Chapter 43: A Way Out, An Opportunity

“Uncle, I don’t want this banknote! I want a way to make a living and find my place in the world!” Xiaoli shook her head as she spoke.

“If you want to settle in this world, then go and find your own path! As for the banknote, do you want it or not? I’m not in the habit of forcing people to accept my money,” Chu Feng replied, his tone deepening.

Chu Feng asked himself honestly—helping Xiaoli to this extent was truly going above and beyond.

To begin with, although he had used fake silver to buy her real beast meat, later on he killed that fox-headed eagle and gave her the corpse worth several hundred silver for free. Now, he had paid off her three-thousand-silver debt and even offered her extra money.

If anyone owed a debt now, it was Xiaoli who owed Chu Feng, not the other way around.

“Uncle, what I mean is, could I take you as my master? Or stay by your side and roam the world with you?” Xiaoli looked into Chu Feng’s eyes, asking earnestly.

“I’m afraid that’s impossible!”

Chu Feng shook his head decisively. “First, my movements are unpredictable. Second, I’m used to traveling alone. Third, I don’t need anyone with me.”

“Uncle, if you’re going to help someone, you might as well help them to the end! Otherwise, what’s the point?” Xiaoli blocked Chu Feng’s way as she spoke. “Let me follow you. I can help you with many things, I won’t be a burden! If you refuse, I’ll die right here. If you later hear that I died miserably in the streets, you’ll feel guilty, and that will affect your martial path!”

Chu Feng looked at the rolling storm clouds on the horizon and fell silent.

“Uncle, why aren’t you saying anything? What are you thinking?” Xiaoli asked nervously.

“There’s something I must say, or it’ll fester in my heart. I hope you won’t be upset when you hear it,” Chu Feng withdrew his gaze and spoke.

“What is it? Go ahead.”

“What I want to say is, I actually regret helping you earlier.” Chu Feng shook his head. “A small favor breeds gratitude, but a great one breeds resentment. If I hadn’t helped you at the street corner just now, I would have moved on without a second thought. But now, after helping you, you’re pressing me with words. So if I don’t agree to your request, not only will you not be grateful, you’ll even hold a grudge? Is that how it is?”

Chu Feng spoke from experience. It was all too common in the world—an act of kindness could so easily twist into a grudge.

For example, seeing someone in trouble, you do what you can to help them through. But their difficulties are endless—once you help with one thing, another arises. And the moment you can’t help with something, they forget your past kindness and resent you for not following through.

“Uncle, is that truly how you feel?” After hearing Chu Feng’s words, Xiaoli’s expression grew desolate. With her grimy little hands, she slowly covered her face.

Chu Feng suddenly noticed that Xiaoli was quietly sobbing, tears streaming between her fingers.

Silent weeping.

Only when someone is utterly hopeless about the future, or devastated by something, will they cover their face and weep soundlessly, tears flowing without a sound.

Seeing Xiaoli like this, Chu Feng’s heart clenched with guilt. “Sigh, she’s just a young girl. What I said was too harsh! Those two fighters already hurt her physically, and now my words have wounded her heart.”

“Xiaoli, I’m sorry. I spoke too harshly, don’t take it to heart.” Chu Feng apologized, patting her shoulder. “It’s raining outside already. Let’s go inside and get something to eat.”

“Uncle, does that mean… you’ll let me stay by your side?” Xiaoli asked, eyes brimming with tears.

“Well… let’s talk about that later. Let’s eat first. Tell me what’s happened to you. I may not be much, but perhaps I can advise you on what to do next,” Chu Feng said.

The two entered the small inn, where Chu Feng ordered a private room. Soon, a few small dishes and wine were brought in.

Xiaoli was clearly starving—probably hadn’t had meat in ages. The good wine and food on the table made her grab a fragrant chicken leg, eating with relish.

“Xiaoli, tell me: how did you end up owing thousands of silver? And what’s the story with the Great Qian Bank?”

Chu Feng took a sip of wine and asked.

“My debts are all tied to the Zijing Flowers from the Tianji Mu Family,” Xiaoli said, chewing on her chicken, entirely unconcerned with decorum. “Recently, the Tianji Mu Family was buying up Zijing Flowers, right? They were paying fifty silver per blossom when the usual price is five! And the more you supplied, the higher the price! Uncle, you’ve heard of this, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I know. What happened next?”

“I thought, if I put together some money and bought up Zijing Flowers from others, then sold them in bulk to the Mu Family, I could make a fortune. The more I supplied, the higher the price—so why not?”

“That makes sense! Buy up the flowers from the warriors, then resell to the Mu Family for a profit. It’s a good scheme.”

“Exactly! But I didn’t have much money, so I borrowed two thousand silver from the Great Qian Bank in the town outside Hengshan, with the promise to repay in ten days. But as soon as I invested, bought up the Zijing Flowers, and took them to the Mu Family, they said Miss Mu’s illness was cured and they didn’t need the flowers anymore! Isn’t that just rotten luck?”

“Ha, so that’s what happened?” Chu Feng couldn’t help but laugh.

“Uncle, you can laugh! I didn’t even have a place to cry! I bought the flowers at fifty silver each, and when I tried to sell them for ten silver apiece, they wouldn’t even take them! I spent five or six days trying to find a buyer, but no one wanted them. The Zijing Flowers just withered away.”

“Then, when the repayment day came and I had no money, the Great Qian Bank thugs beat me up and demanded I repay with interest by a deadline. Today they caught me again—if you hadn’t stepped in, I might have been beaten to death or sold off as a laborer somewhere.”

Xiaoli shook her head, full of sorrow at her misfortune.

Chu Feng could only smile wryly.

It was, in a roundabout way, his own actions that had ruined Xiaoli’s business—if he hadn’t cured Mu Qiaoxue’s illness, the Mu Family would have kept buying Zijing Flowers, and Xiaoli’s speculation would have been a sure profit, not a total loss.

“As for the Great Qian Bank, it’s the wealthiest consortium in the Kingdom of Dayue, on par with the House of Rarities. Their headquarters are in the imperial capital, guarded by countless masters. Any warrior who owes them money and doesn’t pay up comes to a bad end,” Xiaoli said. “But the two you offended today are just small fry, so you shouldn’t have any trouble from them again.”

“I see.” Chu Feng nodded. “You said you wanted to find a way to make a living—what did you mean by that?”

“Oh, don’t overthink it, Uncle! There’s no hidden meaning. What I mean is, last time you gave me the fox-headed eagle’s carcass, I already owed you a favor. Now you’ve paid off three thousand silver for me—I can’t repay that. But I don’t like owing people. So why not let me stay by your side and do things for you? Over time, I’ll have repaid your kindness.”

Xiaoli spoke sincerely.

“If it’s just to repay me, there’s no need. I paid your debt of my own will, not expecting you to pay me back,” Chu Feng said, shaking his head. Still, her honesty reassured him he hadn’t helped the wrong person.

“Xiaoli, we met by chance, and since you keep calling me uncle, just take this five-hundred-silver banknote.” Chu Feng placed the note before her. “I’m leaving now. There’s something I want to say—if you’re willing to hear it.”

“Please, go ahead, Uncle! Whether it’s pleasant or harsh, I want to hear it!” Xiaoli put down her chicken leg and listened intently.

“I’m a few years older than you, so let me offer some advice—a warrior in this world faces all kinds of hardship. When you encounter difficulties, you must rely on yourself to overcome them, not just look for someone to rely on.”

Chu Feng’s words were earnest, his tone gentle. “You think I’m strong and could be your shelter. But even I wish for someone to rely on. Yet I know that if I ever find that shelter, my martial heart will grow complacent, my progress will cease.”

He spoke so much because Xiaoli was so down on her luck—he wanted to give her some silver and, more importantly, the strength to get through her troubles.

Because he had a younger sister, Chu Feng couldn’t help but feel a brother’s responsibility toward girls younger than himself.

“Uncle, you mean…”

“I mean, it’s better to rely on yourself than others. Don’t shy away from trouble—the more you fear it, the more troublesome it becomes. Anyway, I said all this for your sake, but also as a reminder to myself. Eat slowly. I’m leaving—take care.”

With that, Chu Feng drained his wine and stood to go.

“Uncle, wait!” Xiaoli suddenly stood as well. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you to stay and discuss something. It’s no small matter—it could be a way out for me, and maybe a great opportunity for you!”

“Oh?” At this, Chu Feng’s interest was piqued.