"Bang! Bang!" Several sharp reports rang out. Holding the Prop Gun used for demonstrations, Tang Wen shouted, "Whoever dares come forward gets shot first!"
"He's got a firearm!" someone cried out in fright. Everyone immediately stopped in their tracks, terrified.
Li Quan and Zhang Kui were dumbfounded. Where did the master get a firearm?
Bang! Bang!
Tang Wen fired two more blank shots into the sky. Sparks and smoke billowed out, making the gun look tremendously powerful.
In truth, there were no bullets in this Prop Gun.
When fired, the gunpowder merely burst into sparks and smoke. It was just a prop used for filming television dramas.
The gun had originally been displayed in Luo Jun's room. Apparently, a friend who acted in Qing dynasty dramas had given it to him. It looked much like a short-handled firearm from the Qing dynasty.
Tang Wen was a military enthusiast, so naturally, it interested him.
Luo Jun had given it to him. Who would have thought he could use it to bluff a whole crowd of people from ancient times?
"My lord, my name is Zhan Dongwen. We're refugees from Dongting County in Liangzhou.
"There were over a hundred of us when we set out. Half died of sickness or starvation along the way. We're all that's left now.
"We truly had no other choice. And several stone slabs on this bridge really did break some time ago. We carried stones over to repair it.
"Many of us have families in tow. No one has crossed the bridge these past few days, so we haven't collected any silver either.
"We haven't eaten for two days. We can't just starve to death," Zhan Dongwen said weakly.
"I'm from Liangzhou too," Tang Wen said.
"Are you really from Liangzhou, master?" the monkey-faced man asked.
"Of course he is. This Su Mei Island was passed down by Master Tang's ancestors," Li Quan said.
"Then we're fellow countrymen, master. Could you give them something to eat? We don't ask for much. Just some food for the women, children, and elderly," Zhan Dongwen said.
"You can't carry on like this. Nor can I permit you to keep blocking the bridge and collecting money," Tang Wen said.
"Since it belongs to Master Tang, give us just fifteen dou of rice and we'll leave right now. We'll never block it again," Zhan Dongwen said.
"If you carry on like this, sooner or later you'll die of hunger or sickness. How about this? Join the Tang household as servants under bond.
"Each person will receive fifteen taels of silver for selling themselves into service, plus a monthly allowance of half a tael.
"As for food, daily necessities, and clothing, the Tang household will cover everything. You'll all eat your fill!" Tang Wen said.
"Master, I've had an education.
"And I practiced martial arts under an old Daoist priest for ten years.
"If they hadn't all insisted on following me, I wouldn't have fallen so low as to block a bridge," Zhan Dongwen said.
"I'll give you thirty taels for your bond, with a monthly allowance of one tael. By the way, do you have any family?" Tang Wen knew this fellow was their leader. Win him over, and the whole group would fall into place. Then he would gain popularity.
"Yes. My sisters and my parents. There are five of us altogether," Zhan Dongwen said.
"The others will receive the same rate as everyone else. Think it over," Tang Wen said.
"All right. I'll ask them." Zhan Dongwen hurried away, nodding.
"Master, my name is Sun Ping. Could I bring my family along too?" the monkey-faced man asked pitifully.
"Yes. Bring all your families. We'll take everyone together," Tang Wen said.
"Wonderful!" The whole crowd erupted with excitement, and everyone ran back, calling out.
In barely ten minutes, the women, children, and other family members had all arrived.
"So many?" Even Li Quan's hands trembled with alarm.
"Master, I counted. There are only thirty-odd able-bodied adults, but with their families, the total comes to sixty-two. With such a large group joining the Tang household, feeding everyone will cost a great deal of silver," Zhang Kui said worriedly.
"It's fine. We need people right now." Tang Wen waved a hand.
Just then, Zhan Dongwen approached with several people. "Master, this is my elder younger sister, Zhan Junru. She's twenty.
"Her husband died of illness before they had any children. She's alone now.
"This is my youngest sister, Zhan Qingmei. She's fifteen and hasn't married yet...
"My father, Zhan Shifeng, and my mother, Li Lanyue..."
"Then you're only in your early twenties?" Tang Wen was taken aback. Why do you look so old? I thought you were thirty.
"I'm twenty too. Junru and I are boy-girl twins. I was born first," Zhan Dongwen said, a little embarrassed.
"Greetings, Master Tang." The moment Zhan Shifeng opened his mouth, a coughing fit sent a mouthful of blood spraying all over Tang Wen.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Zhan Shifeng hastily said.
"You've caught a chill. You need treatment right away, or it'll only get worse," Tang Wen said.
"Master Tang, what will happen to my father?" Zhan Junru hurriedly asked when she heard that.
"Without medicine, he could very well die," Tang Wen said.
"Master Tang, do you know how to treat illnesses?" Zhan Junru asked.
"A little. I learned a bit from a physician before." Tang Wen nodded.
"Could you examine my father? Please save him. I... I'm willing to sell myself into service in the Tang household!" Frightened, Zhan Junru dropped to her knees and pleaded.
"No... you mustn't, Junru. Your husband died young. Your life has already been bitter enough. If I die, then I die. I can't let you suffer any more." Zhan Shifeng hurriedly waved his hands.
"Father, I can't just watch you die.
"I've already married out of the family. You don't need to concern yourself with me.
"Master Tang, please buy me.
"I don't want any silver. Just cure my father," Zhan Junru said through her tears.
"Junru, just let me die. I've been ill all this time, dragging you down. I'll be the death of you all. You'll have an easier life once I'm gone," Zhan Shifeng said, weeping.
"Master Tang, can you really cure my father?" Zhan Dongwen asked, staring at Tang Wen.
"It should be no problem. The medicine is just very expensive," Tang Wen said.
"How much silver?" Zhan Dongwen asked.
"Three or four hundred taels," Tang Wen said.
"Master Tang, please save my father. I'll serve you like an ox or a horse." Zhan Junru began kowtowing.
"I'm willing to sell myself too. I'll serve Master Tang like an ox or a horse." Zhan Qingmei ran over and knelt beside her.
"Ah..." Zhan Dongwen let out a long sigh and knelt before Tang Wen. "Our whole family is willing to sell ourselves into the Tang household. We don't want any payment for our bonds. Our only condition is that you cure my father."
"Think carefully. Once you sell yourselves into the Tang household, you'll be its bonded servants. You must be utterly loyal to the Tang household. I'm not forcing you," Tang Wen said coldly.
"We've thought it through. We're willing," Zhan Junru and the others said, nodding.
"We won't sign the bonds yet. If I can't cure your father, I won't take a single coin," Tang Wen said.
"Those words alone have won my respect, Master Tang. Whether you cure him or not, we'll sign," Zhan Dongwen said resolutely.
"Good. Let's draw up the contracts, then." Tang Wen had actually retreated to advance, and Zhan Dongwen had indeed taken the bait.
"Master Tang, we're willing to sell ourselves into the Tang household too," Sun Ping said, coming over when he saw this.
With them taking the lead, everyone soon signed.
Ding-dong! You have acquired sixty-two streams of popularity. You may initiate your second journey through space and time whenever you wish. Simply place your hand on the Wooden Chain and silently recite, "I am the great landlord," to begin.
At that moment, the great landlord system responded again.
Tang Wen saw that mysterious space once more, and the popularity index on the large screen had changed to "76."
At the same time, Tang Wen noticed columns of energy rising from Zhan Dongwen's head and the heads of the others, surging toward him.
These columns varied in size. Those from the children were only as thin as a strand of hair.
Those from the adults were several strands thick. The one above Zhan Dongwen's head was the thickest, about a dozen strands across.
Could this be "popularity"?
As he pondered this, Tang Wen suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He realized that the popularity was frantically burrowing into his body.
What's going on?
Tang Wen jumped in fright.
The next moment, he felt something battering several acupoints in his body, producing thudding sounds like a wooden ram pounding a city gate.
Could this "popularity" help me break through my acupoints too?
Tang Wen hurriedly activated his Lineage's Six Profound Return-to-Truth Art to regulate and guide the energy. Within seconds, his body shuddered, and he felt those acupoints burst open.
At once, his sense of the energy within his body became ten times clearer than before.
Tang Wen knew his strength had increased again. He had probably stepped into the middle stage of the ninth rank.
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