Your Majesty, Please Stop!

Chapter 81: The Master of the Tall Tree, I Want to Become the Master of the Autumn Palace Pavilion (Extra Chapter)

"I've decided to go to the Autumn Palace Pavilion every morning and come back in the evening. I don't know how the war in Fufeng Mansion is going. Will it affect us? It's a troublesome autumn, and we must make a survival plan."

After breakfast, all the members of the Fulong Fort held a meeting.

Xin Zhuo remembered what Huiruqing had instructed and drew a circle on the table with his chopsticks. He said to everyone, "We can't attract too much attention recently. We should be more cautious. Lao Bai's cultivation needs to be intensified. In this world, oh, anything that can be grown, like winter radishes and winter potatoes, should be planted. If we don't have seeds, didn't we get a lot of money from Menghu Fort? Lao Bai and Jiulang can secretly go to other small towns to buy some seeds for future use."

The bandits listened attentively. Huang Dagui slapped his hand and said, "Let me handle the seed buying."

Cui Ying'er coldly said, "With your one-eyed mask and tattoos all over your body, who would dare to sell to you?"

Huang Dagui rubbed his nose and said, "Forget it, let Xiaogou go."

Xin Zhuo continued, "Also, buy some cotton and cloth. Second-in-command and Seventh Sister can make some clothes and quilts for the winter."

"Boss, what should I do?" Murong Xiu rubbed his hands nervously, feeling anxious that he couldn't contribute to the stronghold.

Xin Zhuo said, "Your task is too heavy. You are responsible for leading everyone to rob down the mountain. What's the difference between being a bandit and a salted fish if you don't rob? But you can only rob the rich, you can't kill anyone. If you encounter a beautiful girl, use your charm to get more things. Stockpiling supplies is the most important."

Murong Xiu was excited at first, but his expression changed when he heard the latter part. "Robbing the rich is fine, but please don't make it difficult for me to rob the poor."

The bandits couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Just then, an old voice suddenly came from outside, "Is there any food? Prepare some for the old man."

Everyone looked at each other and walked out of the room in surprise. They saw an old man standing in front of the gate, wearing a faded linen robe. His hair was gray and casually tied up, and his face was full of wrinkles. He was missing two front teeth.

He leaned on a cane, trembling.

This appearance was even more surprising than a delicate young lady coming up the mountain.

Huang Dagui instinctively looked at the mountains outside and said, "Old man, this is a bandit's den. How did you end up here?"

The old man looked at Xin Zhuo with his cloudy eyes and smiled, "I happened to pass by here and was hungry. Who cares if it's a bandit's den or a bandit's cave?"

"Makes sense." Huang Dagui scratched his head and looked at Xin Zhuo.

Xin Zhuo smiled and said, "Prepare a whole lamb and cook some meat soup to nourish the old man's body."

Bai Jianxi asked in surprise, "When did the boss become so respectful to the elderly?"

Xin Zhuo whispered, "There are three types of people in this world that you can't afford to offend: women, children, and the elderly. This old man climbed such a high mountain to come here. He may be a master, but we can't be sure. In any case, it's better to be safe than sorry."

Han Qiniang immediately took Han Jiulang into the kitchen.

Xin Zhuo invited the old man into the meeting hall. The old man leaned on his cane and looked around, unable to hide his disdain. "So ugly. This so-called Juyi Hall is not impressive at all."

"Hey, you old rascal, how dare you speak like that?" Huang Dagui's temper flared up, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

"Forget it, forget it." Murong Xiu quickly stopped Huang Dagui and teased, "Master, the boss said you're a master. What if you lose and embarrass yourself?"

Huang Dagui became even more unwilling. "What kind of master can he be? He's just making a fool of himself!"

"I am indeed a master." The old man's face turned serious, and he smiled coldly.

Everyone looked at him in unison.

Xin Zhuo hesitated and asked, "How skilled are you?"

No matter how Xin Zhuo looked at the old man, he didn't exude any aura. Coupled with his weak blood qi, he was just an ordinary old man.

"Well..." The old man lowered his head and looked around, as if he wanted to find something to compare. Finally, he pointed to a few maple trees in front of the stronghold. "Do you see those maple trees? I can beat all of you with just a little more height than the treetops."

"That's just bragging!"

Huang Dagui pretended to charge forward again. "I have to spar with you today."

"Hehehe..." Bai Jianxi quickly pulled Huang Dagui back and said, "Don't be so aggressive. The old man is quite interesting. No one understands him better than me."

"Huh?" The old man pointed at Bai Jianxi. "This old lady's smile is quite disgusting. She seems to understand me well."

Bai Jianxi was stunned for a moment and shouted, "Don't stop me, I have to tear his mouth apart."

"Forget it, forget it, Xiaogou, it's not a big deal." This time, Huang Dagui stopped him.

Xin Zhuo rubbed his temples. It was quite infuriating that he could make Huang Dagui and the others lose their temper with just a few words. He waved his hand and drove them out, then brought a chair and gestured for the old man to sit.

The old man didn't stand on ceremony and sat down, looking left and right. Finally, he looked at Xin Zhuo with a meaningful look in his old eyes. "Are you married?"

Xin Zhuo didn't want to pay attention to him. He was rummaging through the cabinet, thinking about changing into a clean set of clothes and hurrying to the Autumn Palace. He casually replied, "I'm just a mountain bandit, where can I find a wife?"

"You're quite good at charming girls, aren't you?" The old man tapped his cane on the floor a few times. "You're sixteen or seventeen now. If you don't find a wife, won't you end up being a bachelor?"

Xin Zhuo looked at him in surprise. "Are you a matchmaker? Who sent you to find a girl?"

He couldn't help but think of the two girls he met at the Fufeng Mansion. Did they come here? No way.

"What kind of matchmaker am I? I haven't even married a daughter-in-law myself. Just talking nonsense," the old man said leisurely.

He was a simple and straightforward old man who liked to joke around.

Xin Zhuo shook his head.

Just then, Han Qiniang and her brother came in carrying two bowls of food and placed them on the table. They glanced at Xin Zhuo and left.

The old man didn't hesitate and picked up his chopsticks to eat. As he ate, he complained, "The taste is not good, and it's not cooked enough. It's not delicious!"

Xin Zhuo changed into a new set of clothes and smiled, "It's good enough to have something to eat. Let's finish eating and leave. Sorry for the intrusion."

He turned to leave.

The old man suddenly asked casually, "Going to the Autumn Palace?"

Xin Zhuo's heart skipped a beat and he turned back. "You also know about the Autumn Palace?"

The old man grinned. "Of course I know. I am from the Autumn Palace."

Finally, someone from the Autumn Palace came for the second time.

Xin Zhuo immediately pulled over another chair and sat next to the old man seriously. He pulled the food closer to him. "So that's it. My apologies, my apologies. Are you a teacher from the Autumn Palace?"

The old man put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth casually. "No, I'm just an ordinary cleaner at the Autumn Palace."

"Just an ordinary cleaner? So you're a true master!" Xin Zhuo's expression became solemn, and he cupped his fist again.

The old man was curious. "Can a cleaner be a true master?"

Xin Zhuo confidently said, "There are several types of masters in the world who like to hide their identities, such as old cleaners, carriage drivers, old housekeepers, and old men by the side of young ladies."

"Alright, stop pretending. From your sharp gaze, strange attire, and peculiar temper, I can fully appreciate your strong aura of pretending to be a master," Xin Zhuo said.

The old man was a bit confused by the teasing, but after a while, he grinned and laughed heartily. "Your description is quite unique, I like it. Go ahead!"

Xin Zhuo pretended to be surprised. "Go where? I'm not going to the Autumn Palace. What would a mountain bandit like me do there?"

The old man blinked and said, "You, pretending like this, I really admire you."

Xin Zhuo rubbed his nose. "Let me tell you the truth. If I go to the Autumn Palace, how about I become a teacher instead of a student?"

The old man looked at him strangely. "You? Can you teach students? The students in our place will all become high-ranking officials and generals in the future."

Xin Zhuo tried his best to sell himself. "To be honest, I know a lot. I can play musical instruments, play chess, recite books, write paintings, write a few ancient poems, and play games with students. It's not a problem at all. Even in martial arts, I'm not bad. What do you think? I'm serious."

One must have ambitions. He had a unique perspective that others in this world didn't have, and with the existence of the Lunar Serenity Well, his vision was not low. If he wanted to do it, he would become a teacher. As fellow members of the Autumn Palace, teachers had a much higher chance of finding sacrificial spirits than students, and their status was higher.

"You may be shameless in saying that, but I think you can do it," the old man nodded seriously.

Xin Zhuo squeezed next to him. "Do you... keep your word?"

"Of course, am I not a master cleaner? Who dares not listen to me? I'll smash their heads," the old man said confidently, holding a sheep bone and gnawing on it, which made it inconvenient for his front teeth.

Xin Zhuo was skeptical and regretted why he didn't pour a bowl of Lunar Serenity Well water into the food earlier to see this old man's realm.

After a moment of silence, he finally chose to believe him and decided to go and see.

...

Xin Zhuo was already standing outside the gate of the Autumn Palace, wearing a new linen robe and tying up his hair. His face was clean.

Looking at the two gatekeepers and the students passing by in wide-sleeved robes in the courtyard, he couldn't help but sigh. Life is so unpredictable. I was clearly a bandit, but now I've come to the academy to become a teacher. It's really deviating from the right path.

But... sacrificial spirits!

Thinking about finding sacrificial spirits with his thief identity, it would be difficult to find them above the seventh rank, except for the Autumn Palace and the Water Moon Temple.

In this Autumn Palace, he must develop sacrificial spirits and improve his strength, otherwise everything would be in vain.

Just then, there was a commotion behind him. He turned around and saw three people, three people he didn't expect to see here.

(End of this chapter)