Chapter 42: Who is the Best Fighter in Guobei County?

The old man grabbed by Xu Wang slapped the wooden cork off, shouting, "We're closed! We closed yesterday! The pawnshop isn't planning to open for the next few days, so let go of me! Let go!"

With that, the old man broke free from Xu Wang with all his might, then clamped his legs together and trotted away in a hurry, vanishing from sight.

"Closed? That's not good at all! How can you be so unprofessional!"

Xu Wang stepped forward and banged heavily on the wooden panels with his hand!

"Open the door! Open the door! You dare to run a business! Open the door then!"

"Do you believe I'll report you to 1818 Golden Eye?!"

Xu Wang knocked on the door with unremitting persistence.

The people inside the pawnshop eventually grew somewhat impatient.

The clerk yanked the wooden door open with a look of extreme displeasure!

The moment he saw it was actually Xu Wang standing outside, the clerk's expression changed drastically, and he slammed the door shut again in a hurry!

"What is going on? Who is making a racket at the door?"

The pawnshop owner walked over as well, asking the clerk about the situation.

The clerk was frightened pale.

Looking at the boss, he stammered in panic, "It's that fellow from Lanruo Temple yesterday. He's here again today."

"The one from Lanruo Temple?! He's still alive?!"

The boss was startled as well!

"Quick! Quickly block the door! Don't let him in under any circumstances!"

The boss directed the clerk to drag a wooden table over to barricade the front entrance.

"Why wouldn't you want me in? Do you owe me money?"

Just as the boss finished speaking, an eerie voice suddenly came from right behind the two of them.

"Ah!"

The sudden appearance of a third person inside the room genuinely gave them a severe fright.

The boss instinctively turned around and saw Xu Wang standing right behind them.

"You! How did you get in?"

The boss's face turned white, suspecting that Xu Wang was also a ghost from Lanruo Temple.

"Through the window, of course. Besides, you haven't answered my question yet. Why are you avoiding me? Do you owe me money?"

Xu Wang pointed toward the second-floor window, then stepped closer to the boss with a stern expression.

"Hahaha, esteemed customer, you certainly know how to joke. We are merely closed for normal rest. We have no intention of avoiding you, and certainly no debts to you."

Like a nervous fly, the boss rubbed his hands together anxiously.

Xu Wang didn't believe it.

He shook his head and said, "You definitely owe me money, but I have amnesia, so I don't remember. Yet paying debts is only natural and justified. Are you going to pay or not?"

The pawnshop owner looked like he was about to cry.

Xu Wang was simply too unreasonable and overbearing, but letting himself be extorted like this made parting with his money equally painful.

"Look, don't say I don't support your business. Today, I've come to pawn a fine zither. You can use this zither to clear the debt you owe me."

As he spoke, Xu Wang retrieved Nie Xiaoqian's guqin from his waist pouch.

Seeing that the boss still maintained that cowering look, Xu Wang glared, "I'm going to lose my temper!"

"No, no, no! Master, sir, we'll pay right now."

The pawnshop owner hurriedly waved his hands in surrender.

Carefully taking the guqin from Xu Wang's hands, the boss began to examine it closely.

The craftsmanship and condition of this zither were genuinely remarkable, resembling something collected from a wealthy household.

If he found a suitable buyer to sell it to, this transaction wouldn't incur a loss.

This thought made the boss feel somewhat better inside.

After a while.

Having made a hefty profit, Xu Wang walked out of the pawnshop feeling thoroughly satisfied.

This sum of money was more than enough for Xu Wang to get by in the world of A Chinese Ghost Story.

Stepping out of the pawnshop, he found a noodle stall right outside.

At that moment, the noodle vendor was busy cooking noodles behind a steaming large pot.

Several customers sat at tables near the stall, eating their noodles.

They clearly looked like locals from Guobei County.

With a pocket full of money, Xu Wang walked straight up, slapped a few copper coins onto the vendor's stall, and raised his voice to ask, "Boss, let me ask you something."

The vendor glanced at the copper coins, quickly pocketed them, and said enthusiastically, "Ask away, master."

"Hey! Who is the best fighter in Guobei County?!"

Xu Wang raised his chin.

"That would be Ye Fu, of course. Could it be me?"

Mentioning Ye Fu, the vendor even managed to look somewhat proud.

"Care to point the way? Does he still take apprentices?"

Xu Wang placed a bit more money in front of the vendor.

"Just across the street over there, the Ye Family Martial Arts Hall. Though I advise you not to hold out too much hope; Master Ye hasn't taken apprentices in a long time. You'd be better off finding another martial arts hall."

The vendor leaned out and pointed a vague direction for Xu Wang.

"Many thanks."

Xu Wang turned and walked toward the so-called Ye Family Martial Arts Hall.

The entrance of the martial arts hall looked entirely ordinary, far less grand than he had imagined.

The gates were open, and the sounds of martial arts practice—grunts and shouts—drifted out from time to time.

Xu Wang walked right in.

Upon entering, he discovered an acquaintance already inside.

It was none other than the old man with a stomachache whom he had grabbed and questioned earlier.

"What a coincidence, old man. Are you here to use the restroom?"

The old man had been inspecting the disciples' forms.

Hearing a voice from the entrance, he turned around to look.

The moment he laid eyes on Xu Wang's smiling face—the very face that gave him a stomachache—his expression turned pitch black!

"Why have you come?!"

"I'm here to see Master Ye Fu. Is he around?"

Xu Wang looked left and right, spotted a jujube tree nearby, walked over and picked a few green jujubes, then said very politely, "I even brought some fruit. It's a humble gift with deep meaning, I hope you won't refuse."

The old man watched Xu Wang's actions the entire time.

His eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

It was here!

That familiar feeling had returned!

This fellow was absolute trouble; he could not afford any further contact with him.

Making up his mind, the old man darkened his face and drove him away without a shred of courtesy, "I am Ye Fu. Be on your way, you are not welcome here."

Xu Wang hadn't expected such a coincidence.

By casually grabbing someone on the street, he had actually caught the best fighter in Guobei County.

Ignoring Ye Fu's expulsion outright, Xu Wang stepped forward with a pleasantly surprised expression and said loudly, "What an incredible coincidence! I never expected you to be Master Ye!"

"Just a moment ago I saw you looking for the outhouse, you had a stomachache—woo-woo-woo!"

Before Xu Wang could finish his sentence, Ye Fu had already darted swiftly to his side, clamping a hand over Xu Wang's mouth to stop him from continuing.

On the other side.

In the training courtyard, a dozen disciples practicing their punches paused and looked over curiously.

"What are you looking at?! Keep practicing!"

Ye Fu turned and glared at them!

The group of disciples hastily withdrew their gazes and resumed practicing their routines mechanically.

"Follow me!"

With a dark expression, Ye Fu dragged Xu Wang into a room within the courtyard.

As soon as they entered the room, Xu Wang politely handed the freshly picked green jujubes to Ye Fu: "Master, this is my apprenticeship tribute."

Seeing this, Ye Fu's expression grew even uglier.

He didn't take the jujubes, but instead stared straight at Xu Wang and asked, "You want to learn martial arts?"

"That's right."

Xu Wang nodded: "I heard you're the best fighter in Guobei County, so I came to find you."

"The best fighter is an overstatement, just the locals flattering me."

Ye Fu didn't accept the empty praise, looking at Xu Wang with continued sternness: "I take apprentices based on character. You are frivolous and erratic, unsuited for martial arts. You had better leave quickly."

Xu Wang didn't reply, simply smiling as he placed a handful of scattered silver pieces on the table.

In terms of purchasing power here, this was a substantial amount of money.

When Xu Wang sold the zither, this was the exact moment he was waiting for.

He guessed Ye Fu would refuse first, and then as he slowly started taking the money back bit by bit, it would fluster this master and ultimately force him to accept the apprentice.

This tactic was known as reverse bargaining.

Many novels were written this way.

Sure enough.

Seeing the pile of silver pieces on the table, Ye Fu sneered.

Then, under Xu Wang's dumbfounded gaze, Ye Fu swept his arm across the table, gathering all the money straight into his lap and pocketing the entire sum.

"No way?! He actually took it?! What about the hesitation and reluctance we rehearsed?!"

Now it was Xu Wang's turn to be stupefied.

"The wisdom of the older generation, kid! The tricks you're pulling, I played out long ago when I was young!"

Ye Fu laughed triumphantly.

Watching Xu Wang get the short end of the stick felt even better than winning a martial arts duel!