NOVEL NEXT Chapter 113: Pei Zhaoxi's Favor
Chapter 113: Pei Zhaoxi’s Favor
Arriving at the alleyway under the maple tree, Xu Lian and Pei Zhaoxi found the underground gambling den. They stepped inside.
The place was filled with seven or eight gambling tables, each surrounded by a crowd of gamblers who were shouting and betting feverishly.
“Place your bets! Buy big or small, make your choice and don’t change your mind!”
One table, where dice were being thrown, had the most gamblers and was the busiest.
Xu Lian pushed through the crowd and placed Chen Xuan’s corpse on the table. “I’ll bet big.”
The person shaking the dice immediately recognized Chen Xuan and was so startled that his hand trembled, causing the dice cup to fall onto the table. He looked at Xu Lian in horror, realizing that this was clearly someone here to cause trouble.
The players froze for a moment before retreating hastily.
People at the other tables noticed the commotion and turned to look, only to be shocked by what they saw. The entire gambling den fell into complete silence.
“Young master? Young Master?”
The Dice Shaker tentatively called out, but when he realized that Chen Xuan was dead, his face turned pale with fear.
He looked at Xu Lian and waved his hands quickly. “This gentleman, it’s not my fault. I’m just an employee here.”
Xu Lian didn’t care about him. “Go get your boss.”
The dice shaker replied with a hasty “Yes,” and immediately sent someone to fetch the owner.
While waiting, Xu Lian, feeling bored, picked up the dice cup and began to play with it.
His calm and fearless demeanor only deepened the silence in the room, broken only by the sound of the dice hitting the cup.
Pei Zhaoxi couldn’t help but laugh. She took the dice cup from Xu Lian and demonstrated, “You don’t shake it like that. You should do it like this.”
Xu Lian wrapped his arm around her. “Zhaoxi, your technique is so skillful. It looks like you’ve been playing with it since you were young.”
Pei Zhaoxi pouted and pretended to be angry. “Yes, I’ve been playing with it since I was young. Are you starting to dislike me now?”
Xu Lian replied, “First it was Young Master Fang, then Chen Xuan, and who knows who will come next. So many men trying to take you away only proves that my judgment was right. Why should I dislike you?”
Pei Zhaoxi snorted coldly. “Who asked you to marry me? You’re just asking for trouble.”
As they bantered, she couldn’t help but smile. Deep down, she knew how much Xu Lian cherished her. “Husband, you’d better work harder. Don’t let anyone take me away.”
Just as the two of them were enjoying their playful banter, the owner of the gambling den arrived in a hurry. He was a middle-aged man, strong and powerful, with a confident walk – clearly a martial artist.
Seeing Chen Xuan’s corpse on the table, the owner took a deep breath to calm himself down. This young man had killed his son and dared to come to his gambling den. Clearly, he wasn’t someone to be trifled with. If he wasn’t careful, he might end up like his son.
After considering his options, the owner bowed respectfully and said in a deep voice, “May I ask how this gentleman is called? Why did you take such drastic measures against my son?”
Xu Lian replied, “My name is Xu Lian. Your son harassed my wife at the martial arts school, so I killed him. I mainly came here to ask if you plan to take revenge.”
The players were all stunned. Killing the owner’s son and then asking if he would seek revenge?
Even Pei Zhaoxi was taken aback for a moment. Her big, strong husband was becoming more and more assertive, which delighted her. It perfectly matched her fiery personality.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath, feeling a chill run down his spine. This young man was clearly acting with complete confidence, knowing that he had the upper hand.
“Since my son was in the wrong in the first place, his death was justified. I won’t mention revenge,” the owner said, his eyes flickering. For now, he decided to swallow his pride. He would first send this mysterious young man away, investigate his background, and then decide how to proceed.
Xu Lian took out a five-tael silver ingot and placed it on the table. “You’re reasonable, so this is good. This is for the funeral expenses. If you ever cause trouble again, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
The middle-aged man bowed deeply, his face solemn, but he didn’t dare to say anything.
Xu Lian took Pei Zhaoxi’s hand and walked out of the gambling hall.
The gamblers all hurriedly stepped back to avoid Xu Lian. They were gamblers themselves, but compared to someone like this ruthless man, they knew they were out of their league.
When they reached the entrance, Xu Lian paused for a moment and decided to add one more sentence.
“Oh, by the way, if you’re still holding a grudge and want to investigate my background, I suggest you go directly to the county magistrate. After you ask him, you’ll be satisfied.”
With that, he left without further ado, taking Pei Zhaoxi with him.
Xu Lian wasn’t worried about revenge himself, but he was worried about Pei Zhaoxi and Pei Heng, and he wanted to avoid any unforeseen trouble.
After leaving the gambling den, Xu Lian mounted his horse and reached out to help Pei Zhaoxi up. This time, he let her sit in front of him, making it easier for them to have some intimate conversations.
“Husband, do you have any connections with the county magistrate?” Pei Zhaoxi turned her head, her curiosity growing. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to understand him.
Xu Lian just nodded, but didn’t elaborate.
Pei Zhaoxi was the direct daughter of one of the three great families of Green Bamboo Town, but her perspective was limited. She didn’t realize the true weight of the Purple Jade Badge and thought that the County Magistrate was the second most powerful figure in Pingyang County, just below the Town Guard Commander.
In reality, the quarry patrol inspectors of each town were of higher rank than the county magistrate. After all, the Yi Sect was more concerned with cultivation resources than with the position of an administrator like the county magistrate. They could easily appoint anyone to such a role.
If you were to rank the positions within the Yi Sect in Pingyang County:
The Town Guard Commander of the Spirit Tree was undoubtedly the most powerful. Not only did she guard the Spirit Tree, but she was also the protector of the entire Pingyang County, and even the entire county of Pingyang.
Next was the Inspector, who was technically on the same level as the Town Guard Commander. However, the inspector was more of a theoretical position, while the town guard commander had real power. Essentially, one was a position for giving orders, and the other was for carrying them out. So the Town Guard Commander was still considered a bit more powerful.
Below them were the Quarry Patrol Inspectors of each city, who controlled resources such as Earth Flesh and Stone Marrow.
Finally, there were the County Magistrate and the Town Chiefs, who kept order among the common folk.
Of course, exceptions like the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector of Green Bamboo Town, who was clearly powerful but chose to be lax, were not included in this ranking.
“Brother and I bought a house. Let’s go there,” Pei Zhaoxi said, pointing in a direction when she noticed Xu Lian riding aimlessly.
Xu Lian’s heart raced at the suggestion. He immediately turned the horse’s head and headed in the direction she pointed.
They arrived at a small but exquisitely decorated house.
As they entered, two maids greeted them.
“Miss, you’re back early.”
“And this gentleman?”
They looked curiously at Xu Lian who was intimate with Pei Zhaoxi.
Xu Lian joked, “I am your young lady’s husband. Remember what I look like. If your young lady ever brings another man home, you must kick him out.”
Pei Zhaoxi playfully chased after him and slapped him angrily.
Xu Lian took the opportunity to pull Pei Zhaoxi into the inner room.
At noon, Xu Lian received an unexpected surprise.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Bright Strength Rank, 9th Stage]
[Skills: Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volume 1, 2 & 3), Seven Styles of Primal Gang (Complete)]
[Items: None (1-Star Longsword not equipped)]
[Note 1: Pei Zhaoxi’s favorability toward you has increased from 80/100 to 90/100. You have received 1 progression point, which can be allocated to rank, skill, or item.]
[Note 2: You have already allocated progression points to your rank. Add one Nightbloom Flower to advance to Dark Strength Rank, 1st Stage.]
[Note 3: You have two unused progression points remaining.]