Chapter 6: Coming to Give Thanks
Fu Tianling returned to his room.
His room was quite large and decorated luxuriously. Even the bed was more than two meters wide.
Before long, a beautiful maid brought hot water and respectfully asked whether Fu Tianling wanted her to bathe with him and help wash him.
Fu Tianling remembered he still planned to take the Marrow Cleansing Pill, and doing it alone would be much more convenient. With some regret, he refused.
After soaking comfortably in the bath for a while, Fu Tianling swallowed the second grade Marrow Cleansing Pill.
As soon as the pill entered his body, he clearly felt a stream of heat spreading throughout his entire body.
That heat flowed into all his limbs and bones.
Fu Tianling's talent was extremely poor. His meridians could only be described as narrow winding paths.
Now those streams of heat were violently crashing through those narrow paths, trying to widen them so that spiritual energy from heaven and earth could flow faster.
The process was extremely painful, causing Fu Tianling fainted from the pain.
After waking up he fainted again from the pain.
This repeated several times before the pain gradually faded.
At this moment his meridians were nearly torn apart. Fortunately the medicinal power protected them from completely shattering.
Soon a tingling sensation began to spread and the pain disappeared completely.
Those narrow meridian paths expanded to three times their original size. Fu Tianling's physique had been altered and his talent improved.
Still the improvement remained limited. His physique and talent now only counted as average, nowhere close to the level of a true genius.
Pills that change talent rarely provide dramatic improvement. Eating one pill won't suddenly turn someone into a prodigy.
A large amount of black impurities oozed out from Fu Tianling's skin, turning the previously clear bathwater pitch black.
After the pill finished altering his body, Fu Tianling's perception of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth became much clearer.
Even though he didn't need to cultivate himself, improving his talent still helped. When the system rewarded cultivation, leveling up would become easier.
Fu Tianling called the maids and told them to change the water.
Seeing the completely black bathwater, the young maids didn't dare ask questions and immediately began preparing fresh water.
Before long Fu Tianling leaned comfortably against the bathtub while two young and beautiful maids wiped his body clean.
They couldn't help thinking to themselves.
Young Master is so handsome.
Fu Tianling's reputation might be terrible, but his appearance was undeniably good. A rich woman would definitely stop in her tracks after seeing a face like that.
After finishing his bath, Fu Tianling asked the kitchen to prepare a few small dishes. He sat alone in his room drinking a little wine, enjoying the peaceful moment.
Night gradually fell.
A bright full moon hung high in the sky.
Fu Tianling began thinking about how to earn Villain Value faster.
After all, if he wanted to defy fate and change his destiny, personal strength remained extremely important. Relying entirely on his family background would eventually get him killed by the protagonist.
Because he was the only weak point in the entire family.
Soon Fu Tianling remembered that tomorrow was the Mid Autumn Festival. That would probably be a good chance to earn some Villain Value.
The door suddenly opened.
Only three people dared push his door open without knocking.
He looked up and saw Fu Canglong.
Fu Canglong spoiled the original owner quite a bit, so the original Fu Tianling never feared his father.
In the entire Prime Minister's residence, the only person the original owner feared was his eldest sister.
"Ling'er, how are you?"
Fu Canglong slowly walked in, his voice warm and gentle. No one would imagine that this man was the Prime Minister who held power over the entire empire.
Fu Tianling was the youngest child in the family. Growing up he always felt inferior compared to his siblings, which gradually twisted his personality.
Fu Canglong believed his busy official duties meant he failed to properly guide his son, so he always felt guilty.
"Father, what brings you here today? Want a drink?" Fu Tianling poured wine for his father and placed the cup in front of him.
Fu Canglong raised the cup and drained it in one gulp. "Ling'er, let your father see your arm."
Fu Tianling lifted his arm and rolled up his sleeve.
When Fu Canglong saw the black line on his arm, a flash of coldness appeared in his deep eyes. Then he said calmly, "If something happens to you, your father will slaughter every remaining member of the Demonic Sect and avenge you."
Fu Tianling shook his head.
"Father, even if I die, please don't purge the Demonic Sect. And don't target Su Huanxue either. She's only a piece on the chessboard. You know that better than anyone."
Fu Tianling truly meant those words.
He didn't hate Su Huanxue and didn't want her dead.
What he wanted was to strip that demoness naked and see what the famous female devil tasted like.
"Oh?" Fu Canglong showed a faint smile after hearing those words. "Your perspective suddenly became so broad?"
Fu Tianling looked at his father sincerely.
"Father, I just don't want anything to happen to the Prime Minister's residence. It isn't worth it for someone like me."
This time Fu Tianling wasn't acting.
He meant every word.
Before transmigrating he was an orphan, so he cherished the family affection he gained now.
His father, his eldest sister, and his second brother might never say it aloud, yet they truly spoiled him.
Even Fu Qingning, the sister he didn't get along with. If something really happened to him, she would still help at this point in time.
Fu Canglong stared at Fu Tianling, and his eyes suddenly brightened like a dark night lit by stars.
"My son has grown up. He really has grown up." Fu Canglong felt extremely relieved.
His eldest daughter and second son were both so outstanding that he never needed to worry about them. The only one he couldn't relax about was his fourth child.
Recently his fourth son still behaved wildly and irresponsibly, yet there was clearly some growth.
Fu Canglong continued speaking.
"You are my son, not some useless waste. If the son of Fu Canglong is considered a waste, then everyone under heaven would be a waste. Even those princes and royal heirs would be no different."
Those words sounded extremely domineering, even borderline treasonous.
But Fu Canglong had the qualifications to say them.
Within the Great Li Empire even the emperor had to give him some respect.
Fu Tianling drained the wine in his cup and said seriously, "Father, you should go now."
Fu Canglong smiled warmly, "It's fine. Your father has nothing important today. I'll just stay and keep you company."
Fu Tianling hesitated before finally speaking.
"Father, you misunderstood. I'm not worried about delaying your work. I actually want to go to the Pleasure Pavilion tonight. Want to come along?"
Fu Canglong fell silent.
The serious expression on his face twitched slightly.
He thought to himself, this rebellious brat already swallowed the Demon Descent Pill and still wants to visit the Pleasure Pavilion.
In some sense this kid truly was a special talent.
"Your father suddenly remembered I must visit the imperial palace tonight. I won't stay any longer."
Fu Canglong stood up with a serious expression and quickly left.
Not long afterward another visitor came to see Fu Tianling.
It was a middle aged man with a flattering smile. He carried a small chest in his hands.
"Fourth Young Master, this humble official came to thank you."
The visitor was none other than Zhong Anfu, Vice Censor of the Imperial Court.
He was also the man Fu Tianling cuckolded.
A dignified third rank official calling himself "this humble official" in front of someone with no official position showed just how terrifying the influence of the Prime Minister's residence truly was.
"Lord Zhong, you're too polite. This young master only did a small good deed. It isn't worth mentioning."
Fu Tianling smiled slightly and poured Zhong Anfu a cup of wine.
Zhong Anfu spoke righteously, "Fourth Young Master speaks too modestly. If you hadn't stepped in personally, my wife might have placed countless green hats on my head. I'm deeply grateful."
Fu Tianling lifted his eyes and glanced at him.
"Zhong Anfu, this young master slept with your wife and killed her as well. You truly hold no resentment?"
Zhong Anfu immediately raised his hand toward the sky.
"I swear to heaven that I hold not the slightest resentment. If I lie, may lightning strike me dead."
Just as his words finished, thunder suddenly roared outside.
Zhong Anfu froze.
His face instantly turned green.
Fu Tianling burst into laughter.
"Lord Zhong, looks like heaven doesn't quite believe you."
Inside his heart Zhong Anfu cursed the heavens, then quickly opened the small chest.
Inside were neatly stacked gold bars.
Converted into silver, the value reached at least two hundred thousand taels.
"I only hope Fourth Young Master might say a few kind words about this humble official in front of the Prime Minister."
Fu Tianling glanced at him.
This old fox was using the fact that his wife got slept with to climb the ladder of the Prime Minister's residence.
Damn.
That really takes some talent.
"Leave the gold. I'll mention your matter to my father." After saying that, Fu Tianling immediately left.
"Many thanks, Fourth Young Master." Zhong Anfu bowed deeply, his face full of joy.
His legal wife died, which meant he could replace her with a younger one. On top of that, spending two hundred thousand taels might buy him the chance to rise in status.
No matter how one looked at it, he profited greatly.
Under normal circumstances he would never reach the position of Censor in Chief during his lifetime. He wasn't young anymore and lacked a strong background.
But if he could cling to the Prime Minister's residence, everything would change.