Borrowing Money

"Kong Yu has only been training for a month and a half, hasn't he? He's already succeeded in Qi Gathering!"

As news of Kong Yu's success in Qi Gathering spread, shock broke out across many faces. Reaching Qi Gathering in a month and a half was frighteningly fast.

Most of them had taken more than two and a half months to reach Qi Gathering, and some had even taken three.

"That kind of talent is simply terrifying!"

"The Raging Wind Hall really stumbled upon a treasure."

"Who in our Mighty Far Hall can stand against Kong Yu?"

After the shock came worry. The Mighty Far Hall and the Raging Wind Hall were at odds, and challenges at each other's schools were a regular occurrence.

Given a little more time to grow, Kong Yu might well sweep through the Mighty Far Hall.

"With a lower first-grade bone root, he actually took a month and a half to reach Qi Gathering. This Kong Yu is nothing special."

Lu Ren looked unruffled as he said confidently, "As Ji Yun's disciple, he probably has all the resources he wants. Even then, he still took a month and a half. There's no need to act as if a great enemy is bearing down on us."

He had only taken two months to reach Qi Gathering himself. With enough resources, he was confident he could have done it within a month and a half too.

"Junior Brother Lu has a point!"

"A month and a half doesn't make him unbeatable."

"If he took a month and a half just to reach Qi Gathering, there's no way he'll reach Marrow Cleansing by the Martial Examination's Dragon Ascension."

"His bone root is good, but his comprehension must be somewhat lacking."

Lu Ren's words immediately won agreement from Gu Fang, Jiang Ping, and the others, who all breathed sighs of relief.

"Senior Brother Lu Ren, Kong Yu didn't take a month and a half to reach Qi Gathering. According to the information I obtained, he reached it ten days ago. The people at the Raging Wind Hall deliberately concealed the news," the disciple said quietly.

In an instant, everyone who had been talking seemed to have their throats seized by an unseen hand. None of their remaining words would come out.

Lu Ren's expression rapidly shifted from calm confidence to astonishment.

He had actually reached Qi Gathering ten days ago!

That speed finally left even him aghast.

"Is that true?"

Lin Cheng had appeared at some point and fixed the disciple who brought the news with a piercing stare.

Seeing that it was Lin Cheng speaking, the disciple hurriedly bowed. "Master, that is what I learned from my inquiries. I cannot guarantee with absolute certainty that it is true."

Despite his words, everyone understood that reaching Qi Gathering in a month and a few days was hardly difficult for someone with a lower first-grade bone root. The news was very likely true.

"One lower first-grade bone root won't overturn the heavens. All of you, get back to practicing your punches." Lin Cheng turned and left.

His reaction put the disciples considerably more at ease. Even if the sky fell, their master would hold it up.

"A lower first-grade bone root..." Xu Yang's expression remained calm.

As long as he kept his head down, his bone root and comprehension should reach that level too by the Martial Examination's Dragon Ascension.

"Aren't you worried, Senior Brother Xu?"

Beside him, Qiu Wenjie could not help asking out of curiosity when he saw that Xu Yang had remained as still as an ancient well throughout.

"Worried about what?"

Xu Yang smiled. “The Martial Arts Hall belongs to my family. Should I worry about it being swept aside? Or worry that Kong Yu will come challenge me?”

At those words, many of the people nearby relaxed.

It really was not their place to worry about this. Even if the Martial Arts Hall was swept aside, it would have little effect on disciples like them. They did not even have the standing to concern themselves with the Martial Arts Hall's future.

Even if Kong Yu came to challenge the Mighty Far Hall, his targets would be geniuses like Lu Ren, Sun Tao, Jiang Ping, and Zhao Zhifei. Their own names were not even worth Kong Yu remembering.

They were better off simply going about their own business.

"Rotten luck!"

Bao Gang came out of the Gambling Den cursing, looking rather miserable.

Not only had he lost all the money on him, but he had also borrowed two taels from the Gambling Den.

At first, he had only wanted to win some money for his cultivation. Instead, he had sunk deeper and deeper. Lately, every last coin he had went into the Gambling Den, and now he was penniless.

At least we get our monthly pay today, Bao Gang thought.

Then he could repay the Gambling Den and pay his apprenticeship fee... leaving him with nothing.

The thought irritated him. Forget cultivation resources this month-he would not even have money for daily expenses.

"I'll borrow some from them in a bit."

Braving the wind and snow, Bao Gang arrived at the Liu Residence.

Xu Yang, Wu Yongfeng, Wang Yun, and the others were already waiting outside the accounts office.

"Who should I borrow from?"

Bao Gang's gaze passed over them one by one as he considered who would be easiest to borrow money from. Eventually, his eyes settled on Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng.

He had already borrowed from everyone else and had yet to repay them. These two were the only ones he had not asked.

"How much did you get?"

Wang Yun was the first to enter the accounts office. When he returned, everyone hurriedly asked him.

Although the Liu Residence paid them a monthly allowance of only five taels, they often received more than that. If they escorted their employers outside and dealt with any petty bandits they encountered, they received rewards. There was also "overtime," which came with "overtime pay."

"Five taels and five mace. I didn't earn any merit last month."

Wang Yun smiled at Xu Yang. "You dealt with bandits twice for the master last month, and you guarded the mistress for seven days while she stayed with her family. You'll probably get seven taels."

Xu Yang did not know how much he would receive either. He had reported his cultivation breakthrough yesterday, but he did not know which cultivation level the accounts office would use to calculate his monthly pay.

"Attendant Xu Yang, please come in."

Soon, someone in the accounts office called Xu Yang's name. He pushed the door open and entered, finding several gleaming pieces of silver on the desk.

Twelve taels!

One glance told him how much he had received. The accounts office had indeed calculated last month's allowance according to his Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering.

"Attendant Xu, please sign and leave your mark here."

Xu Yang swiftly wrote down his name and walked out of the accounts office. When Wu Yongfeng and the others came over to ask, he only said he had received seven taels. He had no intention of revealing that he had already reached the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering.

There was no need to draw that kind of attention. It would do him no good if the Liu Family's enemies learned of it.

Naturally, the Liu Family would not publicize such a thing either.

"Brother Xu, could you lend me two taels of silver? I'll repay you next month at the latest," Bao Gang said, squeezing his way over.

Xu Yang had received seven taels, and he was only asking for two. Surely Xu Yang would do him that favor.

Xu Yang glanced at him. “Sorry, I don't have enough silver for my own needs. I still have to go to the Martial Arts Hall to pay my tuition later.”

Never mind that he barely knew Bao Gang-even if they were close, he would not lend him money. Besides, he knew Bao Gang had borrowed from plenty of people and had yet to repay them.

And if he was asking to borrow money right after payday, the hole in his finances was probably rather deep.

There were already these examples before him.

With other people's lessons to go by, he would have to be out of his mind to lend Bao Gang money.

With that, he gave Bao Gang no chance to keep pestering him and strode toward the Attendant Courtyard.

Afraid Bao Gang would ask them for money, Wu Yongfeng, Wang Yun, and the others promptly followed at a brisk pace.

"Damn it! How dare he refuse me!"

Bao Gang stared after Xu Yang, his expression turning ugly.

He had thought that Xu Yang, who was usually easy to talk to, would definitely lend him the money. Then he could take the opportunity to borrow some from Wu Yongfeng too and return to the Gambling Den to win back his losses.

Now that Xu Yang had refused, Wu Yongfeng probably would not lend him any either.

The atmosphere in the Attendant Courtyard was rather strange all morning. Everyone feared Bao Gang would ask to borrow money, so they all trained as though their lives depended on it, giving him no chance to speak.

After lunch, they all vanished in a flash.

"You bastards, looking down on people with your dog eyes!"

“You dog-eyed snobs!” Bao Gang cursed viciously and soon arrived at the Gambling Den. First, he repaid the two taels he had borrowed earlier. He had meant to take the remaining money to the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School later to pay his apprenticeship fee, but his hands itched, and he could not resist playing a few rounds.

In less than an hour, he not only lost every last bit of the three-odd taels he had on him, but borrowed another two taels as well.

When Bao Gang emerged from the Gambling Den, his face was deathly pale.