White Horse Divine Spear

"You're… Zhang Yu?"

Wang Meiduo looked at the young man's cold, sharp aura and his peerless martial arts, unable to believe he was the same impoverished boy who always came to the Wang family's house for meals.

He was disheveled back then, but now he wore black robes and carried a long sword. It was like comparing heaven and earth.

"It's me."

Light sparked in Wang Meiduo's eyes. She said to Li Hu, "He's the Zhang Yu who joined the Sun Moon Divine Cult with Liyu! He's not dead!"

Li Hu understood, "Then Liyu…?"

Last month, news came from the Sun Moon Divine Cult: 'Flag Master Wang Liyu of Cloud Water Hall has fallen in battle.' They then sent over five taels of silver in compensation, which had passed through several hands.

The pillar of the Wang family had collapsed. With Li Hu, her hunter brother-in-law, the widow and orphan could have managed, but who knew they would be targeted by Huang Wencai, the biggest bully in Meixi Village.

Seeing Zhang Yu return, Wang Meiduo suddenly felt a flicker of hope. Perhaps her brother was alright, perhaps the news was mistaken. Cloud Water Hall might have been annihilated, but there should be some survivors.

She asked cautiously, "Where is Liyu? Is he still alive?"

"Liyu is dead. He died at the foot of Mount Heng."

"Dead? Really dead?"

"Yes."

Seeing Wang Meiduo's profound grief, Zhang Yu's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He took out a cloth bundle from his embrace and handed it to her.

"This is Liyu's hair. The situation was too urgent, and I couldn't bring back his body."

Wang Meiduo stared blankly for a long while before opening the bundle. She gently caressed the three dry strands of hair. "The elders say hair is where the soul resides. With his hair returned, his soul has also returned. Thank you."

Zhang Yu sighed and tossed a bag of silver to the ground.

Li Hu quickly scrambled up and cupped his hands. "You saved my entire family. I have no way to repay you and cannot accept your silver."

"Consider it left by Liyu."

"Erect a tombstone for the couple, and raise the child well."

Zhang Yu walked to the door and picked up the body of the masked man. He looked back at the two one last time and said, "I'll handle the Huang family!"

Plum Blossom Stream, Huang Family Manor.

On a wooden desk, two candle holders cast a bright light, filling the room.

Several pages of a yellowed book were turned, casting huge shadows on the wall in the candlelight.

The middle-aged man leaned back in his chair. He was flipping through a Fish Scale Register, and the more he read, the more satisfied he became, letting out a proud laugh.

"The Huang family's current splendor is all thanks to the virtues of our ancestors and the hard work of our descendants."

Five hundred mu of prime paddy fields along the Plum Blossom Stream, after three generations of diligent effort, were finally consolidated this year. Over eight hundred piculs of new grain were stored. After hulling into white rice, enough was left for their own consumption, and it could be exchanged for over two thousand taels of silver.

Huang Wencai chuckled inwardly, "It's all thanks to this good era. Rice prices climb higher every year. If it were the Longfeng Era, five qian of silver for one picul of rice, life would be unbearable."

After Emperor Yousheng ascended the throne, the Huang family rapidly rose from village rich to gentry under him. This was an honor that deserved its own page in the family genealogy.

When his eldest son, who was an official in the county, became established.

When his second son, who was studying in Ying Tian Prefecture, passed the imperial examinations.

The future of the Huang family was bright, just like the Great Ming empire.

"Master." A steward-like man pushed the door open.

Huang Wencai closed the Fish Scale Register. "How is it?"

The old steward bowed and reported, "The young lady of the Xiao family still refuses."

Hearing this, Huang Wencai's expression instantly turned cold. "Refuses? She won't agree even for twenty taels of pure silver?"

"The Xiao family threw back the silver we sent. They said, no matter how poor they are, they won't sell their daughter-in-law."

"Nonsense, who wants to buy his daughter-in-law? I heard the Xiao family's daughter-in-law has a large, round backside and is good at bearing sons. The fortune teller said I am destined to have three sons, but my household is filled with hens that cannot lay eggs. I just want her to help out."

The steward said helplessly, "We've said all we can. The Xiao family disagrees. Perhaps we should just drop it. After all, times are hard, and many people sell their children."

"You don't need to worry about this matter anymore. I will arrange it. The Xiao family's refusal saves us twenty taels of silver!"

Huang Wencai abruptly stood up and picked up the blue and white porcelain cup. Remembering it was worth eight taels of silver, he put it back down.

A surge of inexplicable anger rose within him. Why did these ants in Meixi Village dare to resist him? Why wouldn't they let him have his way? He was willing to spend money to solve this, such a great concession and respect – didn't they feel it at all? Did they have to force him to use those methods?

"Go and see if Hu Chang should be back by now. Have him come see me immediately."

The old steward withdrew. He probably had an idea of how his master would arrange things.

At night, the row of houses on the right wing of the Huang family manor was brightly lit, with constant noise.

Over twenty guards gambled day and night in the manor, playing dice and Mahjong. Huang Wencai didn't forbid it; instead, he set up his own stall to collect a rake.

"Red center."

"Pass."

"Sold, going once, sold!"

"Five, five, six, big! Red takes all."

"Master, bad news, bad news..."

Not long after the old butler left, he stumbled back into the room, his face a mask of terror.

"Master, Hu Chang, Hu Chang..."

Huang Wencai put down the Fish Scale Register and frowned, "Hu Chang is back? Have him come see me."

"No, his head, his head..."

"Old Wu, what exactly are you saying?" Huang Wencai was somewhat displeased. This Old Wu was incompetent. If he hadn't been with the Huang family for decades, he would have fired him long ago.

The old butler finally caught his breath and said in one go, "Hu Chang's head was chopped off. It's on a bamboo pole, standing right at the gate."

"Can't you speak properly... wait, what did you say?"

The old butler repeated, "Hu Chang is dead. His head has been returned."

The blue and white hand-pressed cup fell to the ground, finally shattering into more than a dozen pieces.

Outside the Huang residence gate.

A green bamboo pole, about seven feet tall, stood planted in the dirt.

At its top was a bloody head, its eyes wide open, staring at Huang Wencai and the guards. Blood dripped down the pole, forming a small puddle on the ground.

There seemed to be a strip of paper tied to the bamboo pole, but it was too dark to see clearly.

Huang Wencai looked around and said, "You, who will go and see... what... what the paper says."

Hu Chang was the leader of the guards, the most skilled among these men. With his death, everyone panicked. They crowded around the gate, one claiming to have night blindness, another saying they couldn't read. No one stepped forward. Finally, the old butler, carrying a lantern, took a look and ran back quickly to report.

Huang Wencai asked, "Old Wu, what did the paper say... say? Is it about money?"

The old butler trembled, "Master, it says, 'A life for a life, good and evil will be rewarded!'"

"'A life for a life, good and evil will be rewarded.'"

Huang Wencai immediately panicked. He hated these stubborn fools who weren't after money.

Was it someone whose family he had forced to death while annexing land?

Or a merchant caravan he had led guards to rob while disguised as bandits?

Or those young women locked in the woodshed...

At this moment, one of the guards stepped forward and said loudly, "I am Ma Youde, known in the jianghu as the White Horse Divine Spear. I don't know which hero is here. If there's any misunderstanding with Master Huang, please speak clearly. Don't hide like a coward, lest the jianghu laugh at us."

Huang Wencai looked approvingly at the pockmarked man, "Well done. The wind reveals the strength of the grass. Ma Youde, I will promote you to guard leader tomorrow."

Ma Youde cupped his hands, "Master, don't worry. Since they're hiding, their numbers must be small. With over twenty of us, there's no need to fear him."

His words struck a chord. Several guards who had been hesitant suddenly felt brave.