Chapter Ten Substitute

  The law of nature is very cruel, and it's hard for foxes, a canine species, to launch an effective attack on targets much larger than themselves.

  Lao Bai Ze, the white fox, pounced on Qian Yi Qun and was hit in the face by a flying dinner plate, his long snout taking the brunt of the impact. In intense pain accompanied by a numbing sensation, he fell to the ground like a torn sack, wailing incessantly.

  Qian Yiqun caught the falling tray, took a step back and said: "Don't get agitated for now, I know you're not an ordinary fox. In the future, we'll still need each other's help. Why don't we put our cards on the table instead of plotting against each other?"

  "You lost faith in me first, how can I trust you now!" The fox's eyes were brimming with tears as it hugged its nose in anger.

  "Alas, this is where we lack communication." Qian Yiqun put down the dinner plate, walked closer to the fox, and began to calculate with his fingers how much a catty of mutton hind leg meat cost, how many catties one hind leg was worth, what price the cured meat would fetch, and how much his own father's salary in silver was per month at the county yamen... After a lengthy explanation, Qian Yiqun said: "Now you know just how high the price you quoted earlier was, don't you?"

  The fox in his heart cried bitterly: Originally thought that having hooked up with a rich family's son, he could indulge in a big feast, but unexpectedly it was a donkey dung egg with a shiny surface, really misjudged the person!

  "You must be kidding!" The fox cried out, "Look at your family's large mansion with several courtyards, where is the poverty you spoke of?"

  "You don't know the ways of the world!" Qian Yiqun sighed, "My family has been a government official for three generations, and we have several acres of good land outside the city, which is how we can afford such a big house. But this house isn't enough to let you eat pork leg whenever you want! A family like ours can only afford to eat it once a year, and that's already quite something! Haven't you seen my sister having to cook herself? We only have three servants in the whole household, including Ah Mei and her parents. You really think my family is wealthy?"

  The fox didn't know that the husband had his own way of making money, and thinking about it, everyone they met on the road looked worried, and he was already half-convinced. He thought to himself: Last time when I came to the human world, it was also like this. Looking at the prosperous and bustling scene, it was actually already dusk. Alas, it's really bad luck, how can't we enter a life of wealth and luxury?

  "You're also so useless!" The fox said discontentedly, "It's fine if your family is poor, but why don't you strive to improve yourself and get an official position?"

  Qian Yiqun immediately told Bai Ze that he had no chance of passing the imperial examination and didn't have the means, capital or brains to start a business. The fox's triangular ears twitched with anxiety as it finally said helplessly: "It seems that this life is destined to be a fleeting dream, an illusion in the mirror. I'll give you some advice, the world is on the verge of great chaos, no less than the Five Barbarians' invasion, your family should make preparations early."

  Qian Yiqun was shocked: Bai Ze also knew about the Jia Shen coup? Could this be fate? At this time, Taiwan and Hong Kong were still barren lands, definitely not a place to go. Should he escape to Korea or Japan? No way, how could he let his descendants become slaves of the Japanese or Westerners?

  It seems that only this path of becoming an immortal is left! Even if I can't become an immortal, learning the mystic arts well will also be a good way to survive in the chaotic world.

  Thinking of this, Qian Yiqun pinched his fingers again and started practicing. Although the fox didn't tell him the trick, after dozens of practices, he had also figured out some way, mainly the mobilization and control of Lingyun. Qian Yiqun's aptitude was not bad to begin with, and under pressure, he naturally worked hard. After all, this hardship was nothing compared to the torture before the college entrance examination.

  By the time it was dinner, Qian Yiqun had become proficient in using chopsticks, but when it came to heavier objects, he still felt a bit powerless. The fox didn't get to eat lamb legs, but it did get to eat a basket of bones, and it was quite satisfied. Of course, if it knew these were the Qian family's leftovers, it probably wouldn't be so happy.

  Qian Yiqun listened to the sound of it crunching on bones, looked at the darkening sky outside, sat cross-legged on the bed, with his elbows propped against his knees and his palms supporting his cheeks, opened "The Hundred Beauties Picture" and muttered to himself: "I really don't know where Zhou Tianmei went this week."

  "Even if you call it back, you won't use it, what's the point of thinking about it." The fox swallowed its bone fragments and said to Qian Yiqun.

  Qian Yiqun fell back onto the bed, and in his mind, he heard the voice of the immortal from the book. She said: "The charm of this 'Bai Mei Tu' will hinder the master, otherwise the previous master would not have sealed it away in the Luan Xuan Pavilion."

  Qian Yiqun did not respond, always feeling that something was slightly off. If this "Bai Mei Tu" is not a good thing, then what about the immortal attached to it? And as for this world, is it because Bai Ze appeared in the world and became a chaotic world, or is it because the world became chaotic that Bai Ze appeared?

  Just as his mind was gradually emptying, he heard the sound of urgent footsteps outside the door. The footsteps were light and quick, obviously belonging to a woman's embroidered shoes, and in this mansion, it could only be his sister Qian Xiaoxiao.

  Bam!

  Qian Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and rushed in, shouting: "The county government has sent a message saying that the flower thief has appeared again and wants to invite Father back to catch the thief!"

  Qian Yiqun sprang up from the bed: "How can this be? Father's injuries have not healed, how can he be a match for that scoundrel?"

  "So it's all up to you now!" Qian Xiaoxiao stepped forward, grabbed Qian Yiqun's arm and pulled him out of bed. "Hurry up and change into Father's clothes, at least go and answer the call, otherwise that Green Hat Officer will find another excuse to trouble our father."

  "Sister is right." Qian Yiqun dragged his shoes, just about to go out, suddenly a faint scent teased the tip of his nose, which was exactly the virgin fragrance on his sister's body. Thinking that his own sister was also one of the famous beauties in Wu County, if she were to be lured away by that flower thief, how would it be good for their own backyard to catch fire?

  "Sister, you go get Father's knife for me first," said Qian Yiqun.

  "Hurry up, Father is going to go." Xiaoxiao urged in a hurry and quickly ran out.

  Qian Yiqun hastily ran towards the fox and said: "Fox brother, can I entrust my sister to you?"

  The fox's head spun quickly, and in an instant, he understood the key points. Thinking that this was also a way to improve their relationship, he readily agreed: "We are currently limited in our spiritual power, and it would be difficult to protect your family home. However, protecting your younger sister wouldn't be hard; you can go ahead."

  Qian Yiqun finally put his mind at ease and was about to rush out, but just then the fox caught up with him and almost tripped him. The fox blocked Qian Yiqun's path and said: "You have a strong wood element in your five elements, going east or north will be safe."

  Qian Yiqun smiled and said: "What am I afraid of? I want to catch that flower thief for Father's sake, so as to avoid future troubles!"

  "What you're thinking is precisely what I'm afraid of!" the fox exclaimed in a shrill voice, "That person dared to take action because they must have had something to rely on. You've only just learned the Sword Controlling Technique for a few hours, and even if it can control swords with incantations, it still relies on the true spirit within the sword. But you don't even have a sword, how can you possibly use it as an object-controlling technique?"

  Qian Yiqun heard that his sister had come and gone, and he didn't have time to ask about the difference between "Yu Jian" and "Yu Wu". He quickly ran out. Little hands holding father's private embroidered spring knife, seeing brother coming, hurriedly handed it over with both hands. Qian Yiqun grabbed the knife: "Sister, stay at home safely, close the door tightly, and don't let the villains take advantage of the opportunity."

  "I naturally know!" Qian Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, her face softened a lot, "You should also be careful yourself."

  Qian Yiqun took over his father's token and grabbed a blue-gray cloak, striding quickly towards the door.

  Qian Datong was a regular official, registered with the Ministry of Personnel, and in Qian Yigou's understanding, he belonged to a civil servant with a quota. Under him, there were also a group of people called Gongyue, but they were not on the quota and belonged to temporary workers.

  Wu County is rich and populous, with a large population, but it's close to the Suzhou Prefecture city, so there aren't many people like Qian Datong who are "regular duty personnel". They were divided into three shifts: zao, zhuang, and yi, each responsible for their own duties on a rotating basis. Although they were familiar with each other, they didn't often meet.

  This time, County Magistrate Xun was duped into wearing a green hat. As soon as he heard that the thief had reappeared, he immediately issued an order and the three shifts of yamen runners gathered at the county yamen. The large public hall was packed with a sea of people. The heads of the three shifts were in front, the runners were behind, and there were also recruited militiamen, archers, grain officials, gate guards, and jailers... Altogether, there were over 300 people.

  Qian Yiqun rushed to the county government office, but even the gate was impassable. Relying on his familiar face, he managed to squeeze through the crowd and had just walked into the hall when he heard the judge shouting loudly: "Where is Qian Datong, the head of the rapid response team?"

  The county magistrate cannot directly dismiss the head of the yamen, but he can find an excuse to make his family broken and ruined. Not to mention other things, the Ming Code stipulates that there is a limit for comparison, small cases are compared once every five days, big cases are compared once every three days, if the case is not solved, they will be arrested and beaten with a board. Qian Datong has already been beaten once because of this.

  When he heard County Zun's anger, Qian Yiqun hastily jumped up and down in the crowd and shouted: "Answer your parents!"