The New Master of Autumn Leaf Villa

"The Time Walker controlled by the Kashima Corporation shouldn't be that powerful, but that's relative to me," Li Dongze asked Yi. "The little boss has only just completed one Life and Death Trial. It won't be easy for him to snatch me from the Outer World from them."

"The second item is already complete," Yi said.

Li Dongze's status and his relationship with Li Shutong allowed Yi to keep it a secret.

"So fast?" Li Dongze was somewhat surprised. "He only climbed the Green Mountain Cliff not long ago."

"Have you forgotten? Time Walker have twice the time," One said.

"That's so fast! Which task did he complete this time?" Li Dongze was genuinely curious this time.

"Ultimate Trust," was the first answer.

"That thing looks simple, but it's actually very dangerous. When the boss took on this challenge, he almost sank into the water and couldn't get up, right? How about the young boss?" Li Dongze asked.

"It's nothing. On the night he achieved Ultimate Trust, he killed more than ninety assassins in one go," Yi replied.

"Is he alone?"

"Yes, just him alone..."

Li Dongze was stunned.

He picked up the amber-colored whiskey from the bar and drank it all in one gulp.

Just now, Yi told him that the young boss was quite ruthless towards his enemies. Li Dongze thought to himself at the time, the young boss is so weak now, how ruthless can he be?

Moreover, he knew that Qing Chen had fought so many matches in the Octagon Cage, but had only killed one person.

But only now did he realize what this ferocity really meant.

"Wait a minute!" Li Dongze suddenly seized on a crucial point. "The small boss can complete the Life and Death Trial in the Outer World?! Does the Forbidden Sea exist in the Outer World?!"

"Let's not discuss that for now," Yi said.

"Okay," Li Dongze said, calming himself down.

He knows knights too well, so he knows exactly what knights need!

Yi said, "However, when he went to save you in the Outer World, he was injured. Given his usual personality, he definitely wouldn't have interfered."

Yi started by doing favors for Qing Chen.

"Did the boss say how to repay this favor?" Li Dongze typed on his phone.

"He didn't say," Yi replied.

Li Dongze thought for a moment and then typed, "Is there anything the young boss is lacking? Or should I personally go to the Forbidden Zone and find him something?"

"No."

"How about I give him my Forbidden Item?" Li Dongze typed, "Even though it can only be used to check the weather forecast."

"No need," Yi replied. "He said that since you call him 'little boss,' it's only right that he helps you."

Li Dongze raised an eyebrow, as if that really made sense.

However, for these veterans who had followed Li Shutong for many years, knowing that Qing Chen was the future successor was one thing.

To accept it from the bottom of one's heart is another matter entirely.

Therefore, when Li Dongze discovered that Qing Chen had unknowingly saved him once, he subconsciously wanted to repay this favor.

Ultimately, they still didn't really treat Qing Chen as their boss.

Qing Chen needs to complete this process himself; Li Shutong cannot help him.

Li Dongze thought for a moment and said, "Then let's not talk about owing favors for now."

One: "However, he knows you took a batch of gene serum from Su Xingzhi, so he's asking you for one dose of FDE-005 gene serum. It's for eliminating future problems, so you'll have to pay for it yourself."

"Eliminate future troubles? How do you eliminate them?" Li Dongze asked, puzzled.

"Gene warriors cannot be replaced, you know that," Yi said.

"Of course," Li Dongze nodded.

"Therefore, even gene warriors cannot pass through other people's bodies," Yi said.

Li Dongze immediately understood what Qing Chen was going to do: he wanted to turn the Li Dongze of the Outer World into a gene warrior, so that the genes of the two Li Dongze would no longer be able to match.

Then others will no longer be able to exploit Li Dongze from the Outer World.

Changing one's name and getting plastic surgery are both things that some people have tried, but they cannot prevent identity theft from happening.

After learning about the substitution mechanism, many federal citizens wanted to go to the Federal Register to change their names to longer ones that were less likely to be duplicated by Outer World.

Some people even posted an analysis, saying that names with five or fewer characters could be repeated, since five-character names existed in the world of gods.

Therefore, if you're going to change it, changing it to six characters is the safest bet.

In no time, long lines formed outside federal registry offices across the country. But before people could even change their names, news broke that a man surnamed Ju had his name replaced even after changing it to "Actually a Genius".

Last week, there was news from the federal government that a wealthy person had undergone cosmetic surgery, only to be replaced the day after the surgery.

It was only then that everyone realized that the only thing that could stop substitution was changing the most fundamental thing: genes.

Many people have begun to suspect that the only condition for substitution is identical genes, and everything else is just a superficial one.

Of course, for Li Dongze, it would be even better if the small boss could help him kill him directly, since it would save him a dose of gene serum.

The most fundamental difference between the thinking of the Inner World and the Outer World can only be seen here.

Even someone like Li Dongze, who had followed Li Shutong for many years, had very little reverence for life.

Because they have seen too much, and they grew up in this kind of environment.

"The young boss has a broad perspective," Li Dongze thought for a moment, "Alright, I'll prepare everything before his next return, and anyone can come and pick it up."

"Just leave it to Hu Xiaoniu," Yi said.

Li Dongze recalled Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen, who had come to report to him a few days ago, "The young boss has a good eye for people. I tried them out, and one is upright and the other is unconventional, which complements each other somewhat, like Ye Wan and Lin Xiaoxiao by the boss's side. It's a pity that the young boss doesn't have anyone like me by his side. Having only Lin Xiaoxiao and Ye Wan is not enough, not to mention Su Xingzhi."

After a long silence, he said, "It's understandable that Su Xingzhi is annoyed with you."

"I heard the young boss went to Su Xingzhi's place before?" Li Dongze asked. "Just because of this trivial matter, he actually used an encrypted channel to brag to me for two days."

"And then?" Yi asked, puzzled. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Could you ask the young boss when he'd like to come visit Heng Society?" Li Dongze said.

Part 1: "... Is the human desire to compare oneself to others really that strong?"

Li Dongze didn't answer. He took out his vintage pocket watch and glanced at it. "The snow is about to stop."

1. "Could you improve your techniques for changing the subject?"

Return countdown: 160:00:00.

Li Changqing disappeared early in the morning, leaving only a message for Qing Chen saying he was going out to handle some business.

He was all alone in the vast Feiyun Courtyard.

For some reason, even though Qing Chen had finished the gene serum, the servants did not return to work.

Li Changqing helped him ask for leave from the headmaster, Li Liheng, last night, so he could rest for a week.

Qing Chen thought for a moment, and since he had nothing else to do, he washed up a little, picked up a small stool, and headed towards Longhu.

All he needs to do now is try to avoid being seen by many people and not stay in Feiyun Courtyard all the time.

When we arrived at Longhu, the old man was already sitting on the Broken Bridge.

"Why are you here so early today?" Qing Chen asked curiously. "Did you know I took the day off and guess that I would come so early?"

"You make it sound like I'm the one who waited here specifically for you," the old man said slowly. "I do enjoy fishing."

"What's the point of fishing anyway?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled. "If you want to eat fish, you can just scoop them up."

The old man looked at the vast lake and thought for a moment before saying, "I used to like fishing because my wife was always nagging. Back then, I would hide away in this Longhu Lake so I could be alone and think things through. You're still young, so you don't understand. Men need some space of their own."

"Huh?" Qing Chen was taken aback.

But the old man continued, "Years ago, my youngest son always coveted the fish in this Dragon Lake, but I always caught him red-handed when he tried to steal them. People say I treasured the Dragon Fish, but that's not true. There were only 18 Dragon Fish in total, and once he ate them all, they were gone. The fish outside are too aggressive, and I don't want to keep them. So my main concern is that if all the Dragon Fish in this lake are ruined, I'll have no excuse to go fishing."

Qing Chen thought to himself, "What kind of nonsense is this? Why do the big shots in the conglomerate think so strangely?"

"Then how could you bear to let me eat it?" Qing Chen was also very curious. It seemed that everyone in the Li family knew that Dragon Fish were very precious, but the other party was willing to let him eat three in a row, and today was the fourth.

The old man said slowly, "My wife passed away a few years ago, and no one nags me anymore, so I don't need to find excuses to avoid her. I originally came to Longhu to avoid her, but for some reason, every time I come to Longhu after she left, I think of her instead. It's strange. My eldest son has been trying to persuade me to follow the example of some other old folks to prolong my life these past few years, but I always say, 'Forget it, she's still waiting for me down there. Don't let her wait too long.'"

Qing Chen was stunned for a long time. The old man didn't seem sentimental at all when he said these words. He spoke very casually, as if he were talking about what to eat tonight.

It's as if death is the same as eating; when it's mealtime, you should eat, nothing special.

"Aren't you afraid of death?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled. "I think I'm pretty brave, but I'm still afraid of death."

Qing Chen is a very honest person, so he admitted that he felt fear when he stood on the 70-meter-high bungee jumping tower with his back to Weiyang Lake.

However, just as he himself had told Wang Jiale, your body is ready, and the choice is yours.

The old man glanced at him and said, "I'm not afraid of death. I've seen too much in my life, and I'm more afraid of other things."

"What are you afraid of?" Qing Chen asked.

The old man looked at the lake, thought for a moment, and said, "I'm afraid of seeing honest people forced to lie, I'm afraid of upright people forced to bend over, I'm afraid of idealists seeing their ideals shattered, I'm afraid of hearing the last truth from a liar, I'm afraid of those who prioritize self-preservation suddenly speaking out for justice, I'm afraid of those who have been betrayed by their ideals ultimately dying for them. I'm afraid of seeing the last courage of cowards, and the charge of traitors."

"I don't understand," Qing Chen shook his head.

"Young man," the old man chuckled, "You'll understand when you reach my age. These are the most heart-wrenching things in the world. Compared to them, death is nothing."

"Perhaps I will understand someday," Qing Chen said.

Qing Chen is intelligent, but understanding human relationships and social customs is not something that can be achieved simply through intelligence; one must have actually experienced them firsthand.

Many years later, one evening, Qing Chen looked back on that morning and realized that the old man had told him almost everything about the joys and sorrows of life on that day.

"By the way," the old man said, "You should move out of Feiyun Courtyard. The Li family has prepared a separate villa for you, the instructor of the Martial Lecture Hall, not far from Feiyun Courtyard. It's called Autumn Leaf Villa. Although it's a bit small, it'll definitely be enough for you."

"Are the instructors treated this well?" Qing Chen asked.

"Of course," the old man said, "The Li family has never mistreated its tutors; respecting seniority is the foundation of this family."

Respect for elders and juniors...

Qing Chen suddenly recalled a sentence the other party had just said: his eldest son always advised him to prolong his life.

Rumors are circulating that the second-generation leader of the Li family's First Branch has already dispatched troops to the Banshan Manor to prepare for the transfer of power.

Logically speaking, the head of the First Branch should be the one who most wants the old man to die, but judging from what the old man said, the inside story seems to be completely different from what is rumored outside.

This must be a big gift prepared for someone.

However, Qing Chen didn't care, and he had no intention of getting involved in these matters. As he always said, Bai Zhou was still young, and it was most important for him to stay calm and not be reckless.

"The villa has been cleaned up. You can move in today," the old man said.

Qing Chen felt something was off. Why was the other party in such a hurry? Did they really want him to move out of Feiyun Courtyard?

Wait, the old man isn't misunderstanding anything, is he?

"Ahem, I'll move over in a bit. I don't have much to take with me anyway," Qing Chen said.

"Should we arrange servants for you?" the old man asked.

"No need, it's inconvenient," Qing Chen said directly.

"By the way, have you figured out the cultivation method I gave you?" the old man said casually.

"No, that thing is too profound. I've almost racked my brains but still can't figure it out," Qing Chen said. "But I've heard that eating fish can improve brain function. If I can eat a Dragon Fish today, I should be able to figure it out."

The old man rolled his eyes and then pulled the fishing rod.

But then, a huge Dragon Fish was hooked out of the once calm lake.

Once Qing Chen held the Dragon Fish in his hand, the old man waved his hand and said, "Take the Dragon Fish and get out of here. Our fate is over for today."

Qing Chen happily tucked the stool under his arm and turned to leave the broken bridge.

After walking a few dozen steps, I looked back and saw the old man sitting alone on the broken bridge, no longer casting his hook, just sitting there quietly.

He looks somewhat lonely.

Qing Chen kept his word; he did indeed move to the Autumn Leaf Villa after leaving Longhu, guided by his servants.

Compared to other residences, this courtyard was ridiculously small. While others had magnificent mansions, his was just a small, simple courtyard house.

The courtyard house is surrounded by rows of willow trees, and there is only one narrow path leading to it; it is extremely quiet.

Inside the courtyard, in the center of the yard stands a single, solid stone table, next to which sits a reclining chair.

Qing Chen ran his fingers over the recliner and found it was indeed clean; there wasn't a speck of dust.

However, this recliner was worn exceptionally smooth, as if it had been used before.

Qing Chen wondered, who was the former owner of the Autumn Leaf Villa? The name Qiuye seemed to be related to the Autumn Leaf Blade. Could it be his master's residence back then?

But Li Shutong must have had a very high status in the Li family, so why would he live in such a small courtyard?

Qing Chen looked around but couldn't find anything that could prove the owner's identity, so he simply lay down on the recliner, swaying back and forth, seemingly lost in thought.

From morning to noon, and from noon to evening.

For some reason, Qing Chen particularly enjoyed the peace and tranquility of this moment, where he didn't have to deal with interpersonal relationships or think about any messy things.

However, just that evening, footsteps could be heard outside the Autumn Leaf Villa.

Qing Chen kept his eyes closed.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the courtyard gate. "Sir, are you there? May I come in?"

"The door isn't closed, come in," Qing Chen knew it was Li Ke just by listening to the footsteps.

After entering, young Li Ke said politely, "I heard that you asked the headmaster for leave because you were not feeling well, so I went to visit you at Feiyun Courtyard. However, neither you nor Aunt Changqing were there. It was a spy who told me that you had moved to the Autumn Leaf Villa."

"Hmm," Qing Chen asked, swaying back and forth in the recliner, "I'm fine. I'll go back after I'm done watching."

"Sir, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll go and make you some food," Li Ke said, and went into the east kitchen.

But then they saw this boy, who was only Xiao San than Qing Chen, carefully taking the vegetables out of the refrigerator and then starting to pick them and wash the rice.

He doesn't seem like a Tuanzi at all.

Moreover, as a direct descendant of the First Branch's family, Li Ke held a very high position within the entire Li clan.

But this very person, a prodigy, is now cooking for Qing Chen?

Qing Chen noticed that Li Ke was very familiar with the place, and he suddenly asked, "Actually, you also cleaned this Autumn Leaf Villa, right? You also prepared the vegetables and meat."

Li Ke thought for a moment and said, "I'm sorry, sir, I lied just now. Actually, I knew this morning that you were moving here, but this time it was too rushed and I didn't clean it all by myself; my servants did it too. But don't worry, I'll clean it myself from now on. Also, put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket in the west wing, and I'll wash them for you. As for meals, I'll cook them for you. Don't worry, my cooking skills are pretty good; at least they won't taste bad."

Qing Chen suddenly asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"I don't know," Li Ke shook his head.

"Then why are you doing all this?" Qing Chen asked curiously.

"Grandpa said that if I want to learn real skills, I should come to you," Li Ke said sincerely. "But don't worry, he didn't say anything else. I believe my sincerity can move you. I'm not lying this time. Grandpa said that whether I can learn it or not depends entirely on fate."

Qing Chen understood. So this Li Ke was the old man's favorite grandson, which was why he had directly pointed out a clear path for the young man!

No wonder Li Ke became a completely different person and started fawning over me after I became an instructor at the Martial Lecture Hall.

It turns out that a master had given them guidance.

It seems the old man wants Li Ke to become a knight?

But Li Ke seems like a very upright person, so how did he become a knight?

Qing Chen thought for a moment and looked at Li Ke: "But if you're just doing these chores, why do you think I'll teach you my real skills? There are plenty of people who can do chores, even servants can do them. Tell me, what else can you do?"

Li Ke thought for a moment and said, "I can help you beat up Qing Yi. Don't worry, he won't be able to tell anything."

Qing Chen sighed. He hadn't expected that this kid would grasp the essence of knighthood so quickly...

This is a 5200-word chapter. Happy Qixi Festival to everyone!

Today's subscription count has reached 52,000, which is quite fitting for the occasion. There will be another long chapter at 11 PM tonight. I won't be giving extra chapters to the bosses today, but I'll be giving extra chapters to the single people.