"Was that demon fellow or whatever really worth a hundred taels?"
"Yes, really. There are notices up in the county town. Haven't you seen them?"
Early the next morning, daylight shone bright.
Last night's downpour had left a hint of freshness in the world. Droplets hung on blades of grass, and sunlight passing through them turned into a rainbow of colors, as though a filter had been laid over the entire mortal world.
The lovely scenery truly refreshed the mind and lifted the spirits of anyone who saw it, but it was not so pleasant for travelers.
Zhang Qingyuan and Chen Ling'er trudged through the mud left by the rain, following a narrow mountain path.
A world without asphalt roads was truly unfriendly. Yellow mud caked their shoes, and every step sank to a different depth, making the walk particularly exhausting.
With the help of wound medicine, Chen Ling'er's injury had already scabbed over, though she still walked with a limp.
The two chatted as they walked, mostly with Zhang Qingyuan asking her for tips on navigating the jianghu.
Until yesterday, for instance, he had never understood how great heroes had money to spend wherever they went when they neither produced anything nor held jobs.
Only after Chen Ling'er explained did Zhang Qingyuan understand.
As it turned out, the jianghu teemed with murderers, robbers, and followers of evil cults. Organizations such as Six Doors and the Brocade Guard simply could not catch them all, so the authorities issued arrest warrants, otherwise known as wanted notices. A great many people in the jianghu made their living capturing fugitives wanted by the imperial court.
Once they caught a criminal, they could collect the bounty at any county office.
"So whenever those great heroes run out of money, they just catch a few wanted criminals, then trade them for spending money at the government office?"
Following behind him, Chen Ling'er nodded. "Yes. Many people in the jianghu do that, including quite a few senior figures who have been famous for years."
Of course, Zhang Qingyuan thought of an even quicker way to make money: looting corpses!
Once you killed someone, wouldn't the money you dug out of their pockets become yours?
It was not that nobody looted corpses, but those great heroes who prided themselves on belonging to upright, orthodox sects disdained it. They considered looting corpses shameful.
Pah!
If you're fucking starving to death, what good is saving face?
"Are there any other ways to make money?"
"Plenty. Some people become assassins, while others work as bodyguards or join jianghu organizations and such."
"Bodyguards?"
"Yes. Rich people are afraid of dying, so they often hire martial artists to protect them.
"Of course, the people they hire are merely skilled fighters from the jianghu. If they want first-rate masters, or even stronger experts, money alone won't be enough.
"You know, those experts generally aren't short of money. If you want to win them over, you have to show some sincerity."
She did not say what that sincerity consisted of, but Zhang Qingyuan could guess: rare treasures, martial arts manuals, peerless weapons, and the like.
"Any other ways?"
"Yes. There's another way great heroes like best."
"What is it?"
"Killing the rich to aid the poor!"
Zhang Qingyuan knew that phrase well. It had always appeared in the television dramas he watched in his previous life, with people killing the rich to aid the poor at the drop of a hat. Those rich people really were pitiful. No wonder they hired bodyguards.
"There's also wiping out mountain strongholds, stamping out bandits, and things like that."
"Got it."
As they chatted, the two arrived at the town gate before they knew it.
This was Qinghe County, a small county in the north.
The two walked through the gate. It was still morning, the shops had opened early, and the breakfast vendors had yet to pack up. Looking at the big, snowy-white buns in the steamers, Zhang Qingyuan could not help swallowing.
He approached a stall and asked, "How much are the buns?"
"One copper each. How many would you like, Daoist Master?" The stallholder grinned as he lifted the steamer lid, sending the aroma of meat wafting into their faces.
Zhang Qingyuan glanced back at the pitiful-looking Chen Ling'er. Her cool aloofness from last night was long gone. Her throat bobbed, and her stomach beat like a drum.
"How many can you eat?"
Chen Ling'er swallowed. "Three. Three will do."
Still pretty reserved... Zhang Qingyuan took out the only fifteen copper coins he had. "Give me ten."
From last night until this morning, Chen Ling'er had had only a few mouthfuls of water and was already famished. He reckoned three certainly would not be enough for her.
"Coming right up. Here you go."
The stallholder wrapped up ten buns, and after paying, Zhang Qingyuan cradled them in his hands.
Five coppers left. Not even enough for dinner. I have to find that demon fellow today and trade him for money at the government office.
When Chen Ling'er had entered the ruined temple to shelter from the rain last night, it was not that he did not know how to cherish a beauty. He really had no spare provisions himself.
The two found a step to sit on, picked up their buns, and ate while watching the passersby.
Small as the county town was, it had all its vital organs.
Besides the townsfolk, quite a few people of the jianghu walked the streets in close-fitting martial attire, carrying sabers and swords.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhang Qingyuan spotted seven or eight white-robed swordsmen approaching from the left. Every one of them wore a stern expression and swaggered as though they owned the place. It made Zhang Qingyuan rather curious. Were disciples of major sects all this cold and aloof?
He promptly asked Chen Ling'er, "What sect are they from?"
Chen Ling'er looked over too and said with a smile, "Them? They're from Cloud Dust Manor on Taihang Mountain."
"Cloud Dust Manor?"
"Yes. Cloud Dust Manor's first manor lord was named Yun Longhe. He became renowned throughout the world for his Emerging Cloud Swordsmanship. It's been over seventy years now, spanning three generations.
"The current manor lord is Yun Shan. His strength is extraordinary. He counts as a leading figure of his generation."
Zhang Qingyuan nodded, watching the people of Cloud Dust Manor pass before him without carrying away a single cloud.
"That demoness is nearby. All of you must search carefully. If you find any trace of her, come back and report immediately."
"Yes, eldest senior brother!"
His gaze swept over them, and one female disciple met his eyes. What a handsome Daoist priest, she thought.
Zhang Qingyuan nodded in greeting, and the female disciple looked a little bashful.
Ah, being handsome is a burden too~
As they hurried away, Zhang Qingyuan asked again, "Who are they looking for?"
Chen Ling'er said, "They're looking for the Green Bamboo Demoness, Li Qiuran."
"Li Qiuran?"
Realizing that this Daoist Priest Qingyuan knew absolutely nothing about jianghu affairs, Chen Ling'er simply swallowed her last mouthful of bun and explained:
"Li Qiuran has risen to fame in the jianghu over the past few years. Some call her the Green Bamboo Fairy, while others call her the Green Bamboo Demoness.
"She's called a fairy because she possesses peerless beauty.
"And she's called a demoness because she strikes ruthlessly and has the heart of a snake or scorpion.
"As for the bamboo green part, it means she's like a venomous green bamboo viper. You never know when you might offend her and have her turn around and bite you."
"Oh." Zhang Qingyuan nodded, taking an interest in this Bamboo Green Fairy.
"Is she worth anything to the authorities?"
A heart of snakes and scorpions, ruthless attacks-there should be a pretty big bounty, right?
Unexpectedly, Chen Ling'er shook her head. "The imperial court hasn't issued a warrant for her."
"Huh?"
"This Li Qiuran only has a bad reputation in martial circles. She hasn't broken the laws of the realm.
"The people of Cloud Dust Manor are looking for her because she crippled their young lord when she passed the foot of Taihang Mountain last month. They want to capture Li Qiuran and take her back to answer for it."
"So that's how it is."
Zhang Qingyuan nodded, his interest instantly fading.
Right now, he only wanted to make money. Nothing else interested him.
Roaming the jianghu, upholding justice, and holding a beauty in his arms would certainly be wonderful, but without money, he could do nothing.
As the saying went, with money you could travel the world; without it, you could scarcely move an inch.
I, Zhang Qingyuan, only want to make money!
"Are you full?"
"Yes."
Zhang Qingyuan stood up and declared with sky-piercing heroism, "Come on. Take me to the person who injured you. This humble Daoist will avenge you!"