The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 474 Inherent Evil
"Rules are barriers set up for mediocre people."

The rain fell like a waterfall, and the world was shrouded in darkness.

The tall male corpse held the petite female corpse in its arms. The rain washed away the honeycomb-like wounds, making them appear white. A long sword impaled the two of them together.

The one holding this sword is the young Zuo Lishan.

"Brother Zuo..."

The young Zhao Wuji sat down on the ground and murmured.

Zuo Lishan slowly drew his longsword, kicked the two corpses into the abyss in front of him, and then calmly said to him.

"Brother Zhao, you're too old-fashioned."

"I don't want to kill you, but I'm about to take over as the leader of the Mount Tai Sect. What happened today must not be spread."

Young Zhao Wuji suddenly shivered, glanced at the petite female corpse being held in the arms of the tall male corpse, and knelt down with a thud, slamming his forehead on the ground.

"Brother Zuo, no, Sect Leader Zuo, please, for the sake of the three of us traveling together for several months, and for the sake of me joining you in besieging and killing 'Great Asura' Meng Nan!"

"As long as you are here, I will never wander the world!"

--------

Zhao Wuji suddenly opened his eyes.

The woman's screams, the bandits' shouts, the aroma of wine and meat, and the stench of filthy food all pulled him back to the mountain stronghold.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

His second-in-command asked this question.

Zhao Wuji slowly shook his head.

"It was just a dream about something insignificant from fifteen years ago."

That being said, Zhao Wuji knew that this memory was by no means insignificant.

A single sentence caused a young swordsman to vanish without a trace.

One sentence created a bandit leader who committed all sorts of evil deeds.

"Rules are barriers set up for mediocre people."

Zhao Wuji pondered those words and chuckled softly.

At the same time, he glanced around.

This is the summit of this nameless mountain, and also the location of his lair.

Her jade-like body lay sprawled on silk and satin.

Amidst the scattered cups and plates, swords and knives stood in disarray.

Unlike the bandits on the outskirts of the mountain, the dozen or so men drinking and making merry here were all burly and strong, their weapons gleaming coldly, without a trace of rust. This was the gang Zhao Wuji had built up for himself.

He won't stay a bandit forever.

Starting two years ago, the imperial court gradually loosened its control over the martial arts world. Wudang and Shaolin, as the leaders of the righteous path, also consolidated their power. At the same time, several evil masters appeared, pushing the chaos in the martial arts world to its peak.

This is his chance.

Zuo Lishan's remains are probably already rotten, and no one can stop him from making a name for himself.

And he... also had enough capital.

Aside from his subordinates inside the house and the money he had amassed through arson, murder, and looting, his greatest asset was himself.

Zhao Wuji looked towards the corner of the room.

The savage who had led Li Miao here was leaning against the skinny tiger, holding a piece of raw meat in his hand, tearing it into small pieces and feeding it to the skinny tiger. He had a foolish smile on his face, and occasionally when bandits passed by and spilled food and drink on him, he didn't mind at all.

If Zhao Wuji hadn't tried it, he probably would never have known that this big guy with a simple and honest face, who seemed to be bullied by everyone, was a master who could almost rival Zuo Lishan.

Several highly skilled martial artists who broke through his mental barriers and rushed to his side were ultimately defeated by the savage.

As long as he's there, Zhao Wuji has nothing to fear from anyone.

This is why he can do such drastic things, yet he continues to thrive.

Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes and sipped the strong liquor.

"After another year, once I've trained this big guy well and accumulated enough manpower and money, that will be the time for me to officially enter the martial world... With a top-notch master backing me up, I can definitely establish my own sect!"

“With my methods and his force, I can make up for the more than ten years that Zuo Lishan forced me to stay in this remote and impoverished place! And I will live longer and be more powerful than him!”

"if only--"

Bang!
The door burst open, and a bandit stumbled into the house. Before he could speak, he tripped over the scattered wine jars on the ground, knocking over a bunch of things.

"Oh no! Something's wrong!"

Zhao Wuji frowned but remained silent.

He is gradually adopting the demeanor of a powerful figure who doesn't show his emotions.

The second-in-command next to him stood up and angrily rebuked him.

"So flustered! Don't you know any manners? You've disturbed the boss's fun! How many heads do you have to pay for this?" The bandit, knowing the gravity of the situation, quickly shouted back.

"Second-in-command, First-in-command! Something's happened!"

"The outposts at the foot of the mountain and the checkpoints halfway up the mountain have all been taken down!"

The second-in-command frowned.

"Tell me in detail!"

But the bandits had no idea about the details, and Li Miao was unlikely to escape alive. He only saw the collapsed earthen wall and the human body that had been blasted into the air from afar, and then he hurriedly ran back to report the news.

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.

Then—"Hahahaha!"

"I thought it was something big!"

The bandits inside burst into laughter. The second-in-command sat back down, glaring at the bandit who had come to deliver the message, and sipped his wine.

Those stationed at outposts and checkpoints were nothing more than peasants struggling to survive, only good at bullying ordinary people. If Zhao Wuji's "Test of the Heart" failed, those low-level bandits naturally wouldn't be able to stop martial arts practitioners from entering the Jianghu.

This isn't the first time this has happened.

Then a burly man with broad shoulders, thick waist, and a face full of scars stood up, raised his nine-ringed broadsword, and bowed.

"Second-in-command, First-in-command, I'll take care of this!"

Zhao Wuji waved his hand.

"Go quickly, come back for drinks after you're done."

The big man laughed loudly.

"In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, I will bring back the heads to entertain the boss!"

Having said that, he reached out and grabbed the bandit who had brought the message, hoisted his knife onto his shoulder, and swaggered out the door.

The noisy music and drinking continued inside the room.

Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes again, continuing his delusions that had been interrupted earlier.

"As long as we are careful with our actions, avoid competing with those major sects that have celestial beings overseeing them, and don't fall into the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—"

Bang!
The door was pushed open again with a bang.

The bandit who brought the news, covered in blood, rushed in again, but this time he was even more panicked and terrified.

"Big big, big boss——"

"Humph!"

The second-in-command snorted coldly, drew his sword, and stood up.

"Useless thing, I'll go myself!"

After saying that, he selected a few men, gathered them with weapons, and dragged the already limp bandit out the door.

Zhao Wuji clicked his tongue and irritably drank a glass of wine.

His left eyelid twitched a little.

His mind was in turmoil, as if something was about to happen. It took him a while to calm down and continue with his previous thoughts.

"As long as we don't attract the attention of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, occupying a county first will be enough to prevent future disputes—"

Bang!
The door was smashed open for the third time.

The bandit rolled into the house for the third time.

Zhao Wuji stood up abruptly, grabbed his weapon, pushed aside the woman serving him, and roared angrily.

"I'd like to see who's courting death!"

He choked before he could finish speaking.

He noticed something was amiss—the bandit who had brought the message hadn't gotten up this time, nor had he screamed in terror. He hadn't moved since rolling into the house.

he died.

How did he get here?
How did they manage to break down the door?

Where are the others? Where did the second-in-command go?
Before Zhao Wuji could sort out his thoughts, a boot stepped into the room, its footsteps leaving a sticky, bloody sound on the floor.

A lazy voice sounded.

"Do you want to see it?"

"Okay, I'm here, look."

Li Miao raised his hand and threw several severed heads in front of Zhao Wuji, laughing as he shook the blood off his hands.

"Did you see it clearly?"

(End of this chapter)