touchnovel Chapter 70 The traitor
Chapter 70 The traitor
Chapter 70 The traitor
The group of young masters were quickly dragged away by the constables.
In the blink of an eye, only the waiters and maids of Anxiang Tower remained in the No. 1 room of the Heavenly Court.
Their eyes were filled with awe as they looked at Mo Zheng, especially the waiter, who never expected that the other party was actually Mo Zheng.
Judging from the other person's demeanor, he thought he must be someone important, but he never expected that this young man would be the most famous martial arts genius in Shangyin County.
"Young Master Mo."
Just then, a portly, bald, middle-aged man walked in with a smile and said to Mo Zheng:
"I have offended you greatly today. I am Zhao Desheng, the manager of this restaurant. My Anxiang Restaurant has not been hospitable enough. Please forgive me. Please settle the score with us."
"Manager Zhao?"
Mo Zheng raised an eyebrow. The shopkeeper's appearance was timely. He popped out after the matter was resolved, clearly knowing the truth but not daring to offend those纨绔子弟 (spoiled young masters).
"The food at Anxianglou is indeed delicious, but when they open their doors to business, they can't even command a proper atmosphere. Which customer would dare to come in?"
"It was my fault for not being a good host. I will accept whatever punishment you may give me, young master," said Manager Zhao, his bald head covered in a fine layer of cold sweat, somewhat fearful.
He couldn't afford to offend those spoiled brats, but he couldn't afford to offend this martial arts genius in front of him even more.
Didn't you see that even those privileged young masters have fallen?
"Fine, if you really want to make amends, then treat my friend to a few meals." Mo Zheng said indifferently, "I can't be bothered with such a small matter. Go out and don't let anyone bother us anymore."
"Yes, yes, this young master Chen will have his meal at my Anxiang Restaurant on the house for free in the future."
Upon hearing this, Manager Zhao felt relieved and said, "Thank you, Young Master Mo."
He led the waiter and maid outside, carefully closing the door behind him.
Silence returned to the No. 1 room.
Looking at the empty room, Chen Wu couldn't help but feel the same unreal feeling he had just experienced. If it weren't for the messy footprints and bloodstains on the ground, he would have really thought that everything that had just happened was a dream.
So many spoiled rich kids from Shangyin County obediently knelt on the ground, kowtowed and admitted their mistakes, and were even beaten until one of their legs was injured.
Looking at the small silver seal on the table, Chen Wu didn't know what to say for a moment.
Although he had a good relationship with Mo Zheng, this was so different from the gentle and hardworking young man he remembered, that it made him feel very uncomfortable.
It was like visiting a high-ranking official in the county with your father; the silent authority instilled a sense of awe in you.
"Chen San, what's wrong? Were you frightened by what happened just now?" Mo Zheng asked with a smile.
The word "Chen San" instantly shattered Chen Wu's sense of awe, allowing him to rediscover the familiar feeling between friends.
Chen Wu laughed and said, "How could that be? With Mo Er here, all those arrogant young masters are so scared that they're kneeling down. I've never felt so good in my life."
"But Manager Zhao came in as soon as the matter was resolved, clearly knowing about this beforehand. Are you just going to let him off like this?"
"He can't control this matter." Mo Zheng picked up the tea on the table, took a sip, and said, "Besides, this wasn't his intention, so why should I punish him? As for those constables and young masters, one side is an accomplice to evil, and the other side is committing all kinds of evil. They must not be let off lightly."
"But aren't you worried about their retaliation afterward? After all, they are the most powerful group of people in Shangyin County."
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Chen Wu asked, puzzled.
In his eyes, it's better to resolve conflicts than to create them, especially when it comes to the powerful families behind those people.
Upon hearing this, Mo Zheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "Their so-called power is nothing but a joke in my eyes."
"Is this their only son?"
"Not only that. The Fang family alone has three sons, and other families have about the same number," Chen Wu said.
"That's it. I'm a sixth-rank silver-seal constable. Just based on what happened, I could wipe out these families. Do you think they'd rather save one child or the entire family?" Mo Zheng countered.
He didn't mention the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy, nor did he talk about the background of the master in the Visceral Realm. Chen Wu's level wasn't high enough to understand these things.
Not to mention, the Hun Tian Sect is the master of the three states of You, Qing, and Liang. If they dare to touch a formal disciple of the Hun Tian Sect in this territory, it is tantamount to courting death.
It's too lenient for Mo Zheng to only break one of their legs!
The reason I only mentioned the sixth-rank silver-seal constable is because Chen Wu's current knowledge makes this kind of official position the easiest to understand. But in reality, these are all things that are based on his own talent and martial arts skills.
"In short, Chen San, in this world, your own martial arts strength is everything. You must cultivate your martial arts well. Even if you can't get into the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall before you turn eighteen, you can't stop cultivating."
Upon hearing this, Chen Wu seemed to be deep in thought.
Mo Zheng ignored him and continued eating his meal.
"Mo Er, I understand!"
After a while, Chen Wu suddenly realized and said, "Now I understand why my father insisted on supporting my siblings and me to practice martial arts, and why, even though my family is quite wealthy, we still have to bow and scrape to those officials."
"Oh, you understand why?" Mo Zheng smiled.
"It's about strength, one's own martial arts strength."
Chen Wu said solemnly, "The officials of the imperial court, the leaders of those chambers of commerce and gangs, and even the patriarchs of families are all powerful martial artists. Two months ago, you were just a disciple of the Shangyin Martial Arts School and a lowly constable on the street. However, two months later, you are a sixth-rank silver-seal constable. This is all due to your strength."
"The Great Yan Dynasty belongs to warriors!"
"Therefore, those spoiled brats who seem arrogant and unruly, yet bow down and break their legs when they encounter you, are simply because they lack the strength!"
"Therefore, wealth, power, and family influence are all unreliable."
"The only thing you can truly rely on is your own strength!"
Chen Wu picked up his teacup and said solemnly, "Thank you, Mo Er. Thank you for showing me the path ahead. Only by becoming a martial artist can one truly control their own destiny!"
"Well said! The Great Yan Dynasty truly belongs to martial artists!"
Mo Zheng raised his wine glass and said with a smile, "Then let's toast with tea instead of wine. This cup is a wish for your bright future and that you will soon become a martial artist!"
"Dry!"
Chen Wu drank it all in one gulp, his eyes filled with determination.
"Ouch! It hurts—it hurts so much! You fucking have to be gentle!"
Screams echoed from the backyard of the county government office.
A middle-aged woman adorned with jewels stood at the doorway, gazing at the scene inside, her face filled with worry and anger.
"Old Qian, why hasn't the master returned yet?"
The steward, who was serving nearby, said cautiously, "We have already sent two groups of people to urge them. The master replied earlier that he was drinking with an important person and couldn't get away for the time being. He asked the madam to wait a moment."
"Wait a minute, my foot! Your own son's been beaten up like this, and you're still going to drink with other people!"
The middle-aged woman was furious, her heart breaking as she looked at her beloved son receiving treatment inside the house.
Just then, a maidservant rushed in from outside, hurriedly calling out, "He's back! Master has returned home!"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman was overjoyed. Sure enough, a moment later, Fang Daquan, dressed in casual clothes, strode into the courtyard.
His face was flushed with alcohol, but his eyes were clear. As soon as he entered, he heard his son's miserable screams, and his expression immediately became anxious.
He asked, "What's wrong with Hai'er? What happened?"
"You heartless bastard! Your own son has been bullied like this, and you still go out drinking?"
The middle-aged woman shouted angrily, "If you don't avenge your son today, I'll hang myself in front of the county government office!"
'
As she spoke, she began to cry, "Waaah—my son—my son!"
"Alright, alright, I'll get my revenge, but you have to let me get to the bottom of this first!"
Fang Daquan said impatiently that he was also very annoyed. He had originally planned to have a meal with those powerful families to build some relationships, but this incident happened, and he had to rush back halfway through the meal.
"Steward Qian, what exactly happened? Didn't Ru Hai say he was going out for drinks with the disciples of the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall tonight? How did he end up like this?"
Steward Qian looked troubled and said, "Sir, I don't know either. The second young master is unwilling to tell us and insists on waiting for you to return."
"Oh?"
Fang Daquan frowned, pondered for a moment, and then walked towards the inner room.
Inside the room, several doctors were putting a cast on Fang Ruhai, while the second young master of the Fang family was wailing and howling. When he saw Fang Daquan, he shouted even more loudly.
"My son—"
Fang Ruhai looked distressed and rushed over, asking, "Who beat you up like this?"
"Father, I dare not say it," Fang Ruhai said, his voice trembling with tears.
"Although there's nothing in Shangyin County that your father can't handle, you dare to break my son's legs!"
Fang Daquan said with a fierce expression, "I will make his entire family pay with their lives!"
As a seventh-rank county magistrate and a martial artist at the flesh and blood level, Fang Daquan had every reason and confidence to do so.
During his years in office, he wiped out two gangs and several wealthy families.
"Father, you are the best to your child."
Fang Ruhai cried, "It's Mo Zheng, it's Mo Zheng who beat me like this."
"Um?"
Fang Daquan's fierce expression vanished into a look of utter astonishment. He exclaimed in surprise, "Mo Zheng? You mean Mo Zheng?"
"Yes, Father. That brat somehow got a sixth-rank silver seal constable position and broke the legs of me and He Feiquan's group. He even threatened to behead our whole family. I was afraid of causing trouble for you, Father, so I didn't dare to fight back and let him break my leg."
Fang Ruhai pleaded, "Father, you must do justice for me!"
In just a few words, he twisted the truth and pinned all the blame on Mo Zheng.
Who wouldn't want to get revenge after being bullied? Unfortunately, this spoiled brat is neither good at literature nor martial arts, so he has no ability to do so and can only pin his hopes on his father.
"Are you sure it's Mo Zheng?" Fang Daquan asked with a dark face.
"Yes, Father, I'm sure. He's very young, only about fifteen or sixteen years old. Moreover, Li Fei and the others from the Jinqing Prefecture Martial Arts Hall know him." Fang Ruhai nodded, appearing extremely obedient and pitiful.
"The traitor!"
Upon receiving confirmation, Fang Daquan's expression changed drastically. He raised his hand and slapped Fang Ruhai across the face, shouting, "I'll beat you to death, you unfilial son!"
Fang Ruhai was stunned by the blow and hurriedly begged for mercy, "Ah! Father! Father! Spare me—"
However, Fang Daquan was not about to let him off the hook. He slapped him across the face repeatedly, clearly enraged, yelling as he hit him, "You unfilial son, are you trying to kill our whole family?! I'll beat you to death!"
At this moment, Madam Fang, who was outside, noticed what was happening and rushed in. She pulled Fang Daquan aside, stood in front of Fang Ruhai, and angrily scolded, "Are you crazy? Your son's leg is broken, and you still hit him! If you have the guts, avenge your son! What kind of person hits his son?"
"I'll hit him, but I won't kill him!"
Fang Daquan said angrily, "Do you know who this unfilial son has offended? It's Mo Zheng! Mo Zheng from the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall!"
'
"What's wrong with the disciples of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy? Do you think disciples of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Academy can break my son's leg?"
Madam Fang fiercely protected her son, saying, "My uncle is still a Bone and Tendon Realm martial artist. Aren't all the disciples of the Liangzhou Martial Arts Hall at this level upon graduation? It takes another ten years. What are you afraid of?"
"You're being narrow-minded!"
Are two martial artists in the Bone and Tendon Realm the same thing?
Fang Daquan trembled with anger. He said, "Let me tell you, Mo Zheng is no ordinary disciple of the Martial Arts Hall. He has already become the disciple of a great master of the Visceral Realm and has a very high chance of reaching the Visceral Realm in the future!"
"Several powerful forces with experts at the Internal Organs Realm have come to the county today to try and win him over. I was just drinking with them."
"And your good son has actually messed with such a martial arts genius! Do you want our whole family to be buried with him?!"
"A master of the Visceral Realm!" Madam Fang was so frightened that her heart trembled.
She came from an extraordinary family, so she naturally knew the meaning behind this level of understanding.
That's not just enough strength to dominate a province, but also a very important figure in the entire Great Yan.
And their own son had actually offended such a person—
"Son, I'm asking you, was it really Mo Zheng who broke your leg?" Madam Fang asked definitively.
"Yes, it was him." Fang Ruhai nodded, looking pitiful. "Mother, he was so ruthless! He even said he would wipe out our whole family—ah! Mother, why did you hit me?!"
"I hit you, I want to kill you!"
Madam Fang became even more ruthless, completely ignoring Fang Ruhai's screams, and shouted as she hit him, "You wicked child, you wicked child! You want to ruin our whole family! I should never have given birth to you! You've managed to provoke such a powerful person, you wicked child—"
After fighting for quite a while, leaving Fang Ruhai with a bruised and swollen face, she finally stopped, having vented her anger.
She didn't even glance at her own son, but instead worriedly said to Fang Daquan, "Husband, what should we do? What if he retaliates in the future—"
A master of the Bone and Tendon Realm is undoubtedly extremely terrifying; their own power alone can easily annihilate a powerful martial arts family.
Even the Six Doors wouldn't want to provoke such a person, since no master of the Internal Organs Realm would risk their life for someone of the same level who had no connection with them.
"What can we do? We can only apologize."
Fang Daquan sighed helplessly and said, "Old Qian, go and get me five thousand taels of silver."