Feeling heartbroken, he fed the fluff ball the antidote he had prepared.
Fortunately, Shui Shui’s knockout powder had an antidote, unlike some of his other creations.
“Little one, are you feeling better?” Murong Xu gently shook the fluff, but seeing that he wasn’t going to wake up anytime soon, he hesitated and decided to take him away.
As he passed the unconscious chief examiner, Murong Xu let out a cold snort and muttered, “How despicable. My little one is so young, and you’re making him work so hard just for your entertainment!”
With a heart full of affection, Murong Xu kissed the fluff ball on the forehead and walked out without a second glance at the chief examiner he had knocked out.
Cradling the little fluff in his arms, Murong Xu walked all the way back to the inn, pausing occasionally to kiss the fluff.
By the time they returned, the Fourth Prince’s room next door was dark, indicating that he had already fallen asleep.
Murong Xu didn’t disturb the Fourth Prince. Instead, he went straight to his room and locked the doors and windows securely.
By the time they arrived, the little fluff had started to wake up.
When they were inside the room, the fluff finally opened his eyes. Though awake, he still seemed a little confused.
“Squeak?”
Little uncle?
The fluff rubbed his eyes with his tiny paws. He was beginning to think his little uncle had the ability to appear out of nowhere, always showing up suddenly.
But the problem was, he remembered he had been dancing for the Big Boss!
After finishing his dance, he was supposed to give the Big Boss a massage. Why was he suddenly with his uncle?
Seeing the confused look on the fluff’s face, Murong Xu lifted him up and gently swayed him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, little one. Uncle is here, no one can bully you.”
“Your uncle has already found someone who will protect you.”
“Squeak?”
What are you talking about, Uncle?
The little fluff didn’t understand what his uncle was saying. His large, round, watery eyes were filled with confusion.
“It’s my fault,” Murong Xu said, his tone filled with self-blame. “I didn’t realize sooner that you were being bullied.”
The more his uncle spoke, the less the little fluff understood. Growing anxious, he patted his uncle with his tiny paws. Once Murong Xu loosened his grip, the little one quickly transformed back into his human form, eager to talk.
“Uncle, what are you talking about? How did I end up here?”
Murong Xu pulled him back into a hug. “Uncle was following you all night. I saw you being bullied.”
“Did he see your true form? Did he use that to blackmail you into doing whatever he said?”
The little one was speechless.
Opening his mouth, he stammered, “No, that’s not it.”
The reason he was working in his fluff form was because he had scratched up the Big Boss’s belongings.
“Uncle, how did you get me out of there?”
For some reason, the little one had a bad feeling about all this. And his fears were confirmed with his uncle’s next words.
“I used some knockout powder that Shui Shui gave me. After I knocked the guy out, I came in and carried you away.”
The little one froze.
He stared at his uncle, dumbfounded, as Murong Xu proudly continued, “That guy had a strong aura, but even he couldn’t handle Shui Shui’s stuff.”
“Little Seven, Shui Shui gave you plenty of good things too, remember to use them.”
As Murong Xu kept talking, he suddenly noticed that his little one’s expression seemed off.
The little one’s face looked as if the sky had just fallen.
“It’s over,” the little one muttered, his big round eyes brimming with despair. “The Big Boss has been knocked out again.”
The first time was his fault, and now his little uncle had done it.
He had heard that in all the years the Big Boss had been at Guan Shan Residence, no one had ever dared laid a hand on him. Assassins had tried to kill him, but they couldn’t even get close.
The little one’s despair began to affect Murong Xu.
Murong Xu pinched his cheeks, confused. “What’s wrong? Uncle saved you, why aren’t you happy? Are you afraid of him? Don’t worry, you don’t need to be.”
“I’ve already found someone who can handle this situation.”
Hearing these words, the little one’s despair lifted ever so slightly. His voice trembled as he asked, “Uncle, who did you find? Can they really keep the Big Boss from getting angry?”
Murong Xu patted his head with a smile. “Of course! I’ve seen his power with my own eyes. Don’t worry about these adult matters, you don’t need to know all the details.”
“I’ve already set up a meeting with him for tomorrow, and I’ll introduce you. He’ll take care of everything from tonight.”
Murong Xu spoke with such confidence that the little one couldn’t help but believe him.
“The Big Boss is really powerful,” the little one mumbled, sniffling.
He already owed a debt that he couldn’t repay, and if the Big Boss decided to pursue tonight’s incident, his poor little paws would be massaging forever.
“Don’t worry, the person I found is even stronger than him.”
There was indeed someone in Guan Shan Residence more powerful than the Big Boss.
The little one looked at his uncle, assuming that he must have found the owner of Guan Shan Residence.
“Uncle, how did you manage to find him?”
“It was a lucky coincidence.”
Murong Xu ruffled his hair, stopping him from asking any more questions. “Kids shouldn’t worry about these things. Just leave everything to me. It’s late now, so close your eyes and sleep. Uncle will hold you.”
Murong Xu cradled the little one, gently patting his back until he fell asleep.
The little one snuggled into his uncle’s chest, falling asleep without a care in the world.
In the middle of the night…
While the little one slept soundly, the chief examiner, who had been knocked out, awoke with a hand on his neck.
His eyes were cold as he glanced toward the door.
There weren’t many surveillance cameras in his home, only in important areas. But ever since the little one confessed that he had snuck in as a fluff ball before, the chief examiner had installed cameras throughout the entire house, though he usually didn’t bother checking them.
Now, however, it was the perfect time to review them.
Rubbing his neck, the chief examiner checked what had transpired in the room.
Besides Murong Xu, he also saw a small figure.
He let out a cold laugh. It seemed he had been too lenient lately, allowing people to waltz into his home unchecked.
Furious, the chief examiner didn’t get much sleep for the rest of the night.
Back at the inn…
Murong Xu slept soundly, cradling his precious little one in his arms.
The next morning, after waking up, he sent a note to Zhang San and prepared a gift for him.
Ling Hao, after hearing about last night’s events, joined Murong Xu in waiting for Zhang San.
As for the little one, he had to attend his lessons and couldn’t wait with them at the inn.
However, Murong Xu had scheduled the meeting close to noon, so if they invited Zhang San to stay for lunch, the little one’s schedule would align with theirs.
The note simply invited Zhang San to a meal without mentioning any other details.
So, after slacking off at the office, Zhang San arrived for the meal.
Murong Xu, ever generous, had ordered a table full of delicious food, including fine wine.
Zhang San, seeing the spread, beamed. “You’re too kind. Didn’t I say yesterday? I’ll look after Little Seven. If he gets into any trouble, just leave it to me.”
When Zhang San said this, he assumed that Little Seven wouldn’t face any major trouble.
Everyone at Guan Shan Residence knew that Little Seven was well-protected by both the older and younger members, so he rarely encountered any problems. Even if something came up, the adults and kids around him could easily handle it.
Zhang San’s words were polite, but Murong Xu didn’t hold back.
“Brother Zhang, to be honest, there’s actually a bit of a problem right now, and I need your help.”
Murong Xu personally poured Zhang San a drink and explained the situation.
Zhang San, having already caught a whiff of the fragrant wine, smiled and said, “Alright, tell me, what’s the trouble?”
At Guan Shan Residence, the problems were usually small and trivial, nothing too serious. Having received gifts, eaten food, and drunk good wine, Zhang San thought it only right to help handle such matters.
Seeing his easygoing attitude, Murong Xu felt more confident.
He was about to speak but paused, then said, “Brother Zhang, let’s eat first, then we’ll talk.”
After they had eaten and drunk a few cups, Murong Xu and Zhang San were already calling each other “brother,” arm in arm, full of camaraderie. After another round of “brother,” Murong Xu finally revealed his trouble: “I saw someone bullying my Little Seven and couldn’t help myself. I knocked the guy out. But don’t worry, he just fainted, nothing serious.”
“I’m always careful when I act—I didn’t really hurt him.”
After all, this wasn’t their Qi Dynasty’s territory. If he seriously injured someone here, it might make things difficult for Little Seven.
Zhang San pondered for a moment after hearing this and said, “It’s not too big of a deal. Since the other guy bullied Little Seven first, we’re in the right.”
“Go on, tell me: what’s the name of the person you knocked out? Where does he live? What’s his status?”
Zhang San already had a plan in mind. Handling this wouldn’t be too difficult.
Murong Xu hesitated at the question.
“I don’t actually know his name.”
Recalling how Little Seven addressed him, Murong Xu said, “I heard Little Seven call him ‘Big Boss.’ He lives in a big house, but it’s a bit out of the way.”
As soon as Murong Xu finished speaking, Zhang San’s wine cup slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground.
“You…you just said…what did Little Seven call him?”
“Big Boss.”
Murong Xu repeated the word, frowning slightly. “I’m not sure if it’s a title or his real name. It’s a strange way to call someone.”
“Brother Zhang, could you warn him for us? Tell him not to bully Little Seven anymore.”
“Brother Zhang?”
“Brother Zhang, what’s wrong?”
Seeing Zhang San drop his cup and look utterly shocked, Murong Xu finally realized there was a problem.
His tone wavered as he asked, “Is this ‘Big Boss’ hard to deal with? You’re quite influential here at Guan Shan Residence—don’t tell me you can’t handle this?”
Zhang San stood up shakily, his expression mirroring the same despair Little Seven had shown the night before.
“I can’t help you with this.”
Zhang San glanced at the food and drink he had just consumed and, with great reluctance, took out his wallet. “I’ll pay for this meal, and I’ll return the gift you gave me yesterday.”
He had thought he was finally going to make a bit of extra income, but now it looked like he’d be losing money instead.
“Brother Zhang, you—”
Murong Xu, seeing Zhang San’s sudden change of heart, hurried to say something, but Zhang San cut him off.
Waving his hand and shaking his head, Zhang San said, “This favor would cost me my life. The ‘Big Boss’ you knocked out isn’t just anyone—he’s my superior!”
And not just any superior—the one who paid his salary.
There was no way Zhang San could clean up this mess.
Murong Xu was stunned by Zhang San’s words.
Zhang San, seeing his blank expression, took a deep breath and stepped closer. “Let me give you some advice—don’t stick around here.”
“Pack up your things and leave.”
Zhang San admired Murong Xu’s boldness in knocking out the Big Boss, but he couldn’t take responsibility for the consequences. He urged Murong Xu to run as quickly as possible.
But Murong Xu pursed his lips and didn’t flee. Clenching his fists, he began thinking of ways to deal with the situation.
“I…I’ll go meet this ‘Big Boss’ in person.”
“I’ll reason with him. If he’s still angry, he can knock me out too.”
Zhang San: “…”
Zhang San: “Ah, the fearlessness of youth.”
He patted Murong Xu on the shoulder, encouraging him: “Go ahead. I’ll burn incense for you on this day next year.”
Murong Xu was speechless.
With Zhang San refusing to clean up the mess, and Murong Xu and Ling Hao knowing no one else, the two were at a loss.
Finally, Murong Xu said, “When school’s out, you pick up Little Seven. I’m going to see the ‘Big Boss’ now.”
He planned to have a proper talk with the ‘Big Boss’ and hoped they could reach an understanding.
Murong Xu marched off with confidence.
And then, he didn’t return.
Ling Hao picked up the little one, who immediately looked around for his uncle upon arriving.
“Your uncle had something to take care of; he’ll be back later.”
Ling Hao reassured the little one, who reluctantly settled down to eat and wait for his uncle.
The inn’s food was delicious. The little one ate his fill, and Ling Hao even made him take a nap.
But when the little one woke up, his uncle still wasn’t back.
“Your uncle came back while you were sleeping but left again.”
Ling Hao lied, helping the little one wash up before sending him off to his afternoon lessons.
The little one didn’t see his uncle all day, and by the time he sat in class, he was visibly downcast.
Unable to find his uncle, the little one went to find Ah Wu after school.
“Ah Wu, where are you going?”
Ah Wu was momentarily taken aback by the question but replied after a pause, “Going to train.”
The little one: “…”
The little one: “What kind of training?”
Ah Wu turned his face away, not really wanting to answer, but the little one kept pressing him.
After a while, Ah Wu finally replied, “Clearing land and planting things.”
The little one: “?”
The little one didn’t quite understand. “Why do you need to clear land all of a sudden?”
At this point, Ah Wu realized he couldn’t hide the truth from the cub any longer.
He organized his thoughts and said, “Your uncle is also clearing land.”
Both of them, one with his own plot of land, were clearing land.
The little one: “?”
The little one was even more confused.
“Your uncle knocked out the Big Boss and got caught, so the Big Boss punished him by making him clear land,” Ah Wu explained.
After explaining why Murong Xu was clearing land, he added, “Your uncle knocked out the Big Boss, and I broke the window.”
The little one: “…”
If Ah Wu hadn’t caught him in time, the little one felt like he would’ve fallen to the ground in shock.
He thought about his uncle who was off planting and then looked at Ah Wu, who was also about to go clear land.
The little one felt heartbroken. He wondered how many more debts he’d have to pay off to get his uncle and Ah Wu out of this mess.
“Zai Zai, don’t worry. Once we finish planting everything, this matter will be over.”
But clearing land wasn’t an easy job. The real issue was that the Big Boss, who owned the land, was deliberately making it hard for Ah Wu and Murong Xu to plant anything properly.
It wasn’t that the two hadn’t thought about resisting, but they had both seen the terrifying weapons at Guan Shan Residence. Unfortunately for them, those weapons were in the Big Boss’s hands.
Considering the destructive power of the weapons, even someone as strong as Ah Wu couldn’t guarantee he could avoid being hurt.
Although Ah Wu was a fierce beast, he was still an adolescent one. To fight back against the Big Boss, he would have to grow a bit more.
The little one: “Ah Wu, I’m sorry.”
The little one hugged Ah Wu around the waist and sniffled, “I’ll make sure the Big Boss lets you two off.”
If worst comes to worst, he’d just work harder and earn more money for the Big Boss!
That night…
The little one went to the Big Boss’s house, transformed into a small, round form, and even wore the cute little clothes he had bought in town. He then performed an upgraded version of the “dumpling dance” for the Big Boss.
After finishing his dance, without waiting for the Big Boss to speak, the little one climbed onto the Big Boss and began stepping on him with his paws.
He stomped down with all his might, putting in great effort.
Tonight, the little one didn’t ask for noodles or drinks, and his service attitude was impeccable.
The little one’s diligent service continued until just before bedtime.
When the Big Boss was about to fall asleep, the little one transformed back, holding onto the Big Boss’s hand and softly asking, “Big Boss, does it feel good?”
His paws were almost worn out from all that stepping.
The chief examiner cracked open an eyelid and glanced at him, replying indifferently, “It’s acceptable.”
The little one clung to the Big Boss’s hand, rubbing his soft cheek against it, and sweetly said, “I’ll work hard and stomp with my paws again tomorrow. Big Boss, can you let my uncle and Ah Wu stop clearing land?”
Big Boss: “No.”
The Big Boss had no habit of being lenient. His heart was never that big. He was willing to exploit even the soft, fluffy cub, let alone the two adults.
The little one: “Big Boss, I beg you.”
The little one hugged the Big Boss’s hand and pleaded earnestly, “You can put it on my tab, and I’ll pay back the debt.”
“Please don’t punish my uncle and Ah Wu.”
The little one begged for a long time, but the Big Boss remained cold and indifferent.
In the end, the little one was so tired from begging that he fell asleep while still holding onto the Big Boss’s hand.
For several days in a row…
The little one diligently attended his classes during the day, hoping to accumulate exam rewards, and at night, he would return to the Big Boss’s place to start a new round of work and another round of pleading.
This busy life was overwhelming for the little one. Although he was swamped, he still made time to visit Ah Wu and his uncle.
He squatted at the edge of the field, heartbroken as he watched his uncle and Ah Wu toil away.
Murong Xu had become numb to the planting.
Holding a hoe, he waved at the little one squatting by the field. “Zai Zai, go home and eat. Don’t sit here. Your uncle will be done soon.”
The little one: “Uncle, I’ll help you!”
“Absolutely not!”
Murong Xu quickly stopped him. “Last time you picked up the hoe, you almost dug yourself up. You scared me to death.”
The little one, recalling what happened yesterday, felt a bit embarrassed.
He looked at his hoe-wielding uncle, then at the field, and finally surveyed the surroundings.
After taking it all in, he transformed into a little round ball and ran into the field, starting to dig with his paws.
Murong Xu: “!”
Murong Xu was completely stunned.
The little one’s self-invented “paw-digging method” didn’t last long before it ended with his paws hurting.
Murong Xu held his little one’s dirty paws and blew on them.
“Uncle told you, I can handle this work.”
Once he finished the task, the Big Boss would be appeased, and then the little one could live in peace.
About a week later, a letter came back from the Qi Dynasty.
The letter instructed Murong Xu and Ling Hao to return. As for Little Seven, it was up to him whether to stay or leave.
Murong Xu mentioned in his letter that Guan Shan Residence was a very powerful place. Even if Murong Xu hadn’t mentioned Guan Shan Residence’s recent victory, the Emperor Ling would have heard about it.
But the details were something the Emperor wouldn’t know, and Murong Xu made sure to explain them well in his letter.
Although the Emperor was sometimes confused due to illness, even in his foggy state, he could still understand that Little Seven attending school at Guan Shan Residence was beneficial.
So, he summoned Murong Xu and Ling Hao back but allowed Little Seven to stay.
Before leaving, Murong Xu noticed that the seeds he had planted had sprouted.
He was quite reluctant to leave them behind.
“Little Seven, tell Ah Wu that Uncle’s field is his to tend to.”
These past few days, while working together on the fields, Murong Xu realized that the kid he saw on the road when he first arrived was actually Ah Wu.
At the time, he thought the kid had a cold exterior but a warm heart.
Now, he understood—this kid had a cold exterior and a cold heart!
“Little one, if you ever get homesick, just ask your teacher for leave and come back,” Murong Xu said, ruffling the little one’s head. The more he looked at the cub, the more reluctant he felt to leave.
The little one nodded obediently, promising to do so.
When Murong Xu was about to leave, the chief examiner didn’t stop him.
On the day of departure, the little one tearfully came to see them off.
He hugged his uncle and then his fourth brother, choking up as he reminded them, “Uncle, Fourth Brother, you both take care, okay?”
“We will, don’t worry.”
Murong Xu and Ling Hao had spent the past few days observing the environment at Guan Shan Residence, and they were quite satisfied with it.
The little one waved his small hand vigorously, bidding farewell to his uncle and fourth brother.
After they left, the little one was in a low mood for several days. His energy was so low that even his paw massages weren’t as good as before.
The chief examiner noticed the dejected little ball and reached out to squeeze his tiny paws.
“When your uncle left, I even gave him a gift. Shouldn’t you pay for it too?”
The little one: “…”
The little one was not happy. “Chirp! Chirp!”
The gift you gave was a broken hoe!
A broken hoe wasn’t worth much at all.
The chief examiner lazily held his paw and said nonchalantly, “Well, since he took the hoe with him, this debt is now yours.”
The little one was so angry he almost passed out.
While the chief examiner was keen on adding more debt to the little one, Murong Xu, who was sitting in the carriage, was also looking at the hoe in his hand.
After working for days, he had only seen the chief examiner a few times.
During one of those rare encounters, the chief examiner casually chatted with him and mentioned that he could take whatever tools he had used as a memento.
The chief examiner said it so casually, but Murong Xu took it seriously.
As he was leaving, he took the broken hoe he had been using.
Ling Hao was sitting in another carriage. After some thought, he reached for the hoe and, with some effort, broke it in half.
Inside the broken hoe, Murong Xu found a piece of paper.
He unfolded it and carefully examined it. The paper contained military information.
Though it was a thin piece of paper, Murong Xu was amazed as he read it, and he couldn’t calm down for a long time.
The carriage continued down the road, and soon, there was a soft knock on the curtain of Murong Xu’s carriage.
Startled out of his thoughts, he quickly put the paper away.
Outside was Ling Hao.
Feeling a bit bored, Ling Hao had come to talk. Murong Xu invited him inside.
After spending so much time together, the two had grown more familiar with each other.
Even though the carriage was moving quickly, it didn’t interfere with their conversation.
Murong Xu didn’t tell Ling Hao about the paper. Over the past few days, while he had been working and being worn down by the Big Boss, Ling Hao had wanted to help, but the chief examiner wouldn’t allow it.
As they talked, Murong Xu sighed and said, “I wonder if Guan Shan Residence accepts older students. I want to go back to school.”
Guan Shan Residence was truly tempting.
Ling Hao, unaware of the paper, thought Murong Xu was simply reluctant to part with Little Seven and tried to comfort him.
While they were heading back to the palace, inside Guan Shan Residence, the little one was sprawled over the account books, his paws resting on top.
“Little Seven, if you scratch the account book, your debt will double,” the chief examiner said.
“I have a good memory; I remember every debt recorded in there.”
The little one: “…”
He lowered his head and licked his paw, pretending to groom himself.
The chief examiner’s talk about scratching the account book—he hadn’t even thought about doing that!
As the little one continued grooming himself, he kept an eye on the chief examiner. When he noticed he was being watched, he put his paws down and stood up, moving away from the account book.
His uncle’s visit had only added to the debts the little one already owed.
Thankfully, Ah Wu could now move in.
However, Ah Wu had to work for the chief examiner as well.
While Ah Wu did housework for the chief examiner, the little one danced and gave massages to keep the chief examiner in a good mood. In short, both he and Ah Wu were now working under the chief examiner.
They worked at night and studied during the day. Despite all this, the little one still managed to do well in the teacher’s exams.
This time, he was even eligible for a reward.
The teacher mentioned that in the future, rewards might be less frequent because their studies were coming to a temporary conclusion.
Once they finished this stage, it could be a few months, a year, or even several years before they resumed their studies.
For now, they were still young. Even though the courses at Guan Shan Residence were advanced, there was only so much they could learn at this age.
When they returned for the next stage, they would have even more to learn.
The little one, worried about finishing too soon, quickly redeemed his reward.
The chief examiner, knowing the little one had earned a reward, casually asked, “You could use your reward to pay off your debt. Do you want to? If you do, you won’t have to give paw massages anymore.”
The little one was exhausted from all the paw massages.
But the moment the chief examiner made the suggestion, the little one shook his head without even thinking.
“No, I won’t use it to pay off the debt.”
The little one shook his head firmly. Instead of going to the teacher to redeem his reward, he came to the chief examiner.
The teacher had said that rewards could also be claimed through the chief examiner.
“Big Boss, I want my reward.”
After the little one refused to use his reward to pay off his debt, he looked eagerly at the chief examiner, wanting to claim his prize.
The chief examiner, lounging in his chair, lazily looked at him and asked indifferently, “Go ahead, what reward do you want? Is it something for civilian life, military affairs, wealth, or—”
“None of those,” the little one interrupted.
This time, the little one wasn’t going to make some grand choice. This time, he wanted to be selfish.
He explained, “My daddy is sick. He keeps getting better and then worse again, though when he takes medicine, he gets better.”
“The imperial physician said he needs rest. Once he fully recovers, he won’t get sick anymore, but my father doesn’t rest.”
The chief examiner patiently listened, occasionally offering his opinion. “Since the physician gave advice, you should try persuading your father to listen to him.”
“But Daddy won’t listen,” the little one frowned.
The chief examiner shrugged, “If he won’t listen to the imperial physician, there’s nothing I can do to cure him.”
“Big Boss,” the little one scooted closer to the chief examiner and pleaded, “you’re the most amazing. Don’t you have some medicine that can keep people from getting sick or even dying? I only need one, just for my Daddy.”
The chief examiner: “…”
The chief examiner’s mouth twitched, “Do you think I’m a god?”
