You Want Me to Be the Accountant? Fine, No Problem!

Lu Xingshi set off for Jiangnan alone.

He had to admit, Jiangnan was indeed prosperous. Fortunately, the Langya Pavilion was wealthy and he was its only Young Pavilion Master; otherwise, with such high expenses, Lu Xingshi would have had to travel on foot.

"Tsk tsk, listening to songs in the pleasure houses..." Lu Xingshi glanced at the brothel from afar but didn't go in.

This wasn't something a jungle bumpkin like him could appreciate. They recited poetry, matched couplets, and sang tunes, while all he wanted was to see some bare thighs and suggestive acts—utterly vulgar. The main issue was that he couldn't see any of that; they sold their art, and for the body... that required spending money or relying on talent.

After taking a look at his own genderless Martial Arts Game Character body, Lu Xingshi decisively abandoned that idea.

In the end, he could only curse under his breath, calling it a crappy Half-Finished Product game.

By the time Lu Xingshi arrived in Jiangnan, he discovered that the Prince of Wu had already conquered the entire region. The next step was... to extricate himself from this chaotic mess in Jiangnan.

To put it plainly, as Lu Xingshi traveled, what he saw was deeply fragmented—war and prosperity coexisting, giving off a rather absurd feeling.

At the same time, the Prince of Wu's entire force was bogged down in a quagmire, lacking the strength to expand outward.

When the Prince of Wu raised his army, his original intention was to march north from Jiangnan all the way to the Capital to Purge the Emperor's Entourage. The idea was good, but there was one problem: he wanted everything.

He wanted both to Purge the Emperor's Entourage and to absorb the Jiangnan scholar-officials, laying the groundwork for his future ascension to the throne and control of the Imperial Court.

Thus, he naturally absorbed a large number of Jiangnan scholars as administrators. The common folk couldn't even read, and training them would take too long, so he had to make do with what he had.

This move quickly swelled the Prince of Wu's power, even allowing him to take control of Jiangnan. However, the problem was obvious: Jiangnan and the Capital mirrored each other, directly blocking the Prince of Wu's advance toward the Capital.

He could carve out a region and rule it, but he couldn't Purge the Emperor's Entourage.

As for the solution, Lu Xingshi already knew it: simply turn the current emperor into the Late Emperor, depose the Crown Prince, and welcome the Prince of Wu into the palace to ascend the throne.

Transitioning directly from a feudal prince to a puppet emperor—the entire process would be seamless.

The Prince of Wu had also realized this situation. When he was greedy, he thought he could turn the tables, but that was just an illusion.

Now, he was entangled too deeply. Trying to cut ties might sever a major artery.

He wouldn't necessarily die, but he would definitely be weakened. However, the Prince of Wu didn't dare to do it now, so the situation continued to erode.

After learning these things, Lu Xingshi headed straight for the Prince of Wu's Estate.

His role wasn't for political maneuvering; he was purely here for fighting and killing. Once he got the Kunlun, he planned to coast along and put in minimal effort.

As for helping the Prince of Wu enter the Capital, if there was no movement within a year, Lu Xingshi intended to cut and run.

It wasn't like he was going to work for the guy for life just because the Prince of Wu couldn't make a move forever. He did need the Kunlun, but with the North Sea already in hand, he didn't necessarily need it.

After submitting a visiting card, Lu Xingshi didn't get to see the Prince of Wu directly. He noticed quite a few martial artists gathered here.

"Another one here to pledge allegiance to the Prince of Wu?" The Steward sized Lu Xingshi up and then said, "The accounting office is short one clerk. Would you be willing to take the position?"

"Huh? Me, in the accounting office?" Lu Xingshi was a bit stunned. He'd heard of cooks being formidable fighters, but never of accountants being good at fighting.

Not everyone who kept the books was Lu Qinghou, capable of becoming the Guanzhong Hero.

"If you're not satisfied, there are no other suitable positions in the estate for you to take." The Steward, thinking Lu Xingshi was unhappy, explained further.

"I can do it. I know my way around accounting." Lu Xingshi didn't question it and agreed directly.

Accounting wasn't a big deal—much better than fighting and killing.

It was the other party's arrangement, not his own choice.

Lu Xingshi understood that the Steward didn't see him as a martial artist. Mainly because when Lu Xingshi restrained himself, his Return to Simplicity left no trace of martial training, making him look more like a scholar.

In recent days, not only martial artists but also a large number of scholars had come to pledge allegiance to the Prince of Wu.

In the Steward's eyes, Lu Xingshi belonged to the humble class.

"Let me ask, when will I be able to see the Prince of Wu?" Lu Xingshi inquired.

He was still waiting to get the Kunlun. He didn't want to end up grinding here for a year and only meet the guy when he was about to leave.

"It will probably take a few more days." The Steward didn't know either. The Prince of Wu was very busy, and getting an audience wasn't easy.

In his eyes, Lu Xingshi was just an ordinary person, and standing out wouldn't be easy.

"Alright." Lu Xingshi didn't press further. He wasn't going to take the initiative to stir up trouble—why would he volunteer for extra work?

He wanted the Kunlun, but he also didn't want to work. If the emperor truly had sincerity, he should have had the Imperial Guard deliver the Kunlun directly to the Langya Pavilion. Then Lu Xingshi wouldn't say much else—within ten days, he could guarantee the Prince of Wu would go from Jiangnan to the Capital and sit on the emperor's throne.

He wouldn't even mind being the executioner, killing anyone who opposed him, turning the court into the Prince of Wu's one-man show.

Unfortunately, the emperor first morally blackmailed him, then lured him with rewards, and didn't even give a down payment. With that kind of attitude, he'd probably only hand over the Kunlun after Lu Xingshi helped the Prince of Wu fight his way to the Capital. How could Lu Xingshi possibly have any motivation?

Not to mention anything else, the Kunlun was originally a Divine Weapon of the Langya Pavilion, paired with "Eternal Life."

Of course, after it was lost, Lu Xingshi didn't insist on getting it back. But using the Kunlun as both a threat and a bribe to make him work was truly disgusting, especially since he had previously helped Great Song hold Tiange Pass and repel the barbarians.

Lu Xingshi had his own likes and dislikes. He wasn't a real player who would happily trot off at the first quest given.

"Your salary is one tael of silver per month, with room and board included. You get seven days off per month. If you have a wife and children, you can bring them to the estate." The Steward also explained the benefits.

"I'm alone, no wife or children." Lu Xingshi listened. It was still a high-paying job, with seven days off per month.

But because it was the Prince of Wu's Estate, they gave one tael per month.

Then the Steward led Lu Xingshi to the accounting office and arranged his lodging and meals. In this regard, there was no arrogance or suppression.

Being a Steward of the Prince of Wu's Estate required a certain level of professional competence. Vicious servants were ultimately in the minority; if everyone were evil, even the Prince of Wu wouldn't stand for it.

After all, reputation still had its uses.

"If you need anything else, you can come to the front estate to find me or another Steward. If we can get it for you, we won't skimp." The Steward added a final reminder.