Chapter 21

Under the star-studded sky, a gentle night breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of young grass and the fragrance of flowers. Countless small insects chirped from their hiding places in the vegetation, enjoying their own splendid moments! What a touching summer night it was! One should feel comfortable and joyful in such an environment, but Cheng Fugui, the chief steward of the city lord's residence, dressed in a dark red robe and wearing a black tall hat, was extremely angry. Even the charming night scenery could not conceal the resentment on his face! But he knew this was not right, so he endured it, using great willpower to restore his calm and composed demeanor.

Behind him, five or six middle-aged men, dressed in light red steward uniforms and wearing green tall hats, were gnashing their teeth in anger!

In front of these six or seven people were two large beds, on which lay two young men, drenched in sweat from the intense pain of their recent awakening!

Cheng Dawei, with a grimace of pain, howled and muttered to Cheng Fugui, "Father, you must... avenge your son! I want Yun Mo, that little beast... to die! I want him dead!" His voice was filled with extreme malice, clearly intent on eliminating Yun Mo at all costs!

Little Mazi also sobbed to the lecherous-looking old man behind Cheng Fugui, "Father, that guy... doesn't even look at you! Look... what he did to me, my... leg is broken! It hurts so much, Father...!" Little Mazi's leg and body were wrapped in thick bandages, and his crying and fussing made him look extremely pitiful!

"Chief Steward, what do you think...?" The lecherous old man with a讨厌的山羊胡 (disgusting goatee) was almost ready to explode at the sight of his son's miserable condition! But he knew he had no authority to make decisions, so he bowed to the chief steward, Cheng Fugui, whose face was ashen, and asked! However, the occasional flashes of viciousness in his dark eyes betrayed his cruel intentions!

"Slap!" To everyone's surprise, the chief steward stepped forward and slapped Cheng Dawei, who was howling!

"Huh...?" Everyone was stunned, and the small room fell silent, so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping!

Little Mazi tightly covered his mouth, not daring to make a sound, his small eyes darting around, trying to figure out why this was happening.

Cheng Dawei, with his limbs already broken, couldn't cover his face, but a more severe wound appeared on his already battered face. He opened his mouth, which was missing over a dozen teeth, and looked at his father in confusion, his triangular eyes filled with bewilderment!

"Father, you...?" he asked hesitantly, his voice trembling.

"You damn brat!" Cheng Fugui pointed at his son, who was wrapped in bandages like a white mummy, and cursed, "How could I have given birth to such an incompetent thing? Beaten to a pulp because you're not good enough, and all you can do is cry and wail when you come back. What kind of dignity is that? Are you even my son? If you want revenge, fine, heal yourself and train hard. Where you fell, get back up and beat that little beast to a pulp! A man should not be deterred by a little setback. A cultivator without any backbone? If you keep this up, I'll cripple you myself to save myself the trouble of your whining!"

Cheng Fugui's wrinkled face was stern, and he scolded Cheng Dawei so harshly that he didn't dare to speak again.

Little Mazi, of course, didn't dare to make a peep either!

"Father... I understand. After I heal, I will train hard and regain my honor. I won't disgrace you!" Cheng Dawei's face was uncertain, but he didn't dare to defy his father, so he made a bold promise to seek revenge! In his heart, he knew: This was extremely difficult. Yun Mo was a late-stage awakened cultivator, a genius whose training speed was rapid. In half a year, he would be far ahead of me. At that time, how could I possibly take revenge? Not being bullied by him would be considered lucky. Father, you are really getting old and confused!

He only dared to think this in secret, never daring to say it out loud. Did he want another slap?

Cheng Fugui puffed out his slightly protruding belly and said with a relieved tone, "That's what I want to hear. You two, focus on healing. Don't cause any more trouble! The city lord may emerge from seclusion at any time. Don't bring trouble upon yourselves and your father. Do you understand?"

"We will remember Father's teachings!" "Understood, we will listen to Chief Steward Uncle!"

Cheng Dawei and Little Mazi quickly responded.

"Hmm!" Cheng Fugui nodded slightly, then turned to the other stewards who had come to gloat and said softly, "Is there anything else, gentlemen? If not, please leave. Focus on your duties, don't waste time on trivial matters. If the masters ask, it won't be good for any of us, will it?"

"Yes! Yes!" The stewards bowed and smiled, then left one by one!

Little Mazi's father's clothes were suddenly tugged from behind. He felt a sudden understanding and lingered until the last. Cheng Fugui instructed the maids to take good care of the two injured young men, then gave the old man a knowing look and led the way!

The old man's goatee trembled, his eyes darted around, and he hunched his small body, quickly following out!

Turning left and right, Cheng Fugui dismissed the guards behind him and led the old man into an underground chamber!

The dim candlelight cast a terrifying shadow on Cheng Fugui's old face!

Sitting on a sandalwood chair, Cheng Fugui gestured for the old man to sit on a chair beside him, then remained silent for a long time.

The old man's face was drenched in cold sweat, feeling extremely uneasy under the oppressive silence.

Finally, Cheng Fugui turned his head and looked at his confidant, asking, "Zhou Quan, you are older than me and have more experience. What do you think of today's events?"

Zhou Quan's eyes flickered, realizing the main topic had arrived. He pondered for a moment, then looked at Cheng Fugui's calm face and cautiously said, "I am not very capable, but I do have some thoughts on today's events. If the Chief Steward doesn't mind, may I share them? But please bear with me if I say anything inappropriate!"

"Old fox!" Cheng Fugui cursed inwardly at the old man's pretentiousness but showed no emotion on his face. He said firmly, "Zhou Steward, speak freely. There are no outsiders here. What you say will only be heard by me. What do you have to worry about? Do you not trust me?"