A Troubled World, Hard to Rise: Seeking a Master?

"Are you certain you want to sell the land?"

"I am certain."

"Three mu of fields, selling for 98,000 Treasure Coins. Once the money and land are cleared, if there are no errors, sign and press your thumbprint here."

"If you cannot write, simply draw a circle."

County Office, Notary Department.

The clerk leaning back in his chair spoke indifferently, "Once the County Office's red seal is stamped, there will be no chance to regret this!"

Standing before him, two men waited.

One was a middle-aged man, looking sturdy and lean, with a scorpion tattoo on his palm and a red string tied around his left arm, appearing quite roguish.

The other was a mere youth.

He wore a grey-brown hemp tunic, short trousers, and straw sandals.

His youthful face had been smoothed of its edges by the grind of life; when he didn't speak, he was quiet and looked very well-behaved.

Upon hearing this, San Qingzi smiled obsequiously, "I have no issues, this is the price, Officer!"

"Officer, this isn't right. I am selling for 9 strings and 800 copper coins, not 98,000 Treasure Coins!"

"We originally agreed to settle in copper coins. Why is he using Treasure Coins? I only accept copper coins."

Shi Wen frowned as he spoke.

Treasure Coins were the credit currency minted by the Gaozu Emperor of the Great Liang Dynasty, essentially lead coins.

In the early days, the government mandated that ten Treasure Coins could be exchanged for one copper coin.

The Treasure Coins circulating among the common people weighed only a quarter of a copper coin.

Later, as corruption became rampant in the Great Liang Dynasty, the rot spread deep.

The Treasure Coin currency established by the Gaozu Emperor became increasingly shoddy, with the coins weighing less than half of what they did during his era, making them worth even less today.

The government only collected copper coins and provided no place to exchange them, restricting commoners from using copper coins for transactions.

However, merchants or those wishing to purchase imported goods were forced to use copper coins.

What if one had no copper coins?

Those government officials and local gentry opened money shops in the black market, where the exchange rate had reached 20 to 1!

Originally, those three mu of fertile land could have sold for 14 strings of copper coins.

But now, the Great Liang Dynasty government was corrupt.

The local clerks and gangs had colluded, long ago dividing up the streets and alleys of Black Cloud County; every trade was already partitioned between them.

If you tried to sell to someone else, they wouldn't dare to accept it.

9 strings and 800 coins was already below market value.

And now, they were actually trying to use Treasure Coins for the transaction.

If one were to go and exchange them, I fear those 98,000 Treasure Coins wouldn't even fetch 5 strings of copper coins!

"The Gaozu Treasure Coin policy is enforced throughout the Great Liang Dynasty; private transactions must also be conducted in Treasure Coins. Are you trying to defy the government?"

The clerk Liu Wen, who had been squinting to conserve his energy, suddenly slammed the table.

His handlebar mustache twitched with anger, "If you keep shouting, do you believe I won't throw you into the dungeon?"

The policies regarding Treasure Coins had collapsed decades ago.

Furthermore, when trading land, the method of settlement should naturally be decided by the buyer and seller.

But they were simply bullying this youth because he had no backing.

What could he do about it!

Shi Wen lowered his head, his voice somewhat muted, "This humble one would not dare defy the government."

"Little Brother Shi, are you still selling or not?" San Qingzi twisted his neck and chuckled, "If you don't sell today, the price might not be the same tomorrow."

"You should know that since the Red Lantern Gang designated you to sacrifice to the Dragon King on the third of next month, no one else dares to buy your land."

"It is only because I see you are from our alley that I am taking your land. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't dare take it even if you gave it away for free!"

He saw the young man fall silent.

He suddenly leaned in and whispered with a smile, "Why not come with me? I have work at the Boat Gang."

"As long as you come, I guarantee you 20,000 Treasure Coins every month! When the time comes, I'll help you talk to the boss of the Red Lantern Gang and resolve that matter. How about it?"

Shi Wen's heart tightened, and he responded with a forced smile, "No need, let's just go with this price."

How many trackers lived long lives?

As for the matter of the Red Lantern Gang...

It was, after all, a calamity brought on by no fault of his own.

Due to an accident, he transmigrated into the body of a fifteen-year-old youth.

His predecessor had drowned while saving a woman in Dragon Sorrow Ravine, and he had come back to life by occupying the boy's body.

The Red Lantern Gang, a boat gang on the Dragon King River, heard about this incident.

Believing that anyone who could be dragged to the riverbed and still emerge alive must have a destiny with the Dragon King Deity in the river, they decided to assign him to carry offerings to Dragon Sorrow Ravine to worship the Dragon King next month, on the third day of the fifth lunar month!

This was clearly a death sentence.

How could he be willing to go?

To seek a way to survive, he planned to sell his land today and go to the Fist Academy to practice martial arts!

Suddenly.

Shi Wen signed and pressed his thumbprint on the contract.

He took the bag of Treasure Coins, placed it in a basket, and was just about to leave.

Liu Wen, lying on a chair, suddenly coughed lightly and tapped his fingers on the table. "Does a brat like you not understand the rules? Or are you looking to eat free government meals?"

"This humble one was abrupt; I beg the official to forgive my sin."

Shi Wen took a deep breath.

He pulled a string of Treasure Coins from the bag and forced a smile. "Official, this is the tax money. Please take a look."

"No need, get lost."

Liu Wen waved his hand in disgust, as if shooing away a fly.

Shi Wen turned and left.

A trace of bitterness surfaced in his eyes.

He had only been transmigrated for a few days.

But the Great Liang Dynasty was the most ruthless place he had ever seen.

The extortion by the government, the exploitation by the clerks, the plundering by the gangs—the various pretexts for collection were things Shi Wen had never even heard of.

The government collected land taxes, poll taxes, commercial taxes, transaction taxes, water-transport fees, white-allocation money, and salt taxes.

Clerks colluded with gangs to collect routine fees and tribute money.

There were also all sorts of fabricated levies like river dredging taxes, street cleaning fees, storage fees, street stall taxes, and so on.

If one dared to refuse.

The clerks had plenty of ways to deal with people!

They would either slap a "tax evasion" label on you to confiscate your goods and throw you into prison, or find some thugs and hooligans to harass you.

Some would even go to your house in the middle of the night to throw feces, snakes, and rats, or splash chicken blood.

If you truly encountered those ruthless types, they might wake you up at midnight and set your house on fire; whether you lived or died depended on your luck!

"Only by becoming a martial artist can one find a path to survival in these chaotic times!"

Shi Wen took a deep breath.

This was the reason he had sold his land on the third day of his transmigration, and his predecessor's parents had agreed to it.

It was the fourth month, and the weather was drizzly and overcast.

The silken rain from the heavens dampened the streets and alleys. From behind some high walls came the voices of young masters reciting poetry and laughing about what a fine spring day it was, but Shi Wen only felt that the rain made walking inconvenient.

He placed the Treasure Coins in an inconspicuous basket, covered them well with cloth, and weighed them down with potato cakes and miscellaneous items.

He kept his head low and hurried toward the alley outside the County Office.

Black Cloud County was filled with all sorts of people and teeming with gangs.

Various petty thieves and idlers wandered the streets, and there were many peddlers carrying goods and shouting their wares.

Under the fine drizzle, the dust of the streets mingled with the peculiar stench of sweat from the crowd.

Walking on the muddy, dilapidated streets, if one accidentally stepped into a gap between the mud bricks, the muddy water in the crevices would splash up and soak their pant legs.

As he walked in straw sandals, the splashed mud soaked his heels.

It was an incredibly uncomfortable feeling, leaving him constantly wanting to wash the mud out from his heels and the soles of his feet.

Shi Wen lowered his head in silence.

He hurried toward the home of Li Beheader.

In this world, only by mastering martial arts and becoming a martial artist could one be considered successful and capable of protecting oneself in these chaotic times.

Li Beheader was the gold-medal executioner at the County Office and also an incredible martial arts master.

Of course.

The reason Shi Wen was going to seek apprenticeship with Li Beheader was that his tuition fees were much lower than those of famous masters or the Fist Academy.

It wasn't that there weren't places in Black Cloud County with large grounds that opened martial arts halls.

But Shi Wen didn't even dare to think about them; the tuition was simply not something he could afford.

The further one ventured toward the outer city, the more chaotic the situation became.

On the streets, there were plenty of patrolling constables, but just as many thugs and ruffians; they would spend a few cheap copper coins at tea shops or taverns to order the cheapest items, sitting there all day as the best form of entertainment to pass the time on a drizzly day.

Shi Wen kept his head down as he walked, terrified of attracting any attention.

If his money were to be robbed, it would truly be a loss for nothing!

Perhaps because of the rain today, no one bothered to pay any mind to this poorly dressed youth.

The journey passed without any dangerous incidents.

Shi Wen trotted up to the outside of that courtyard.

The continuous drizzle fell like silken threads, forming tiny beads of "white sugar" atop Shi Wen's head.

He exhaled a puff of white mist, breathing slightly heavily, and peered cautiously into the gate.

A group of people in the yard were training with great fervor; Shi Wen stood outside the gate watching them practice their punches, an expression of envy and longing appearing on his face.

"Kid, looking to take on a master?"

A young man sitting under a banyan tree wiping away sweat shouted toward him.