“There’s nobody else. Junior Sister, I’ve invited the head chef of Nine Flavors to cook personally. They’ll be serving their signature Nine Flavors for you to try,” the youth said with a smile. “Not everyone can make the head chef of Nine Flavors cook.”

“Oh.” The woman was also very curious. She enjoyed her senior brother’s fawning, and having a Shengong scion pursue her stroked her ego.

On the entire second floor, only the man and woman sat, listening to the music and enjoying the delicacies. Everyone else stood and served them.

…

On the streets outside.

“How unlucky. We bumped into Shengong Fu while eating.” Zhang Ke vented his anger after leaving the restaurant.

“Are the Shengong scions people we can offend? In their eyes, we are dogs.” Qian Yan curled his lips.

“Mad dogs,” Xu Jingming added.

“Captain, there’s no need to be angry. Those important figures in the imperial capital typically won’t hold it against us,” Zhang Ke said. “This Shengong Fu’s status in the Shengong family is average; he can’t even be ranked in the top five of the younger generation. For example, his cousin, Shengong Shou, isn’t even 30 years old, but he’s already a Rank-2 official. He’s highly regarded by the emperor and has an excellent reputation. Shengong Fu is nothing. His reputation is terrible, but he acts arrogantly in front of us.”

“No matter how arrogant he is, we have to bear with it.” Qian Yan shook his head. “He was born with a noble title! He also has the huge Shengong family backing him!”

“Many people from the Shengong family are in the Blood Rain Guard,” Zhang Ke explained. “Three of the Blood Rain Guard’s Principales are from the Shengong family. The Shengong family head is a duke, and he’s an important official of the empire! We will be pulverized with a flick of his finger.”

Xu Jingming knew how powerful the Shengong family was from the information he gathered in the virtual world.

The intelligence recorded that more than 300 years ago, the Shengong family had 3,000 zealots participate in a battle for the throne! They eventually made a prince their puppet emperor. The 3,000 zealots back then were at least second-rate experts!

…

Night.

Shengong Fu got off the flower boat and swayed back and forth in satisfaction.

“Young Master.” The guards had been waiting for a long time.

“Mm.” Shengong Fu got into the carriage and casually asked, “Has the Zhang family’s young lady been moved to the courtyard?”

“The husband has been killed. This Zhang family’s young lady has been kidnapped to the courtyard,” the personal guard whispered.

“Well done.” Shengong Fu raised his eyebrows and was in a good mood. He then lowered the carriage curtain.

Thinking of that voluptuous young lady from the Zhang family, Shengong Fu’s heart itched.

I’m not sure what to say about Uncle. He’s only biased toward his sons! Shengong Fu looked at the carriage, and his expression suddenly turned nasty. His three sons are all officials. Eldest Brother is a Rank-2 official. Third Brother is also a Principales at the Blood Rain Guard! What about me? I went to seek help from the officials, but Uncle made me copy books in the academy? He explains it as tempering my character?

It’s only because my father died early that you became the family head, Shengong Fu thought to himself.

He was very dissatisfied. Although he was arrogant and unbridled outside, he was heavily restrained at home! He felt that it was unfair!

I have to pay for my guards out of my own pocket! I have to pay for my residence myself. Hiring a first-rate expert guard costs 2,000 to 3,000 taels of silver a year! Eldest Brother has a group of top guards by his side. As for me, I have to recruit them myself! I can’t even bear to hire a first-rate expert. Shengong Fu’s eyes were filled with ferocity as many thoughts surfaced.

With his status, he naturally had to maintain his image. Thus, his monthly expenses were huge. The family clan kept limiting his expenses, making him even more dissatisfied.

Suddenly—

Pu! Pu! Pu!

There were consecutive sounds.

Oh? Shengong Fu’s expression changed as he immediately pulled open the carriage curtain and saw five guards collapse. The only standing guard managed to withstand two strikes before his chest was penetrated by a spear.

Gasp— 

The guard let out a painful cry after being penetrated by the spear. The spear was pulled out, and he collapsed to the ground.

Shengong Fu looked at the man in black in disbelief.

The black-robed man wore a bronze mask and held a spear as he walked over.

“Spare me, please spare me,” said Shengong Fu immediately. “I have money! I have money—I’ll double whoever hired you!”

“Double?” The bronze masked man said in a hoarse voice, “Your bounty isn’t low.”

“I have some gold here.” Shengong Fu immediately took out a brocade pouch. “There’s at least 100 gold here! Also, this piece of jade… is worth at least 100 gold. I, I… These banknotes of mine use the same passcode—Autumn, Wind, Leaf, Snow.”

“That’s it?” said the bronze-masked man. “It’s too little.”

“No, no. Send me back; I still have more at home,” said Shengong Fu anxiously. “I’m a son of the Shengong family. I have a noble title—you can’t kill me. If you do, you will be finished! There will be no place to escape… in this world.”

“Pfft.” A flying dagger stabbed into Shengong Fu’s glabella.

Shengong Fu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Which faction could kill a Shengong family member just like that?

The bronze-masked man examined Shengong Fu’s corpse before picking up the brocade pouch, jade, banknotes, and other items. He then carried away the corpses of two second-rate experts. The other guards were killed by flying daggers, but these two guards… were impaled to death!

Whoosh.

Carrying the two corpses, the bronze-masked man quickly disappeared.

Plop! Plop!

The two corpses had their faces ruined. They were then bound to rocks before being thrown into the lake.

The bronze-masked man watched the two corpses sink as the dark lake rippled.

As a scion of the Shengong family, he’s so arrogant outside and has such a huge lineup… Yet, he only carries this little with him? The bronze-masked man glanced at the brocade pouch. A horse doesn’t get fat without extra feed. Being a Blood Rain Guard honestly only earns 3,000 to 5,000 taels of silver a year. Of course, I have to build up another source of income. Killing this Shengong family scion didn’t earn me much either.

The bronze-masked man put away his mask and revealed Xu Jingming’s face.

This bit of money really lets down the Shengong family’s reputation, Xu Jingming thought.

Was the Shengong family terrifying?

As a cosmic citizen player, would he be afraid?

When will I be able to save up 10,000 gold? Yes, I can’t be in a hurry! I have to be careful and down-to-earth. I’ll work hard to save up, Xu Jingming thought to himself and left in a flash.

“There’s nobody else. Junior Sister, I’ve invited the head chef of Nine Flavors to cook personally. They’ll be serving their signature Nine Flavors for you to try,” the youth said with a smile. “Not everyone can make the head chef of Nine Flavors cook.”

“Oh.” The woman was also very curious. She enjoyed her senior brother’s fawning, and having a Shengong scion pursue her stroked her ego.

On the entire second floor, only the man and woman sat, listening to the music and enjoying the delicacies. Everyone else stood and served them.

…

On the streets outside.

“How unlucky. We bumped into Shengong Fu while eating.” Zhang Ke vented his anger after leaving the restaurant.

“Are the Shengong scions people we can offend? In their eyes, we are dogs.” Qian Yan curled his lips.

“Mad dogs,” Xu Jingming added.

“Captain, there’s no need to be angry. Those important figures in the imperial capital typically won’t hold it against us,” Zhang Ke said. “This Shengong Fu’s status in the Shengong family is average; he can’t even be ranked in the top five of the younger generation. For example, his cousin, Shengong Shou, isn’t even 30 years old, but he’s already a Rank-2 official. He’s highly regarded by the emperor and has an excellent reputation. Shengong Fu is nothing. His reputation is terrible, but he acts arrogantly in front of us.”

“No matter how arrogant he is, we have to bear with it.” Qian Yan shook his head. “He was born with a noble title! He also has the huge Shengong family backing him!”

“Many people from the Shengong family are in the Blood Rain Guard,” Zhang Ke explained. “Three of the Blood Rain Guard’s Principales are from the Shengong family. The Shengong family head is a duke, and he’s an important official of the empire! We will be pulverized with a flick of his finger.”

Xu Jingming knew how powerful the Shengong family was from the information he gathered in the virtual world.

The intelligence recorded that more than 300 years ago, the Shengong family had 3,000 zealots participate in a battle for the throne! They eventually made a prince their puppet emperor. The 3,000 zealots back then were at least second-rate experts!

…

Night.

Shengong Fu got off the flower boat and swayed back and forth in satisfaction.

“Young Master.” The guards had been waiting for a long time.

“Mm.” Shengong Fu got into the carriage and casually asked, “Has the Zhang family’s young lady been moved to the courtyard?”

“The husband has been killed. This Zhang family’s young lady has been kidnapped to the courtyard,” the personal guard whispered.

“Well done.” Shengong Fu raised his eyebrows and was in a good mood. He then lowered the carriage curtain.

Thinking of that voluptuous young lady from the Zhang family, Shengong Fu’s heart itched.

I’m not sure what to say about Uncle. He’s only biased toward his sons! Shengong Fu looked at the carriage, and his expression suddenly turned nasty. His three sons are all officials. Eldest Brother is a Rank-2 official. Third Brother is also a Principales at the Blood Rain Guard! What about me? I went to seek help from the officials, but Uncle made me copy books in the academy? He explains it as tempering my character?

It’s only because my father died early that you became the family head, Shengong Fu thought to himself.

He was very dissatisfied. Although he was arrogant and unbridled outside, he was heavily restrained at home! He felt that it was unfair!

I have to pay for my guards out of my own pocket! I have to pay for my residence myself. Hiring a first-rate expert guard costs 2,000 to 3,000 taels of silver a year! Eldest Brother has a group of top guards by his side. As for me, I have to recruit them myself! I can’t even bear to hire a first-rate expert. Shengong Fu’s eyes were filled with ferocity as many thoughts surfaced.

With his status, he naturally had to maintain his image. Thus, his monthly expenses were huge. The family clan kept limiting his expenses, making him even more dissatisfied.

Suddenly—

Pu! Pu! Pu!

There were consecutive sounds.

Oh? Shengong Fu’s expression changed as he immediately pulled open the carriage curtain and saw five guards collapse. The only standing guard managed to withstand two strikes before his chest was penetrated by a spear.

Gasp— 

The guard let out a painful cry after being penetrated by the spear. The spear was pulled out, and he collapsed to the ground.

Shengong Fu looked at the man in black in disbelief.

The black-robed man wore a bronze mask and held a spear as he walked over.

“Spare me, please spare me,” said Shengong Fu immediately. “I have money! I have money—I’ll double whoever hired you!”

“Double?” The bronze masked man said in a hoarse voice, “Your bounty isn’t low.”

“I have some gold here.” Shengong Fu immediately took out a brocade pouch. “There’s at least 100 gold here! Also, this piece of jade… is worth at least 100 gold. I, I… These banknotes of mine use the same passcode—Autumn, Wind, Leaf, Snow.”

“That’s it?” said the bronze-masked man. “It’s too little.”

“No, no. Send me back; I still have more at home,” said Shengong Fu anxiously. “I’m a son of the Shengong family. I have a noble title—you can’t kill me. If you do, you will be finished! There will be no place to escape… in this world.”

“Pfft.” A flying dagger stabbed into Shengong Fu’s glabella.

Shengong Fu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Which faction could kill a Shengong family member just like that?

The bronze-masked man examined Shengong Fu’s corpse before picking up the brocade pouch, jade, banknotes, and other items. He then carried away the corpses of two second-rate experts. The other guards were killed by flying daggers, but these two guards… were impaled to death!

Whoosh.

Carrying the two corpses, the bronze-masked man quickly disappeared.

Plop! Plop!

The two corpses had their faces ruined. They were then bound to rocks before being thrown into the lake.

The bronze-masked man watched the two corpses sink as the dark lake rippled.

As a scion of the Shengong family, he’s so arrogant outside and has such a huge lineup… Yet, he only carries this little with him? The bronze-masked man glanced at the brocade pouch. A horse doesn’t get fat without extra feed. Being a Blood Rain Guard honestly only earns 3,000 to 5,000 taels of silver a year. Of course, I have to build up another source of income. Killing this Shengong family scion didn’t earn me much either.

The bronze-masked man put away his mask and revealed Xu Jingming’s face.

This bit of money really lets down the Shengong family’s reputation, Xu Jingming thought.

Was the Shengong family terrifying?

As a cosmic citizen player, would he be afraid?

When will I be able to save up 10,000 gold? Yes, I can’t be in a hurry! I have to be careful and down-to-earth. I’ll work hard to save up, Xu Jingming thought to himself and left in a flash.