"I don't have the foresight of my great-grandfather. I can only stand at the door every day and wait for the young master so that I won't miss the time when you come back."

Xie Fu tossed the blood-stained spear to the servants beside him, then took the handkerchief handed to him by the steward and wiped the blood off his hands.

"Go and tell the old man that I'm tired today and won't disturb his rest. I'll go tomorrow."

The butler smiled and took the handkerchief Xie Fu had used to wipe the blood from, replying loudly, "Alright!"

Then she lowered her voice and leaned closer to Xie Fu's ear, "Does the young master have plans tonight?"

Xie Fu glanced at him and said, "Old fox."

“They’re all people you know. Wan Ming organized this gathering, saying it was to welcome me back,” he said with a smirk. “Do you think I don’t know what kind of guy he is? He’s probably been cooped up in the mansion by his father and is itching to get out here. He’s only able to get by by using my name.”

"Wan family..." The steward wanted to remind his young master that it was fine for him to call others brothers when he was young and impetuous, but he shouldn't really think that way.

These powerful and wealthy families have no lasting friendships. Even relatives can turn against each other, let alone "brothers" who are not related by blood. When power struggles arise, those who care too much about these sentiments will get hurt.

If one is not careful, one may be betrayed, stabbed in the back by a trusted "brother," and thus fall into an abyss of no return.

Xie Fu almost laughed. Where did the steward get the idea that he cared about those people?

He strode towards his room, waving to the large group of servants following behind him, "Wait outside."

The young master dislikes being served closely by others; this is a consensus known to all the servants in the Xie family.

In the past, maids from other noble families who were given to their young masters as concubines, upon seeing the young master's face, foolishly climbed into Xie Fu's bed, only to be stabbed to death by Xie Fu without any mercy.

When the body was thrown out, there wasn't even anything to wrap it up; the bare, white flesh was simply exposed before people's eyes.

The young master, wielding a gun, swung his strong, lean arm with force, the tip of the gun gliding in a semi-circle across the floor, splattering blood onto it. The maid who came later to wipe up the blood trembled all over as she cleaned it up.

Therefore, for so many years, the young master's inner quarters were all staffed with servants, while only the outer quarters were staffed with maids.

There are bound to be delicate tasks to be done in the courtyard, and having a maid around will always make things more convenient.

Hot water had been prepared in advance for Xie Fu to cleanse himself and take a bath. Xie Fu cleaned himself in a simple and crude manner, taking off his clothes, applying soap and rinsing himself off quickly, as long as he could not smell the blood.

A set of casual clothes hung on the clothes rack next to the bathtub. It was his usual black outfit, with narrow sleeves for ease of movement.

Xie Fu came out after taking a bath, still wearing his black, narrow-sleeved Hu-style clothes. Except for the absence of the bloody smell and his wet, dark hair, it was impossible to tell that he had bathed.

Xie Fu went to the outer room, where several maids dried his hair and tied it up. He then set off for the location designated by Wan Ming.

Xie Fu's guess was correct; Wan Ming was indeed using the guise of welcoming him to give himself a chance to mingle.

Just by looking at the location he chose, you can see right through his little scheme.

Wan Ming chose a boat, which is exactly what the name means, but this boat has quite a history.

The emperor of the Central Plains lived in seclusion within the land, and all the officials who committed crimes and were punished were sent to remote areas.

And their Xiliang, a border region, isn't that a remote area where the wind and sun blow?

Those convicted officials, along with their wives, children, and relatives who were implicated, were all brought here, and the weak women became a burden.

These women, who were once wives and daughters of officials, eventually figured out how to earn money and support themselves so that they wouldn't starve to death after being abandoned by their men.

The boat was quite large, floating on a huge lake. Inside, there was a scene of debauchery and revelry. Even standing on the deck, Xie Fu could clearly hear the women's coquettish laughter and the wanton teasing of the playboys.

Xie Fu stepped forward, parted the gaudy beaded curtains that blocked out the light, and strode inside.

Sitting on the soft couch, with a beauty in his arms, Wan Ming, who had drunk quite a bit, exclaimed with a flushed face, "Oh, our protagonist, Young Marquis Xie, has arrived!"

Some people seem to be born to be the center of attention. Xie Fu lifted the beaded curtain and walked in, his posture upright, with a slight smile on his lips, but that smile did not reach his eyes.

On others, this expression would only seem hypocritical and perfunctory, but on Xie Fu's face, it exudes aloofness and arrogance, making him quite pleasing to the eye.