Volume One: The Overseer and the Exam Candidate Chapter Twenty-Three: Why Ask the Owner’s Leave to Beat the Dog?

The next morning, Huang Ming left the house and asked the steward, Huang Zhong, for a fifty-tael ingot of silver. Huang Zhong didn’t question him, but the young page, Yumo, hesitated several times after they boarded the carriage before finally blurting out, “Young Master, are you being extorted?”

“Oh? You’re aware of it?” Huang Ming raised his brows and glanced at him.

Yumo bit his lip and spoke in a low voice, “Yesterday when you were in the hall, a few people came to me and demanded money…”

“Were they from the Marquis of Jianchang’s residence?” Huang Ming asked knowingly. The behavior of the superiors always trickles down.

“It was them. But I had no money… Young Master, did they come to you as well?”

“Yes, their young master came to me and demanded thirty taels.”

“So much… What should we do, are we supposed to keep paying them?” Yumo said painfully; he had never seen so much silver in his life.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Huang Ming smiled at him. “Don’t worry, those fellows likely won’t bother you again.”

“Young Master, it’s all my fault for being useless…” Yumo blamed himself, still looking anxious and unsettled.

Soon, their carriage arrived at the Imperial Academy, earlier than yesterday. Several other carriages stopped nearby, and the students were walking toward the main gate.

As Huang Ming and Yumo stepped down and made their way up the stone steps, many students paused, casting sidelong glances at him and whispering among themselves.

“Is that him? He looks unfamiliar.”

“That’s him, Huang Ming. He entered the Hall of the Mysterious Character, the same hall as Zhang Pan.”

“Do you think he can come up with thirty taels to buy his peace?”

“Does he really have a choice? Look, Zhang Pan is already waiting over there with his men.”

Only then did the crowd notice Zhang Pan, sitting confidently on a chair at the gate, flanked by his two fierce-looking attendants.

This display caused many students to hesitate before entering, but Huang Ming, the intended target, strode forward without pause, bringing with him the trembling page, Yumo, and walked straight up to the trio.

“You little eunuch, you’re late again. You really made me wait. Be smarter next time and pay early; we’ll let it go today.” Zhang Pan lounged grandly, lifting his chin to signal Huang Ming to hand over the silver.

One attendant stepped forward, hand outstretched, waiting for the silver.

The other watched Huang Ming maliciously, ready to pounce if he refused.

Huang Ming grinned, reached into his robe, and produced the fifty-tael silver ingot, saying lightly, “Silver? Of course I have it…”

Seeing the large ingot, greed flashed in the attendant’s eyes. “So you know the way things work. Those extra twenty taels can be your page’s tribute in the future…” He reached for the silver.

But Huang Ming suddenly swung his hand back, making the attendant’s grab miss entirely.

The man’s face darkened, and he grunted, leaning forward to snatch it once more.

At that moment, Huang Ming’s right hand shot forward, slamming the fifty-tael ingot straight into the attendant’s face.

A loud smack echoed, followed by a spray of blood.

A shriek rang out.

In Ming Dynasty measures, sixteen taels make a pound, so fifty taels is a bit over three pounds—about as heavy as a brick, but denser and more compact, making it handy for striking.

Huang Ming didn’t pause after the first blow. Before his opponent could cry out again, still dazed, he struck several more times, each blow landing on the man’s face.

Bang, bang, bang…

Four or five hard strikes later, blood spattered, teeth flew, and the villain collapsed without another sound.

Only then did everyone, Zhang Pan included, freeze as if spellbound.

No one expected such a dramatic turn.

Zhang Pan had bullied the students at the Imperial Academy countless times with his status and his two thugs. No one had ever dared resist, let alone retaliate so fiercely and injure someone on the spot!

Even the other attendant stood stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing—who would dare…?

But Huang Ming lunged at him then, the bloodstained ingot swinging downward.

The attendant hastily raised his hand to block, grabbing Huang Ming’s right arm.

After all, Huang Ming was only sixteen, not fully grown, neither as big nor as strong or quick as an adult.

His earlier success had been a surprise attack, but now that his opponent was alert, a frontal assault was hopeless.

“Teach him a lesson!” Zhang Pan finally snapped out of it, face contorted with rage as he shouted, “I’ll take the blame if anything happens!”

He was truly furious—how dare this boy fight back and injure his men? If he didn’t teach Huang Ming a harsh lesson, how would he maintain his authority at the Imperial Academy?

The villain grinned savagely, ready to twist and break Huang Ming’s arm, but suddenly his body convulsed, his face twisted in agony, and he groaned wretchedly.

His tall frame doubled over like a shrimp.

Many students standing in front saw his face turn dark purple with pain.

They’d also seen Huang Ming’s deadly move just now.

When the attendant grabbed Huang Ming’s arm, thinking he had the boy under control, Huang Ming stepped forward, bent his knee, and drove it forcefully into the man’s groin.

Everyone who witnessed it could not help but feel a chill in their own lower half.

They felt it deep in their bones…

No matter how tough a man is, that spot is always vulnerable.

The villain never expected the youth to strike so ruthlessly, nor did he protect his vital area; focusing up top, he left his lower half exposed and was instantly incapacitated.

Seizing the moment, Huang Ming broke free and again brought the silver ingot down without hesitation.

Once, twice, three times…

Bang, bang, bang resounded, making everyone’s faces pale and fear flicker in their eyes. Among them, Zhang Pan was the most terrified.

With the second villain finally crumpling, Huang Ming shook the blood off the ingot and, with a half-smile, slowly walked toward him.