Fortune Soars

"Stone Crystal Fruit?"

Hong Ming was somewhat surprised; he had not expected a reward for stabilizing his Fate.

However, he did not pay it much mind, as he was currently unaware of the value of this reward.

Instead, he secretly memorized the location of the medicinal treasure, waiting for a future opportunity to plan for it.

He continued to examine the changes in his Fate. With the benefit granted, new requirements emerged:

[Fate: Child of Luck]

[As the Child of Luck, your cultivation is divinely assisted; you must become a Dark Force martial artist within two months.]

[Failure will result in a demotion of Fate, being plagued by calamity, and a reduction of ten years of lifespan.]

The cold words were as indifferent and ruthless as ever.

Compared to before, the overall content was largely the same, with the only differences being the deadline and the realm.

The former had been tightened to two months, while the latter had been elevated to Dark Force.

There was still no mention of a reward, but having gained experience, Hong Ming knew that it would appear once the requirements were met.

He remained unfazed by this, focusing instead on the changes to his Luck.

[Luck: 20 points (4%)]

Glancing at the panel, Hong Ming's expression turned to one of sudden joy.

The change in the Luck column was no less significant than the change in his own strength!

It had soared directly from the original five points to twenty, a massive surge of fifteen points.

This undoubtedly gave him more choices and would be of great benefit for solidifying his traits in the future!

Only magic can defeat magic!

By now, he understood clearly that to stabilize his Fate, relying on his own efforts alone was not enough; he had to make use of traits.

"It's getting late. I should pay back my employer first, then head home!"

Checking the sky, Hong Ming slowly withdrew his energy.

After days of mental tension, now that he had achieved success, a little relaxation would do no harm.

Martial arts practice still required a balance of work and rest.

As for registering his realm, he wasn't pressed for time; going tomorrow would be fine.

Returning to his living quarters, Hong Ming tidied himself up, changed into clean and neat clothes, and hurried toward the Zhong Family Cloth Shop.

This was his former employer.

He was received by the shop manager, Zhong Ping.

Upon seeing Hong Ming, he was slightly stunned and asked with a frown, "Hong Ming, what are you doing back here?"

"I've come to pay my debt!" Hong Ming's tone was distant.

In his memories, this guy was a real bloodsucker who often found excuses to withhold their wages.

Too lazy for small talk, he took out the money as soon as he finished speaking, intending to settle the debt.

Unexpectedly, his actions were stopped by the other party: "What debt? The money you owed for the goods was paid off long ago."

"Paid off?" Hong Ming was slightly stunned.

Zhong Ping nodded lightly and replied with some impatience, "A few days ago, your grandfather paid it off for you!"

Grandfather?

Hong Ming's expression shifted slightly. How did he find out?

And where did he get the money?

"Alright, the money is paid. If you have nothing else, don't hinder my work. Get out of here!"

Not giving Hong Ming a chance to continue questioning, Zhong Ping issued an immediate order to leave.

He was very busy and had no time to waste on him.

Though filled with doubts, Hong Ming did not ask further and took his leave.

There was no point in overthinking it now; he might as well go home and ask his grandfather what was going on.

Inside the small courtyard of the Hong Family Grocery Store.

The autumn wind was bleak, blowing withered leaves about.

They landed on the smooth, blackened bluestone slabs at the entrance, adding a touch of deathly silence.

It was just like the atmosphere in the courtyard at this moment.

The silence was instantly pierced by a sharp voice, coming from his eldest aunt: "Father, how could you go and borrow Lamb Interest? And you even used the deed to our shop as collateral?"

The aunt's anger was written all over her face; she truly had not expected that in order to pay off Hong Ming's debt, Hong Zheng would forgo marrying off his daughter and instead resort to borrowing Lamb Interest.

Lamb Interest—is that something an ordinary family like theirs can afford to borrow?

That snowballing debt, built high, is an bottomless pit that eats people without spitting out the bones, burying countless commoners who have lost their fortunes and seen their families destroyed!

To borrow Lamb Interest is to ruin one's life and harm one's entire family; it feels easy when you take the money, but the question is, can you ever pay it back?

What she found even more unacceptable was that throughout the entire process, Hong Zheng hadn't leaked a single word, let alone consulted them.

He had acted entirely on his own!

By the time they found out, the wood was already carved into a boat; there was no room left for maneuver.

"Father, Third Sister is right. You are pushing our whole family into a pit of fire!"

The aunt chimed in angrily, her tone filled with endless resentment.

The land deed should have included a share for her family, but now it had all been used by Hong Zheng to fill the hole Hong Ming had dug.

But what truly drove her to despair was not the lack of money, but the burden of a debt that should never have belonged to them.

Ten taels of silver—even if the three of them worked themselves to death, they could never pay it off!

"This matter is indeed my fault for not consulting you beforehand, but we couldn't really let Magpie be taken to settle the debt, could we?"

Listening to their indignant words, the old man knew he was in the wrong, and his tone weakened by three parts.

Yet, after only a moment of weakness, he straightened up and said righteously, "Besides, I did this for the good of our family, for your own good!"

In the past, upon hearing these words, the aunt would have ruthlessly torn through his facade.

How is this for their good? It is clearly only for the good of Hong Ming!

But at this moment, she seemed tired and weary, and surprisingly, she did not retort.

Instead, after a long silence, she seemed to have made up her mind in despair: "Father, since things have come to this, let us split..."

"Yo, the whole family is here?"

Before she could finish, the words were abruptly interrupted by a snide, mocking voice.

Qian Biao walked in swaggeringly, chewing on a stalk of dogtail grass, followed by two henchmen.

"That's perfect, saves me the trouble. You all will pay the money today."

As he spoke, he took a contract from his bosom—it was the very Lamb Interest agreement Hong Zheng had signed.

Hearing this, the eldest aunt, the aunt, and the younger aunt all looked at Hong Zheng with suspicion and fear.

Hong Zheng stood up, leaning on his cane, and forced a smile: "Master Biao, have you made a mistake? Didn't we agree that it could be repaid in installments?"

"It's been moved up," Qian Biao replied nonchalantly.

His tone, however, was beyond question; it was clear he was after the land deed of the Hong Family Grocery Store!

Hong Zheng and the others all turned pale at these words.

Especially when they saw the two henchmen behind Qian Biao, who were holding long staves and looking ready to strike, they were terrified.

They were a family of the old, the weak, the women, and the children—how could they be a match for these vicious thugs?

Hong Zheng swayed slightly, trying to argue, his voice trembling: "Master Biao, the time was set in black and white on this paper. How can you just change it like that?"

"Cut the crap. If you can't pay, use your land deed to settle it!"

Qian Biao said impatiently. Since he was already playing the role of a local tyrant, why bother with the spirit of a contract? That would be a waste of his reputation.

As he finished speaking, he seemed to recall something and grinned: "What, are you still hoping to pay it back after Hong Ming joins the Water Army?"

"You... what do you mean by that?" Hong Zheng's face changed slightly.

"What do I mean?" Qian Biao sneered. "That brat Hong Ming probably didn't tell you, did he? There are conditions for joining the Water Army."

He held up three fingers and added slowly: "Three months! If you fail to cultivate Power within this period, don't even think about joining the Water Army!"

His tone became increasingly smug: "If nothing goes wrong, Hong Ming's good days should be coming to an end!"

"There is such a thing?" Hong Zheng's expression froze.

If he remembered correctly, Hong Ming was indeed nearing the end of his three-month deadline, yet there had been no news until now. Did that not mean...

He dared not continue that line of thought; his mind went completely blank.

The blow dealt by Qian Biao's words was far more cruel than the Lamb Interest itself.

In a daze, he felt as if the very sky he had pinned his hopes upon had collapsed!