Private Chat

Even modifications had to follow the basic rules. He had to learn the skills and activate their Progress Bars before he could modify them.

Fan Lang had a thought.

"System, scan the manuals in my hand and learn all of them. Start with the most important one, Blazing Triple Wave!"

Fan Lang's thoughts were equivalent to commands, and the system responded immediately.

The player began learning Blazing Triple Wave. Remaining time: 7 hours 59 minutes.

The player began learning Light Splitting Sword Technique. Remaining time: 3 hours.

The player began learning Life Reaping Steps. Remaining time: 2 hours.

The player began learning Spring Return Art. Remaining time: 2 hours.

You had to eat one bite at a time, and learn skills one at a time. Only after he mastered Blazing Triple Wave would the next skill's progress bar begin to decrease.

Gurgle, gurgle.

Fan Lang's stomach began rumbling in protest.

He decided to eat first and modify the Progress Bars later that night. No matter how impatient he was, there was no need to rush over such a short while.

Not long ago, the City Lord's Mansion had recruited a group of newcomers. They would be trained, then assessed. Only those who passed the assessment could officially join the City Lord's Mansion and take up various positions.

Before being formally hired, this group only counted as Registered Male Servants. Their status was even lower than that of male attendants.

Fan Lang was one of these Registered Male Servants.

With such a low status, their treatment naturally was not much better. Their dining area had been arranged in an isolated old house, and all three meals were plain and meager.

By the time Fan Lang arrived, the old house was already packed. A group of people were wolfing down their food, and Fan Lang's arrival drew quite a few looks.

"Fan Lang, you came so late. Don't tell me you ran off to confess your feelings to Miss Luo again?"

A burly, pockmarked man grinned.

This man was called Zhao Laoqi. He was a Mystic Soldier Level 1 and one of the best among the Registered Male Servants. Most people in the room were quite afraid of him.

"Honestly, I admire you, kid. You've got some nerve, setting your sights on the City Lord's Mansion's precious daughter. If it were me, I'd only dare think about it. I wouldn't dare bring suffering upon myself. The fact that you weren't executed on the spot already showed the City Lord's Mansion's great mercy." Zhao Laoqi mocked.

Quite a few people in the room laughed. Fan Lang's confession to Luo Hongyan had become a joke, one that had been brought up repeatedly over the past few days.

Fan Lang's face darkened, but he ignored them.

Time would prove everything.

One day, these people would be unable to laugh.

Fan Lang entered the room and swept his gaze around, finally settling on a scrawny youth.

"Lang Ge! Sit here!"

The skinny youth had a steamed bun in his mouth as he waved Fan Lang over.

His name was Hou Guangzu. Because of his slight build, everyone called him Monkey.

Who didn't have a couple of friends?

This Monkey was Fan Lang's friend, though the sort of friend who was more trouble than help.

When Fan Lang used to roam the streets, Monkey had often stayed by his side, calling him Lang Ge with excessive enthusiasm.

Monkey had a habit of stealing and was no good person, but he was fairly loyal. At the very least, when Fan Lang got into fights, Monkey would grip a dagger and charge in instead of turning around and running away.

A friend like that was enough.

Fan Lang sat beside Monkey, grabbed a steamed bun, and began eating in large bites.

Monkey leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Lang Ge, I heard Zhu Manchang and his people want to deal with you."

"Is that so?" Fan Lang answered casually.

"Zhu Manchang can fight. He's a bit stronger than us, so be careful. Don't let him catch an opportunity to deal with you. Speaking of which, why haven't we seen Zhu Manchang today?"

Monkey looked around, somewhat puzzled.

How could he know that Zhu Manchang had already met his end? His corpse was probably beginning to rot by now.

After eating, the male servants left in twos and threes.

Fan Lang and Monkey walked side by side. Just as they reached the entrance, Zhao Laoqi blocked their path.

Zhao Laoqi smiled sinisterly. "Fan Lang, I have something to tell you. Come with me."

"If you have something to say, say it here." Fan Lang frowned slightly.

"It's a private matter. It isn't convenient to discuss it here."

"What a joke. What private matter could there possibly be between us?"

"Brat, when I tell you to come, you come. Cut the fucking nonsense!" Zhao Laoqi dropped all pretense, replacing it with a vicious expression. He waved a fist the size of a bowl, making the threat obvious.

The moment Fan Lang was threatened, anger surged through him.

When Zhao Laoqi had mocked him earlier, he had chosen to endure it. But now Zhao Laoqi was pushing his luck and coming to cause him trouble again. This time, he had reached the limit of his patience!

"Monkey, go back first. I'll take a trip with Zhao Laoqi." Though Fan Lang was furious inside, his face remained calm.

"I'd better go with you. If anything happens, I can at least help out." Monkey spoke quietly.

"Stop dragging your feet. Go back when I tell you to go back. This has nothing to do with you." Fan Lang said with a stern face.

"Then... all right. Be careful." Seeing Fan Lang's harsh expression, Monkey finally agreed to leave.

The three went their separate ways. Fan Lang followed Zhao Laoqi, while Monkey returned to the dormitory alone.

Zhao Laoqi whistled, looking quite pleased with himself. Every now and then, his eyes flicked toward the iron sword on Fan Lang's back.

The two passed through courtyards and houses, walking a long distance before arriving at an abandoned courtyard where the grass had grown waist-high.

Zhao Laoqi finally stopped. He slowly turned around and looked at Fan Lang with a half-smile. "Can you guess why I called you here?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be anything good. I don't feel like guessing. Right now, I only want to do one thing." Fan Lang sneered.

"What is it?"

"Beat you up!"

The moment Fan Lang finished speaking, he shot forward like a cheetah and reached Zhao Laoqi in the blink of an eye.

Thug Fist!

Fan Lang threw both fists, striking out left and right at Zhao Laoqi's temples. Caught off guard, Zhao Laoqi took the blow head-on. His head buzzed as if it were about to split apart.

"Aah!"

Zhao Laoqi screamed.

Fan Lang pressed the attack, darting forward and sweeping Zhao Laoqi's legs out from under him. He raised his foot and stomped down viciously, breaking Zhao Laoqi's left wrist. Then came another stomp, breaking his right wrist.

With both wrists broken, Zhao Laoqi was finished. Even if his cultivation level was evenly matched with Fan Lang's, he could no longer make any waves.

"Weren't you acting pretty arrogant just now?"

Fan Lang kicked viciously, making Zhao Laoqi curl up like a shrimp.

"You dared call me here for a private chat? You think you can fly now?"

Fan Lang spoke as he brutally beat Zhao Laoqi, showing no restraint. Zhao Laoqi screamed again and again from the beating.

"I'm telling you, stay away from me from now on. You're not qualified to provoke me!"

Fan Lang lifted his foot and viciously stomped on Zhao Laoqi's head, crushing his face out of shape.

If not for the fact that this was the City Lord's Mansion, Fan Lang might very well have gone for the kill. He was already showing restraint.

"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me! Lang Ge, I know I was wrong. Please spare me! I won't dare provoke you again!" Zhao Laoqi begged forgiveness bitterly, blood spilling from his mouth.

"Remember what you said. Not to be repeated." Fan Lang gave him another vicious kick.

Fan Lang dusted off his hands, snorted coldly, and left triumphantly.

Zhao Laoqi had been beaten half to death. After lying there for a while, he finally sat up with groans and spat out two bloodied teeth.

"What the hell is going on? When did Fan Lang become so vicious? He actually beat a Mystic Soldier like me this badly. Ow, it hurts so much..."

Earlier, Zhao Laoqi had heard that Fan Lang had borrowed several books from the library. Combined with the iron sword he had seen on Fan Lang's back, greed had overcome him. He had intended to "borrow" all those good things, but instead of gaining anything, he suffered a crushing beating.

The weak feared the strong, the strong feared the ruthless, and the ruthless feared those who did not fear death.

Zhao Laoqi had truly been beaten scared this time. Even if someone lent him the courage of a tiger and a leopard, he would never dare provoke Fan Lang again.