Throughout his years at Sky Tower, the only person Kai Yang really knew was Treasurer Meng. After all, he needed to go to him every month.
Treasurer Meng had a nickname which most people referred to him as, Bully Meng. Even though his position is a treasurer, he still liked to extort contribution points from other disciples.
Take blood clotting cream for example, usually it would be sold around ten contribution points. He will sell two bottles for the price of three. Also the amount of cream that should go in two bottles, was put into three. It’s very simple he said, buy it or get lost!
Of course Treasurer Meng doesn’t always do it, only occasionally. He only targets richer disciples, for poor people like Kai Yang he doesn’t even bother.
Contribution points are hard to come by, so how can disciples stand by and be exploited? Every disciple that had been cheated by him would report him to the council. They have warned him numerous times, but he still continued, unmoved. Furthermore, his position is crucial, and there was no one who could replace him.
Due to this, all of the school’s disciples hated him to the utmost limit.
That old man was ruthless to everybody, except Kai Yang, to whom he could do nothing. That was because one time, he was peeking at a female disciple, and was caught red-handed by him.
No respect for the elderly! What a scandal! He was caught, so Treasurer Meng could only lower his head in front of Kai Yang.
It was exactly because of this that Kai Yang became very familiar with the old man.
The lecherous old man, with thick skin quickly adjusted his attitude and said: “Same as always?”
(TLN: For those who don’t know, thick skin is being very shameless)
“Yeah.” Kai Yang said earnestly while nodding his head.
Not saying a word, Treasurer Meng took out ten silvers from within the counter and recorded it down.
Taking the silvers, he asked: “How many contribution points do I have now?”
Rolling his eyes, the treasurer replied: “You earn four points each month and then use one point to exchange for 10 silvers. That leaves you with only three points to save, making a total of twelve points in your account. What, you want to exchange them for a bottle of blood clotting cream?”
“No, I was just asking.” He replied while muttering: “Twelve eh.”
Such a small amount, even if you just wanted to exchange it for a small medicinal herb, it wouldn’t even be enough.
With a serious face, Treasurer Meng whispered to him: “Little Kai Yang, you want to save up and exchange it for a tempered essence pellet. But to save up for it, and then to rank up with your speed, how long will that take?
“Won’t I eventually reach it?” He replied chuckling.
This left Treasurer Meng speechless. He thought that with his speed, by the time he makes it, this old man will have already been dead for many years.
“But Treasurer Meng, there is one thing I don’t understand.”
“Speak!” The old man said while putting on a ‘I am in a good mood so I will tell you’ attitude.
“The tempered essence pellet is a very precious medicine, how could it appear here?”
“He he……..” Speaking with a proud face: “That is because this pellet is this old man’s treasure, others don’t know about it.”
“Ah, it’s yours?” This left Kai Yang stunned. He had always thought that this pellet belonged to the school. No wonder this old thing set such an astronomical price.
“Now don’t be angry.” He joyfully said, while taking a drink from the teapot. “I won’t bully you, as long as you bring enough contribution points to exchange, Old Meng will give it to you. For my word is not nothing.”
“I will collect it.” He said nodding.
With his face downcast Old Meng asked Kai Yang: “I heard that yesterday you got a beating?”
Immediately Kai Yang turned around and left.
From behind Treasurer Meng shouted: “Let this old man ask, don’t be in such a hurry to walk away.”
He said, but really he was gloating inside.
Seeing that Kai Yang had no intention to stop, he straightened up and yelled: “Little Kai Yang, you should hurry up and leave. Sky Tower is no place for you to be, sooner rather than later you will be killed.”
Pausing but without turning around Kai Yang sighed: “I have no place to return to.”
He was finished if he left.
After holding the teapot for a while, Treasurer Meng said: “Then why did you come?”
Tempered essence pellet…….he he, this expensive treasure, how could this old man possibly own it? He only made up this lie to give you hope, he had never thought you would take it seriously.
Kai Yang then hurriedly went back to his hut and put the broom away, then briskly walked out.
He was going to the small village outside of Tang Lin to buy his food with his ten slivers, like he did every month.
For the first time this trip didn’t make him feel tired.
Previously, every time he walked down this path, he would get bad asthma attacks again and again. But this time, not only did this not happen, his body felt strengthened compared to before felt less strained walking down the path. Even if he walked a hundred miles, he felt that he wouldn’t tire.
Is it the golden skeleton? This made him think of something that happened this morning. While he was sweeping, another disciple had crashed into him, but on the contrary to what normally occurred he had held his ground very stably, while the disciple had fell to the ground.
Although this wasn’t much, in retrospect, it was unusual. With his weak physique, how could he not have fallen but the other party fell. It had always been him who fell.
Growing more and more excited, he thought about the changes the golden skeleton had brought to his body. Although these changes were small, gradually over the course of time they could culminate into great changes.
Thinking of this, Kai Yang recovered and soon walked to town.
Looking around, he went to the left hand side of the street. He was going to a rice shop. The shop wasn’t big and the owner is surnamed He, and was a local resident. He treated all customers the same this was one of the reasons why Kai Yang bought from him.
Such a small store could be found everywhere. The reason why Black Plum Village was very busy, was because in the surrounding area, apart them there was not only Sky Tower School but also the Windy Rain Sect. The relationship between the two could not be considered bad. The various other small schools couldn’t compare to these two main sects for they didn’t even own their own land.
It was precisely because of these two main sects that the village was able to sell many different weapons and maintain such a bustling environment full of many different wares.
Creating an environment just like the Han Dynasty’s Capital!
After walking around for awhile, Kai Yang inadvertently walked past an alley where some people were gathered. He didn’t know what they were doing, but they were pretty suspicious and gave Kai Yang an extremely vicious glare.
Chuckling lightly, he just followed the principle ‘if they don’t don’t harm me I won’t harm them’ he just ignored them. But among those three there was one who dressed in a similar fashion to Kai Yang.