Chapter 40: Earning Money Again

Wu Jigung had actually brought people to deal with the old master’s lifesaver—did he know what the consequences would be for offending the old master? From now on, he could forget about being a shareholder in the Weiming Lake Tourism District, and whether he could even remain standing in the Qingwu area was another matter entirely…

With just such a single sentence from Zhou Yu, Wu Jigung instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Zhou Yu then turned to him and said, “Take your people back for now. I’ll handle this matter.”

Wu Jigung was momentarily stunned: all these students are yours, what is there left for you to handle? But though he had his opinions, he dared not show any objection on the surface. Zhou Yu might seem willing to address him as a brother, but if Zhou Yu said he was his father in private, he’d have to accept it. Without Zhou Yu’s backing, no matter how capable he was, he could never get a share of the lucrative business at Weiming Lake.

So Wu Jigung obediently withdrew with his people.

Once they were far enough away, his precious son Wu Yu’s temper erupted: “Dad, is this how you’re standing up for me today?”

Smack—

Wu Yu hadn’t expected his father to slap him across the face right there. “Are you blind, boy? Didn’t you see how your Uncle Zhou treated that kid? Damn—” Wu Jigung was about to curse, but immediately caught himself. That was Zhou Yu he’d be cursing! Was he looking for death?

For Zhou Yu to show Zhang Pu such respect meant that Zhang Pu was definitely not someone Wu Jigung could afford to offend. If anyone was to blame today, it could only be his own blind and ignorant son. Alas—

But Wu Yu burst into tears.

“Let’s go, stop embarrassing me. Don’t even think about getting your allowance this month!” Wu Jigung, still furious, snapped. He signaled his men to drag the now-wailing Wu Yu away, paying no heed to his tantrums.

Little did he know Wu Yu had another grievance—he’d already transferred all his allowance to Zhang Pu via WeChat. Out of pride, he hadn’t dared to tell his father he had knelt and begged for mercy in exchange for his money.

And now, hearing his father threaten to cut off his allowance for the month, Wu Yu nearly fainted.

Leaving aside the father and son’s sorry retreat, on the other side, Zhou Yu had resumed his seat with Zhang Pu and Liu Qingyan, gazing out over the lake. Zhou Yu didn’t mind being a glaringly obvious third wheel.

The drink vendor nearby was highly perceptive. He had witnessed everything but didn’t dare ask a thing, only serving Zhang Pu and his companions with utmost deference. He understood well enough—these three wanted everyone to act as if nothing had just happened, as if the previous scene had been nothing more than a dream.

“Is this your girlfriend?” Zhou Yu asked Zhang Pu after a moment, since Zhang Pu hadn’t introduced Liu Qingyan yet.

Seeing Zhang Pu hesitate, Liu Qingyan quickly replied, “We’re schoolmates!”

Schoolmates? Not even classmates? Zhou Yu blinked knowingly—he’d seen plenty of such little tricks among young people. Mere schoolmates, coming here together like lovers? Who was he kidding!

But Zhou Yu didn’t press, knowing such questions were mere pleasantries.

As for Liu Qingyan’s answer, Zhang Pu understood it was just a maiden’s modesty, and inwardly he smiled—So you think I can’t win you over?

After these courtesies, the conversation naturally turned to business—namely, the incident with Wu Yu.

Zhou Yu took the initiative to address the matter. “What happened just now was entirely Wu Yu’s fault. I’ve told his father, and he won’t have an easy time when he gets home. If you two were frightened or inconvenienced, just tell me what you want.”

What did Zhou Yu mean by this? Was he shouldering all the blame without even asking for details? Liu Qingyan was genuinely surprised, her beautiful eyes wide.

But Zhang Pu only smiled calmly, as if he’d expected this. He was confident: No matter what conflict existed between him and Wu Yu, as long as their patron Zeng Guoxing needed Zhang Pu’s help to survive, they would always be in the wrong.

But Liu Qingyan was a person of principle and could not tolerate such arbitrary judgment. Just as she was about to speak, Zhou Yu and Zhang Pu’s next exchange left her even more unsettled—

Suddenly, Zhou Yu asked Zhang Pu, “Do you still need money?”

Zhang Pu immediately understood that Zhou Yu was referring to the funds needed for Zeng Guoxing’s medicinal ingredients.

But only the two of them knew this; Liu Qingyan was completely in the dark.

In truth, Zhang Pu had indeed instructed Zeng Guoxing and his subordinates, Wang Gang and Zhou Yu, to purchase some of the more expensive herbs. To keep some ingredients secret, Zhang Pu had bought the cheaper ones himself.

Still, even the cheaper ones cost money, though Zhou Yu and the others didn’t know just how little. Regardless, it still amounted to an expense for Zhang Pu. Not to mention, strictly speaking, Zhang Pu could have charged a fee for his labor and his life-saving services.

He hadn’t raised these points, though, since Zhou Yu and the rest had been remarkably generous in providing funds for the herbs and alchemy, so much so that he dared not bring up any additional fees.

When Zhou Yu asked, Zhang Pu suddenly remembered that most of the money Zeng Guoxing had instructed Wang Gang to pay him last time had been spent on auxiliary herbs for his own cultivation. If he wanted to make a breakthrough in Foundation Establishment quickly, he would need even more expensive herbs.

He had saved a bit, and today Wu Yu had contributed tens of thousands, but for someone cultivating immortality—a path that burns through money—he was still dirt poor. Taking it step by step was all very well for a poor kid, but without a true spiritual foundation, who knew how many years it would take to succeed?

Zhang Pu felt he couldn’t afford to wait. This second chance at life was meant to make up for past regrets—what was the point if everyone he cared about died before he could help them?

So when Zhou Yu asked, Zhang Pu didn’t wait to see Zeng Guoxing or Wang Gang again but said he needed more funds right away.

Liu Qingyan’s eyes widened again.

She was about to speak, but Zhang Pu, as if intentionally pre-empting her, immediately asked Zhou Yu how much he could provide at the moment.