Novel Full Chapter 63: Passing High
Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Passing High
That was the official story, but in reality, Fang Yue just wanted to save some silver coins.
He didn’t have much money on him, and he needed to stay in Xiahe County Town for about two months. He had no way of earning a living here, so he had to be frugal.
Therefore, renting a woodshed was a good option. It came with daily meals, and the rent was cheap.
However, when some of the surrounding diners heard that Fang Yue had passed the Martial Scholar examination last year and was now a Martial Scholar entitled to 300 mu of tax-exempt land, things changed.
This was Xiahe County Town, after all. People who could afford to eat in a restaurant weren’t going to be overly intimidated by a mere Martial Scholar.
Inevitably, some made unpleasant remarks, and there were certainly those who resorted to sarcasm.
"The room may be simple, but the high eaves are a good omen. Doesn’t it signify achieving great heights?"
Fang Yue offered a casual explanation. ’Where else in all of Xiahe County Town could I find a more affordable place to stay than this woodshed?’
’Should I really have gone to stay at Master Zhang’s house?’
’Ever since that incident last time, it’s been awkward for me to visit him.’
Fang Yue had barely finished speaking when a chubby man started walking up the restaurant’s staircase.
He fiercely slapped the staircase railing beside him with immense force.
A loud, deep BANG resounded.
"That explains it! I was wondering why I failed the exam the last two times. It must have been a problem with the rooms I was staying in."
The chubby man immediately walked over to Fang Yue. He was large, weighing at least two hundred pounds.
He wore a brocade robe interwoven with gold thread, and his hands, though covered in calluses, were adorned with numerous jade rings.
From head to toe, inside and out, he exuded the air of the nouveau riche.
"My good man, name your price. Let me have that woodshed. How about ten taels of silver? Or maybe twenty taels?"
The chubby man was very enthusiastic. Hmm, you could call him ostentatious, or you could say his offer was too generous to refuse.
In any case, under the man’s ’monetary’ assault, Fang Yue agreed to swap rooms with him.
Truly, there was nothing in this world that silver couldn’t accomplish.
After swapping rooms, the chubby man immediately sent a restaurant attendant out to buy all sorts of daily necessities and had the woodshed cleaned from top to bottom.
Thanks to the power of silver coins, the woodshed was completely transformed.
However, the amount of money the chubby man had spent was already enough to rent another superior room.
Finally, the chubby man went so far as to order a table full of fine wine and food, insisting on treating Fang Yue to a lavish meal.
It was an offer too generous to refuse, so even Fang Yue had a few drinks with him.
Later, after getting a bit drunk, the chubby man even insisted that he and Fang Yue become sworn brothers.
By the time Fang Yue returned to his superior room in the restaurant, it was already late at night.
Fang Yue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, marveling at this chubby man named Bai Xingqiu, who was so wealthy and extravagant... or rather, just a fool with too much money.
~~~~~
The night was deep, and Fang Yue had just finished digesting his meal.
He wasn’t sure if it was because he had eaten too much or because he was staying in a superior room.
Lying on the bed, Fang Yue tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, so he rolled out of bed.
There wasn’t enough space to practice his Fist Technique, so he could only perform the Pile Skill to burn off his excess energy.
An unknown amount of time passed, and rain began to fall outside the window.
The autumn night rain was cool, pattering endlessly as it fell upon the roof tiles.
Fang Yue focused on the circulation of Qi and blood within his body.
The Pile Skill was the foundation of all Cultivation Techniques. Although it could barely increase Fang Yue’s strength anymore—the growth was minuscule, often taking ten to fifteen days to add just a single jin of strength—Fang Yue still practiced it daily without fail. Every little bit helped, and there were always some benefits.
After Fang Yue finished his practice, he took a bath in his room.
It really was a superior room, just as one would expect; there was even a supply of hot water late at night.
After washing away the dust and sweat, Fang Yue was just about to rest.
Just then, the sound of a rooster crowing came from outside.
It was the fifth watch of the night.
"Study by lamplight at the third watch, wake with the rooster at the fifth; this is the time for a man to practice his martial arts."
Ordinarily, Fang Yue would have already been up for his morning training, but not today. He needed to rest for a while.
Martial arts practice required a balance between exertion and rest. One couldn’t force their cultivation. If the intensity was too high and exceeded one’s limits, it would only end up harming the body.
"HEH HEH HA HA!"
Just as Fang Yue lay down on the bed, a strange noise from the courtyard suddenly pierced through the sound of the wind and rain.
The sound was bizarre, and it had a familiar quality that just made you want to slap someone.
Before Fang Yue could pull open his window to look, he heard the sound of a neighboring window being thrown open.
"Who’s the damn idiot wailing like it’s a funeral in the courtyard before dawn?! Are you trying to keep people from sleeping?"
An angry curse had already rung out.
Well, that was effective.
The shouting outside did indeed stop, leaving only the sound of the wind and rain, and the faint whistling of fists cutting through the air.
’It’s actually Bai Xingqiu. That chubby guy is so diligent, he’s up practicing martial arts at this hour?’
Through the window, Fang Yue saw a portly yet surprisingly agile figure in the restaurant’s rear courtyard, practicing a Fist Technique over and over.
This was completely unexpected. Fang Yue hadn’t thought that this chubby fellow would be so hardworking.
’But if he’s this diligent, how is he still so fat!’
Mulling over this question, Fang Yue soon fell asleep.
~~~~~~
Two hours later, Fang Yue woke up.
By now, the weather had cleared up, and sunlight bathed the land.
Fang Yue washed up, ate breakfast, and then went out.
Today, he was going to the White Tiger Boxing Hall to visit Hall Master Zheng, his grandmaster, to obtain the subsequent Cultivation Methods for the Bone Forging Stage.
His first stop was a nearby woodcraft shop.
"Shopkeeper, which of your wooden boxes are on the cheaper side? I don’t need anything too big, just about half a foot long."
Fang Yue asked hesitantly after stepping into the shop and looking around.
He was going to see Hall Master Zheng today on important business. It was always a good idea to bring a small gift.
It was a matter of etiquette.
’Cheap?’
"May I ask what the customer plans to use it for?"
The shopkeeper sized Fang Yue up. Seeing that his clothes were clean and tidy but made of ordinary fabric, he had a good idea of the situation.
He took a dark red box down from a nearby shelf. "This one is made of jujube wood. It’s only one tael of silver."
"It’s a bit plain for presenting a valuable gift, but for personal use, it’s more than enough."
Hearing this, Fang Yue hesitated for a moment. "Then which one would be suitable for a gift?"
"This box is made of huanghuali wood. It has its own natural fragrance and costs only three taels of silver. It’s quite a good choice."
A smile appeared on the shopkeeper’s face, and his tone became much friendlier as he took down another wooden box with a yellow grain pattern.
"I’ll take this one."
Fang Yue had compared the appearance of the two boxes, and the huanghuali one was clearly superior.
Elder Zheng was the master of the White Tiger Boxing Hall, a man of considerable wealth whose status was among the top in all of Xiahe County.
What kind of treasure had he not seen? If Fang Yue used an inferior jujube wood box, the man probably wouldn’t even deign to look at it.
He paid the three taels of silver and bought the huanghuali wood box.
Fang Yue then immediately poured some tea leaves into it from the porcelain jar he carried with him.
It was, of course, pan-fried tea.
The gift Fang Yue had prepared for his visit to the boxing hall was tea that he had pan-fried himself.