Myriad Immortals

"It's so famous, how could I not know it?"

Zhong Xuan was a scholar.

If the Cui family of Zhushan, being the most scholarly family in Yongning Prefecture, didn't know this, then all those decades of studying would have been for nothing.

"Yongning's literary talent is like a stone, while Zhushan alone possesses eight-tenths of it."

This statement alone is enough to prove the value of the Cui family.

Zhushan is a sacred place in the hearts of scholars in Yongning Prefecture.

Every year, countless scholars aspire to study in Zhushan, only to be ultimately turned away.

Although the Cui family might not have produced three high-ranking officials, they were still a first-rate family in Yongning Prefecture, and countless scholars and even those who had passed the imperial examinations wanted to marry a woman from the Cui family.

Master Zhang chuckled and said, "I wouldn't dare to lie to you, brother. In half a month, Old Master Cui from the Cui family will be coming to our Baisha County. I had a chance to teach and guide Old Master Cui at the prefectural school in Linchun."

"Perhaps Old Master Cui will come to stay at my Zhang family's house for a few days."

"On the day of the provincial examination, it was Old Master Cui who awarded Brother Zhong the highest rank, so I thought I would invite Brother Zhong to write an inscription, just so he could absorb some of the literary aura."

Zhong Xuan suddenly realized.

Given Zhang Lie's steady and shrewd nature, and the fact that he had already said so, it was practically a certainty that Old Master Cui would come to the Zhang family.

Old Master Cui's status naturally wouldn't allow him to give face to a wealthy family like the Zhang family in the county. It was because Zhang Linchun's performance at the prefectural school was excellent that he gained Old Master Cui's approval.

"The prefectural school is truly a wonderful place."

Zhong Xuan sighed, "Ordinary scholars wouldn't even have the right to meet such a person, let alone be favored."

"I guess I'm lucky to have benefited from this."

Zhong Xuan chuckled.

Even if he were a student with a stipend, it would be considered good if he could sell a single word for ten coins.

Even a scholar who passed the imperial examinations wouldn't be worth fifty taels.

But if it's a chance encounter that can make Old Master Cui stop and take a look, then it's worth it.

For the Zhang family, a hundred taels of silver was probably just the cost of a single banquet; it was a case of getting a lot for a little money.

"He really knows how to do business."

Zhong Xuan sighed.

No wonder Zhang Lie was able to build such a large business from scratch.

"What inscription would Master Zhang like to write for this library?"

Now it was Mr. Zhang's turn to be in a difficult position.

He was good at business and martial arts, but he lacked literary knowledge and even forgot how to write characters for a while.

An awkward smile.

"Could you please suggest a few words, Brother Zhong?"

Done.

Zhang Lie added, "I can pay more, sixty taels per word."

Zhong Xuan pondered for a moment:

"How about we set the topic as... Longevity like a tortoise and a crane?"

May you live a long and healthy life...

Zhang Lie chewed for a while, and then his eyes lit up.

"I've heard that Old Master Cui is at least over seventy years old; this 'tortoise-like longevity' is certainly true."

"People your own age definitely understand better."

"Alright, let's title it 'May you live as long as a tortoise and a crane!'"

Zhang Lie readily agreed.

Zhong Xuan chose these four characters for no particular reason other than that he possessed the spirit of a crane, which made his writing of the character "crane" more elegant. In addition, writing "So-and-so Pavilion" only required three characters, and each additional character would earn him an extra sixty taels of silver.

The steward of the Zhang family, who had been waiting nearby, hurriedly took out a brush and ink.

But Zhong Xuan shook his head:

"Need not."

Zhang Lie asked in surprise, "Inscriptions without brush and ink?"

The voice just fell.

Zhong Xuan drew his long sword from his waist with a clang, and in a short while, he wrote the four characters "Turtle Years and Crane Longevity" on the plaque.

Iron hooks and silver strokes, vigorous and powerful.

Especially the character for "crane," which exudes a sense of vitality.

"Beautiful handwriting!"

Zhang Lie slapped his thigh.

Seeing his master's expression, the Zhang family steward couldn't help but mutter, "When did Master learn to appreciate calligraphy?"

Zhang Lie may not understand calligraphy, but his martial arts skills are quite formidable.

In his eyes, the words on the plaque were not words at all, but a sword manual.

Zhong Xuan sheathed his longsword.

Zhang Lie was overjoyed and immediately took out a silver note from his pocket: "Brother Zhong, I told Magistrate Zhou before that someone who could be rated as top-notch by Master Cui must be extraordinary. I was right to choose the right person. These four characters are written perfectly."

Zhong Xuan's expression shifted slightly.

"No wonder Magistrate Zhou behaved so strangely, punishing the registrar over the matter of an elder in a village."

Zhang Lie revealed it quite cleverly.

This was revealed unintentionally, and the effect was far better than simply telling Zhong Xuan that he wanted a better impression.

Zhong Xuan remembered this favor but didn't mention it, simply cupping his hands in a respectful greeting:

"I'm glad you're happy, Mr. Zhang."

He took the silver note from Zhang Lie's hand.

His eyebrows involuntarily twitched slightly.

Three hundred taels!

The original price for the four characters was 240 taels, but Zhang Lie added 60 taels.

"You know, it's always easier to make money off the rich."

Zhong Xuan was filled with emotion.

Four words, worthless in the eyes of a farmer, but for Zhang Lie, they represent a full thirty acres of land.

Then.

Zhang Lie was in high spirits and invited Zhong Xuan to have dinner at his residence.

It continued until it got dark.

Then they sent Zhang's steward to fetch a sedan chair and escort Zhong Xuan back to Xiahe Village.

Zhong Xuan sat in the sedan chair.

The four sedan chair bearers were all servants of the Zhang family, so even though the official road was not smooth, they still sat steadily in the sedan chair.

Zhong Xuan sat in the sedan chair, breathing deeply.

Before we knew it.

With a sudden thud, the sedan chair landed on the ground.

"Master Zhong, we've arrived."

The Zhang family steward lifted the sedan curtain and invited Zhong Xuan down.

Seeing that even the master treated Zhong Xuan with great courtesy today, he dared not be negligent in the slightest. If Zhong Xuan said he needed a sedan chair, he would not hesitate to lie down.

I stayed at the Zhang residence for too long.

The steward of the Zhang family had long known that in the eyes of those in power, servants like them were nothing more than tools.

The moment someone thinks of dignity, they're not far from death.

It wasn't until Zhong Xuan entered the Zhong family's old residence that the sound of a sedan chair being carried could be heard outside the courtyard.

Zhong Xuan had no intention of traveling in the dark.

Now that he's a respectable person, if he's too careless, he'll be looked down upon by others, or even bring disaster upon himself.

Riding in a sedan chair today will deter some wicked villains with malicious intentions.

"Now that we're relatively well-off, if we can't afford to keep sedan chair carriers, we'll buy a horse."

......

The next day.

Zhong Xuan then went to the brokerage firm in the city.

Returning.

He now held a horse's reins.

"What a fine horse."

"It's worth at least twenty taels of silver, isn't it?"

"Old Zhong is indeed no ordinary person."

The villagers of Xiahe Village stood on both sides, looking at Zhong Xuan with envy, but none of them dared to go up and do anything reckless.

Those who can afford to buy horses are richer than some small landlords; who would dare to provoke them?

Zhong Xuan tied his horse to the old willow tree in the courtyard.

Then he took out several packets of herbs from his pocket.

Besides the commonly used bone-strengthening medicine, there was also a small, pure white jade bottle that made a tinkling sound when shaken.

This small jade bottle cost Zhong Xuan a full 150 taels of silver.

The item inside is called the Nine Blood Pill.

The reason it is so expensive is because it contains a medicinal ingredient—the bone and blood of a demon beast.

"Every part of a demon beast is a treasure. If you could get a complete demon beast corpse, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that you could become a landlord overnight."

Monsters are good.

Zhong Xuan had no intention of personally hunting demonic beasts.

Given his personality, he would choose another method.

Once you've saved enough money, you can directly buy the monster with silver.

Why risk your life?