Loan Cultivation to Martial Saint

Chapter 168: Chapter 97: General Han Is Old and Dim-Sighted, Could He Have Used the Money to Treat His Eyes?

”Y-Yes...” the Scribe in charge of the Government Treasury stammered, at a loss for words. ”General Han’s side is short on military pay this year. He took Lord Duyou’s note and temporarily withdrew some silver, saying he would return it later. I never expected General Zheng to arrive so quickly...”

Seeing this, Wang’s Staff, who was standing beside them, couldn’t help but frown deeply. He inwardly cried out in dismay, wondering how something like this could happen at a time like this. Did the Duyou and Squad Commander Han not know that the Lord was currently in dire need of capable people? They needed this son-in-law of the Cai Family to mobilize the Cai Family, getting them to guard against the Black Mountain Bandits!

”General Zheng, please rest assured. These ten thousand taels of silver will definitely be delivered to your residence untouched. Not a single cent will be missing.” Thus, Wang’s Staff hastily ordered, ”Quickly, make up for the ten thousand taels and let General Zheng take it first!”

Hearing this, the Scribe seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. He immediately prepared to misappropriate some other silver to first make up the reward money for this General Zheng, whose background he did not know.

Just as Wang’s Staff was trying his best to smooth things over and pretend nothing had happened, Zheng Jun suddenly spoke up. ”There’s no need.”

”Huh?” Wang’s Staff and the Scribe in charge of dispatching were both stunned. Wang’s Staff could only bite the bullet and ask, ”General Zheng, what do you mean...”

”I only want to take back the silver that belongs to me. If it’s not my silver, I don’t want to take it,” Zheng Jun sneered. Releasing his True Gang outward, his robes fluttered wildly under the billowing waves of qi. ”I will personally pay a visit to their door and retrieve the silver taels myself. I won’t trouble Mr. Wang with this.”

Damn it, what kind of audacity was this?! Were they looking down on him, Zheng Jun? He had long anticipated that a portion of his silver would disappear, but he hadn’t expected so much of it to vanish! This reward silver was the commendation he had received for Slashing two Outer Gang Martial Artists. Regardless of how he had actually killed them, in the eyes of the outside world, this was the reward for Slashing two Outer Gang Martial Artists. They actually dared to embezzle this money? Had they never been hacked by a blade before?

As it happened, Zheng Jun had been constantly wondering what excuse he could use to challenge the Martial Artists in the commandery city. Now, he had a valid reason.

Feeling Zheng Jun’s fierce and brutal gaze, Wang’s Staff took a deep breath, feeling a bit dizzy. He wondered how such a simple job had turned into this mess. Although he felt somewhat bitter inside, Wang’s Staff still said to Zheng Jun, ”General Zheng, please do not be angry. I will go meet Duke Tang shortly and have him retrieve this silver for you...”

”It’s fine. I’ll just do it myself.”

After cupping his hands in a brief salute, Zheng Jun took the exact sum of three thousand seven hundred and sixty-four taels and five maces of silver, and walked out the door. Most of it was in silver notes; only four taels and five maces were physical silver.

Watching Zheng Jun’s departing back, Wang’s Staff couldn’t help but let out a long breath. He began to organize his words in his mind, thinking about how to report this entirely unexpected incident to the Lord Governor next. ”Sigh...”

Exiting the Governor’s Mansion, Zheng Jun spotted Cai Liu waiting outside. He immediately boarded the carriage. Just like any other day, he rode the carriage toward Nixiang Pavilion, which was sponsored by Jishi Hall. Along the way, he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing and ponder the situation.

Having his silver embezzled was something Zheng Jun had anticipated beforehand, so he was mentally prepared for it. But what the hell did it mean that only three thousand seven hundred taels were left? He felt that this was not just a simple case of embezzlement. Anyone with a discerning eye could see the implication behind his reward silver. Five thousand taels came from Meng Xian, and five thousand taels came from True Man Yuan Yi. Both of them were Outer Gang Martial Artists. Even if the culprits didn’t know who he was, they should know that someone rewarded for Slashing Outer Gang Martial Artists was a tough nut to crack. Yet someone still dared to embezzle from him? To embezzle his silver to such an extent under these circumstances was a naked provocation!

At this thought, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but sneer, his hand involuntarily gripping his Beirong Saber. Then he would see exactly what this ’General Han’ and ’Duyou’ were made of! As it happened, his trip to the commandery city this time was also to find a few Outer Gang experts to spar with. These two had appeared at the perfect time!

The Duyou was a standing official position in the Prefecture Office, often representing the Governor to inspect the local officials of the subordinate counties within the commandery. Their Realm fluctuated; sometimes they were at the Outer Gang, and sometimes at Qi Storage. Zheng Jun was unclear about the Duyou’s level of strength. But as for that ’General Han,’ Zheng Jun was very clear. Back when he was collecting ghost rations, Vice Captain Yang Jun had mentioned him to Zheng Jun. Furthermore, when introducing the Outer Gang Martial Artists of Pingzhang Commandery, his ’close brother’ Cai Xun had also mentioned a sentence or two about him.

This ’General Han,’ named Han Hu, was the Squad Commander of the First Infantry Squad of the Pingzhang Camp. His strength was precisely at the Outer Gang, situated at the First Layer Realm of the Outer Gang. He himself did not have the surname Han. He used to be a domestic servant of the wealthy Han Family in this state. Later, he gradually revealed an astonishing talent for Martial Arts. After successfully cultivating to Qi Storage, he took advantage of the fact that the current generation of the Han Family only had one Qi Storage expert. He forcefully married the Han Family’s young miss, seized control of the Han Family, and changed his own surname, intending to inherit the Han Family’s wealth.

”Hu” meant ”retainer” or ”follower.” However, after reaching the Outer Gang, perhaps because he was used to being called this name, Han Hu couldn’t be bothered to change it. He simply used this name to join the army, and then step by step, he climbed to the position of Squad Commander.

Because of his past actions, many people in Pingzhang Commandery despised Han Hu. However, Han Hu was a trusted aide of Captain Fu Yongrui of the Pingzhang Camp, so he had always remained in the army. At this time, Bozhou was in a state of emergency. Because they had to fight the Great Righteous King, the Pingzhang Camp was mobilized and dispatched. All the other squads had followed Fu Yongrui to Yanting Commandery to construct defensive fortifications, while Han Hu acted as Commander of his own unit and was left behind to defend the city.