Chapter 3: Madam Returns, Evil Servant's True Face
Night.
Li Xian lay on the wooden bed, the Servants on either side already asleep. Snores filled the air, and the smell of sweat and feet was exceptionally foul.
Servants were not permitted to bathe. Covered in grime and stickiness, they could only endure until the twice-monthly bathing day to quickly wash themselves.
He lay awake for a long time, pondering repeatedly.
“Bi Hao was right about one thing: even a Servant needs a skill to rely on.”
“If I could learn some cooking or gardening, my life in the manor would surely be much better. If I get the Opportunity, I should try my best to climb up.”
As a Transmigrator, this ambition seemed a bit too small.
But the cruelty of reality was just like this.
He rested his head on his hands, moonlight shining on his cheek, his eyes exceptionally bright.
“I’ve been Transmigrated for over half a month, but I still don’t know what this world is truly like?”
He stopped thinking and closed his eyes to sleep.
Perhaps knowing his younger brother was well-fed and clothed, his mind was clear, and he slept exceptionally soundly.
In a blink, it was already the fifth watch of the night. Before dawn, Li Xian woke up first, and suddenly, his eyes flashed.
“Skill: Sleep”
“Proficiency: 2 / 500 (Beginner)”
“Description: Who in life has ever lived without sleep? Don’t wait until eternal rest to realize the preciousness of sleep.”
“Could even the most ordinary sleep have a Dao within it?”
Before Li Xian could ponder, the Servant foreman struck the gong.
“Clang!”
“Clang!”
“Wake up, wake up. Time to start working.”
This was the daily wake-up call; the sound of the gong signaled the start of the day’s labor.
Because he had done well Weeding yesterday, Bi Hao arranged for Li Xian to continue working in the backyard of the abandoned house.
He was specifically responsible for the Weeding area.
This thankless chore, which no one wanted to do, firmly fell on Li Xian’s shoulders.
“Little Li, work hard.” Bi Hao said perfunctorily and then turned and left.
Li Xian was happy for the peace and quiet; this patch of weeds was nothing to him.
Now, being familiar with the task, it was actually much easier than other chores. He rolled up his sleeves, bent his back, and worked diligently.
“Proficiency + 1”
“Proficiency + 1”
“Skill: Weeding”
“Proficiency: 19 / 1000 (Mastery)”
The more he weeded, the more skilled he became, each bend of his back subtly revealing a natural, inherent grace.
In the blink of an eye, it was evening. Bi Hao made his routine inspection and, seeing the backyard weeds cleared and tidy, nodded secretly.
Only this time, he didn’t reward Li Xian with money, merely stating, “Very good. Tomorrow, you will go to the adjacent room and continue to remove weeds.”
This continued for several days.
Li Xian didn’t have to do anything else, specializing in Weeding. Outsiders thought he worked very hard, but they didn’t know that he had more and more free time.
Clearing all the weeds in a backyard only took half a day. The other half of the day was entirely used by him to practice “Wild Bull Fist.”
That evening.
“Proficiency Full!”
“Skill: Weeding”
“Proficiency: 0 / 1500 (Minor Achievement)”
“Description: Weed a thousand times, and its meaning will naturally become clear. Observe your breathing, and you may discover its mysteries?”
According to the “Description,” Li Xian focused on his breathing while Weeding. He felt his overall fatigue greatly alleviated.
“After reaching Minor Achievement in Weeding, it seems to have improved my endurance and my ability to resist fatigue.”
“This effect seems to originate from… breathing?”
He found his breathing becoming smoother and more natural, hard to describe, but definitely beneficial.
“Wild Bull Fist (Incomplete)”
“Proficiency: 139 / 1000 (Mastery)”
In comparison, Wild Bull Fist progressed a bit slower, but still quite noticeably.
He could feel the warm current in his lower abdomen growing larger, from a small wisp to the thickness of a finger.
His punches had more power; these things gave him a sense of security.
“Daily Weeding, while giving me a lot of free time, does… nothing to help my status.”
“How can I break this deadlock?”
Li Xian had to ponder. Now that he had entered this deep mansion, the only way was to climb up!
Just then, he suddenly heard a commotion in the courtyard. Footsteps quickly approached.
“Brother Li, Brother Li, Madam has returned! Master Bi wants us to quickly go to the manor entrance to greet her. Anyone who is a moment late will have their legs broken.”
A Servant shouted loudly. His voice grew from loud to soft, indicating he was running while shouting, eager to gather.
“Madam?”
Li Xian had long been extremely curious about this mysterious Madam, so he immediately ran out of the abandoned house and gathered with the other Servants.
Bi Hao and Luo Fang were both there.
Bi Hao, usually so arrogant, now wore a fawning smile, his back bowed and stomach tucked in, looking like a grandson.
His uncle, Luo Fang, also stooped, not daring to straighten up an inch, appearing very reserved.
Luo Fang was merely a steward; above him were accountants, the chief bodyguard, personal maids…
However, given Li Xian’s status, he rarely even saw Luo Fang on a normal day. The chief bodyguard, personal maids… they were all untouchable existences.
“Alas, just a manor, and the Ranks are already so strict.”
Li Xian mingled in the crowd.
Although he was already a Servant, his fate not his own, his spirit remained. He was also a bit bolder; though his head was bowed, he dared to observe with his peripheral vision.
He saw four sedan bearers carrying a red sedan chair approaching from the mountain path in the distance.
Before they even got close, a faint fragrance subtly wafted to his nose.
“Good heavens, such a luxurious sedan chair. To live like this, one must be truly magnificent,” Li Xian mused.
In a flash, the sedan chair had stopped in front of the manor.
“Master.” The chief bodyguard, Pang Long, stepped forward to greet her, kneeling on one knee.
Luo Fang, Bi Hao, and others knelt on both knees, bending their backs as much as possible, their foreheads touching the ground.
Only in this way could the distinction of status be shown.
Many Servants, however, due to their dirty bodies, stood further away and had to keep their heads bowed. Unaware of what was happening and with no one to direct them, they remained standing foolishly.
Li Xian did not make any attention-grabbing moves, only daring to vaguely glance with his peripheral vision…
The vermilion red curtain was lifted, and a woman in a white dress stepped out. The woman seemed to have an extremely beautiful figure, with hair like a waterfall, but he couldn’t see clearly.
He could only glimpse the hem of her skirt, pure white and flawless, made of the finest brocade silk, embroidered with gilded lace.
“I have returned from a banquet and am a bit tired. Everything can be kept simple. There’s no need for such a fuss.” Madam Zhuang spoke, her voice like Niao Niao Xian Yin (Lingering Fairy Music).
The personal maid said, “Master, I have prepared hot water. Would you like to wash up first?”
“Very well.” Madam Zhuang nodded.
Madam Zhuang and her personal maid departed. Then the chief bodyguard departed, followed by Bi Hao and his uncle Luo Fang getting up.
“TV shows are all lies. Real important figures, even when right in front of you, you don’t even have the right to look at them.”
Li Xian, having lived two lives, felt more emotion than others, and gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile.
“Madam Zhuang’s cultivation seems to have improved again.”
“Uncle Luo, what do you say Madam Zhuang’s cultivation Rank is now? Has she reached the legendary Blood Exchange Realm?”
“Little Hao, what have I always taught you? Madam’s affairs are not for us to discuss. However, I heard that the Songjiang Sword Sect in Qiongtian Prefecture once invited Madam to serve as a Guest Elder. Madam refused.”
“Madam travels the Jianghu, has many friends, and a great reputation. It’s a pity we are as lowly as dirt, without even the right to inquire.”
“Little Hao, although you manage the Servants for me, you are still just a Servant. People like you and I, to even catch a whiff of Lord Pang’s fart, is a great Opportunity.”
“Uncle Luo, to tell you the truth, I once had the Opportunity to smell Lord Pang’s fart. That taste… it was more fragrant than any wine or meat.”
“Hahaha, indeed, indeed.”
…
The conversation between the uncle and nephew silently influenced many Servants. They felt that such high-ranking individuals were like stars in the sky, and everything they did was right.
“You lowly brats, what are you still gawking at? Is the work finished? Don’t let me find out otherwise during my evening inspection, or I’ll whip you!”
Bi Hao, who had been bowing all day, now puffed out his chest. He gestured grandly at the Servants, full of vigor and spirit.
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