An honorary post

Early the next morning.

Zhang Laochong brought several sturdy farmhands to the county town and handed Zhang Lingfeng the five-hundred-tael banknote he had obtained from the Li Clan.

He knew Zhang Lingfeng must have spent a great deal to deal with Master Hong. These five hundred taels would ease his financial pressure nicely.

"About Master Hong..."

Zhang Lingfeng wanted to make certain.

"When a man dies, his lamp goes out."

Zhang Laochong's expression was calm.

"That old scoundrel Li had Li Hongwei deliver Master Hong's body to his family, then had them notify his friends and relatives from when he was alive, especially his fellow martial school disciples, hoping someone would step forward to avenge him.

"Little did he know that doing so would instead push Master Hong's family into a pit of fire. Hong Wenjun had always relied on his martial skills to throw his weight around. Now that he was dead, who would still be willing to avenge him?

"Last night, I already had your second uncle find people to spread rumors that Master Hong's family had a thousand taels hidden away. Now all those old friends of his have turned into white-eyed wolves."

Zhang Laochong spoke with a look of regret.

After hearing this, Zhang Lingfeng and Zhang Pingping both exclaimed that old ginger was indeed the spiciest.

"Grandfather, what are you planning to do about the Li Clan now?"

Zhang Lingfeng asked again.

"Tell your grandfather honestly: can you cultivate Dark Force?"

Zhang Laochong asked in return.

"Yes. I can do it within a year."

Judging by his current progress bar, he would need about seven more months, but Zhang Lingfeng could hardly give too precise a timeframe.

A gleam flashed through Zhang Laochong's eyes, and he could not keep the corners of his mouth from rising. He took a hundred-tael banknote from beneath his shoe insole and said, "Until you become a Dark Force expert, the Li Clan is too big a piece of fatty meat for us to swallow. But Little Moon Mountain's water source is in our hands now. I'll help you keep that old scoundrel Li in check. At least for this next year, there won't be any more trouble."

"All right. Thank you, Grandfather."

Zhang Lingfeng understood what his grandfather meant.

By now, he had spent over eight hundred taels of the family's silver altogether. He had no idea how much private savings his grandfather still had.

"The family can't give you much, but no matter what, we'll support you with everything we have and help you cultivate Dark Force."

Zhang Laochong gripped Zhang Lingfeng's shoulder as he spoke.

He had never imagined that so much could happen in less than a year since Zhang Lingfeng began practicing martial arts.

Not only did the Zhang Clan now own over a thousand mu of land, but his grandson had also established himself in the county town and even founded Warm Breeze Hall. The interest it collected each month exceeded the earnings from those thousand mu of land.

His grandson could also shelter the family from wind and rain and shoulder responsibilities on his own. It was precisely because he saw all this that Master Zhang was willing to empty the family's savings to fully support Zhang Lingfeng's attempt to reach Dark Force.

"Rest assured, Grandfather. Your grandson certainly won't disappoint you."

Zhang Lingfeng spoke solemnly.

Zhang Laochong smiled in gratification. After lunch there, he hurried back to Zhang Family Gully with his men. He knew the matter of Little Moon Mountain remained unresolved, and many things awaited his attention back home.

That afternoon.

Zhang Lingfeng returned to the martial school.

He told Liu Feng that Wei He had returned the money, then withdrew sixty taels for him.

Liu Feng's face was wreathed in smiles.

He had invested three hundred taels in Warm Breeze Hall altogether. After withdrawing sixty taels in dividends, he saw that plenty of silver remained in his account. If he withdrew everything, he could receive even more silver.

But to keep Warm Breeze Hall running, Liu Feng did not do so. Instead, he told Zhang Lingfeng to be sure to notify him if anything like the Wei He incident happened again.

A month later.

[Twelve-Form Iron Mountain Fist Middle Section: (316/600)]

The time to knock at the gates of Dark Force had drawn another month closer.

The matter between the Zhang Clan and the Li Clan had also been resolved half a month earlier.

First, no one had avenged Master Hong. After his death, a few people had sworn solemnly that they would do so to get their hands on his family's money, only to disappear without a trace once they had taken it.

As for the Li Clan, things went just as Zhang Laochong had said.

The Zhang Clan was not yet capable of swallowing the Li Clan's fields at the foot of Little Moon Mountain.

The Li Clan was unlike the Zhang Clan.

If pushed too far, the Li Clan could spend one or two thousand taels to hire a Dark Force expert to deal with the Zhang Clan. Thus, those five hundred taels ultimately became the Li Clan's payment for ten years of water from Little Moon Mountain.

The matter between the Zhang Clan and the Li Clan came to a close for the time being.

"Master has arranged for a group of employers to come select people tomorrow. If you want an honorary post with a monthly stipend, remember to get ready."

Wu Yun addressed everyone.

The county town had many factions: gangs, the authorities, powerful clans, and various merchant associations and escort agencies. They needed martial artists affiliated with them, first to deter petty villains, second as a display of strength, and third to forge a favorable connection.

Wu Yun, for instance, held an honorary post with the Yan Lineage.

Liu Feng served as a martial instructor at a restaurant and for a wealthy household.

Almost all the fellow disciples sought affiliations after consolidating their Ming Jin cultivation, securing themselves a monthly stipend.

However, twenty percent of the stipend they received had to be given to Guo Wei.

It was repayment for their regular martial instruction.

Only disciples who cultivated Transforming Jin could be exempted from this payment. Of course, none of Guo Wei's disciples had cultivated Transforming Jin so far.

"Wonderful!"

Ye Fan looked excited. Possessing supreme-grade natural aptitude, he had long since attracted interest. The Yan Lineage backing Wu Yun, for instance, had promised him a hundred taels a month, equivalent to the stipend for Dark Force cultivation.

Clearly, the Yan Lineage valued his talent and future prospects and primarily wanted to build a connection with him.

But accepting an honorary post required Guo Wei's permission. Even Zhang Lingfeng could not decide for himself.

Zhang Lingfeng was also rather pleased to hear this. He approached Guo Wei of his own accord and said, "Master, may this disciple select someone from among my fellow disciples tomorrow to hold an honorary post with my family? My family has over a thousand mu of fertile fields that need guarding."

Although the matter with the Li Clan had come to a close, Zhang Lingfeng had to remain on guard. Besides, the sudden destruction of the Ma Family had always been a nightmare for everyone in Zhang Family Gully.

Now that he had the steady income from Warm Breeze Hall, hiring a martial instructor to guard his home would not affect his cultivation. It would both keep the Li Clan in line and expand his connections within the martial school.

"You may, as long as someone is willing to take a post with your family."

Guo Wei spoke mildly.

Some of his disciples also came from rich and noble families. When their households needed martial instructors, they would select them directly from his school.

Such things had happened before.

But this was the first time he had seen a modest household like Zhang Lingfeng's seeking a martial instructor for an honorary post.

The following day.

Representatives from gangs, escort agencies, merchant associations, gambling houses, brothels, and clans such as the Yan Lineage appeared at the martial school.

Those who wanted an honorary post and a monthly stipend had to demonstrate their strength in public.

Dark Force experts like Wu Yun already had affiliations. Those being selected today were primarily people who had cultivated Ming Jin within the past six months and had only recently entered the inner courtyard.

People such as Ye Fan and Zhang Lingfeng.

"Boom!"

Ye Fan demonstrated his fist technique.

With his supreme-grade natural aptitude, he was undoubtedly the most dazzling of this group of Ming Jin disciples. Many clans competed to recruit him, and the Yan Lineage ultimately secured him with a monthly stipend of a hundred taels.

He looked smugly at Zhang Lingfeng, wanting to see which household would take him and how much of a monthly stipend he could get.

Zhang Lingfeng saw the provocation in Ye Fan's eyes and ignored it.

Several other disciples demonstrated their skills next and also secured honorary posts, but most received monthly stipends of between twenty and thirty taels.

Then a youth named Chen Qing stepped forward. A year younger than Zhang Lingfeng, he had taken six months to cultivate Ming Jin.

As long as I secure a post, I'll have at least a dozen or so taels each month. Then Mother and I won't have to keep living on the boat, exposed to the wind and sun every day.

Chen Qing thought to himself.

He then demonstrated his fist technique for everyone. Unfortunately, his aptitude was rather ordinary. Though his movements were properly executed, they lacked power and boldness in the eyes of those who knew their trade.

Quite a few people shook their heads discreetly.

Especially after learning that he possessed only low-grade natural aptitude, even some of the gambling houses were unwilling to spend money on Chen Qing.

"Employers, I have finished my demonstration."

Chen Qing cupped his fist toward everyone.

They all avoided his eyes.

For a moment, Chen Qing was rather embarrassed, unsure what to do.

Just then, he saw Zhang Lingfeng step forward and assumed he wanted to demonstrate his fist technique for everyone. Feeling bitter, he was about to leave when Zhang Lingfeng called out to stop him. "Junior Brother Chen, my family needs a martial instructor to guard our fertile fields. We can give you fifteen taels a month, along with fifty jin each of horsemeat and pork. Would you be willing to take a post with my family?"

"Senior Brother Zhang, I'm willing."

Chen Qing almost thought he had misheard, and his voice could not help trembling.

Many of their fellow disciples looked at Zhang Lingfeng in surprise. They had never expected a modest household like the Zhang Clan to be willing to spend money hiring a martial instructor.

Ye Fan, who had been waiting to see Zhang Lingfeng make a fool of himself, was even more dumbfounded. He could not help cursing inwardly, The heavens have been turned upside down.

He had assumed Zhang Lingfeng would seek an affiliation just as he had.

He had never expected him to turn around and select someone to affiliate with the Zhang Clan instead.

What made a petty landlord worthy of that?

But on second thought, with a petty landlord like the Zhang Clan, based in such an impoverished backwater outside town, probably no one else in the martial school would give them a second glance besides Chen Qing, a fisherman by birth whom no one wanted.

His disdain returned in full.