I Can See Your Combat Power

Mi Bai shook his head sincerely, modestly saying, “I can’t be compared with Mr. Huang Ting.”

Tang Luo carefully handed the calligraphy to Mi Bai and said, “Indeed, your calligraphy is superior. You will know when I bring the original next time.”

Xu Lao Ying and Mi Bai both exclaimed with delight, “You have the masterpiece of Mr. Huang Ting?”

Tang Luo calmly nodded, perplexed by their excitement.

It’s just a piece of calligraphy. Is it that big of a deal?

“Cousin!” Xu Lao Ying slapped Tang Luo’s shoulder reproachfully, “Such important news, why didn’t you say it earlier?”

“You never asked!” Tang Luo said incredulously. Isn’t it rather artistic for a man who indulges in pleasures of the flesh all day?

As the son of a family of sages, he never saw Xu Lao Ying practice martial arts, but he was very interested in these incomprehensible things. Why wasn’t he beaten to death by the elders of the Xu Clan for being so carefree?

Tang Luo glanced at the location of this bustling street and then at Mi Bai’s simple setup, saying, “Your calligraphy is valuable; it must be tough to sell it here.”

West City is not exactly a land of plenty, let alone Fulin Street and Fengqing Alley, which are rather destitute. Living day-to-day is tough for people with crazily inflated grain prices in Xiling. Who would buy calligraphy? Even if Mi Bai’s work is excellent, it’s still a hard sell.

Mi Bai replied with a mild smile, “It has been very good. Yesterday, I sold four scrolls and bought some grain. If I can sell four a day and the grain prices decrease in the spring, life will get better.”

“How much are you selling your calligraphy scrolls for?” Tang Luo asked.

“Five silver corners-” Xu Lao Ying responded even before Mi Bai could.

“This kind of calligraphy sells for half a gold coin?” Tang Luo pointed incredulously at the scroll of ‘Lingjiang’.

Mi Bai nodded, feeling puzzled, “Is that too much?”

“Of course, it’s far too cheap!” Xu Lao Ying and Tang Luo said in unison.

The two looked at each other, having an unspoken understanding for the first time.

“For Huang Ting’s calligraphy of ‘Lingjiang’, it can sell for 100,000 gold coins. Even if you’re not renowned, your calligraphy should fetch 50,000 gold coins!” Xu Lao Ying explained to Mi Bai, “Although I just moved to Xiling, and not quite familiar with the situation here, but back in Yuanzhou, Middle Ying City, your calligraphy would surely be cherished by the wealthy.”

Tang Luo rubbed his chin. Initially, he thought of Mi Bai as just another poor scholar. But looking at Mi Bai’s calligraphy, he thought the man was anything but simple.

People have different talents, and clearly, Mi Bai’s talent lies in calligraphy. Selling pieces of this quality for five silver corners is just a shame.

Mi Bai’s thinking was different. He chuckled and replied, “It’s already very good. If someone appreciates a piece of my work, I’m fine to give it away. If not, what’s the point of selling it for heaps of gold? The value of calligraphy and painting lies in being appreciated by others, not stored away.”

Xu Lao Ying felt frustrated when saw Mi Bai’s serene and indifference.

From a distance, a beggar with wild, dirty hair and tattered clothes approached them, looking quite terrifying.

Tang Luo caught a glimpse of him and felt tense. He tapped Xu Lao Ying who was fretful and said, “Look back.”

Xu Lao Ying was about to convince Mi Bai that a top-tier piece of art should have a worthy price, but when he heard Tang Luo’s words, he turned around instinctively and saw the staggering beggar.

“What?” He was puzzled as to why Tang Luo asked him to look back. If it was to give alms, he was now penniless.

Tang Luo pointed at the beggar and whispered so only they could hear, “Aren’t you looking for Gong Zheng? There he is!”

Xu Lao Ying grew serious and was about to make a move, but was held back by Tang Luo.

“Look at his eyes. Although he’s seen us, he didn’t run, which means he came to us willingly. There’s no need to rush.” Tang Luo said calmly.

This intrigued him. Gong Zheng could have easily escaped, so why would he disguise himself as a beggar in Xiling and surrender to them? Out of curiosity, he decided to see what the former leader of the Righteous Gang was up to.

Ever since he discovered his wife and daughter were missing, Gong Zheng knew Mi Hou had targeted him.

He hid his wife and daughter very well, only he knew their exact location. Since he made his living in the martial arts world, he didn’t believe he would be able to get out of this unscathed.

The notion that disaster would not befall family was just a fairy-tale peddled by storytellers. Once someone decided to take action, they would be committed to their cause: Cut! Grass! Root!

Having experienced what he had done, all he could do was to try his best to hide his wife and daughter and only dare to visit them secretly when he had distanced himself from Qiu Jinglong and Huai Chenghua.

With its complex terrain, even the locals would sometimes get lost in Fengqing Alley. He thought he hid his wife and daughter flawlessly in a secluded residence in the alley.

But, he never thought, they would still be found by Mi Hou.

He understood Mi Hou’s long game; it was to force him into surrendering himself. He really wanted to use his life to ensure the safety of his wife and daughter at that time. But he knew, as long as he didn’t show up, there was a chance for his wife and daughter to survive. The moment he died, it would be the moment his wife and daughter were sentenced to death.

The reasoning was simple, as the son of the head of the Mi Clan, he couldn’t collude with hoodlums. If this news got out, it would be a huge scandal.

Therefore, Gong Zheng had to die. Only the dead could keep a secret.

He could die, but his wife and daughter couldn’t, and he knew there was only one person in the entire Xiling who could help him with this.

The ragged beggar walked up to Tang Luo and Xu Lao Ying, knelt on the ground, and started to kowtow fervently.

“Boom boom boom boom!”

Mi Bai looked perplexed, about to hand out several silver corners to help the beggar up, but Xu Lao Ying stopped him.

“Let’s talk over there by the wall.” Tang Luo said casually.

Tang Luo led the way, the beggar was in the middle, with Xu Lao Ying at the end. The three of them walked over to the wall.

As soon as they arrived at the wall, Tang Luo frowned, offended by the beggar’s smell. Even the smell of urine around the base of the wall was unbearable.

Tang Luo stepped back and took out a handkerchief to cover his nose and asked with a nasal voice, “Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“My life isn’t worth much. I beg you, Young Master Tang, to save my family. I am willing to reveal Mi Hou’s whereabouts.” Gong Zheng, disregarding the urine on the ground, knelt again and kowtowed.

A peak warrior of the Mortal Realm looked decrepit, his face smeared black with filth and hair bunched up and bound with dirt. The stink emanating from his body was nauseating.

Tang Luo was slightly germophobic. Seeing this scene made him extremely uncomfortable. However, hearing the name that Gong Zheng just mentioned made him a bit interested. So, he asked, “Are you saying that the Righteous Gang is controlled by Mi Hou?”

“The Righteous Gang was created by me. But two years ago, Lishe Yuan from the Hou Mansion approached me, saying he could help me take control of West City. I agreed. Later, I found out that Lishe Yuan is an advisor to the Mi Mansion.”

Leaning against the wall and yawning, Xu Lao Ying said, “I’m not interested in any of this. Regardless of who’s behind you, you’re a dead man..”