Chapter 2798: The Stand‑In Was Forcefully Taken by the Bandit

The east wing room is on the east side of the stronghold, simply furnished with a wooden bed and table, two chairs, and a crude wardrobe against the wall.

Jin Chen entered the room and closed the door.

He walked to the bedside, sat down, raised his hand to rub his wrist, and felt a burning pain from what had just happened.

【Host, want to exchange some ointment? It's cheap, only 5 points!】

【No, exchange a bottle of Body-Tempering Pill for me.】

This body looks like it was deliberately ruined, which is strange.

【Oh, okay, the Body-Tempering Pill has been exchanged, deducting 88 points!】

Ling Gun Gun rolled on his shoulder, excited, 【Want to keep reading the Substitute's Rise Manual? There are still nine steps ahead: ambiguous, shared hardship, truth revealed, tragic love, etc.】

Jin Chen ignored it and fell backward onto the bed.

What's the point of looking at a guide to chase a wife?

Oh, wrong.

Jin Chen subtly narrowed his eyes, feeling displeased.

What guide to watch, what substitute to act.

He wants Gu Fanghe to come over on his own.

Ling Gun Gun drooped a bit, 【Well… the Host really doesn't need this.】

【I'll return the manual, okay!】 it said, 【757 said it's a limited collector's edition!】

——

Quick Transmigration Bureau, Strategy Department.

Ling Gun Gun appeared out of thin air.

「757! 」

757 turned around with the four words "gloomy clouds and miserable" written on its face. "Senior 0731! How did you come? Are you looking for Lord Lingduan?"

Ling Gun Gun: "I'm here to return the manual! My Host doesn't need it."

757: "Your Host… doesn't need it? Ah, Lord Jin Chen is really amazing……"

It sighed, "Unlike us, the Strategy Department is in chaos—my Host doesn't even want to do missions anymore."

Ling Gun Gun immediately perked up, "Tell me in detail."

Wait until I go back to tell the Host the gossip.

"There's a high-level mission-taker who, for some unknown reason, disappeared mid-mission from the mission world; the department head is about to explode, and they even went to ask Lord Lingduan for help tracking them down."

Ling Gun Gun's: "Disappeared?"

"Yeah," 757 said, "Supposedly the last mission they received before disappearing was also S‑rank difficulty; the specifics are unclear because the clearance level is too high."

Ling Gun Gun fell into thought.

"Then I'll head back first! 757, don't worry too much—the boss is very capable, he'll definitely find them!"

757 weakly waved its data tendrils.

Ling Gun Gun turned and went to find the boss.

I need to go comfort the boss! Ling Gun Gun thought.

——

Next morning.

Black Mountain Stronghold, east wing room.

Not long after Jin Chen woke up, he heard Ling Gun Gun vividly gossiping about the Quick Transmigration Bureau, and faint voices came from outside.

"……The young master hasn't woken up yet……"

"The chief ordered that he must be made to drink it!"

Immediately after, the door was shoved open rudely.

A teenage bandit about thirteen or fourteen walked in holding a crude clay bowl.

He wore coarse‑cloth shorts, still childish, but tried hard to keep a stern face.

Ayan followed behind him, wanting to stop but not daring to, his face turning white with anxiety.

The little bandit walked to the bedside, set the bowl on the low stool, and said, "The chief said you must drink this!"

The bowl contained a dark, murky liquid.

What the hell is this.

Jin Chen withdrew his gaze, leaning against the headboard; a few strands of black hair fell across his chest from having just risen, and he wore only his inner robe with the collar slightly loose.

He lifted his eyes and looked at the little bandit.

Seeing that, the little bandit felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Otherwise," the little bandit struggled to regain his momentum, "otherwise you won't get any food today!"

Jin Chen: "I won't drink it."

Little bandit: "???"

"You don't want to eat?"

"Being hungry is terrifying, okay! How can this person not be scared?"

Jin Chen lowered his hand, looked at him, appearing even more ill‑tempered than him.

"Take me to find your chief."

Little bandit: "…Fine."

Jin Chen changed into the clothes the bandit gave him—a plain white long robe—compared to his previous brocade outfit, it was practically crude.

The stronghold's day and night are completely different.

Ah Yan stood guard outside the door, his under-eyes dark and bluish, seeing Jin Chen come out his eyes lit up, "Young master, how did you come out? The medicine……"

"I won't drink."

Quite a few people had gathered in the square.

Gu Fanghe stood in the center of the crowd, dressed in dark black combat attire, the morning light making the dark red scar under his eyes clearly visible, yet it could not hide his handsome looks.

Before him knelt several bandits, each with grimy faces and bearing wounds.

"……The Hu people's convoy has myriad connections with the imperial family, it's lucrative, and that's exactly why it's what my Black Mountain Stronghold ought to rob."

Gu Fanghe's voice sank heavily, "Who gave you the guts to let two people escape?"

Among the kneeling bandits, one trembled as he explained, "Chief, those two are highly skilled, like they came from the palace, we……"

"Coming from the palace makes them all the more deserving of death."

Gu Fanghe flicked his wrist, the long whip lashing the speaking bandit's back, tearing the cloth, splitting flesh.

That bandit clenched his teeth, not daring to cry out.

The little bandit who had brought him hesitated, then stepped forward, and before Gu Fanghe swung the second whip, he called out loudly, "Chief! That……the newly arrived young master refuses to take the medicine, saying he wants to see you!"

The morning light fell just right on the boy walking slowly closer.

The plain white robe set off his complexion, making it seem to outshine frost and snow; his dark hair was loosely tied, a few strands of stray hair fluttering in the wind against his cheeks.

This outfit……

Several of Gu Fanghe's close aides at his side showed subtle changes in expression.

Last night the firelight was dim, and I only felt a four- or five‑percent resemblance.

Now, in daylight, having changed into this plain white attire, the sense of resemblance suddenly rose to six or seven tenths.

Gu Fanghe looked toward Jin Chen.

Jin Chen was also looking at him, his eyes holding no fear, only overflowing resentment.

"I don't like this outfit," Jin Chen frowned, clearly disdainful, "Have them prepare something else."

The bandits who had been whipped and were lying on the ground groaning forgot their pain, staring wide‑eyed at this audacious young master.

Ruan Shutong prefers simplicity.

In the original story it says he wears plain white, unadorned by pearls or jade, naturally exuding a refined aura that could make beholders fall for him.

The outfit prepared in the stronghold was naturally made according to the tastes of that Bai Yueguang.

Yet the same plain white, when worn by Jin Chen, forcibly exudes an innate aristocratic haughtiness.

"Indeed…… it's not quite fitting."

Gu Fanghe stared at him, and an inexplicable thought flickered through his mind.

This young master ought to be wearing the most splendid brocade garments and the most gorgeous jade ornaments, not dressed in coarse‑cloth white.

Gu Fanghe suppressed the thought, flicked his wrist, and drew the long whip back to his side.

He stepped two paces toward Jin Chen, "You have no right to choose."

Jin Chen's frown tightened further.

He seemed to have his temper provoked by those words, "Your taste is truly awful."

"If I go out looking like this, people will think my wife ran off with someone else, leaving me a widower mourning in mourning garb."

Gu Fanghe: "……"

His hand gripping the whip paused, a twitch jumping in his brow.

How could those words sound so wrong?

Gu Fanghe looked at the angry young man before him and found himself at a loss for words.

He had been a bandit for seven years, killing and looting, licking blood from the blade's edge; he had seen all kinds of people, but never anyone who would dare point at his nose and insult his taste just because the clothes weren't pretty.

Gu Fanghe laughed angrily, raised his wrist, and lightly tapped the tip of the long whip against Jin Chen's brow.

"Aren't you afraid of death?"

He had asked that question of many people.

Most would tremble, beg for mercy, and turn ashen‑faced.

Jin Chen lifted his eyes to meet his gaze, sighed, "Then go ahead and kill me."

"Dressed so ugly, might as well die."

Gu Fanghe: "……"

He gripped the whip, feeling for the first time that he had nowhere to apply force.

Those around also fell silent, wondering whether this world‑naive young master might be a bit mad.

After a long while, Gu Fanghe stared at Jin Chen for a few seconds, the intimidating chill about him easing somewhat.

"Go, get him a new set of clothes."

The bandit stared, "Chief, what kind should it be?"

Gu Fanghe's gaze swept over Jin Chen, passing over that eyesore white attire, and he said lightly, "He doesn't like plain; look for something brightly colored."

"Yes, yes!" the bandit hastily replied.

Having given the order, Gu Fanghe looked again at Jin Chen, lifted his chin toward the house, and said, "You, come with me inside."