
“Elder Xuanyuan, did you hear? Your son himself said he’s worth a thousand middle-grade spirit stones. Pay up!”
“You—!” Xuanyuan Leng, furious beyond words, had never suffered such indignity—especially at the hands of a youth not much older than his own son. Cang Aotian, standing by and watching the spectacle, kept his aura trained on him, preventing him from attacking.
Unable to vent his anger, Xuanyuan Leng punched a nearby ancient tree, splintering the once-lush trunk to pieces.
“Oh! You dare threaten me? You even destroyed my beloved tree!”
“I’ve changed my mind! Two thousand middle-grade spirit stones, or your son can bid the world farewell!”
“Father! Please, just pay him! I want to go home!”
Seeing Gu Changqing draw a rhino horn dagger and press it to his throat, the youth wept in terror.
“You! … Fine, I’ll pay! But we came in haste—where am I supposed to find so many spirit stones at once?”
“One thousand! Give me a thousand spirit stones, and bring the boy named Chi here with the poison removed. Then we’re square.”
“Chi? Very well! Deal!”
“Go fetch them!”
…
Cang Aotian, who had thought Gu Changqing was making a fuss over nothing, realized now that there was more to this than met the eye.
In a corner of the room, Old Ge—who, bound and trussed, had all but given up hope—suddenly raised his head at Gu Changqing’s words, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. When he heard for certain that Gu Changqing had demanded Xuanyuan Leng cure the poison in Chi, tears streamed down his face.
…
Within less than fifteen minutes, the attendants returned, carrying a skinny, listless boy of seven or eight.
Xuanyuan Leng produced a porcelain vial with a peculiar odor, placed it against the boy’s brow, and something living seemed to crawl beneath the skin from his veins to his forehead, where it broke the skin and burrowed into the vial.
After taking back the boy—who, despite the pain, uttered not a sound—and confirming with Cang Aotian that the poison was indeed gone, Gu Changqing finally relaxed.
…