The power of cash was, as always, simple and unadorned.
Second Lady had brought a great deal of supplies.
Besides clean clothes, Second Lady also brought several sets of fresh bedding. She had even moved in the pot of his beloved extraterritorial golden silk vine from his study desk.
In a rare bout of hands-on effort, he spread the bedding beneath him. Zheng Xiu bounced on it a few times, enjoying the softness under his rear.
Zheng Xiu placed the small potted plant in a patch of sunlight. Gazing at the splash of tender green in his cell, he grew happier the more he looked at it.
To get by in life, you always needed a touch of green.
Look at that green. How festive.
With the conditions of his cell improved, Zheng Xiu hummed a little tune, utterly content. He closed his eyes and entered the Heart Prison.
His Incarnation, Zheng Shan, had long been waiting, eager for action.
In the downpour.
Time and again, Zheng Xiu was drenched in the rain as he speed-ran the Mountain Bandit Group.
He still didn't know what he would gain by continuing to "play" like this, but Zheng Xiu seemed to be getting addicted. The high diluted the pain of death and only grew more intense.
He followed the familiar "speed-run" route. What initially took an hour now only took a few minutes, his movements growing more and more polished.
The Mountain Bandit Leader, Li Dachui, only had a few moves he repeated over and over, and the coordination between his grunts was always riddled with flaws.
At noon, without waiting for Zheng Xiu's command, Scarface Liu proactively prepared him a special meal, serving a sumptuous lunch. He whispered that the fine wine Second Lady had sent over had arrived. As he spoke, he licked his magnificent, sausage-like lips; it was clear the faint aroma of wine wafting out had him practically drooling.
'Scarface Liu is a real talent.' Boss Zheng thought to himself as he enjoyed the lavish lunch. He secretly wondered if he should poach Scarface Liu, promise him a life of riches, and have him work for him.
After lunch, Zheng Xiu shooed away the eager "Labrador" who wanted to stand guard in front of Master Zheng's cell, then entered the Heart Prison once more.
Inside the Heart Prison.
With a flick of his finger, Zheng Xiu summoned tiny, gnat-like characters into the void.
[Name] Zheng Shan
[Birth] Painter
[Age] Thirty-two (In his prime)
[Muscle Strength] Twenty (Strong and powerful)
[Step Technique] Ten (Agile and Sharp)
[Constitution] Eleven (Robust and healthy)
[Appearance] Thirty-six (Peerlessly handsome, exceptionally distinguished, unmatched in this era)
[Will] Thirty-one (Loyal and unyielding, firm as a rock)
[Destiny] Eleven (Slightly blessed)
[Physique] Twenty (Built like a bear)
[Scholarship] Twelve (Knowledgeable but not specialized)
Zheng Xiu couldn't remember how many times he had entered the Baili Village Ghostly Realm.
The way of the merchant, as they say, could be summed up in a single word: fleece.
Zheng Xiu had grabbed hold of one sheep and was fleecing it for all it was worth. After all this time, his Incarnation had shed the "Frail Mighty Man" title and advanced into a true Mighty Painter.
The sky was gloomy. Parting the thick fog, Zheng Xiu crashed through it and sprinted onward, his breathing steady.
Lines of text floated up, but Zheng Xiu couldn't have cared less. He slammed into them with a powerful shoulder check, shattering the distorted words into a haze.
Only when Zheng Xiu encountered the bandit chief, Li Dachui, on the main road did the torrential rain begin to fall.
Li Dachui was just about to shout his classic line about the road being his, but Zheng Xiu beat him to the punch. Grabbing a few pieces of silver, he roared, "Zheng Shan, Commander of the Imperial City's Divine Martial Hall Imperial Guard, is here! Dismount! This is a robbery!" Zheng the Mighty Man bellowed into the rain, simultaneously aiming for the faces of both Li Dachui and his mare as he flung the silver pieces.
He had just blurted out a random military title.
Such a post did exist within the Imperial City Guard, but it certainly wasn't held by any "Zheng Shan."
"You motherfucker! You dare to rob me, Li Dachui?"
A man needs his dignity as a tree needs its bark.
Li Dachui might have been fleeced thousands of times in previous "save files," but for him, every encounter was a fresh one. Seeing the "fat sheep" he had painstakingly waited all night for dare to rob him instead, Li Dachui was both humiliated and enraged. He clutched his left eye as blood seeped from between his fingers, only to be washed away by the downpour.
Killing intent surged in Li Dachui. He drew his saber and charged.
"Heh heh!"
Zheng Xiu knew that Li Dachui had a habit of making a wild horizontal slash when rushed. He ducked, sliding right under the horse's belly. Using his momentum, he rammed an elbow into the mare's underside. As he came up from the slide, he saw Mountain Bandit C nearby. Seizing the opportunity as the pained mare bucked and threw Li Dachui to the ground, Zheng Xiu snatched the curved saber from Mountain Bandit C's grasp.
To shoot the rider, first shoot the horse. To kill the man, go for the head. Through countless deaths, Zheng Xiu had perfected this entire sequence. As Li Dachui tumbled from his horse, Zheng Xiu came down on him like a collapsing mountain. He stomped on the hand holding the saber, and with a swift slash, sent Li Dachui's wide-eyed head rolling away.
"Hahaha—"
After thousands of rehearsals, this was the first time Zheng Xiu had executed the sequence so flawlessly. He couldn't help but roar with laughter, a heroic feeling swelling in his chest. He flicked the chipped curved saber in the rain, pointing it askance at Li Dachui's headless corpse.
The red of blood, the clarity of rain, and the yellow of mud mixed into droplets. As they fell, they looked like red flowers blooming upon Li Dachui's corpse.
"Who's next to die!"
From the moment Zheng Xiu encountered the Mountain Bandit Group—announcing his title, throwing the silver, sliding, and killing Li Dachui—the entire process had taken but the blink of an eye before the leader's head hit the ground.
His proficiency stunned the other bandits, freezing them in place.
'How is he so practiced?'
Seeing that this newcomer was bad news and their leader was dead, the grunts of the Li's Mountain Bandits broke. It's unclear who was the first to cry out and gallop away, but the rest immediately followed suit, scattering in a panic through the rain.
"*Phew...*"
Zheng Xiu's feelings were complex. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, like watching old friends ride off into the distance.
[You have unintentionally emanated an aura that has scared away the "Li's Mountain Bandits." You have comprehended the Trait: Intimidation.]
[Intimidation (Slightly Knowledgeable)]: At opportune moments, the formless aura you emit may frighten an opponent to their core, allowing you to achieve victory without a fight. This is an extremely rare occurrence.