Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 168 - 164: This Building Can Save Your Life!

Chapter 168: Chapter 164: This Building Can Save Your Life!

In a tavern, a faint scent of wine lingered.

Zhang San, accompanied by Cui Jiu, entered the tavern and, hearing someone arguing with the owner about watered-down wine, chose a relatively quiet spot.

Over the past few days, Zhang San had been entertaining several Military Chiefs from the Chuan-Yu Road, and now that he’d finally sent them off, he took the opportunity to learn and seek advice from them.

He not only mastered the Twin Blade Technique but also revisited the Bamboo Breaking and Mending Technique in his dreams for eight years, even learning many fighting skills from other Military Chiefs.

With the other Military Chiefs gone, he finally had the chance to meet with Cui Jiu.

"You’ve already taken away four people, so am I considered one of your members now?"

Being in a tavern, Zhang San wasn’t sure if the walls had ears, so he deliberately omitted key words when speaking.

"Not yet," Cui Jiu replied.

Zhang San frowned and asked, "Why not?"

"This is merely a declaration of intent. To truly join us, you must still pass a test."

Zhang San grimaced and said coldly, "If there are more tests, then this time’s effort wasn’t for free, I’ll need some benefits."

Cui Jiu was taken aback, stroked his beard, and countered, "Isn’t this a declaration of intent?"

Zhang San quickly shook his head, starting to explain in detail to Cui Jiu.

"Am I one of yours now?"

Cui Jiu shook his head.

"So, I did work for you, right?"

Cui Jiu nodded.

"I did work for you and I’m still not one of your own, shouldn’t I get some benefits?"

Cui Jiu continued nodding.

But after nodding, Cui Jiu felt something was off.

Theoretically, this matter shouldn’t need any expense, so why suddenly give Zhang San a benefit now?

Knowing Zhang San, who held a minor official position but had significant influence in the Town Martial Office, rewarding him could not be taken lightly.

"No, no," Cui Jiu waved his hands and took out an abacus, saying solemnly, "Wait a minute, let me calculate."

Click-clack, click-clack...

Cui Jiu started calculating, and after about a quarter of an hour, during which Zhang San had already finished two pots of wine, Cui Jiu finally finished.

Cui Jiu faintly felt something was off because he couldn’t figure it out after all that time.

But logically, with his intelligence, that shouldn’t be the case!

Lately, his ability to predict seemed to have declined.

Anyway, Zhang San did indeed help the Heavenly Punishment Sect rescue people.

"Have you figured it out?"

Seeing Cui Jiu with a grim face, Zhang San knew he was definitely going to profit from this.

Cui Jiu fumbled in his robe for a long time and eventually pulled out a copper coin and placed it on the table.

Zhang San widened his eyes at the copper coin on the table and gestured with his hand to form the number four.

The implication was clear—are the Heavenly Punishment Sect’s four people worth just one copper coin?

Cui Jiu pried open Zhang San’s hand and stuffed the copper coin into his palm.

"This isn’t just any Copper Coin—keep it secure, not in your Qiankun Bag, it could save your life at a critical moment."

Zhang San immediately picked up the copper coin and inspected it closely; though he couldn’t tell it was a magical treasure after a long inspection, logically, they shouldn’t be deceiving him.

"Tell me, what other tests are there?"

At this, Cui Jiu leaned in and whispered, "Although Bai Yucheng is dead, he left behind a ledger. Did you know that?"

Zhang San blinked, lowered his head slightly, and seeing his shadow making a "damn" gesture, he knew Shadow Capital wasn’t aware of this.

But it was normal for Shadow Capital not to know; after all, many were unaware of Bai Yucheng’s matters.

"We have been watching the Town Martial Office for a while. We first discovered Bai Yucheng was related to the Dragon Serpent Gang, thinking he was their protector. Later on, we realized he had secretly established the gang!"

"Over the years, the Dragon Serpent Gang has colluded with multiple governors in Chuan-Yu and even high-ranking officials in the Capital, trading beauties and wealth for protection."

"If we could get Bai Yucheng’s ledger, then our Heavenly Punishment Sect could use it to perform justice one by one!"

Zhang San knew, this was the modus operandi of the Heavenly Punishment Sect.

"What about the clue, then? You must give me some clue."

"Dragon Serpent Gang. We checked all the bases of the Town Martial Office on Chuan-Yu Road and ultimately confirmed that the account book should be with the Dragon Serpent Gang. After all, the Dragon Serpent Gang is a power secretly established by Bai Yucheng; keeping the account book there is safest."

Zhang San understood, then he pressed further, "Are there any other clues?"

"I can’t remember clearly; there shouldn’t be any for now."

Zhang San grinned coldly, "What do you mean you can’t remember clearly? Are you guys reliable or not?"

Meanwhile, a group had already traveled day and night from the capital, reaching Chuan-Yu Road.

The person responsible for meeting them led them into a secluded manor house.

"Hey! Are there any leads on the account book?"

Clearly, this group of experts from the capital was very anxious.

The host smiled at them and said, "Gentlemen, rest assured. Recently, I’ve dispatched people to spread the word that the former officer of the Town Martial Office, Bai Yucheng, left behind a treasure. Thus, naturally, someone will find the account book for us. We just need to wait in the background."

Hearing this, the group of experts finally relaxed and went to their rooms in the manor with the maids to rest well.

...

Capital Region Road. Daxing City. Wen Family.

The Head of Wen Family called over his young grandson.

Wen Ruchu, the eldest son and eldest grandson of the Wen Family, also had the strongest talent among the younger generation of the family.

He was not yet sixteen but had already cultivated to the Qi Flow Transformation of the True Core Realm, an unrivaled prodigy throughout the capital. For safety reasons, however, the outside world only thought he was still at the stage of the Five Emperors’ Proper Position.

"Ruchu, the family has just received some news. An officer from the Town Martial Office who had been close to the Crown Prince’s confidantes in Chuan-Yu died recently."

Wen Ruchu was startled by his grandfather’s words and hurriedly asked, "Grandfather, I know our Wen Family has always wanted to get involved with the Town Martial Office, but we never had the chance."

The Family Head of Wen Family laughed heartily.

"Now, the opportunity has come. Chuan-Yu Road is getting more and more chaotic, and it’s said that the personnel from the Town Martial Office there are stretched thin. Coincidentally, at this time, my eldest son and grandson has just broken through to Qi Flow Transformation. It’s quite normal for him to go and train in the Town Martial Office in Chuan-Yu, isn’t it?"

Wen Ruchu understood and bowed to his grandfather, "Grandfather, rest assured. Ruchu will not disappoint you or the family."

The Family Head of Wen Family looked at his eldest grandson, whom he had devotedly nurtured. Seeing the young prodigy, his face was filled with satisfaction and pride.

Town Martial Office, here comes the Wen Family!

At that moment in Qianlie County, just as Zhang San and Cui Jiu were about to leave a tavern, a waiter stopped them.

"Gentlemen, you haven’t paid for your drinks yet?"

Zhang San was taken aback, turned around, and shouted into the tavern, "In the entire Qianlie County, your tavern dilutes the drinks the most? And you still ask for money?"

The owner, who had just finished quarreling with another customer who complained about watered-down drinks, was already furious. Seeing someone else causing trouble, he grabbed a stick and charged over, aiming a blow at Zhang San’s shoulder.

"The drinks, the drinks, so what if there’s water in the drinks?"

Zhang San laughed and fished out two pieces of paper money from his Gluttonous Bag and threw them in the owner’s face.

"Paper money, paper money, of course there’s money in the paper!"

The owner, enraged, swung his stick at Zhang San in one swift motion.

However, before the stick could even touch him, Zhang San thudded to the ground, beginning to vomit blood profusely.

Cui Jiu was initially shocked, then immediately understood what was happening, and knelt beside Zhang San, shouting that there had been a murder.

In reality, Zhang San had attacked his own True Core with his Blade Intent. While he vomited blood, he could later heal himself using the Bamboo Breaking and Mending Technique, and even make his True Core more solid.

The tavern owner, witnessing this, was completely shocked.

This person is so fragile, he’s dying from a single touch?

He immediately took out two small pieces of gold and several copper coins and threw them at Cui Jiu.

"He vomited blood on his own, this has nothing to do with me!"

Saying this, the owner quickly told his waiter to close the tavern, lest they lose more money.

As the doors of the tavern closed, Zhang San also rose from the ground, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and snatched the pieces of gold and copper coins from Cui Jiu’s hands.

"Alright, let’s leave it at that for today. Remember you owe me a drink; treat me next time."

Zhang San weighed the copper coins in his hand and left with a swagger, leaving the disheveled Cui Jiu behind and the owner in the tavern’s backyard, hurriedly packing valuable items to flee.