Loyalty?

On the snowy ground, Lu Bai left a footprint with every step.

In the distance, a carriage slowly approached.

The driver of the carriage was a rough-looking middle-aged man.

The carriage wheels pressed deep ruts into the snow.

After traveling a short distance, the sound of conversation drifted from within.

Soon, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a young nobleman of about seventeen or eighteen poked his head out of the window, sizing Lu Bai up.

Before the carriage had gone far, the young nobleman began to shout and holler, as if he had just discovered a new continent while fumbling in his trousers in the middle of the night.

"Uncle Zhong, it's him! It really is him, that wanted criminal from the Hundred Flower Grave."

"The Blood Monk, Lu Bai!"

"Uncle Zhong, capture him! How about we go to the Hundred Flower Grave to claim the bounty? We might even gain the support of the Hundred Flower Grave, and we won't have to go to the West Province anymore."

Lu Bai's originally intrigued expression instantly collapsed.

"Can you people come up with a decent nickname? If you can't, don't bother. 'Blood Monk'?" Lu Bai touched his buzz cut.

Even though he had borrowed the identity of a monk when he first appeared, he hadn't worn monk robes in ages, alright?

If he ever found out who gave him that nickname, he'd beat them until their own mother wouldn't recognize them.

Before that, however, he really needed to let some people realize just how treacherous the Jianghu could be.

Lu Bai walked toward the carriage step by step.

At this moment, the carriage came to a halt. The driver stepped to the back of the carriage, the horsewhip in his hand coiling around his wrist.

Staring intently at the approaching Lu Bai, he spoke: "I am the third steward of the Luo Family in the East Province. The one in the carriage is the Third Young Master of the Luo Family."

"The Third Young Master is young and ignorant; please forgive his offensive words." Uncle Zhong, acting as the driver, was quite polite.

"A small token of apology, please accept it." Uncle Zhong pulled a piece of gold from his person and said with a conciliatory smile.

"That's no problem. Just tell your young master to kneel and apologize," Lu Bai said with equal seriousness.

He didn't even glance at the gold in the man's hand; he was a Traveler, and such gold and silver held little value to him.

"You are truly going too far." Uncle Zhong frowned and tightened his grip on the whip.

He was escorting the Third Young Master to his grandfather's house to seek refuge and had no desire to stir up trouble along the way, but since the other party refused to show any respect...

"Then today, I shall have to cross swords with you." Uncle Zhong stared at Lu Bai, recalling the information he had on him.

The information provided by the Hundred Flower Grave was quite substantial, stating that the man was merely an expert in external martial arts with shallow internal energy for protection, and that he used underhanded tactics with a certain capacity for explosive bursts.

If that was all there was to it, it shouldn't be difficult to win by using the long whip to maintain distance and harassing him with his superior internal energy.

Seeing Uncle Zhong's fighting spirit, Lu Bai found it exactly what he wanted; combat itself was inherently pleasurable.

And now, defeating a strong enemy to condense their traits into a module? That was even more exhilarating.

But the fire of battle in his heart was interrupted by the thunder of hooves.

In the distance, a group of people came galloping on horseback.

"Over there, we've caught up!"

"Where do you think you're running!"

Shouts accompanied the sound of the hooves.

Uncle Zhong, who had been preparing for a friendly spar with Lu Bai, saw his expression change instantly.

"Young Master, get on the horse, quickly!" Uncle Zhong ignored Lu Bai entirely and turned to shout loudly.

At the same time, he rushed forward, intending to sever the connection between the carriage and the horse.

Clearly, the group of riders was coming for this so-called Third Young Master.

Lu Bai frowned at these people who were ruining his mood.

Up ahead, the Third Young Master was scrambling out of the carriage.

He was handsome, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, and carried a precious sword at his waist.

But he looked quite disheveled now.

In his panicked flight, he climbed onto the horse's back, desperate to get as far away from this place as possible.

Uncle Zhong untied the ropes and slapped the horse's rump, and the beast prepared to bolt.

But at that moment, a hand reached out and grabbed the horse's tail.

The horse's hooves kicked uselessly at the snow, unable to move forward.

As it kicked backward with its hind legs, Lu Bai countered with a kick of his own, snapping the horse's leg and sending it crashing to the ground.

The Third Young Master on the horse hadn't even settled into his seat and was still in a daze.

When the horse flipped, he felt the world spin, and his body was sent flying, only to be caught by the collar by a powerful hand the very next moment.

Then, he heard a voice: "You haven't knelt and apologized to me yet! How can you run off?"

Uncle Zhong felt as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting; his eyes were bloodshot as he desperately wanted to risk his life against Lu Bai.

However, his peripheral vision caught sight of Lu Bai's earnest expression, as well as the Third Young Master being held in his grip.

To contend with a horse using pure strength alone, perhaps...

"Young Master, kneel and admit your mistake!" Uncle Zhong roused the Third Young Master, who was still in a state of bewilderment.

Lu Bai cooperated by loosening his grip, and the Third Young Master fell to his knees before him.

"Uncle Zhong, I..." Only then did the Third Young Master realize what had happened, and he stubbornly tried to stand up.

But as he turned his head, he saw Uncle Zhong's wide, reddened eyes and the dagger plunged into his stomach.

"A master's humiliation is the servant's death, especially for a servant like me who forced the master's family to suffer such disgrace."

Uncle Zhong endured the pain and said, "Everything was for your sake, Young Master."

"Right now, only this gentleman can take you out of here alive."

"Uncle Zhong!" Tears streamed down the Third Young Master's face as he tried to cover Uncle Zhong's wound, but he was stopped.

"Behave!"

The Third Young Master froze, then looked at Lu Bai, who was watching the show with great interest from the side.

He then slammed his head against the ground and shouted loudly, "Mr. Lu, please forgive me! It was this brat who was ignorant before! I kowtow to you!"

After rising, he slammed his head against the ground three more times, his forehead already stained red.

"Mr. Lu Bai, are you satisfied with this attitude?" Uncle Zhong also knelt to the side. The sound of hoofbeats in the distance grew closer, making his pale expression turn increasingly anxious.

"The attitude is very sincere; I am satisfied." Lu Bai watched this scene, and the smile on his face finally faded.

"Then, Mr. Lu, can you take on this deal and escort my young master to the West Province Zhang Family?" Uncle Zhong's face grew paler by the second.

"Of course I can, using your life as the price!" Lu Bai had already sensed something condensing within Uncle Zhong's body.

"Use my life, then!" Uncle Zhong nodded, then pulled the dagger from his stomach.

His life force vanished, and a golden module condensed in its place.

Lu Bai took the module, feeling that it was somewhat different from the previous ones.

But before he could examine what the module was, the sound of hoofbeats arrived.

Accompanying them were sharp laughter and all sorts of vulgarities.

"Hahaha, Steward Luo, are you entrusting your charge to others?"

"We haven't even made a move yet, and you've already scared yourself to death. Are you really that afraid?"

"Why has the Third Young Master Luo turned into a kowtowing worm?"

"And that monk, turn around and let us see if you're a pretty one!"