Chapter 142: Am I Really That Good!? (Two-in-one, begging for...)

Casting a look of pity at this sympathetic middle-aged man, Ren Yidao did not mind the stiffness of his tone.

Since the man was already so pitiful, there was no need to mind his tone.

He waved his hand, stepped back with a smile, and dodged the pungent smell.

"How could that be? How could Ren be so lacking in manners? The things I brought have already been accepted by your wife."

The things are all with that wife of yours; if you want them, go get them yourself!

"Yes, four jars."

Xianhu Wine is a rare item for Shi Anqi, but it is nothing to Ren Yidao.

As long as he wants, he can use the first few hundred jars as the head of the wine to blend it at any time... Huh?

Is it my imagination?

Why does this sound both like a black-market workshop and a way to make money?

Sure enough, the methods for making money are already written in the Criminal Law.

But the laws of Beigan don't have such a thing!

"Really!!?"

Shi Anqi was overjoyed, the Evil Qi on his body was more than half dispersed, and he happily grabbed Ren Yidao's palm, gritting his teeth as he said:

"Good, good, good! Today I will definitely make that woman kneel and beg for mercy!"

Struck by the foul stench, Ren Yidao squinted his eyes and tried to pull his hand away, but he could not do so without exposing his own strength.

The extremely excited Shi Anqi pressed his hands down tight, gripping his palm firmly.

Ren Yidao: Pull!

Hmph!

Ha!!!

Not moving an inch...

Blocking his sense of smell, Ren Yidao nodded silently and sighed:

"... Brother Shi, you are mighty!"

"Hahaha, that's right!"

So you're the one grabbing me with your dirty hands, right?

Fine.

You just wait to die tonight.

Ren Yidao tilted his head, looked at the wife who had been standing to the side for a while, and nodded silently at her.

"What does the lady think?"

Shi Anqi's wife huffed, threw the silk scarf in her hand to a servant, and took a dark red Long Whip from her other hand.

"Heh, I don't think anything of it."

She flicked the Long Whip, and it let out a loud crack in the air.

Snap!

Shi Anqi:!!!

"Why are you here!!?"

Slack-jawed, he loosened his grip and looked at Ren Yidao as if he were about to cry.

(Why didn't you tell me!!!)

Ren Yidao tilted his head, looking innocent, and asked in confusion:

"Brother Shi, what did you say? I didn't hear you clearly, what Zui Xian Lou?"

!!!

"Stop! Shut up! Don't talk nonsense!"

What are you spouting nonsense about here?

Do you want to get me killed!?

"Why can't I be here? And you, explain yourself clearly—what Zui Xian Lou? Where have you been fooling around again?"

The Long Whip wrapped around Shi Anqi's waist, and she pulled back with force.

"No, no, no! Listen to my explanation..."

Watching Shi Anqi's body disappear from view bit by bit, Ren Yidao pressed his palms together and made a cross sign.

"Immeasurable Heaven!"

After saying this, he took a jade Wooden Fish out from his robes.

Under the worshipful and awe-struck gazes of the other blood-covered men, Ren Yidao began to tap the Wooden Fish rhythmically.

Tap, tap, tap...

"Family harmony, oh~"

The bond between this couple is truly good.

As soon as the husband returns home from a business trip, the wife invites him to engage in vigorous exercise, and he has no choice but to agree.

What an enviable relationship between husband and wife!

Alright, the good deed is done, and it is time for the hero to exit the stage.

"Collapse! Retreat! Sell! Slip away!"

……

……

"Brother Ren, what you did here wasn't very honorable."

"Oh my, I must have misheard!"

"Hahaha, who knows if you really misheard! Anyway, I think Brother Shi is afraid he won't be able to get a good night's sleep today."

"Brother Long, you joke. I think your wife has a sense of propriety, it's just... hehe."

Ren Yidao wore a smile that every man understood and filled Li Long's wine cup.

Ren Yidao, having done a good deed, had originally intended to disappear from the Shi Mansion, but he was caught red-handed by Li Long, who had arrived on an incognito inspection.

Fine, there was no getting away now.

And so, the two who hadn't met in several days didn't care about the life or death of Shi Anqi and started a banquet right there in the Shi Mansion.

"Brother, you truly showed off your brilliance today. I admire you!"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. It was just relying on some small tricks, nothing presentable."

"Look at you, being humble again, aren't you? Let's have a drink."

"I'll drink, hahaha..."

Music played and songs were sung, and they toasted one another.

Before long, the two let go of their reserve and began to drape their arms over each other's shoulders at the table.

The servants of the Shi Mansion all knew what Li Long looked like, but none dared to point it out.

As long as the Emperor was having fun, that was all that mattered.

As long as the Emperor was happy, the Second Master wouldn't have to suffer the whip on his backside.

After three rounds of drinks, and still no sign of Shi Anqi, the two simply dismissed the servants and began to pour and drink by themselves.

Feeling the timing was about right, Ren Yidao asked out of the blue:

"Brother Long, did you come to the Shi Mansion this time to find Brother Shi?"

"That's right, to ask him about some details."

Details...

Raising his wine cup, Ren Yidao asked tentatively:

"I wonder, might I be able to know some of the news?"

"Oh? You're interested?"

Ren Yidao swirled his wine cup, smiled bitterly, and shook his head:

"To be honest, having witnessed such a scene, it's hard for me not to be interested."

"With such heavy Evil Qi, if Brother Shi hadn't been able to recognize me, I fear I would have already reported it to my sect to prepare to subdue the Demon."

Although there was a 99.9% chance Ren Yidao would not actually do such a thing, this statement sounded perfectly reasonable to an outsider.

What had Shi Anqi gone to do? Anyone with eyes could see.

He had either gone to ransack a family or to wipe out a sect.

Such a major event involved capital crimes, and no one would tell him about it privately if he asked.

Except for one person: the Emperor.

And as it happened, this good brother of his, Brother Long, was the Emperor himself.

Li Long draped his arm over the youth's shoulder and, without much thought, said casually:

"There's nothing that can't be known. Brother Shi just went for a stroll in Jiangnan this time."

Jiangnan.

Associating this with the storms stirred up by Li Qiushui, Ren Yidao understood in his heart.

"The Song Family?"

"Correct."

"Wiped out?"

"Indeed."

Watching the youth who had stopped asking questions, Li Long suddenly felt a bit curious and asked strangely:

"Don't you find it strange at all?"

The youth countered:

"What is there to find strange?"

"Uh, why do it this way? Or, don't you think the Emperor is a bloodthirsty madman or something?"

Cursing himself like this for the first time gave Li Long an indescribable sense of weirdness.

How strange.

"Brother Long, there is no need to probe my thoughts anymore."

Ren Yidao smiled and shook his head, set down his wine cup, and remarked with emotion:

"Although I have not yet truly met the current Emperor of Beigan, I have long since had an understanding of him."

He looked at the curious Li Long and smiled slightly to himself.

Hehe, watch me!

"The Divine Dynasty Lord, unlike the Sect Leader of a sect or faction, does not focus on personal strength; their prestige is reflected more in the achievements they have attained."

Li Long: "Oh?"

"In this Wentian City, I have already seen his achievements with my own eyes and understood his character."

"This is a young Emperor full of ambition and great talent."

Li Long: "Mm-hmm."

"Regarding the noble families, he chooses to let them be because he is confident that under his rule, they cannot stir up any waves."

"Regarding the common people, he has exempted them from corvée labor and reduced, or even waived, various taxes including land tax."

"Regarding his ministers, he granted them the greatest degree of trust, letting them perform their respective duties and exert their abilities to the fullest extent."

Li Long: "Hmm, hmm?"

... Is this, is this talking about me?

Have I, this Emperor, actually been doing such a good job!?

Watching the confusion begin to surface in the Emperor's eyes, Ren Yidao injected him with another dose of encouragement.

He gave the conclusion directly!

"What can prove an Emperor's achievements? Is it how much territory he has expanded? Or how many wonders he has built?"

"Neither."

"True achievement is allowing the people to be well-fed and warmly clothed."

Li Long: "... That is indeed true!"

It really is!

This virtuous brother, every word he says hits home for me!

Li Long could not help but sigh with emotion once again.

The person in this world who understands me best is neither in the imperial court nor in the Inner Palace.

It is actually you, this lad who had never met me before.

Worthy of being my virtuous brother!

You are far better than those ministers who only know how to advise me against cultivating the Dao, and better than those two, Su Peiqing and Shi Anqi, who only know how to guess my thoughts!

Watching Li Long, who was already hooked and successfully led into the rhythm, Ren Yidao chuckled inwardly.

Leading the rhythm and such, I am quite skilled at it; in my past life, I was even frequently banned for it...

"Alright, he's been successfully hoodwinked."

However, although these words had the purpose of bewitching Li Long, they were not entirely flattery; a part of them also came from Ren Yidao's genuine heart.

Although it was just a coincidence, Li Long's behavior of prioritizing Dao cultivation over state affairs happened to align with the "non-action" of the Huang-Lao school of thought.

By not meddling in the development of Beigan, he certainly failed to fulfill the responsibilities expected of an Emperor, but he also avoided certain problems...

Many times, as long as no one orders a machine gun to be adjusted by a few centimeters, perhaps everything would be vastly different.

The reason why many situations that even a dog could win end in defeat is largely due to an incompetent commander.

For a Beiming Divine Continent that faces the threat of the Demon Race at any moment, such recuperation is the most correct choice.

Moreover, there is an even more critical point.

Compared to chaotic times, such a peaceful and prosperous age is more suitable for Ren Yidao, who is still currently lying low and developing.

Aside from a portion of seeking amusement by harming others without benefiting himself, the purpose of everything Ren Yidao does...

... has always been to serve the goal of securing a better living environment for himself.

After all, chaotic times only produce killers.

If they draw their blades to stab someone at the slightest disagreement, who could handle that?

Only a peaceful and prosperous age can have so many interesting talents.

People in a prosperous age know how to advance and retreat, making them fun to tease.

People in chaotic times don't even care about their own lives; they are very boring!

*Cough, cough. *

Clearing his throat twice to wake Li Long from the illusion of being a wise and brilliant monarch, Ren Yidao composed his expression and said solemnly:

"In summary, I believe this Beiganhuangdi is not a fool; he is very clear about the consequences of doing so."

"And if he decided to exterminate the Song Family while being fully aware of the pros and cons... then there must be more secrets behind this."

"And those secrets, I fear, are not things I am qualified to know."

"If I were to insist on knowing, it would surely put you in a difficult position, right?"

Li Long: A difficult position?

Ha!

I have never known what a difficult position is!

What do you want to know?

Your brother will tell you everything!

Li Long drank the wine in his cup with heroic spirit, waved his hand, and spoke directly:

"You are already someone qualified to be a Prime Minister; this small matter surely won't be hidden from you for long."

This matter could not be hidden for long, and he still needed to use it to "beat the grass to startle the snake," so naturally, he would not suppress it for long; telling Ren Yidao now was fine.

"Brother Shi's trip to Jiangnan to exterminate the Song Family was not because of the Li Qiushui affair, but because there is another hidden story."

Like a middle-aged man drinking too much at a roadside stall and starting to brag, Li Long lowered his voice with an air of gravity and said slowly:

"This matter involves the Demon Race."

Blinking, Ren Yidao had not expected such a layer of hidden truth.

He respectfully poured wine for Li Long and lowered his voice in cooperation:

"I would like to hear the details."

"Because the Song Family practiced an evil art called the 【Transformation Demon Art】, which can turn humans into demons."

"Ah!?"

Ren Yidao:???

What is going on? Is it really such a coincidence?

Is this world truly this small?

Very satisfied with Ren Yidao's shock, Li Long became interested and continued, saying:

"This matter is a long story; it must be told from many years ago..."

The banquet between Li Long and Ren Yidao lasted a long time, and the intimate conversation between Shi Xue and Li Qiushui had also concluded.

Shi Xue was shocked that so many things had happened while she was unconscious, and she also felt some regret at not having witnessed the two of them in the Qian Mirror.

As for Li Qiushui, she had grievances she could not voice.

For certain reasons, she could only carefully and cautiously select parts she was allowed to tell to explain things to Shi Xue, terrified of any inconsistencies.

Finishing the explanation now was not the end of it; later, she would have to coordinate her story with Ren Yidao in advance, and she absolutely could not let anything slip.

Shi Xue had just recovered from a major illness and needed to replenish her nutrition, and Li Qiushui, having exhausted her brain cells, also felt famished; the two of them, with rumbling stomachs, originally intended to go straight to the kitchen to find something to eat.

But they did not expect to smell a fragrance while passing by, and they assumed that Ren Yidao and Shi Anqi were already drinking.

This was the Shi Mansion, so Shi Xue naturally had no concerns and thought about finding something to eat first to tide them over.

But just as she was about to push the door open, she hesitated and stepped back.

"Uh... let's just go to the kitchen."

She wanted to pull Li Qiushui away.

But it was too late.

Li Qiushui had already seen the situation inside clearly.

At first, Li Qiushui only glanced at Ren Yidao and prepared to withdraw her gaze...

"Hm?"

But the next moment, she was shocked!

Li Qiushui looked in shock at the young man who was currently with his arm around Ren Yidao's shoulder, whispering something with a mysterious expression on his face.

???

Imperial Father!!?

"Hm???"

How are you here... no! What is going on with you?

It would be one thing if you were hugging my second brother, but how could you not even spare my father!?

Shi Xue, who had known this terrible news since early on, looked at Li Qiushui with pity and cupped her hands toward the two who had looked up.

"Daoist Ren, and... cousin, please continue eating, please continue."

Li Qiushui: Cousin!!?

After saying this, Shi Xue dragged the Ninth Princess, who was unwilling to face reality, away.

By the time they had almost reached the kitchen, Li Qiushui spoke with difficulty, as if in a dream:

"That person..."

"Yes, it is His Majesty."

Shi Xue took a deep breath, turned around, patted her friend on the shoulder, and sighed:

"His Majesty has always liked to play at life, um... you shouldn't be too sad."

Li Qiushui:???

Begging for Monthly Tickets——