Rules

Zhou Chen chuckled, his tone light and casual, as though he had merely just asked: *Third Young Master, what are we having to eat tonight?* It seemed that to him, taking a life was just that effortless. Xu Yuan looked down at Xue Yong on the floor, his brows furrowing slightly. Ever since transmigrating here, the sights he had witnessed alongside Ran Qingmo had pushed his threshold of tolerance quite high, but the scene before him still stirred a hint of discomfort. This was the first time he had seen someone collapsed before him in such a miserable state. Just moments ago, the man had worn a calm, composed face with contempt in his eyes. The next, his entire face was contorted in agony, his gaze cowering in sheer terror. Out of fear, Xue Yong desperately suppressed his screams, trying his best not to disturb the two men beside him. Yet his twisted, ashen complexion and his arm—broken into seven or eight segments by that peculiar force—remained all too visible. Composing himself, Xu Yuan looked across at Zhou Chen and let out a soft chuckle. "To think Mister Zhou would be willing to lend me a hand." The meaning behind Zhou Chen's earlier headshake had been plain enough: with Xu Yuan's newly attained Ninth Rank cultivation, he was completely incapable of breaking through the defense of a peak Sixth Rank Iron Body like Xue Yong. If Xu Yuan had struck, he would only have humiliated himself. Yet Zhou Chen had stepped in to help. Xu Yuan found this rather surprising. Much like Ying'er lurking in the shadows, Zhou Chen could easily have chosen to sit on the sidelines and watch. Xu Yuan suffering a setback here would have cost Zhou Chen nothing. Zhou Chen lifted his wine gourd, took a swig, and chuckled. "Heh, Third Young Master has treated me to so much fun here at Zuixian Tower for so long, I ought to do something in return." "Oh? Is that so?" Xu Yuan gave a noncommittal smile. That was indeed a reason. As the most extravagant pleasure house in Jingjiang City, booking the top floor of Zuixian Tower cost a hundred taels of standard silver per day. Wine and courtesans were billed separately. Xu Yuan had stayed here for twenty days, scattering at least three thousand taels of silver or more. The technology tree in this world was merely skewed; its productivity was no worse than his previous world, and in certain aspects even surpassed it, yet ordinary folk could barely earn ten or twenty taels in an entire year. Even for a great master like Zhou Chen, his basic monthly stipend was likely only a few thousand taels. "Third Young Master, do we cripple this man, or kill him?" Zhou Chen chuckled and asked once more. Seeing this, Xu Yuan did not press the matter further. He glanced at Xue Yong, who lay on the ground like a dead dog. In his past life, some veteran employees at his old man's company had liked to pay him lip service because of his youth. Back then, Xu Yuan had only made things difficult for them or docked their pay; even if a feud escalated, the worst he would do was run them out of the industry. His modern mindset made Xu Yuan feel that this punishment was already enough for Xue Yong. Yet as the words reached his lips, Xu Yuan caught the look in Xue Yong's eyes and silently swallowed them back. Chuckling softly, he turned and walked toward the exit of the private chamber. *Dammit, Zhou Chen is testing me too.* It seemed that after being abducted by Ran Qingmo and returning with all these new developments, there were still too many suspicious points around him. Given the original host's touchy and tyrannical temperament, there was no way he would let Xue Yong live in a situation like this. A single discrepancy might not arouse suspicion, but small details added up. Xu Yuan pushed open the door, paused in his steps, and glanced back over his shoulder. "Mister Zhou, I don't wish to see this man again." With that, he strode straight out of the room. "Heh heh..." Zhou Chen grinned as he watched Xu Yuan's retreating back, looking even more amused than before. In contrast to his smile, sheer terror overflowed from Xue Yong's eyes. He didn't want to die. He couldn't die here because of that useless Third Young Master! He was a genius—a twenty-two-year-old genius already at the peak of the Sixth Rank Iron Body. As long as he completed this protection duty and received the cultivation resources distributed by the Chancellor's Manor, he was certain he could break through to the Fifth Rank. The Fourth Miss held him in such high regard, and he was so young; if his cultivation progressed further, winning her favor might even be within the realm of possibility... As Xu Yuan's words settled, Xue Yong immediately endured the agonizing pain in his arm and spoke rapidly in a trembling voice: "No, no! Consecrated Retainer Zhou, you can't kill me! I... even if I showed disrespect to the Third Young Master this time, crippling an arm is the maximum punishment under the rules! Retainer Zhou, Retainer Zhou! I know I was wrong! If you kill me, under the rules laid down by the Chancellor, you will be punished too!" "..." Listening to Xue Yong's final struggle, Zhou Chen put away his smile and nodded in deep agreement. "Mhm, you're right." Without rules, there could be no order. As a massive interest group, the Chancellor's Manor naturally could not function without rules. If any powerhouse could slaughter subordinates at will, this faction would have collapsed long ago. Xue Yong was a genius. Killing a peak Sixth Rank Iron Body talent without cause wouldn't cost Zhou Chen his life or land him in prison, but having a year's worth of cultivation resources and annual stipend deducted was practically guaranteed. Seeing this, Xue Yong let out a breath of relief and forced a smile onto his face. But in the next moment, Zhou Chen suddenly grinned at him and said with a chuckle: "Except it's the Third Young Master who wants to kill you. What does that have to do with me?" Xue Yong's smile froze. Looking at Xue Yong's pathetic, unsightly state, Zhou Chen slowly crouched down before him and shook his head gently. "Xue Yong, just how much do you look down on the Third Young Master? I recall the Fourth Miss saying you were quite clever. Can't you see through such a simple truth now?" "..." Xue Yong was stunned. Right... it was the Third Young Master who wanted to kill him, not Zhou Chen. Was there a price for the Third Young Master to kill him? Yes, and a heavy one. According to the rules, ten years of the Third Young Master's monthly allowance would be confiscated, and he would be whipped and thrown into solitary confinement. Confined? Who would dare lock him up? If thrown into confinement, this profligate heir was an extraordinary lunatic who, even with a mortal body, had dared to test whether his skull or the wall was harder. And his allowance? How could a mere hundred taels a month fund his daily debauchery here at Zuixian Tower? Xue Yong whipped his head toward the entrance, only to see the wooden door of the chamber tightly shut. It was over. Zuixian Tower's soundproofing was excellent. Subconsciously circulating his cultivation technique, he channeled his energy into his voice to beg the Third Young Master for mercy: "Third—" *Smack!* As though finding it utterly tedious, Zhou Chen slapped Xue Yong right on the forehead. Looking at Xue Yong's limp body collapsing to the floor, Zhou Chen stood up and summoned the other guards. After casually explaining what had happened, he departed amidst their stunned, terrified stares. Leaving the chamber, Zhou Chen went straight over to the railing beside Zuixian Tower's central atrium shaft. Xu Yuan was standing there, looking downward. Standing side by side with him, Zhou Chen rested his arms on the railing and said offhandedly, "Third Young Master, it's taken care of. Though there might be a bit of trouble on the Fourth Miss's end. She seemed to think quite highly of Xue Yong, after all." Xu Yuan glanced sideways at Zhou Chen, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Think highly of him? So what if she does? If Mother hadn't insisted back then on taking that little wench in as an adopted daughter, she'd probably be selling smiles in some brothel right now. Nothing more than a wild-born bastard."