Uncle Zhong?

Lu Bai left one footprint after another in the snow.

A carriage slowly approached in the distance.

Its driver was a rugged-looking middle-aged man.

The carriage wheels carved tracks through the snow.

After it had traveled some distance, voices came from inside.

Soon, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a young nobleman of about seventeen or eighteen stuck his head out of the window to look Lu Bai over.

The carriage had not gone far when the nobleman suddenly shouted as if he'd discovered a new continent while scratching his crotch in the middle of the night.

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

"Blood Monk, Lu Bai!"

"Uncle Zhong, capture him and claim the reward from the Hundred Flower Grave! Maybe they'll even help us out, and we won't have to go to West Province."

The interest on Lu Bai's face instantly vanished.

"Can't you come up with a better nickname? If you can't, then don't. Blood Monk?" Lu Bai rubbed his buzz cut.

It was true that when he'd first appeared, he'd borrowed a monk's identity, but he hadn't worn monk's robes since then.

If he ever found out who'd given him that nickname, he'd beat him so badly his own mother wouldn't recognize him.

Before that, though, he needed to teach some people how dangerous the Jianghu could be.

Lu Bai walked toward the carriage.

At that moment, the carriage stopped. The driver came around to the back, his whip wrapped around one hand.

He fixed his gaze on Lu Bai as he drew closer, then said, "I am the third steward of the Luo Family of East Province. The person in the carriage is the Luo Family's Third Young Master."

"The Third Young Master is young and inexperienced. He spoke out of turn and offended you. I hope you'll forgive him." Uncle Zhong, the driver, was quite courteous.

"Please accept this small token of apology." Uncle Zhong took a piece of gold from his clothes and offered it with an apologetic smile.

"That's fine. Just have your young master kneel and apologize." Lu Bai was just as serious.

He didn't even glance at the gold in the man's hand. As a Traveler, gold and silver weren't worth much to him.

"You're going too far!" Uncle Zhong frowned and tightened his grip on the whip.

He was escorting the Third Young Master to his maternal grandfather's home to seek refuge. He hadn't wanted trouble along the way, but since the other man was showing no respect—

"Then I'll have to test your skills today." Uncle Zhong stared at Lu Bai, recalling what he knew about him.

The information provided by the Hundred Flower Grave was fairly detailed. It said Lu Bai was an External Martial Arts expert with only a rudimentary grasp of Internal Force for defense. He also fought dirty and had some ability to unleash sudden bursts of power.

If that was all, then keeping his distance with the whip and using his advantage in Internal Force to harass Lu Bai should make victory fairly easy.

Seeing Uncle Zhong's fighting spirit, Lu Bai welcomed it. Fighting was a pleasure in itself.

And now that defeating powerful opponents could condense their traits into modules, it was even more exciting.

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

A group of riders came charging from far away.

"There he is! We've caught up!"

"Where do you think you're going?"

Their shouts accompanied the pounding hooves.

Uncle Zhong, who had been preparing for a friendly spar with Lu Bai, immediately changed expression.

"Young Master, get on the horse!" Uncle Zhong shouted, not sparing Lu Bai another glance as he turned around.

At the same time, he hurried over to disconnect the carriage from the horse.

Clearly, that group of riders was after the so-called Third Young Master.

Lu Bai frowned. These people had ruined his fun.

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

He was a handsome, imposing young man with sharp brows and bright eyes, and a treasured sword at his side.

But he looked rather disheveled at the moment.

In his desperate rush to escape, he climbed onto the horse's back, wishing he could leave at once.

Uncle Zhong untied the reins and slapped the horse's rump. It was ready to bolt.

But just then, a hand reached out and grabbed its tail.

The horse's hooves scrabbled against the snow, but it couldn't move forward.

It kicked backward, only for Lu Bai to kick its leg in turn. The horse's leg buckled, and it toppled over.

The Third Young Master hadn't been seated securely in the first place, and he was still dazed.

As the horse fell, the world spun around him, and he went flying—only for a strong hand to grab him by the collar.

Then he heard Lu Bai say, "You haven't bowed your head and apologized to me yet. How can you run off?"

Uncle Zhong felt as if the world had collapsed around him. His eyes went wide with fury as he prepared to fight Lu Bai to the death.

But in the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Bai's completely serious face and the Third Young Master dangling from his hand.

To think that he could match a horse with nothing but brute strength... Perhaps—

"Young Master, kneel and apologize!" Uncle Zhong called, jolting the still-dazed Third Young Master back to his senses.

Lu Bai obligingly let go, and the Third Young Master dropped to his knees before him.

"Uncle Zhong, I..." Only then did the Third Young Master understand what had happened. He stubbornly tried to get back up.

But when he turned his head, he saw Uncle Zhong's bloodshot eyes and the dagger embedded in his stomach.

"When the master is humiliated, the servant must die—especially a servant like me, who forced his master to suffer humiliation."

Uncle Zhong spoke through the pain. "But I did it all for your sake, Young Master."

"Right now, this gentleman is the only one who can get you out of here alive."

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

"Do as I say!"

The Third Young Master froze, then looked at Lu Bai, who was watching the scene with keen interest.

He abruptly bowed his head to the ground and shouted, "Please forgive me, Mr. Lu! I was ignorant before! I'm bowing to you!"

After getting up, he slammed his forehead against the ground three more times, until it was streaked with blood.

"Mr. Lu Bai, are you satisfied with this attitude?" Uncle Zhong knelt beside him as well. The pounding hooves drew closer, and his pale face grew more anxious by the moment.

"He's sincere. I'm satisfied." Seeing this, Lu Bai finally let the smile fade from his face.

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

"Of course. I'll take your life as payment!" Lu Bai had already sensed something condensing within Uncle Zhong.

"Then take my life!" Uncle Zhong said with a nod, and pulled the dagger from his stomach.

His life faded away, and a golden module condensed in its place.

Lu Bai took the module, sensing that it was somewhat different from the one he'd obtained before.

But before he could examine it closely, the pounding hooves had already drawn near.

Sharp laughter and all sorts of crude insults came along with them.

"Ha ha ha! Steward Luo, are you entrusting your orphan to him?"

"We haven't even done anything, and you've scared yourself to death. Are you really that afraid?"

"How did the Luo Family's Third Young Master turn into a kowtowing worm?"

"Hey, monk! Turn around and let your grandpa see if you're pretty!"