Chapter Eleven: Calamity Schemes, and the Boy Who Became Rich Overnight

The figure seated opposite the man was none other than Liu Qingyan, the artist who had not been chosen and had left the Lin residence. At this moment, Liu Qingyan sat with his head bowed, full of unease. Hearing the man’s words, he hesitated for a moment, reached out his trembling hand to grasp the teacup—so unsteady that the tea nearly spilled—only to have the man speak again just as he brought it to his lips.

“You took five Spirit Yuan Coins from me and promised you’d be chosen by the Lin residence to paint for their young masters. Yet now… it’s that boy who was selected, and you still have the gall to drink tea in front of me?”

The man drank his tea, his tone somewhere between amusement and indifference.

Liu Qingyan puffed out his cheeks, frozen mid-action. He neither dared to drink nor to set the tea aside. At last, he put the cup down and said helplessly, “I truly had no choice…”

“If it were a fair contest of painting skill, with the foundation I have built over decades, of course I could have won with ease. But that boy used an unconventional technique, striking right at Lady Hua’s soft spot, and so he was selected. I… I’m frustrated too.”

“I’m not interested in excuses. I care only about the outcome,” the man replied. “Now, you have two options. First, you took five Spirit Yuan Coins from me and failed to carry out the task. Now you must return five hundred.”

Liu Qingyan trembled from head to toe. “Five hundred Spirit Yuan Coins? How could I possibly produce such a sum?!”

The man finished his tea, set the cup on the table, and shook his head. “Whether you can or not is no concern of mine. We agreed: you take the money and do the job. If it succeeds, everyone is happy; if not, you pay back a hundredfold.”

“That’s not a multiple, that’s a hundred times over!” Liu Qingyan looked as miserable as if he had swallowed filth.

“I’m just acting on another’s behalf. The Spirit Yuan Coins came from Young Master Qin of the Qin residence… Will you try to renege? Go on, renege if you dare.”

The man’s words were calm and cold.

At that, Liu Qingyan felt terror surge through him, his forehead breaking into a cold sweat for reasons he could not name. The Qin residence was the home of the Grand Chancellor of Great Zhao; in Lin’an, everyone knew their power. As for Young Master Qin, Liu Qingyan had long since heard his name—an existence far beyond his reach!

And since he was so far above, he was someone Liu Qingyan could never afford to offend.

“Young… Young Master Qin… why…” Liu Qingyan stammered in fright.

He might dare put on airs at the Lin residence, because the family was renowned for its loyalty and reasonableness. But in the face of the Qin residence—particularly Young Master Qin, known throughout Lin’an for his mercurial temper—he wouldn’t dare make the slightest misstep.

“There are matters of great consequence that you do not need to know,” the man said. “The second choice is this: you don’t have to repay the money, but you must do a job for me.”

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the crisp sound echoing in the carriage and making Liu Qingyan even more anxious.

“Please speak. If it’s within my power, I will do my utmost!” Liu Qingyan hurriedly promised.

“You hold a monopoly on the painting commissions for the girls on the flower boats, and you’ve made quite a fortune from it. I also know you keep a number of hired thugs specifically to deal with rival artists who threaten your business.”

“So…”

“Because you weren’t chosen by the Lin residence, you’re filled with jealousy and resentment. You send your thugs to break that young artist’s hands, so he can never paint again.”

The tapping of fingers abruptly ceased.

The man looked at Liu Qingyan, his voice calm, devoid of any ripple of emotion. As if ordering someone to have the boy’s hands broken was as ordinary as snapping two dead twigs.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingyan seemed to deflate like a loosened balloon, letting out a long breath.

…

…

Anle strolled through the bustling streets, in high spirits; after all, today’s gains had been considerable. Upon returning to the inn, the attendant looked at him with some surprise, for it was rare for someone taken by the Black Bureau to return unharmed.

“Master An, you’re all right?” The attendant hurried over to ask.

Anle smiled. “I walk upright and sit straight—what trouble could I have gotten into? Prepare some good wine and dishes, and bring them to my room.”

“Right away!” The attendant’s face lit up with enthusiasm.

Back in his room, Anle found it rather cramped—after all, the money he made from selling paintings was nowhere near enough to rent a spacious suite. This was Lin’an, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

He sat on a chair, poured himself a cup of cool water, and drained it in one gulp. Then he took out the purse Lady Hua had given him, which held ten Spirit Yuan Coins as a deposit.

He picked one out and placed it in his palm. The Spirit Yuan Coin was small, resembling an old copper coin, yet gleaming with a glassy luster. In his meditative state, Anle could even sense a trace of spiritual energy within the coin.

He examined the coin carefully. It was said that each Spirit Yuan Coin contained a unique formation, with a serial number and origin, making them difficult to forge.

Ten Spirit Yuan Coins were worth three thousand taels of silver—a sudden windfall, and Anle was the very picture of overnight wealth.

No wonder the Lin residence, as a martial family of distinguished service, was so extraordinarily wealthy.

But the greater the payment, the more it revealed Lady Hua’s seriousness about the painting, and Anle dared not be careless in his future work.

Putting away the purse, Anle took out two cultivation manuals.

His gaze fell upon the “Five Beasts Body-Tempering Technique.” Though not as rare as the “Swordfall Diagram,” it was still a high-level method. That he’d acquired it was all thanks to Lady Hua’s favor—a single painting had won her heart and loosened her purse strings.

Anle did not immediately begin reading the “Five Beasts Body-Tempering Technique,” but instead closed his eyes and entered meditation to steady his mind.

At the level of Spirit Refinement, he could enter deep meditation, which seemed to strengthen his very soul, leaving his mind calm and his energy boundless. Even his thoughts ran clearer and faster.

No wonder that only cultivators could hope to rank among the top scholars; compared to ordinary people, they enjoyed far greater mental acuity, making study easier and competition fiercer.

Once deep in meditation, he began to visualize the Swordfall Diagram. The first page showed only a single sword, yet it seemed to hang suspended above his inner sea of consciousness.

Visualizing this sword across the sea of his mind, he sought to strengthen his spirit and strive for the second realm of Spirit Refinement.

Before long, someone knocked at the door.

Anle slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam lingering in their depths—the residual effect of his visualization.

He opened the door to find the attendant bringing his meal: four fine dishes, wine, and meat.

The attendant, carrying the tray with a beaming smile, said, “Master An, about the bill…”

Anle took out a Spirit Yuan Coin and handed it over. “Change this for silver, and take the meal’s cost from it.”

A Spirit Yuan Coin?!

The attendant stared, dumbfounded, at the glassy coin, drawing in a sharp breath.

One coin could be exchanged for three hundred taels of silver!

What exactly had this guest done? Yesterday he could barely pay the room fee, and today he was handing over a Spirit Yuan Coin. Had he sold something extraordinary? Was it connected to the Black Bureau?

The attendant’s heart skipped a beat, and he became instantly more respectful. He accepted the coin with reverence and hurried off to the proprietor.

Anle closed the door and began to eat and drink. Training in body-tempering martial arts required a strong physique, and one needed to eat well to have the necessary strength.

No sooner had he finished his meal than the door was knocked upon again. When he opened it, he saw the innkeeper himself, accompanied by the attendant.

“Master An, here is the silver exchanged for your Spirit Yuan Coin,” the innkeeper said with a broad, affable smile, yet treated Anle with great deference.

Anle accepted the money with a smile. “Thank you for the trouble.”

“If you need anything else, just let us know,” the innkeeper said courteously—for in these times, anyone who could produce a Spirit Yuan Coin was either high-ranking or wealthy.

Anle nodded with a smile, and the innkeeper had the attendant clear away the dishes before closing the door and leaving respectfully.

Back in his room, Anle felt serene. Money brought courage and confidence—this held true in every world.

Once he was certain he would not be disturbed, he took out the “Five Beasts Body-Tempering Technique.”

Exhaling softly, his eyes shone with anticipation for the martial path as he slowly opened the manual.