Chapter 188: Chapter 187: Serving the People

"He’s so young!"

The Old Manor Master froze as he looked at Wu Chen. ’To think he’s so young!’ he marveled to himself.

A moment ago, Xu Le had given him a brief account of the bandits’ attack and eventual defeat, so he hadn’t mentioned many details about Wu Chen.

This had led the Old Manor Master to believe their savior was a cold, ruthless martial artist, at least thirty years old.

But now, seeing the young man’s age and his lazy expression, the old master was simply stunned.

This was completely different from what he had imagined.

He looked at the young man, who couldn’t be more than twenty, and then recalled his granddaughter saying he had the strength to fight a thousand men alone. Just moments ago, the Old Manor Master had been filled with heroic pride for ascending to the Leakless Realm, feeling as if his life was starting anew. In that instant, however, he was overcome with shame.

The comparison made him feel like he was nothing.

The Old Manor Master didn’t dare act pretentiously. Seeing the young man approach, he quickly moved to greet him.

When he was three steps from Wu Chen, his expression turned solemn. He straightened his clothes, cupped his fist, and bowed deeply, his attitude exceptionally respectful.

He showed no disrespect on account of the other’s age.

"..."

"Why is the Old Manor Master being so polite to a kid who’s barely an adult?"

"Who is that brat? Does he have some powerful background?"

Below the wall, inside Zhuangzi, many Guards stared at their master, who had just emerged from his seclusion. Seeing this scene, their eyes widened in utter disbelief.

In their eyes, now that the Old Manor Master had successfully broken through to become a first-rate expert, he should be a figure who commanded respect from all around.

It would be one thing for such a person to not demand others to bow to him, but for him to bow to someone else?

"What’s so surprising? He’s the reason our Zhuangzi survived the bandits’ siege."

One of them looked up and immediately recognized the figure who had run along the walls that night before fighting fiercely within the manor.

He explained with a complicated look in his eyes:

"That night, this guy—we don’t know where he came from—single-handedly slaughtered over a thousand bandits. He cut down the invaders who had broken into Zhuangzi, forcing them into a full retreat until they scattered and fled for their lives."

"If you had looked closely while moving the bodies, you would have noticed that many of the dead bandits had a clean blade wound on their neck."

"And every one of those fatal strikes was his handiwork!"

Everyone gasped.

Hearing this, the group of men sucked in a sharp breath.

They had, in fact, noticed the wounds on the corpses while clearing them away and had wondered at the time where they came from.

Only now did they realize that every one of those clean, decisive cuts on the bandits’ necks came from the same person.

And that person was the very youth to whom the Old Manor Master was now bowing!

But what astonished them even more than Wu Chen’s methods was the number he had killed!

Over a thousand bandits!

Just thinking about that number made their scalps tingle.

Even if it were a thousand pigs, none of the martial artists present would dare to beat their chests and guarantee they could slaughter them all in a single night.

They’d probably collapse from exhaustion after slaughtering a few hundred, unable to even lift their blades!

And living people were much harder to deal with than pigs.

These men would fight back, try to escape, and struggle for their lives!

But no matter what they did, in the end, they couldn’t escape that single, fatal strike!

As the men looked at the figure on the wall again, their expressions became a complex mixture of emotions.

’So this young guy is already a first-rate expert?!’

A first-rate expert who was seventeen or eighteen, and a first-rate expert who was seventy or eighty.

’Compared like that, the seventy-something expert... doesn’t seem quite as impressive anymore...’

At this point, it was no longer so difficult for them to understand why the Old Manor Master was being so polite.

「On the wall.」

The Old Manor Master adjusted his robes, about to thank Wu Chen for the great kindness of saving Zhuangzi from dire peril.

Wu Chen waved his hand, stopping the old man’s bow, and got straight to the point.

"Old Manor Master, there’s no need for pleasantries. I simply took the manor’s money to solve the manor’s problems. There’s nothing to thank me for."

"I’m still here for one reason, which I’m sure the young manor master has already mentioned. Just give me a straight answer about the Soul-Storage Pearl."

The Old Manor Master realized then that the young man before him was decisive and direct, unwilling to waste a single moment on empty courtesies.

"The Soul-Storage Pearl..."

As the matter concerned such a treasure, the Old Manor Master grew pensive, a flicker of conflict crossing his face.

Even at seventy or eighty years old, he still couldn’t completely hide his feelings.

However, seeing his conflicted expression, Wu Chen had a thought. ’It seems he doesn’t just know where to find a Soul-Storage Pearl. He might actually have them on him.’

’He’s just weighing his options, hence the expression.’

"I don’t know if there are Soul-Storage Pearls elsewhere, but I happen to have five of them."

After a moment of deliberation, the Old Manor Master finally spoke, his gaze settling back on Wu Chen as he gave his answer.

"Does the Old Manor Master have other conditions?" Wu Chen’s expression remained unchanged, his tone steady.

Since the old man had been so direct, even stating the quantity, Wu Chen understood that he was willing to hand them over—but there would certainly be other conditions attached.

What did surprise Wu Chen, however, was that the man had five of them. This far exceeded his expectations.

"In my youth, I was considered something of a prodigy myself. Naturally, I had my share of opportunities, and I was fortunate enough to acquire these five Soul-Storage Pearls. I was planning to use them when I attempt to break through to the Dragon Transformation Realm..."

The Old Manor Master was about to use this as an opportunity to wax lyrical about the origins of the Soul-Storage Pearls. His eyes grew distant as he prepared to reminisce about days gone by.

But as his gaze fell upon the young man before him, he remembered that this boy had already reached a first-rate level at such a tender age, and the words died in his throat.

After all, when it came to innate talent, the youth before him wasn’t just a step ahead—he would likely have no trouble entering the Dragon Transformation Realm before he turned thirty.

In the young man’s hands, these five Soul-Storage Pearls would be put to far better use. In his own, their potential would be wasted.

He stopped this pointless line of thought and cut straight to the chase.

"If you want these five Soul-Storage Pearls, it is simple. I only ask that you, Young Master, look after Qingfeng Manor."

Hearing this, Wu Chen understood immediately.

’He knows my age and strength and assumes I have a powerful background. He wants to use these five Soul-Storage Pearls to forge a connection.’

’After all, a first-rate expert with only twenty years of life left isn’t a guaranteed deterrent against those bandits.’

’Besides, a martial artist nearly a hundred years old has surely had his share of brutal fights to get where he is today.’

’He must have countless hidden injuries. He might have gained twenty years of life from his breakthrough, but after using that energy to heal his old wounds, that number might be cut in half.’

’So there’s no telling when the bandits might come back.’

’But a first-rate expert who isn’t even twenty... that’s a different story.’

’Never mind anywhere else, with my strength alone, I’m more than capable of making a name for myself in all of Cangwu City.’

Enough to drive countless people mad with jealousy.

"A small matter."

Wu Chen agreed to the Old Manor Master’s condition without a moment’s hesitation.

And for him, it truly wasn’t a big deal.

Even with the Old Manor Master’s limited lifespan, Qingfeng Manor would surely be safe for at least the next three to five years.

And after three to five years, it would be no trouble at all for him to protect Qingfeng Manor.

The biggest potential problem, however, was the Young Manor Master, Xu Le.

He was spoiled and had a foul temper. Even though he hadn’t acted out recently, that was only a compromise forced upon him by the bandit siege.

However, after this incident and with his grandfather’s life nearing its end, Wu Chen figured the young master’s personality would likely mellow out. At the very least, he probably wouldn’t cause any major trouble.

"I’ll be going to the Demon Suppression Bureau in Cangwu City next. If the Old Manor Master needs anything, you can send someone from Zhuangzi there to find a person named Wu Chen."

Wu Chen openly gave him a point of contact and his name.

The Demon Suppression Bureau was indeed his next destination.

Not only did he plan to trade in the heads of villains for Contribution Points to exchange for Martial Arts, but he also intended to become a temporary Guard at the Demon Suppression Bureau and assess the situation.

It wasn’t that he coveted the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Martial Arts.

It was mainly about serving the common people.

Vision!

"Excellent! Young Master Wu’s word is more than enough!"

The Old Manor Master was beaming, and the weight in his heart was finally lifted.

He didn’t suggest making an oath or anything of the sort. In his view, someone of Wu Chen’s strength and background would value their reputation above all else.

Since he had given his word, it was impossible that he would go back on it.

If he were to ask for a written pledge, it would more likely just offend the young man.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was that Wu Chen also had connections within the Demon Suppression Bureau.

’I just wonder what position this young man named Wu Chen holds in the Demon Suppression Bureau. Is he a Golden Eagle Captain, or one of those elusive Cloud Pattern Captains who are as mysterious as a dragon in the clouds...?’

The Old Manor Master guessed inwardly as he casually swept a hand over the storage pouch at his waist and took out five Soul-Storage Pearls.

Five jade-like pearls, each the size of an ox’s eye, appeared in his palm.

These were completely different from the single Soul-Storage Pearl Wu Chen had seen before; their quality was clearly much higher.

The cool energy they contained was so potent that even from several steps away, one felt miraculously refreshed and clear-headed.

After accepting the five Soul-Storage Pearls, Wu Chen had no intention of staying any longer, but then he suddenly remembered something.

’Since this Old Manor Master was able to advance to the Leakless Realm, does that mean he might possess a Leakless Realm Martial Arts manual?’

He didn’t stand on ceremony and asked directly, "Old Manor Master, does your manor possess any Leakless Realm Martial Arts? If so, could I borrow it for a look?"

The Old Manor Master shook his head with a bitter smile. "I have never even seen such Martial Arts myself."

Wu Chen nodded. He wasn’t particularly disappointed by this answer.

It was only to be expected that Martial Arts for higher realms would be rarer.

Besides, if the man was willing to part with five Soul-Storage Pearls, there was truly no reason for him to be secretive about a Leakless Realm manual.

If he said he didn’t have one, then he didn’t have one.

"Old Manor Master, since our business here is concluded, I won’t stay any longer." Wu Chen gave a wave of his hand, not wanting to drag out the pleasantries.

Although his cultivation had reached the Eighth Layer of the Blood Coagulation Realm, that didn’t mean he could afford to be idle.

Not only did he have business to attend to at the Demon Suppression Bureau, but he also had to visit his master, whose soul was residing in the bronze statue.

He needed to feed him the Soul-Storage Pearls.

He couldn’t risk dragging it out for too long, lest his master—a man of profound origins—have his soul dissipate. That would be a truly massive loss.

As for Qingfeng Manor, it had been reduced to ruins and would require a great deal of time to repair, so they naturally had no time to entertain guests either.

And so, the two parted ways.

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