Chapter 10, it is my turn

For a moment, only Elder Fang and Fang Cun remained in the hall, quietly.

Upon hearing these words, Master Fang instinctively nodded. Even those shopkeepers and young masters, though silent, internally acknowledged this response. For ordinary families like theirs, being targeted by such fierce deities... would be akin to a calamity descending from the heavens. It would not be shameful to hand over the business directly; however, if one insisted on confronting them head-on, the outcome would be the destruction of one's family, which would indeed be foolish.

Esteemed shopkeepers and proprietors, I trust you all have a wealth of thoughts you wish to express

In fact, there are some things that you do not need to say; I understand them already

There is no need for uncle to worry!

Master Fang was both perplexed and hesitant as he looked towards the calm and indifferent face of Fang Cun seated in the armchair

Fangcun expressed some helplessness, saying: "It's just to scare them a little, to save face!"

It is ... ... it is, this concludes the farewell ... ...

... ...

With a calm demeanor, I inquired without a hint of disturbance

As soon as the name of the Tunhai Gang was mentioned, the atmosphere in the hall became somewhat oppressive

In a moment of oppression, Fangcun suddenly interrupted his uncle's words, smilingly asking: "How many benefits did Old Zhao promise you?"

The most embarrassing were those shopkeepers, who watched the farce of this family in silence, hardly daring to say a word.

Clearly feeling parched, yet hesitating to reach for the tea beside him

There are some things he did not express too clearly

Old Master Fang was so taken aback that he stuttered: "You... you want to go with the old dynasty..."

However, once the decision was made, there was no need to waste any more words with him, and he directly waved his hand and said: "Send it out!"

He also said to his maternal uncle: "Your family need not visit anymore, so that my family does not take advantage of this little Qi Refining practitioner from your household in the future"

After a brief pause, with a calm demeanor, I spoke: "In the past, I was sheltered by my elder brother, enjoying a stable life for over ten years. Now, it is my turn!"

It is settled, we have known each other for many years, there is no need to be so explicit in our words, please feel free to proceed!

This ... ...

In a moment of utter confusion, I find myself at a loss for words.

It is not merely about making harsh statements

Perhaps, Lao Chao is actually one of the city guards

The various shopkeepers each harbored their own thoughts, while Master Fang's face turned ashen. Even Fang Cun at this moment furrowed his brows, lost in contemplation.

Brother-in-law, listen to me...

Finally, an elderly and bold young master spoke with a trembling voice: "We have come here... solely to mourn for the eldest son..."

Fang Cun glanced at his father, slowly rubbed his face, and said: "It was to be expected that the wolves would come knocking after my brother's demise, but I didn't anticipate it would happen so soon. As for the business outside, we must let go of what we can, but we must preserve the shops in the city. In the future, the expenses for you two will need to be covered, and I will also need funds for my cultivation. How can we afford to clear everything out at once?"

The family of my maternal uncle, as if granted a great pardon, hurriedly helped my cousin Cao Chang, who was lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth while stealing glances at the surroundings, out of the situation. They ran away in a disheveled manner, secretly cursing the Fang family, thinking that even with the main pillar dead, they were still so fierce; they would eventually all perish.

He paused slightly at this point and said: "But it's not as if anyone can just come and go as they please!"

At this point, my uncle has also put aside his pride and started shouting: "Brother-in-law, you better think this through. Lao Chao is a ruthless person, rumored to drink the hearts of living people. In this Liuhu City, he is someone whose word is law. Since he has set his sights on this Twelve Linked Inn, he considers this business his own. If you refuse him today, I fear that within three days, he will come directly with people to seize it..."

Old Master Fang, upon hearing Fang Cun's words, felt a sense of despair. After pondering for a while, he finally appeared dejected and said: "The family fortune was earned by your elder brother; if it is lost, it is lost. It would not matter for me to endure a life of hardship again, but it is just that you and your mother..."

He was quite indifferent, merely waving his hand to let the guards clear a path, and then said: "If you return and the people from the old court come to ask, please convey a message to them, no matter how many days it takes, they will not be able to profit from the business of the Twelve Linked Forts!"

Do you really think your elder brother is still alive

That Cao Niangjiu, upon seeing the reputation of Old Chao, actually frightened Master Fang to such an extent, showing a bit more courage, said: "Things are truly different now compared to the past. The entire city is buzzing with news that the eldest son of the Fang family is gone, and before his death, he offended a significant figure. Who knows when they will take action against the Fang family? No one fears us anymore. That Old Chao has set his sights on the Fang family's business, which is the root of trouble for them. It is absolutely impossible to keep it; it would be better to just hand it over to him to avert disaster and difficulties..."

The master of the Fang family quickly reacted and asked, "Is it useful?"

... ...

Fangcun slowly shook his head and said: "They are not fools. Right now, they are merely taking advantage of my brother's influence to raise a banner, which is why they do not dare to act rashly. After a few days, naturally, some clever individuals will catch on, especially since the old dynasty has already set its sights on our family. They just need to wait. If the old dynasty succeeds, these people will naturally have their own calculations. When they take action again, I fear no one will be able to stop them"

Perhaps the idea of seizing the Twelve Linked Docks originally came from the city guards

Alas, my rain-blue porcelain...

familiar

So... what do you want to do?

At this moment, the maternal uncle's family left, and they seemed as if they were carrying a mountain on their shoulders, not daring to speak a word

Aunt said, "We are also considering the Fang family, what benefits could there possibly be..."

Father, just rest assured, I will handle it

If there is nothing to say, why has no family delivered the silver that our side requested in full?

Old Master Fang's face showed a slight bitterness. After a while, he sighed and said: "Cun'er, your father knows that one must maintain face in front of others, and it is fine to speak harshly when necessary. However, since the old court has set its sights on our family, it is better to part with some wealth to avoid disaster. Let it go..."

Master Fang, please accept my condolences, let us depart for now

Master Fang glanced at the porcelain shards on the ground with a pained heart, suddenly realizing that it was not the tea cup he was grieving for. He hurriedly leaned forward, tugged at Fang Cun's sleeve, and lowered his voice, saying: "My son, what you just said to those people..."

Others nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, only for the funeral..."

Fangcun glanced helplessly at his old master, feeling emotionally drained

The master of the Fang family was momentarily taken aback: "You scared me too..."

... ...

... ...

Fang Cun suddenly spoke calmly, saying: "Your business dealings with my Fang family have been initiated by many of you. My Fang family, in essence, stands to gain without any investment, but it must be made clear that without the protection of my Fang family's name, your profits are not guaranteed. If any of you wish to withdraw your investments now, you are free to do so, but I must state clearly in advance that the threshold of my Fang family is not particularly high..."

This group of shopkeepers and young masters suddenly became somewhat awkward

The old man is not a cousin, our family cannot deal with him

This ... ...

Fang Cun gently lifted the tea and slowly said: "Recently, the Fang family is in mourning. If anyone has matters to discuss, please feel free to consult the steward directly"

Fang Cun glanced at the round belly of Old Master Fang and shook his head helplessly

... ...

A group of shopkeepers and the young master, as if granted a great pardon, exited the hall from amidst the glinting crossbows, wiping the cold sweat from their brows

At this moment, Fang Cun finally turned his gaze towards them, causing each of them to shudder slightly. What was infuriating was that this Young Master Fang, even at this point, did not allow those guards armed with crossbows to leave, and they continued to stand in the hall.

The maids and servants waiting outside the hall did not dare to make a sound, quietly coming in to clean up the porcelain shards on the floor

It is not surprising, after all, who knows if the formidable Young Master Fang has any other powerful old friends

The numerous shopkeepers and the young master exchanged glances, and after a moment, they suddenly nodded in agreement.

You have nine on one side and three on the other, yet my family has not missed out on anything at all

Old Master Fang was taken aback: "Isn't the Twelve Linked Docks located outside the city?"

The maternal uncle hurriedly leaned his body to protect Cao Chang and said hesitantly: "There is nothing much to gain, it's just that Lao Chao said to give him the business contract for the Twelve Linked Docks, and from now on, the Twelve Linked Docks will belong to him. However, he... he promised to give me three..."

... ...

You this ... ...

The maternal uncle's face suddenly turned somewhat awkward, and he remained silent, feeling embarrassed.

Fang Cun furrowed his brow, took a crossbow from the hands of the guard, and toyed with it in his hands, seemingly aiming it at Cao Chang

The shops in the city

... ...

Fang Cun listened and couldn't help but laugh, saying: "That was in the past. Now, it is uncertain whether one can even meet the city guard, let alone anything else. Moreover, Father, think about it: the old dynasty has been able to dominate Liu Lake City for so many years, bullying the locals is a trivial matter. As for *Tu* *Shu*, he doesn't even regard some small families and minor Qi refiners with any respect, provoking the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, yet no one dares to touch him. Is it really unrelated to the city guard?"

Originally, some people had a lot to say and wanted to express their thoughts, but now they find themselves at a loss for words. There are also those who intended to take this opportunity to clarify their points, yet when Young Master Fang suddenly made such a magnanimous statement, it caused them to hesitate slightly. Observing the Fang family’s confidence, could it be that, although the eldest son has passed away, there are still other sources of support?

Fangcun sneered as he handed the crossbow back to the guard, saying: "What a truly good relative!"

No ... ... not ... ...

The maternal uncle was completely bewildered upon hearing these words

At other times, I really wouldn't stand up to him over the Twelve Linked Docks; if he wants it, then let him have it

This reckless fellow Fang Lao Er, where does he get such confidence to dare challenge the old dynasty

The master of the Fang family appeared pale as if made of clay, merely holding onto Fang Cun's arm, repeatedly saying: "Yes, yes!"

One cannot provoke the old master

Fangcun slowly shook his head and said, "In this Liuhu City, the only ones capable of dealing with the old dynasty are the academy and the city guards"

... ...

Old Master Fang was slightly taken aback upon hearing this and quickly said, "Then I will go to seek the city guard, I am familiar with him..."

This this this ... ...

Fang Cun furrowed his brow and said: "But it cannot be done now; he is too eager. Our elder brother has just been buried, and he is the first to jump out and target our Fang family. If we were to hand over the Twelve Linked Forts so easily, others would only see our Fang family as a piece of fat meat, following suit and swarming in. Not to mention the businesses outside the city, even these few shops within the city would be impossible to keep!"

At this moment, Old Master Fang seemed somewhat dizzy, as if he could see his eldest son who had already passed away