Chapter 62: It Is I, Master Xie!

Lu Bai's face paled for a moment, but he immediately knelt down and cupped his hands without the slightest hesitation.

"Teacher, this student knows he was wrong. I acted on impulse, and upon returning, my tuition money was stolen, which is why I thought of trying my luck at the gambling den. Who would have thought... This student knows his error, please forgive me, Teacher!"

Lu Bai's eyes were slightly red, and his words were spoken with genuine sincerity.

Chen Yang had managed to calm down by this point. Earlier, upon hearing a few students returning from outside say they had seen Lu Bai at a gambling house and that he had amassed heavy debts, anger had rushed straight to his head.

This boy Lu Bai, despite his humble origins, was ambitious and one of the students he valued most. Chen Yang simply could not bear to watch him stray onto the wrong path!

Sighing inwardly, he looked at the bewildered young man before him. "Your tuition was stolen? Very well, I will allow you to delay payment by a month. But do not ever touch gambling again—let this be your last warning! Oh, and one more thing: if you are willing, stay an extra stick of incense's time after class to sweep..."

***

Cheng Yuan had just seen off a batch of guests when she noticed a swaggering figure walking toward her.

"Xie Yanzhi?"

Xie Yanzhi ran over in two or three strides, his fair face flushed with excitement.

"I persuaded Jiang Yun."

"That is good news."

Cheng Yuan nodded, though she seemed indifferent. "Would you like to come inside and sit for a while? Have a piece of cake?"

Xie Yanzhi seemed to be searching for someone, but upon hearing this, he nodded repeatedly. "I want the sweetest one."

Stepping into the shop, Uncle Wang walked out carrying a cake, and Xie Yanzhi's eyes lit up.

"Uncle Wang, could you lend me your ox cart? I will return it to you tomorrow. Twenty copper coins, does that work? I promise to feed the ox until it is completely full."

Walking here today had nearly worn his legs out, and the thought of having to make the round trip again tomorrow made Xie Yanzhi want to tear his hair out.

Uncle Wang was an honest man and agreed without much thought.

"I'm not heading back for the next few days anyway, and it's just sitting there. But tell me, Yanzhi, do you even know how to drive an ox?"

Xie Yanzhi nodded immediately. "My horsemanship and archery skills are top-notch!"

The sun gradually sank toward the west. Outside the courtyard gate, a group of people walked out together, laughing, joking, and slinging arms over each other's shoulders. Jiang Yun was among them, maintaining a stern and expressionless face.

"I will treat you all to wontons, so please stop pestering me." Jiang Yun locked eyes with someone in the crowd, his heart suddenly pounding violently as he pressed his lips together and spoke.

"Sure, who turns down free wontons? But Jiang Yun, we genuinely want to be friends with you. Just give us a little face."

"Exactly. We've been talking ourselves hoarse for days now. Do you look down on us or something?"

"He is Master Chen's prized pupil after all~ Destined to pass the imperial examinations and become a scholar~ How could he ever deign to associate with the likes of us, right?"

"Jiang Yun, are you mute?!"

The leader, a slightly taller student, grabbed the back of Jiang Yun's neck and forced him down roughly, making Jiang Yun stumble and nearly fall.

The rest of the group burst into laughter. Passing students merely whispered among themselves, pretending not to see anything.

Jiang Yun raised his eyes, bit his lip, and bolted toward a nearby alleyway.

He ran so fast that the others were caught off guard.

"Damn it! Still running! He's not playing the soft pushover today, is he? After him!"

The small alley was lined with the back doors of residences, all tightly shut. After rounding two corners, the pursuers caught up to Jiang Yun, who had run into a dead end.

He stood facing them, his gaze cold and clear as he slightly raised his chin.

Mo Dian frowned in displeasure. No matter what, at least he lived in the county town, and his father was a imperial examination scholar-to-be—unlike Lu Bai, an orphan lodging in the countryside.

Others might not show him profound respect, but at least they wouldn't dare push him around.

Only Lu Bai's haughty and pretentious attitude, looking down on everyone, genuinely pissed him off.

He clenched his fists. "Why aren't you running anymore? Run! Weren't you very tough just now?"

The three of them gradually closed in around Jiang Yun.

Mo Dian narrowed his eyes slightly. Clearly, Jiang Yun was at a disadvantage, yet the person opposite him actually wore a trace of a smile at the corners of his lips?

Mo Dian grew furious. How dare this fellow look down on him so much!

Just as he was about to move, the world suddenly went black before his eyes. His knees were struck as if by a club, and he crashed heavily to the ground, swallowing a mouthful of the burlap sack he had landed on.

"Ow! Brother Mo? What's going on?" The other two lackeys panicked.

Mo Dian cursed angrily, "How the hell should I know? Which turtle's bastard is pulling such a dirty trick? If you have the guts, untie me!"

In front of Jiang Yun, three burlap sacks were tightly bound one by one. Xie Yanzhi straightened up and clapped his hands together.

"Job's done."

He handed one of the wooden clubs to Jiang Yun and said concisely, "Hit."

Jiang Yun was momentarily stunned.

The three men clearly heard this. Mo Dian yelled that if Jiang Yun dared to strike him, he would ambush him every single time he saw him from now on!

"Won't this provoke them even further?" Jiang Yun murmured.

Xie Yanzhi raised an eyebrow. "And if you don't provoke them, will they let you off?"

Jiang Yun immediately tightened his grip on the wooden club, which he had been holding loosely, and swung it hard against one of the sacks.

"Ah!!"

"Ah—you just wait for me, Jiang Yun!"

"If you stop now and apologize, we'll let bygones be bodi—Ah!!"

...

"The three of you, do you need me to report this case to the county magistrate on your behalf? I have connections with the magistrate. If you gentlemen are facing any difficulties, I can surely ensure help arrives immediately."

Xie Yanzhi stood with his hands on his hips, smiling as he looked at the three men groaning on the ground.

The person before him was a stranger, but Mo Dian trusted his judgment of character and status; he could not be wrong! This must be some wealthy young master—and he actually had connections with the county magistrate?

The curses stuck in Mo Dian's throat couldn't produce a single syllable.

Damn it, this Jiang Yun looked all high and mighty, yet behind the scenes, he had gone and found himself a backer!

They were simply looked down upon!

Jiang Yun struck hard, but as a frail scholar, he couldn't inflict any real injury after beating them for a while.

Yet, as Mo Dian was helped up by his lackeys, his heart was filled with humiliation.

"No need. It seems Brother Jiang already has company, so I won't intrude any further!"

It wasn't until the figures had retreated into the distance that Jiang Yun finally relaxed his clenched fists.

"Is this really going to be enough?" he asked, letting the wooden club drop to the ground with a thud.

"Guaranteed. Believe me, tomorrow when they spot you at the academy, they'll go out of their way to avoid you!"

Xie Yanzhi twirled the wooden club behind his back, looking entirely accustomed to such methods.

Jiang Yun pressed his lips together and gave a soft murmur of assent.

"However, this is only a delaying tactic. That fellow isn't entirely stupid; once he investigates over the next couple of days, he'll realize I don't have much backing after all. You can't just beat them every single time you encounter them, and it's bound to affect your reputation, isn't it? Although getting involved in cliques is... well, if you want to spend the next half-year undisturbed, it's best to find someone reliable."

It was rare for Xie Yanzhi to speak such heartfelt words. These little nuisances posed no major threat, but they could drive a person mad and ultimately harm one's studies.

The tension that had just left Jiang Yun's body instantly returned, prompting Xie Yanzhi to hastily shut his mouth to avoid startling him further.

"Never mind. Just make sure you come out during the lunch break tomorrow."

"Wait."

Jiang Yun suddenly twitched the corner of his mouth. "You help me find someone."

Xie Yanzhi blinked, taken aback. "Huh?"

"You were the one who said you'd help me solve my problems and help me persuade my mother. Now that the problem isn't resolved yet, you're in such a rush to leave?"