Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lu Yunqi gleefully collected the points. Although there were only points and no rewards, it still felt like he'd gotten something for nothing.

He saw the next task coming too, since it just required giving the NPC a command, earning him another ten points.

The third task was getting the NPC to clear an acre of wasteland. Watching the NPC hustle, he thought, talk about a lucky break!

I already know this one!

Lu Yunqi hollered at the NPC, "Zhang Wei, just clear an acre of wasteland. The tools are all here, you know how to use these, right?"

The NPC flashed him an OK sign, indicating he knew how to use them all.

Clearing wasteland wasn't a quick job. He checked the NPC's progress and figured he'd leave him to it, heading home to kick back and wait for the task to finish.

Heh, the lazy young master finally got to be lazy. Picking this system was definitely the right move!

The second Lu Yunqi got home, someone started knocking on the door. He dove back onto the couch and lazily called out, "Who's there? What's all that racket? You're ruining my nap! Get in here!"

Liu Bao pushed the door open, bowed, and said, "Young Master, the Prince is back and wants to see you."

Lu Yunqi went, "Oh, alright, I'll be right there."

With that, he rolled off the couch, slid into his gold-embroidered silk slippers, and moseyed over to his dad's courtyard.

As he walked, Lu Yunqi asked, "Did my dad say what he wants?"

Even though the overall plot of each rebirth run was pretty similar, the little details were always a bit different. I mean, if it were exactly the same every time, it'd be too easy to game.

Liu Bao said, "No clue. He just asked where you were and said to bring you over."

Lu Yunqi went "Oh," then cut through the carved corridor, strolled through a garden bursting with flowers, and reached his dad's Jingfu Hall. The moment he stepped into the yard, he heard his dad chewing out his brother: "How many times I gotta tell you? You gotta keep training. Look at this crap you're doing! How are you supposed to have your little brother's back later?"

Lu An, his dad Lu Tong's adopted son, was another guy who'd died nine times for Lu Yunqi.

This one's death was even worse. Liu Bao got turned into a pincushion, and Lu An was burned alive.

When they spotted him, they both chimed in at once, "Yunqi's here!"

Lu Yunqi thought, what the hell did I do to deserve this—a spoiled brat, doted on nonstop by his real dad, pampered to death by his adopted brother, with loyal underlings and servants ready to die for him, all of them willing to lay down their lives for him.

Too bad he didn't measure up. For nine lives, he couldn't even keep himself alive, and he dragged everyone else down with him.

This was his final life. He couldn't keep being such a loser. Sometimes you only tap into your real potential when you're backed into a corner.

Lu Yunqi flashed them a lazy grin and asked, "Bro, Dad, what's the good word?"

Lu Tong sighed and said, "The old emperor's throwing me a victory bash tonight, to celebrate me smashing through the western Zhao provinces and taking back Great Xia's lost land."

Lu Yunqi went, "Oh. So why do you need me there? I don't wanna go. The palace is such a snooze. I'd rather hit up Tianhuan Pavilion for some fun."

Lu Tong sighed, grabbed his hand, and said, "Don't get mad, son. The old emperor wants to marry one of his daughters off to you. Go see if any of them catch your eye. If you like one, marrying her wouldn't be the worst move. After all, the old emperor relies on our family now, so he's definitely trying to please your dad. He's got three princesses right now—go take a look and see if any of them do it for you."

Lu Yunqi furrowed his brow. This didn't seem to have happened in the previous lifetimes?

But it wasn't a big deal. After all, the story always ended the same way—the first to die was his dad. Because if his dad didn't die, the 600,000-strong Lu Family Army wouldn't have fallen into Murong Jie's hands.

Lu Yunqi originally didn't want to go, but his eyes rolled around as he thought, isn't this a great chance to make Murong Jie sick?

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he said, "Fine, Dad. Tonight, I'll do the old emperor a favor and go check out his... daughters!"

With that, he turned and led Liu Bao back to his Manyun Pavilion. As soon as he got back, he told Liu Bao, "Dress Murong Jie up real nice. I'm taking him to the banquet with me."

Liu Bao nodded and said, "Got it, Young Master. I'll take care of it right away!"

Lu Yunqi then called for Yun Hua and had him prepare a set of sapphire-blue brocade robes, so extravagant that even the princes in the palace wouldn't dare compare.

He put on a gold-inlaid white jade necklace with a cloud-patterned silk tassel that was worth its weight in gold. If everyone didn't already know his reputation, they'd surely think some noble young master from a prestigious family had arrived.

This little young master, despised by the entire capital, exuded an air of low-class ruffian charm even when dressed up.

Lu Yunqi looked at himself in the bronze mirror with satisfaction and thought, that's the look. This is exactly the feeling I want.

Extravagant, indulgent, decadent—that's him!

Meanwhile, the young maid Yun Hua quietly blushed, resting her chin on her hand as she said, "My young master is so handsome, just as handsome as His Highness the Sixth Prince in the side courtyard."

Lu Yunqi raised an eyebrow. "You went to sneak a peek at the Sixth Prince?"

Yun Hua winked playfully. "I didn't sneak a peek, I looked at him openly. Everyone knows the Sixth Prince belongs to you, Young Master. We all rush to serve him well."

Lu Yunqi thought to himself, he's quite popular. He walks around with a cold face all day—what's so good-looking about that?

He told Yun Hua, "Go fetch him later and bring him to the palace with me."

Yun Hua acknowledged and soon returned with Murong Jie.

Murong Jie was dressed in a red gauze robe, his chest half-exposed, with half his hair draped loose. He'd actually been styled into something resembling a seductive, kingdom-toppling beauty.

Lu Yunqi nearly spat out his tea at the sight. He patted his chest and asked, "Who dressed him up like this?"

Yun Hua replied, "His Highness the Sixth Prince did it himself! He said he styled himself after the seductive beauties in the picture books. Do you like it, Young Master? If not, he said he has other brothel styles to try."

Lu Yunqi walked around Murong Jie in a circle, chuckled twice, and said, "I like it. Tell Liu Bao I'm very pleased! Alright, you can leave now."

Yun Hua curtsied to him, turned, and left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Lu Yunqi thought the young maid was quick on the uptake. As soon as the door closed, he stepped forward and forcefully grabbed Murong Jie's crotch. Murong Jie winced in pain, furrowed his brow, and said in a low voice, "You..."

"Me?" Lu Yunqi used his other hand to pinch the other's chin, leaned in close, and blew a breath by his ear. "What about me? That day when it felt good, you didn't say a word. Now you won't even let me touch you?"

Murong Jie's gaze turned cold, as if he wanted to devour him. But Lu Yunqi smiled cheerfully, released him, and said, "Don't be so tense. There's a good show tonight, and I'm taking you to watch it. Also... I have a surprise for you! That bastard father of yours wants to arrange a marriage for me. Do you think I should agree?"

Murong Jie said nothing, his handsome cold face expressionless, revealing none of his emotions.

If it were the original owner, he'd think Murong Jie had been tormented into submission.

But Lu Yunqi knew that Murong Jie wasn't the type to be bullied. Otherwise, he wouldn't have endured ten years of hardship and then killed everyone who had ever humiliated him.

Seeing no reaction from him, Lu Yunqi feigned displeasure and said, "Are you made of wood? Smile for me. Smile, and I'll let you go right now."

Murong Jie never smiled, and no one had ever seen him smile in his life. Lu Yunqi was doing it on purpose, just trying to make Murong Jie uncomfortable.

Even if he was going to die in the end, he'd make sure to disgust him enough first.

Seeing that he wouldn't smile, Lu Yunqi grabbed him and shoved him onto the couch.

At this point, Murong Jie wouldn't resist, because he was practicing the Nine Deaths Divine Palm technique. Until it was complete, even if he suffered fatal injuries, he absolutely couldn't fight back, nor could he use internal energy or true qi. Otherwise, his meridians would rupture and he would die. Hence, the name "Nine Deaths."

That was exactly why Murong Jie was now nothing more than a toy for Lu Yunqi to play with.

As Lu Yunqi pushed him onto the couch, the shackles on Murong Jie's feet let out a loud clatter, and his gauzy red robe hung loosely, laying his chest bare.

The man's chest was bare, and those pecs—who knows how many bronze cauldrons he'd lifted to forge such a physique.

It was said that in the first stage of the Nine Deaths Life-Gambling Divine Palm, one cultivated qi, and in the second stage, one tempered the body—building it to be strong and powerful, yet not bulging like a typical strongman.

Instead, it was lean, well-proportioned muscles that could unleash immense force without showing it.

Lu Yunqi stroked his chest with a dirty chuckle, saying, "I've had my share of fun, but this is the first time I've seen a body as fine as yours. Murong Jie, this young lord wants to have his way now. You'd best cooperate, or you'll be sorry!"

Murong Jie turned his face aside, his brow furrowed deeply, clearly unwilling to comply.

Lu Yunqi chuckled lowly, "You think that just because you won't cooperate, I have no way to deal with you?"

With that, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips, then, like a dragonfly skimming water, he kissed him once, twice, again—until the man's body no longer felt so rigid, until, catching him off guard, he slipped past his lips and tongue, slyly entwining with his.

The man, cold as ice, began to warm up, and just as Lu Yunqi was about to succeed, Liu Bao's voice came from outside the door: "Young Lord, the Prince is urging you from the front courtyard. He wants you to accompany him to the palace now."

Lu Yunqi snorted coldly, rolling off Murong Jie, and muttered, "A servant with no sense of the moment. Fine, I'll take care of you later."

With that, he pulled Murong Jie up, threw a more decent robe over him, and instructed Liu Bao, "Remove the shackles from the Sixth Prince. It's not proper for a prince to enter the palace like this."

Liu Bao said yes, took out the key, unlocked Murong Jie's shackles, and fetched a pair of embroidered shoes with upturned toes for him to wear.

Then, led by Lu Yunqi, they made their way toward the front courtyard.

==========Author's Note:==========

Hehe~

Our little deer's always playing with fire~

But I'm into it~

Drop some flowers!