The courtyard became quiet.

  The wind blew.

  The leaves rustled, and sunlight streamed in from the canopy, forming layers of light and shadow on the ground.

  Ming Shu got up and went into the room, then came out with gauze in her hand a moment later. She went to stand before Rong Li.

  Rong Li’s body shivered and he took half a step back.

  Ming Shu took his hand. The blood had stained more than half of his palm. Rong Li’s palm was slender and fair, with fine and smooth skin, not meant for menial labor at all.

  It was said that he had broken quite a few things these last few days.

  “Mas…… Master……” Rong Li called carefully.

  [Additional Task: Gain Hatred Points from Rong Li.]

  Ming Shu didn’t react when she heard the Harmony System’s voice.

  She bound the wound for him with her eyes down, in silence. She closed her lips lightly with an arc at the mouth, looking like a faint smile, yet not.

  Tying a knot, Ming Shu slightly raised her eyes and chuckled. “You can’t even do the cleaning job well, so tell me, why should I let you stay?”


  Rong Li’s pupils shrank. “I can learn, Master, please don’t drive me away.”


  “The Alliance Master Mansion won’t feed an idler,” Ming Shu said. “If it happens again, pack up your things and get out of my mansion.”


  “No, it won’t happen again.”


  “Get out.” Ming Shu waved her hand.

  “I…… I haven’t finished cleaning.” Rong Li looked at the mess on the floor.

  Ming Shu suddenly leaned forward. Rong Li leaned back subconsciously and looked at her tensely.

  “If you want to stay here, you should obey the order.”


  Ming Shu was so close to him that Rong Li lost his balance and fell backward all of a sudden.

  Ming Shu just watched him fall on the ground with a faint smile.

  Rong Li looked at her blankly. A moment later she chuckled again. “Get out.”


  Rong Li: “.……”


  After Rong Li left, Ming Shu called Steamed Bun in.

  “The man just now, take care of him in private.”


  “Why? That man……” He was of unknown origins and had behaved like that just now.

  Steamed Bun met with Ming Shu’s smiling eyes, which made him feel a little inexplicably chilly.

  “I know.”


  “Find out his background.” She wouldn’t believe that little goblin was some kind of sorehead lord from a fallen rich family.

  “Yes.”


  Steamed Bun also believed it was necessary to do some investigation. That young man was very suspicious.

  Steamed Bun soon reported the results to Ming Shu.

  But he only found out that the man came from Luo City, and he travelled through several other places before coming to the Alliance Master Mansion.

  Nothing else could be collected……

  After what happened last time, Steamed Bun wouldn’t allow him to approach Ming Shu’s courtyard.

  Ming Shu didn’t reject that, so Rong Li had to stay in the backyard later.

  Soon one month passed, and the Demonic Sect sent someone to tell Ming Shu the murderer had been found.

  It was actually the sect leader himself, and he got in by climbing over the wall.

  The sect leader devalued the Alliance Master Mansion first, then cut to the chase. “How are you going to clear my name?”


  “What does it have to do with me? I only gave you time to find the murderer, but I didn’t promise that I’ll clear your name for you,” Ming Shu said. “Did you have some misunderstanding here?”


  The sect leader: “.……”


  He recalled what she said before carefully.

  It seemed she was right.

  So was he just played?

  Ming Shu smiled. “Reading books is very necessary, Sect Leader, you should tell your disciples to read more when you return.”


  The sect leader: “.……”


  The sect leader began to ponder if there was much possibility for him to escape successfully after he killed the master of Alliance Master Mansion.

  But finally he gave up.

  “The murderer has been found, but those people won’t believe it if I go out and declare it myself. Just name a price, how can I have you clear it for me?”


  The Demonic Sect didn’t have speaking rights.

  The sect leader learned this from many instances of defeat.

  Ming Shu shoved two desserts into her mouth and said vaguely, “I think your Demonic Sect has done many things like this, so why bother clearing it this time?”


  The sect leader: “.……” She was talking nonsense, but why did he inexplicably think it seemed reasonable.

  “Such a crime like killing an entire family will irritate those sanctimonious people. If they go crazy and suddenly come to encircle and suppress us, my sect will suffer great losses. This matter must be clarified!”


  He did this for his disciples.

  Being a sect leader, he couldn’t think for himself alone.

  He was not scared, though. He just felt wronged to be involved in an inexplicable fight.

  “Can I offer any kind of condition?”


  The sect leader answered, “As long as I can do it.”


  “Kill yourself first.”


  The sect leader: “.……”


  “I’m sure you can do this. Do you need me to offer you a knife?”


  The sect leader: “.……”


  “Why do you look at me like this, you’re no match for me.”


  The sect leader: “.……”

  Ming Shu finished the last piece of dessert. “I was just kidding. Okay, I can help clear your name, but you need to go beat up Jiang Ling. Beat her as much as you can, but keep her alive; and you must let her know it’s I who have told you to do that. If you can do this, I’ll help you.”


  “Jiang Ling?

  But why did she make so weird requests……

  “Why don’t you go do it yourself?”


  Ming Shu revealed a serious look. “Beating people will make me hungry.”


  ???

  “Deal!”


  He had his disciples to protect and couldn’t act willfully……

  The sect leader left angrily and ran into Rong Li while walking out the door.

  Rong Li lowered his head and waited for the sect leader to pass.

  But the sect leader turned back after walking two steps. He sized Rong Li up.

  “You……”


  Rong Li lowered his head even further.

  The sect leader, regardless of his own noble identity, bent over and tried hard to see his face.

  The sect leader asked, “What’s your name?”


  The young man was startled and answered lowly, “Rong Li.”


  “Rong Li……” The sect leader fell into deep thought while touching his own chin.

  “Alliance Master.” The sect leader waved at Ming Shu when he saw her come out. “This man, can you give him to me as a gift?”


  Ming Shu smiled. “I’ll give death to you as a gift, do you want that?”


  “He’s just a servant, don’t be so stingy. We’re now at least cooperative partners, so how about giving him to me as a gift of cooperation?”


  “You can change to another cooperative partner if you want.”


  The sect leader became a little interested. “Why don’t you want to give him to me, Alliance Master?”


  “He’s my Alliance Master Mansion’s man, why should I give him to you?”

  The sect leader stared at Rong Li and didn’t say anything.

  Actually, he would have doubted his life if he knew that Ming Shu was pondering detaining him and eliminating the Demonic Sect directly.

  The sect leader didn’t get the person and became even angrier. When he climbed over the wall to leave, he kicked Ming Shu’s wall fiercely.

  Ming Shu looked at the young man beside her. “Does he know you?”


  The young man answered in a weak voice, “I don’t…… Perhaps he’s made a mistake……”


  Ming Shu gave another thoughtful look to him and then walked away.

  The young man stared in the direction the sect leader left, and there wasn’t any sign of fear or unease on his face, only coldness.