Chapter 128: Mister Fan, What Are You Talking About?

The three of them chatted idly while digging a pit to bury the bones.

At first, Shi Feizhe was a little clumsy with the tools, but he quickly became proficient. Coupled with his “Sword Qi Plowing” technique, he was like a one-man construction crew.

By the end, Old Man Fan and Huang Goudan were too exhausted to continue, leaving Shi Feizhe to do all the work.

As expected of the backbone of the Jianghu, even Zhoutian realm martial artists are quick at digging pits.

“Wow~ I didn’t realize I was so capable!” Shi Feizhe used his True Qi to push the soil and bones from the mountain into the dug pit, feeling like a bulldozer.

“Academy Head Shi’s True Qi is so vast and boundless, truly a remarkable martial art!” Old Man Fan praised, half-jokingly.

He was old and knew that at times like this, all they needed to do was cheer, “Amazing!”

Huang Goudan looked at Shi Feizhe’s boundless Sword Qi with envy.

So cool, I really want to learn it!

“Say, if I were to farm, wouldn’t I be able to do the work of a hundred people?” Shi Feizhe said, shouldering his hoe.

“Even if you could farm for a hundred people, how much money would you make in a year? If you go to a city like Luoyang, you’d be a top expert below the True Realm, and that’s where the real wealth lies!” Old Man Fan shook his head.

“But according to Jianghu rules, you have to hand over eighty percent of your earnings to your True Realm superior. Wouldn’t that still make you a workhorse?” Shi Feizhe shook his head as well.

“Academy Head Shi, you don’t think you wouldn’t have to hand over eighty percent if you were farming, do you?” Old Man Fan looked at Shi Feizhe strangely.

“…”

This damn shitty Jianghu!

They returned to the academy and were preparing a meal when they saw Guan Shan return, accompanied by several people.

These people were bricklayers and tilers from the nearby town and villages.

Shi Feizhe discussed the price with them, as well as the renovation plans and timeframe, setting a date for construction to begin. He had inquired about prices beforehand and understood the market.

He was not short of money now.

Not to mention the gold bricks he had, even the Ghostly Manor’s savings were considerable.

“A cause without a name is like a statement without justification.” Shi Feizhe’s first order of business was to have a plaque and couplets made for the academy.

About seven or eight days later, someone delivered the plaque and couplets Shi Feizhe had ordered.

The top line read, “Everyone has merit to practice,” the bottom line, “Everyone is a hero.”

The horizontal inscription: “Qing Shan Martial Academy!”

After the plaque was hung, Shi Feizhe set off a few strings of firecrackers according to custom, and the “Qing Shan Martial Academy” was officially open!

His only worry was that his academy had no students.

According to his plan, with martial arts training being so difficult in the Jianghu, wouldn’t people seeking martial arts knowledge be breaking down the doors of their academy if they advertised free lessons?

The result… no one came.

For seven or eight days straight, not a single person!

Even the construction workers, when they heard about the free martial arts lessons, would say on the surface, “Great, great, I’ll recommend any nephews or nieces of the right age,” but in reality, not a single one was recommended.

This really puzzled Shi Feizhe.

He asked Guan Shan, who replied, “Free is too expensive.”

He asked Huang Goudan, who replied, “I don’t know.”

He asked Old Man Fan, who replied, “Free is too expensive.”

Why is free expensive?

Because in the Nine Provinces, there were often “heroes” who were willing to share their martial arts and teach others.

Some “heroes” required their students to serve them for thirty years, working like oxen and horses.

Some “heroes” would turn around and treat their students as Grand Medicine, consuming them.

Some “heroes” would train their students into puppets, assassins, or Star Furies.

Some “heroes” would deliberately cause their students to develop some kind of ailment, forcing them to constantly buy their medicine until all their family’s money was swindled!

Such scams had been circulating in the Jianghu for hundreds of years.

Therefore, people in the Jianghu always said that taking advantage and getting scammed go hand in hand.

You covet their martial arts, they covet your life.

It’s better not to practice martial arts of unknown origin.

For Shi Feizhe’s academy to openly offer free martial arts lessons, it had to be a huge scam!

✿✿✿

In the Jianghu, are there really fools who would teach martial arts for free? What would be their motive?

This was something even the bricklayers and tilers knew, it was common knowledge in the Jianghu.

Therefore, even though people in the surrounding towns and villages knew that the Ghostly Manor had become the Qing Shan Martial Academy, no one came to learn martial arts.

Not a single one.

If you can’t afford to offend a big scammer, can’t you just avoid them?

Putting himself in their shoes, if he had heard of a place offering free martial arts lessons, would he have gone?

He… probably wouldn’t have either!

In this dangerous Jianghu, who would openly teach their martial arts to others?

So Shi Feizhe changed his strategy and started using woodblock printing to create flyers.

“Where can you find the best martial arts? Qing Shan Martial Academy is the strongest! Qing Shan Martial Academy is recruiting disciples, with free meals for the first three months!!”

“Learning martial arts in the Jianghu is a must! To learn martial arts, choose Qing Shan Martial Academy!”

“To learn martial arts and navigate the Jianghu, come to Qing Shan Martial Academy!”

“Entering the Jianghu is like entering a deep sea, Qing Shan Martial Academy will solve your worries!”

“Come to Qing Shan, learn good skills! Qing Shan Martial Academy guarantees you’ll learn!”

A bunch of junk advertisements were printed on a large poster. Old Man Fan frowned as he looked at it.

“Good paper turned into toilet paper!” He couldn’t help but comment.

Paper was not cheap in this era.

“Mister Fan, what are you talking about?” Shi Feizhe heard Old Man Fan talking nonsense.

“I said, Academy Head, you have great insight!” Old Man Fan quickly replied when he heard Shi Feizhe ask.

“…”

Don’t think I didn’t hear you, old man!

But sometimes, it’s better to play dumb.

“These flyers, as planned, will be distributed from Qing Shan Martial Academy to the surrounding villages, towns, and cities. I believe we will definitely find students!” Shi Feizhe said to the three of them.

“Okay!” Guan Shan replied. He had been in many gangs, and handing out flyers was a very easy task.

“Okay!” Huang Goudan replied. This was much easier than killing, poisoning, or sowing discord.

“Mister Fan, why aren’t you saying anything?” Shi Feizhe looked at Old Man Fan.

“Me?” Old Man Fan pointed to himself and said, “Surely the accountant doesn’t have to hand out flyers too, right?”

“What? Do you have any objections, Mister Fan?” Shi Feizhe asked.

“…Wouldn’t it be a little inappropriate for the accountant to go out and hand out flyers?” Old Man Fan hesitated.

The accounting profession, although the pay was average, had a special status. Managing the manor lord’s money bag, they usually didn’t have to do any manual labor.

“What’s inappropriate about it! We’re all one team! I’m going to hand them out too!” Shi Feizhe said, “Mister Fan, you’re not trying to be special, are you?”

“…”

Hearing Shi Feizhe say this, Old Man Fan immediately said, “Of course not! Whatever the Academy Head says, I’ll do! To be able to hand out flyers for the academy is a blessing I’ve cultivated in this life!”

“Good! This is indeed a blessing!” Shi Feizhe nodded.

Blessing my ass! Don’t try to fool me!

Old Man Fan cursed inwardly.

Could it be that the Academy Head took what I said earlier to heart?

It seems Old Stingy is not only stingy but also petty!

Those who know where the advertisement originated, shout it out loud!