Chapter 1132: I’ll Revolt!
Translator: Lordbluefire
“Don’t worry and wait for me at home. Don’t go running around!”
Sun Mo instructed Mei Niang and then went off with the constables.
If Sun Mo was an ordinary person, the constables would have chained him up and then thrown him into prison, only interrogating him when the magistrate remembered him.
However, they couldn’t do this to Sun Mo. It was because he had earned the meritorious title of a recommended-candidate. Moreover, he was also planning to beat the drums and file a lawsuit.
The constables had no choice. Moreover, Sun Mo had given them money. Therefore, they brought him to the back hall of the government office.
The magistrate had just bedded his concubine and was yawning as he called for Sun Mo listlessly. Before Sun Mo could say anything, he gave him a lashing.
To sum it up, Sun Mo’s recent work performance had been very bad and if the county school continued like this, it’d be a goner. Therefore, Sun Mo would have to assume responsibility for it.
“Old parents, I want to file a lawsuit!”
Sun Mo submitted his complaint letter.
‘Old parents’ was the respectful address for the local magistrate.
The magistrate’s goldfish-like puffy eyes squinted as he stared at Sun Mo, not taking the complaint letter.
The two of them froze like that.
Sun Mo frowned. He was in the posture with both hands reaching out, handing the complaint letter over. Therefore, if this continued, it’d be more tiring for him.
(F*ck your mom!)
Sun Mo cursed in his heart and looked at the magistrate. “I’d like to seek the old parents’ guidance!”
“Sun Mo, you’re a recommended-candidate and should know the power of authority!”
The magistrate took a sip of tea. “Putting aside if I have the ability to ensure justice for you, even if I were to play the role of a just magistrate once, what if Pang Jili continues to sue up to higher authorities? Imperial Tutor Pang doesn’t even have to do anything. He has countless students and if any one of them makes a move, it’ll be over for me as well, let alone you.”
Sun Mo fell silent and clenched his fists tightly. This must be what it felt like to experience an injustice that couldn’t be raised up.
“If I were to accept this complaint letter, your relationship with the Pang Clan will be to the bitter end. Therefore, before things blow up, try to appease it!”
The magistrate persuaded.
Although he seemed as if he was having a heart-to-heart talk with Sun Mo, he was just trying to have fewer troubles on his plate. If he were to let a scholar who didn’t know any better like Sun Mo make a fuss, his performance assessment would be affected, but nothing would happen to Pang Jili.
This was why he’d try to persuade Sun Mo.
“How do I appease things?” Sun Mo smiled coldly. “He wants my wife. Should I wash her up and send her over to him?”
“You’re a recommended-candidate! You shouldn’t just be looking at the things right before your eyes!”
After the magistrate said this, he picked up the teacup and took a sip.
This action was done with the intention of sending off the guest. The old servant who was waiting by the side immediately gestured that Sun Mo should be leaving.
Sun Mo’s countenance was grim.
He understood the hidden meaning behind the magistrate’s words.
Recommended-candidates didn’t have to do corvée and could also receive a portion of government-issued rice. Moreover, they didn’t have to pay taxes for their fields either. Why would one go crazy from happiness when Fan Jin[1] passed the provincial examinations?
It was because he had crossed this tier.
If Sun Mo were to go up against Pang Jili, he’d lose his status as a recommended-candidate and return to being a commoner. In worst cases, one might get exiled or be banished to penal servitude.
“Teacher Sun, you’re a recommended-candidate after all. If you wish to have some concubines, women will come rushing over to get married to you. Why don’t you understand?”
The old servant persuaded him.
Sun Mo didn’t pay this guy any heed. His brain was moving quickly, thinking of various possibilities to break out from this situation. At the same time, he inevitably thought of Lin Chong[2].
In terms of status, Lin Chong was the instructor of 800,000 imperial guards, so it should be higher than Sun Mo’s, right? However, he still had his family ruined because of the higher authorities and eventually was forced to go to Mount Liang.
“In the worst case, I’ll revolt too!”
Sun Mo left the government office, and his path was blocked by a group of people when he had just taken a few steps.
The person in the lead was a young master dressed in embroidered clothing and holding a fan, looking wicked. To put it in simple terms, he looked like a bum and was clearly not a good person.
“Hey, I’m Pang Jili!”
The young master went straight to the point and reported his name, his tone filled with arrogance.
“Are you asking for a beating?”
The young master’s entourage immediately shouted out upon seeing Sun Mo’s cold attitude. “Our young master is giving you face by talking to you. Hurry up and greet him!”
Sun Mo threw a glance at these people, already having a plan in his heart. Therefore, he shouted angrily, “Pang Jili, don’t forget that law still exists in this world. I’m going to the capital and file an imperial lawsuit!”
Sun Mo was trying to numb Pang Jili and conceal his true intentions.
“Haha!”
Pang Jili laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke. “File an imperial lawsuit? If your complaint letter can reach His Majesty, I’ll take your surname!
“I can’t be bothered to talk crap with you. Wash up your wife quickly and send her to my house. If she were to serve me well, I might let you be a 7th rank official.
“It’s a great fortune that you’ve accumulated over ten generations to be able to share such a close relationship with our Young Master!”
The entourage mocked Sun Mo.
“I’m going to sue Imperial Tutor Pang as well!”
Sun Mo shouted, looking like a useless bum who could do nothing but fly into a rage.
“No problem! I’ll be waiting!”
Pang Jili waved his fan then got onto his tall steed. “Oh right, I heard that you’re a teacher? You don’t seem that capable. You can forget about being a teacher as well!”
As Pang Jili said this, he looked toward the old servant. “Go and tell the magistrate not to let such an incapable person delay the futures of the children.”
“Our Old Master also has the intention to put the county’s school through a reorganization!”
The old servant smiled.
Although he didn’t give a straightforward reply, the hidden meaning behind his words was clear. It was over for Sun Mo.
Pang Jili rode on his horse and went up to Sun Mo, looking down on him arrogantly. “No woman can escape my grasp if I want to sleep with them. Poor scholar, remember this, it’s your fortune that I wish to sleep with your wife!”
Pang Jili left with his entourage. The old servant looked at Sun Mo, spat out some thick phlegm, and then closed the door too.
“Next time this guy comes, there’s no need to notify the Old Master! Let him wait!”
The old servant instructed the guards.
“Young Master, should we send someone to keep watch over that poor scholar?” the attendant asked.
“Why? You guys are scared of a recommended-candidate?” Pang Jili said in disdain.
“Of course not!” His attendant smiled.
“You go and keep an eye on him!”
Although Pang Jili was a second-generation profligate, he wasn’t a fool. A poor scholar wouldn’t be able to create any ripples if he were to head to the capital and file an imperial lawsuit. But if his grandfather were to hear of this, he’d get a scolding. That wouldn’t be nice. “If he were to leave the city and run toward the capital, then knock him out and throw him back home. If he were to flee to the countryside with his wife, hehe, then ignore him!”
“I understand!”
The attendant broke into an understanding smile. His young master enjoyed having sex in the wild.
Pang Jili hummed a song, not feeling anxious at all. He was going to let Sun Mo and his wife give in to him, letting Sun Mo see with his own eyes as he played with his wife. That’d feel too exhilarating.
…
When Sun Mo reached home, he saw that Mei Niang’s eyes were swollen from all the crying. She was also holding a pair of scissors.
“Husband, are you alright?”
Mei Niang was very concerned and she sized up Sun Mo. She only let out a sigh of relief after ascertaining that he wasn’t hurt.
“Mei Niang, if I were to say that I’m going to kill an official and revolt, what would you do?”
Sun Mo said outright.
If Mei Niang didn’t wish to wander with him, then he could only think of another solution.
To speak the truth, the condition for clearing the stage wasn’t clear. Moreover, Sun Mo was just a recommended-candidate, and it was too difficult for him to climb up to higher ranks. Even if he were to pass the examinations in the year after the next, becoming an advanced-scholar, it’d be very long later for him to become a high-ranking official.
He must open up a new road for himself.
After hearing the words ‘killing an official and revolt’, Mei Niang’s body shook tremendously and her face turned completely pale. However, she hugged Sun Mo tightly.
“I’ll go wherever you go!”
Mei Niang buried her face into Sun Mo’s chest. “No matter if it’s to become a bandit or a beggar, in this lifetime, no, even in my next lifetime, I don’t wish to be apart from you.”
Sun Mo stroked Mei Niang’s head, feeling very touched.
This must be love.
“Alright, then pack up some necessities. We’ll set off in the morning the day after tomorrow!”
Sun Mo kissed Mei Niang on the forehead. “I’ll head out right now to buy some stuff!”
All scholars pursued to be a master in both the pen and the sword, being able to govern the world with the pen and also to lead troops out to war. Therefore, although the original owner of this body had the battle prowess comparable to a goose, he had a longbow at home as well as a Yanling Steel Blade. To put it simply, they were just there for show.
Sun Mo tried them out. The bow wasn’t bad and the blade was very sharp. He then flipped over the walls and left the house at night, heading straight for Apricot Square.
Although the name of this place sounded very elegant, the people who stayed here were in charge of forging weapons for the army.
These people worked a lot but got paid very little. If they wished for their families to lead a better life, they’d have to accept some private jobs secretly.
The higher-level ones would have some connections and would be able to forge weapons for the guards working at important families. Those lower-level ones would forge some arrows, short blades, or other things to the hunters from the mountains.
Sun Mo’s goal was their privately forged weapons. Even if the weapon was lost, they wouldn’t dare to make a big fuss out of it.
This body that he had taken over was really horrible.
Sun Mo was already panting a little after running for five minutes.
“I am thinking of getting two bows.”
Sun Mo mumbled. He picked a place in the Apricot Square and flipped over the walls.
“You horrible guy, why did you only come now?”
A voice suddenly rang out, almost scaring Sun Mo to death.
(What the hell?)
Did he encounter a couple who was supposed to meet for a secret affair?
A pair of soft arms immediately hugged Sun Mo.
“I’ve missed you so much!”
As the woman said this, she was already unable to hold back and was kissing and touching him. “He went out to drink today. You’ll be able to stay until 11 p.m. Huh, why are you so tall?”
The woman was clearly not a fool either and realized that this wasn’t the right person.
“Don’t scream. Otherwise, I’ll stab you to death!”
Sun Mo purposely spoke with a hoarse voice and covered the woman’s mouth with one hand. He held a short blade with the other hand against her waist.
Mmmmmmm!
The woman instantly panicked and her body trembled incessantly.
“I’m only here for money and not to kill. As long as you behave yourself, I won’t kill you!”
Sun Mo looked around and then dragged the woman into the room.
When he picked his target, he selected a small family like this who had some free money but couldn’t afford to hire servants and maids. This meant that the owner of this place had some means of getting side hustles.
Very soon, the woman took out the savings they had at home.
“It’s so little?”
Sun Mo pretended to look dissatisfied.
“Our… our money has been taken by my husband to spend at the brothels!”
The woman cried, “Look, I don’t even have many accessories!”
“Then what about weapons? You ought to have some short blades, crossbows, longbows, arrows, or things like that, right?”
Sun Mo smiled evilly. “You can’t possibly let me make a wasted trip, can you? At least, I’ll be able to get quite a bit of money from a crossbow!”
“Crossbows are prohibited weapons. Privately forging and selling them is subject to a death penalty.”
The woman sobbed softly.
“Stop crying. Hurry up and take out whatever weapons you have. Don’t try to lie to me. I know that you guys do engage in such trades all the time.”
Sun Mo thrust out strongly.
The woman’s body instantly froze up. She didn’t dare to put up any resistance and went to the woodshed. She then moved away the firewood and flipped up the flooring to expose a cellar.
There were a few boxes here. Sun Mo opened them up and discovered that these were weapons that were wrapped in animal skin.
There were short blades, daggers, longbows, and even crossbows.
Of course, Sun Mo had also seen quite a lot of arrows, which were the most important things.
“I’ll tell you this, if I’m caught, I’ll definitely tell the magistrate that I got my crossbow from this place.
Sun Mo threatened.
“I won’t say anything!”
The woman cried.
“Good!”
Of course Sun Mo wouldn’t be able to take away all of these weapons since there were so many of them. Therefore, he packed up some that he had urgent use for, then patted the woman’s face. “Remember, I’m called Swallow Li San. I kill the rich and help the poor. The reason I’ve come to your place this time around is just to get some weapons. After tonight, we won’t know each other. How about that?”
“I’ll remember that!”
The woman had just said this when she was hit on the head and passed out.
…
Sun Mo went back home and slept all the way until morning. He then started to perform maintenance on the weapons and get familiar with them.
Mei Niang was very docile, not asking anything at all.
A peaceful day passed by. That night, Sun Mo brought a sharp blade with him and flipped over the wall of his house.
The attendant who was tasked to keep an eye on Sun Mo was hiding in the alley and complaining about this job in his mind. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his head and he fainted.
When he woke up once again, he realized that he was lying in a woodshed. The scholar was standing in front of him.
“Where would your young master usually be at this time?”
Sun Mo asked.
“What are you thinking of doing?”
The attendant said with a fierce expression, “This is kidnap, you’ll be beheaded… ahh…”
The attendant let out an agonizing cry. It was because Sun Mo had cut off one of his fingers.
“You have four more chances.”
Sun Mo smiled and pressed the dagger on the attendant’s index finger.
“I’ll speak up, I’ll speak up. At this time, our young master should be at the Drunken Smoke Brothel, drinking wine with prostitutes.”
The attendant then continued to reply to all of Sun Mo’s questions, including how many attendants Pang Jili had, what capabilities they had, as well as who amongst them could fight the best.
Sun Mo asked the questions three times, mixing up the order. He did so to ascertain that the attendant wasn’t joking.
“Old Master Sun, please spare me. I’m just an attendant and was just following orders!” the attendant cried.
“You guys have done a lot of evil deeds, right?”
Sun Mo smiled coldly.
“We have no choice!”
The attendant smiled bitterly. There was no way to get rid of their bad reputation. When the young master got to eat meat, they’d be able to drink some soup too. He had played with women from good families as well and had also helped to deal with the corpses.
(F*ck! After the young master kills you, I’ll definitely torment your wife!)
The attendant thought to himself fiercely.
“Mmm, I pity you for having such an evil master!”
Sun Mo nodded.
“That’s right. For people like him, in their next life, his children will have no…”
Before the attendant could finish his words, a dagger was thrust into his throat and stirred vigorously.
“After you go down to hell, don’t be in a hurry on your way. Your young master will be joining you very soon.”
Sun Mo covered the attendant’s mouth, wearing a cold gaze.
The attendant’s eyes opened wide, his face filled with disbelief. That couldn’t be. This guy was going to kill the young master?
Damn it!
He had rammed his toes into a steelboard.. He thought that this guy was a poor scholar who was an easy pushover, and he didn’t expect to encounter a ferocious beast who would choose its target to devour.