Chapter 164 Improvement (First Update)
"Oh, so you've learned to call in reinforcements?" The burly man sneered disdainfully. " Ranxue, huh? I'll wait for him!"
Less than a minute later, the sound of clothes rustling in the wind could be heard outside; the discipline inspectors had arrived.
"Huh?" the burly man said, somewhat surprised, "So fast?"
Ranxue frowned slightly, his breath reeking of alcohol. " Salim, this place is under my jurisdiction. I'm giving you a chance—get out of here now!"
He was in a bad mood. He had been away for so long and was finally back. He was having dinner with his wife when he was called over.
However, he also knew that although the other party was not a formal employee of Red Pine, they had powerful connections.
"You think you can boss me around?" The burly man was a little surprised. "Do you even know who he is?"
"Leave, immediately!" Ranxue didn't waste any more words with him. " The New Army has just solved a rebellion case!"
"New... Army?" Salim was even more confused. "You're telling me this? How much did they drink?"
"I'm halfway through my drink!" His Ranxue hand gripped the dagger at his waist. "Are you fucking getting out of here or not?"
"I'll pay!" the burly man reacted quickly. "Ten silver dollars... fifty! Tell me about it?"
Ultimately, their professions are different; even when he was wronged, he was willing to spend money to buy information.
The key is to subdue this boy in front of everyone; otherwise, he'll be a real problem later.
"You think I care about your worthless trifles?" Ranxue glared angrily. "I'll ask you one last time, get out or not?"
In the past, when he saw the other person, although he didn't like them, he was too lazy to pay them any attention.
The New Army was too far away for him, but the Hong Da was very close, and besides... as a discipline inspector, didn't he have any pride?
"Alright, you're awesome today!" Salim couldn't really afford to turn on him. "I hope you stay awesome from now on!"
He vanished in a flash, but a faint voice came from behind him. "Pah, what the hell!"
Ranxue chased the person away, still in a bad mood. "Why don't you go stay with the instructor?"
"It's not suitable," the boy shook his head, his eyes clear. "I have too much trouble."
"Sigh," Ranxue sighed softly. He had originally wanted to ask, "How did you provoke Salim?"
But upon hearing the words "too much trouble," he decided not to ask any further—your troubles are not only numerous, but also significant!
As a discipline inspector, he had witnessed too many dark sides of life, and even with the backing of Hong Da, he didn't want to cause any more trouble.
Anyway, what he's doing now is simply his duty, and he's not afraid even if the dean comes!
In the end, he still insisted, "You should rearrange the mechanisms at your door; it's fine if they're a bit more powerful!"
The boy can bring benefits to everyone, but he doesn't want more people to know, so he can't arrange stronger protection.
However, if the organization is powerful, that's within his responsibilities, and he can do whatever he deems appropriate.
When I sobered up the next day after the Ranxue incident, it was almost noon, and my wristwatch received several messages.
Looking back, he felt even more fortunate that he had reacted quickly and decisively yesterday.
Daiqisi's reward came down: not only was she promoted to a teaching position, but her priority for cultivation resources was also increased.
Even the female archer and Manna, who hitched a ride, benefited greatly.
The City Guard Bureau stated that the two women were on site and provided necessary assistance.
As for the other participants, they only received verbal praise.
"Damn it, sexism," Ranxue shook his head, laughing and crying at the same time.
uuɡu. First update, no typos. You won't see the pinyin suffix in the address input. You can then access the first update site.
He knew very well that the only people present at the time were Daiqisi and Wu Youren.
The bearded senior was willing to do her a favor, so Daiqisi reported those two... There's nothing you can do about it, is there?
Unfortunately, later that day, he Ranxue another message that surprised him quite a bit.
Wu Youren, a hidden gem among students, is suspected to be a hostage from the Jin!
This news had been circulating among some instructors before, but he hadn't paid attention to it.
However, Ranxue only paused for a dozen seconds before accepting reality: This has nothing to do with me.
Being a hostage in the State of Jin... sounds like a rather troublesome position, but once you understand it, it's not such a big deal.
After all, in that battle more than ten years ago, Liang won against Jin, not lost!
The Hostage Prince Corps is just for show, a facade. Expecting them to influence major national policies of the Jin is unrealistic, isn't it?
He is actually a hostage from the Jin, and it seems he is currently influencing the national policies of the Liang.
Specifically, while Chief Instructor Hong might not be able to withstand the Court of State Ceremonial or the Intelligence Agency, in the eyes of the New Army... what's the big deal?
The Instructor Burning Blood, still a little dizzy from a hangover, was perfectly clear-headed; the world was probably about to descend into chaos.
He does his job well and keeps his secrets, and that's good enough.
As events unfolded, he was not the only one to make this choice!
That very day, the female archer went to visit Wu Youren —presumably to feed the little snow hawk.
Daiqisi didn't go, because... she was treating everyone!
The following afternoon, Daiqisi appeared at Wu Youren's small house, her eyes glazed over.
There was nothing she could do; she was a heavy drinker to begin with, and in a good mood, she hadn't sobered up from yesterday's drinking.
After exchanging only a few words, she collapsed onto the boy's bed and fell fast asleep.
Wu Youren took two days to recover and basically came back to his senses—mainly because he had eaten too much recently due to his experience points.
The female instructor slept in his bed, so he could only go to the vegetable garden at the back.
The vegetables I planted are in a terrible state; to sum it up in one sentence: the weeds are growing much more vigorously than the vegetables.
"Winter is coming soon, let's build a greenhouse," Wu Youren thought to himself as he weeded.
With his current wealth, he's already built a glass greenhouse; two acres of land wouldn't cost him much.
However, losing money is inevitable, Liang have no habit of eating vegetables, let alone vegetables in winter, which are more expensive than meat.
But for the sake of maintaining a certain public image, whether it's profitable or not doesn't seem to matter much.
It's just a temporary period of hiding one's abilities. When one becomes a powerful force that can no longer be concealed, it's not too late to remove the disguise.
With his current cultivation level, tilling two acres of land would be a piece of cake, but he didn't want to draw too much attention, so he worked at a leisurely pace.
When he had hoeed more than halfway through, he looked up into the distance, frowned slightly, and continued working.
The next moment, a motorcycle approached from a distance and stopped at the door.
Immediately afterwards, a woman's voice shouted angrily, " Wu Youren! I need an explanation!"
"Keep your voice down!" Daiqisi woke up with a start, getting out of bed grumpy. "Get out of here, don't disturb my sleep!"
"Wu! You! Ren!"
"Tsk," Wu Youren flashed into the doorway of his house, still holding a hoe in his hand.
He looked at Cynthia and sighed helplessly, "Explanation... what explanation?"
"Who is this woman?" the female trainee asked angrily, pointing at the female instructor. "Why is she lying on my bed?"
"Huh?" Daiqisi sat up abruptly, her eyes gleaming with gossip. "Your bed?"
"Your bed?" Wu Youren was also taken aback. "How come I didn't know about this?"
"This can only be mine!" Cynthia was clearly provoked and had started to act unreasonably. "I have the Cloud-Surging Pill!"
"Tch, you've got me all excited," Daiqisi lay back down, her curvaceous figure on full display. "How many of these do you want?"
Cynthia couldn't take it anymore. "You like this kind of old woman?"
"Because she's rich, right?"
"No..." Wu Youren touched his forehead, "Let me sort this out."
"Yes, first of all, she's not old; she's at the most charming age for a woman."
"Secondly, I don't know if she has any money. What I really want to know right now is: how did this bed become yours?"
Cynthia paused for a moment before replying, "It can only be the two of us, you and me!"
"I heard you were back, do you know how happy I was? And then... you showed me this?"
"I didn't invite you to come," Wu Youren said, utterly speechless. "This house has been uninhabited for a long time."
Ever since that incident, he left the other party and that companion from the Mirage Sea Alliance —I think his name Naimuer?
From the moment he started hunting alone in the mountains, it was destined that their relationship would not last.
You said this is your bed, have you slept in it recently?
All she wanted was to sleep with the man in the bed.
But now, she still acts all self-righteous... Indeed, women really are unreasonable creatures.
Hearing this, Daiqisi, who was on the bed, couldn't take it anymore.
She spoke lazily, "This student, you'd better leave now, or I'll remove your name from the list!"
"You've even learned to sleep with your instructors?" Cynthia was getting increasingly annoyed. "Our Mirage Sea Alliance also has instructors!"
"Get lost," Daiqisi yawned. " The Mirage Sea Alliance, is it? I'm going to sleep a little longer, and I'll come find you to cause trouble when I wake up!"
"Who exactly are you?" Cynthia had calmed down a little, but judging from her tone, she hadn't calmed down much.
"If you say another word, I'll smash your mouth," the female instructor on the bed mumbled.
When Daiqisi woke up, it was already dark. She jumped out of bed.
With a soft "crack," several cracks appeared on the bed frame. "What... what have you done?"
"Tell me what you did," Manna's voice rang out, "What are you doing here?"
"You even chased away a female student, all to deal with the Mirage Sea Alliance..."
"Stop, no need to say anymore," Daiqisi said, a little embarrassed, but thankfully the lights were off. "I remember everything!"
She just had a hangover and wasn't completely recovered; it wasn't like she blacked out from drinking too much.
"Then what are you doing here?" Manna was both annoyed and amused. "Do you want everyone to know that the credit comes from him?"
She came after receiving a plea for help from Wu Youren on her wristwatch.
She only benefited from Daiqisi's influence this time, and she was too embarrassed to say it was too much.
"I'm happy," Daiqisi muttered softly, "I'll be more careful next time... That little girl actually said I'm old!"
"Let's stop this, okay?" Manna sighed helplessly. "What he needs right now is to keep a low profile!"
"I'm here to talk about the greenhouse," Daiqisi finally remembered why she had come. "He wants to grow vegetables in the winter!"
The boy had mentioned this topic when he was in Bellflower Mountain; greenhouses and mechanical devices are somewhat related.
============
Chapter 165 Treason? (Second Update)
"Growing vegetables?" Manna's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "That's something we should try!"
She stated frankly, "Students with special skills can receive appropriate assistance, which makes things easier."
The instructors who returned from the Bellflower Mountain are now facing a small dilemma.
No one wanted the boy to be the center of attention, yet people still came to visit him from time to time.
Besides cultivating a good relationship with Little Snowhawk, they also valued Little Wu's views on the current situation.
To put it another way, if they encounter a strange or unusual mission, the young man would be a great help!
"Special skills?" Daiqisi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "His true identity... do you know about it?"
"I already knew!" Manna answered without hesitation. "He was personally brought to Red Pine by Hong Da, but does it matter?"
"It's not really that important," Daiqisi replied decisively, clearly having given it thought.
Her dilemma was, "I really don't like eating vegetables!"
"I didn't ask you to plant it, let's go, let's go," Manna said, pulling Daiqisi as they left under the cover of night.
The next morning, the administrator arrived. Looking at the neatly arranged vegetable patch by the boy, he hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Will you continue planting?"
Wu Youren knew his intentions. "The wine will have to wait a few days. I was away for quite a while this time and haven't been back yet."
The administrator hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your wine comes from the Barbarian Tribe?"
"Barbarians...?" The boy's eyes widened in astonishment. Had Jin Garden's business grown this big by now?
Just think about the Jade Dew that Daiqisi mentioned; two catties cost fifteen silver dollars, and the Heavenly Dew that the Great Knight of the City Guard Bureau treated guests to was even more expensive.
He sold the "strong liquor" to the administrator for only two yuan, including the jar; it should sell for five yuan outside without any problem.
Barbarian Tribe were already poor, and they liked to drink early in the morning, so there was definitely a market for this kind of strong liquor.
But what does that have to do with him?
The boy shook his head decisively, "I really don't know, I'm not a brewer."
"The taste is about the same," the administrator casually remarked. "Five silver dollars for two jars."
"You think I'm overcharging..." Wu Youren nodded slightly. "Then I'll go ask."
To be honest, he wasn't in a good mood. If those people from Jin Garden really went to do that, it would be hard for them to go unnoticed.
"Don't bother with it in winter," the administrator said calmly, but it was clear that this was the decision.
"If you still want to plant them, see if there's a chance next spring."
"Uh, okay," the boy blinked, then nodded. "I understand."
The administrator stood there for a while, seemingly about to say something, but in the end, he turned and left.
A student was walking towards them. The two looked at each other and then passed each other.
It was Liu Jingming. "Wow, you actually came back! I heard you made Cynthia cry?"
"You... you should stay away from her," Wu Youren replied after a moment's thought.
Even now, he still can't be sure whether that person has any connection with Liang's intelligence agencies.
Thinking of the aloof Ailin, who was very likely to be Yanzi, he felt it was best to be cautious.
Anyway, he'd said what he needed to say; whether the son-in-law listened or not was none of his business.
Now he prefers to chat about everyday things, like, "Your left leg hasn't fully recovered yet?"
"I'm almost fully recovered," Liu Jingming replied with a smile. "I was deliberately limping to avoid missions."
He's got some cleverness, but he's wasting it all on trivial things... Wu Youren was speechless.
However, that's their choice; everyone has their own life, and he has no intention of judging them.
Are you still selling Spring Mood Is Good lately?
"We've been out of stock for half a month," Liu Jingming said, looking at him expectantly, "We've been waiting for you to come back."
"I estimate it will take a while longer," Wu Youren replied calmly, indicating his intention to gradually shut down this business.
He can help someone in a timely manner, but he can't help them forever.
In particular, now that several instructors are keeping a close eye on him, he has to be careful about what he does.
"I know," Liu Jingming said, seemingly unconcerned.
His calm demeanor was not without reason. "I've heard that things haven't been peaceful in Tianjing lately?"
"It's best if you can find your own reasons!" Wu Youren nodded.
"It's not just unsettled, I suggest you don't even step out of the gate of Red Pine!"
"Or should I pretend to be lame?" Liu Jingming said, adding that his information channels were not bad.
He glanced around, then lowered his voice and said, " Jin Garden has already started selling its spirits in the surrounding areas."
"Even you know!" Wu Youren sighed. "That's why I don't want to bother with the honey anymore, to avoid having to go out only during the day."
"Can only go out during the day?" The son of the live-in son-in-law was unfamiliar with this joke.
Something bad is bound to happen sooner or later!
"They have their methods too... Never mind," Liu Jingming shook his head.
Little Wu strongly disliked those companions; why should he bother explaining further?
His role as a bridge between the two parties is crucial and irreplaceable in the short term; he should cherish this position.
"His Highness and the head guard have been keeping an eye on you recently."
The head of the guard was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Wei, and the only Great Knight in the Hostage Prince Corps.
"Then I'm honored," Wu Youren replied casually, then added, "By the way, have you heard of Chen Quanxu?"
"Which one?" Liu Jingming was a little confused. "Is it from the Martial Academy?"
He did not believe that the other party was inquiring about the people in the hostage residence.
There was no such person in Jin Garden at all—not to mention the hostage, he knew almost everything about the guards and the Liang's guards.
Wu Youren casually replied, "I heard it used to belong to Jin Garden."
"Previously, Chen... Quanxu?" Liu Jingming hesitated for a moment before asking uncertainly, "The guard who ran away?"
"Yes," Wu Youren nodded, "I heard he betrayed the country."
"No way, he's dead," Liu Jingming answered without hesitation. "Everyone said he ran away, but he didn't."
Wu Youren asked tactfully, "So what if the guards ran away? They're not hostages."
"If we don't investigate strictly, it will be easier for Jin Garden to communicate with the outside world," Liu Jingming replied without hesitation.
"I heard this from the guards of Liang when I was drinking with them."
The hostages and the guards were not absolutely irreconcilable. Wu Youren's predecessor even had the guards taste the strong liquor he made.
"The version I heard is different," Wu Youren replied solemnly, "I heard that his Lineage was expelled from the state, and therefore..."
"The country is abolished!" Liu Jingming was taken aback and even interrupted the other party directly.
For aristocratic families, those two words were truly terrifying. "What... oh, his surname is Chen?"
"What's wrong with having the surname Chen?" Wu Youren genuinely didn't understand.
"It's nothing, I think I heard someone mention it," Liu Jingming frowned and thought for a long time, but still shook his head uncertainly.
"So what if he's not dead? Traitor... Great Knight now?"
The word "treason" is what the hostages fear most, yet ironically, it is everywhere.
When this topic comes up, they can be stern and fierce, or they can be nonchalant and indifferent.
Wu Youren shook his head. "I don't know. So you know nothing at all."
"What the Liang guards said, you know those scoundrels too," Liu Jingming replied dismissively, "Maybe it's true."
What he was really interested in was, "Why are you asking about this person?"
Wu Youren remained silent for a long time before finally replying, "How many of us out of a hundred are reliable?"
"Who can say for sure?" Liu Jingming shook his head, his expression somber. "Perhaps you also doubt me, but..."
He rolled his eyes at the other person, then shook his head. "Given your current state, you're more suspicious than I am."
The lord's grandson is doing very well now, and even His Highness and the head of the guards have taken notice.
It would be great if it could develop, but what would be the cost?
"That's why I need to study the psychology of traitors," Wu Youren replied casually, not annoyed by the other party's words.
"I was just asking you; I thought you knew more than I do."
"Who do you think you're underestimating?" Liu Jingming's expression turned serious upon hearing this. "Things are going pretty well for me right now. I'll ask around for you later."
He wasn't among the first batch of students to directly enter the Martial Academy, but thanks to his Spring Mood Is Good and his flexible approach to things, he has already surpassed them.
"Forget it!" Wu Youren waved his hand dismissively. "Asking about treason is just digging your own grave."
"Tsk, do you think I don't understand conversation skills?" Liu Jingming's expression hardened. "Don't worry, leave it to me."
This was the first time Little Wu had proactively inquired about information; he had to handle it well, otherwise it might be the last time!
Wu Youren ignored that topic and instead asked, "Do you know how to grow vegetables?"
"Who are you insulting?" Liu Jingming's face darkened. "I am the grandson of a baron, and you dare ask me such a question?"
The next moment, his face hardened, and he forced a smile. "Just kidding, just kidding."
The guy in front of me is planting vegetables. Has he gone mad and offended the God of Wealth?
"Well, my father's family is from a farming background. I thought you were mocking me... It's childhood trauma, stress, I'm just overreacting!"
"Why are you so talkative?" Wu Youren shook his head helplessly. "I just want an answer: yes or no?"
"I'm from Jin!" Liu Jingming glanced at him knowingly. "Eight out of ten people know how to farm, and the tenth is just a jack-of-all-trades, don't you think?"
"Tsk," Wu Youren frowned, looking at the other person indifferently without saying a word.
"Yes, yes, yes," Liu Jingming said helplessly, "Even if it's only half-baked, it's definitely better than the Liang!"
"I'm thinking of setting up a greenhouse to grow vegetables in the winter," Wu Youren said. "Do you have any suggestions... Hey, hey?"
Liu Jingming remained silent for a full ten seconds before letting out a soft sigh, "The situation is dire right now, Tianjing is in turmoil, and you're going to farm?"
"Then you should participate," Wu Youren said calmly. "I think farming is a good option."
"Yes, yes, I think it's a good idea too," Liu Jingming nodded repeatedly. "I'll go think about what's suitable to plant in winter right away."
He had barely finished speaking when the other person frowned, turned around, went into the room, and slammed the door shut.
Then a voice came from inside the house, "Well, I don't have much time to wait for you."
"I just don't understand!" Liu Jingming thought to himself, puzzled, on his way back. "Is farming really that important?"
For Wu Youren, farming isn't really important; the key thing is... another wave of experience points has been gained.
It's fortunate we returned to Red Pine; otherwise, things would have been really difficult!