Cold Violence

Zheng Fa rarely felt even a trace of sympathy for Wang Gui.

That Seventh Young Master who had looked like an enthusiastic youth just now was truly hard to endure when he stopped treating people like human beings.

He tossed Gao Yuan's book chest onto the ground. The corners of his lips curled as though he were smiling, yet there was not a shred of amusement in his eyes.

Clearly, what he had said earlier about telling Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan to get lost had been sincere.

"Not saying anything?" Seeing that neither Zheng Fa nor Gao Yuan replied, Seventh Young Master spoke as though he had seen straight through them. "Did someone tell you that if you followed me, you'd eat well and live high? That glory and riches would be yours?"

"Bullshit! Am I really someone so easy to serve?"

Well, at least he had a pretty clear understanding of himself.

Seventh Young Master glanced at them, then turned and sprawled into his chair, one leg crossed over the other, looking utterly frivolous.

"Were you hoping that once I became Patriarch, you could become my lackeys and swagger around outside, throwing your weight about?" He curled his lip. "I'm not afraid to tell you straight: I'm only too young right now. Once I grow up, this damned Zhao Family Patriarch position can go to whoever wants it—I won't take it! You'd better wake up from that daydream too!"

Gao Yuan's face went pale beside him.

He knew Seventh Young Master had a reputation for being unruly within the manor.

But even this was beyond what he had expected.

Zheng Fa, on the other hand, was not disappointed. His purpose in coming to Zhao Manor had been clear: to get a look at this world's martial arts and, while he was at it, improve his Family Background.

As for what sort of person Seventh Young Master was, it mattered, but not that much.

Leave just because he had heard those two sentences?

Zheng Fa was not that naive. Zhao Manor had sent him here for assessment; he had no choice. Whether he became a pageboy or not was, in truth, even less his choice.

Still, Seventh Young Master's reaction to the two of them was rather excessive.

This round of cold mockery and hot sarcasm did not even seem meant for Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan.

Seeing that they still said nothing, Seventh Young Master seemed to find it boring as well. He waved them off. "Not willing to leave, are you? Then stand outside. Don't obstruct my view."

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan stood by the Room Door. Through the light-filtering Glazed Tile in the window, they watched Seventh Young Master pace around the room as though he were angry, then sit back down and pick up that book.

Then, as he read, he seemed to get angry at the book again and rose to pace in circles once more.

The way he studied was earnest, helpless, and oddly familiar.

The kind of person who, with one glance in an Exam Hall, you knew was working hard but completely lost.

Collectively known as Scum Students.

Zheng Fa grew a little curious. Setting everything else aside, that stubborn posture of gritting his teeth and studying despite being unable to learn did not fit the lout Seventh Young Master presented himself as.

He just did not know what book Seventh Young Master was reading.

Time trickled by, and as Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan stood at the door, no one paid them any attention.

The sun in the sky slowly climbed higher. As noon arrived, the sunlight became exceptionally scorching.

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan had both set out early in the morning and had barely had a drop of water. Baked beneath such blazing sun, they could not help feeling hot, thirsty, and thoroughly miserable.

Gao Yuan kept licking his dry lower lip, but it seemed the more he licked, the drier it became. Even the skin on his lips cracked.

The two were nearly dazed by the heat when soft Footsteps suddenly came from behind them. A Maidservant approached, carrying a pale green porcelain tray.

On the tray was a huge bunch of grapes, washed spotlessly clean.

Crystal-clear Water Droplets still clung to the grapes, glittering in the sunlight.

Zheng Fa clearly heard Gao Yuan swallow hard beside him.

The Maidservant seemed to have deliberately walked up in front of them. She could even be said to have circled the grapes beneath their noses before lifting the curtain of the Study Room and entering.

When the curtain was lifted, Zheng Fa clearly felt a cool breeze blow out from the room.

He could not help peering curiously inside.

There was no ice basin, and it certainly could not be modern air conditioning.

Where was this chill coming from?

Then he spotted an inconspicuous blue pattern on the floor inside the room, glowing faintly.

The cool breeze seemed to be blowing from that corner.

A Magic Array? Zheng Fa thought. And one of these purely domestic Magic Arrays?

What surprised Zheng Fa more than Seventh Young Master's ability to enjoy such an array was that this world actually possessed arrays created specifically for comfort and pleasure—

To Zheng Fa, that said even more about the Immortal Sect's influence on this world, as well as the level of development of its Cultivation Civilization.

The Maidservant placed the porcelain tray before Seventh Young Master. He pinched a grape between his fingers and walked to the window.

As though he deliberately wanted Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan to see clearly.

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan stood beneath the searing sun, their mouths so dry they were nearly out of saliva.

Inside the window, Seventh Young Master ate the whole large tray of grapes, one by one, at an agonizingly slow pace.

After finishing, he gave them a smug smile, then returned to his original seat and resumed reading that book.

Seeing his furrowed, miserable expression now, Zheng Fa could not help cursing inwardly—serves him right!

By the afternoon, perhaps having decided it was no longer amusing, Seventh Young Master finally drove them away.

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan followed the Maidservant out of Seventh Young Master's courtyard and headed toward their lodgings.

The farther they walked, the more dejected Gao Yuan looked.

Zheng Fa understood what he was thinking. Seventh Young Master's courtyard was large enough, yet he refused to let the two of them stay there. His rejection of them could not have been more obvious.

When they reached their quarters, they found a single-story house with no Courtyard Wall.

Inside, the first room held a table and several chairs.

The inner room contained two beds, with a cabinet at each bedside.

There was no other furniture.

After leading them there, the Maidservant said nothing and turned to leave, having no intention of speaking with them further.

Watching her hurriedly retreating back, as though she could not avoid them fast enough,

Gao Yuan let out a long sigh and gave Zheng Fa a bitter smile. "I heard Father mention Seventh Young Master long ago... sigh."

Perhaps out of respect for Venerate, he did not continue. He merely muttered in pain, "It's like this on the very first day. How are we supposed to get through the days ahead?"

Zheng Fa took the clothes from his bundle and put them into the cabinet without speaking.

Gao Yuan rolled over on the bed. "You really don't have any thoughts?"

"What thoughts could I have?" Zheng Fa finished arranging the cabinet, shrugged, and said, "Seventh Young Master isn't actually that bad."

"Huh?"

"He doesn't like us, does he?"

"That's painfully obvious."

"But what has he actually done to us?"

"Seems like..." Gao Yuan frowned and thought for a while. Seventh Young Master certainly had a knack for infuriating people, but his harmfulness really was not great.

"So, he doesn't like us, and I don't like him either. But whether we're his pageboys or not probably isn't something he gets to decide... We'll just make do."

"But if he doesn't like us, we won't be able to stay here for long, will we?"

Zheng Fa nodded.

Seventh Young Master was a Young Master, after all.

"I can't be driven back, or Father will beat me to death!"

Zheng Fa fell silent. Compared to Gao Yuan, the price he might pay for being sent back could be even more severe. Steward Wang at the Tian estate might well be waiting for this very day.

As the two faced each other in silence, a Man came to the door and said, "Instructor Xu wants to see you."

Gao Yuan sprang to his feet, excitement written across his face. "He's going to teach us martial arts!"

Zheng Fa was somewhat puzzled that he had instantly forgotten his earlier worries. "Haven't you practiced martial arts before?"

"What do you know? What I practiced was just Farming Moves. Father never dared teach me the manor's martial arts!"