The Zhan Mansion had beco unusually lively.
However, He the Steward, who was receiving the guests, always wore a bitter expression.
The reason being, these people ca with ill intentions.
"He Steward, when can I see Master Zhan? The debts you owed us earlier this year, you need to repay them now."
The speaker was the Second Master of the Fang Family.
The Fang Family had always been the Zhan Family’s largest supplier of dicinal materials.
"He Steward, the rent for those two shops in the city is due this year’s end, you should pay it by now, right? Sigh, your situation is difficult, but mine isn’t good either, please understand."
The two best-located dicine shops of the Zhan Family in the main city were rented, and now the landlord had co to demand the rent.
Even a giant entity like the Fulin Escort Agency showed up in person to ask for money.
Because several tis this year, precious herbs sold to outer cities were transported by them, and the bill was left unpaid.
Apart from them, many other upstream and downstream stakeholders were involved.
Disregarding the unspoken rule to settle accounts only at the year’s end, they each ca to demand paynt.
They feared if they asked too late, the Zhan Family would collapse, and they would get nothing.
With the incitent of so with ulterior motives, so even couldn’t wait to report to the authorities.
If the Zhan Family continued to delay repaying the current cash.
Their properties would be sealed one by one.
In the end, even their mansion in the main city might not be preserved.
In this critical situation.
The Zhan Family Master took Zhan Weida to visit so relatives and friends to borrow money to get by.
Zhan Weida’s maternal uncle, Liu Fuxi, was originally a destitute fruit farr.
After his sister married the Zhan Family Master, relying on the Zhan Family’s connections and background, he acquired many orchards, expanding them bit by bit.
Now he was a wealthy landlord owning thousands of acres of orchards and was involved in various enterprises like restaurants and gambling houses.
His mansion, located in the northern part of the city, was built magnificently, with young and beautiful maids inside.
Yet, Zhan Father and Zhan Weida were left waiting in the reception hall for several hours.
When Zhan Weida was feeling irritated to the point of wanting to fight, his uncle, Landlord Liu, finally arrived begrudgingly.
Liu Fuxi was a portly, middle-aged man with a round, wealthy look.
At this mont, he wore a tattered cloth coat, looking quite comical, starkly different from his usual gold and silver adorned appearance.
"Oh my, Tianlin, nephew, sorry. There was a pest outbreak in the orchard, I just got back from there," Liu Fuxi said insincerely.
Zhan Father was silent for a mont before speaking, "Fuxi, you’ve heard about my situation. We’re family, so no need for formalities, I’m here today to borrow so silver."
"How much?"
"One hundred thousand taels, two percent monthly interest, I’ll pay you back in a year," Zhan Father said concisely.
"One, a hundred thousand taels?" Liu Fuxi’s face changed, complaining, "Tianlin, it’s not that I don’t want to lend you, but I’m having a hard ti this year too!
The orchard has been hit badly by pests, the newly opened gambling house has no custors, I’ve already lost a lot of capital! Look at , I can’t even afford nice clothes anymore!"
"Three thousand taels, I can only lend you three thousand taels at most!" Liu Fuxi hurriedly said, "As for the interest, you don’t have to return it, I won’t take advantage of family."
Hearing three thousand taels, Zhan Father’s eyebrows furrowed, while Zhan Weida was furious, standing up with a ’thump’: "Uncle, now is the life and death mont for my family, you..."
Before he could finish, Zhan Father pressed him back into his seat by the shoulder.
"Ten thousand taels, lend ten thousand taels, three percent monthly interest, please help in this urgent ti, Fuxi," Zhan Father pleaded with a degree of supplication.
At this mont, his back slightly hunched, his temples graying, he resembled a frail and helpless ordinary old man.
Zhan Weida felt a jolt in his heart, he had never seen his father in such a servile state.
But Liu Fuxi, after a mont of silence, only agreed to lend five thousand taels, unwilling to give a penny more.
With five thousand taels of silver, the Zhan father and son left the Liu Family with heavy steps.
Next, they headed towards the Fu Family, with whom they had a close personal relationship.
The Fu Family was also a prominent family in Tai City, dealing in tea leaves, slightly lower in status than the Zhan Family.
Patriarch Fu didn’t keep them waiting; instead, he warmly welcod them with good wine and food.
However, when it ca to discussing serious matters, he rely beat around the bush, eventually offering only two thousand taels.
After that, they also visited the Wang Family, Gu Family, and other families they had good relations with in the past.
Most of them stated that the patriarch was out, which was a polite way to decline.
After experiencing a day like this, wrinkles appeared on the Zhan Family Master’s face, making him look ten years older.
Zhan Weida felt a deep hatred in his heart.
The indifference of people, the fickleness of the world, he truly felt it today.
On the other end.
Zhan Weicong concentrated all the power the Zhan Family could muster onto the Red Forest area.
If they could find the silver, the Zhan Family could completely turn their fortunes around.
Unfortunately, the Red Forest spanned a vast area with an extrely complex ecosystem.
They couldn’t find the silver hidden by Young Master Long and his group in a short ti.
And with each passing mont, part of the silver might be secretly moved away, leaving Zhan Weicong extrely anxious.
"Young Master, soone spotted that Young Master Long," a subordinate reported.
"Where?" Zhan Weicong was overjoyed and asked eagerly.
If they could capture Young Master Long, the mastermind, he could imdiately force out the location of the hidden silver.
"In, in Cyan Cloud Manor..."
Cyan Cloud Manor, an estate owned by the Xu Family for sumr retreats.
"Ah, it must be that bastard Xu Haoyin setting up!" Zhan Weicong’s anger flared upon hearing this, his suspicion confird.
What nonsense about a Central Plains Dragon Young Master, it must be a pawn placed by the Xu Family early on, just to drag his family down.
"Should we, should we go capture him?" the subordinate hesitated uneasily.
"Go, why not go?" A trace of ruthlessness appeared on Zhan Weicong’s face, "Bring out that Young Master Long, let’s see what the Xu Family has to say!"
With that, Zhan Weicong took the two strongest mbers of the family, Nursing Ho Qin and Elder Sixth Uncle.
The two Peak of Great Cycle Martial Artists hurriedly headed for Cyan Cloud Manor.
...
"Who goes there?"
"Zhan Family, Zhan Weicong, my n saw Young Master Long in your manor, please hand him over."
"What Young Master Long? We don’t have such a person here!" the guard at Cyan Cloud Manor’s entrance said proudly, "Inside are only honored guests of the Xu Family, please depart quickly, or swords and blades have no eyes!"
"Damn it, stop pretending! Attack!" Zhan Weicong was in no mood to talk nonsense with that guard.
He abruptly drew his long sword and led Nursing Ho Qin and Sixth Uncle to charge in.
"How dare you!" the guard shouted in anger.
But the Zhan Family, now betting everything, had brought elite forces, quickly breaking through the gate and entering the manor.
Suddenly, a shadow flickered, carrying an intense aura of blade intent towards them.
’Clang clang clang!’
’Bang bang bang!’
"Ah!"
Several screams echoed.
The two strongest Great Cycle Martial Artists of the Zhan Family were both down on the ground.
Sixth Uncle clutched his abdon, his face pale, with blood continuously flowing from within.
Nursing Ho Qin was in a worse state, having lost an arm, already unconscious.
The shadow that defeated them finally revealed its form.
It was a man wrapped in black clothes, even his face covered with a black cloth.
Only a pair of eyes sharp as wolves’ shone through.
His body was gaunt, holding a slender straight blade, exuding an imposing aura, clearly a Full Cycle Martial Artist!
"Shadow Blade!" Sixth Uncle exclaid in shock.
As one of the four famous blades of the Xu Family, Shadow Blade was renowned for its speed and lethality.
To think he wasn’t stationed at the Xu Family main mansion but was here at this unassuming countryside estate.
...
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