Chapter 23

Early in the morning, Wu Fan hurriedly went to the bustling land temple in Luoyang City. Of course, this scoundrel wasn't there to pray or make wishes. Instead, to avoid trouble, he went to swipe the divination sticks used by the devout men and women. Upon reflection, Wu Fan felt he was quite foolish. Why did he spend a silver tael to buy the old, broken wooden bucket from the Huang family next door yesterday? There were already ready-made ones in the temple.

After realizing this, Wu Fan felt heartache for a long time. Probably because he had been with Tong Rui for too long, he had picked up a bad habit—being stingy.

Clutching his chest, Wu Fan stumbled to the Hundred Households Office in the western part of the city. He immediately bumped into the newly appointed Hundred Householder, Zhong Xiu, who was drunk and disoriented. The bastard hadn't even washed his face, and it was clear he had been drinking all night. His body reeked of sourness, making it almost unbearable to be near him. People had to cover their noses and stay far away.

Wu Fan, being a subordinate, thought about turning away to avoid him, but he couldn't. He had to greet him: "Greetings, Hundred Householder!"

Zhong Xiu was known for his explosive temper, like a firecracker that ignites at the slightest provocation. However, his attitude toward Wu Fan yesterday wasn't as brutal and direct as usual. Instead, he used many subtle and cunning methods, which were quite perplexing. It seemed someone was giving him advice. Today, his true colors were revealed.

With bloodshot, drunken eyes, Zhong Xiu sized up Wu Fan. Seeing Wu Fan's gaze, his bearded face instantly turned angry, and he roared, "Wu Zongqi! What kind of attitude is this? Huh? Is this how you greet your superior? Do you even respect me as your Hundred Householder? Speak! Do you or not?"

As he roared, he reached out to grab Wu Fan's neck.

Wu Fan's smile vanished, and he swatted away Zhong Xiu's hand, saying coldly, "Hundred Householder Zhong! What are you doing? Was there a problem with my greeting? If there was, point it out and show me where I went wrong so I can correct it. But... if you're just trying to treat us subordinates like dirt..."

"What? Kill me?" Zhong Xiu sneered, eyes wide, pointing at his own neck. "Come on! Aren't you so capable? Didn't you kill Chen Yu and Guo Ye with one stroke each? One more won't make a difference, right? Come on! Give me a stroke! Come on!"

Wu Fan's face darkened, his right hand resting on the fourteen-form saber scabbard behind him, his teeth grinding. He knew Zhong Xiu was deliberately provoking him, and if he acted, he would fall into a trap, so he held back.

Seeing that Wu Fan didn't move, Zhong Xiu laughed, "Come on! Give me a stroke! If you don't give me a stroke today, you're my grandson! My grand grandson!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Wu Fan suddenly burst into laughter, then very seriously bowed to Zhong Xiu again, saying, "Grandpa, hello!"

He turned and walked away.

Watching Wu Fan's back, Zhong Xiu's smug and arrogant expression vanished, replaced by astonishment. He felt... felt that either he or Wu Fan had gone mad! What did this mean? How could he... how could he say that? He should have drawn his sword and cut him, right? No, this wasn't how things should have developed! How could it be like this?

If Wu Fan knew what Zhong Xiu was thinking, he would tell him it was "intellectual dominance." Zhong Xiu said, "If you don't give me a stroke, you're my grandson, my grand grandson." Then Wu Fan called him grandpa. What is a grand grandson's grandpa? The answer is clear—Old Turtle.

However...

Wu Fan couldn't think about that now. He had already started thinking about how to get rid of Zhong Xiu. From Zhong Xiu's behavior today, it was clear he was acting on the orders of Commander Wu Yuanhao, with the sole purpose of driving Wu Fan away or killing him. Otherwise, why would Zhong Xiu stand there and provoke Wu Fan with words? That would be looking for a reason.

"This is you forcing me! Don't think that a 'Gathering Qi into the Sea' can scare me. I have countless ways to kill you!"

Wu Fan's face was dark, his eyes fierce. He never thought Zhong Xiu or Wu Yuanhao would go to such lengths. It was too ugly! Even Wu Fan, who didn't care about appearances, couldn't stand it. Of course, Zhong Xiu wasn't someone Wu Fan could easily confront. A higher rank could crush him, and their martial skills were not on the same level. If Wu Fan hadn't called him grandpa to save face, he would have been even more embarrassed. There was no way; that hot-tempered bastard would really beat Wu Fan and then say he was drunk, with Wu Yuanhao covering for him. In such a situation, it was better to be shameless. How much is face worth compared to avoiding physical pain?

Shaking his head, Wu Fan stopped thinking about Zhong Xiu and instead filled a basin with water, wiping off the "upper upper" and "lower lower" inscriptions and some verses from the bamboo sticks. He used a delicate brush to write the names from the register one by one. Finally, he sent someone to buy a thick pancake and stuffed it into the bottom of the bamboo tube, testing it a few times to ensure it worked before he sighed in relief.

Lifting his head, it was already noon, the sun blazing overhead.

Wu Fan walked out of the house and called his Yingyang Guards over, saying, "I've decided how to select the reserve Yingyang Guards. Go and gather all the people who have signed up." Seeing the flattery in their expressions, Wu Fan slapped his forehead, saying, "Go with peace of mind! I'll handle it, and you can rest assured!"

The group left the Hundred Households Office, starting to go through the streets and alleys to gather the names on the register.

Zhong Xiu, who had a conflict with Wu Fan in the morning, had sobered up and realized he might have been rash. Asking for an apology was out of the question; he wasn't the type to compromise, especially since he was ordered to make Wu Fan's life difficult.

Zhong Xiu was cooling off under a big tree in the courtyard of the Hundred Households Office. Seeing Wu Fan come out of the house, he raised an eyebrow and walked over, feigning authority, saying slowly, "Wu Zongqi, filling the Yingyang Guard positions... is no small matter! If you handle it unfairly and people start talking, not only will I, as your Hundred Householder, be unable to protect you, but even the Commander will be unable to protect you!"

Wu Fan smiled at Zhong Xiu, making him feel uneasy, then replied, "Since Hundred Householder has entrusted me with this task, I will do it well. However... it seems Hundred Householder doesn't want me to do well?"

"How can that be? How can that be? Wu Zongqi, what are you saying? Ha ha ha!" Zhong Xiu laughed, as fake as it could be. "I'll wait for your good news, of course, but don't blame me if you don't do well... hehe."

Wu Fan's expression remained unchanged, and he simply said, "Hehe!"

...

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