Chapter 74 : Chapter 74

Chapter 74: If I Tell You to Drink, Then Drink. Why So Much Nonsense?

“Lord Circuit Intendant!”

Several guards who had followed Gao Song saw their master in danger and shouted sharply.

They all drew their weapons and glared at Cheng Yu with fierce expressions.

“Release my lord, or else—”

Halfway through the sentence, their eyes suddenly widened and their bodies went rigid.

Because dozens of murderous Profound Cold Heavy Crossbows were aimed straight at them.

The loaded bolts, poised to fire, glinted with a cold light.

The guards immediately lost their nerve.

If those things hit them, they would be turned into porcupines.

The Jinyiwei stood in neat ranks and spoke coldly.

“Lord Cheng is discussing matters with Lord Gao. Are you trying to rebel?!”

Discussing matters?

With a saber?

The guards were utterly helpless and looked toward Gao Song at a loss.

“Lord Gao.” Seeing this, Cheng Yu let out a cold laugh. “Your subordinates do not seem very sensible.”

The saber in his hand remained pressed against Gao Song’s neck.

Naturally, Gao Song was even more anxious than his guards.

He hurriedly shouted at them, “Put your weapons away! Are you trying to get me killed?!”

Only then did the guards reluctantly put their weapons away.

Cheng Yu nodded in satisfaction.

“That is more like it, Lord Gao. Let us continue the question from just now.”

The question?

Shivering, Gao Song recalled what Cheng Yu had just asked.

Where was his residence?

Confusion showed on Gao Song’s face. He could not understand why Cheng Yu would ask something like that.

The residence of the Circuit Intendant—

any random person would know where it was.

There was no need to press a saber to his neck over it, was there?

Gao Song did not dare voice the slightest complaint. He could only suppress his fear and force out a smile.

“Lord Cheng, why are you asking that...?”

Before he could finish, one of Cheng Yu’s earlier words flashed through his mind.

This humble one happens to have a small personal hobby. I hope Lord Gao will indulge me...

What kind of hobby could a ruthless man like Cheng Yu—someone who had wiped out the jianghu of an entire prefecture and destroyed Sword-Forging Manor—possibly have?

Was it not...

confiscating households and exterminating entire families?!

The moment he thought of that, Gao Song’s eyes went wide, and fury surged in his heart.

Cheng Yu was actually threatening to confiscate his household!

He, a dignified Circuit Intendant, had personally come to see a mere Thousand-Household Commander, and just because he had spoken a single sarcastic line upon entering, the man wanted to confiscate his household!

Looking at the trembling Gao Song, Cheng Yu smiled coldly.

Before coming to Jiannan, he had already heard of this man.

Relying on a wife in the Seventh-Rank Realm, Gao Song colluded and maneuvered with jianghu forces throughout this place.

He squeezed the people dry and lived in a lavish residence.

His relatives, friends, and even household servants all threw their weight around by relying on that connection.

Anyone in Jiannan officialdom who refused to obey him would be attacked and schemed against.

There were even rumors saying that the previous Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Commander had disappeared after coming into conflict with Gao Song.

Cheng Yu knew very well what was going on.

The fact that Gao Song had arrived today looking so smug and overbearing meant he had clearly intended to throw his weight around and cow him.

Cheng Yu sneered.

If Gao Song wanted to give him a show of force, then he had truly picked the wrong person.

He circulated the Internal Energy in his body and lightly infused it into the Xiuchun Saber in his hand. Threads of electricity immediately flickered across the blade.

The moment it touched Gao Song’s neck, a numb, scorched sensation spread through him.

“AHH!!”

Gao Song cried out in pain.

But he did not dare move too much, afraid his neck might brush the blade.

He was frightened and furious all at once.

He did not believe Cheng Yu truly dared kill him, yet he also feared the blade might slip and injure him by accident.

He cursed wildly in his heart.

Madman!

He was actually using Internal Energy! Was he really not afraid of accidentally hurting him?!

Although Gao Song was convinced in his heart that Cheng Yu did not dare kill him, his body was far more honest.

Startled out of his wits, the dignified Circuit Intendant of Jiannan Circuit wet his pants on the spot.

Inwardly, Gao Song cursed his half-explaining son Gao Guobang a hundred times over.

Why had that fool not said that the newly arrived Thousand-Household Commander was the ruthless man who had destroyed Sword-Forging Manor?!

If he had known earlier, he never would have casually offended this lunatic!

At this moment, he was filled with boundless regret and fury.

But with a blade at his neck, he did not dare vent any of it.

This Cheng Yu was a madman. He had even dared destroy Sword-Forging Manor!

So he could only comfort himself inwardly.

Cheng Yu had destroyed Sword-Forging Manor because he had the pretext of the million laborers.

Now, with no evidence and no justification, Cheng Yu definitely would not dare take his life!

He, Gao, had nothing to fear!

Forcing a humble smile onto his face, he said:

“Why should a great man like the Thousand-Household Commander personally search for my humble residence? You are such a young hero, newly arrived to take office in Jiannan Circuit, and bearing the Emperor’s command. You are surely meant to accomplish great things!”

“It should be I who personally invites you to my residence, to wash away the dust of your journey and welcome you properly!”

【The host has intimidated a treacherous official and fulfilled the duties of the Jinyiwei. Reward: Movement Technique Insight!】

Seeing Gao Song grovel so completely and utterly lose his nerve, Cheng Yu smiled and withdrew the Xiuchun Saber in his hand.

“Lord Gao is truly too courteous.”

“I once heard someone say that where there is virtue and righteousness, there is nowhere one cannot go. I did not believe it then. But now that you welcome me so warmly, it seems that man was right after all!”

Virtue? Righteousness?

Hearing Cheng Yu say this, Gao Song was completely dumbfounded.

The man had not said anything upon arriving and had first put a saber to someone else’s throat.

What kind of virtue was that? What kind of righteousness was that?

Gao Song forced out a smile uglier than tears and nodded in agreement.

“Yes! Yes! That man spoke well!”

The fury in his heart had already reached its peak.

Cheng Yu had gone too far!

As a Jinyiwei Thousand-Household Commander personally appointed by the Emperor, he did not dare truly do anything to him.

So instead, he used this kind of intimidation!

Sitting in his damp trousers, Gao Song’s resentment reached its limit.

This brat dares humiliate me to such a degree!

If I can deal with one Thousand-Household Commander, I can deal with a second!

Forget a prodigy on the Human Ranking—even if a dragon came to Jiannan, it would still have to coil itself up before me!

He secretly made up his mind to take proper revenge on Cheng Yu and recover the face he had just lost.

“Hmm?”

Cheng Yu raised a brow.

After comprehending the Demon-Slaying Dao Canon, his refined and purified Internal Energy had made his five senses far sharper than those of ordinary people.

At a single glance, he caught a trace of viciousness hidden deep within Gao Song’s fawning eyes.

So the man was already planning how to retaliate against him.

Cheng Yu sneered inwardly.

Then, pretending to be puzzled, he looked toward the teacup Gao Song had just set down by his hand.

“I heard that Lord Gao is especially fond of tea. Why are you not drinking it?”

Because this tea was trash!

Gao Song sneered inwardly, but outwardly he kept smiling.

“I am rather particular about tea. I drink only the tea from my own residence. No matter what tea it is outside, even tribute tea, it never suits my taste.”

“Is that so? What is so special about the tea in your residence?” Cheng Yu asked with a smile.

At the mention of this, Gao Song’s brows rose involuntarily.

He took a small pouch of tea leaves from his sleeve and had someone brew them.

“The tea I drink is quite particular. It must be tea plucked at dawn in late autumn by young maidens using their lips, with frost still clinging to the leaves.”

“To drink it is like meeting a beauty—it refreshes the heart and delights the spirit!”

“I shall naturally gift the Thousand-Household Commander two boxes!”

The moment he finished speaking, he saw the surprise in Cheng Yu’s eyes and immediately grew proud.

You rustic butcher. Never seen anything like this before, have you?

Looking at the scalding tea, Cheng Yu asked, “Then this tea must be expensive?”

Gao Song replied with a chuckle, “Not expensive at all, not expensive at all. For men like us, for a lord like the Thousand-Household Commander, why would we ever need to spend money just to drink a little tea?”

No money?

At that, Cheng Yu frowned deeply.

Tea picked on frosty late-autumn mornings, yet no payment was made for it—was that not simply taking pleasure in tormenting people?

And Gao Song actually took pride in such a thing, regarding it as elegance.

If even the Circuit Intendant, the so-called father-and-mother official of the region, was this sort of person, how were the people of Jiannan Circuit supposed to live?

But that was not even the most important part.

The most important part was that Cheng Yu found Gao Song’s lewd smile, squeezed between layers of flesh, utterly repulsive.

He sneered.

Then he picked up the scalding tea and handed it to the man.

“Since it is precious, Lord Gao should not waste it.”

Gao Song accepted it with a smile.

He thought Cheng Yu was finally starting to show goodwill!

As expected, the man did not dare do anything too excessive. In the end, he was still someone Gao Song could keep under control!

He had just been about to take a sip of the fragrant tea when he suddenly heard Cheng Yu speak coldly again.

“Lord Gao, where I come from, there is a custom. When someone offers you tea, you must finish it in one gulp.”

“Otherwise, it is impolite.”

Gao Song froze.

One gulp?

This tea had only just been brewed. It was scalding hot!

If he gulped it down whole, would his throat not be cooked?

Rage exploded in his heart. Cheng Yu was threatening him again!

The man did not dare truly make a move, yet he kept talking like this and humiliating him. It was outright abuse!

“Thousand-Household Commander Cheng, this—”

Before he could finish speaking, a hand shot out, seized the teacup, and viciously poured it into Gao Song’s mouth.

“AHH!!”

The scalding tea went down his throat, and Gao Song screamed.

Cheng Yu smashed the cup to the floor.

Then he said coldly, “If I tell you to drink, then drink. Why so much nonsense?”