When Hai Dali met Chen Muxue, she directly tossed a porcelain bottle to him.
“This is the reward I promised you. It’s a Rejuvenation Pill. When your true qi is exhausted, it can help you recover it quickly.”
Hai Dali caught the bottle. He had not expected to receive another reward so soon, and his heart swelled with joy. He immediately put on a deeply moved expression and said, “Second Miss, your kindness toward this subordinate is like giving me a new life. I am willing to follow you forever and silently support you from behind…”
Chen Muxue felt that something about his words sounded strange, but she did not dwell on it and instead said, “The rumors we spread earlier are already taking effect. Someone has gone to Xiao Fan to confirm them.”
“Xiao Fan has been denying everything. When asked to prove his innocence, he cannot produce any evidence. As more days pass, more people will seek him out. Let’s see how he handles it.”
Chen Muxue was in an excellent mood. Her tone carried obvious pleasure, the thrill of revenge.
“Those people spreading the rumors are reliable, right?”
Hai Dali was more concerned about whether their hands were clean.
He did not want Xiao Fan to set his sights on him so soon. He believed that with Xiao Fan’s luck as a Chosen One, this would only cause him some minor trouble at most. Sooner or later, Xiao Fan would resolve it.
“Don’t worry. He found a little beggar in the city and settled it with a few pieces of candy. The beggar never even saw his face.”
Chen Muxue looked smug, convinced she had handled this beautifully.
“That’s good.”
Hai Dali let out a breath of relief.
“I called you here to ask whether we still need to do anything else,” Chen Muxue asked.
“There’s no need. The more we do, the more mistakes we make. What we’ve done is already enough. There’s no need to create unnecessary complications,” Hai Dali said quickly. He was genuinely afraid she might do something foolish and drag him down with her.
“You’re right.”
Chen Muxue nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing that the matter had been discussed, Hai Dali said, “Second Miss must have worked hard today. Let this subordinate give you a massage to relieve your fatigue.”
Chen Muxue was tempted and nodded, instructing Qingzhi to fetch some water.
Seeing this, Hai Dali added, “This subordinate can first massage your shoulders. That will also help relieve fatigue.”
Chen Muxue thought for a moment.
A shoulder massage seemed harmless, so she agreed.
Over the past few days, Hai Dali’s technique had become increasingly skillful. Chen Muxue gradually relaxed, her eyes closing slightly as she enjoyed it.
…
After returning from Chen Muxue’s place, Hai Dali kept thinking about how Xiao Fan would get through this crisis.
In his mind, he had already imagined countless plotlines for Xiao Fan.
What if a remnant soul possessed him? Or he suddenly had a cousin with an extraordinary background? Or perhaps a mysterious and unfathomable master would appear out of nowhere?
Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.
Even now, he still did not know what type of Chosen One Xiao Fan was. But one thing he was almost certain of was that Xiao Fan did not have a system.
Otherwise, when he and Chen Muxue had fought Xiao Fan over that scrap of rotten bronze earlier, he would have been slapped to death on the spot.
For Hai Dali, that was undoubtedly the best possible news. If the other party had a system, what game would he even be playing?
Those things never followed logic or reason.
By then, even if he bowed the moment he saw Xiao Fan, it would probably still be judged as insincere, and he would be killed with a single slap.
However, his own golden finger was not bad either. Who would end up the grandson and who the grandfather was still uncertain.
After much thought, Hai Dali decided that improving himself was the most important thing. He had to cultivate diligently and, well… take down Chen Muyue as soon as possible.
Over the next few days, he cultivated hard every day. At night, with Qingzhi’s assistance, he finally broke through to the 7th stage Qi Refining Realm.
After his realm rose, he felt he needed to learn a technique that could conceal his cultivation level.
If others discovered that he was advancing too quickly, they might suspect that he was also cultivating demonic arts.
He had just framed Xiao Fan earlier. If it later boomeranged back and struck him instead, that would truly be lifting a rock only to smash his own foot.
Fortunately, within the Great Yin-Yang Unity Art, he found a technique called the Divine Concealment Art. It could alter his aura or hide it entirely.
Unless someone surpassed him by several major realms, they would not be able to see through his true condition. It was precisely the kind of technique that old schemers loved.
Among the major families and even the City Lord’s Residence, the highest cultivation level was only at the peak Foundation Establishment Realm.
As for Golden Core Realm ancestors, they would not stay in a small city like this unless absolutely necessary. So he could now leave the residence without worry.
Just as he was about to head out to grab something to eat, Niu Xiao arrived. This story is hosted at g.com.
Niu Xiao’s visit surprised him. Recently, even when they happened to run into each other, they would only exchange indifferent greetings. So Hai Dali teased, “Brother Niu Xiao, what brings you here? Could it be that you missed me?”
“Get lost,” Niu Xiao cursed, then added sourly, “You’ve got it easy. As a subordinate, you don’t have to do anything. You just need to please the Second Miss.”
Hai Dali immediately put on a dramatic expression and said, “Everyone has their own hardships. You’re physically tired. I’m mentally exhausted. The Second Miss is not easy to serve.”
Hearing this, Niu Xiao thought of the Second Miss’s harsh temperament and felt slightly better. He said, “Uncle Fu has ordered all the residence guards to gather in the front courtyard. You have to go too.”
Uncle Fu was the steward of the Chen Residence. Hai Dali was puzzled and asked, “Did something happen? Why the sudden gathering?”
“It seems to be related to the Spiritual Herb Fields. It’s not bad news. Let’s go,” Niu Xiao said, clearly having gathered some information.
Hearing that, Hai Dali felt reassured and followed him.
On the way, Hai Dali asked Niu Xiao why it seemed that none of the servants in the residence liked him.
Niu Xiao glanced at him and said, “When you first arrived, you looked down on everyone, as if you were superior.”
“After you attached yourself to the Second Miss, you became even more arrogant and overbearing, looking down on others.”
“If you heard someone speaking ill of you or disliked someone, you would go complain to the Second Miss and badmouth them. You’ve offended everyone. Do you think they’d treat you kindly?”
After hearing this, Hai Dali felt embarrassed. Thankfully this was a place with rules and restraints. Otherwise, he would probably have died all over again long ago.
He quickly changed the subject and asked, “How come I’ve never seen the Patriarch and the two Madams?”
“The Patriarch has recently entered seclusion to break through to the peak Foundation Establishment Realm. As for the two Madams, they usually keep to themselves. How could people like you and me see them so easily?” Niu Xiao explained irritably.
The two chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the front courtyard. Many people were already gathered there. Chen Er was also present. Hai Dali hurried forward and cupped his fists, saying, “Guard Captain Chen.”
Chen Er simply nodded at him without saying anything. Hai Dali then found a place to stand.
When the others saw Hai Dali, none of them were willing to stand near him. They kept their distance. Even Niu Xiao did not stand beside him.
Hai Dali felt speechless, but after learning about the original owner’s behavior, he could only feel helpless. He could hardly tell everyone that the former Hai Dali was already dead and that he was different now. That would require them to believe him first.
Once everyone had arrived, a man walked in. Chen Er gave him a simple greeting upon seeing him.
The man nodded at Chen Er, and Chen Er stepped behind him.
The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with a neatly trimmed beard. His features were kind, yet he carried an aura of authority even without anger. He was none other than Steward Chen Fu.