Chapter 123: Open the Gate and Release Linghu Chong!

Ever since Yue Buqun returned from Fuzhou, Linghu Chong’s life could be described as both painful and joyful.

The joy came from the fact that no one was constantly nagging in his ear anymore. If there was one thing Linghu Chong feared most on Mount Hua, it was Yue Buqun’s earnest expressions and his tireless, preachy instructions. Things were much better now; Yue Buqun was nowhere to be seen all day, and with no one keeping tabs on him, Linghu Chong could sneak out to drink every day. Even better, he had gained the favor of his grand-uncle-master, Feng Qingyang, and had been initiated into the Nine Swords of Dugu.

The pain was that his younger junior sister seemed to have been snatched away by that pretty boy, Lin Pingzhi. What pained him even more was his own empty purse—drinking required money. The Mount Hua Sect itself was dirt poor, and as a prestigious righteous sect, the head disciple could hardly resort to robbing the rich to help the poor. His monthly allowance was so meager that it wasn't enough to buy even the cheapest wine.

At first, when Linghu Chong ran out of money, he started running tabs in Yue Buqun’s name. Eventually, however, shopkeepers stopped extending credit because he drank too much and his debts grew too large. Every time the shopkeepers went to collect from Yue Buqun, they would tremble at the sight of his livid expression. The sect leader had explicitly forbidden any further credit for Linghu Chong, so the shopkeepers simply stopped serving him on tab.

With no money, Linghu Chong went to sponge wine off Feng Qingyang, under the guise of "practicing the Nine Swords of Dugu." Before long, he had drunk through all of Feng Qingyang’s personal stash, forcing the old man to go to Yue Buqun for money. This only made Yue Buqun’s face even darker. He could ignore Linghu Chong’s requests for money, but he couldn't refuse Feng Qingyang—after all, Feng was the last of the older generation left on Mount Hua.

"You have shamed me completely! Do you think I enjoy begging Yue Buqun for money? Do you think I want to look at his sour face? Do you think he gives me a warm welcome? It’s all for your sake! Get to your practice, now!" Feng Qingyang snarled at Linghu Chong before pushing him into even more grueling training.

As a result, whenever the other Mount Hua disciples delivered meals to them, they always saw Linghu Chong practicing diligently. Consequently, legends of his intense training spread throughout the entire sect.

When Linghu Chong received a summons from Yang Xin, he assumed his glorious deeds had reached Yang Xin’s ears and that he was about to be tested. He arrived excitedly, sword in hand, but Yang Xin’s first words caught him completely off guard.

"I hear you are fond of wine?"

"Reporting to Grand-Uncle-Master, besides my love for sword practice, I am indeed fond of wine," Linghu Chong replied immediately. There was no point in hiding it, nor was there any need; liking wine was hardly a heinous crime.

If the first sentence surprised him, the second brought tears to his eyes.

"Is your wine budget sufficient?"

"It is not," Linghu Chong answered bluntly.

"Sigh, you have been wronged. Listen, Brother Feng says your Nine Swords of Dugu have reached a level of minor success. It is time for you to descend the mountain and gain some experience. I have acquired some farmland in the capital for our Xianyue Sect. While you are out, go and collect the rent from these lands." With that, Yang Xin handed him a massive scroll, roughly the size of the one Jiraiya carried on his back.

This scroll was something Yang Xin had specifically generated via the Treasure System to make things easier for Linghu Chong. It was fireproof, waterproof, and impervious to sharp weapons, making it a decent piece of protective gear in its own right. Naturally, the scroll didn't contain ninjutsu, but rather the deeds to lands that had previously belonged to the Shaolin Temple—lands that now belonged to the Xianyue Sect.

"Don't be in such a hurry to refuse," Yang Xin said when he saw Linghu Chong’s hesitation. "Troops move, but provisions come first. Even an emperor doesn't expect his soldiers to fight on an empty stomach. Since you are going down the mountain on sect business, let’s do this: you shall have all the fine wine you can drink. Not only that, you can ride the fastest horses, climb the highest mountains, eat the finest food, drink the best spirits, wield the sharpest blades, and court the most beautiful women… you may enjoy life to the fullest."

Upon hearing that he would have all the fine wine he could drink—and the best wine at that—Linghu Chong’s eyes lit up. But then, as if realizing something, his excited face fell. "Reporting to Grand-Uncle-Master, our Mount Hua—or rather, our Xianyue Sect—is very poor, and my master is very stingy..."

"Open the scroll!" Yang Xin interrupted before he could finish.

Linghu Chong put down the scroll and began to unroll it. He had only opened a small portion before his eyes widened and he drew a sharp breath. "Grand-Uncle-Master, you have acquired such vast properties for our sect!"

"Is a single hair from nine oxen enough to cover your drinking?"

"More than enough, enough for a lifetime!" Linghu Chong nodded repeatedly.

"What percentage is the rent usually?" Yang Xin suddenly asked.

As the former head disciple of Mount Hua, Linghu Chong had collected rent before, though he had traded the proceeds for wine, which was why Yue Buqun had stopped sending him. Still, he knew how things worked.

"Reporting to Grand-Uncle-Master, usually the landlord takes seventy percent of the tenant's harvest. Our Mount Hua Sect is a righteous sect, so we have been quite lenient and only took fifty percent."

Yang Xin fell silent, once again shocked by the darkness of feudal society. No wonder they always used to say, "The evils of feudalism!"

"Thirty percent! On this journey, you are to collect only thirty percent of the harvest. In every location, first report to the local authorities and verify everything. Once you have official approval and assistance, proceed to collect the rent. Ensure the tenants keep enough grain for themselves. You must make sure they pay willingly; no violence is allowed. Not a bit less, but not a bit more. If you handle this well, all your expenses along the way will be covered by the rent. Drink whatever wine you please."

"However, if I hear that you, the great hero Linghu, have acted recklessly or caused loss of life, I may spare you, but the sword in my hand will not!"

"Rest assured, Grand-Uncle-Master, I would never commit such atrocities. Besides, if I only take thirty percent, the tenants will be too grateful to dream of withholding rent. As for your promise that I may drink the best wine to my heart’s content, is that true?!"

"Of course! A gentleman’s word is his bond! Times have changed. The Mount Hua Sect used to be penniless, but now we have vast assets. Even if you eat, drink, and live to the fullest, how much could you possibly spend?"

Linghu Chong’s eyes gleamed. He thought to himself, *Indeed, with so much property, even if I lived lavishly, could I possibly spend it all, even if I bathed in fine wine?*

"Grand-Uncle-Master, with so much property, I fear I lack the manpower to manage it alone. Could you send some fellow disciples to assist me?" Linghu Chong asked.

Yang Xin wanted to chase this troublemaker out to stir up the martial arts world; he certainly wouldn't send anyone to keep an eye on him. He replied coldly, "With our three sects merging, we are short on hands. Do you really need someone to accompany you for such a trifle?"

"Is this your first time walking the world? Do you have no friends in the martial arts community? One person’s strength is limited, but ten people’s is great—can’t you find fellow practitioners to help? You aren’t being asked to lay siege to cities or capture enemy banners; can’t you even handle this?"

Linghu Chong nodded repeatedly.

"In that case, why haven't you left yet?" Yang Xin frowned.

"Grand-Uncle-Master, please understand, I am currently penniless. Could you provide some travel funds so I can do the sect’s work properly?" Linghu Chong asked with a shameless grin.

Yang Xin, realizing just how poor the man was, tossed him two gold bars. Linghu Chong pounced on them like a dog finding a bone. Without bothering to pack any luggage, he shouldered his sword, pocketed the gold, and headed down the mountain, carefree and content.

"If Chong’er goes to collect rent, he is bound to clash with Shaolin. Would they simply give up their profits and bow to our demands?" Yue Buqun emerged from the inner room and asked softly.

"Don't underestimate Linghu Chong. He is a child of destiny, gathering the fortune of the world upon himself. Wherever he goes, gods and ghosts alike must yield."

"A brilliant scheme, Uncle-Master."