Scarface Liu was deeply moved to hear this.
Master Zheng's tone was so sincere and heartfelt.
If he were a woman, he would've thrown himself at him.
But Scarface Liu knew Master Zheng was just joking. He accepted the sentiment and said that once Master Zheng was released, he'd throw a banquet to wash away the bad luck. After promising to meet again, he left.
He didn't take it seriously.
Scarface Liu had made a special trip to deliver the news. He left as soon as he was done, careful not to spoil Zheng Xiu's good mood.
After Sixth Brother left, Zheng Xiu's expression darkened slightly. 'Something's fishy,' he thought.
'Who could it be?'
'To use a ridiculous charge like "fifty million in tax evasion" to throw me in prison... They really underestimate the scale on which the Richest Person operates.'
'Although, if I truly walk far down the Prisoner Path in the future and realize my dream of splitting the heavens with a PUNCH and cleaving mountains with a SWISH of my sword, I might even have to thank whoever did this.'
'But right now, something is clearly afoot.'
At this moment, Zheng Xiu felt as if he were in a chess match with a hidden opponent.
They made a move, and he responded. A back-and-forth exchange, each move concealing deadly intent.
Lying back in the Grandmaster's Chair, Pingping sensed that her Master was troubled. She stopped peeling grapes and moved behind Zheng Xiu to knead his shoulders and pound his back.
The three ladies—Zizi, Pingping, and Lily—were here.
Of course, they hadn't come just to play instruments, sing, give massages, and peel fruit.
They vividly described to Zheng Xiu the recent buzz surrounding the Zheng Clan's enterprises.
It had only been three days, but they—including Second Lady—had already grasped the brilliance of Zheng Xiu's series of moves.
Aside from a loss of revenue on the first day, the second and third days saw a shocking turnaround.
Every restaurant and teahouse was packed to the rafters.
Every painted boat and flower barge was alive with music and revelry, night after night.
Heaven on Earth was no longer accepting ordinary members.
The Zheng Clan's enforcers were beating people from dawn till dusk. The prisons of the Six Gates were overflowing, and as a result, the Imperial City's Top Divine Hunter, Guo Zifei, was run ragged.
As for his other, smaller businesses, they were a matter of small profits and quick turnover, not worth mentioning separately.
In the past, Zheng Xiu hadn't wanted to drive his competitors into the ground. Now, he wanted to be even more ruthless.
[No merchant is honest] needs leveling up, after all. Boss Zheng couldn't help himself.
"By the way, where's Xuemei? Cooped up in her room again?"
Jing Xuemei, also known as Bobo. Privately, Zheng Xiu preferred to use their real names.
Master Zheng was familiar with the daily routines of these four 'young fruits.' He knew well that Jing Xuemei was a homebody. When not on duty, she would stay in her room, arranging flowers, painting, playing her flute, and composing music.
"Are you asking about Sister Bobo, Master?" There weren't so many formalities among the four "sisters." The three girls exchanged glances for a moment before Pingping said, "I did hear Sister Bobo mention something the day before yesterday."
Zheng Xiu closed his eyes, blissfully enjoying a level of personal service others could only dream of. His voice trembled with pleasure. "Spill the deets~"
"Sister Bobo's father... he's raising money everywhere. He wants to buy out her contract."
"Hah?" Zheng Xiu laughed. "Didn't her father kneel before the Jing Clan's ancestral tablets and swear a vicious oath to sever all ties with her?"
"No, Master." The pipa music stopped abruptly. Zizi wore a strange expression. "That old man... he's found another match for Sister Bobo."
At this, all three of their faces filled with indignation.
All four of them owed their lives to the Master's kindness. Publicly, they were geishas at Heaven on Earth, but in reality, Second Lady was secretly grooming them—without Master Zheng's knowledge—as potential future Madams. The hope was that Master Zheng would one day choose a wife from among them.
The arts they had mastered went far beyond just playing instruments and singing.
In private, they were as close as sisters and often joked about Master Zheng.
They'd say things like, "If I become Madam Zheng someday..." or "Thirty years off the bed, thirty years on it—don't you bully a poor girl!" and other such nonsense.
For that scoundrel of a father to try and buy Jing Xuemei back just to marry her off to someone else—the sisters were naturally furious.
Master Zheng opened his eyes.
A moment of silence.
"What about her?"
"She was so angry she cried," Zizi said. Then, afraid the Master wouldn't feel sorry enough, she added, "She cried all night."
"Alright." Master Zheng smiled. "Just let Second Lady handle it. She'll know what to do."
The three women were all intensely curious and asked what should be done.
"Simple. The fact that they're raising money means they can't afford her. If they can't afford her, the solution is easy. Have Second Lady draw up a new contract and raise the price to five million."
HISS...
"But wasn't she already sold?"
"Who says you can't sell something more than once?"
After bathing and changing into a fresh set of clothes, Zheng Xiu dismissed the three women.
Looking around at the table, chair, bed, and greenery in his cell, Zheng Xiu thought to himself, 'This life is getting comfier by the day.'
Zheng Xiu was actively improving his living conditions, planning for a long-term stay.
He was gradually getting used to this kind of life, and Zheng Xiu felt there was nothing wrong with it at all.
It had the pleasure of a secluded life.
'But that person actually wants me to get out of prison?'
'What sort of malicious plot is this!'
'With my status, once I'm out, trying to find an excuse to get back in would be far too conspicuous.'
Master Zheng knew he could never expose his Prisoner Path.
He had considered using Divine Travel to go out and investigate as an Ah Piao, tackling the problem from two angles to see if he could find out which big shot was pulling the strings.
But the memory of scaring Shi Wentong to death made him feel a pang of guilt. Afraid of frightening more people to death, the kind-hearted Master Zheng temporarily abandoned the idea.
'Besides, what kind of respectable person would casually voice the words buried deep in their heart?'
'Can you even call it a secret if it's spoken aloud?'
Shi Wentong only let those things slip because he truly couldn't hold it in anymore.
Lying on the Grandmaster's Chair, Zheng Xiu looked around, feeling the cell was missing something.
After a moment, Master Zheng slapped his thigh in realization. He had a Prison Guard fetch him a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, spread the paper on the table, and began to write with feverish haste.
By now, Master Zheng was quite the celebrity within the Prison Camp.
The other inmates all knew that aside from holding fast to the absolute bottom line of 'no escape attempts,' Master Zheng had shattered every other prison rule in the book.
Even Lord Jiang Gaoyi in the next cell—an upright and incorruptible man who hated merchants as if they were his sworn enemies—had initially been unable to stand the sight of Zheng Xiu's pampered face. But now, even he just looked on with a numb, unperturbed expression.
Zheng Xiu's gaze followed his brush. He held it lightly, yet it seemed to carry great weight as it touched down on the paper.
"A mountain needn't be high; an immortal's presence makes it famous. Water needn't be deep; a dragon's presence makes it divine. This may be a prison cell, but my virtue alone makes it fragrant..."
Loosely adapting the famous 'Inscription on the Shabby Room,' Master Zheng created his own impromptu 'Inscription in the Prison Cell.' He then spent a bit of money to have a Prison Guard take it out to be framed. Half a day later, Zheng Xiu looked at the piece of calligraphy hanging in his room and nodded in satisfaction.
At last, the cell had a touch of spiritual charm and scholarly grace.
In a few days, once he renovated the walls and interior decor a bit, and maybe enlarged the window, this place could pass for a study.
His mind made up, Zheng Xiu took advantage of the remaining daylight. He found a comfortable position on the Grandmaster's Chair, lay back, and patted the Peace Talisman tucked inside his sash.
It was the very one Second Lady had prayed for at the Immortal Maiden Temple.
He entered the Ghostly Realm.
Ever since his Taunt skill had reached the Entry level.
No matter how much Zheng Xiu taunted, cursed, or gestured provocatively, Wang Cangyun still charged in for the kill. His Taunt skill could no longer gain any practice.
'In that case!'
'Then don't blame Master Zheng for trying a few new positions.'
A blade slashed down, straight as a ruler's edge.
Master Zheng's eyes could now just barely track Wang Cangyun's movements.
At first, he truly couldn't see a thing. But once Master Zheng learned that Wang Cangyun always lunged toward his left blind spot, he began to predict his opponent's movements and could gradually see the attack coming.
The first time he predicted the Commander's prediction and dodged that lightning-fast slash, he distinctly saw the Commander's eyebrow twitch.
Of course, Commander Wang's second slash cut him down moments later.
'It was impossible to contend with a Martial Arts master of this caliber in such a short time.'
'How could the Richest Person possibly beat a Martial Artist?'
'It's not like I have to do things myself on a normal day.'
'However, I don't actually need to defeat the Commander.'
'I just have to put on a show, make a token effort to resist for a moment or two, and then I can just lie back and take it.'
[You have blocked a killing blow from Imperial Sword Guard Commander Wang through unceasing effort. Your Muscle Strength has gained a thin amount of practice.]
[You attempted to dodge the signature technique of Imperial Sword Guard Commander Wang, 'Coiling Dragon Eighteen Slashes.' Dodge failed. Your Step Technique has gained a thin amount of practice.]
[You have survived a perilous encounter under the blade of 'Imperial Sword Guard Wang Cangyun.' Your Intuition allowed you to avoid the Commander's 'Coiling Dragon Eighteen Slashes First Form - Kangleong Youhui.' Your Intuition has been significantly improved.]
[You have successfully dodged 'Coiling Dragon Eighteen Slashes Second Form - Flying Dragon in the Sky' from Imperial Sword Guard Wang Cangyun. Your Step Technique has been significantly improved.]
Three straight days of grinding.
With the help of that treasure trove of a man, Wang Cangyun, Master Zheng had benefited immensely.