Chapter 0011: Taking in the Maid Xiaoman

“Who are you?! Don’t you realize that I represent Black Ape?!” Centipede demanded, shouting at Yang Wu as he clutched his bleeding shoulder.

“This viscount has been for you, Centipede. Now, you have two choices: submit to my brother, Skinny Monkey, and obey him as your boss, or I will destroy you here and now!” The young man was frank, not wanting to waste his time on this criminal.

“And how is he worthy of giving me orders?!” Centipede’s reply was disdainful. He then shouted to his men in the area, “Brothers of the Black Ape Gang, come and end our enemy!”

Centipede was not stupid; he knew he would need help in this fight. Thus, he called for it immediately.

“I guess you’ve chosen to die,” Yang Wu said coldly, already moving to attack.

Dark Clouds Covering the Sky …!

Yang Wu’s crowbar seemed to cast an imposing shadow over Centipede.

Naturally, Centipede would not just stand there and wait to die. In response, he waved his own crowbar as if it were a sword.

Medial Grade Soldier Class technique, Wave Chasing Sword’s second move, Song of the Waves …!

Yang Wu knew Warrior Class combat techniques, while Centipede only had Soldier Class combat techniques to rely on. However, although the younger man was more powerful, the latter was stronger. Even injured, he could stop Yang Wu’s attacks.

In truth, Centipede did not want to continue this fight. He would simply drag it out until reinforcements arrived, then, if luck favored him, they would end this disruption in one fell swoop.

Whoever this punk is, I will kill him once I recover, Centipede swore to himself.

Suddenly, prisoners began to swarm the scene from all directions. There were over twenty of them, far more than Wang Yan had at her camp.

“I should take this opportunity to make an example of this guy,” Yang Wu muttered to himself. He did not have much time. Shifting his stance, he used the Rainstorm Spear Art’s third move, Rolling Thunder Shifting Winds.

This particular move was the most powerful of the Rainstorm Spear Art. As Yang Wu waved his weapon, thunder crashed in the distance and the wind roared past, frightening Centipede.

The crowbar struck the older man, sweeping across his neck. The impact was enough to toss Centipede several meters away as his blood spilled into the night, the dark liquid glistening in the moonlight.

The prisoners who had rushed to Centipede’s aid slid to a stop. No one dared to take even a half step farther.

Xiaoman, who had quietly escaped the stone hut, saw the scene as well, and excitement lit her face.

——

Centipede was now dead.

Yang Wu had not killed the man on purpose; he had lost control of his power for a moment. He had not expected Centipede to be so weak, and he stared at the body, helpless.

Centipede’s men were stunned. Their boss had nearly been a Superior Grade Foot Soldier. If he had just made a breakthrough, he could have ruled over cellblock 68, but now, some upstart had slaughtered him. The young man responsible had to be at least as strong as a Superior Grade Foot Soldier.

Yang Wu glanced at the inmates around him and asked, “Are you ready to surrender?”

Someone spoke up. “We’re from the Black Ape Gang! If you want our surrender, you’ll have to fight all of us, and our boss is a real Warrior! You’d better consider your next move carefully!”

The man who had spoken had only one eye and was a Medial Grade Foot Soldier with seven stones of strength. Although Centipede’s death had been shocking, his allies stood around him, giving him some confidence.

“Is the Black Ape Gang really that great? Before long, your boss will be attending to this viscount!” Yang Wu informed the men.

“Just you wait. You’ll pay for killing Black Ape’s representative,” the one-eyed man shot back.

He then led his comrades away, attempting to end the conflict with Yang Wu.

“Did I say you could go?” the young man asked softly.

“Do you truly intend to face so many of us at once?” the one-eyed man asked nervously.

“Skinny Monkey, let’s get some training in!” Yang Wu waved to his brother before charging toward the one-eyed inmate.

“Let’s!” Skinny Monkey shouted, his blood rushing to his head as he followed Yang Wu into combat.

“There are so many of us! You won’t win! Kill this punk and avenge Centipede!” the one-eyed man shouted, waving to the men around him.

But while his comrades rushed into battle, he snuck away, retreating.

Yang Wu let the man go, wielding his crowbar like a spear as he beat the other inmates into submission.

Meanwhile, Skinny Monkey struck down two enemy inmates, dodging and weaving through the throng. He did not know any combat techniques, but he was quite agile.

Unfortunately, he failed to dodge a third attack, taking a crowbar to the back, but it only fueled his bloodlust. He spun, growling, “You think you can kill me, you bastards?!”

Working together, Yang Wu and Skinny Monkey took down more than half of the twenty-some prisoners while the other half escaped. Yang Wu was responsible for most of the victories, of course, but doing so had used a lot of energy, and one of the inmates had injured his arm.

Skinny Monkey sported a few blooming bruises in places but did not show any pain. When the fight ended, he flashed a wide grin at his sworn brother.

“Have we convinced you now?” Yang Wu asked the fallen prisoners again, sounding indifferent.

Witnessing the young man’s noble air, the inmates were too intimidated to refuse. They all lamented, “We’re convinced. We’ll follow you.”

“Well, Skinny Monkey will be your boss; his words carry as much weight as my own. Obey his orders,” the young cultivator stressed, gesturing to Skinny Monkey.

“Don’t joke, Brother Yang! You should be the boss,” Skinny Monkey interjected, insistent.

Yang Wu just waved a hand. “How could a viscount care about becoming a mere boss in this mountain prison? I will restore my honor and reclaim my title. I don’t want to leave too large of a mess behind.”

Awestruck, Skinny Monkey finally realized Yang Wu’s extraordinary ambition. He said nothing more.

Taking a moment, Yang Wu circulated the Supreme Nine Profound Art, his dantian pumping energy with astonishing speed. The energy condensed as it flowed through his twelve major meridians before cycling to his dantian and back. Between each cycle, he felt his strength recover.

Overjoyed, the young man reveled in the mystery of the Supreme Nine Profound Art. He then waved to Skinny Monkey and approached Centipede’s stone hut.

Before he got there, however, a girl appeared and bowed before him. Pitifully, she begged, “You saved my life. Thank you. Please, allow this humble girl to serve you.”

Yang Wu was stunned. At first glance, he had not realized she was a girl; she looked like a dark-skinned boy nearly the same age as himself.

“You’re a little ugly,” he told her, “but I guess you’ll have to do. From now on, you’ll stay by my side.”

Since birth, Yang Wu had been pampered, well-dressed, well-fed, and surrounded by beautiful maidservants. Even after his fall and imprisonment, his high standards had not changed. He still desired followers and attendants, which was why he insisted on setting Skinny Monkey up to rule over cellblock 68. He wanted everything under his control.

Hearing his acceptance, the girl wept with joy. In this terrible mountain prison, she craved a protector. Although the boy was a little disheveled, he was absolutely dashing compared to the other inmates. He shone like a pearl radiating its light into the darkness, warming her with his very presence.

Meanwhile, Skinny Monkey inspected Centipede’s old home, finding nearly a thousand kilograms of Scarlet Steel Rock, as he had in Want Yan’s hut. The bounty was nothing to scoff at.

Yang Wu was ecstatic. With the Scarlet Steel Rock they had won thus far, accumulating the necessary five thousand kilograms was no longer just a dream.

“Skinny Monkey, at dawn, I want you to tell the inmates we’ve defeated to bring their tribute here. If they refuse, they can share Centipede’s fate,” Yang Wu instructed.

“Yes, Brother Yang,” Skinny Monkey respectfully replied.

Yang Wu noticed the change and patted his friend on the shoulder. “You don’t have to be so formal. We’re sworn brothers. Just call me Yang Wu. Anyone that treats me well can expect the same in return. Anyone who wrongs me will pay tenfold.”

With that said, he broke a small chunk off the blood ginseng and handed it to Skinny Monkey. “This is blood ginseng, and this small amount will be enough to help you gain another stone or two of strength. It’ll also help heal your injuries. Take it now,” Yang Wu insisted. “Recover and grow stronger for now. Later, I’ll teach you some combat techniques. When you get into fights, you won’t have to suffer so much.”

Skinny Monkey was extremely grateful. He took the precious root and seriously swore, “You will be my big brother from here on. Anyone who means you harm will have to go through me first!”

Yang Wu patted the other man’s shoulder again, smiling with satisfaction, but not saying more. He was quite pleased with his new friend and truly thought of the young man as his brother.

Skinny Monkey left with the blood ginseng, finding a place to sit and refine the medicinal energy. This gave Yang Wu time to learn more about the mysterious girl.

“My name is Xiaoman. I was a maidservant at the Hua Residence in Lido. The Hua Residence had everything confiscated for crimes that they committed. I disguised myself as a man and was sentenced to five years in the Smoke Signal Mountain Prison …,” the girl explained.

Xiaoman’s voice was gentle and moving; Yang Wu found it pleasing to the ear. He also examined the girl closely. From his experience, he could tell Xiaoman was not the ugly duckling she appeared to be, but a beautiful, young swan. The black charcoal on her face hid her natural beauty.

“Unfortunately, you’re too flat,” Yang Wu muttered regretfully, glancing down at Xiaoman’s chest.

He had thought he had kept his voice down, but Xiaoman proved to have exceptional hearing. Her face burned with anger, “This humble servant … I … had bound them up. If you really need to see everything, I will give you my body.”

In such a harsh place, Xiaoman had finally found a good-looking protector. At the very least, giving herself to this young man was better than letting those old lechs paw at her.

Yang Wu blushed and coughed drily. “Well, I understood your situation. You’ll be my personal maid, taking care of my daily needs.” After a pause, he added, “Your life could be in danger at any time. If you’re unsure, you can leave now.”

Xiaoman blinked, determination hardening her gaze. “This humble servant’s life is not worth anything. My death will be nothing to mourn.”

Yang Wu flashed the girl a satisfied look. “Well, rest here for now. If this viscount survives, I’ll take you with me when I leave this mountain prison.”

Xiaoman thanked him again before she retreated to a corner to sleep.

Yang Wu glanced between the girl and Skinny Monkey before he stepped outside and sat with his legs crossed.

The Supreme Nine Profound Art was unusually powerful, and evolving it would require cultivating Profound Essence Energy. For now, however, it was only as powerful as an ordinary profound art, albeit far more mysterious.

While he circulated the Supreme Nine Profound Art, he was surprised by how quickly he restored the energy he had spent that night. He felt as if the very pores in his skin were absorbing the latent energy around him, cycling it through his flesh.

This feeling made Yang Wu ecstatic. He felt a large amount of Profound Energy gather within him, and his dantian felt like a bottomless pit, wildly absorbing it. The energy thundered as it rushed through his twelve major meridians, creating a wonderful rhythm.

Quiet now, the night finally passed, and the early sun gradually rose.

——