Chapter 101: Five Consecutive Urges

An incredibly tricky upgrade task. With no choice, after exchanging a few more polite words with Ren Qingsong, Lin Dong followed Yang Laiting to the counter to complete the registration, then left the Martial Assessment Institute under his escort.

He had been deep in thought upon arrival, and he remained the same upon leaving. As he walked, Lin Dong pondered. Although there were many more people on the streets now than before, he didn’t encounter any mishaps.

At Maple Forest Restaurant, Liu Chuanxiang’s situation wasn’t much better than Lin Dong’s. The difference was that Liu Chuanxiang had been quite excited earlier.

On the verge of defeating Lin’s Inn, as the owner of Maple Forest Restaurant in Xilan City, Liu Chuanxiang indeed should have been excited. But the problem was that the time agreed upon with Zhou Zhengye had already passed. People came and went at the restaurant’s entrance, yet there was still no sign of the county magistrate’s sedan chair.

It was no exaggeration to say he was eagerly waiting. With each passing minute, Liu Chuanxiang’s excitement faded, turning into extreme anxiety by now.

The wealthy merchants of Xilan City clearly valued face—though this face was earned through Zhou Zhengye’s invitation. Seeing over twenty tables on the second floor filled with guests, each representing four or even five or six wealthy merchants from Xilan City, not only did Liu Chuanxiang feel happy, but the staff were also thrilled. It was tough when there were too many people, but it was also unbearably dull when there were none.

Yet whether this bustle could last depended on Zhou Zhengye. If he didn’t show up, not only would it be difficult to keep these merchants there, but even if it was Zhou Zhengye who failed to keep his word, these merchants wouldn’t dare take their anger out on him and would undoubtedly become dissatisfied with Maple Forest Restaurant.

“Go, go and urge him—see if there’s a traffic jam on the road,” Liu Chuanxiang said, slapping the staff member in front of him.

“Yeah!”

The staff member quickly responded and dashed off into the crowded streets.

As the staff member disappeared into the crowd, Liu Chuanxiang didn’t feel relieved at all; instead, his worries deepened.

This was already the fifth person sent to the county office to urge them!

Tugging at his slightly tight neck, Liu Chuanxiang felt his mouth dry. Yet he was afraid that even the time it took to go back to the restaurant for a glass of water might cause him to miss welcoming Zhou Zhengye at the entrance.

It would be fine if he didn’t welcome them at the entrance under normal circumstances, but at such a critical moment, he couldn’t afford to let Zhou Zhengye feel any dissatisfaction.

His chaotic thoughts made Liu Chuanxiang momentarily forget that there were four or five staff members around him. All he needed was for them to bring him a glass of water, and his dry mouth problem could be easily solved.

The sun was slowly moving toward the zenith. Though not obvious, Liu Chuanxiang felt his shadow shrinking too quickly.

“It’s here, the boss! It’s here!” one of the workers exclaimed in excitement.
Liu Chuanxiang was overjoyed and quickly looked in the direction the worker was pointing. The first worker sent out was running straight from the end of the street.
Looking behind that worker, no matter how hard Liu Chuanxiang tried to focus, he couldn’t see Zhou Zhengye’s sedan with the blue roof.
Ignoring the boss’s authority, Liu Chuanxiang grabbed the worker and kept asking, “Where? Where is it?”
“That’s it!” The worker raised his hand again, this time pointing clearly at the worker who was running over.
“I mean County Magistrate Zhou’s sedan!” Liu Chuanxiang snapped angrily.
The worker replied irritably, “I didn’t see it.”
Liu Chuanxiang’s expression darkened. Seeing that the worker was less than ten meters away, he had no time to scold him and stepped forward quickly.
“How is it? Where’s County Magistrate Zhou?” He grabbed the panting worker and shook him vigorously.
The worker gasped for breath. Seeing Liu Chuanxiang’s urgency, he didn’t dare delay and said, “County Magistrate Zhou is injured. He’s on his way here.”
“Injured? How did he get injured?” Liu Chuanxiang asked urgently, but his expression improved significantly at the words “on his way here.”
Liu Chuanxiang actually didn’t care whether Zhou Zhengye was injured or not. He just wanted to confirm whether his injuries would affect the plans ahead. If he were seriously injured, his weak appearance in front of the wealthy families might undermine his authority, and it would be bad if he collapsed halfway due to exhaustion.
“I’m not sure. I heard he was injured at the county office,” the worker said, shaking his head.
“Oh!”
Liu Chuanxiang breathed a sigh of relief. If he was injured on the way to the restaurant, it was likely an accident like the sedan being hit by a carriage—accidents that could range from minor to serious. Being injured at the county office probably meant tripping or accidentally bumping into something, just minor cuts, nothing serious.
That made sense. If he were seriously injured, how would Zhou Zhengye still have the energy to come to the restaurant?
Just wait a bit longer; he should be here soon.
A hint of confidence returned to Liu Chuanxiang’s face.
“The boss…” Before long, the second worker sent out returned and called out from afar.
Liu Chuanxiang perked up. When the worker got closer, he asked calmly, “Where is the sedan?”
“It’s already on Qinwen Street,” the worker replied.
“Qinwen Street…” Liu Chuanxiang calculated. Adding the time the worker had already spent ahead, at the sedan’s speed, they had covered about one-third of the distance. They would reach the restaurant in another half an hour.

“Go, bring over a stool and pour a glass of water. Xiao Huang, go watch at the end of the street. As soon as you see the sedan chair approaching, come back and inform me immediately. Xiao Zhang, go upstairs and if any guests ask, tell them that County Magistrate Zhou encountered some trouble on the way and will be here in less than fifteen minutes.”
Liu Chuanxiang’s thoughts gradually returned to normal. He pounded his sore knees and instructed the workers around him to get busy.
About fifteen minutes later, the third worker ran back.
“Boss, County Magistrate Zhou has arrived at Wangxiong Street.”
Liu Chuanxiang sat calmly on the bench and said nonchalantly, “Go drink some water, then come and welcome County Magistrate Zhou together.”
The fourth worker returned just over half a minute later. Before he could speak, Liu Chuanxiang asked in a deep voice, “Have we reached Qianhun Street?”
The worker nodded anxiously, “We have arrived, but County Magistrate Zhou’s injuries have flared up again, so the sedan chair stopped at Qianhun Street.”
“What?” Liu Chuanxiang stood up abruptly. “It’s just a minor injury—how can it flare up or not?”
“It’s by no means a minor injury,” the worker said urgently. “County Magistrate Zhou was ambushed at the county office early in the morning. His spleen and stomach were damaged, and one of his legs was broken. He even vomited blood on the road, which is why the sedan chair had to stop.”
Buzz…
Liu Chuanxiang felt the world spinning. With his spleen and stomach damaged and a leg broken, how could Zhou Zhengye still think of coming to the restaurant?
“Damn it! That bastard! It’s one thing to be ambushed by enemies, but whywhy today? today? Hurry, let’s all go and check the situation.”
Liu Chuanxiang staggered down the stone steps, his body unsteady. Fortunately, one of the workers was quick-witted and reached out to support him.
The group rushed onto the street in a panic. Just as they reached the end of the street, the last worker ran up to them.
“How is it? How serious are Zhou Zhengye’s injuries?” Liu Chuanxiang asked anxiously.
“He’s brought a doctor, and his condition is stable for now. But County Magistrate Zhou asked me to tell you that although he values money, he’s by no means someone who breaks his word. But the anger keeps building in him. He’s going to the military camp outside the city first to bring troops to wipe out Lin’s Inn before returning. As for the wealthy guests at the restaurant, he wants them to go back for now; he’ll explain everything later.”
“Lin’s Inn? Did Lin’s Inn send people to ambush him? Bring in the military troops?”
Liu Chuanxiang’s head felt like it was being struck by thousands of thunderbolts—so dizzying, so sweaty, so terrified.
Using the military to suppress competitors would only cause trouble for Fenglin Restaurant’s powerful backers. The more chaotic things got, the more complicated everything would become.

Moreover, Lin’s Inn is guarded by a warrior named Jiang Zhen, and the city defense troops may not be able to kill him. If they can’t, as an official appointed by the imperial court, Zhou Zhengye’s sect wouldn’t dare to attack him either. But what if Jiang Zhen, in a fit of anger, destroys Maple Forest Tavern? What if he takes his anger out on me, the owner?
Whatever the reason, the city defense troops must not move, and Zhou Zhengye must swallow this resentment.
“Stop him from going to the military camp—must stop him, quickly!”