Chapter 138

Chapter 138 Scholar and RogueThe young lad brimmed with youthful vigor. Witnessing an elder being bullied had already stirred his righteous anger, and now that someone had intervened, he responded promptly, "Good, big brother, I will listen to you. I don't need this silver."

Lin Wanrong gave a thumbs up, "Brother, no doubt about it, you are a real man!" As he spoke, however, he still tucked the silver into the lad's clothing.

The old man was kneeling on the ground, continuously bowing his head to apologize, tears and snot flowing freely. Hou Yuebai, however, was relentless. Just as he was about to kick the old man in the face again, a crisp sound erupted from the table, followed by a loud shout, "Fuck your eight generations of ancestors!"

Turning his head, Lin Wanrong was seen to have fiercely smashed a stone onto the table, creating a hole in the landscape painting spread across it.

"What...what are you doing?" Hou Yuebai was shocked. The menacing demeanor of this household servant named Lin San was alarming; he sensed that trouble was brewing.

Having finished cursing, Lin Wanrong said nothing more. With a swift dash forward, he aimed at Hou Yuebai's face and punched him hard.

He was a seasoned fighter who understood that the face was the best target in a fight. His punch was not powered by internal energy, but it was still more than what a pampered young master like Hou Yuebai could bear.

Caught off guard, before Hou Yuebai could even feel the pain, another punch from Lin Wanrong had hit him. His head buzzed, he felt dizzy and fell to the ground, rolling around a few times in pain before finally stopping. His eyes were swollen like a panda's, several scratches were visible on his face, and blood was already oozing from his nostrils.

Seeing Lin Wanrong take action, the young lad didn't hesitate either. He grabbed a stone and hurled it harshly at Hou Yuebai's leg, making the young master yelp in pain.

"Damn, that felt good!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed loudly. Beating up this so-called scholar in public was extremely satisfying.

The scholarly young men and women in the academy were taken aback. Lin San, who had been so cultured in yesterday's lecture, was now behaving so violently. They wondered: was this man a scholar or a rogue? Sᴇaʀᴄh the NøvᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Lin Wanrong didn't care about their opinions. If he held back when witnessing such injustice, wouldn't he be the same as he had been in his previous life? What was the point of him being here?

"Young Master Hou--" Miss Wanying was too far to provide help. Seeing Young Master Hou being beaten, she rushed forward to stop Lin Wanrong, "Lin San, what are you doing?"

Without showing any emotion, Lin Wanrong glanced at her and said coldly, "Miss Wanying, didn't you see? I am beating a pig-headed fool."

Enraged, Wanying retorted, "You are assaulting Young Master Hou in public. Is there no law in your eyes? I will take you to the yamen!"

"Law? Miss Wanying, do you know why laws were made?" Lin Wanrong asked with a faint smile.

"Why?"

"Because once laws are established, people have laws to break." Lin Wanrong laughed out loud.

"You are outrageous!" Wanying shouted in anger.

A glint of cold light flashed in Lin Wanrong's eyes, "Miss Wanying, when this man surnamed Hou was beating others just now, why didn't you come to preach about the law? Now you're lecturing me about the law. How absurdly amusing."

His language was crude and he was assaulting people in public. This was starkly opposed to his behavior in the society the day before. Miss Wanying was furious. "Lin San, you're disrespecting the law and assaulting Young Master Hou. I will take you--"

Lin Wanrong glared at her, saying angrily, "You get out of my way."

He was so enraged and intimidating that Miss Wanying took a step back instinctively. However, she quickly regained her composure and shouted, "Lin San, I'm a constable from the Yamen, how dare you threaten me?"

Lin Wanrong ignored her, moving quickly past her to Hou Yuebai.

Young Master Hou hastily got up, standing behind a desk. His nose was still bleeding, and he said fearfully, "Lin San, what are you planning? Don't think I'm scared of you. I'm a scholar and I'm above fighting you and tarnishing my character."

"Screw your character," Lin Wanrong advanced a step, kicking over the desk. Hou Yuebai, scared, quickly jumped back, but stumbled over a stone and fell to the ground.

Lin Wanrong went over and kicked him in the buttocks, saying, "Young Master Hou, does stepping on people feel good?"

A gust of wind came from behind, it was Wanying, who seeing Lin Wanrong's audacity, had decided to apprehend him.

Lin Wanrong never had a fondness for Wanying. Angry as he was now, he grabbed her wrist, twisting it lightly, causing Wanying to cry out in pain.

"Don't assume people are easy to bully," Lin Wanrong said coldly, and with a push, Wanying staggered back several steps. Lin Wanrong did not look at Wanying again, instead he turned to the elderly man who had been wronged, "Uncle, which foot did he use to step on you?"

The old man, more scared of Lin Wanrong than Hou Yuebai, trembled and quickly said, "Young Master, I dare not say."

Lin Wanrong understood his fear and didn't press him. He turned to the crowd and said, "Listen up, everyone. Whoever comes up and kicks this surnamed Hou, I'll give them one tael of silver."

One tael of silver was a huge incentive. Hou Yuebai, pale and indignant, said, "Lin San, you dare?"

"There's nothing in this world I don't dare to do," Lin Wanrong replied smugly.

The young man who knew Lin Wanrong's style was the first to come forward. He gave a hard kick to Hou Yuebai, and Lin Wanrong laughed, giving him a tael of silver.

With one person setting an example, others followed. Two more people rushed forward. Hou Yuebai screamed, "Lin San, you villain!"

Lin Wanrong was enjoying handing out silver when Wanying, who wasn't giving up, rushed over and said fiercely, "Lin San, your crimes today are numerous. If I don't capture you and bring you to the Yamen, my name is not Tao Wanying."

Lin Wanrong sneered, "Then why don't you come and capture me now? But let me remind you, before you catch me, you should first catch your Young Master Hou, hehe."

This statement was true. Hou was the one who initiated the assault, the crowd had seen it, and by rights, he should be apprehended first.

Seeing Wanying stunned, Lin Wanrong chuckled, "One cannot deceive or insult the public sentiment. If you wish to arrest me, then come on, as long as you have the ability."

Young Master Hou, being kicked repeatedly, was both startled and agitated, constantly dodging, but no one nearby dared to intervene. Luo Ning, witnessing the spectacle presented by Lin Wanrong, found it both amusing and admirable. In an era where the commoners dared not fight the officials, what Lin Wanrong did required immense courage.

As part of an official's family, Luo Ning was inherently kind-hearted, which was evident from her charity towards orphans. She saw everything that had transpired. Hou Yuebai was indeed too oppressive, and she intentionally stayed back to watch Lin Wanrong teach the rich young master a lesson.

"Dad, you have to help big brother Lin this time," Luo Ning knew of Hou Yuebai's background; his father was the Prefect of Jinling and held significant power.

Luo Min smiled bitterly, "Didn't you see how cocky that little Lin is? He is fearless because he knows I will help him. Does he need you to plead for him? This little Lin, is as cunning as a fox."

Thinking about Lin Wanrong's half-scholar, half-rogue appearance, Luo Ning couldn't help but giggle. The cunning merchant must have been sure of his plan, hence his bold actions. And of course, his assurance rested on her own father, Luo Min. The two ideas Lin Wanrong suggested to him were invaluable.

Seeing Luo Ning giggling, Luo Min couldn't resist asking, "Ning'er, do you have some affection for this Lin Wanrong?"

A blush spread across Luo Ning's face, but she shook her head and laughed, "Dad, you're mistaken. I admire Brother Lin's knowledge and bravery, and find him quite interesting. But as for romantic feelings, I'm not there yet."

Luo Min, being an open-minded person, couldn't help but laugh, "I know, the husband our Ning'er wants must be both scholarly and martially skilled, a true all-rounder, right?"

Luo Ning blushed even deeper when her father guessed her thoughts correctly, nodding her head. Suddenly thinking of cunning merchant Brother Lin's talents, she figured he might manage as a Prime Minister. But when it came to the martial aspect, clearly, that wasn't his forte, and she sighed regretfully.

Seeing Young Master Hou dodging left and right in a pitiful state, Wanying was distressed as she couldn't help him due to Lin San's firm hold. At her wit's end, she noticed Luo Ning approaching and called out eagerly, "Sister Luo, come quick, Lin San is bullying Young Master Hou."

‘Just bullying? I'm enjoying this,’ Lin Wanrong thought recklessly. With the backing of cunning old fox Luo Min, there weren't many people on this patch of Jiangsu land that he was afraid of.

Luo Ning walked over and feigned confusion, asking Wanying, "What's going on here?"

Wanying quickly explained the situation, downplaying Hou Yuebai's aggression while magnifying Lin Wanrong's "crimes". She even showed Luo Ning her red, swollen wrist that had been pinched by Lin Wanrong.

Luo Ning, who secretly wished for Hou Yuebai to suffer more, was surprised, "Wanying, are you saying this injury was inflicted by Brother Lin? Aren't you a skilled martial artist of Jinling's Yamen? How did this happen?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled inwardly. This Wanying girl knew only fancy, impractical moves. Could this be considered skillful?

Wanying looked somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly explained, "I was caught off guard, that's why I ended up like this. Sister Luo, let's help Young Master Hou first. He seems to be at his limit."

Luo Ning solemnly replied, "Wanying, it was Young Master Hou who started the fight. It seems he is more at fault here. Matters of Jinling Yamen should be handled impartially."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, sending Luo Ning a knowing glance. This girl was supportive when it mattered.

Wanying nodded and huffed, "I'll bring them both back to the Yamen then."

Luo Ning turned to Lin Wanrong, "Brother Lin, Young Master Hou has suffered quite a bit. What should we do next?"

Hearing Luo Ning speak so politely to this rogue, Wanying pouted and shot Lin Wanrong a fierce look.

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "This is easy to solve. Have Young Master Hou publicly apologize to the old man, and compensate for medical costs, emotional distress, and loss of youth with two hundred taels of silver. Then, I might just let him off."

The first two terms were acceptable, but the third made Wanying scoff. "Loss of youth? The old man is already so old."

Lin Wanrong glared, "When I say loss of youth, I mean loss of youth. What's the issue? This old man, at his age, was beaten so much by this monkey. How much time and youth did he lose? Can money measure that?"

"What monkey?" Wanying snapped.

"Young Master Hou Yuebai, also known as monkey," Lin Wanrong replied with a smirk.

"You—" Wanying was about to raise her hand when Luo Ning quickly stopped her, "Quickly tell Young Master Hou these terms. Otherwise, he'll suffer more."

Wanying knew that she had been at a disadvantage against this rogue, and so, she huffed and hurriedly went to negotiate with Hou Yuebai.

Lin Wanrong stretched comfortably, "That was a satisfying fight. Miss Luo, do you think Governor Luo can settle this matter? Please convey my deep gratitude to him."

‘What kind of people are these,’ Luo Ning thought, rolling her eyes. Both he and her father were crafty foxes, never willing to lose out.

Before long, Miss Wanying returned, hesitantly saying, "Young Master Hou agrees to pay the silver. But about the apology..."

Lin Wanrong understood her meaning. For a rich Young Master to apologize to a commoner was, in the eyes of these face-conscious literati, more important than life itself.

Lin Wanrong scoffed, "Refusing to apologize, huh? Well, I brought a few hundred taels of silver bills with me today. There's still plenty for a good beating. Brothers, let's continue. The price has increased, a kick costs one tael and five qian. Let's make him wail and his backside bloom. Let's let him taste what it feels like to be bullied."

Hearing his crude and arrogant words, Luo Ning found it both amusing and oddly endearing. As for Wanying, she found it distasteful. How could a man capable of composing poetry and painting also possess such a rogue-like character? Scholar and rogue indeed, he was aptly described.

Wanying went back to negotiate terms with Hou Yuebai. Luo Ning sighed, "Brother Lin, isn't this a bit too much?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head, "Miss Luo, in my view, a person's dignity is priceless. If this monkey tramples over other people's dignity, he should naturally repay it with his own. It's only fair."

When Miss Wanying returned, it was with Young Master Hou's agreement to the terms. But Lin Wanrong suddenly stopped her, "Miss Wanying, please tell Young Master Hou that if he dares to retaliate against these people, I'll deal with him tenfold. Let him wait and see if he doesn't believe me."

"You, Lin San! I am a constable in Jinling City, and I'll arrest you for your blatant threats!" Wanying, who had been put out by Lin Wanrong's audacity, finally lost her patience.

"Whether or not I should be arrested isn't up to you." Lin Wanrong, backed by considerable power, was hardly intimidated by Wanying's threat. "Make sure you convey my words to Young Master Hou. If any unfortunate events happen in the future, don't blame me for not warning him in advance."

Just a typical rogue, Lin Wanrong pulled out a bundle of silver bills from his pocket. Wanying, burning with anger, left.

Luo Ning saw that apart from the top and bottom notes, the ones in the middle of his bundle were just fillers of cowhide paper. She chuckled, "Brother Lin, your trick has been exposed."

Lin Wanrong glanced at it and laughed heartily, "Sorry, I was in a hurry today and didn't bring enough silver bills, so I had to fill it with some scrap. Next time, I'll bring the real thing, how about we play with burning silver bills?"

Luo Ning thought to herself, ‘Keep boasting. Even if you are making a fortune every day, could you really afford to burn silver notes?’

Suddenly, a cheer echoed from the other side. They looked up to see Young Master Hou, gritting his teeth and apologizing to the old man, handing over the two hundred taels of silver bills. The old man trembled as he counted the money, tears of gratitude streaming down his face.

‘Who would be there to help you next time? Enough, I can't stand to see this.’ Lin Wanrong let out a long sigh and shook his head.

Luo Ning seemed to have seen through his worries, "Brother Lin, are you worried about them being bullied again in the future?"

"Where did you get that idea?" Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Do I look like such a kind person to you? This time, I only stood up for him because he was an old man. Next time, I wouldn't bother."

"Your words and your heart aren't aligned," Luo Ning giggled, "Brother Lin, you're a good-hearted scoundrel."

‘A scoundrel is a scoundrel, and you even add the words 'good-hearted' to it. Aren't you just insulting me?’

Hou Yuebai gave Lin Wanrong an angry glance but didn't dare to linger in front of him and quickly left.

Lin Wanrong then took out his silver notes to distribute the money, which surprisingly came to sixty or seventy taels. ‘Damn, these guys, did they inflate their count?’ He saw that Hou Yuebai walked away with ease; did he really look like someone who'd been kicked sixty or seventy times?

Although Lin Wanrong was stingy about the money, no matter what, today's events were thoroughly satisfying, satisfying to the core.

The ladies of Jinling Poetry Society looked at him differently. Half rogue, half scholar, he had such an aggressive appeal.

They stayed on the embankment until the afternoon. Lin Wanrong had grown up by the river and was familiar with these water facilities. He proposed valuable suggestions in a few places. Luo Min was delighted and kindly invited him to have lunch on the embankment.

Despite his high-ranking position, Luo Min acted quite humbly, eating from the same pot as the common workers. The simple and kind laborers couldn't help but be deeply moved.

‘A humble official? Give me a break. The chicken bones left from yesterday were still in this old fox's tent. I saw it with my own eyes.’ Lin Wanrong smirked at the old fox, who quickly lowered his head, embarrassed.

When Luo Min invited Lin Wanrong to eat, it was this same pot of food. Lin Wanrong didn't mind at all. Boiled winter melon in plain water and a big bowl of brown rice were savored with great enjoyment. It had been a long time since he'd had a meal like this. The feeling was bloody satisfying.

Luo Ning ate her meal slowly and gracefully. Watching Lin Wanrong devour his food without a hint of decorum, a warm feeling suddenly rose in her heart. Even a man of both literary and martial skills might not have a sense of satisfaction compared to this simple meal.

When they returned to the mansion, it was already evening. The Eldest Miss was pacing anxiously in the room. When she saw him, she first showed joy, then anger, scolding, "You bad man, did you enjoy your fight today?"

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