Chapter 373: Tribulation Demon (3)

Chapter 373 -143: Tribulation Demon (3)

“You don’t get it, do you? The Zhen Family has many branches. The matriarch of the Eighteenth Lord’s branch is a second wife. To show how magnanimous she is, she’s good to the Eighteenth Lord… a little *too* good!”

“Shh! Are the dark secrets of a great family something we can just talk about? Drink up! Drink up!”

…

‘I happen to need a way into the Zhen Family… Zhen Guangzheng, you’ll do!’

Fang Rui listened to the voices outside, a glint in his eyes.

「A short while later.」

After Zhen Guangzheng finished his meal and left, Fang Rui also tossed down a tip and rose to his feet, departing coolly under the resentful gazes of the three beautiful women.

…

“Young Master, how was it?”

“What awful luck. Didn’t find a single person I liked today.”

Zhen Guangzheng waved his hand. “Uncle Liang, let’s go back.”

He had a habit of roaming the city looking for prey. If he took a liking to a man or woman without a powerful background, he would take them away, which was why he didn’t travel by carriage.

“Then let’s head back. Miss Qing Shi is already prepared for you, Young Master!”

The middle-aged man called Uncle Liang said with a fawning smile, “You could have just taken her, but you insisted on spending silver to buy her freedom. You’re so virtuous!”

“Of course! Our Eighteenth Lord insists that his beauties come to him willingly…”

“Pfft!”

Fang Rui finally couldn’t hold it in and laughed out loud.

In all his years, he had rarely seen someone so utterly shameless.

“Little brat, didn’t your parents ever teach you that words can get you killed?”

Uncle Liang stood with his hands behind his back, his presence as deep as an abyss and as imposing as a mountain—the very picture of a grandmaster. “There are some people you can’t afford to offend.”

“Oh?!”

Seeing this, Fang Rui was slightly taken aback.

Uncertain, he scanned the man again, confirming that he was only a Fourth Grade Martial Artist.

‘A mere Fourth Grade? How laughable.’

As the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly recalled that in a Prefecture City, a county seat, or even a State City, a Fourth Grade Martial Artist was indeed no small fry.

‘Have I really come so far?’ Fang Rui sighed internally.

“Uncle Liang, get him! Take care of this person!”

Zhen Guangzheng urged Uncle Liang forward, but his own eyes darted about as he quietly backed away.

That’s right, he had noticed something was wrong: the area was too quiet, unnaturally so.

“Young Master, watch this.”

“Heaven-Covering Hand!”

Eager to show off, Uncle Liang failed to notice anything amiss. With a great shout, he unleashed Transforming Force from his palm and swept forward.

“Go!”

Fang Rui’s expression was indifferent. He pushed out a palm, and in mid-air, Spiritual Essence surged and formed a hand seal.

‘This… How is this possible?!’

The confidence on Uncle Liang’s face turned to utter horror as his body disintegrated like sand.

“It seems the Eighteenth Lord isn’t as useless as the rumors say, is he?”

Fang Rui blocked Zhen Guangzheng’s path.

Indeed, he had long since sealed the surroundings with Magic, preventing even sound from escaping. Uncle Liang hadn’t noticed a thing, but this Zhen Guangzheng had keenly sensed that something was amiss.

“Spare me, hero!”

Zhen Guangzheng forced a smile. “If you want money, or Cultivation Techniques, or Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, we can talk…”

SWISH!

But Fang Rui wasted no words. He pointed a finger, incapacitating the man. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”

If he killed Zhen Guangzheng, his Life Plate would shatter. How would he infiltrate the Zhen Family then?

…

He used Soul Searching on Zhen Guangzheng, turning him into an imbecile, disfigured him, and tossed him under a bridge.

Fang Rui strode away and activated the Divine Technique, ‘Thousand Transformations,’ taking on the other man’s appearance.

Behind him, the voices of a few beggars arose.

“This kid’s so delicate. His skin is like tofu.”

“Yeah, more delicate than the girls in the brothels. If you don’t look at his face, you could still…”

“Easy now. The big shot said this one has to stay alive!”

…

「The Zhen Mansion.」

Fang Rui imitated Zhen Guangzheng’s crab-like, bow-legged swagger. Just as he entered the Zhen Mansion, he was pulled aside by a toady-looking servant.

“Eighteenth Lord, Miss Qing Shi has been waiting for you!”

‘Miss Qing Shi? The courtesan Zhen Guangzheng bought?’

A thought struck Fang Rui. He looked at the servant. “Well…”

“I get it. Miss Qing Shi is a virgin; no one dared to touch her. And, just like you like it, she’s wearing… those things…”

“No, that’s not it. You’re making things very difficult for me!”

“How is it difficult? Don’t worry, Young Master. The Matriarch won’t say a thing.”

…

CREAK!

The door closed.

Fang Rui turned and looked at the scantily clad, flower-like, painfully shy woman in the room, and his brow furrowed.

‘Why must an old man of nearly a hundred years like me endure such a trial?’