Selling Himself to Bury His Father!

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

When Wei Qing came to Qingcheng, his mission had been urgent, so he had ridden at breakneck speed all the way.

This time, as they returned to the capital, the three of them slowed their pace, sightseeing and taking in the scenery as they traveled.

With only half a day's journey left to the Imperial City, a sudden downpour began, leaving the three no choice but to stay temporarily in Ping'an County.

They found an inn at random and checked in, only to alarm the local county magistrate.

"This subordinate, Zhao Dezhu, greets the three lords."

The county magistrate came panting into the inn, his official hat knocked crooked from running. His shoes and trouser legs were caked in mud, and he was soaked from head to toe.

It was no wonder Zhao Dezhu was in such a hurry.

The Heavenly Realm Division's reputation was simply too formidable. Wherever they went, no official dared slight them.

Wei Qing lifted his teacup. "Lord Zhao, have some water first."

Zhao Dezhu hurriedly wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, accepted the teacup with both hands, and drained it in one gulp.

Then he respectfully returned the cup to its original place. "Many thanks, my lord. May I ask why you lords have come to Ping'an County? Is there anything this subordinate can do for you?"

Wei Qing explained, "The three of us are merely passing through. We encountered heavy rain, so we are making a brief stop in Ping'an County."

"Lord Zhao, there is no need to trouble yourself. Your official duties are more important."

"My lord is right. Then this subordinate shall take his leave first."

Wei Qing's words already carried the unspoken intent of seeing him out. Having served as an official for many years, Zhao Dezhu understood such simple courtesy well enough.

Downstairs

Zhao Dezhu pointed toward the room where Wei Qing and the others were staying.

"Shopkeeper Chen, those three are no ordinary people! You'd better serve them with twelve parts vigilance. If there is the slightest mistake..."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do not blame this official for disregarding our past friendship and sealing up your establishment."

Behind the counter, Shopkeeper Chen's eyes darted around. His face split into a fawning smile. "Rest assured, Lord Zhao. This lowly one will definitely 'serve them with care'..."

As he spoke the words "serve them with care," he deliberately lowered his voice and made a secret gesture beneath the counter.

"Stop!"

Zhao Dezhu's face went deathly pale. He clapped a hand over Shopkeeper Chen's mouth, glanced around in all directions, and lowered his voice to a near whisper. "If you want to die, don't drag me down with you. Just make normal arrangements."

"Do you understand?"

Shopkeeper Chen's eyes rolled white from being covered, and he nodded repeatedly.

When Zhao Dezhu finally released him, he gulped down breaths of air. "Un-understood..."

In the corner, the waiter silently wiped the tables, taking in everything.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, sunlight pierced through the clouds, gilding Ping'an County—washed clean by last night's rain—with a golden edge.

After breakfast, Wei Qing and the other two went to the counter to settle the bill.

Shopkeeper Liu said with a smile, "My lords, Lord Zhao has already paid your bill."

"Please tell Lord Zhao that we appreciate his kindness." Wei Qing placed the money on the counter. "But we will pay what we owe ourselves."

"Th-this... very well. This lowly one will certainly relay the message."

Seeing that he could not refuse, Shopkeeper Liu could only helplessly accept Wei Qing's silver.

They left the inn.

Outside the inn, the waiter was already waiting at the entrance with three horses. "My lords, the horses have all been fed. They could run all the way to the Imperial City without stopping."

"Sorry for the trouble, little brother."

As he spoke, Wei Qing took out a tael of silver from his sleeve and casually tossed it, landing it neatly in the waiter's hand.

"Thank you for the reward, my lord."

The waiter thanked him over and over in delight—a tael of silver was worth half a month's wages for him!

The three mounted their horses and headed toward the city gate along the stone-paved road.

At the corner of the city wall, Zhao Dezhu secretly watched them ride away, only then letting out a sigh of relief.

When they reached the city gate

A sudden commotion rose from the gate.

A lavishly dressed woman shrieked, "Poor wretch, giving you five taels of silver is already more than you deserve. Don't spit in the face of kindness!"

Su Lie clutched a sign that read, "Selling myself for twenty taels to bury my father," and looked at the woman with stubborn eyes.

"Miss, I have studied since childhood. I can read, write, and keep accounts. If you are interested, twenty taels is my lowest price."

He wanted to buy his father a proper coffin, so he would not accept even a single coin less.

"Hmph, twenty taels? A pretty boy with soft skin and tender flesh like you—how much could you possibly be worth?" The woman sized up the youth from head to toe, her eyes full of contempt. "I already think five taels is too expensive for you. Don't fail to appreciate favors!"

At that moment, the watching townsfolk could no longer stand it and stepped forward one after another to speak up for him.

"If you're not buying, then stop making trouble here!"

"The Su family boy only wants to buy his father a good coffin. Aren't you just bullying him?"

"You look wealthy enough. How can you be so stingy?"

"Exactly..."

The neighbors all knew Su Lie was a filial child. If something had not suddenly happened to his father, he would never have come out to sell himself.

"What does whether Old Lady has money have to do with any of you!" The woman stood with her hands on her hips, the jade bracelet on her wrist swaying back and forth with her movements. "Say another word, and watch out for the whip in my hand—it doesn't recognize people."

As she spoke, the woman viciously cracked her whip through the air twice with two sharp smacks.

The onlookers staggered backward in fear, afraid that one careless move would earn them a lash.

Once they steadied themselves, the way they looked at the woman was filled with fear.

The woman snorted coldly, thoroughly enjoying the awe others showed her.

Then she looked at Su Lie again. "You."

"Today, this young lady is buying you, five taels of silver. You will sell whether you want to or not."

With a wave of her hand, two vicious-looking servants behind her immediately stepped forward, preparing to drag Su Lie away by force.

"Stop."

Jun Wushang took a large stride forward, and the Ink Blade in his hand rang with a clang as it barred the way between both sides.

"What are you doing? In broad daylight, abducting a citizen of Great Zhou is a capital crime under Great Zhou law."

"Try moving again."

The two servants were instantly cowed by Jun Wushang's imposing presence. When they clearly saw the Guardian Envoy uniform he wore, their legs went weak with fright.

"Who is this, talking so big and daring to interfere in my affairs?"

The woman violently shoved the two servants aside, looked Jun Wushang up and down, then suddenly sneered. "I was wondering who it was. So it's only some tiny Guardian Envoy."

"Do you know who I am? Daring to meddle in my business—be careful, or I'll skin you alive."

"Get lost!"

"Oh dear~" Jun Wushang dramatically clutched his chest and leaped a full step backward, his face piled high with exaggerated terror. "You scared this young master half to death!"

"Brat, how dare you mock me."

Seeing this, the woman's face darkened.

"Do you know that I am Consort Xia's blood niece, Xia Yiran, eldest legitimate daughter of the Xia Family in the Imperial City?"

"You are courting death!"

At that, Jun Wushang froze for a moment before a cold smile curled across his lips. "So what if you're Consort Xia's niece, the Xia Family's eldest young lady?"

"If you dare break the law, the Heavenly Realm Division will arrest you all the same!"

The watching townsfolk instantly erupted in unrest. The crowd surged backward like a receding tide, and several timid vendors even knocked over their stalls.

They had never heard of Xia Yiran.

But Consort Xia's name, and even more so the Xia Family's, had long thundered in their ears!

They were absolutely existences no one could afford to provoke.