48: Chapter 48 Captain? No, no, the hat is too big!

"It's useless."

"The higher-ups won't care."

Fang Zhiyou chuckled, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "The official positions in the county and prefecture offices have always been based on silver."

Commoners all say that being a constable is a matter of life and death.

However, for some it's their own lives at stake, while for others it's the lives of others.

It all depends on one's status, position, and methods.

So precisely because it's a life-or-death job, there are people willing to pay for it.

"May I ask, Brother Yifan, what price can you offer?" Magistrate Fang asked with a smile. "Let's see if it's enough."

"...How much is the cheapest one?" Feng Yifan asked out of habit.

"Five hundred coppers," said Fang Zhiyou. "But that's the price for a laborer."

Among Constables, there are two types: official Constables and laborers.

Laborers are conscripted by the government; they only get food, no monthly salary.

Official Constables are those with formal positions who receive money and grain.

Those with ability can make money even as a laborer.

Those without ability buy an official constable position at most to save their own lives.

"After all, killing an official is equivalent to rebellion. Constables are not officials, but they carry the character 'official' in their title," Fang Zhiyou said.

Feng Yifan nodded, indicating he understood.

Kicking a constable's backside is also slapping the lords' faces.

He understood this principle.

"So, Brother Yifan wanting to buy an official constable position is very wise," Fang Zhiyou continued with a smile. "The Li Clan has just settled in Xinan County, with no Foundation. Securing a position in the yamen is indeed an excellent move."

"How much?" Feng Yifan felt that Fang Zhiyou's smile at this moment was a lot like his insurance-selling cousin.

That distant cousin, when trying to sell him personal accident insurance, had this exact demeanor!

"Not expensive, not expensive," Fang Zhiyou extended a hand. "Only five taels of silver."

"If Brother Yifan is willing to pay ten taels, I can make him a squad leader."

He flipped his hand back and forth. "If you can pay twenty taels, even a police captain is possible!"

"...Hmm," Feng Yifan nodded. "It's really not expensive."

"Haha, then..." Fang Zhiyou rubbed his hands together.

"But I have no money," Feng Yifan said.

It wasn't that his pockets were cleaner than his face; he didn't even have pockets on him.

He hadn't even had a chance to touch the silver money of the Mortals in this world yet.

"No money? That's fine!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Zhiyou not only wasn't angry, but he actually seemed pleased. "We can exchange for something else."

"What do you want?" Feng Yifan asked.

"Water. I want the water Teacher Li uses to brew tea," Fang Zhiyou said, tucking both hands into his sleeves, his smile as gentle as jade. "Deliver two buckets to me every month, how about it?"

"Squad leader?" Feng Yifan wasn't surprised, he just asked.

"No, no," Fang Zhiyou shook his head. "Those two buckets of water are only worth five taels."

"Then I'll send you two more buckets?" Feng Yifan blinked, pretending not to understand.

"Hehe, I'm not an ox! What would I do with so much water?" Fang Zhiyou still shook his head. "Two buckets are enough for me to boil water and brew tea."

"Alright," Feng Yifan was also very agreeable. "Then I'll add one of these for you."

As he spoke, he stood up and walked to the edge of the Langhuan Well. He very casually took out a yang shen pill, flashed it in front of Magistrate Fang, and tossed it into the well.

Plop~

A light, pleasant sound.

"...Hmm? Brother Yifan, what did you just throw?" Fang Zhiyou was stunned.

That thing just now seemed to be a Medicinal Pill.

Its fragrance was very refreshing.

"yang shen pill," Feng Yifan grinned. "Throwing it into the well to soak in the water, to nourish the people of Li Family Village."

"...Could it be... the yang shen pill consumed by cultivators?" Fang Zhiyou's eyes widened slightly, asking with a hint of disbelief.

"Yeah! What else?" Feng Yifan took out another one and threw it into the well.

Plop~

The sound from the bottom of the well was still so pleasant.

The corner of Fang Zhiyou's mouth, however, twitched involuntarily.

He felt a pang of heartache.

It hurt more than seeing his good tea spilled on the floor tiles.

Seeing that Feng Yifan was actually about to take out another one, he quickly said, "Wait! Brother Yifan, could you let me see this pill?"

"Of course you can," Feng Yifan directly tossed this one to him, then took out another one and threw it into the water.

He threw several in a row before stopping.

Just as Fang Zhiyou thought he had thrown all his pills, Feng Yifan took out another pill and proceeded to toss it towards the well opening.

This pill smelled different.

"This is?"

"Foundation Cultivation Pill."

Soon, several Foundation Cultivation Pills were also thrown.

Feng Yifan paused, then switched to spirit gathering pills.

"spirit gathering pills, can't throw too many," he said casually, not waiting for Fang Zhiyou to ask. "If you throw too many, the spiritual energy will gather in the water, and ordinary people won't be able to handle drinking it."

And this was under the premise that the Li Clan had already started cultivating martial arts.

Otherwise, the amount of pills he just threw in would be enough to be considered poison.

Because Mortals lack the bone structure and Spiritual Roots for cultivation, they have nowhere to store and refine spiritual energy.

Spiritual energy would run rampant in their Meridians. Too much, while it wouldn't explode violently like demonic power, would inevitably damage their acupoints and destroy their Meridians.

The people of the Li Clan, nourished by the Langhuan Well water and practicing martial arts, could withstand this small amount of medicinal power.

Besides, the medicinal power of these pills would be diluted once integrated into the well water.

The people of Li Family Village also wouldn't gulp down the well water like oxen, so it shouldn't be a big problem.

"So, is my yang shen pill authentic?" Feng Yifan asked, turning to look at Fang Zhiyou after finishing throwing the pills.

The pills he just threw were bait.

Fang Zhiyou was the fish.

So he had to ask if the big fish wanted to take the bait.

"It is indeed... authentic Spirit Medicine from an immortal sect," Fang Zhiyou finally managed to shift his attention from Feng Yifan back to the pill in his palm.

Being asked like this, he replied instinctively.

He hadn't had time to make any attempt to conceal his reaction.

Realizing this, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

He thought to himself that it wasn't because his willpower was insufficient or his self-cultivation lacking.

If anyone else had witnessed the scene just now, it would have been hard for them to remain unmoved as well.

These are elixirs!

True Spirit Pills!

Miraculous medicines consumed by cultivators!

Two hundred taels of silver could allow a Mortal family of five to live comfortably for three good years, yet it couldn't buy a single one of these pills.

And the yang shen pill, Foundation Cultivation Pill, and spirit gathering pill were also miraculous medicines for Scholars.

For a person, the most precious things are essence, energy, and spirit.

To have sufficient essence, energy, and spirit, one must nourish the heart's blood.

But reading, writing, thinking, and studying consume heart's blood extensively.

Over time, without proper regulation, one might collapse one day.

At best, bedridden; at worst, dead.

Even if one Cultivates literary fortune for protection, while it wards off all evils, it cannot prevent all illnesses.

Moreover, consuming too much heart's blood scatters essence, energy, and spirit, and the radiance of literary fortune will also dissipate.

"By then, one can only lament, 'Jiang Lang's talent is exhausted, Ma Liang has lost his brush,'" Fang Zhiyou said, gripping the pill. "And that's considered a good outcome, at least one's life is preserved."

"Little Mountain Lord, Brother Yifan. How about exchanging this one pill for a police captain position?"

Within the county yamen, there is only one police captain position, managing all the official Constables and laborers.

It is the highest military position below the County Lieutenant.

And the County Lieutenant position in Xinan County has been vacant for many years.

Offering this position showed his sincerity.

He had even thought that if Feng Yifan looked down on it, letting someone from Li Family Village temporarily act as County Lieutenant wouldn't be out of the question!

This one yang shen pill was too important to him.

"No, no," Feng Yifan shook his big tiger head. "That hat is too big, not easy to wear."

"Then, Brother Yifan, what do you want?"