Chapter 17

As the sun began to set, Jiang Xingchen and Meier, who had been walking around the Imperial Academy, got back into the carriage.

At this moment, the little girl was very happy. They had indeed found a large courtyard for sale nearby, not far from the Imperial Academy, covering more than a thousand square meters. It included bedrooms, a kitchen, a storage room for miscellaneous items, a bathroom for bathing, a shed for storing carriages, and even a small garden in the backyard.

The house was priced at ten thousand yellow crystal coins. After a quick calculation, Jiang Xingchen decided to buy it and immediately gave the owner a deposit of one hundred yellow crystal coins, agreeing to complete the formalities a month later. By then, his first dividend would be due.

At first, he didn't dare to say that his first dividend would be over ten thousand yellow crystal coins, but after visiting the Rich Prosperity Hall at noon and seeing the bustling scene, he felt confident!

With the house matter settled, Jiang Xingchen felt more relaxed, especially seeing the little girl's happy face, which gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction. Even the bumpy ride in the carriage didn't feel so uncomfortable.

On the way back to the outskirts of the civilian area, Jiang Xingchen got off the carriage with Meier and plunged back into the market.

Rice, flour, vegetables, various seasonings, and some tools—both of them went on a big shopping spree...

While Jiang Xingchen and Meier were happily shopping, two thugs also drove their carriage back to the Fragrant Fresh Residence to meet Sun Sanqiang.

Leaning on a soft couch, Sun Sanqiang listened to the two thugs report their day's outing and gradually fell into deep thought.

"Even during the meal, he brought them along. Young Master Jiang is quite amiable..."

"The owner of the Rich Prosperity Hall not only helped pay the bill but also gave a piece of misty cloud in exchange for two pointers from Jiang Ling... It seems I was right. Jiang Ling has secret recipes. We must establish a good relationship with him. Today was a good start. With his help, I can stand out among my siblings and control the entire underground forces of Hongyuan City..."

"Misty cloud, since Young Master Jiang likes misty cloud so much, I'll find it for you. That thing is hard to get even with money!"

Thinking about this, Sun Sanqiang looked up and asked, "What is Young Master Jiang doing now?"

"He's shopping with his sister in the market and told us to come back first!" one of the thugs said.

Hearing this, Sun Sanqiang stood up abruptly and called out, "Call a few more people and come with me to see Young Master Jiang!"

Soon, a group of seven or eight people walked out of the Fragrant Fresh Residence...

Jiang Xingchen and Meier had been in and out of shops in the market for about an hour. When they had almost bought everything they needed, they realized they had too many things to carry.

Just as they were worrying, Sun Sanqiang and his men approached. "Young Master Jiang, I heard you were shopping, so I brought some people to help!"

Jiang Xingchen's face turned slightly red. He felt like a nouveau riche who had just made money and was spending it recklessly. Although he knew Sun Sanqiang didn't mean it that way, it still stung a bit.

"Ha ha! I haven't thanked you for today's arrangements yet!" Jiang Xingchen smiled and thanked him. Since he had already accepted Sun Sanqiang's arrangements today, he couldn't act the same way as yesterday.

Moreover, he had already figured out Sun Sanqiang's intentions. He just wanted to get something from him, which wasn't a big deal.

"Young Master Jiang is too polite! I sincerely want to be your friend. If you really want to thank me, let me taste your cooking. I've been thinking about it all day!" Sun Sanqiang laughed, and his words brought them closer.

"This guy is really shrewd!" Jiang Xingchen thought to himself and replied, "Sure, come home with me, and I'll let you taste it tonight!"

After a few words, the two of them seemed like old friends, which left Meier a bit confused: "Is Brother very familiar with this thin guy who is smiling so lecherously?"

"Great! We brothers will have a good drink tonight!" Sun Sanqiang said, calling a few thugs to take the things from Meier and Jiang Xingchen, and they were about to leave.

But at that moment, Sun Sanqiang noticed a figure quietly approaching behind Jiang Xingchen.

"Hmm!" Sun Sanqiang raised his eyebrows and was about to speak when the person made a gesture to be quiet. He looked closely and saw it was the second-in-command of the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group!

Jiang Xingchen took a few steps and noticed Sun Sanqiang wasn't following, so he turned to look.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang in his ear: "Jiang Ling!" followed by a gust of wind aimed at his shoulder.

Jiang Xingchen was startled. The heightened perception and agility from the Sensitivity Array kicked in instantly, and without much thought, he spun around to dodge the gust of wind aimed at his shoulder.

"Ah!" The second brother couldn't stop his momentum and stumbled past Jiang Xingchen.

"Huh? How can this kid be so agile?" The second brother, stabilizing himself, turned to look at Jiang Xingchen, surprised. They had become quite familiar yesterday, and he had only intended to play a joke, but he didn't even touch Jiang Xingchen's clothes.

"Second Brother!" Jiang Xingchen, seeing it was the second brother, was somewhat amused and hurried to help him up.

But before he could speak, the second brother straightened up and shouted, "Kid, you're hiding your skills! Take this!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another gust of wind came at Jiang Xingchen.

"Ah! I don't know martial arts!" Jiang Xingchen, seeing the second brother's muscular figure charging at him, felt a bit scared and quickly dodged.

The second brother's speed was fast, but Jiang Xingchen wasn't slow in dodging. Sun Sanqiang, watching the two figures move, slowly widened his eyes and opened his mouth in surprise.

The second brother, the second-in-command of the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group, was a ninth-layer Body Strengthening realm cultivator, yet he couldn't even touch Jiang Xingchen's clothes.

After a few minutes, heavy panting could be heard. Jiang Xingchen was almost exhausted and couldn't dodge the second brother anymore, finally being hit on the shoulder.

"Can't do it anymore!" Jiang Xingchen panted heavily, waving at the second brother. In a short while, he was drenched in sweat.

The second brother was also panting but looked very happy. He patted Jiang Xingchen's shoulder and laughed, "Hahaha... Kid, you're really something. A civilian with such strength, truly... Ouch~~~" Before he could finish, he felt a hard kick to his groin, emitting a high-pitched, prolonged scream, like a dolphin's whistle. He clutched his crotch, his knees together, and his body bent like a shrimp, his face distorted.

"Bad guy, for bullying my brother!" The little girl, like a wild beast, kicked the second brother repeatedly from behind.

The group, including Sun Sanqiang, the thugs, and Jiang Xingchen, were all stunned, then instinctively clamped their legs, feeling a chill in their spines.

"Meier! Stop kicking, he was just joking with Brother!" Jiang Xingchen, seeing the little girl showing no signs of stopping, hurriedly pulled her away.

The little girl, pulled back by Jiang Xingchen, stumbled backward, still cursing and trying to kick the second brother.

"Second Brother! I'm really sorry, my sister is too impulsive. Are you okay?" Jiang Xingchen, pulling Meier away, quickly walked over and supported the swaying second brother.

"Nothing! You can try too!" The second brother, with a dark face, roared. His usually deep voice was now sharp, like the eunuchs Jiang Xingchen often saw on TV in his previous life. What was even more embarrassing was that he, the second-in-command of the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group and a ninth-layer Body Strengthening realm expert, had been kicked by a little girl.

"Meier, quickly apologize to Second Brother. Look what you did to him!" Jiang Xingchen, trying to suppress his laughter, turned to scold her. His expression was scolding, but his eyes were full of affection and gratitude. After a few days, he had already seen that although the little girl was strong, she was actually quite timid, but she had dared to act against the tall second brother for his sake.

As for the second brother, Jiang Xingchen wasn't too worried. Meier's strength wasn't great, and she wouldn't hurt him. Moreover, with their close relationship from yesterday, he wouldn't make a fuss over a misunderstanding.

Meier, who had acted on impulse, now felt like a mouse in front of a cat, hiding behind Jiang Xingchen. She had kicked a nobleman of higher status than her brother.

However, when she saw that her brother, though stern, wasn't worried, she immediately knew it wasn't a big deal, and her fear vanished.

"I didn't know he was joking with Brother!" Meier's eyes darted around, muttering as she came forward to apologize to the second brother.

"Little girl, even if it wasn't a joke, you shouldn't kick there!" Sun Sanqiang interjected.

Meier glanced at him, her eyes fixed on his lower body.

Sun Sanqiang shivered, feeling a wave of fear, and quickly clamped his legs and took a step back.

Then, Meier looked at the second brother's clamped legs.

Seeing Meier's gaze, the second brother straightened up and laughed at Jiang Xingchen, "It's fine! I'm okay!" However, his twitching mouth and trembling eyes betrayed his current state.

After a while, the second brother recovered and stared at Jiang Xingchen, "The boss sent me to tell you something! But... you must cook a good meal tonight, or I'll fight you!"

"Tonight, I'll definitely make sure Second Brother eats well. If you're not satisfied, you can test me!" Jiang Xingchen laughed and said.

"Jiang Ling and the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group have such a good relationship that the second-in-command didn't get angry after being kicked in the groin!" Sun Sanqiang, seeing this, was even more determined to build a good relationship with Jiang Xingchen.

"Let's go, let's get moving!" The second brother waved his hand, leading Jiang Xingchen forward.

Sun Sanqiang, knowing the second brother had something to say to Jiang Xingchen, didn't mind and called the thugs to follow. The group quickly entered the civilian area.

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