What a lucky world!

Chapter 11 Fox Demon: I’m most afraid of hearing news about you suddenly

South Flower Hall.

Zhuang Xiaomeng had just taken two sips of Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

Then, Zhuang Xiaomeng saw Instructor Wang walking in with a wide grin on his face.

"Brother Wang?" Zhuang Xiaomeng was also a little surprised. Didn't they just meet?
Instructor Wang bowed and said, "Madam Zhuang, I'm here to ask for a reward."

"Reward money?" Zhuang Xiaomeng looked puzzled and glanced at the maids beside her. They all shook their heads slightly, indicating that they didn't know. So she asked, "Brother Wang, what reward money?"

"It's the reward money for Zhang Mu." Instructor Wang said.

Zhuang Xiaomeng said helplessly, "Didn't I give it to you just now, Chunxi?"

The maid named Chunxi quickly agreed, "Yes, Instructor Wang, I was the one who took out the ten taels of silver and handed it to you. Have you forgotten?"

Instructor Wang laughed heartily: "I haven't forgotten, but that was a reward for giving him one day to comprehend the Qingsong Fist Sutra."

"Madam Zhuang said that for every acupoint that boy opens within a month, she will reward him with ten taels of silver!"

Zhuang Xiaomeng nodded: "Yes, it's impossible..."

Having said that, Zhuang Xiaomeng seemed to realize something, and the expression on her face became a little strange.

"Brother Wang, you're not saying that he has already opened the first acupoint, are you?"

Instructor Wang smiled and said nothing, just nodded slightly.

I, Old Wang, have been teaching outer courtyard students for twenty years, and finally there is a day when I can be proud of myself!
Zhuang Xiaomeng saw Instructor Wang like this, and his face became a little serious. He asked, "Instructor Wang, have you verified it yourself?"

Instructor Wang put away his smile and answered seriously, "I didn't believe it at first, but I tested his Jiquan acupoint and it did open. If Madam Zhuang still has doubts, you can try it yourself."

"That's not necessary!" Zhuang Xiaomeng shook her head. "I trust Brother Wang."

"You're a genius by that! How come I didn't realize it before?"

"He's been working in the accounting office before, and has nothing to do with martial arts." Instructor Wang thought for a moment and said, "This talent is hidden within him. Who would know if he didn't show it?"

Zhuang Xiaomeng nodded, then said, "That's true. From now on, Brother Wang, please pay more attention to his cultivation. If there is anything you need, tell me."

Instructor Wang responded and then asked, "What about the reward?"

"Here!" Zhuang Xiaomeng smiled again when she heard this. "We earned a fortune by testing out a genius with ten taels of silver! Chunxi!"

Chunxi quickly turned around and went to the inner room. After a moment, he took out a ten-liang silver ingot and handed it to Teacher Wang.

Instructor Wang accepted the silver, bowed to Zhuang Xiaomeng again, and turned to leave.

……

When Instructor Wang returned, Zhang Mu was waiting for him obediently.

"Take it!" As soon as he saw Zhang Mu, Instructor Wang handed the newly acquired ten-liang silver ingot to Zhang Mu, who immediately took it with joy.

As soon as he got the silver ingot, a wisp of white gas flew out from the silver and penetrated into Zhang Mu's forehead.

Wow, making money is so easy.

Humph, I'll strengthen my luck later and break through a few more acupoints, then money will come to me like a flood, right?

As if he could see what Zhang Mu was thinking, Instructor Wang sat down and said, "Don't get carried away."

"The first acupoint is often the easiest to break through."

"The further back you go, the further back the acupoints are located in the meridians. The higher the requirements for innate martial luck become, and the more difficult it is to break through."

"Well, thank you, Instructor Wang, for your advice." Zhang Mu bowed respectfully.

Instructor Wang nodded with satisfaction and added, "Also, you've missed the age to strengthen your muscles and bones, so I don't recommend that you continuously attack the acupoints. It's best to rest for a day or two in between to allow your body to accumulate more energy, otherwise you might get hurt."

Hearing this instruction, Zhang Mu felt a little helpless.

Who made me already seventeen years old when I traveled through time?

"Then what should I do now?" Zhang Mu asked.

Instructor Wang smiled softly, took out another booklet and threw it to Zhang Mu, saying, "Practice the standing meditation!"

Standing meditation is a method of exercising muscles and bones.

Zhang Mu blinked: "But, I've already missed the age to strengthen my muscles..."

"It's better to mend the fence after the sheep have been stolen. We'll improve as much as we can." Instructor Wang looked at Zhang Mu and said, "The better your body's muscles and bones are, the shorter the intervals between your acupoint attacks will be. Then you can get more reward money..."

Zhang Mu: (￣ー￣)
Okay, you convinced me!

Zhang Mu took the booklet on standing meditation from Instructor Wang and began to read it carefully.

……

As the sun set, Zhang Mu, after a day of training in the Zhuanggong (standing meditation) by Instructor Wang, left the escort agency. According to Instructor Wang's instructions, his best dinner now should be wild game, which would improve his health and not skimp on money. Zhang Mu, thinking he now had thirty taels of silver, decided to splurge.

After walking in a hurry for the past two days, Zhang Mu felt a bit curious as he was walking leisurely in the inner city area of Wan'an County for the first time today.

The inner city was paved with stone slabs, with exquisite houses and numerous shops. The sounds of hawking were endless, and there were wealthy young men following their lead, while sedan chair bearers hurried along, creating a bustling atmosphere. Honestly, if everyone wasn't dressed in ancient costume, Zhang Mu would have thought he'd arrived at some ancient tourist town from his past life.

The restaurant that Wang Jiaoshi recommended was not far from the county government office. He said the food was good and the prices were reasonable. Zhang Mu easily found the restaurant, called "Yunlai," which was already bustling with people.

After finding a quiet corner, Zhang Mu took the menu handed to him by the waiter, glanced at the list of foods that nourish qi and blood, and his eyes suddenly fixed.

Braised wild boar meat, one liang and five hundred wen

【White sliced pheasant, one ounce】

Steamed Hundred Flower Fish, 1 liang and 300 wen

【Stewed wild king snake, 4 liang】

[Pheasant stewed with wild mushrooms, 2 taels and 500 coins]

Braised wild bear paw, 8 liang

Zhang Mu: Is this what Instructor Wang meant by a fair price?
He can’t even afford a few dishes here with all his wealth, right?

Well, whether it is fair or not is one thing, whether it is expensive or not is another.

After much hesitation, Zhang Mu ordered a plate of [Stir-fried Pheasant Legs] worth 800 Wen.

While waiting for the food to be served, Zhang Mu suddenly heard a commotion in the distance. Following the sound, he saw a team of yamen runners patrolling the streets in a prison van. Inside the van was a white-haired old man chained by chains. His face was wrinkled like knives and his eyes were numb, as if his soul had decayed, leaving only an equally decayed body.

"Well, isn't that Old Man Luo?" The waiter had just put down the dishes Zhang Mu had ordered when he saw the man in the prison van and muttered, "Why was he arrested?"

"Do you know him?" Zhang Mu asked casually. The waiter nodded and said, "Yes, this old man Luo has a son named Luo Sanpao. He is a good hunter. Many of the ingredients in our store are sent by Luo Sanpao."

"Did this old man Luo commit a crime?"

"Hmph, what could he have done wrong? He just wants justice..." A young man dressed as a scholar sitting at the table next to Zhang Mu spat, "That bastard son of the Wang family in the north of the city was out of town for a stroll. Luo Sanpao's wife happened to be washing clothes by the river, and the young master of the Wang family was tempted by her beauty and raped her. Luo Sanpao's mother came to save her daughter-in-law, but was pushed into the river by the young master of the Wang family and drowned."

"This old man Luo brought his daughter-in-law to the government to file a complaint. The young master of the Wang family accused his daughter-in-law of selling herself for money. The mother-in-law herself fell into the water, yet the corrupt official ruled her not guilty."

"As a result, the young wife died by hitting her head against a pillar as soon as she left the yamen."

"This old man Luo is also a ruthless man. He ambushed the path that the young master of the Wang family had to take, hoping to seek revenge. But how could he fight against the many people around the young master of the Wang family alone? As a result, he was counter-accused of attempted murder by the young master of the Wang family. Now that the verdict has been issued, he will be paraded through the streets..."

"Young Master, Young Master, be careful with your words!" After hearing the scholar recount the entire story, the shopkeeper quickly stepped forward to stop him, "There are yamen runners nearby..."

"Hmph, when I pass the imperial examination, I will definitely investigate and punish these corrupt officials..." The scholar also saw the yamen runners coming, so he stopped talking.

Someone curiously asked, "Where's Luo Sanpao?"

"Luo Sanpao? It's normal for a hunter to stay in the mountains for ten days or half a month." Someone else replied, "But what can he do if he comes back? He's just a hunter. He's probably dead..."

"Speak carefully! Speak carefully!"

Just as people were whispering in the food court, there was a sudden noise from the avenue outside.

Zhang Mu turned his head to look and saw that it was the old man Luo in the prison car who had somehow broken free from the grip and had an arrow in his hand.

"Son, don't come—"

The old man Luo roared to the sky, as if he had used up all his strength. Then he raised the arrow and inserted it into his throat without hesitation!
Suddenly, screams broke out on the street, and the yamen runners maintained order while quickly pulling the prison van away.

Zhang Mu withdrew his gaze and buried his head in his meal.

At this moment, Zhang Mu heard the whispers between the scholar and his friend again.

"Old Man Luo is quite courageous. He's afraid that Luo Sanpao might risk his own life to save him, but end up losing his own..."

"How pitiful are the hearts of parents in the world... Senior brother, do you think Luo Sanpao will give up?"

"Give up? Your father, mother, and wife are all dead, will you give up? Let me tell you, I heard that Luo Sanpao has connections with those people on Qianyuan Mountain..."

Zhang Mu felt a slight movement in his heart as he listened to these discussions.

Qianyuan Mountain!
That was the location of the largest bandit stronghold outside of Wan'an County. Even the Yuanwei Escort Agency had to send a generous tribute to the mountain every month so that the escort could be carried out smoothly.

Zhang Mu suddenly thought that the government's parading of Old Man Luo through the streets might have been intended to lure Luo Sanpao into the trap, but Old Man Luo's suicide pushed the situation in another direction.

"Qianyuan Mountain? Don't let your imagination run wild. Luo Sanpao is probably dead by now." At this moment, a playboy sitting at another table glanced at the scholars' table with disdain. "You probably don't know, but some monsters have appeared outside the city for some reason. Many hunters who entered the mountain died, including many high-ranking hunters..."

"I heard from the hunter who escaped that there's a fox demon looking for some thief!"

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Zhang Mu paused while eating.

Fox demon! Thief!

After catching the key words, Zhang Mu suddenly felt that the food in his hand no longer smelled good...

(End of this chapter)