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墨書 Inktalez
Luzi came to the capital of Qi State with the purpose of finding a person, someone who could bring his plan one step closer to success. This individual, who also existed in secrecy, had been undercover in Qi State for too long. So long that he had forgotten which country he belonged to, or perhaps he had been completely forgotten.
Since Woodcutter entered the tavern, Luzi had been waiting and observing him. As a master, every gesture he made was precise and deliberate. Each movement was just right, without any excess. He remained silent in the shadows, discreetly appreciating the actions of this martial arts expert. It was an extreme enjoyment, akin to watching a magnificent dance.
When he heard Woodcutter suddenly mention buying drinks for the tavern, Luzi thought that the other party had discovered his presence. Just as he was about to get up and approach, he realized that Woodcutter was merely talking about drinks. In fact, Woodcutter was not drunk; what he had consumed earlier was just enough to whet his appetite.
The thunder outside sounded like a War Drum, rumbling as if Thousand Troops and Horses were charging towards the enemy.
When Luzi heard someone asking him a question, he turned around and looked around but did not see anyone else present. Hearing the inquiry again, he finally stood up and walked over to the tavern's Innkeeper. "Excuse me, how much does my friend Woodcutter owe your establishment?"
This tavern was a family business, and as the Keeper, he had grown up here. His honesty did not hinder his ability to recognize people, although it was something learned over time. When he heard someone asking about debts, he knew it was time to settle accounts! As for why he thought that way, he couldn't explain it. "It's not too much! Your friend owes less than five taels in total."
Luzi agreed and reached into his pocket to pull out a gold ingot and handed it over. "Today's drinks are on him for all of you; consider any excess as interest!"
Good heavens! A lifetime of savings wouldn't even be worth this single piece of gold! The tavern Keeper worried that this might be a dream and couldn't help but bite his tongue. The sharp pain confirmed it; this was real! He wanted to decline, saying he couldn't provide change, but realized this wealthy man had already turned and left.
Who says dreams can't come true!? Even someone who goes up the mountain to chop wood can transform from a humble chicken into a phoenix! Even after they left for some time, the Tavern remained silent as a grave. Enlightened at that moment, he decided not to indulge in wine and meat anymore and instead focus on studying at home when he had free time!
Woodcutter did not respond; in fact, he felt no gratitude for having his old debts cleared. Just before leaving, he intended to put on his Hat, only to find that outside there was already a carriage waiting for him. Seeing this wealthy man make an inviting gesture, he did not hesitate to bend down and jump into the carriage without saying a word.
"Do you still need hand signals?" Luzi joked. "After so many years apart, I thought you had forgotten your identity!"
Woodcutter snorted; it wasn't just these years—it felt like a life unworthy of living! The passion from back then had faded with time into mere anticipation. When that anticipation turned into disappointment, he suddenly realized that he wouldn't suffer from schizophrenia after all. Just when he found his footing again after only a few days, this person appeared. It seemed like one wouldn't give up on sanity without a fight! So he replied irritably, "I say Jiang Taigong, after all these years, why are you still looking for me? Now I can only chop wood; I can't do anything else!"
Luzi flaunted his wealth as a means to cut off the escape route of the person across from him. He believed that this bold move would definitely be effective, and within half a day, it would become the talk of the town. If this person dared to stay here and hide, tonight some local thugs would come to collect protection money. They certainly wouldn't be able to pay, and if they refused, a fight would ensue. Either way, it would end in a desperate escape; it was just a matter of when. Since the deed was done, he wasn't in a hurry.
Woodcutter saw that the other person didn't care about his awkwardness and felt there was nothing more to discuss. Noticing the silence, he had no choice but to say, "The wealth of Prime Minister Jiang is comparable to that of a nation; we are simply not on the same level as this mountain villager. If there's nothing else, I will take my leave. Considering we grew up together, could you lend me some money to get by?"
Luzi understood well the person sitting across from him; after all, they had grown up together. Even if he starved with wide-open eyes, he would never ask anyone for help. The reason for his current predicament was clearly due to the need to pay protection money tonight. The purpose was to draw him out and solve this problem—wasn't that worth the trip? However, he didn't want anyone to see through his plan, so he pulled out a gold ingot and handed it over. "Since you General Meng Wu have spoken, I naturally cannot refuse. Take this! Go back and buy some property or something; it's fine to marry another wife and expand your family."
This was simply ridiculous! A man who was so poor he only had one pair of pants flaunting a gold ingot in public. Even if he wasn't targeted by evildoers, he would surely be taken in for questioning by the Government. It wasn't that he worried about Officials pocketing the gold; it was that they would certainly kill him to cover their tracks. In these times, it was quite normal for an ordinary citizen to die without reason. Meng Wu was completely unaware of Luzi's intention to set him up but sighed inwardly that wealthy people just didn't understand the struggles of the poor. Faced with the gold ingot being offered, he hesitated and muttered, "Just give me some copper coins! You should keep this for yourself."
Luzi was straightforward and directly stated that he had no copper coins. Seeing Meng Wu dumbfounded, he explained, "You know we are wealthy people; we completely disregard small change. Copper coins? I don't even have silver!"
Meng Wu finally couldn't hold back and shouted, "If I'm surrounded by thugs tonight, what good will this gold do me? They'll bury me alive on the spot!"
You really are worried about that ruthless Brother-in-law! Luzi kindly reminded him, "What kind of behavior is this! Are you still going to be my Qin State future general? A bunch of petty thugs can scare you like this? How can you talk about governing a nation?"
"What do you know!?" Meng Wu explained, "That’s a relative of the Prime Minister! You have to consider who owns the dog before hitting it; besides, we still have to live here for a lifetime! Why offend a high official over a few silver coins? Even minor grievances can lead to big troubles!"
Luzi nodded in agreement and suggested, "How about this: I can send my men to deal with those thugs directly so you won't have any trouble."
This was merely a problem that could be solved with a few silver coins; dragging it out like this could lead to major issues! Who knows how it would end? It was simply a terrible idea. You finish your business and walk away while I suffer! Meng Wu quickly tried to dissuade him from his murderous intentions and pleaded, "Just let your servants gather some pocket money; I will kneel down before my benefactor."
Luzi knew that this was just for show and didn't stop him but smiled slightly and asked, "Have you really decided to waste your life like this?"
Meng Wu nodded seriously and expressed that there were too many troubles involved; living as an ordinary citizen felt much more practical—though life was hard, it was stable enough.
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