Chapter 5

【You have entered the Jianghu for the first time, not only resolving a fatal killing tribulation but also turning an enemy into a friend, understanding the true meaning of the Jianghu; the Jianghu is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and worldly wisdom.】

【Completing the mission 'First Entry into the Jianghu', calculating rewards...】

【Mission rating S+, rewards doubled.】

【Obtained 50 achievement points!】

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 0】

【Talent: Martial Bone (Rare in ten thousand years, naturally invincible)】

【Achievement: 50/100】

Li Rui's body paused, his pupils widening slightly.

Mission?

It seems those grand goals not only grant achievement points when achieved, but also grant corresponding points based on the host's performance during the completion process.

S+

The system was very satisfied with his performance in entering the Jianghu for the first time, giving a very high evaluation, obtaining a full 50 achievement points in one go.

How could it not be satisfied?

He was already seventy, had walked the Jianghu who knows how many times, had stepped into all the pits that should be stepped into; now letting him enter the Jianghu for the first time, isn't that a perfect clearance?

Entering the Jianghu at twenty is stumbling and struggling, and getting a D is hard; putting it at seventy is just right.

Seventy is indeed the age to get things done!

Relying on decades of experience, he is simply performing a dimensionality reduction strike on these beginner plots.

The start is very important, but even if most people know it, it's almost impossible to do it perfectly.

Just like knowing that the college entrance exam is important in the past life, but still not being able to get into Tsinghua is the same principle; one only regrets it after losing it.

But now he has been given another chance.

Of course, he must clear it perfectly!

He just made a slight move and got an S+ rating, and the achievement progress is directly more than half.

The clouds in his heart dissipated, and Li Rui was in a great mood.

"Ah Zhao, mix the feed finer; listen to me from now on, and I guarantee you'll have meat to eat."

"Mas-Master."

Ma Yang was originally still acting arrogant in front of Wang Zhao, but when he turned his head and saw Li Rui, he looked like he had seen a ghost.

Why isn't he dead yet?

Ma Yang looked at Li Rui, who was completely fine, panicked, and took half a step back.

He saw Li Rui in the black market at a glance, and then a plan came to mind, telling the pickpockets in the black market the news that Li Rui was already seventy years old.

These people who call themselves the Rong Sect don't just steal; they often commit murder and robbery.

Li Rui, an old man with half his body in the grave, encountering those fierce thugs, almost had no possibility of not dying.

He had already prepared to collect the body for his master, cry a few tears, and then he could securely sit in the groom's position.

But seeing a ghost, Old Li appeared before him so fresh and lively, completely fine.

Trash, all trash!

Ma Yang cursed that lean man ten thousand times in his heart, now only hoping that the man hadn't sold him out.

"Master, you're back."

He forced a smile on his face.

"Too many beans, the horses will get bloated; eat less concentrate feed."

Li Rui glanced at the horses in the stable, each with a round, bloated belly.

"Alright, Master."

Wang Zhao was as diligent as ever, picking the beans out of the hay.

"Mas-Master."

Seeing that Li Rui had no intention of talking to him, Ma Yang couldn't help but ask.

"Something up?"

Li Rui glanced at Ma Yang.

"No-nothing."

Ma Yang finally chose not to confess; although he didn't know what had happened, since his master didn't know, he was happy to be fine.

"The old man is tough; looks like I have to think of other ways."

Ma Yang lowered his head, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for offending people!"

The groom's position is important, and it is also very important; horses are a great killing weapon in this era and have many uses... The second master of the Zhu family once wanted to borrow horses secretly, but was rejected by Li Rui; the second master had long been dissatisfied with Li Rui's cautious style.

Not long ago, he even hinted to Ma Yang that if he could get rid of Li Rui, he could become the new groom.

Ma Yang's originally cooled heart became restless again, and he had been observing Li Rui in secret; of course, he couldn't act in the Zhu residence, which is why he chose the black market.

"How did I misjudge back then? Taking in such a stupid apprentice."

Ma Yang thought he was hiding it well, but his thoughts were still seen through by Li Rui.

Doing things should be low-key; either don't do it, or do it thoroughly; this was the principle Li Rui taught Ma Yang back then.

Li Rui taught it seriously, but now it seems Ma Yang didn't take a single word to heart.

If it were before, Li Rui had lived enough, and he might have really fulfilled this apprentice, but there are some things he can give, but Ma Yang cannot grab.

As for now, learn well in the next life.

True disappointment is never about making a big scene.

Two days later.

"Master, Brother Ma is dying."

Wang Zhao found Li Rui with an anxious face.

Li Rui followed Wang Zhao to the room where the two lived.

Ma Yang's eye sockets were sunken, his whole person was emaciated like he had been dehydrated, clearly having been tortured by illness.

When Li Rui arrived, he was lying straight on the bed; seeing that he didn't answer after calling several times, Wang Zhao boldly extended his index finger to probe his breath.

Dead.

Wang Zhao sniffed with a sense of 'rabbit dying, fox grieving'; he lived in the same room as Ma Yang and inevitably had some feelings. Seeing Ma Yang's miserable appearance, he thought of himself in the future.

In this day and age, poor people getting strange illnesses is common; ancient medical conditions were backward, many illnesses couldn't be cured at all, and even if they could be cured, they, as servants, had no money to treat them.

He still remembers Ma Yang vomiting first before he died, then vomiting blood, lying on the bed wailing all day and night; it was miserable.

The lives of the lowly are worthless.

Ma Yang died, and no one paid attention at all; the Zhu family found it unlucky, worried that Ma Yang had a contagious disease. In the end, it was Li Rui and Wang Zhao who wrapped him in a mat, found a place in the barren mountains outside the city to bury him, and inserted a wooden sign, which could be considered not becoming a nameless ghost.

After doing all this, Li Rui and Wang Zhao's lives returned to normal.

Ma Yang's mind was never in the stables, and he often didn't work; now that one person was missing, Wang Zhao didn't feel more tired.

"Let's eat."

Li Rui invited Wang Zhao to sit down; Wang Zhao sat on the long bench and waited until Li Rui raised his chopsticks before impatiently picking up a mouthful of vegetables.

The food for the Zhu family servants is actually quite good, with white rice every meal; during the New Year, the Zhu family shows kindness, and sometimes they can even eat meat.

Wang Zhao's family was too poor to eat, which is why he sold himself to the Zhu family, so he was very satisfied with his current life.

Speaking of which, the day before yesterday, Master got a few pieces of braised pork, and just smelling it was beautiful; it's a pity his portion was snatched by Ma Yang, and he didn't even know what braised pork tasted like.

Thinking and thinking, Wang Zhao's action of shoveling rice suddenly paused; he seemed to have thought of something, and his spine felt cold.

He looked at Li Rui in front of him.

"I must have thought too much."

Li Rui's expression was as usual, chewing his food seriously.

Just killing someone, why think so much.

(End of chapter)