CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153: SHE’S STILL A CHILD! (REQUESTING MONTHLY PASS)

"Yuwei went to the Seventh Prince today. Did she say you offended the Seventh Prince?" Zhao Meiru asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

Upon hearing this, Cai Keji’s face changed slightly, his eyes suddenly turning fierce, like those of a ferocious tiger, sweeping across his wife and niece in an instant. Such a gaze filled Zhao Meiru and Zhao Yuwei with terror.

For Cai Keji, this isn’t the time to be dealing with the Seventh Prince. He’s doing all this to help clear the way for the Ninth Prince. But his own niece went to the Seventh Prince’s place... If the Ninth Prince finds out, this whole affair will become troublesome.

"Heh, so Yuwei went to see the Seventh Prince, did she?" Cai Keji said in a cold tone. "In the future, it’s best she doesn’t go. The Seventh Prince is too dangerous; associating with him will only bring trouble."

"Understood, Uncle," Zhao Yuwei nodded in agreement. "Then I’ll go play chess with Li Rou’er. You can continue chatting with Aunt."

With those words, she bowed and turned to leave. Even as she departed, she didn’t notice the pleading look in her aunt’s eyes.

Watching Zhao Yuwei’s figure disappear, Zhao Meiru, who remained standing there, felt her despair deepen. Fear completely overtook her stunning face, and her shapely figure trembled uncontrollably.

Cai Keji narrowed his eyes, hands clasped behind his back, and stared at the spot where Zhao Yuwei had vanished. "Your niece doesn’t seem very well-behaved, does she?" he said in a deep voice.

Zhao Meiru didn’t speak. Instead, she stood at the door, ignoring the surrounding servants, and began to undress. It seemed she had long grown numb to this. Marrying into the Cai Family had brought her renown, but it had also subjected her to endless torment.

Beneath her clothes, her snow-white, delicate body was covered in all sorts of scars: bite marks, whip marks, sword wounds, stab wounds... A horrifying tapestry of injuries, usually concealed beneath her somewhat heavy clothing.

Yet, even so, she had no intention of leaving the Cai Family. It seemed the Cai Family had become her everything.

Hearing the rustling behind him, Cai Keji spoke coldly, "I recall Yuwei is still a virgin, isn’t she? Do you understand my meaning?"

"I... I understand!" Stripped bare and kneeling on the ground, Zhao Meiru responded softly.

At this moment, shame completely overwhelmed her, making her fear recede slightly. It wasn’t until a servant brought a chair for Cai Keji and laid out Delicious Fish and Meat that her terror fully resurfaced.

"You’re filthy. Hitting you would only dirty my hands!" Cai Keji turned to glare at a particularly ugly servant. "You, the one with the broom, come here!"

Hearing the summons, the servant hurried over, trembling, and knelt.

Cai Keji grabbed his clothes and, pointing at Zhao Meiru, asked, "Is she beautiful?"

The servant nodded in terror but didn’t dare glance at Zhao Meiru.

"Use the broom in your hand to hit her!" Cai Keji laughed. "If your beating doesn’t satisfy me, you’ll die, understand?"

"Yes... yes!" The servant, apparently familiar with such scenes, shakily picked up the broom and walked towards Zhao Meiru.

Soon, wretched screams filled the courtyard of the Cai Mansion. The surrounding servants didn’t dare look up, pretending they heard and saw nothing.

「Outside the Li Mansion.」

Dung Beetle and his two companions squatted in a corner, anxiously considering how to approach Li Baiyang’s residence. They lacked any good ideas and were contemplating simply kidnapping Li Baiyang. But carrying out an abduction in broad daylight seemed a bit too excessive. If they attracted the Brocade Guard, they’d likely face Reincarnation.

"It has to be at night, huh?" one of them said. "The Brocade Guard patrols are obviously much more frequent around here. If we start a fight now, we’ll definitely die a horrible death."

"How about we rest at the brothel until evening and then come back?"

"The Tower of Hundred Flowers? I feel like those female NPCs really know how to party. Dung Beetle, do you want to go?"

"No way, absolutely not! Don’t drag me into your embarrassing antics!"

"..."

For Dung Beetle, such in-game frivolities were far less thrilling than a visit to a Foot Washing City offline. But clearly, Top Archer in the National Server and Hero Xu Xian were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their happiness seemed to stem entirely from the brothel. One was addicted to writing experience reports; the other was addicted to clubbing. Each was more deviant in his pursuits than the last. Shameful! Working with these two is a new level of mortification. It’s as if ’Open Door’ itself has ushered in ultimate embarrassment!

"What are you three up to?"

Suddenly, a somewhat haughty female voice startled the trio, nearly making them jump.

"Holy mackerel, who’s that? Walking without making a sound?"

The three had been engrossed in their discussion about whether to visit the brothel and hadn’t noticed anyone approaching or watching them.

Looking up, they saw a woman in a pink dress, hands on her hips, staring at them. This was none other than Li Baiyang’s granddaughter, Li Rou’er. She had just returned from some shopping when she spotted these three men scrutinizing her family’s doorstep. Now, caught by her, they looked startled. Guilty as thieves, clearly up to no good.

Hero Xu Xian stood up, looking down at the female NPC who only reached his shoulder.

"What are you staring at? Think I won’t beat you up?" He swung his fist, as big as a sandbag. "One punch from me, and you’ll be crying for three days, believe it or not?"

Li Rou’er, an Aristocratic Family’s daughter, had been spoiled since birth. Her temper immediately flared.

"You’re thinking of hitting me?" Li Rou’er’s eyes widened. "Do you know who I am? Just try hitting me!"

SMACK!

No sooner had her words left her mouth than a slap landed squarely on her face. Hero Xu Xian was a Second-Grade Martial Artist; even without using Internal Energy, his slap would cause considerable pain to an ordinary person.

Before Li Rou’er could even react to the stinging pain, she fainted. She never imagined that this sleazy-looking man would actually dare to strike her, and right in front of her own home.

Man, my temper... I can’t stand these powerless fools who still like to provoke people. Hero Xu Xian looked proudly at the unconscious Li Rou’er before turning his head.

But when he looked back, Top Archer in the National Server and Dung Beetle had vanished without a trace.

What are they running for? Did one woman scare them off?

Before he could fully process the situation, ten or so Brocade Guards rushed up and surrounded Hero Xu Xian.

Huh? What’s going on?

"Assaulting someone in broad daylight, and injuring Eldest Miss Li right in front of the Li Mansion! Take him back and use every torture device on him!"

"You dare strike a member of the Li Family at their own doorstep? You’re seeking death!"

"Is this a provocation against the Brocade Guard? Who do you think you are?"

"If we don’t skin you alive today, we might as well take off these Brocade Guard uniforms!"

"..."

Listening to the Brocade Guards, Hero Xu Xian was dumbfounded.

Fuck! She’s from the Li Mansion? Why didn’t you say so earlier, damn it? You’re just making things harder for me!

"Would you believe me if I said this was an accident?" Hero Xu Xian looked at the encroaching Brocade Guards, a terrible feeling washing over him. No wonder Dung Beetle and Top Archer in the National Server ran away; they must have spotted the Brocade Guards. Those bastards, selling out their own brother?

"An accident? You look like an accident!" The Brocade Guard leader waved his hand, and a group of guards pounced.

Even as a Second-Grade Martial Artist, Hero Xu Xian was no match for their overwhelming numbers with just his bare fists. If I get caught and taken in by the Brocade Guard, it’ll be disastrous. No. Dying here is the best option.

He kicked away a Brocade Guard in front of him, performed a kip-up to get back on his feet, and drew a Dagger from his waist.

"Everyone, be careful! This scoundrel is armed!" The Brocade Guard leader’s expression turned grave. He stepped forward. "Kid, you’d better be sensible. A Second-Grade Martial Artist Realm..."

Before he could finish, Hero Xu Xian pressed the Dagger to his own throat and slashed viciously.

"Game Designer, go to hell!"

With that final cry, Hero Xu Xian collapsed, convulsed a few times, and then lay still, all signs of life gone.

The surrounding Brocade Guards were stunned.

What just happened? A Second-Grade Martial Artist slapped Li Rou’er and then killed himself? So he came all this way just to slap Li Rou’er once?

"Boss, what do we do now?" a Brocade Guard Captain asked.

"First, take Eldest Miss Li back inside. As for this fellow’s corpse... toss it into the Unmarked Common Graves outside the City," the Brocade Guard leader said, massaging his temples. Strange things happen every year, but this year seems to have more than its share. A cultivator at the majestic Second-Grade Martial Artist Realm, someone who could have potentially reached the Grandmaster Realm in the future, just committed suicide right in front of us? He probably could have escaped if he’d fought desperately. How bizarre! Choosing to end his own life here instead of trying to flee...

When Li Baiyang, who was at home practicing calligraphy, learned that his precious granddaughter had been struck, he was instantly enraged. He doted on his granddaughter, normally unable to even bring himself to speak harshly to her. And now, someone had dared to hit her right at his own doorstep. This was intolerable!

"Where is he? Where is the villain who hit Rou’er?" Li Baiyang fumed, his beard bristling with anger.

The Brocade Guard leader cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Li, the assailant is already dead. His corpse has been disposed of in the Unmarked Common Graves outside the City."

Dead? That bastard got off easy! Li Baiyang’s anger subsided slightly, and he hurried to check on his granddaughter.

Seeing one side of his granddaughter’s face swollen and her head appearing significantly larger, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

Vile scoundrel! Vile scoundrel! How could you lay a hand on such a sweet young lady? She’s still just a child!