At this moment, Chen Ting was just a member of the inner courtyard at Tiancong Academy, and it so happened that it was his turn for duty. Leading a team of enforcers, he was patrolling the academy district when he encountered the dispute between Yang Qingxuan and the three families.
Given Chen Ting's status, he naturally didn't care about the three families. He coldly said, "Confused? It's you who are confused, not me. What I have to do is follow the rules and do my job properly. Now, get lost immediately! This matter will be handled by the academy and the Imperial Guards."
The heads of the Zhou, Hu, and Xue families went silent, sensing that things were getting out of hand. The crowd that had gathered around them was growing larger, all of them watching with mocking expressions, making their faces burn with embarrassment.
The elderly man from the Hu family stepped forward, bowed slightly to Chen Ting, and whispered, "Young brother, let today's matter go. Our three families will surely offer you a generous gift in return. Please, have mercy."
Chen Ting sneered and said, "You want to bribe me? It seems this matter doesn't just involve the military and the academy but also the Ministry of Personnel. It might require Lord Lan Hua, who oversees all laws and regulations, to come in and investigate."
The three of them turned even paler, feeling that the situation was spiraling further out of control, far beyond their expectations.
Hu Ding quickly stepped forward and said, "Fellow student, my lord was just here to visit, he wasn't targeting Yang Qingxuan. Just now, he was only scaring him."
"Yes, yes, just scaring him," the other two family heads quickly chimed in.
Although the autumn air was cool, the ten-odd people present felt sticky with sweat, uncomfortable beyond measure.
Chen Ting turned to Yang Qingxuan and asked, "Is that true?"
Yang Qingxuan sneered and replied, "How could it be? Dozens of people were here and heard everything. They wanted to kill me!"
The elderly man from the Hu family hurriedly said, "That was just to scare you. We would never dare to actually make a move."
Yang Qingxuan coldly laughed, "Scaring me? Do you think it counts as real when you actually lay a hand on me?" He cupped his hands toward Chen Ting and said, "Fellow student, these people are extremely wicked. Please, inform the military department to come handle this matter at the academy."
Chen Ting said, "Since the person involved says so, then that's how it will be. My time is precious, and I don't have time to waste with you. Also, I've taken note of your official titles. If any of you dare to run, I can guarantee that there will be no place for you in all of Cangnan Kingdom!"
The three family heads' faces changed drastically as they saw the enforcers from the academy's disciplinary team closing in on them, preparing to detain them.
These enforcers were all inner academy students, strong in their own right with promising futures, and many had deep connections. The Zhou, Hu, and Xue families could not afford to offend them.
The head of the Zhou family had a sudden idea and quickly turned around, cupping his hands toward Yang Qingxuan and bowing deeply, "Young brother, it's our fault. We shouldn't have intimidated you. Please, have mercy."
The other two family heads, though extremely reluctant, especially the head of the Xue family, were forced to lower their heads due to the circumstances. They all cupped their hands and apologized to Yang Qingxuan.
Yang Qingxuan waved his hand and said, "Forget it. I can't be bothered to argue with you. However, I'm a person with a small heart. You've scared me so badly, at least compensate me for my fright."
Chen Ting and the others couldn't help but laugh inwardly. This person had been calm and composed throughout, showing no signs of being scared at all. They all knew that he was just trying to extort them.
The three families were furious, their faces turning pale. Their children had already been beaten, and now they had to pay compensation. But when they thought about the consequences if this matter reached the military department, they could only swallow their anger. The head of the Zhou family said, "Today, it's our mistake. Giving this young brother some compensation is only right. Zhou Cang, bring one thousand silver coins to this young brother."
Zhou Cang was furious, but before he could say anything, Yang Qingxuan burst out laughing. His expression turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice, "Are you treating me like a beggar?"
The head of the Zhou family looked at him coldly, thinking to himself, "Your grandfather is a garbage worker, so naturally, you're a beggar too." However, he still said, "What, not enough? Then add another thousand silver coins."
Yang Qingxuan sneered and waved his hand, "Chen Ting, please take them to the military department."
The three families turned pale, and the elderly man from the Hu family hurriedly asked, "Then how much do you want?"
Yang Qingxuan took out a bloodstained white cloth from his bundle, the IOU signed by Xue Hao and the others, and waved it in front of everyone, "Before we talk about compensation, let's discuss what you owe me. You owe me 980,000 silver coins. Please, fellow students, take a look and bear witness."
"Ah? 980,000?!"
The three from the Hu, Zhou, and Xue families widened their eyes and angrily shouted, "Wasn't it 9,800?!"
When they carefully read the IOU, they realized it was indeed for 980,000. They had signed it in a hurry, and were so scared at the time that they hadn't bothered to read it properly.
"9,800?" Yang Qingxuan sneered, "So you really think I'm a beggar? 9,800 wouldn't even cover the cost of one of my meals. This is the IOU you three signed with your own hands, in black and white. If you deny it, I'll present this to both the military and the Ministry of Personnel."
The three families were seething with rage, their eyes filled with fury as they glared at Xue Hao, Hu Ding, and Zhou Cang, who trembled in fear. Zhou Cang stammered, "R-really, it's not that much. It's only a little over a thousand silver coins. H-he's extorting us…"
Yang Qingxuan's expression darkened, and he said coldly, "Extorting? We're classmates, and you speak so harshly. I don't want this money anymore, let the military and Ministry of Personnel handle it."
Chen Ting, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but laugh inwardly. He had already suspected that there was something off with the IOU, after all, 980,000 silver coins was no small amount. For small families like Zhou, Hu, and Xue, it was a fortune.
But Yang Qingxuan had zeroed in on their weak spot—they dared not report this matter to the military. It seemed today was going to be a disastrous one for the three families.
In the imperial capital, where power was dominated by the royal family, the four great families—Zuo, Lan, Chen, and Wang—held immense sway. Chen Ting, as a direct descendant of the Chen family, looked down on the Zhou, Hu, and Xue families.
On the other hand, Yang Qingxuan piqued his interest. He was eager to watch the show and see how Yang Qingxuan would extort the three families.
Sure enough, when Yang Qingxuan mentioned the "military department," the three families immediately deflated. The head of the Zhou family waved his hand, "Alright, alright, 980,000 silver coins, take it. Take it!" His unwillingness and anger were palpable.
The three families quickly gathered together, took out their crystal cards, and transferred a total of 980,000 silver coins onto a single crystal card for Yang Qingxuan.
Yang Qingxuan casually accepted it. Though wealth was just a material possession, one couldn't do without it. With the 10,000 gold coin crystal card given to him by Prince Su Ze, he was now one of the richest in the academy.
He said, "The IOU is settled. Now, let's talk about compensation for scaring me and giving me such a fright."