Chapter 178 – Table and Mud
White Horse tower.
"I wonder just what kind of accounting Marquis Ye wants?" Zhang San inclined back on his chair, not concealing the mockery and disdain on his face at all. He looked at Ye Qingyu with a smile that was not a smile.
The person behind him was Zhao Ruyun, standing as straight as a spear. His lips were also faintly curled.
As part of the younger generation among the allocation officers of the military supply department, Zhao Ruyun was greatly admired by his superior, Zhang San. Due to the fact he understood Zhang San’s personality completely, Zhao Ruyun was extremely clear that when such an expression appeared on his superior’s face, someone was going to be in deep, troubled waters.
He stared coldly at Ye Qingyu.
He had always awaited the moment when Ye Qingyu's misfortune would come.
Opposite them.
Ye Qingyu had a faint and calm smile.
As if he had not noticed the mockery within Zhang San's tone at all, the young man said seriously, "The accounting that I want is very simple. Whoever is behind the schemes against the White Horse tower, they will admit it and accept military discipline. Using the soldier's pay to create a plot to frame someone is a very serious offense against the laws of the army. They cannot be spared."
Hearing this, Zhang San opened his mouth and laughed.
Behind him the mockery on Zhao Ruyun's face became even more evident. He stared at Ye Qingyu like he was looking at a retard.
"What if I said the person behind all the plots and schemes was me?" Zhang San's feet were on the table, casually and arrogantly shifting them about. He made the entire table creak and squeak, moving them about. He lifted his head to look at Ye Qingyu.
Ye Qingyu’s gaze was straight and direct as he looked into Zhang San's eyes, without any shred of fear whatsoever, "What difference does it make?"
Zhang San was slightly taken aback, then immediately chuckled, "What you mean is that, even if that person was me, you would want me to go and receive military punishment?" "Is there anything wrong with that?" Ye Qingyu smiled faintly. "Even if it was the [War God of Youyan Pass], Lord Lu Zhaoge breaking the military laws, he would still have to pay the right price. Why can't Zhang San? Could it be that you are already at the stage where you can ignore all the laws of the military?" "Impudence, you're looking to die," Zhao Ruyun shouted furiously.
Ye Qingyu turned his head and gave him a glance.
His eyes were filled with contempt and disdain.
At this moment, Zhao Ruyun had a sensation of defeat without even doing anything that made him shocked and angry at the same time.
In that moment, Ye Qingyu's gaze represented far too much coldness. Out of the things held in the gaze, the thing that pierced Zhao Ruyun's self-dignity the most was the fact that it was as if Ye Qingyu was saying 'just who do you think you are, that you have the right to speak here?’
The atmosphere was slightly heavy.
Zhao Ruyun looked at Ye Qingyu's expression carefully. After confirming that the young man in front of him was not making a joke, he smiled and nodded his head.
"Being young is really great, with hot blood in your heart, doing things without care. Such new people do things without fear at all. Many times, this really makes one envious, however… young man, there are some matters that one cannot solve just by having hot blood in your chest. I have seen far too many stubborn little fellows like you. But ultimately they have either became corpses on the battlefield or have turned into trashes who remain silent.”
Saying this, Zhang San took his feet off the table.
"Just like this table. The material is far too hard. If it is not able to be flexible, once it encounters some pressure, it is easily destroyed." As he spoke, the stone table slightly quivered. Without any sound, it suddenly transformed into a pile of white powder. Without knowing when, Zhang San’s exceptional inner yuan had already crushed it into dust.
Such technique was extremely exquisite.
According to rumours, the [Worry of Ghosts] Zhang San, was not only the head of the supply department, but he was also an exceptional martial artist. It was said that ten years ago, he had long entered the Bitter Sea stage.
A smile appeared on the face of Zhao Ruyun. He was rejoicing in Ye Qingyu's upcoming predicament.
He nearly burst out laughing.
Have you seen the fate of the table?
Haha, just how can you, Ye Qingyu, compete with Head Zhang?
With his position and his background in the great [Army of Youyan Pass], Zhang San was definitely an officer of great contribution, achieving countless deeds. When these achievements were placed together, it was able to form a chainmail of protection. Ye Qingyu had not even been in Youyan Pass for three months, just what right did he have? He was far, far from being enough to go against him.
Comparing martial strength, Head Zhang was already at the Bitter Sea stage tens of years ago. And as for Ye Qingyu, he was only a mere Spirit spring stage, the difference was tens of thousands of kilometers apart.
From these two important indicators of power, Ye Qingyu was far too lacking. No matter how much dog shit luck you have that you were able to become the person that the military wanted to build the model example of a heroic soldier of, it would not be enough. With the large scale propaganda done, there were some special political meanings behind Ye Qingyu. If not for that, why would Head Zhang still have the mood to waste time chatting with you. He would long have tied him up and hung him on the [Punishment Pillars] outside the supply department. After being hung for ten days and night, at that time he would definitely submit.
Ye Qingyu looked at the white rock powder on the floor and remained silent for a moment.
Namely when Zhao Ruyun felt that the unfortunate patrolling sword envoy was about to submit, Ye Qingyu suddenly spoke.
"You have to pay for it," He said.
"What?" Zhang San was taken aback.
Ye Qingyu said seriously, "You've broken my table, pay for it."
Zhang San was dumbfounded.
He had already predicted, under his pressure and threat, what sort of reaction this young patrolling sword envoy would have— There should be mainly two reactions. He would either remain silent and submit or forcefully resist to the end. But he would never have imagined that Ye Qingyu would say such words.
Pay for my table?
Was he crazy?
Was this a matter concerning a table?
Was the main point of this conversation whether or not he would pay for the table?
Zhang San felt that he was being mocked.
He looked at Ye Qingyu with a shred of anger.
At this moment, Zhang San had an impulse to burst out laughing.
He suddenly felt that the reason that this young patrolling sword envoy had always taken such a hard stance, evidently knowing of his protective nature, yet still taking action against Zhao Ruyun, was not really the fact that he was the type to fight for justice and righteousness. It was merely because this little brat had mental problems.
This Ye Qingyu was completely a mental psychopath.
His brain had problems, therefore he could not discern the severity of the situation.
A person with a normal mindset would absolutely not come provoke him after understanding the benefits and costs involved.
Zhang San took out a piece of gold from his inter spatial ring and threw it to the feet of Ye Qingyu. "A stone table is worth a tael of silver. This piece of gold is worth two hundred taels of silver. I'll give this to you, you don't have to give me change. The money left over you can save, in case you knock into something when you go out, or get beaten up by someone. In that case, you can at least buy some medicine.”
This was a bare and naked threat.
Ye Qingyu looked at the gold near his feet, then looked towards the Zhang San coldly sneering. He had the impression that the person sitting opposite him was not a high ranking military officer holding great power in the [Army of Youyan Pass] but rather a ruffian holding people ransom on the streets.
For such a person to be able to assume the position of the head of the supply department, was really a strange matter.
After thinking it over, Ye Qingyu extended his hand and activated his inner yuan. A suction force appeared from his palm.
This piece of gold flew to his hand.
The moment it touched his hand, Ye Qingyu was about to say something when an abnormal change occurred— suddenly, an incomparably hot aura exploded from this piece of gold. It was as if he was holding a little sun within his hands, this terrifying hotness was about to completely dissolve half his arm in an instant.
Zhang San had left a hidden force within this piece of gold.
In his shock, Ye Qingyu did not show any emotion on his face. The moment he encountered this hidden attack, he activated the [Supreme Ice flame].
Between his five fingers, there was a faint silver light that flashed slightly.
The heat from the piece of gold immediately disappeared completely.
"Thank you, Head Zhang." Ye Qingyu smiled slightly, his nail lightly slicing across the piece of gold. The gold sliced apart like tofu, and he kept a tiny piece of gold behind but tossed the large majority of the gold back. "I should only take what I deserve. After all, if I take too much, I will once again be suspected of stealing the soldiers' pay. Such a crime, I cannot bear.
The piece of gold flew through an arc, towards Zhang San's face.
"Impudence, little trash you are looking to die!"
Zhao Ruyun was both shocked and angry. This Ye Qingyu was really asking for his death, to be so bold and impolite. To throw something at Head Zhang's face. Even the commanders of the four main battle camps would not dare to do such an action.
He stepped out, extending his hand to grab the piece of gold.
His hand clawed through the air, successfully catching the gold.
"Little trash, you really deserve to die ten thousand times over…” Zhao Ruyun reprimanded in rage. With Zhang San next to him, he completely was not afraid of Ye Qingyu.
But, before he could finish his sentence, he fiercely felt a coldness explode from the palm of his hands.
Lowering his head to look, the shock in his face could not be controlled.
A layer of silver frost began to spread out from the center of his palm. In but a split moment, half of his arm was sealed in ice. This frost was incomparably frightening, everywhere it passed on his arm would entirely lose its feeling. He wanted to activate his inner yuan explosively to resist against his cold, but he discovered that his own inner yuan had no way of activating within his arm.
"Ahhh…”
Zhao Ruyun began screaming in fear.
In the blink of an eye, the silver frost had already spread to his shoulder.
Zhang San seeing this, let out a slight snort. His palm shot out, lightly pressing it onto Zhao Ruyun's shoulder.
A stream of warmth entered into Zhao Ruyun's body, resisting against the silver frost.
Seeing that Zhang San had acted, Zhao Ruyun completely let out a breath of relief.
But very quickly, an alarmed sound came from behind him "Eh?"
A trace of alarm suddenly appeared on Zhang San's relaxed and contemptuous face. The palm that he had casually placed on Zhao Ruyun's shoulder faintly quivered, then fiercely shone with a piercing orange. A terrifying heat exploded.
The next instant, the silver frost on Zhao Ruyun's shoulder gradually disappeared.
Zhao Ruyun's expression finally relaxed.
"Little trash, you are pretending to be strong? A clown that does not know his own strength." Zhao Ruyun insulted Ye Qingyu. From his perspective, if Zhang San was willing to act, Ye Qingyu's tiny little cultivation was not even worth mentioning.
But he did not see that on the fingers of Zhang San there was a faint silver frost that had not yet disappeared.
Zhao Ruyun turned his body around respectfully. He presented the piece of gold in his hands with both hands towards Zhang San[1] .
Zhang San received the piece of gold.
Within his eyes, there was a shock that was not easily noticed. Tossing the piece of gold in his hand, a short while later, he nodded his head. "Somewhat interesting. It seems like I have underestimated you, otherwise you would not dare to be so wild.
Ye Qingyu had a faint smile.
"It seems like we cannot discuss matters peacefully today?" Zhang San once again returned to his arrogant and overbearing manner. Staring straight at Ye Qingyu. "In other words, Marquis Ye wants to go against the entire supply department?” "I only want an accounting," Ye Qingyu said word by word. "It's that simple, and is also what my White Horse tower should receive.
Zhang San, "If you want an accounting, then you will have to pay the price.” "The price?" Ye Qingyu pointed at the white powder on the floor. "My table, if it is not hard enough, then can items still be placed on it? A table that bends is not the original nature of a table. Such an object can no longer be called a table. Therefore, it transformed into powder under Head Zhang's feet, and not bent into a pile of rotten mud*.
Saying to here, Ye Qingyu looked towards Zhao Ruyun. Then, continuing meaningfully, "Some people choose to bend and become a pile of mud, but I wish to be a table that will never bend.”
Zhao Ruyun's face instantly turned red as if pig's blood had been painted on his face.
*Used to describe a useless heap or a person without a spine
