Chapter 244: Wang Mazi

After finding Mu Feng and asking for his help, the clever and sensible young A Su refused Mu Feng’s offer to let him stay longer and turned to leave. A Su planned to search everywhere for the Jianshui Gang leader Wu Jiu and ask him for help.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Mu Feng, but he had a feeling that his grandfather Flying Sky Bat was in deep danger this time. To prepare for the worst, the more people helping, the better.

“Heaven Demon Battlefield…”

Watching A Su’s receding figure, Mu Feng’s expression turned serious. He vaguely sensed an unseen danger, and his forehead twitched slightly. After pausing for a moment in thought, he strode down the hill, asking passersby for directions as he went, heading straight for Wutong Village at the foot of the mountain.

Flying Sky Bat and Fourth Lady Mei had saved his life before. Learning that he was now in danger, Mu Feng naturally couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Next, he would need to quickly find out the location of Heaven Demon Battlefield and go there as soon as possible. But before setting off, he had to first carry out He Wu’s final wishes.

There were many natural villages scattered around the foot of Xiangshan, but only one village had paulownia trees. After about half an hour, following directions from passersby, Mu Feng arrived at a secluded small village. Inside and outside the village, tall paulownia trees could be seen everywhere. Some of the trunks were so thick it would take three people to embrace them; they were at least a hundred years old. In the distance, one extraordinarily tall and ancient paulownia tree stood out, as tall as a multi-story house.

This tallest paulownia tree grew on a small slope. Under the tree stood a drafty, leaky thatched cottage. Next to it, on an empty patch of land, were many bricks and tiles piled up — clearly intended for building a new house. Seeing these bricks and tiles, Mu Feng was quickly reminded of He Wu’s unfulfilled wish in life.

He Wu had worked hard, risking his life in dangerous work, escorting goods for others. In the end, he had found a sweetheart and bought the bricks and tiles for their wedding home — but then he died.

Mu Feng lost himself in thought for a moment, then continued forward. Rounding a corner, he saw from a distance that a crowd had gathered in front of the thatched cottage. The noise and chatter suggested something big was happening. Puzzled, he quickened his pace.

In front of the door stood an Old Woman and a young maiden, their eyes wet with tears, arguing with a burly, fierce-looking man. Villagers stood around, pointing and murmuring. To his surprise, among the crowd, Mu Feng even spotted the man called Second Lord, Liu Lei, and his companions.

“Take a good look — whose signature is this if it’s not that kid He Wu’s?”

The fierce-looking man shook a contract in his hand and continued harshly, “That boy spent his time eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling. When he ran out of money, he pestered me for loans — five hundred taels of silver in total. With interest, that’s eight hundred taels. I finally tracked him down here. It’s written in black and white — you still want to deny it?”

Eight hundred taels of silver?

Everyone gasped. The Old Woman at the doorstep felt dizzy and nearly collapsed. Luckily, the quick-eyed young woman beside her caught her shaky body in time.

“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”

The Old Woman shook her head and said loudly, “I know my son better than anyone — he never touched those vices you mentioned. How could he have run wild outside and piled up such a huge debt?”

“Heh. What do you mean, impossible?”

The tough-looking man sneered coldly. “I, Wang Mazi, have been around Jiangling Prefecture for years — I’m somebody on the streets, I’ve seen all kinds. Many young men are honest and obedient at home, but after a few years out in the world, they turn into old hands. They do it all — drinking, whoring, gambling. It’s all here in black and white, with Xiao Wu’s own signature. Old woman, take a good look! If you don’t hand over the silver today, don’t blame us for being rough!”

“Wang Mazi, why be polite to them? If Xiao Wu doesn’t dare show his face, let’s just tear his house down!”

“Yeah, tear it down, take it all apart. Forget the old woman — this young lady isn’t bad, though. If we sell her to the Spring River Tower, we might just get our money back. Hahaha!”

…

From behind the fierce-faced Wang Mazi, several burly men stepped forward, holding choppers or swords. They looked menacing.

Some sturdy villagers, seeing the two women alone and helpless, had been thinking of stepping up to help them argue, but seeing the gleaming blades in Wang Mazi’s group’s hands, they shrank back, instinctively stepping away.

Wang Mazi was well-known in the area — always picking fights, bullying men and women. Although they found it strange that He Wu would cross this tyrant, they couldn’t argue with the contract’s signature. He Wu wasn’t well-educated, but he had attended a private school for a year as a child and had excellent handwriting. Almost all the villagers’ Spring Festival couplets in past years were written by him. So, they were familiar with his handwriting.

Eight hundred taels of silver was an almost unimaginably huge sum. Although they didn’t really believe He Wu would do something so foolish, the script and signature on the contract really looked identical to his usual writing. There was nothing they could say.

The fierce-faced Wang Mazi was vicious, but he had a point: many young men started out honest at home, then went astray after a few years outside. Although He Wu had been sensible since childhood, he hadn’t returned home for years — he was always out in the world. No one really knew what he had become.

“When you owe a debt, you pay it back — it’s common sense! Old hag, hand over the silver right now, or we won’t be polite!”

Wang Mazi sneered coldly and brandished his gleaming dagger. Clearly, he expected and was pleased by the villagers’ fear and retreat.

“Impossible! My son would never be that kind of person. Besides, even if he did such a stupid thing, it has nothing to do with He Chunlan. She hasn’t married into our He family yet. We have no money, but if you want my life — fine! Or, take anything you think is valuable from this house!” Seeing that things were going badly, the Old Woman made a quick decision. Turning, she urged the young maiden behind her to leave. “He Chunlan, go! Hurry, leave through the back door — quickly!”

“Aunt, I…”

He Chunlan’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment she hesitated.

Seeing Wang Mazi and his men’s rough manner, her heart raced with fear, terrified they might actually capture her and take her away. Still, she couldn’t bear to abandon He Wu’s elderly, frail mother at a time like this. Caught in panic, she didn’t know what to do.

Though she wore only a coarse long dress, it couldn’t hide her delicate features and youthful figure. Before she could decide, the fierce-faced Wang Mazi let out a harsh laugh and signaled with his eyes. His men swarmed forward, fanning out to surround the two women. One leering fellow even pulled a long rope from his bag, laughing as he moved toward her.

“A bunch of reckless fools!”

Watching this scene, cold light flashed in Mu Feng’s eyes. He was about to step in when suddenly a loud shout rang in his ears.

“How dare you! Stop right there!”

Second Lord, Liu Lei, who had been observing coolly, now stepped forward with righteous authority at the crucial moment, his face full of moral outrage. “In broad daylight, right at the foot of Xiangshan, you dare act so lawlessly — trying to kidnap common women? Do you have any respect for the law? Do you even know what shame is?”

“Yeah, committing crimes at the foot of Xiangshan — isn’t that clearly looking down on our Scholastic Palace?”

“As a student of the Scholastic Palace, how can we tolerate their violence?”

…

Behind Liu Lei, several students in Scholastic Palace robes, longswords at their waists, stepped out as well. One after another, they looked solemn and righteous. Spotting their figures, Mu Feng, who had been ready to intervene, paused and decided to watch quietly for now.