Chapter 572
Chapter 572
Viscount Wang Shu of the Western Frontier originally resided in Tianbei Province, but he had followed the Great General of the North, Nangong Ao, south with fifty thousand of his main forces for a punitive war, and was now stationed near the capital. As soon as the military funds, provisions, and equipment arrived, they were scheduled to head south immediately and enter the battlefield of the Southern Ou Kingdom. Thus, Viscount Wang Shu was staying at his residence in the capital.
It was already late into the night, but he was still reading a book. In truth, the words weren't registering; his mind was filled with worry. He looked up at the hourglass. It was so late, yet his prodigal son had not returned home. He had no idea where the boy was, likely lost in debauchery somewhere. This worthless son was truly making his hair turn gray.
Previously, when he was away leading his troops, he had not kept his legitimate son, Wang Pil, by his side, instead leaving him to study at the Martial Academy in the capital. He had hoped his son would excel, but he never expected him to fall so far, so fast. Ironically, it was his unfavored illegitimate son who had shown promise, passing the recent martial examination. But this illegitimate son was sullen and withdrawn, making no effort to be close to his father. If not for the circumstances, Wang Shu would have wanted to pass the title to his illegitimate son. But he wanted to give it to his most cherished legitimate son, Wang Pil. The problem was, the boy was so worthless that he feared the family fortune would be squandered in his hands if he inherited the title. It was a genuine worry.
Suddenly, his legitimate son, Wang Pil, returned, rushing into the room and immediately kneeling before Wang Shu.
"Father, give me money, quickly. Fi—no, give me six thousand gold taels!"
Look at this brat. What is a prodigal son? This was a prodigal, insatiably greedy son. Shen Lang had quoted him five thousand taels, yet he was asking for a thousand more. The Viscount of the Western Frontier flew into a rage upon hearing this.
‘Six thousand gold taels? Are you out of your mind? You ruinous fool, do you have any idea what kind of money that is? Our family's annual income, after expenses, doesn't even exceed two thousand gold taels. Do you know what fraction of our family’s entire savings six thousand gold taels is? What do you plan to do with that money? Even debauchery doesn't cost that much! Did you lose a bet? Did someone swindle you?’
Without another word, Viscount Wang Shu grabbed a whip, ready to beat his prodigal son to death.
"Six thousand gold taels, six thousand gold taels? It seems you won't be satisfied until you've ruined this family."
Wang Pil laughed loudly and said.
"Father, I'm asking for money this time for something truly wonderful. It's not for me, but for our family. I'm going to make something of myself. Passing the next martial examination is a certainty. Shen Lang has some of the Golden Dragon's blood. He wasn't going to give it to anyone, but because of my connection to Yunmeng Ze, he's willing to part with a little for me. Six thousand gold taels is just the cost price. Quickly, give it to me!"
Hearing this, Viscount Wang Shu grew even more furious.
‘This damned brat. It's one thing to be a prodigal, but to be this stupid is another. Being swindled and even helping them count the money. This is clearly a scam by Shen Lang and Yunmeng Ze. You fool, you absolute fool!’
Moreover, both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince had issued orders that no one was to deal with Shen Lang.
"You haven't given them the money yet, have you?"
"Of course not. He only let me drink one-third of the dragon's blood from the glass vial. He said he'd wait two hours for me for the remaining two-thirds. If I don't bring the money by then, Shen Lang will sell it to someone else."
Viscount Wang Shu roared.
"It's a scam. Shen Lang is a swindler. You're not going anywhere. Stay put in this house. Guards, tie this boy up."
"Father, you'll ruin my life! It really was dragon's blood."
Wang Shu was enraged.
"Dragon's blood my foot. Shen Lang is a scoundrel, a thorough and utter swindler!"
Without another word, Wang Pil went out into the courtyard, picked up a two-hundred-jin stone lock, and lifted it with one hand in front of his father. At that moment, Viscount Wang Shu was utterly dumbfounded. Wang Pil put down the stone lock, then picked up a greatsword weighing over a hundred jin and began to dance with it wildly in the courtyard. Wang Shu was even more stunned.
He knew his son better than anyone. The boy once had decent martial skills, but he had wasted all his years, and his body was now in a state of decay. His son couldn't even lift a hundred-jin stone lock with one hand, and just holding a greatsword over a hundred jin was a struggle, let alone brandishing it with such vigor. It was clear that Wang Pil's strength and agility had increased dramatically.
Wang Pil set down the sword, not even breathing heavily, and said triumphantly.
"Father, did you see that? Did you see? I only drank one-third of the dragon's blood and I've become this incredible. Imagine how amazing I'll be after drinking the entire vial!"
Viscount Wang Shu was truly shocked into a daze.
‘Could there really be a dragon's blood with such an immediate effect?’
"Father, Shen Lang once recruited two thousand useless simpletons whose talents were far inferior to mine. Yet in just three months, they became an elite army. It was all thanks to the blood of the Golden Dragon. Father, very few people believe Shen Lang right now, but you can't wrap fire in paper; the truth will come out. The families in this capital with more power and more money than us have all gone to him. If we wait any longer, all the dragon's blood will be gone. This isn't just about my personal fate; it concerns the destiny of our entire family!"
Without another word, Viscount Wang Shu rushed to the family's underground vault to retrieve the money. Six thousand gold taels was over three hundred jin of gold. He felt a pain as if he were cutting off his own flesh. This was a quarter of the family's entire savings. He had painstakingly earned this money by falsifying troop numbers to the higher-ups, embezzling military funds, and accepting bribes. He had no choice. A new noble family couldn't compare to the established ones; their savings were too meager, and their expenses were too high.
"I will go with you."
Hearing Viscount Wang Shu's words, Wang Pil was startled.
‘Would that be wise? If he comes with me, won't he find out I tried to skim a thousand gold taels?’
His eyes darted around as he thought, and a brilliant idea struck him.
"Father, you shouldn't come with me. What if Shen Lang pressures you to support that waste of a prince, Ning Zheng? I can still make empty promises, but you can't, can you?"
Viscount Wang Shu considered it and found some truth in his son's words. Besides, with the orders from the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, it was best for him to stay out of it if possible. In the end, he sent a trusted servant to drive the carriage, carrying the gold and Wang Pil, secretly to Ning Zheng's Marquis of Changping's Estate.
***
They exchanged goods for money, one hand for the other, and Wang Pil received the remaining two-thirds of the "Blood of the Golden Dragon." After drinking it, Wang Pil began to worry again.
‘What if drinking the other two-thirds doesn't do much? Would that mean I just wasted the money?’
But his worries were unfounded. The moment he drank the remaining two-thirds of the Golden Dragon's blood, Wang Pil felt as if his body was about to explode, an endless surge of power coursing through him.
‘I'm going to explode. I'm going to show them how great I am. The heavens and earth cannot contain someone as powerful as me.’
Just then, a four-hundred-jin stone lock happened to be nearby. Wang Pil went over and lifted it with one hand.
‘Hahahaha! A four-hundred-jin stone lock, lifted so easily with one hand? This is incredible. This dragon's blood is too powerful. With this kind of strength, passing the martial examination will be a piece of cake.’
But was that stone lock really four hundred jin? No! The two-hundred-jin stone lock from before was real, but this four-hundred-jin one was actually just a two-hundred-fifty-jin stone lock with "four hundred jin" carved on it. Whether one drank a full vial of the "Blood of the Golden Dragon" or just a third, there wasn't a significant difference in the increase in strength. The feeling of one's whole body being about to explode, however, was vastly different.
Wang Pil shouted inwardly.
‘Illegitimate son, Wang Lin, you think you can compare to me now? You dare to compete with me for the title? In your dreams!’
Wang Pil dropped to his knees and said.
"Benefactor Shen, you have saved my life and our family. From this day on, you are my benefactor. Whatever you command, even if it means leaping into a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I will not so much as frown."
"I only ask for two things."
"Speak. If I even frown, I'll be your grandson."
"First, the secret of the Golden Dragon must never leak out. Do not let your newfound strength go to your head and show off."
Wang Pil nodded.
"I will do as you say!"
But inwardly, he scoffed.
‘Is that even possible? I'm definitely going to show off. What's the point of being impressive? When you become strong, it's only right to let every idiot around you know. If a man can't show off, isn't it as pointless as wearing silk robes to walk in the dark of night?’
Shen Lang continued.
"Second, when the critical moment comes, you must stand with the Fifth Prince Ning Zheng."
Wang Pil beat his chest and declared.
"No problem. From this day on, I, Wang Pil, am a man of His Highness Ning Zheng."
But inwardly, he looked down on Shen Lang even more.
‘The moment I walk out this door, who are you to me? You want me to pledge loyalty to that waste, Ning Zheng? Dream on! Now that I'm strong, I'll go pledge my allegiance to the Crown Prince or the Third Prince in a couple of days. Hahahaha!’
"Very well. You may go!"
At Shen Lang's words, Wang Pil couldn't wait to leave the Marquis of Changping's Estate. He had to go show off. No, that wasn't it. He had to go conquer a certain woman. Last time, he had been utterly defeated in front of her, losing all his dignity.
‘So today, I must make her cry out and reclaim my, Wang Pil's, honor.’
Just then, Shen Lang said to him.
"Wang Pil, you must not touch a woman for a month. Otherwise, the strength you've worked so hard to gain will leak out along with your masculine essence."
Wang Pil was taken aback. If he couldn't touch women, what was the point of living?
"Young Master Shen, not even once?"
"You will lose about ten percent of your strength each time you indulge."
Wang Pil did the math in his head.
‘Then I can afford to lose twenty or thirty percent. I'll still be able to pass the martial examination.’
Wang Pil shot out of the Marquis of Changping's Estate like an arrow.
‘I've become incredible. I'm going to show off. I have to be ostentatious. I'll show all my prodigal companions, all my wicked friends. I'm different from you. I will be different…’