Upon receiving consent, Lady Xu sent Nan Di to fetch the silver, distributing it as agreed to everyone.
Land and house deeds in the Great Shun Dynasty are just like those in the previous dynasties: paper deeds stored only with the buyer, with no copies or records filed.
Typically, these deeds lack the buyer's information, only listing the seller, middlemen, witnesses, and full property details.
When signed, everyone but the buyer signs, meaning whoever holds the deed owns the property.
This was not because record-keeping at the government was impossible.
The Great Shun had this mechanism; deeds without government records were called “white deeds,” while those filed were “red deeds.” The issue here was the recording cost—amounting to a transaction tax of 5% to 16%, alongside needing to bribe minor officials.
Naturally, this discouraged most from filing for red deeds, as profits come with risks.
Liang Qu scrutinized those deeds and discovered them unregistered.
He suspected Zhao Hongyuan’s intent was not just to dodge taxes, but that he had long planned to flee.
His actions made it easy for him to escape and pass off unsellable properties to others at the end.
These deeds were as good as silver.
They could be sold at any time or held on to until profitable.
When Liang Qu received three ingots of treasure silver, it felt overwhelmingly satisfying.
One hundred and fifty taels! By far the largest sum Liang Qu had ever earned.
Even leaving the Yang Manor, he found it hard to believe.
An ingot of fifty taels of treasure silver is valued above standard silver, usually exchanged for 52 taels and 4 qian of standard silver.
This exchange was colloquially called "two-four treasure."
Three ingots equated to one hundred and sixty small taels.
A farmer couldn't cultivate an equivalent sum in a lifetime; a fisher couldn’t earn it in ten generations.
It was truly challenging.
On the road, Liang Qu weighed the treasure silver, separating two ingots and handing them to Lu Gang.
"This is?" Lu Gang asked, puzzled.
The other senior brothers looked on curiously.
Liang Qu scratched his head, embarrassed.
"Senior Brother Lu, the great spear you crafted for me was very costly. I didn't have money then, but now that I have some, I'd like to pay back a portion. Otherwise, my heart won’t be at ease."
Lu Gang didn't accept.
Instead, he countered, "Liang Junior Brother, why do you think I was able to get 300 taels today?"
"Of course, it’s because Senior Brother Lu contributed the most," Liang Qu replied matter-of-factly.
The strongest, Huang Zejun, was taken down by Senior Brother Lu, deserving the largest share.
Lu Gang continued, "And how was I able to contribute the most?"
Liang Qu paused, unsure.
Next to him, Xu Zishuai giggled, "Senior Brother Lu means, since you're still far from paying back the hundred taels, you might as well buy more treasure medicine and improve your strength. That way, you can earn more in the future. If you keep being so polite, after a while, you’d probably feel compelled to add interest, right? Dragging it out can only benefit Lu Senior Brother!"
Lu Gang glared at Xu Zishuai as he explained, "I never intended to ask for interest. Don’t listen to his nonsense."
With matters clarified, persisting further would seem unfriendly.
Liang Qu quietly retrieved the treasure silver.
"Alright, let’s rest well tonight. We still need to handle the remaining mountain spirit hideouts. I'll escort these two back. Xu Zishuai, don’t wander around anymore. Come back with me. We’ll arrange a room together for better safety."
"Understood," Xu Zishuai agreed, recognizing the urgency.
At the crossroads, they parted ways.
Liang Qu, along with the two senior brothers, returned to the Martial Hall.
Upon reaching the Martial Training Grounds, they found Chen Jiechang still practicing his stance training alongside Li Libo, who, after taking his medicine and recovering, had become diligent, arriving early each day for practice.
Seeing Liang Qu and his companions, they greeted them.
After Hu Qi and Xiang Changsong left, they gathered around Liang Qu, curious about the excitement in town.
Liang Qu wasn’t sure how much to reveal, so he vaguely mentioned, "It’s related to the previous mountain spirits, but everything’s fine now."
The two, while puzzled, didn’t press further.
The next morning, Liang Qu entered the quiet chamber for a flesh refinement session.
His blood and energy drained and fused into his muscles, feeling like a warm tide dispelling the winter chill.
His body pulsed and grew, every muscle becoming denser and more taut, further defining his physique.
He felt refreshed.
With his blood energy exceeding the requirements for breaking through his barrier, Liang Qu sensed his progress accelerating in breaking through the Flesh Barrier.
Even without officially breaking through, his physical capabilities improved steadily, his strength increasing, and his water manipulation abilities slightly enhanced.
Beyond the additional two hundred pounds blessed by Jianghuai River, he could easily manage eight hundred, maybe eight hundred thirty pounds.
Even wielding the Subduing Waves Spear became more agile.
Once his practice concluded, Liang Qu, with high spirits and bearing his great spear, set out with Senior Brother Xu and Senior Brother Hu to hunt demons, eliminating mountain spirit hideouts one by one.
Without the secret arts activating them, all mountain spirits remained in a near-hibernation state, oblivious to their surroundings, allowing Liang Qu to easily pierce their heads.
Initially intriguing, it soon became monotonous without rewards or real training—merely a matter of thrusting and retracting his spear, turning him into an emotionless killing apparatus.
The distant villages further wore them down, taking two days to clear out entirely.
In hindsight, it would've been best to leave the job to the other two martial halls, laboring without much gain.
On the third afternoon, as the trio returned to Peaceful Sun Town, news arrived from the Yang Manor—Master Yang was back!
Upon hearing, the three promptly turned toward the Yang Manor.
At the entrance, they noticed the dwarf and Huang Zejun shackled nearby but ignored them, heading straight to the main hall.
Inside the vast hall, all the brothers were present, with Master Yang and Lady Xu seated at the head table.
Master Yang appeared in good spirits, showing no signs of injury, suggesting they encountered no major obstacles in Tide River County, and possibly the Ghost Mother Sect members merely engaged them without intent for real conflict.
After looking around, Liang Qu sat at the lower right corner facing Senior Brother Xiang, expressing gratitude to a maid offering tea.
"I’ve heard all about it—Lu Gang, Xu Zishuai, Hu Qi, Xiang Changsong, Liang Qu—very good, well done!" Yang Dongxiong praised each of the five, beaming with pride.
For veterans like him, nothing brought greater joy than seeing their disciples excel.
This was the greatest celebration!
"The Water Baptism Sect—no, let’s call it the Ghost Mother Sect—this name's fitting for them! Crooked paths shouldn't have righteous names," Yang Dongxiong sternly critiqued.
"A truly foolish sect, exhausting resources with no understanding of priorities! Without ordinary folk, how can Martial Masters exist?"
Liang Qu felt the same.
Martial arts might reach divine levels, but they still required daily necessities.
One couldn't sew clothes or lay bricks unaided.
For the Ghost Mother Sect, even if they succeeded and obtained the grand pills, they’d have nothing left.
"As for Magistrate Peng, though timid with no grand ambition, he maintains some integrity. For now, he seems okay. The Ghost Mother Sect sent minor characters to create a ruse to lure me in, but I dealt with them all. Breeding so many mountain spirits, attempting a blood sacrifice, this could be classified as treason and will surely face a three-court hearing. That'll undoubtedly reach official ears. Wait for the county office to summon us—they’ll arrive soon enough. During the three-court hearing, reaching as high as the heavens, you five will be rewarded!"
At this, Liang Qu and the others visibly brightened.
What rewards might their efforts in breaking such a big case earn?
"Additionally, there's another important matter," Yang Dongxiong said, picking up a refined sandalwood box from the table.
"Xiao Jiu, come here."
Liang Qu promptly approached, accepting the box respectfully as the other brothers urged him to open it.
"Senior Brother is always generous. Let's see what good thing it is this time."
"Yeah, open it and let us see."
"Senior Brother just got promoted. This has to be big!"
Curious as any, Liang Qu opened the box, revealing a dagger styled in the fashion of the northwestern territories.
Its handle was curved, the blade straight, glinting with a blue-green light, elegant and exquisite.
Lu Gang, most attuned to weapons, blurted, "Spirit weapon!"
(Chapter ends)