"What official?" Jun Xie was genuinely intrigued by such an amusing turn of events. /|()Updates super fast/|\ A quick search of his memory revealed that this Zhao Chengsong came from a mediocre background. Though certainly talented, the man was extremely sycophantic and utterly trashy—superficially aloof, but servile to the bone. The last time he opposed Tang Yuan, it was in hopes of winning the favor of one of Grand Tutor Li’s daughters. In the end, not a single noble young lady took an interest in him. Yet, Tang Yuan, of all people, generously took this man under his wing? That truly didn't sound like something Tang Yuan would do!

"I arranged for him to be placed in the Ministry of Revenue, then had my uncle find some pretext to have him transferred. Then I had him transferred a few more times; his only current duty is to scrub my back when I bathe, and every day he washes my inner garments and socks. He even washes the clothes for my various concubines! He has no other work!"

Tang Yuan grinned fiercely, "If this fellow had stubbornly resisted, maintained his pretense of integrity, I truly wouldn't have known what to do with him, nor would I have had the heart to keep tormenting him. But this gutless wonder insists on feigning refinement, spouting nonsense about the elegance of scholars—to hell with him! Didn't he want to curry favor with the Li family's lineage? Fine, I’ll make him wash the skirts of the lineage every day!"

Tang Yuan's uncle was an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Revenue, making it an easy, enjoyable, and familiar task to trip up a newcomer.

"Pfft!" Jun Xie sprayed a mouthful of tea onto Tang Yuan’s face, coughing. "Your uncle actually listens to you! Young Master Tang, you are utterly ruining that man, aren't you? That fellow is a scholar, a graduate of Wenxing Academy, with considerable ability. Such treatment seems excessively dishonorable to the literati…"

"Dishonorable to the literati? Third Young Master, I strongly disagree with that sentiment. What are those types? Just a bunch of bookworms! Even if they learn the skills to govern the empire and stabilize the nation from their books, so what? They are merely theorists on paper, completely incapable of application, letting their knowledge rot inside them! Great learning does not equal great capability, nor does it equate to good character! What good is all talk? And it certainly doesn't represent anything. Wenxing Academy—what a grand name! But how many people who have held high office and power in the Tianxiang Kingdom throughout history have emerged from Wenxing Academy? Bah!" Tang Yuan laughed heartily, clapping Jun Xie on the shoulder, "Third Young Master, neither of us is exactly a good person, ….. "

"Stop! What do you mean, 'neither of us is exactly a good person'?" Jun Xie had been nodding in agreement, secretly applauding. He deeply empathized with this viewpoint; it was like comparing those so-called perfect scorers from rote-learning education systems with seasoned elites forged in the fires of society—once they discarded theoretical rhetoric for practical application, the former amounted to nothing, like newly weaned infants. It seemed this was a universal truth across all planes of existence. He hadn't expected this fellow Tang Yuan to possess such insight; it was truly unexpected. He was enjoying the discussion immensely, but then Tang Yuan suddenly shifted gears, taking a sharp turn that spanned a breathtaking gulf—heaven and earth, south and north.

"Haha… I mean, neither of us is a good person," Tang Yuan chuckled. "But Third Young Master, no matter how wicked you and I are, in this vast capital, even if we caused trouble every day, how many people could we possibly harm? A thousand, maybe two thousand at most! But a spineless creature like Zhao Chengsong, full of schemes and malice, if truly allowed to serve as an official, he would harm countless common folk! And after ruining things here, he'd move on to corrupt elsewhere, continuing his devastation until the court finally chops off his head—by then, who knows how many he will have destroyed? Compared to him, who is the worse sort of person?"

At this point, Tang Yuan suddenly bristled with indignation, "That's why I must humiliate these shameless wretches! What scholar? To the devil with them! Any so-called scholar who dares call himself one in front of me, I'll flatten one for every one I meet! I'll crush them until they have no chance of a future! Any hypocritical scholar that falls into my hands will never rise again!"

Jun Xie roared with laughter, "Excellent, excellent! Fatty Tang, this is the first time I’ve heard you speak with such satisfying candor! Well said! On the strength of these words, I toast you!"

This toast was one Jun Xie offered with genuine sincerity. The Fatty’s words had deeply resonated with him. Having lived two lifetimes, the total number of people Jun Xie had sincerely toasted could be counted on two hands—the Fatty was profoundly fortunate to receive this one! In this world, Tang Yuan was the very first person to earn a toast from Jun Xie! By offering this toast, Jun Xie had acknowledged Tang Yuan as a person! Though this fellow was a profligate youth, he was a genuine scoundrel with a true nature! Jun Xie always acted according to his whims. For someone whose presence pleased him, Jun Xie would share a drink even if the entire world condemned them. For someone who displeased him, even if all under heaven declared them a saint, Jun Xie would remain disdainful! At this moment, Fatty Tang had no idea how precious this toast was, nor could he imagine that because Jun Xie offered it now, he would be saved from several grave calamities and moments of near-death later on. But that was a story for another time.

Tang Yuan lifted his cup and downed the contents. His small eyes widened, "I know myself well enough. I'm not naturally likable; I enjoy gambling and fighting, and I like to bully people just to pass the time. When I see a pretty girl, I have to exchange a few flirtatious words for amusement; I have the desire, and I have the nerve! I am a bad person, but my wickedness is out in the open! As the saying goes, everyone appreciates beauty; who doesn't like to look twice at an attractive woman? Why should they bother being so beautiful if they don't want to be looked at? If a truly respectable girl sees me looking, she’ll naturally shy away, and I certainly won't chase after someone who makes it clear she wants no part of me. But if she stands there waiting for me to flirt, is she really some paragon of virtue? Yet, word spreads, and suddenly I’m labeled completely wicked! While those hypocrites—they quickly lower their heads when they see a pretty girl, putting on airs of being virtuous and refined, only to stare shamelessly at her backside the moment she turns away, resorting to sneaky maneuvers behind the scenes! Bah! That’s a scholar for you! A scholar of the lowest order! I wish I could kill every last one of these scholars!"

After such a lengthy discussion, Fatty Tang felt increasingly depressed and kept raising his cup, rambling on incessantly, his hand never pausing. Even though the alcohol was mild, sorrow fueled the volume, leading to a qualitative change. Finally, he was drunk, his eyes hazy, his large head swaying until he could hold it no longer. With a thump, his head plunged into the bowl of fish soup before him, eliciting a scalded "Ouch!"—though the burn was just enough to sober him up!

Watching Tang Yuan, his face slicked with fish soup and looking utterly disheveled, Jun Xie suddenly had an idea: Since he needed to eliminate the corrupt father-son duo, Qin Hu, why not simply entrust the task to the Tang family? Given Old Master Tang’s recent distress over losing his precious treasure, he would rather mistakenly punish a thousand innocents than let a single guilty person escape... Furthermore, Jun Xie’s own strength was currently insufficient, and the forces he was training were not yet ready to be deployed. If he involved his grandfather, the repercussions would be too extensive... Yes! That was the plan! With this strategy, the great task would be accomplished! Pfft, destroying a bunch of trash—hardly a major undertaking!

The reason he didn't want the Jun family involved was another concern: the Profound Elixir was already a major vortex. While Qin Hu's expression couldn't definitively confirm panic caused by the Elixir, if it was connected to it, then the Jun family eliminating the North City Gang would be tantamount to burying something precious in the garden—it would immediately paint a target on their backs. The Tang family, conversely, had absolutely no such reservations.

"Fatty Tang, you’ve eaten and drunk your fill. Let’s move to a quieter place for a heart-to-heart, brother. I think that place, Yi Hong Lou, looks very quiet. How about it?" Jun Xie adopted the demeanor of a pious monk while clearly embodying the nature of a lustful demon.

"Yi Hong Lou? It truly is a quiet and excellent place, Hahahaha…" Tang Yuan’s eyes lit up, half his drunkenness vanishing, replaced by overwhelming eagerness, "Hahaha, Third Young Master, you… you truly are my kindred spirit. Let’s go, let’s go quickly. I’ve been feeling restless lately and need a quiet place to…" He stood up impatiently, his large, flabby belly slapping against his thighs with a smack.

Jun Xie looked at Tang Yuan with a straight face, feeling a touch of confusion. It was hard to imagine what this fellow would do once they reached Yi Hong Lou. Would he have to hold up that belly with his own two hands? Otherwise, it seemed it might actually be quite difficult to manage. What a headache to contemplate…