Ever since the competition ended, Mu Nan had changed, as if he had become another person entirely. A mere fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, he now appeared haggard like an old man.
It was hardly surprising, anyone who was distraught and on edge, with no appetite and suffering from sleepless nights, wouldn’t be faring much better than he was. It was already quite fortunate he hadn’t developed premature grey hair from all the stress.
Ten thousand taels, it was ten thousand taels! Even if I were butchered and sold for meat, I couldn’t repay it, Mu Nan thought, clutching his hair while eyeing his slender arms and legs, wondering how much they might fetch by weight.
"Maybe he was joking, maybe he just falls asleep and forgets all about it, maybe in his triumph he carelessly dismisses the debt with a wave of his hand, maybe... just maybe..." Mu Nan racked his brain, but realized that even if sold for slaughter, his body wouldn’t fetch much. Clutching at his hair, he made one wishful prayer after another.
Unfortunately, while ideals are lush, reality is always lean—much like the sinew on his frame.
"Good morning, Lao Liu," greeted Mu Hanyan with a smile.
Mu Nan was the child of the Third Elder, ranking sixth among his siblings, and because of his extroverted and lively personality, he was quite popular among the clan’s members. Hence, his brothers and sisters from other branches had gotten into the habit of calling him Lao Liu, which felt more intimate.
Finished, the creditor has come to my door! Mu Nan sprang up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, all his beautiful wishes shattering like soap bubbles, a deluge of negative emotions such as vexation, desolation, regret, and fear overwhelming him.
In the past, owing Mu Hanyan a bit of money wouldn’t have been a big deal; after all, she couldn’t eat him. But things were different now. She was a Sixth-tier Knight, and even Mu Feng, who was idolized by the Mu Family’s Disciples, was helpless under her sword. Mu Nan did not believe his skinny arms and legs could withstand a single blow from her.
"What’s wrong, Lao Liu, not feeling well?" Mu Hanyan asked kindly. In truth, she was not close to Mu Nan, or to be precise, she wasn’t close to any of the Mu Family’s Disciples, not even her own younger brother.
All she remembered was that years later, this least reliable Lao Liu would become the brightest business prodigy of the Mu Family in Heishi City. At least within Anyun Country, he would be considered incredibly wealthy, to the point where even the Zong Family in the Capital would regard him differently. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel-fire.net
But for now, watching the future tycoon, who would make Heishi City tremble with a stomp, nervous as a startled rabbit in front of her, Mu Hanyan found quite a sense of achievement. It had to be said that deep down, Mu Hanyan had quite a malicious sense of humor.
Mu Nan felt he had been perfectly healthy, but after that jesting gamble, he had become altogether unwell. Being asked by Mu Hanyan only made him feel worse, so listless that he hardly had the energy to respond.
"What’s the matter, are you okay or not? If not, just tell me, I can help you call a doctor. You need to treat health issues promptly, or they get troublesome if dragged out," said Mu Hanyan, fighting back laughter, as she continued to "concernedly" inquire.
Mu Nan kept silent. What he really wanted to ask Mu Hanyan was: If you owed someone ten thousand taels of silver and were worried and sleepless all night, would you be feeling good?
Of course, he dared not ask such a question. After all, he was the one in debt, so he lacked confidence.
"Let’s not beat around the bush, I came to find you today about the ten thousand taels of silver you owe from the gamble," Mu Hanyan continued, finding his distressed appearance amusing.
Mu Nan’s head buzzed, and he nearly collapsed. It’s come at last, the inevitable has happened, ten thousand taels—where on earth would he find so much money?