Chapter 1 Aftermath

After waking up, Wu Zheng didn't bother with anything else and hurried out of Anhe Academy. He rushed south of the city with his page, anxiously asking him about the details several times along the way.

Before long, Wu Zheng arrived at a grand residence with tall gates, the plaque reading "Lu Mansion."

The Lu family was a prominent and wealthy clan in the prefecture. An ancestor had once held a high-ranking official position. Although they had declined somewhat later, they were still powerful.

Years ago, Old Master Wu had maneuvered things so that his daughter married into the Lu Mansion as a concubine. For the Wu family, it was considered climbing up the social ladder.

Although his daughter was a concubine, she was quite favored, and the two families occasionally had dealings. While Wu Zheng was studying in the prefecture, he often received extra care from the Lu Mansion.

Therefore, when trouble broke out at home, Wu Zheng rushed to his sister for help.

He informed the gatekeeper and waited anxiously for a while before being allowed inside. He followed a servant into the courtyard, winding his way to a residence where he met his sister.

Upon seeing her, Wu Zheng felt as if he had found his backbone. Trembling, he told her about the changes at home and anxiously asked:

"Sister, such a catastrophe has befallen our family. Father and my two younger brothers have died tragically, and the family property has been looted by peasants. The tenants have scattered. What should I do?"

Wu Zheng's sister was also flustered. Because she was a concubine, she couldn't make the decision herself, so she quickly said, "Brother, don't worry. Let me report this to Master."

After speaking, she got up to inform the mistress and then went to find Master Lu, Lu Ancheng, and told him the details.

Before long, Lu Ancheng invited Wu Zheng to the main hall for a discussion.

Wu Zheng followed the servant there and saw that Master Lu, the Lu family's mistress, and his sister were already in the main hall.

He hurriedly stepped forward to greet them, saying a string of flattering words before cautiously sitting down on the edge of a chair.

Lu Ancheng had a solemn and stern appearance. He had a servant serve tea and slowly said, "I have already learned about the matter. Old Master Wu was an old friend of mine. I am very saddened to hear of his misfortune. Our two families have always had dealings, so I will definitely help you and help you regain your family property."

Wu Zheng was overjoyed and repeatedly clasped his hands, spouting a series of grateful words. After all, he was a scholar with ink in his belly.

Lu Ancheng used the lid to scrape the tea leaves, and pondered:

"Rumors often lack details. I will send some tenants with you to Wu Family Village to find out what happened. If the robber hasn't left, don't act rashly. If the robber has left, see who has taken over your property, and if your land deeds and loan receipts are still there. If the land deeds and loan receipts are still there, it will be easy. Go to the county office and ask the government to uphold justice."

Wu Zheng nodded quickly and wrote it down.

Under the old master's cultivation, he had focused on studying since childhood, seeking to pass the imperial examinations. He had never managed the family business, so he was at a loss in this chaotic situation. Now that Master Lu was offering advice, he finally had a clue.

"What if the land deeds are gone?" Wu Zheng hurriedly asked.

Lu Ancheng took a sip of tea, smacked his lips, and said unhurriedly:

"That's not difficult. Just find the government to endorse it. Your Wu family has always given the county magistrate his due respect, and he knows that the surrounding land is the Wu Family Village's property. As long as you give some money to the county magistrate and bribe him, this matter will be half done. If that's not enough, come back and tell me. I have a good relationship with the prefect, and I can say a few words for you. Then the family property will rightfully return to your Wu family... So what if the land deeds are gone? Since it's yours, those ignorant commoners rioted and thought they could take it away!"

Wu Zheng was overjoyed and quickly got up to give a big salute, gratefully saying, "Master Lu's help this time is something I will never forget! If Old Master Lu needs anything in the future, I am willing to serve you like a dog or horse, and I will not hesitate to die!"

Lu Ancheng accepted the salute, paused, and said slowly, "You are too polite. Please sit down. Although this matter is not difficult, I have a few words of advice I would like to offer to Master Wu."

Wu Zheng immediately straightened his back and said solemnly, "Old Master Lu, please speak."

Lu Ancheng stroked his beard and suddenly changed his tone, speaking earnestly:

"Master, listen to my words. You are someone who wants to pass the imperial examinations. As long as you pass, why worry about not getting your family property back? Even if you regain your family property, you will have to manage it yourself. How will you have the energy to study? Being distracted by this matter would be putting the cart before the horse. Why don't you make an agreement with me after you regain your land, and lease all the land to me? I will have someone take care of it for you and give you some money every year. When you pass the imperial examinations in the future and have free time, you can take over again."

Wu Zheng was stunned. He took a deep look at Lu Ancheng, got up without hesitation, and saluted:

"This is a win-win situation. Master Lu is benevolent! After I regain my family property, I will trouble Master Lu to manage it."

Lu Ancheng then smiled and stepped forward to help Wu Zheng up, saying, "Young Master, you are too polite. Our two families have a close relationship. I will naturally not stand idly by for such a small matter. I hope that Young Master will diligently study the scriptures and strive to pass the imperial examinations in the future!"

After settling this matter, the two held hands and chatted about some trivial matters. Lu Ancheng seemed like a kind elder, saying some encouraging words.

After chatting for a while, the Lu Mansion held a banquet to entertain Wu Zheng, and everyone was happy.

After finishing the banquet, Wu Zheng said that he still had to ask for leave from the academy, so he bid farewell to Master Lu.

Walking out of the Lu Mansion gate, a gust of cold wind on the street sobered Wu Zheng up a lot, and he couldn't help but feel sorrow welling up inside.

How could he not know Master Lu's plan? Before he passed the imperial examinations, the land would belong to the Lu family, and they would just give him some money every year to send him off.

If he passed the imperial examinations, Master Lu would naturally return the leased land to him in a friendly manner, forming a good relationship.

If he couldn't pass the imperial examinations in his entire life, his family's inheritance of several generations would probably be surnamed Lu in the future...

Wu Zheng felt that he had no choice. He sighed twice in his heart, wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and then left the Lu Mansion with his page.

...

On the other side, because "Mountain-Flipping Tyrant" Fang Zhen was traveling with them, Zhou Jing's group had one more person.

The chance encounter with Fang Zhen resulted in them eating a meal together, delaying them for some time. After hurrying after lunch, the group still couldn't reach Anlin Prefecture before sunset and had to find an inn outside the city to stay overnight, waiting to enter the city at dawn.

Many passersby who missed the city's closing time also settled in the inn. There were many people and various eyes, so the group ate a hasty meal and went back to their rooms to rest.

Early the next morning, the city gate opened, and Li Chun came forward to take care of things. He took out the road pass and gave some silver as a bribe, leading the group into the city.

Along the way, Li Chun had already explained to Zhou Jing that it was better to go to the county towns and villages, but if you wanted to enter the prefecture city, you needed "identification" and "travel permits," generally called road passes.

In the early days of the Great Xia Dynasty, the checks were stricter, but after more than a hundred years of corruption, it was now extremely lax.

As the saying goes, those above have policies, and those below have countermeasures. Forging road passes had become a common black market business, and the skilled ones were almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Even if the craftsmanship was poor, there were many people entering the city every day in various prefectures, and if the soldiers guarding the gate were not careful, there was a chance to get through.

And in this world, those above behave, those below follow. Everywhere there were corrupt officials. If you knew how to use money, you didn't even need to forge it. Some local petty officials were too lazy to check and would write according to your needs after you gave them enough money, selling official road passes in private.

In addition, the job of guarding the gate in this prefecture city was also a lucrative one, and not everyone was qualified to do it.

Small power can also make money. As long as you gave enough bribes, the guarding soldiers would turn a blind eye during inspections. And if you encountered some greedy people, even if you had a qualified road pass, they could still find trouble with you if you didn't bribe them with some money.

In one day, the guarding soldiers could earn a lot of extra money.

Of course, they couldn't keep this money to themselves, and they had to bribe the higher-level officers stationed at the city defense, taking care of everything.

The guarding soldiers not only made money for themselves but also collected money for their superiors. Without this ability, they wouldn't be qualified to be sent by their superior officers to do this job.

Normal merchants naturally hated these rules and didn't dare to speak out, but it was convenient for Green Forest people and martial world people to act.

After entering the city, the group found an inn to settle down.

Because of his burly figure, Zhou Jing was a bit conspicuous, but he changed into a set of coarse linen clothes. Although he still looked big, at least he wasn't so scary.

Li Chun took the Lu family siblings to talk to a middleman about buying and selling military equipment. Zhou Jing wasn't convenient to go with them.

He wasn't idle either. He practiced the Basic Tempering Method in his room for a while. Later, he received an invitation from Fang Zhen, and the two went out for a stroll, while Zhang San and the other five followers waited at the inn.

The two left the inn and walked down the street, looking left and right.

Although this Anlin Prefecture couldn't compare to the main world, it was considered prosperous by the standards of ancient cities during the feudal period. The atmosphere of the marketplace was rich, and Zhou Jing was also looking at the novelty.

"Is Brother Chen visiting Anlin Prefecture for the first time?" Fang Zhen asked with a smile.

"Indeed, it's my first time."

Zhou Jing responded casually. Actually, he wasn't completely ignorant, but there was no need to say it.

Although the map information given by the main world was outdated by more than a hundred years, and things had changed, the basic layout of some cities wouldn't change easily.

When specifying the designated delivery area, Zhou Jing had looked at the general layout of the surrounding prefectural cities, and Anlin Prefecture was among them. Although he didn't know the more detailed layout, at least he knew which direction the city gate opened.

"This Anlin Prefecture is the state capital of Jing Prefecture. Merchants are prosperous, and heroes come and go. It is one of the most prosperous cities along the Lu River. The aquatic products here are the most delicious. Why don't we go and taste them?"

Fang Zhen cordially invited him.

Zhou Jing looked at the sky and shook his head, saying, "It's still early. Let's talk about it at lunchtime. We can call the other brothers together."

"Alright." Fang Zhen nodded.

After walking for a while, a commotion suddenly came from nearby.

The two followed the sound and found a small river with a stone bridge over it. At this time, two groups of people were confronting each other on the bridge, and many people were watching the fun around them.

"The Hemp Robe Gang and the Tiger Head Gang are fighting. There's a good show to watch now."

"Hey, it's just dogs biting dogs. It's best if they both get hurt."

"I bet ten people will fall into the water today. Three copper coins."

"I'm in."

The civilians watching the show whispered to each other, discussing the situation, but they weren't afraid.

Hearing the crowd's conversation, Zhou Jing carefully looked at the two groups of people on the bridge.

There were ten or so people on each side of the bridge, empty-handed, shouting at each other, using vulgar language and cursing each other's relatives.

Fang Zhen asked the people next to him about the situation and said with a smile:

"So they're just two gangs of hooligans on the street who make an appointment to fight on the bridge every now and then, throwing each other into the river. The people here are used to it."

"Don't the officials care?" Zhou Jing asked casually.

"These hooligans and ruffians are idle and lazy. Even if they're caught and locked up, they'll be released after a few days. There's no money to squeeze out of them. As long as no one dies and no civilians are injured, the officials are too lazy to care. They can even watch the fun along the way."

Fang Zhen shook his head. Every city has these kinds of hooligans. He was already used to it.

While they were chatting, the two groups of people on the bridge finally got angry at each other and started pushing and shoving.

"You dog thing, enter your mother!"

"You have the guts of a dog. Watch me tear your mouth apart!"

The two groups of hooligans on the bridge quickly started fighting, crowding together and blocking the road. From time to time, hooligans were squeezed off the bridge and fell into the river.

Zhou Jing and Fang Zhen were in the crowd, watching the fun with the civilians.

Just then, two people suddenly ran out from the opposite bank, chasing each other towards the stone bridge.

The one running in front was a thin figure with a square scarf covering his face, and he was extremely fast. He shuttled through the crowded street like a fish, incredibly agile.

The one behind him was a handsome middle-aged man, who was now full of anger, carrying a long staff and chasing the thin man with big steps.

"Stop, thief, return my bag!"

The middle-aged man shouted loudly, immediately attracting the attention of the crowd watching the fun here.

"Hehe, come and get it if you have the ability!" The thin man let out a strange laugh, pinching his throat.

The people who were originally watching the excitement on the bridge quickly made way, not wanting to get involved.

The two, one chasing and one fleeing, quickly approached the stone bridge.

A large group of hooligans were fighting on the bridge, and no one made way, blocking the road.

Suddenly, the thin man rose into the air, as if skimming the water, stepping on the heads of the hooligans and crossing the bridge like a fly.

"What good lightness skill!"

The surrounding people saw this move and couldn't care about the cause and effect. They couldn't help but cheer and applaud.

Fang Zhen's eyes lit up, and he asked curiously, "Brother Chen, you have excellent skills. I wonder if you can do it?"

Zhou Jing rubbed his chin and smacked his lips, saying, "If I cross the bridge like this, I can stomp the heads of these hooligans into their chests."

"...That's true."

Fang Zhen couldn't help but look at Zhou Jing's tall and strong body, and his mouth twitched.

At the same time, the middle-aged man who was chasing him also rushed to the bridge, but he didn't step on people's heads to pass. Instead, he suddenly thrust out his long staff, inserting it into the crowd from below, and roared in a low voice.

"Get out of the way!"

The next moment, the long staff seemed to be picking upward like a large spear, making a loud noise.

Crash!

The several hooligans entangled in front of him were all blown away in one fell swoop, falling into the river with a thud.

The bridge surface immediately became much emptier.

This scene was much more intense than the thin man's just now, causing the people to show surprised expressions and exclaim.

The middle-aged man strode forward, picking with his long staff, knocking all the hooligans blocking the way into the water, as if it was an easy task.

He didn't even look at the people who fell into the water, and hurried across the bridge to chase after the thin man in front.

"Wow, what domineering spear skills!" Fang Zhen, who knew what he was talking about, exclaimed in surprise.

Zhou Jing also became interested.

These two people, one fleeing and one chasing, one agile and light, the other with domineering spear skills, were all skilled in martial arts and didn't seem like ordinary people.

He didn't expect to encounter experts as soon as he entered the city. As expected of a state capital located at a transportation hub.

Just then, the two rushed to the front.

The onlookers around Zhou Jing stepped aside, immediately exposing him as a man who stood out from the crowd.

The thin man noticed Zhou Jing, such a burly man, and his eyes turned. He suddenly threw a package towards Zhou Jing and shouted loudly:

"Brother, I'll leave the person behind to you. See you later at the old place!"

After saying that, he turned his steps, but wanted to use Zhou Jing as a cover to facilitate his escape.

At the same time, the middle-aged man also rushed to the front. Seeing that the package was thrown to Zhou Jing, he didn't have time to think about it. He used his staff as a spear, picking at Zhou Jing's chest, and shouted: "Get out of the way!"

Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows, but he didn't dodge or avoid. He directly grabbed the attacking long staff with his big hand.

Bang!

With a muffled sound, the impact only made his arm shake slightly.

Immediately afterward, without saying a word, Zhou Jing firmly grasped one end of the staff and flipped his hand, actually prying up the middle-aged man at the other end.

"What?!"

The middle-aged man was shocked. He didn't expect this "blocking accomplice" to be so strong. He not only easily caught his spear with his bare hands, but he could even single-handedly pry him up.

He couldn't pull the long staff out of Zhou Jing's hand, so he had to let go, staggering to the ground from mid-air, cautiously looking at Zhou Jing, sweating coldly and facing a formidable enemy.

But Zhou Jing ignored him. Instead, he turned his head to look at the thin man who had run several steps away and shook his hand, throwing the long staff.

Whoosh!

The sound of the air being torn apart sounded, and the long staff shot out like a javelin.

Although the thin man ran away, he had been paying attention to the movements behind him. When he saw Zhou Jing easily pry the middle-aged man away just now, his heart skipped a beat.

At this time, he realized that the long staff was shooting towards him, and he screamed strangely, hurriedly flashing to the side.

Crack!

The long staff brushed past him, with a strong force, and was firmly nailed into the ground, sticking in very deep, standing crookedly.

If this had hit him, he would have been pierced through!

The thin man took a breath of cold air, scared out of his wits, secretly regretting provoking a tough stubble, and was about to run away without looking back.

However, at this moment, Fang Zhen, who was on the side, had already untied the whip around his waist. He snorted angrily and raised his palm, throwing the whip into the air like an iron chain.

"How dare you provoke my brother, come back to me!"

The whip was agile, like a python, wrapping around the thin man's waist.

Fang Zhen pulled hard, and the thin man was dragged back to Zhou Jing's front like he was riding the clouds, falling to the ground in a sorry state.

Without waiting for the thief to speak, Zhou Jing grabbed his neck with one hand, lifting him into the air, letting him kick in panic,

"I'm just here to watch the fun, but you dare to tease your grandpa? I'll give you two choices, either apologize obediently and come with me, or eat three of my punches and see if you can withstand it. What do you choose?"

Zhou Jing shook his fist in front of the thief, revealing a grim smile.

Looking at the fist as big as a sandbag, the thin man's teeth chattered, and he stammered:

"Hero...ah no, Grandpa is joking, my little body, I don't need three punches, I'll be torn apart after eating one of your punches, Grandpa, spare my little life, I know I was wrong!"