Steward He Bo's Malice

"In short, by the time I finish work today, I expect to see at least twenty Spirit Stones. Otherwise, hmph!"

With that loaded threat, Lu Xiang, full of annoyance but also a touch of helplessness, sheathed his blade and turned, leaving the Corpse Burier's small courtyard.

He had come to collect money, not wanting to cut off the source too quickly, but Du En had been completely unresponsive, nearly causing him to lose face.

In the end, he couldn't even leave in a show of force!

"Tch! This brat, does he really think I'm as useless as Luo Heng?"

As Lu Xiang exited the door, he spat a glob of phlegm at the firewood piled by the entrance, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

He hadn't had his fill of killing the brats from the Iron Hand Gang before. If this Du En truly didn't know what was good for him, he'd kill him and chop him into eight pieces!

Thinking this, he couldn't help but swing his blade, smashing several pieces of firewood.

His killing intent was still simmering, restless!

He swept his gaze around again, and seeing the people who had just come out and were peeking from the side, shrinking their heads and observing the situation, he glared fiercely. Several were scared witless, and the others trembled uncontrollably.

"Hahaha!"

Lu Xiang burst into laughter, slinging his blade over his shoulder, and strode away proudly.

The six people still in the courtyard watched the arrogant figure through the kicked-in door.

"Cough, cough, cough... What are we going to do?"

"The wolf is gone, and the tiger has arrived!"

"Luo Heng's situation was already bad before he died, and it's even worse after his death. Didn't Luo Heng die in vain?"

"Boss Du, look, why don't you go find the steward and ask for last month's wages? That way, we might be able to scrape enough together..."

Seeing that Du En had promised at the beginning of the month to represent them in asking the steward for their wages, but it was already the 28th of the month and he still hadn't set off, some people started to get uneasy.

Now with Lu Xiang showing up, exceptionally forceful and intimidating, they hesitantly voiced their concerns.

"Isn't this a case of sticking your head out for a stab, or shrinking back for a stab?"

Wei Ming was displeased and immediately became agitated.

For Du En to first face malicious obstruction from the steward, and then return to hand over the wages earned through such hardship to that guy Lu Xiang – just thinking about it made them angry and filled them with bitterness.

Because, it seemed, this was the only viable option now.

Excluding Du En's personal savings, the combined savings of the six of them couldn't even reach twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones!

So, in the end, everyone's eyes turned, in unison, towards their pillar of strength.

Du En simply nodded, "Indeed, it's time to go ask for the wages."

The others were stunned. Looking closer, they realized that Du En was wearing his cleanest, most presentable clothes today.

He only wore this set of clothes on special occasions, like when he went to ask for wages.

It wasn't because he was vain or cared about his appearance, but rather to avoid giving the stewards any excuse to find fault and stir up trouble!

"You, are you really going?"

Ning Caize's eyes flickered, and he stammered a bit before finally saying, "If we really need to scrape it together, I can swallow my pride and ask some acquaintances to lend us some. We can probably gather it."

As the most senior member here, he had connections in all aspects of corpse-related affairs.

"Borrowing means repaying; we can't escape this forever. It's better to just get it done."

Du En's words blocked him. He calmly stated his resolve.

Even if the Blood Eagle Gang hadn't come looking for him, he would have gone to ask for his wages.

He couldn't just work for free!

Moreover, he needed to confirm the steward's specific attitude towards him.

"Sigh~!"

Ning Caize knew he couldn't persuade him and sighed. Looking at Du En's calm face, he couldn't help but say, "At this point, you can still be so calm and composed. Your self-control is truly remarkable!"

"Hmm, or maybe it's because I have a poker face?"

Du En made a small joke.

However, this caused the others to pause.

You know, it really did look a bit like that!

Amidst this stunned silence, their emotions eased slightly.

"Alright, no more jokes. I'm going to ask for my wages now. You guys fix the door, and then, the job of burying corpses today will be up to you."

"Okay, don't worry, you don't have to worry about this."

And so, with a strange sense of anticipation and chewing on their bitterness, the Corpse Buriers repaired the courtyard gate. After they walked away, Wei Ming couldn't help but sigh as they headed towards the desolate burial grounds.

Meanwhile, Du En was heading upstream. As most people in the shack district were flowing out, he was moving against the current, towards the towering mountain-like city walls.

The stewards responsible for various affairs outside the city resided and worked in a building called the Elegant Courtyard. Sometimes, the overall manager of external affairs would also come here.

Named Elegant, it seemed out of place amidst the dirty and chaotic shack district.

However, upon actually arriving outside this building situated near the city gate, one would discover that it truly is a place of scenic beauty, with fresh air and abundant spiritual energy, living up to its name!

It was like a barrier stretching between prosperity and squalor, a sudden and abrupt transition.

The people in the shantytown all dreamed of living in the Elegant Courtyard, while those in the Elegant Courtyard dreamed of living within the city walls.

When Du En arrived at the Elegant Courtyard, it was tranquil and elegant, with no other figures visible in the vicinity.

Dressed cleanly and with a calm expression, he blended harmoniously into the surroundings.

He walked straight through the open gate, following the signs, advancing steadily until he stopped outside the pavilion of the Corpse Affairs Hall.

Without saying anything or doing anything, he simply stood there silently, waiting.

Because those in the Foundation Establishment stage possess Spiritual Sense, this intangible sense allows them to "see" various situations from afar, overcoming many obstacles.

Therefore, as long as Du En stood there, within the Corpse Affairs Steward's Spiritual Sense range, the other party would naturally know.

This steward, named He Bo, appeared portly, dressed luxuriously, with a rather kind face and a small mustache.

At this moment, he had just finished his daily cultivation, emerged from the quiet room within the pavilion, and intended to attend to some matters.

As soon as he came out, he immediately noticed Du En.

Quite bold!

Stroking his mustache, He Bo inwardly sneered.

To be honest, he didn't like Du En.

The reason was actually quite simple: he detested that calm and composed demeanor.

When such a person walked through the Elegant Courtyard, they blended in surprisingly well, without any awkwardness, giving people the illusion that they were, in fact, equals.

What kind of status do you have to be compared to me?

A mere lowly worker should obediently bow and tremble with fear!

Therefore, He Bo had been waiting, anticipating Du En's return to demand his wages.

However, even though he had long intended to teach Du En a harsh lesson in his heart, seeing that Du En was still the same as ever, having learned nothing, an inexplicable anger surged within him!

Thus, without wasting time, he directly raised his hand, opened a window, and then casually took out a bag. He weighed it in his hand, and with a murky malice, he tossed it out.

"You want your wages, right? I'm giving them to you. But whether you can catch them depends on your own skill!"