Volume One: The Emperor’s Sword Chapter 52: The Unwitting Fool
One hand grasped the delicate, boneless softness of her fingers, while the other reached into his storage pouch.
Before taking anything out, Yun Que turned to Mu Gui and asked, “Yihongwen is your grandson, correct?”
“Of course!” Mu Gui glared and barked.
“Then you take care of everything about your grandson, don’t you?”
“Obviously!” Mu Gui sneered.
“What about his marriage? Do you handle his marriage arrangements?”
“I do!”
“If your grandson is bullied, do you step in?”
“I do!”
“If your grandson kills someone and causes trouble, do you take responsibility?”
“I do!”
“If your grandson owes debts, do you settle them?”
“I do!”
“Very well, here is Yihongwen’s IOU. You can pay it for him.”
Yun Que pulled out a note from his storage pouch, stamped with a vivid red bloody handprint.
Mu Gui instantly calmed, eyeing the note suspiciously. He sneered, “Where did this IOU come from? The ink isn’t even dry and you dare try to swindle the Mu family? Wishful thinking!”
Yun Que ignored him and handed the note to Mu Qingzhou.
“Uncle Mu, please be a witness. This IOU was just written by Yihongwen, plain words in black on white, with his handprint. If you doubt it, feel free to verify it.”
Handprints cannot be forged.
Though the IOU was fresh, Mu Qingzhou nodded and accepted it, glancing at it casually—his hand trembled.
Even as the present head of the Mu family, Mu Qingzhou’s heart could not help but quake at the contents.
Seeing his shock, the other elders grew curious, eager to learn what Yihongwen owed Yun Que.
“What does it say?” Mu Gui asked impatiently.
“Nine thousand nine hundred ninety…”
Mu Qingzhou had barely spoken the number before Mu Gui snorted, ordering, “A few thousand taels of silver, that’s nothing! No need to verify the IOU’s authenticity. Someone, bring two hundred thousand taels to settle the debt!”
Mu Qingzhou smiled wryly and shook his head, adding the unit after the number.
“Spirit stones—not silver. Yihongwen owes nine thousand nine hundred ninety… spirit stones.”
Crash!
The room erupted in chaos—tea cups shattered, chairs collided, tables overturned, and canes clattered to the floor.
Silence swiftly fell.
Everyone’s faces were painted with disbelief, especially Mu Gui, who stood stunned.
A debt of nearly ten thousand spirit stones—unheard of!
That small IOU was no less than a warrant for confiscation.
Mu Gui’s branch of the Mu family could only hope to repay such a sum by selling their treasured artifacts.
Yun Que kindly helped calculate, saying,
“Considering Uncle Mu’s friendship with my father, I’ll accept silver notes, though reluctantly. At market rate, one spirit stone exchanges for ten thousand taels of silver. Nine thousand nine hundred ninety spirit stones amounts to ninety-nine million nine hundred thousand taels. Add in the two hundred thousand taels I threw at you earlier, the total is one hundred million and one hundred thousand taels. Forget the change—just pay one hundred million.”
Hearing such astronomical figures, all present were stunned.
They were the wealthiest in Yan State, accustomed to spending fortunes at a whim, but none had ever used the word “hundred million.”
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A hundred million taels of silver… it had never crossed anyone’s mind!
Mu Gui’s vision darkened, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
This was no IOU—it was a death warrant!
Yun Que showed no sympathy, smiling calmly. “I hope you’ll have enough money left to crush me after clearing the debt.”
Yun Que was a simple man.
To those who help him, he repays; to those who insult him, he returns the insult.
Today, he had thoroughly humiliated Mu Gui, inside and out.
Forcing Yihongwen to write the IOU was merely a warning to other disciples of Sword Palace.
As for the astronomical sum, Yun Que never expected to collect the full amount—it was meant to intimidate.
He hadn’t expected anyone would so eagerly step up and accept the debt.
But since the spirit stones were handed over, Yun Que could hardly refuse.
Thus Mu Gui became, for centuries, the greatest fool in all of Yan State.
At this moment, Mu Gui resembled a defeated rooster—face flushed, neck bulging, mouth stained with blood, eyes reddened as if he might drop dead any moment.
Yun Que, in contrast,
stood relaxed at the center of the hall, smiling, showing neither pride nor humility.
One word: steady.
From start to finish, Yun Que calmly faced Mu Gui’s relentless pressure, neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat. His composure far surpassed his peers.
Mu Qingzhou nodded to himself.
He had guessed Yun Que possessed exceptional intellect, but hadn’t expected him to withstand Mu Gui’s suppression so effortlessly.
This was a true young hero!
A dragon among men!
While admiring him, Mu Qingzhou sighed with regret. If only Yun Que could cultivate, the world of cultivation would gain another powerful figure.
Watching Yun Que’s calm demeanor, Mu Qingzhou even felt an illusion—that Yun Que still had cards up his sleeve.
The thought startled him, and he soon laughed at his own paranoia.
To his mind, Yun Que had reached his limit; no more valuable assets remained.
But he was mistaken.
Yun Que’s unruffled manner truly concealed more than one trump card.
Over twenty soul stones worth a king’s ransom, a seventh-grade blind snake in a porcelain vial, and the ancestral Nine Tribulations Sword—any one of these would surpass Mu Gui.
His apparent arrogance during the wealth contest was actually quite restrained.
His true assets had yet to be revealed.
Mu Gui finally caught his breath after a long struggle. Staggering to his feet, he declared, “I am unwell and will take my leave. Let the head of the family decide any matters.”
Mu Qingzhou smiled, “No hurry, Third Uncle. Please wait a moment. I only have one announcement, it will be quick.”
After stopping Mu Gui, Mu Qingzhou rose and approached Yun Que and Mu Qingyao, first casting a complicated glance at them, then turning to address the elders of the Mu family:
“The reason I gathered you today is for my daughter’s marriage. As head of the family, I hereby announce: today is the day Yao’er and Yun Que are engaged. The wedding will take place at year’s end.”
The hall was silent.
The elders of the Mu family wore varied expressions—some contemplative, some frowning, some unwilling, some regretful—but none spoke.
Mu Gui wanted to object, but the astronomical debt left him speechless. He pursed his lips and stayed silent.
Mu Wan wore a false smile, saying nothing, choosing silence; evidently, he too could not guess the true intent of the head of the family.
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Mu Qingyao was first stunned, then her cheeks flushed scarlet.
Yun Que was also taken aback; he’d expected the Mu family to break off the engagement, not arrange one.
And the wedding would be at year’s end!
Such news caught Yun Que off guard, for once revealing the surprise befitting his age.
Mu Qingzhou was very pleased with the situation.
Had he announced the engagement at the outset, the elders like Mu Gui would certainly have opposed him.
Mu Qingzhou had prepared multiple strategies, ready for a verbal battle—but Yun Que’s antics left the elders speechless, making his task much easier.
“I have known the Marquis of Yanmen for many years; a tiger father does not sire a dog son. I believe Brother Yun’s son is no ordinary youth.”
Mu Qingzhou’s words were directed at Yun Que, and he said meaningfully, “The family is busy today, no banquet has been prepared, so I won’t keep you, Nephew. When you and Yao’er leave, take the dowry with you.”
With that, Mu Qingzhou clapped three times.
Outside, carriages rolled in, each loaded with treasures—the least valuable were gold and silver, while rare materials and precious herbs dazzled the eye.
With each carriage that passed, the old steward shouted the inventory:
“One carriage of gold bricks, eight hundred pieces!”
“One carriage of agate, five hundred strings!”
“One carriage of walking beads, two thousand!”
“One carriage of refined copper, ten thousand catties!”
“One carriage of pearls, nine hundred!”
“One carriage of refined iron, nine thousand catties!”
“One carriage of deer antler, four hundred catties!”
“One carriage of old ginseng, seven hundred roots!”
With each announcement, the elders’ eyelids twitched.
The dowry was exorbitant!
But considering Mu Qingyao’s status and Mu Qingzhou’s position, they could only grit their teeth and accept it.
For the eldest daughter’s marriage, the Mu family had to bleed a little.
Yet as the steward continued, the elders sensed something was amiss.
The announcements did not stop!
Ten carriages, twenty, thirty…
Even after a hundred carriages, the steward continued!
Only after three hundred carriages did he finally put down his ledger and step aside.
Three hundred carriages of dowry left the elders dumbstruck.
This was not a marriage—it was a division of the family!
Three hundred carriages of dowry amounted to half the Mu family’s fortune!
The elders now had only one thought:
Mu Qingzhou has gone mad!
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