Chaos

The Fortune Restaurant, operated by the Huang Family, enjoyed a fair bit of fame within the city. While it could not compare to the top-tier establishments, it was a thriving business and a vital source of revenue for the family.

However, things recently took a turn: first, someone claimed to have suffered from food poisoning after dining there, causing a massive scene and accusing the restaurant of serving unhygienic food.

Immediately following this, someone else claimed to have found filth in their dish and took the matter directly to the local authorities.

The county magistrate sent officials to investigate, and somehow, they actually discovered items in the restaurant's kitchen that had no business being there.

With both human testimony and physical evidence seemingly stacked against them, the Huang Family found themselves unable to defend their innocence.

The victims banded together to demand exorbitant compensation, and the government imposed heavy fines as well.

This series of blows felt like a meticulously designed trap, catching the Huang Family completely off guard.

The Fortune Restaurant not only saw its reputation ruined and was forced to suspend operations, but it was also saddled with massive debts.

Although the Huang Family had some savings, they were stretched thin and unable to plug such a gaping hole in their finances.

Huang Wei's father was pacing in a panic; every day the restaurant remained closed, he had no idea how much money they were losing.

He ran around everywhere trying to borrow money, hoping to weather the crisis.

Seeing this, Huang Wei set aside her pride and went to find the sisters she was usually close with and spent time with often.

"Sister Chen Yun, my family is in dire straits and I have no other choice. Could you... could you possibly lend us some silver to tide us over? Once my family gets through this crisis, I will definitely return it with interest!" Huang Wei found Chen Yun, her tone filled with pleading.

Chen Yun wore a troubled expression, took Huang Wei's hand, and sighed: "Little sister, it's not that I don't want to help, it's just that... my family has had several large expenses recently, and the accounts are truly too tight to move anything. You know that even though I am favored at home, I ultimately have no say in matters of money."

Huang Wei's heart sank, and she went to find Zhang Wan instead.

Zhang Wan was more direct: "Sister Wei, it's not that I want to lecture you, but the people your family has offended this time likely have significant backing. Whoever gets involved in these muddy waters will only invite trouble. Our family business is small and cannot withstand such turmoil. I think you should advise Uncle Huang to look for other ways."

They used to call each other "good sisters" and act incredibly affectionate, but now that the Huang Family had fallen on hard times, everyone was avoiding them like the plague.

After being turned away at the door several times, Huang Wei's heart turned completely cold.

Only then did she truly realize that so-called sisterhood was so fragile when faced with real interests.

Huang Wei looked at her parents' haggard appearances, her heart filled with both bitterness and helplessness.

"Could it be... that there is truly no other way besides that?" Huang Wei sighed.

In a private room of a teahouse in the Inner City.

Lin Qing, the third young master of the Lin Family, sank his obese frame into a wide chair, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table.

"How did it go?"

Seeing Chen Yun enter, he lazily lifted his eyelids.

A fawning smile appeared on Chen Yun's face as she hurried forward: "Don't worry, Third Young Master. Huang Wei did indeed come to find me, and I sent her away just as you instructed. Seeing her so distraught, I suspect she is already at her wit's end."

Lin Qing snorted, not feeling the least bit surprised: "The Huang Family's meager foundation cannot withstand such a beating. Who else can she go to now?"

"Who else is there?" Chen Yun said dismissively. "I've already tipped off Zhang Wan and the others; no one will lend her a single copper. In less than two days, even if she is ten thousand times unwilling, she will have no choice but to come and beg you, Third Young Master."

This entire scheme against the Huang Family was a strategy originally proposed to Lin Qing by Chen Yun.

That day, seeing that Lin Qing was obsessed with Huang Wei while Huang Wei only treated him with superficial courtesy, she came up with this idea.

She found a time to approach Lin Qing and took the initiative to say: "Third Young Master, Huang Wei has a proud nature; ordinary pursuits are unlikely to catch her eye. In my opinion, why not... start with her family?"

She explained in detail: "The Huang Family's roots are shallow, and they rely entirely on the Fortune Restaurant to maintain their status. We only need to do this... The Huang Family will inevitably panic. As for Huang Wei's sisters, I will handle them myself to ensure she has no way out. Once she is at the end of her rope, you can step in to offer help in her time of need. Won't she then be grateful to you and yours to command?"

After hearing this, Lin Qing agreed on the spot.

He looked at Chen Yun, a sharp glint flashing in his small eyes, and nodded with satisfaction: "Your method is good. If she won't eat the soft approach, we'll just have to change tactics. Once this is done, the promotion I promised your father will be fulfilled."

Lin Qing was referring to Chen Yun's father, who had been seeking a promotion for a long time.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yun's pretty face lit up with joy: "Thank you, Third Young Master!"

Little sister, I am doing this for your own good too. This fat pig is sincere about you, and this will benefit both of our families, Chen Yun thought to herself.

For the sake of her father's career and to climb the great tree that was the Lin Family, she had no choice but to sacrifice her sister.

At the first light of dawn the next day, Li Yuan woke up.

He stretched his limbs, rose to wash, and after finishing breakfast, he practiced a set of Tiger Form Fist in the courtyard.

With his Tiger Form Fist at the Great Success realm, every punch he threw carried the faint sound of a tiger's roar, his blood and qi surging within him as if a fierce tiger had possessed his body.

"Time to go find a black bear to test my fists."

Li Yuan changed into a clean black martial arts suit, packed his things, and headed out toward the outskirts of the city.

He had barely reached the street when he sensed that the atmosphere today was different from usual.

Many people were hurrying along with panicked expressions, all rushing toward the west side of the city.

At first, it was just twos and threes, but as he walked further, the crowd grew, eventually forming a steady stream of people.

Li Yuan was puzzled, so he reached out and grabbed a thin man in grey clothes passing by, asking, "What's the rush?"

The man had initially looked impatient, but upon turning to see the martial arts attire Li Yuan was wearing, he immediately put on a smile and said, "My good sir, don't you know?

Someone came back saying the frontier seems to have collapsed; word is spreading, and everyone is rushing to the grain and butcher shops to stock up."

To the common folk, it didn't matter who won or lost the war, but they knew that if the battle was lost, the price of grain would inevitably rise.

Regardless of whether the news was true or false, if everyone else was buying and you didn't, you would be the one going hungry.

Li Yuan frowned and let the man go.

Seeing this, the man hurried off to join the crowd, eager to stock up on supplies himself.

The frontier collapsed? Li Yuan thought to himself.

This was certainly not good news for him.

He pondered for a moment and decided to head over to take a look; it wouldn't waste much time, after all.

He followed the flow of pedestrians, though while they were jogging, he walked at a leisurely pace.

Most of these people wore patched clothing, some even dressed in tattered short tunics, baggy trousers, and straw sandals.

Li Yuan's clean black martial arts suit certainly drew some attention in the crowd.

Soon, he arrived at the market, and the scene before him made him pause.

The street, usually quite spacious, was now packed so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.

Every shop, whether it was a rice store, a butcher, or a general store, was swarmed with people, all in a state of chaotic uproar.

"Quick! Give me ten catties of rice!"

"Meat! I'll take all the remaining meat!"

"Boss, why has the price gone up again?"

"The frontier has collapsed, everyone stock up on supplies! If you're late, there won't be anything left!"

Such shouts rang out from the crowd, drawing even more people into the frenzy of panic-buying.

The shopkeepers were scrambling to weigh goods and collect money.

Li Yuan had lived in this city for a long time and had never seen so many people gathered in one place.

He moved slowly through the crowd, observing his surroundings.

Li Yuan was not panicked; with his current strength, he was not lacking in meat, as a single trip to the mountains could provide him with enough food for several days.

Of course, he wouldn't starve to death, but to accumulate blood and qi to improve his strength, eating quality meat was essential.

As for rice and flour, he could trade meat for them.

After all, coarse grains lacked the fat and calories to keep hunger at bay; if a meal of coarse grains could stave off hunger for an hour, a meal of meat could last for two hours or even longer.

Often, most poor families would just mix a bit of scrap meat into their porridge.

The market was in total chaos, with arguments breaking out, yet no one dared to resort to violence.

A few temporary yamen runners stood in the distance; they were wearing their own clothes, distinguished only by the small badges and short wooden clubs tucked into their waistbands.