Chapter 55: Reunion of the Four (Please add to favorites and keep reading)

(PS: I wrote it wrong in the previous chapter; it was a debt of thirty taels of silver to Wei Hong. It has been corrected.)

...

"This time, our militia, led by County Constable Xu, headed to Siyang Town to suppress the unrest..."

"During this period, your nephew made a little small fortune," Wei Tu explained casually.

"So that's how it is," Wei Hong said thoughtfully upon hearing this.

A few days ago, the militia had left the city overnight, and some guards and martial instructors from wealthy households had also been reassigned; she had heard rumors of this.

She just hadn't expected that County Constable Xu would be leading Wei Tu and the others to Siyang Town to suppress the unrest.

"Is Brother Wei injured?" After a few breaths, Wei Hong snapped out of her thoughts and hurriedly spoke words of concern.

Wei Tu shook his head. "Your nephew holds the rank of Commander, so I was not at the front lines cutting down enemies and thus remained uninjured. Thank you for your concern, Second Aunt."

In truth, the residual force from the blow dealt by the iron-hammered giant had caused a minor injury to his right abdomen, but fortunately, he possessed internal cultivation. After circulating his qi and blood, he had mostly recovered within two or three days.

There was no need for Wei Tu to mention this to his Second Aunt, Wei Hong.

"You are the pillar of our Wei family. It wasn't easy for the Wei family to produce a star of war like you. You must take good care of your body..."

"You must not suffer any harm."

When leaving the Huang residence, Wei Hong walked Wei Tu to the gate, giving him earnest instructions.

Finally, Wei Hong added, "Brother Wei, if you are short on money again next time, just come to your Second Aunt and your Uncle. Your uncle's business is large; he isn't short on a few coins."

Hearing this, Wei Tu cupped his hands in gratitude.

Beyond his gratitude, he was also secretly reflecting.

The first time he had visited the Huang residence, he had waited in the outer courtyard for fifteen minutes before seeing Wei Hong. When he asked for a favor, she had been impatient and wouldn't even bother to accept the gifts he brought.

This time, when he visited the Huang residence to collect the thirty taels of silver, Wei Hong didn't even bother to count it; she simply handed it to a maid and personally saw him out of the gate.

"Such is the changing of the times," Wei Tu remarked to himself as he walked out of the Huang residence and onto the main street.

...

After leaving the Huang residence, Wei Tu returned home and then took fifty taels of silver to visit the "Wei Family."

Logically speaking, since Wei Tu had traveled to Siyang Town alongside Wei Fei, if he wanted to repay the debt, he could have simply done so on the road.

But Wei Tu had his own considerations.

Back then, just like himself, Wei Fei needed to forge fine armor and could not produce fifty taels of silver.

The fifty taels lent to him had been obtained by Wei Fei putting on a thick skin to ask his foster father, Qinghu Gang Leader Wei Jinghai, for help.

A foster father is a foster father after all.

He was different from a biological father.

A gang's so-called foster father was even inferior to an ordinary one; they took in foster sons merely to raise thugs for the gang.

It wasn't that the Qinghu Gang Leader, Wei Jinghai, didn't have biological sons.

Wei Fei had faced considerable pressure by doing this.

Therefore, coming to the Wei residence to repay the money openly would not only give Wei Fei face—proving that he hadn't made a mistake in befriending him—but would also serve as an opportunity to raise Wei Fei's status within the Qinghu Gang.

Half an hour later, Wei Tu left the Wei residence after repaying the debt.

Inside the main hall of the Qinghu Gang's Wei residence, Wei Jinghai, dressed as a scholar, glanced at his foster sons and biological sons. His gaze landed on Wei Fei, and a look of appreciation appeared on his face. "Fei'er, you have proven your ability regarding the martial examinations, and now you have also achieved results in making friends."

"When I am gone in a hundred years, the position of... Gang Leader of this Qinghu Gang can fall to you."

"Yes, Foster Father," Wei Fei nodded, a look of joy on his face.

Although the Qinghu Gang consisted of thugs maintained by the yamen, and their black-market dealings required a 30/70 split with the authorities, the amount of money involved was still significant. If he could become the Gang Leader, the benefits would go without saying.

...

Half a month after returning to the county town, Wei Tu received news from the militia yamen. Governor Wang's plan against the Wuyun Pavilion had progressed smoothly and was a great success.

The Wuyun Pavilion's headquarters and its seven branches had basically been wiped out completely.

In this short half-month, this great martial sect had been successfully erased from the Shannan Circuit by the government.

"Big Brother Kou Liang sent a letter, inviting us to reunite at Xuanhe Pavilion on the thirteenth of this month..."

"The thirteenth, which is seven days from now."

"Second Brother, have you thought clearly about the matter regarding the immortal cultivation technique, 'Five Elements Spirit Nourishing Body'?"

In the evening, Wei Tu and Wei Fei went to the Cuiyun Pavilion in the county town. They found a private room and spoke in confidence.

"I've thought it through."

Wei Fei sighed. "In the half-month since I returned home, I have been studying the mysteries of this immortal technique, but even after searching through all the classics, I am still completely in the dark."

"Rather than letting this immortal technique rot with me, it's better to let it out so the four of us can study it together."

"If one of the four of us manages to succeed, it will be a blessing for the other three."

Hearing this, Wei Tu nodded secretly, highly approving of Wei Fei's decision.

After returning to the county town, he had also privately begun to work on practicing the "Five Elements Spirit Nourishing Body."

However, unlike the three martial arts techniques—"Turtle Breath Qi Nourishing Art," "Tiger-Crane Double Form Fist," and the "Marrow Refining Scripture"—his "Late Bloomer" destiny had not yet shown any signs of practicing the "Five Elements Spirit Nourishing Body" or any corresponding progress.

In other words, this immortal technique had a threshold; without the essential secrets, it was nearly impossible to even begin.

"One person's wisdom is short, but the collective wisdom of many is long. It is better for the four of us to study together and support each other than for one person to fight alone," Wei Tu said with a smile.

...

Seven days later, the four of them reunited at Xuanhe Pavilion.

This time, Fu Zhizhou was not late; instead, he arrived at Private Room No. 3 of the Heaven Grade fifteen minutes earlier than Wei Tu and Wei Fei.

"I didn't invite you three brothers here for any major business, but rather because we haven't seen each other in two years and it's time for a reunion."

"Furthermore, our oath that day stated that we would support and help each other in officialdom."

"After the destruction of the Wuyun Pavilion, everyone's official rank will see corresponding promotions. We should discuss which positions would be best to choose so that the four of us can serve as mutual pillars of support..."

After exchanging pleasantries with Wei Tu and Wei Fei, Kou Liang got straight to the point.

Generally speaking, promotions in official rank were decided by the yamen and had nothing to do with military officers. However, it was not absolute; as long as one had connections and applied them in the right places, one could be transferred to a corresponding position.

Moving from a grueling post to a lucrative one.

"Big Brother is right. We should discuss a plan regarding this matter," Fu Zhizhou nodded heavily and spoke seriously.

"This time, I have merit for wiping out the Wuyun Pavilion headquarters, so I should be dispatched to a local county yamen to serve as a Captain... When the time comes, I will try my best to find a way to be transferred near you, brothers..." he added.

After Fu Zhizhou finished, the others also spoke of their respective plans.

Then, everyone's gaze converged on Wei Tu, wondering why he remained silent.

"Big Brother, I am different," Wei Tu shook his head at Kou Liang and explained, "My martial strength has improved again, so I plan to take the provincial examination this term. I intend to secure a scholarly title through the exam before seeking an official appointment."