Chapter Ninety-Four: Tasting the Mortal World’s Flavors

The Wu Estate had been in Zhong Ming’s possession for some time now. Originally, he had purchased the property with the intention of settling there, hoping to persuade the villagers of Silt Village to move into the city and obtain the status of New Tang citizens, thereby sparing them from their current hardships.

However, after Baiyujing descended upon the frontier, circumstances changed drastically. Specifically, with the new territorial divisions, even though Zhong Ming held the deed, entering the city to live was no longer a viable option. The city had become a den of tigers and dragons, and Magistrate He was unlikely to permit such a large influx of refugees. Zhong Ming’s initial plan had fallen through, rendering the deed to the Wu Estate useless in his hands.

He had bought the property for ten ingots of gold. Now, Magistrate He was offering fifteen. To see a fifty percent increase in value in just two or three months was unusual. Zhong Ming suspected that the land held some greater significance. Why else would a miser like the Magistrate be willing to spend so much?

Having deduced the underlying motive, Zhong Ming probed, "I wonder what purpose Magistrate He has for the Wu Estate grounds?"

"This..." The Magistrate hesitated, casting a wary glance around as if fearing the news might leak.

This only confirmed Zhong Ming’s suspicions. He narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Magistrate He, there is no one else in my courtyard. You may speak freely."

Only then did the Magistrate beckon Zhong Ming to lean in. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "To be honest, Master Zhong, this land is not for my own use..."

"Then for whom?" Zhong Ming asked, increasingly puzzled.

"It is for the celestial officials of Baiyujing!"

Zhong Ming’s expression sharpened instantly. He remained silent, though his heart surged with turmoil. The Magistrate then proceeded to explain. Since being driven out of the Suiyun Mountain Range, the group from Baiyujing had been scouring the city for a site to build a "Pure Moon Shrine." The Pure Moon Shrine was the sanctuary where Baiyujing propagated its teachings in the mortal world, a landmark structure for gathering faith, much like a temple or a Taoist monastery.

Upon arriving at the frontier, the most critical mission for Yu Tu was to locate the spirit-stone celestial mountain, and the second was to construct the Pure Moon Shrine. Now that the celestial mountain had appeared, the construction of the shrine had become the absolute priority.

After listening, Zhong Ming remained calm, though a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. The Magistrate continued to mutter, "The Wu Estate is in the prime location. The Pure Moon celestial official personally selected it, claiming it gathers the spiritual energy of Wangxian City and that no other site would suffice. If not for that, I would not have come to trouble you, Master Zhong."

Understanding the situation, Zhong Ming gave a light laugh and slowly pushed the gold ingots back toward the Magistrate.

The Magistrate was taken aback. "Master Zhong, what is the meaning of this?"

Zhong Ming stood up and walked into the house. "Magistrate He, please tell Yu Tu that if one seeks a favor, one must show the proper attitude. What does he mean by sending you in his stead?"

"I will not accept these gold ingots. If they want the land, someone from Baiyujing must come here personally!"

With that, Zhong Ming gently shut the wooden door—a clear dismissal.

Outside, the Magistrate stood stunned, staring at the gold ingots with a furrowed brow. His secretary stepped forward, whispering, "Sir, I told you earlier that Master Zhong has long been at odds with Baiyujing. We should never have taken on this task!"

Not long ago, Yang Yanlang had wreaked havoc on the Baiyujing residence, causing an uproar throughout the city. As Yang Yanlang’s nephew, was it likely that Zhong Ming would give them a friendly reception? It was obvious that getting this land from him would not be easy.

The Magistrate sighed, signaled his secretary to collect the gold, and climbed back into his carriage, shaking his head in frustration. As the carriage, marked with official flags, slowly rolled out of Silt Village, Zhong Ming opened his door and stepped out. Watching the carriage depart, he muttered to himself, "Getting the Wu Estate from me won't be as simple as they think!"

From atop the low wall, Liang Yu’s head popped up. He yawned and hopped over. He had overheard the entire conversation but hadn't wanted to reveal himself. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "Brother Ming, that was fifteen ingots of gold! Why not sell it? We’d net a profit of five ingots—enough for us to live comfortably for a while!"

"Five ingots of gold is nothing. Do you think Baiyujing is short on gold, or am I?"

Liang Yu grinned. "I am!"

Zhong Ming rolled his eyes and poured him a cup of cold tea. Liang Yu sat down carelessly and asked, "So, what are you planning to do?"

"Take it one step at a time. Regardless, we don't want their gold." After a pause, a glint of sharpness flashed in Zhong Ming's eyes. "Uncle suffered a great loss at their hands before. Now that they are the ones begging us, how can I let them off without making them bleed a little?"

Liang Yu grinned broadly and nodded. "That's the spirit!"

A gentleman never forgets a grudge. Zhong Ming was never one to be easily trampled upon; since this opportunity had presented itself, he would make the most of it.

Not long after the Magistrate left, another carriage arrived at Silt Village. It was pulled by tall, sturdy horses, and the curtains were embroidered with the character for "Tian." It was the carriage of the Tian estate, and the visitor was undoubtedly the young master, Tian Xingjian. This made sense; although Tian Xingjian had no love for Zhong Ming and they were often at odds, they were at least familiar with each other, and he was likely the only one Baiyujing could send who could actually speak with Zhong Ming.

The carriage was driven by the young maid, Xiaoxiao. She pulled up to the courtyard and whispered, "Young Master, we have arrived."

Before anyone inside could respond, a small, chubby figure scrambled out. Fei Dacheng, face beaming with joy, ran into the courtyard and gave Zhong Ming a bear hug, shouting, "Brother Ming, I’ve missed you to death!"

He then turned and hugged Liang Yu, and the three of them burst into genuine laughter.