Chapter 215: Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River

The night grew deep.

Luo Zijun chatted with Liu Chujian and Jia Er Xiaojie for a while longer, then bid them farewell and left.

He returned to Junzi Residence.

Two little maids were sitting on his bed, doing needlework while warming the quilt for him.

Luo Zijun entered the room and said, "Be careful not to drop a needle on the bed. If it pricks this Young Master's backside, I'll make you pay!"

Both of them giggled.

Xiaohuan put away her needle and thread and said, "Young Master, do you want this servant to accompany you tonight, or do you want Sister Zhiyuan to accompany you?"

Luo Zijun said, "Can't you both accompany me together?"

The two of them snickered.

Xiaohuan laughed, "Young Master is truly greedy."

Luo Zijun was not joking, and said, "Tonight I must read by candlelight."

Xiaohuan said, "But Sister Zhiyuan has already prepared the chastity cloth; you promised Sister Zhiyuan."

Zhiyuan hurriedly stood up with a blushing face and said, "The Young Master's studies are important."

Luo Zijun glanced at her and said, "In two days. Your body has not fully recovered yet."

Xiaohuan huffed, "If the Young Master goes out and gets bitten by someone again, this servant will go and tell the Madam, hmph!"

Luo Zijun said, "Which Madam?"

Xiaohuan said, "The Madam of Su Guo Fu, the Young Master's elder sister."

Luo Zijun immediately threatened, "If you little girl dare to go and spout nonsense, this Young Master will sell you to the vegetable market immediately, sell you to that pig-slaughterer Zhu Er!"

"This servant isn't afraid!"

Xiaohuan laughed as she got off the bed, clutching her needlework and silk cloth, and left the room.

Zhiyuan also prepared to get off the bed, smiling, "Young Master, hurry up and get in; the quilt is very warm."

As she spoke, she lowered her head to put on her shoes, but could not find them.

"Xiaohuan, where are my shoes?"

Xiaohuan's voice came from outside the door: "I don't know. Did they run under the bed?"

Zhiyuan sat on the edge of the bed, lowering her head to search. Beneath her soft pink gauze skirt, a pair of bare, snow-white jade feet, slender and delicate, were exposed to the dim lamplight and someone's gaze.

She did not find the shoes, so she had to get back on the bed, lying prone on the edge, her head stretched under the bed to search. Her jet-black hair hung down, the bulging pink bodice was pressed flat, and beneath her fair neck, a patch of snow-tender skin and contours were revealed...

She finally saw the shoes, and just as she was about to reach out to take them, a hand suddenly reached behind her neck and gave a gentle tug.

The red string of the bodice tied around her neck came undone.

She was stunned for a moment and raised her head. Her delicate cheeks were suddenly stained with two blushes, charming and moving under the light. Her pair of bright, sparkling eyes were also suddenly filled with shyness: "Young Master... you, what are you doing?"

"Hmph, this Young Master should be the one asking what you are doing. Was it intentional, hmm?"

After Luo Zijun finished speaking, he got directly onto the bed, lowered the bed curtains, then pulled her in and tucked her into the warm quilt.

Xiaohuan said from outside, "Sister Zhiyuan, haven't you found your shoes yet? Do you want me to come in and help you look?"

Luo Zijun said toward the outside, "Xiaohuan, go to sleep yourself. This Young Master will help her find them."

Having said that, he also dove into the quilt.

Xiaohuan seemed to understand something, said "Oh," and returned to her own room.

"Tell me, was it intentional?"

Inside the warm quilt, Luo Zijun pinned down a certain mischievous little maid.

Zhiyuan blushed, looking at him with watery eyes, and laughed, "It was not."

"Hmph, you're not being honest!"

Luo Zijun's head shrank directly into the quilt, deciding to give her a good lesson.

Zhiyuan immediately covered her small mouth, her eyes wide open.

"Hmph, the Young Master is truly hypocritical. He clearly said he was going to read by candlelight tonight, but in the end... hmph hmph."

In another room, Xiaohuan sat on the bed, doing needlework while muttering to herself.

The night passed quietly.

The next day.

Luo Zijun did not go out again. After giving instructions to Xiaohuan and Zhiyuan, he went to the backyard to cultivate.

Now that he had advanced to the Martial Artist Fifth Realm, the power of both his Liehuo Finger and his Dragon Roar Tiger Howl Fist had greatly increased.

By evening, he began his Medicine Bath.

For three days, he cultivated at home.

Practicing fist techniques by day and Soul Cultivation by night. He did not know if it was due to his constitution or the medicine, but he felt as though he were about to advance again.

This evening.

Just as he finished his Medicine Bath and was preparing to go to the backyard to practice the Liehuo Finger for a while, Hua'er knocked on the door outside, saying that the Third Miss had arrived.

Luo Zijun hurriedly told Xiaohuan to go open the door.

Bai Qingtong entered the small courtyard with a grave expression. After the maids had all retreated, she spoke: "Chai Jiu committed suicide in his cell; we still couldn't interrogate anything out of him. The Qinghai Gang has already been wiped out, and some people have been captured, but the interrogation is still ongoing. Also, Tanchun came today and asked me to tell you some news."

"Third Miss, please sit."

Luo Zijun let her sit down to talk, then went to pour her a cup of tea.

Bai Qingtong picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then continued: "During this time, Tanchun has been secretly investigating Lai Da. She has indeed uncovered some illegal activities, all done in the name of the Jia Family. She also discovered that they built a Xiaoguanyuan at home, costing tens of thousands of taels of silver, but for the time being, she has not found evidence of the other party embezzling the Jia Family's money."

"The other party's son, Lai Shangrong, is a county official in Lin County, which was actually bought with money. In that Lai Shangrong's residence, many martial artists are kept. Every month, Lai Da sends people to Lin County, bringing a lot of money."

"Also, Lai Da seems to know that Tanchun is investigating him. In the past few days, he has dismissed many servants, and some people from his household have also gone to Lin County. Just today, Lai Da proposed the idea of wanting to resign as the head steward, but he was scolded by that Lai Mama, and Jia Mu did not agree either..."

!

After listening, Luo Zijun sneered and said, "Is he trying to run away?"

Bai Qingtong looked at him and said, "Now that he sees the situation is not right, he is likely planning to leave. If he quits the Jia Mansion and goes to Lin County, given his son's operations there, it will likely be very difficult for you to take revenge."

Luo Zijun asked, "Does his son practice martial arts too?"

Bai Qingtong nodded and said, "I heard from Tanchun that Lai Da has had his son practice martial arts since he was young, and even spent a lot of money to buy medicinal herbs. His son's current strength is likely already at the eighth stage of the Martial Artist realm."

Luo Zijun pondered for a moment and said, "His son has already been removed from the slave registry, but it seems he still has a slave contract with the Jia Family. Only if the Jia Family agrees can he leave, right?"

Bai Qingtong said, "That is correct. However, given Lai Mama's high prestige in the Jia Mansion and Jia Mu's favor, it is actually quite simple for the other party to be removed from the slave registry."

"By the way, Tanchun mentioned it to Jia Mu privately yesterday to test the waters, saying that Lai Da might have embezzled a lot of money during his years as the head steward of the Jia Family, otherwise his home couldn't have been built so luxuriously. Jia Mu seemed dismissive, saying that Lai Mama has been loyal to the Jia Family and served two generations of Dukes, so even if Lai Da embezzled some money, it is nothing."

Luo Zijun said, "So, Jia Mu is actually unreliable. Even if Miss Tanchun holds evidence of Lai Da embezzling the Jia Family's money, it is actually useless; the Jia Family cannot possibly take him down, right?"

Bai Qingtong said, "Tanchun said the same. She said she cannot help much, and can only help you scout for some information and collect some evidence. As for the rest, you can only rely on yourself."

Luo Zijun said, "She has already helped me a lot; as for the rest, naturally, I need to do it myself."

Bai Qingtong looked at him with some worry and said, "Brother-in-law, what do you plan to do?"

Luo Zijun pondered for a moment and said, "In two days, I will personally go to the Jia Mansion again. I want to meet him face-to-face."

Bai Qingtong said, "Good, I will go with you."

She then laughed and said, "Your sister-in-law is a martial artist; if you don't bring her, it would be a waste."

Luo Zijun smiled and said, "Then many thanks to my sister-in-law."

Bai Qingtong laughed, "Brother-in-law, no need to be polite. Just remember to buy your sister-in-law a sugar figurine when the time comes."

Luo Zijun: "..."

Bai Qingtong chatted with him for a while longer, then said goodbye and left.

Returning to her small courtyard, Bai Qingtong went straight into the house, changed into a set of martial attire, and then went to the backyard to practice swordplay.

After practicing for an hour, she went to bathe, then said to Hua'er, "You go tell Ruan Yi later that I am going to Cangyun Mountain to hunt tomorrow. I feel like I am about to break through."

Hua'er agreed and said worriedly, "Is Miss going in alone again?"

Bai Qingtong said, "Of course I am going alone; you all just keep watch outside. If I encounter danger, I will naturally come out."

Hua'er knew her temper and said no more.

Night soon fell.

After Luo Zijun practiced the Liehuo Finger in the backyard for a while, he returned to his room.

The bed had already been changed with new bedding, sheets, and pillows.

Last night, he had punished that girl Zhiyuan, leaving a mess, and the girl had shyly gotten up early to change it.

As for that blood-stained cloth, after showing it to Xiaohuan, he had solemnly put it away.

It is said that such things must be shown to another person the next day, so that there will be no ambiguity later on.

When the night was deep and quiet, Luo Zijun performed Soul Out-of-Body and continued Soul Refining.

That night, he saw the white cat named Daidai again. He had originally just wanted to go over and say hello, but who would have thought he would suddenly be beaten black and blue by the other party.

He fought back bravely, but he was already no match for it and had to flee in a sorry state.

When asked for the reason, the other party only let out a cold meow and did not respond, and even used the Object Manipulation Technique to throw a lot of mud at him.

He had no choice but to drop a harsh threat: "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river! Do not bully this cat for being weak! When this cat cultivates to the Object Control realm, I will definitely throw all the feces from the latrine onto your head!"

The next day.

He got up early, gave instructions to the two Young Maids, and then went out.

Today he was going out of the city to hunt.

(End of chapter)