Hangzhou, a Bright Cult stronghold.
Yang Tiansheng listened as his subordinate reported that Imperial Envoy Minister Yang Erlang had unleashed a slaughter in Yangzhou, executing more than three hundred corrupt officials from Jiangzhe.
Before the report was even halfway through, he slapped the table hard enough to make every bowl and plate jump, shouting until his voice cracked, "Badass! Yang Second is fucking badass!"
He stood up and paced excitedly around the room. "I should never have left! Such a huge spectacle, and I missed it... argh, Yang Second, you really deserve to die!"
"Will you stop pacing? You're giving me a damned headache!"
Yang Yinghao, a middle-aged man with a thick mustache across his upper lip, sat at the head of the hall, looking at his foolish son with undisguised disdain.
"Father, that bastard slaughtered more than three hundred corrupt officials in one go... that's, that's, that's badass!"
Yang Tiansheng's heart was surging with excitement. How could he possibly sit still?
He had personally taken part in what happened in Yangzhou... half of it, anyway!
He shared in that glory! He shared in that glory!
Yang Yinghao hesitantly opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Fine. In truth, he also thought... that kid had some fucking balls!
Now that was someone born to rebel!
"That kid... is going to amount to something!"
Only after a long while did Yang Yinghao slowly breathe out, overcome with feeling.
Yang Tiansheng hurriedly turned around, picked up the teapot, and poured his father some tea. "Father, what do you mean?"
Yang Yinghao glanced at him, lifted his cup, and drank without a word.
Yang Tiansheng grew impatient. "Say something, Father!"
Yang Yinghao set down his cup and waved the cult members out of the hall before reluctantly speaking. "Didn't you ask me before