Chapter 35: Six of the Seven Senses Have Been Unblocked

Seeing Xu Mu’s deferential manner, and even the way he bowed to him, Liu Ji stood with one hand behind his back and the other draped across his chest, head held high and chest puffed out, looking as smug as humanly possible.

See that?

A character like Xu Mu—all it takes is a few chests of silver from this young lord, and he instantly becomes as obedient as a grandson.

To Liu Ji, it didn't matter if he actually beat the other person in a fight. Even if he won, people would only say he was using the power of the Prince’s estate to bully others. As long as he could make someone bow to his will, he had won. Looking at the gazes of admiration and envy cast across the room, he couldn't have felt more satisfied. Even the finger that had been nearly snapped by Xu Mu earlier didn't hurt anymore.

The candidate for tonight’s candlelight dinner had finally emerged. This left those who were not short on money, but still wanted to dine with Xu Shuangyi, feeling deeply regretful. But there was nothing to be done; in the eyes of this young lord, money had never meant much.

The transformation in Xu Mu was so abrupt, as if he were a completely different person. Standing by the railing on the second floor, Xu Shuangyi hung her mouth open, too stunned to react for a long while. She found Xu Mu increasingly unfathomable. She could never have imagined that Xu Mu, who had always been so arrogant and overbearing toward her in private, could be capable of such sycophancy. The way he was looking at Liu Ji now was more affectionate than if he were looking at his own father.

However, Liu Ji was indeed grand in his spending—eight thousand taels, and he hadn't even blinked. And yet, this young lord had spent all that just to buy a single dinner with her.

"Your Highness, please, head upstairs. I find that we hit it off immediately, and I have a belly full of things I’d love to discuss with you. Let’s chat over some tea," Xu Mu said, bowing low beside Liu Ji and gesturing for him to proceed.

"No need. I’m heading to the market now to pick out two satisfactory gifts for Miss Xu." With that, Liu Ji turned and walked out.

"Safe travels, Your Highness. We look forward to your next visit."

Liu Ji paused, looked back at the fawning, hunched-over Xu Mu trailing him, and grinned. "I still prefer that arrogant, rebellious version of you. Why don't you switch back to that?"

Xu Mu immediately straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and wiped the expression from his face.

"That’s better. See you tonight."

With that, Liu Ji strode away with his retinue of servants. Xu Mu walked back into the main hall, only to see everyone staring at him with their mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief.

Just a moment ago, he had been at each other’s throats with Liu Ji, threatening to toss him out. But look at him now—he was the spitting image of a petty man reveling in his success.

"Everyone, the business at Jinhua Pavilion is concluded. Congratulations to those honored guests who made a purchase; you’ve certainly gotten your money’s worth. To those who didn't, my apologies—the shop’s inventory has been completely cleared out." Xu Mu waved his hand. "We’re closed!"

"I thought you were going to out-dandy the dandy? How did you end up playing the lackey?" Xu Shuangyi asked, her face full of surprise.

"If you can pull out eight thousand taels for me, I’ll play the lackey for you, too," Xu Mu said with a light smile.

"Your moral bottom line really is quite flexible, isn't it?" It seemed Xu Mu was even greedier than she had imagined.

"I’m the one running the house now, and I have to provide for a money-guzzling beast like you. For the sake of money, I have no choice but to bow my head," Xu Mu suddenly became solemn.

"About this candlelight dinner tonight..." Xu Shuangyi was somewhat resistant.

"What? Does sharing a dinner with the heir to the Prince of Liang’s estate insult your status?"

"That’s not it."

"Go deliver the goods to the Prince’s estate. I’ll go back and prepare for the candlelight dinner; I have to make sure that young lord is satisfied, no matter what."

Xu Shuangyi personally packed the goods and delivered them to the Liang Prince’s estate. Liu Xun, the Prince of Liang, heard the commotion and emerged from the main hall. He was burly and dignified, draped in a purple-gold sable cloak embroidered with python patterns.

"Shuangyi pays her respects to the Prince. My foster father asked me to convey his greetings. I was in mourning recently and couldn't come to pay my respects sooner; I hope the Prince will forgive me." Xu Shuangyi bowed gracefully.

"It’s the Xu girl," Liu Xun smiled. "You’ve come, so why bother bringing so many gifts?"

"The Prince misunderstands. These are products the young lord bought from Jinhua Pavilion, and I am helping deliver them back for him," Xu Shuangyi said, keeping her head low.

"I see. Well, since you’re here, come in and sit for a while."

"I wouldn't dare disturb your peace, Prince. I shall take my leave." Xu Shuangyi bowed once more and retreated from the gate of the estate.

No sooner had Xu Shuangyi left than a middle-aged man dressed in coarse linen clothes, holding a wine flask, walked in.

"Prince, the young lord suffered his first setback today. Care to guess what happened?" the man asked with a smile, taking a sip of wine.

The boy had a practitioner of the Spirit Refining Realm by his side, five of the Qi Refining Realm, and a secret Grandmaster watching over him. Could he really suffer a setback?

"He nearly had his finger snapped by someone," the man answered his own question.

"And then Liu Ji smashed their shop to pieces?" Liu Xun’s curiosity was piqued.

"No, he bought out their entire inventory in one go. And here we are, they’ve delivered the goods. The one who snapped the young lord’s finger is that Xu boy, Xu Mu," the man laughed.

"What?" Liu Xun didn't seem to follow. Based on his son’s temperament, if he suffered a loss outside, he would usually tear the place to the ground—yet he had spent silver to buy everything in the shop instead?

The man briefly explained the cause and the sequence of events. After hearing it, Liu Xun stroked his beard and gave a satisfied smile. "Well, the boy has finally grown up. He isn't as reckless as he used to be; he’s learning to use his head."

"The young lord spent eight thousand taels," the man added.

"A mere eight thousand taels... wait, you said how much? Eight thousand taels? That spendthrift! How could he be so mindless!" Eight thousand taels just to buy a dinner with Xu Shuangyi? If his son wanted to have dinner with her, he could invite her anytime; Xu Shuangyi wouldn't dare refuse.

"I actually find that Xu Mu fellow quite interesting. It’s as if he’s become a different person. This was his idea, and it’s quite novel," the man laughed.

"Oh? Is this young man, Xu Mu, actually the son of the Xu family?" Liu Xun asked.

"A concubine’s son." The man took a deep gulp from his wine gourd. "This kid is interesting. You might want to keep an eye on him, Prince."

Liu Xun’s expression turned solemn, and he asked in a deep voice, "Drunkard, tell me, does my son Liu Ji truly have no aptitude for martial arts at all?"

"Six out of seven holes are blocked," the man known as the Drunkard squinted and smiled. "On the path of martial arts, talent and bone structure are far less important than diligence. The main issue is that you, Prince, cannot bear to let the young lord suffer."

"He is my only son, after all."