Chapter Fifteen: The Woman Seeking Help

After Ye Cheng returned to the old master’s hospital room, he didn’t linger. He simply gave Li Wuwei a few instructions before preparing to leave the Qin estate. He had many matters to attend to, and the first was to sever ties with Luo Qiuyu of the Luo family. Though the Luo family’s patriarch had treated him well, Luo Qiuyu herself was a woman he could no longer keep by his side. Anyone who could use her own sister to frame her husband was undoubtedly vicious at heart. If he remained in the Luo household, he feared he’d be ruined by this poisonous woman before he even had the chance to rise again.

“Ye Cheng, wait a moment.”

Just as Ye Cheng was about to step out of the Qin estate’s gate, Qin Zhiqiu, the eldest daughter of the Qin family, hurried out holding something in her hands.

“Miss Qin, is there something else?” Ye Cheng turned to ask.

“Did you forget? When we invited you earlier, you mentioned needing a piece of thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum. I’ve brought it for you now. Also, here’s a check prepared by my grandfather—look carefully, it’s for ten million.”

With the old master revived, Qin Zhiqiu’s spirits had evidently returned to their former brightness. As she spoke to Ye Cheng, she gave him a gentle smile, intentional or otherwise. That smile, soft as a spring breeze, left Ye Cheng somewhat dazed for a moment, only regaining his composure after a while.

Silently, he mused to himself: “At eighteen, a beauty soft as silk, sword at her waist to cut down fools. The ancients never lied to me!”

“Miss Qin, since it’s the old master’s kindness, I’ll accept it. Thank you!”

Worried his resolve might falter, Ye Cheng took the Polygonum multiflorum and the check, and left the Qin estate without delay.

Walking back toward the Luo residence, Ye Cheng found himself smiling unconsciously, check in hand. He hadn’t expected fortune to arrive just as he needed it. He’d been troubled about where he’d go after leaving the Luo family, but now, the money for a house had come to him so quickly. With the medicinal herb, his mother’s illness would surely be cured. With the funds, he had the foundation for his own livelihood. All that remained was to sever ties with Luo Qiuyu, and then restart his career.

Ye Cheng believed in his abilities.

He believed that, one day, his resurgence would come. Then, he would surely challenge the Dragon Emperor who once sought to eliminate him, settling all scores to the last detail.

Suddenly, as Ye Cheng walked along the road, he felt someone bump into him.

He quickly turned to look, and saw a young, beautiful woman in work attire who had fallen beside him. Ye Cheng reached out to help her up, but unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand, her expression pleading as she spoke to him.

“Sir, there are several people chasing me. Please, help me.”

“Someone’s chasing you?” Instinctively, Ye Cheng looked in the direction she’d come from, and sure enough, saw a few burly men approaching angrily.

“They’re the ones! Please, help me,” the woman begged again.

“Why are they chasing you?” Ye Cheng, ever cautious, didn’t immediately agree, but questioned her instead.

“They want me to repay a debt, but I truly don’t have the money. Now they’ve come after me. Please help me, otherwise they’ll beat me to death.”

The woman quickly explained, then pleaded again.

“To repay a debt is only right; if you don’t have it, you can always negotiate. This is Liuzhou—would anyone really dare use violence in broad daylight?” Ye Cheng asked, a bit puzzled.

But as he spoke, the burly men had already reached him and the woman.

“Kid, this girl owes us money. Best not to meddle,” one of the men shouted gruffly at Ye Cheng.

“Oh? Quite the loudmouth! I wasn’t planning to interfere, but since you all are so rude, shouting in front of me, now I really feel like getting involved.”

Ye Cheng, once a prominent figure in the Yanxia court, had weathered many storms. Facing these small-time thugs, he had nothing to fear.

In truth, not only was he unafraid, but their behavior piqued his interest. He genuinely wanted to see who in Liuzhou thought themselves more arrogant than the Qin family’s eldest son.

“Well, this is a sight! In Liuzhou, even the affairs of the Wu family attract interference. You’ve got guts, brother—I admire that,” one of the men said, not angered but amused, turning to the group’s leader.

“So, it’s the Wu family. I wondered what kind of family you were. I’d heard you made your fortune through shady dealings, and now I see how true that is.”

At this point, Ye Cheng had guessed the nature of the woman’s debt. The Wu family was a sizable clan in Liuzhou, but their reputation was poor. Rumor had it they’d made their fortune by lending at usurious rates to impoverished families. Clearly, this woman’s predicament was likely due to such dealings.

“They are from the Wu family. My father fell ill and we had no money for the hospital, so I borrowed five thousand from them. But after just one month, they’re demanding thirty thousand. How am I supposed to come up with that?” The woman, emboldened by Ye Cheng’s lack of fear, explained her situation.

“Thirty thousand is a friendly price. If Master Wu didn’t find you pretty, he’d have charged fifty thousand,” the leader scoffed.

“That’s not lending money, it’s outright robbery!” Ye Cheng replied with a cold smile.

“You’re clever, kid. I’ll tell you straight—we Wu family men rob in broad daylight. What are you going to do about it? Girl, you’d better come with us and sell whatever valuables your family has, so we don’t have to make another trip,” the leader threatened, glaring at the woman.

“You’re out of luck today! Doing evil without picking the right time!” Ye Cheng clenched his fist and smiled coldly.

“Out of luck? What do you mean? Hah, this kid’s got guts. I’ll—ah!”

Before the leader could finish his taunt, a sudden cry rang out, and he vanished from Ye Cheng’s sight.