CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: HAVE YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON?

Sun Wu flipped through the accounting ledger under the oil lamp, becoming more and more pleased as he read.

"This scholar surnamed Chen really has some skill. This story he wrote... Oh my, ten taels, thirty taels, fifty taels..."

As his joy grew, his expression gradually darkened: "Such a big sum of silver coins, a ten percent share, more than my ten months’ salary. Why should he, a mere impoverished scholar named Chen, get this?

I worked hard planning this book, spoke well of him before the owner, and tried every possible way to promote it in the Prefecture City, yet he simply sits back and enjoys the profits by merely writing a few words."

"This Chen is truly shameless!"

Thinking of this, Sun Wu heavily slammed the ledger in his hand. After slamming it, he picked it up again and shoved it into the bottommost layer of the adjacent bookshelf.

Then, Sun Wu took a blank booklet and began writing casually.

"Thirteenth day, printed a thousand copies, sold a hundred, the rest unsold."

"Twenty-first day, the bookstore in the Prefecture City got damp, all books were ruined by moisture, reprinted a thousand copies..."

"Loss calculated at three hundred and twelve taels..."

The more Sun Wu wrote, the more delighted he became, as the pent-up frustration in his heart seemed to dissipate.

"A mere bookworm thinks three taels of manuscript fee is my generosity. Hmph! Not letting him owe three hundred taels is already our owner’s mercy.

I don’t believe he’d dare complain to the owner?

Not only would he not dare complain, with this three tael fee, he’d obediently write the sequel for me later!"

The words fell crisply, and Sun Wu chuckled under the candlelight.

The rain pattered at midnight, and in the distance, it seemed like the sound of the Night Watchman drumming passed by, saying something about "beware of leaking roofs."

Sun Wu thought disdainfully: How could his house possibly have a leaking roof? A leaky roof is something only those poor scholars would experience in the South City.

As he thought, a sudden gust of wind blew outside the window, carrying fine raindrops, striking him directly.

Sun Wu was stunned, what was happening? He remembered closing the doors and windows tightly.

He turned hurriedly to look at the window, wondering what was wrong, but didn’t prevent the oil lamp on the table from being blown out with a whoosh.

The small study suddenly plunged into darkness, and Sun Wu couldn’t help but exclaim: "Oh my lamp."

He was actually worried about the raindrops getting into the oil lamp, fearing that the rain would affect its usage.

Sun Wu quickly rushed over to feel the oil lamp, but somehow, something went wrong with his actions, and he suddenly kicked something and fell forward with a bang.

"Oh my lantern oil!"

Sun Wu exclaimed in terror for the second time.

With a clatter, the oil lamp was knocked over by his fall.

Sun Wu’s heart ached, and he hurriedly tried to crawl up to save the lamp, but out of nowhere, a cold iron clamp extended and pinched his cheeks.

"Ah—" Sun Wu’s scream was caught in his throat by that clamp-like grip.

The next moment, something like fine powder was poured into his mouth.

"Mmm mmm..." Sun Wu didn’t know what it was and struggled, shaking his head, eager to spit it out.

Suddenly, another iron clamp came over, striking him heavily on the back.

No, it wasn’t an iron clamp; it was clearly a hammer!

Sun Wu was in such pain that he leaned forward, but his mouth was tightly covered.

In panic and discomfort, he coughed several times with his mouth covered, eventually swallowing that strange powder.

Once swallowed, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head.

Sun Wu groaned in pain, clutching his head and crying out, but his mind felt as if something heavy and sharp was constantly grinding inside.

The world before his eyes was pitch black, and he couldn’t see anything, only hearing the droning rain outside, his head aching as if it would shatter, while waves of chills ran through his body.

This string of blows had come far too suddenly, with no warning at all.

Sun Wu wanted to call out for his wife in the other room to save him, but his cries for help were stuck in his throat, barely a whisper like a mosquito.

He usually feared his wife entering his study and discovering his hidden silver, always wishing she were further away.

Now that he wanted to call for help, he only regretted that she was too far away to notice anything wrong with him immediately.

"Who’s there?" he croaked faintly from his throat.

"Who’s trying to harm me?"

"Help, help—"

"Ah!"

No one answered him, and all Sun Wu heard was the whistling wind and the constant rain.

In the pitch-black world, the pain in his head felt as if a damp, clammy hand had reached through his forehead into his brain and grabbed his soul.

"Ah!"

Sun Wu finally broke down and shouted: "Miao Chao, is that you? Is it you seeking revenge on me?"

"Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to harm you! I didn’t mean to..."

"It was you who blocked me from becoming the Chief Shopkeeper, I had no choice. If I didn’t remove you, the owner would never notice me!"

"No, it wasn’t me who killed you, you took a risk going to that temple yourself, it wasn’t my fault, not my fault... save me!"

In his breakdown, Sun Wu sobbed and wailed.

Until a moment later, he lost control of his bladder.

Finally, a faint voice echoed in the darkness with disdain: "Ugh."

Sun Wu was kicked heavily, lying in his own filth.

A voice beside him said: "Want the pain to stop? If you want it to stop, then stay quiet; you can’t utter a sound until I say so."

Sun Wu shivered all over, feeling the cold, frightening voice by his ear.

Having undergone just that ordeal, he dared not resist at all, only able to respond tremulously, "Yes."

But who knew that just by speaking up, the pain in his brain rolled back in waves.

Sun Wu couldn’t withstand that, crying out twice before finally realizing he needed to keep his mouth shut.

For this time, Sun Wu covered his mouth tightly with his hands to prevent even a hint of sound, fearing further torment from the mysterious aggressor.

Only then was the mysterious figure satisfied, saying: "Good."

Sun Wu sighed in relief.

The next moment, he heard a soft sound, like the flicker of a flame.

Soon after, the tilted oil lamp on the table was righted, and the light faintly flickered into life.

With the oil lamp illuminated, Sun Wu, lying on the ground in fearful trembling, finally regained some visual ability.

Enduring the residual pain in his head, he carefully lifted his head and opened his eyes wide, seeing a person standing by the table.

Tall and slender, under the lamplight, the features were handsome; it was someone he knew.

"Chen, Chen..." Sun Wu pointed at Chen Xu, about to cry his name in shock and anger.

But the moment he spoke, the excruciating pain surged again.

Sun Wu shuddered all over, realizing with clarity that the pain was controlled by the person before him. Any disobedience would instantly result in disaster.

Breathing heavily, Sun Wu looked at Chen Xu in terror.

Seeing the young man stand by the lamplight, half of his face lit by the flame, the other shadowed. He seemed to smile and asked him: "Learned your lesson?"