This kind of thing had never happened to him before, so he had no idea how to solve it and this irritated him. They were getting older and getting into situations that gave him headaches. His son could not be helped. If he were to f*ck himself to death with some woman, so be it. But he could not just stand by while his precious baby daughter was cheated by some b*stard.

"Feng Xuan, Feng Xuan! d.a.m.n it! I want to know, what ability you actually have to allure our thirteen-year-old daughter away?" When this thought came to him, Zhou Bao could not sit still. After pacing around his room a short while, he changed his clothes and left the King Wuyang Palace.

Wuyang Region was his territory. Since it was established it had rapidly developed into the most flouris.h.i.+ng territory in the Jin Dynasty and even the Central Mainland Region. What had been a small town underneath Jilei Mountain had grown into King Wuyang City, and around King Wuyang City grew various other cities big and small. The whole area was now bustling and affluent.

The streets were full of traffic. Although Zhou Bao looked refined and handsome, there were many other such men here. So among the bustling streets of King Wuyang City, Zhou Bao did not look particularly special.

What was more, although he was the leader of the Wuyang Region, he had never appeared before the people there. The ways of the world here were different to those in his previous life. In the age of the television screen, newspapers and internet, a celebrity's face could be spread across the entire world overnight. When Zhou Bao became famous, his portrait had been circulated among every powerful family of the Central Mainland Region, but not among the common people. The Wuyang Region was his territory, who would dare spread his portrait around?

Unlike in his past life, people who distributed portraits of leaders could be prosecuted, and this could ruin families. Therefore, walking on the street in his green robe, Zhou Bao looked like a harmless scholar, and n.o.body recognized him.

His cultivation had reached the Human Immortal level, and his Dharma power coalesced and covered his whole body. He did not need to use the Snake-like Breath Holding Skill, he just needed his Dharma power tied into one strand so that not one thread of spirit leaked out. He looked like a mere scholar with no martial arts skill.

When he came out it was noon, the busiest time in the market. Wherever he walked, the streets were crowded with people. There were people everywhere, setting up stalls, selling, and smas.h.i.+ng down stalls.

Smas.h.i.+ng down stalls?

Were they smas.h.i.+ng down stalls!

Yes. In Wuyang Region there were urban management officials smas.h.i.+ng down stalls.

Zhou Bao had created a position in urban management to uphold order in the markets, particularly in King Wuyang City. You had to be strict with the guys setting up stalls, otherwise you could not walk the streets for there would be too many vendors in the way.

The urban management fulfilled their role by smas.h.i.+ng down stalls.

"F*ck, this urban management thing. It doesn't matter which world you go to, it's all the same!" Zhou Bao thought to himself. He wanted to take care of it, but then he had second thoughts. It was he who had set up the urban management. If he were to put an end to stall smas.h.i.+ng, enforcement would not be as strict. It would not be good for the city to fall into disorder. He decided to let the matter be. Besides, even though they were smas.h.i.+ng down stalls to enforce the law they were still acting reasonably. As long as they were not indiscriminately beating people, he could turn a blind eye.

Zhou Bao was allured by the street scene, and he strolled about for a bit. Suddenly, he came around. "d.a.m.n it, I came out to look for the unlucky fellow courting my daughter, not to have a stroll!"

He was embarra.s.sed when he realized that he was so out of sorts that he had not asked her any questions. He only knew that the boy was called Feng Xuan. He did not even know what he looked like or where he was. Who was this unlucky fellow he was looking for?

Just as he was thinking about this, a man appeared at his side. "Please come inside, Sir!"

"What?" Zhou Bao turned and smiled, but he did not know what to say. It seemed he had come to a tavern with a huge entrance.

"Cloud Crane Tavern. Good name!" Zhou Bao smiled. Since he was here, he might as well get a bite to eat.

He had reached the Realm of Human Immortals, eating food meant nothing to him. That being said, he still enjoyed a bit of good food.

Zhou Bao frowned when he walked in. It was noon, peak time. The place was packed, there was not even s.p.a.ce to walk. There was a waiter outside bringing customers in, but he didn't know where to put them.

But business was business. Zhou Bao was worried, but the waiter was not. He just led Zhou Bao this way and that through the restaurant to a free place in the corner. There were still people in the corner, just fewer. There were people crowded around the table. Zhou Bao smiled as he realized this.

"I'm at a table with strangers, I didn't think the business in this restaurant would be so good! The food here must be excellent," Zhou Bao thought as he sat looking forward to his lunch.

He did not refuse to share a table with others; he sat straight down. As he did so, he started scrutinizing the restaurant. He was quite surprised, out of every ten people in the restaurant, eight or nine were scholars. None of them seemed to be acquainted with one another, in fact, they were all sat with strangers. This roused Zhou Bao's curiosity.

Zhou Bao looked at the person sitting opposite him. He too was a scholar, quite old, about forty. It seemed this scholar had seen many changes. Beside him was a huge trunk of travel-worn books.

"Brother Sun, I didn't think you'd get here before me!"

"Brother Gu, you weren't exactly late, either!"

This Brother Sun and Brother Gu were loud and obviously did not mind disturbing the other diners. It was only when they realized their voices were attracting the attention of those around them that they quietened down, went to a s.p.a.ce by the window and spoke quietly.

The atmosphere suddenly transformed turned into a clamorous noise.

"Brother Xiong, you still have a loud voice, then?"

"I'm sorry!" Brother Xiong laughed, shaking his head. "Brother Sun, do you know what grade you got in the Imperial Examination?"

"Oh, Brother Gu, do you not know what my scholarly skills are like? Even though I studied for three years solid, I only got a grade four. What about you, Brother Gu?"

"Me? Haha, I got a grade three, which is okay. There are lots of opportunities in Wuyang Region, but the requirements are high. For people like us buried in history and poetry books, the range of opportunities is just as narrow."

"That's right. Our wings were clipped before we even began. I intended to study mixed disciplines. Although I read history and poetry since I was young and learned the path of righteousness, now that I want to read mixed disciplines I cannot carry on learning no matter what. It's a shame. Who would have thought that the Mingyi School and School of Five Virtues would suddenly go bankrupt? If it weren't for that, you and I could easily have become famous for our talents."

"Brother Sun, you should be careful what you say!"

"Right, right! Sorry, it's just too much, I lost control over myself. I'll drink as a penalty." Brother Sun seemed to realize he had said these words at just the wrong moment. He picked up his gla.s.s of liquor and took several mouthfuls one after the other.

"Hmph, why should I be careful what I say, anyway? In these troubled times of powerful martial warriors, everything is in total chaos. Such unhappy times."

Just as Brother Sun realized he had said something wrong and drank several mouthfuls of liquor again as punishment, a scholar at a neighboring table suddenly stood up. He seemed worked up. "The Mingyi School brought about its own misfortune. Sages have been run out of town in shame. Nowadays the Jin Dynasty is no superior state, because of all you sages reading your books and coming to a place of villains and scoundrels to look for fame. You make me ashamed to be a scholar!"

This scholar had a majestic appearance and spoke pa.s.sionately. When he stood up and spoke these words, all the people in the Cloud Crane Tavern fell silent, as if shaken.

"Who do you think you are, to think you can just..." But this was not enough to scare everybody. After a while, a scholar among the crowd stood up suddenly. He was pointing at his nose and about to curse. But a waiter at his side whispered something in his ear, and he immediately calmed down. Although he was incensed, he did not dare say a word.

Zhou Bao raised his eyebrow because he heard what the waiter said.

"He's a friend of Feng Xuan!"

On hearing this, the scholar swallowed all his anger.

"It seems this Feng Xuan is quite famous. One mention of his name and the whole tavern falls silent and dares not speak. All of the men in the tavern were students of the Imperial Examination. Is there now an Imperial Examination system here in the Wuyang Region?" Zhou Bao had a strange thought. He suddenly felt as if he was not up to the task of being lord of the region. There was an Imperial Examination system in his territory and he had no idea.

But before he could finish reflecting on this, he was distracted because the scholar who was standing up was saying more and more shocking things. After he spoke he pointed to himself, almost pointing to his nose and cursing. What the f*ck was this? This was the Wuyang Region, the territory he himself had established. Who was this rookie who thought he could point at his head and let out a torrent of abuse? Urban management officials were standing nearby inside the tavern with their arms crossed, watching and laughing as if it were a joke. They did not deal with the situation at all.

This, this, this...

This was too f*cking disrespectful!!!

These urban management officials were not taking their job seriously at all. How was this Zhu Ba b*stard being dealt with? This professional service was not up to par.

"Shut up, you little b*stard!"

When he realized he could not count on the urban management, His Excellency King Wuyang finally spoke up.