Chapter 15 - 14: Humiliation

Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Humiliation

Wen Ling watched Lu Jing’an’s car disappear around the corner before slowly pulling her gaze back.

Only then did she pick up the check and look at it again and again.

Her face and eyes were filled with delight.

Wen Ling waved the check in her hand and said, "Chief, this month’s pay silver is secured."

Kui Shan looked at Wen Ling’s smiling face and couldn’t help but say:

"Didn’t you used to hate these young masters who try to suck up to you?"

With Wen Ling’s looks, there were indeed many who wanted to get on her good side.

It wasn’t as if there weren’t others who had tried similar methods as Lu Jing’an.

But in the past, Wen Ling had always given them the cold shoulder.

Today, however, she was quite proactive with Lu Jing’an.

Wen Ling tilted her head in thought and said, "He’s different."

Kui Shan shot back, "How is he different?"

"Because he can endure a bit more hardship than those other young masters?"

"Because he’s already a Martial Cultivator?"

Wen Ling shook her head. "Neither."

"Then what is it?" Kui Shan pressed.

Wen Ling’s eyes curved into crescents as she giggled. "He’s better looking than all of them."

Kui Shan: ...

The car drove smoothly over the stone-paved road for a while.

Lu Jing’an finally took out the slip of paper Wen Ling had tucked into his hand.

After reading the note, Lu Jing’an didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

On the slip of paper, tiny words were embroidered in silk:

"Replace the horn with pure gold to use it completely. You’re welcome to eavesdrop on this big sister’s wishes anytime."

Lu Jing’an had just finished reading.

When the words on the note vanished.

Not even a trace was left behind.

’This must be one of the abilities of a Literature Cultivator.’

Lu Jing’an muttered to himself.

Although the content was gone,

Lu Jing’an had memorized the method.

Replace the horn with Gold.

’That’s a bit extravagant.’

To replace it all with Gold would require at least 30 Yellow Croakers.

According to current market prices, that was over ten thousand silver coins.

It was indeed very expensive.

But for Lu Jing’an, it was worth a try.

Lu Jing’an said to Chen Xuan, who was beside him:

"Master, let’s go to Second Uncle’s place later. I want to ask him to help me exchange for thirty Yellow Croakers."

Chen Xuan hesitated before saying, "Young Master, with such a large expenditure today, shouldn’t you discuss it with the Master first?"

Lu Jing’an had just been focused on achieving his goal.

He really had forgotten about his father.

He had just spent twenty thousand silver coins.

And now he wanted to spend another ten thousand silver coins.

This was more than Lu Jing’an’s expenses for the entire past year.

"Let’s go home and talk to my father first."

On the way, Chen Xuan also explained the upcoming Cultivation plan to Lu Jing’an.

According to Chen Xuan,

Lu Jing’an’s current progress was already considered miraculously fast.

The reason he, at the Qi Blood First Transformation, was still troubled by such things...

...was that, according to Chen Xuan, although Lu Jing’an’s advancement was rapid,

his body had not yet fully adapted to the sudden surge of Qi and blood.

He was like a child wielding a heavy hammer—possessing great strength but unable to use it skillfully and smoothly.

The fastest way to adapt was through actual combat.

Lu Jing’an’s eyes gleamed as he listened; he too was eager to find out,

just how much he was truly worth now.

The car soon returned to the Lu Family estate.

Chen Xuan went to arrange for the combat practice.

Lu Jing’an had a servant send the phonograph back to his room.

He then went to find his father himself.

When Lu Jing’an arrived, he was surprised to see his second uncle was also there.

The atmosphere, however, was a bit delicate.

"Father, Second Uncle."

After greeting them, Lu Jing’an asked, "Father, Second Uncle, has something happened?"

Lu Huaiqian didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he told Lu Jing’an to first state his reason for coming.

Lu Jing’an didn’t hesitate.

He explained how he had spent twenty thousand silver coins and wanted to exchange for another 30 Yellow Croakers.

After Lu Jing’an finished explaining,

Lu Huaichuan said excitedly, "That’s a fantastic deal! Forging a connection with the Anping Bureau for just twenty thousand silver coins... Jing’an, you’ve really done it."

"Do you know how many people would willingly pay one hundred thousand silver coins a year to be a Tributor for the Anping Bureau?"

"And the Anping Bureau rejects them all outright."

"You only spent twenty thousand silver coins and even established a long-term connection. That money was incredibly well spent."

"The Anping Bureau is like a great tree. To ordinary people, it’s not much."

"But for us, it’s immensely important."

Lu Jing’an felt his second uncle might have misunderstood him.

He quickly explained, "I just saw how hard their lives were."

"And wanted to give them a hand."

"I didn’t really plan on getting anything from them."

Lu Huaichuan said, "It’s precisely because you didn’t plan on getting anything from them that they were willing to take your money."

"But since they’ve accepted the money, they now owe you a favor."

"When the time comes that you really need them, they won’t refuse."

Lu Huaichuan was a thoroughly shrewd businessman.

He only thought about things from the perspective of profit.

So no amount of arguing would make him see it differently.

Lu Jing’an decided to just let it go.

Lu Huaiqian waited for the uncle and nephew to finish speaking.

He said directly to Lu Jing’an, "From now on, you can withdraw 5,000 silver coins each month."

"If there are special circumstances like today,"

"you can make your own decisions for any amount under fifty thousand silver coins."

"As for the Gold you need, your second uncle will have someone deliver it to you later."

Ever since Lu Jing’an started practicing martial arts,

all of Lu Jing’an’s changes...

...Lu Huaiqian had seen them all.

His son was willing to walk the path of Orthodoxy.

Lu Huaiqian would naturally support him with all his might.

Besides, on one point, Lu Huaiqian’s thinking was identical to Lu Jing’an’s.

If a problem could be solved with money, there was no need to agonize over it.

What’s more, the Lu Family wasn’t short on money.

The Lu Family easily brought in several million a year.

"Thank you, Father," Lu Jing’an said, clasping his hands in gratitude.

Having finished with his own matter, Lu Jing’an once again asked what was going on with his father and second uncle.

This time, Lu Huaiqian didn’t hide it from Lu Jing’an.

He told Lu Jing’an what had happened.

It turned out the Xiaoshan Li Family had sent a betrothal letter and gifts to the Lin Family.

And the Lin Family had agreed to the marriage.

The two families had even settled on a wedding date.

The date was set for the first of next month.

The Li Family had even sent an invitation to the Lu Family well in advance.

Lu Jing’an knew the Lin Family intended to align with the Li Family.

But he hadn’t expected it would be through a marriage alliance like this.

Seeing that Lu Jing’an didn’t seem to grasp the severity of the situation, Lu Huaichuan immediately explained:

"This isn’t just a marriage alliance. The Li Family is planning to use this humiliating method to break the Lu Family’s spine."

"Our Lu Family just announced that we wouldn’t compete for the director’s position."

"And the Li Family immediately sends a betrothal letter and an invitation."

"They just want to use this utterly humiliating method to test the Lu Family’s reaction."

After hearing Lu Huaichuan’s explanation, Lu Jing’an still didn’t quite understand.

’How is this ’utterly humiliating’?’

Lu Huaichuan pointed at Lu Jing’an and said, "It’s because of you, of course."

"The Lin Family has always wanted to marry Lin Qingyi to our family."

"In the eyes of outsiders,"

"this Lin Qingyi has long been considered one of our Lu Family."

"Now, your wife is going to be someone else’s wife."

"What do you think that looks like?"

Lu Jing’an had never had any feelings for Lin Qingyi.

In fact, from Lu Jing’an’s perspective,

a "banana" like Lin Qingyi—yellow on the outside, white on the inside—was a complete idiot.

But after what Lu Huaichuan said,

Lu Jing’an suddenly felt like he was being cuckolded.

Lu Jing’an scratched his head. "Second Uncle, I don’t recall ever saying, on any occasion, that I wanted to marry her."

Lu Huaichuan explained, "What’s important isn’t whether you said it or not."

"It’s how other people see it."

"You didn’t say it, but that’s what people will think when they see this."

Lu Jing’an was now starting to understand the saying.

’When a great man farts, even that might have a purpose.’

’And now, I’m one of those great men who can fart.’

’If I look at the problem with that logic...’

’Then it really is a humiliation.’

And it’s a continuous humiliation.

If the Lu Family were to endure this,

then the Lu Family’s prestige in all of Yin Mountain County would surely suffer a heavy blow.

Today, the Lin Family can defect to the Li Family without consequence.

Tomorrow, the Zhang Family and the Sun Family could do the same.

It would set off a chain reaction.

"To make this happen, the Li Family will probably send experts to escort the betrothal gifts, right?" Lu Jing’an asked.

Lu Huaichuan nodded. "They’ve sent quite a few people. The main group will probably arrive around noon tomorrow."

Lu Jing’an looked at his father and said, "What are your thoughts on this matter, Father?"