Red Cloud County, Li Family Bank.
At this moment, a large crowd rushed into the bank outside, holding bank notes up to the high counter and shouting:
"Withdrawal, we want to withdraw our money."
"That's right, hurry up and give us back our money. Your bank is about to go under, and you still won't let us withdraw our money—are you trying to abscond with the funds?"
"Come out! Where are the people from the Li family? Come out."
The bank manager looked at these people, his face turning green as he hurriedly dispatched an apprentice to report to the back courtyard.
The bank's back courtyard.
At this moment, almost all members of the Li family, big and small, had gathered here.
"What should we do? What on earth are we going to do? Is the bank going to fail?" Hearing the report, a luxurious and poised woman turned pale with fright and spoke in a panic.
"Silence, don't talk nonsense!" Beside her, a sturdy and powerful man glared at her, pressed a hand against his sword, and said to a steady middle-aged man sitting in the main seat:
"Father, let me take some men and chase them away."
The person in the main seat was none other than the Li family head, Li Mingyuan. Hearing what his eldest son, Li Yunfei, had to say, he immediately frowned and said:
"Yunfei! Your martial Dao aptitude is passable, but you are far too reckless in your actions.
"If we drive everyone away today, the Li Family Bank will truly be wiped off the map in Red Cloud County."
Li Yunfei's expression stiffened as he asked, "Then what should we do?"
"Does anyone know what should be done?" Li Mingyuan looked at the gathering of Li family descendants in the hall, a hint of expectation in his eyes.
He swept his gaze past Li Yunfei and looked at his second son, Li Yunping. The fair-skinned Li Yunping lowered his head with a guilty conscience.
He then looked at his only daughter, Li Youning.
Li Youning locked her brows and said:
"I think we should appease them first, and we must do it quickly. Otherwise, if the matter festers, the bank might collapse today.
"Only, Father, your daughter is dull-witted and does not know how to proceed."
Li Mingyuan nodded and said, "Your train of thought is correct."
At the same time, he looked at the rest of the people, sighing inwardly.
The Li family had truly fallen. After the old master passed away, the retainers of the Li family left one after another. Having lost the old master's connections and those fair-weather retainers, the mediocrity of the Li family's descendants was instantly exposed.
Unable to handle even such a trivial matter, the Li family wouldn't get far even if they managed to weather this current hurdle.
With a disheartened heart, he spoke: "I have long been prepared for this matter. You need only watch; there is no need to panic."
Everyone was taken aback. His second son, Li Yunping, brightened up and said, "I knew Father would certainly have a way."
Sure enough, news soon came from outside. The manager, wearing a pleasantly surprised expression, came to report:
"The Golden Tripod Bank from the prefecture city has come to our aid, delivering several carts of silver and jewelry. Upon seeing this situation, all those customers retreated, and no one is clamoring to withdraw money anymore."
Eldest Young Master Li Yunfei had originally been in low spirits, but upon hearing this, he also looked at Li Mingyuan with admiration and said:
"So Father was prepared all along! The Golden Tripod Bank in the prefecture city does indeed have old ties with us. Since it's like this..."
"I lied to them." After waving the manager away, Li Mingyuan interrupted Li Yunfei.
Seeing the puzzled expressions of everyone, he let out a cold snort and said:
"The prefecture city is a long way from here; the men I dispatched are still halfway there.
"The so-called silver delivered by the Golden Tripod Bank was merely taken out of our own bank's treasury.
"I simply found a few unfamiliar faces to deliver it under the banner of the Golden Tripod Bank. This is merely an expedient measure."
As soon as he finished speaking, the manager ran back in a flurried panic and said:
"Master, it's bad!
"Many martial artists say they don't believe our bank still has the ability to keep their silver and money safe. Right now, they are building a martial arena outside the bank, openly declaring that they will challenge the bank's guards in three days.
"Three matches, two wins!
"They say they will respectively challenge a Meat Refining Realm guard, a Skin Refining Major Completion guard, and a Skin Refining guard.
"If they win, it will prove that the bank no longer has the ability to protect their valuables.
"I saw that among the incoming people are many martial Dao prodigies from past years, and their momentum is massive.
"Master, what should we do?"
Everyone in the hall was struck with terror.
Li Mingyuan took in everyone's expressions, sighing inwardly. This was the true challenge the Li family had to face.
He spoke: "We can absolutely not take on this battle relying on the Li family alone.
"I have often told you to rope in martial artists with potential; now is the time for you to prove yourselves.
"Is there anyone who can summon a martial artist of consequence?"
Second Young Master Li Yunping said, "Father, martial artists with potential require a great deal of silver and money to recruit. If Father would permit me to use the treasury..."
"No!" Li Mingyuan's expression changed.
"The money in the treasury must never be touched! Because we cannot guarantee that we will definitely win.
"If we lose, the customers withdrawing their money will definitely trample the threshold of the silver bank.
"At that time, if we cannot produce the money to return to them, it won't just be a matter of the silver bank going under—our entire family will be ruined and destroyed!
"The money in the treasury cannot be moved."
Upon hearing these words, Li Yunping said dully:
"If we can't touch the money in the treasury, how much money does our Li family have left?
"Originally, there was a sum of two hundred liang of silver. I said I wanted to take it to rope in a Skin Refining Major Completion martial artist, but Third Sister took it to purchase the Grass Gliding manual instead, and I don't know who she gave it to.
"Where is there any money left to recruit martial artists now?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's gaze turned to Li Youning.
Li Youning's expression shifted, and she said, "I was also thinking of the lineage. That Lu Ming truly has a talent for lightness techniques, but... but this day has come far too quickly!"
Li Yunping let out a cold snort. "At the time, I advised you several times, saying that the family was in difficulty and we had to proceed with caution, but you refused to listen. Now that the moment of life and death has arrived, where is the person you invested in?"
Feeling the faintly reproachful gazes of her surrounding family members, Li Youning felt a myriad of grievances in her heart. Biting her lip slightly, she said:
"I will write a letter to him right now."
With that, she immediately fetched brush and ink on the spot, wrote a letter, and had someone send it to the Military Service Bureau.
Watching the servant leave with the letter, Li Mingyuan suddenly asked:
"Ningning, has that person you invested in reached Skin Refining Major Completion?"
Li Youning froze, the writing brush in her hand dropping to the ground.
Disciples of the Military Service Bureau needed to pass the Stone Tablet Nine Palace Stakes—in other words, reach Skin Refining Major Completion—before they could leave.
She had actually lost her wits just now and forgotten about this matter.
Beside her, Li Yunping saw this and shook his head, saying, "Third Sister, it's not that I'm saying this about you..."
"Enough!" Li Mingyuan barked to stop him. He glanced at Li Youning, a measure of disappointment also in his heart.
It did little good to say more now, however. At this juncture of life and death, he was unwilling to see members of the family pointing fingers at one another.
"Let's think carefully again: are there any connections we can leverage..."
Li Mingyuan's words trailed off, leaving the hall in dead silence.
[Evolving Leg Dao Divine Ability (90/100)...]
In the main compound of the Military Service Bureau, inside Courtyard Seventy-Four.
Having finished his final session of Grass Gliding for the day, Lu Ming looked at his experience points, which had reached 90. Being a mere 10 points away from evolving the Leg Dao Divine Ability, he felt a silent surge of anticipation.
Thump, thump, thump!
At that moment, a sudden knock sounded at the door.
A thought stirred in Lu Ming's heart; it must be Wei Jinlin. He quickly walked with brisk steps to the back of the door and pulled it open.
Sure enough, standing outside was a man in his thirties with an extraordinary presence—none other than Wei Jinlin!
He welcomed Wei Jinlin inside, and Wei Jinlin casually closed the courtyard gate, leading him to the Stone Tablet Nine Palace Stakes right in the center of the front courtyard.
Just as he assumed Wei Jinlin was about to teach him the method of striking the stone tablet, Wei Jinlin abruptly drew a letter from his bosom, handed it to him, and said:
"A letter for you."
Lu Ming perplexedly accepted the letter, seeing that the sender was marked as Li Youning.
The corner of his mouth twitched as he glanced at Wei Jinlin's broad, sturdy back.
Wei Jinlin, Director of the Military Service Bureau, concurrent martial master, concurrent utility room deacon... and concurrent mail carrier.
Did he really have to be this stingy?
Lu Ming inwardly muttered a sarcastic retort, then immediately broke open the letter and glanced at it, his gaze instantly hardening.
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