Uncle Tao looks scary

The next morning, Chen Yang decided to visit the Blossom Tea Shop near the market, hoping to glean some useful information. Without hesitation, he set off.

Thanks to his recent breakthrough to the fifth level of body tempering, Chen Yang felt a significant boost in his endurance. Previously unable to run 8 kilometers nonstop, he could now easily manage 15.

After a brisk 15-minute walk, he arrived at the Blossom Tea Pavilion. He strode confidently into the two-story building, bustling with some eighteen to twenty customers.

He scanned the room, his eyes landing on an empty corner seat. Relief washed over him as he settled in. A waiter materialized beside him, menu in hand.

"Sir, what would you like to order?" the waiter inquired politely.

Chen Yang's gaze darted to the prices. Each cup of tea, even the cheapest on the menu at 75 copper coins, represented a quarter of his monthly salary. A grimace flickered across his face, but duty won over desire. "I'll have the cheapest tea, please," he mumbled, reaching into his pocket and feeling the weight of his meager earnings.

As he waited for his tea, his enhanced senses, a perk of his recent advancement, picked up snippets of conversations around him. One particular exchange, within a five-meter radius, snagged his attention.

"Are you serious?" the first speaker whispered, his voice laced with disbelief.

The second speaker's reply was a nervous tremor. "Absolutely! I was out gathering herbs on the mountain outside the city when I saw it with my own eyes. The Wang family's head concubine... with the young master of the Wu family! If I hadn't been quick on my feet and hidden under a bush, I wouldn't be here telling you this tale.".

A tense silence followed, broken only by the clinking of teacups. The first speaker darted a nervous glance around the room before lowering his voice even further. "Keep it down! If anyone hears this, they might silence us both."

A slow, sly grin spread across Chen Yang's face. " Hehehe...Today might just be my lucky day," he thought, a mischievous glint flickering in his eyes.

"If information about Wang's head being duped by young master Wu is made public, Qingfeng City's two ruling clans may go to war."      An evil thought appeared in his small brain, which was difficult to dismiss.

"Sir, here is your order; please enjoy,"

The arrival of his tea, a steaming cup that promised warmth and comfort, momentarily interrupted his plotting. He took a tentative sip, savoring the flavor as it swirled on his tongue. "Worth every copper coin," he sighed contentedly, the earlier tension dissipating with each sip.

After finishing his tea, he went straight to work.

The prosperity pavilion not only sold goods to individuals, but also delivered them to numerous wealthy families and shops in the surrounding city. As a result, the daily accounts were very frequent.

After a while of sitting in the narrow cubicle, people started coming in and out to hand over the list.

Time passed quickly as he buried his head in his work. By the time he finished clearing the accounts in his hands, it was already noon.

Chen Yang pressed his slightly hot eyebrows and took out the bun he had bought in the morning. He also got a bowl of water. He didn't want to sit in the narrow cubicle anymore, so he sat on the stone steps in the corner of the courtyard and ate the bun from time to time.

The bun was dry and hard, and could only be swallowed with water.

At this moment, Li Yan and Zhao hao also came over and sat beside him

Zhao Hao was the same as Li Yan. They were both laborers, but he was introverted and did not talk much.

Chen Yang  was the accountant, and his status was slightly higher than Li Yan and Zhao hao.

However, he did not have a family background and could not pee in the same pot as the other accountants, so he was familiar with  Li Yan and Zhao hao.

As soon as he sat down, Leaning closer, Li Yan lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Hey, remember Zhang Xue?"

Chen Yang's brow furrowed. "Manager Zhang's brother? I heard he's working as a guard for the Wang family now."

A grim expression settled on Li Yan's face. "Not anymore. He was beaten to death by the young master of the Wu family."

" What"

Chen Yang's heart skipped a beat. The gears in his mind began to turn, piecing together the conversation he'd overheard earlier. " Are these two events connect with each other " thought himself.

Li Yan, seemingly oblivious to Chen Yang's internal turmoil, continued with a hint of satisfaction coloring his voice.

"Brother Chen your life have been saved , if not for the death of Zhang xue, manager Zhang would have skinned you alive for make boss fire him ".

Zhao Hao chimed in, his voice barely a whisper. "Indeed, brother Chen. You showed great courage in standing up....."

"Shh, someone is coming."

Li Yan saw with corner of his eye and quickly stopped Zhao Hao.

It was manager Zhang who walked in .His ferocious expression was so dark that water was about to drip from it. Without saying anything, he walked straight into the inner hall.

After he entered, Li Yan laughed softly and said, "Look at him. His face has turned green! I heard that he had been crying and made a fuss yesterday. And his wife had dragged him home while beating him .Hehe, what kind of bullsh*t manager is he? "His wife has him under control!"

Zhao Hao whispered " He had been like a mad dog barking and biting everyone he sees , now let's see how he will live without his brother after offending so many people"

Chen Yang shook his head. "I'll go back to work first."

What he was thinking was, how to release the information of Wang family head being duped by young master wu.

After finishing the afternoon's accounts, he wasted no time. With a determined glint in his eyes, he darted out of the Prosperity Pavilion and disappeared into a quiet alley.

On his way, he stopped by a market stall, purchasing a cheap chicken mask to disguise himself.

Fearful of being caught by either the Wang or Wu family, Chen Yang took extra precautions as he navigated the city. He weaved through the bustling streets, his senses on high alert. Finally, he reached the Wang Clan's territory, a sense of nervous excitement buzzing under his skin.

With practiced dexterity, he plastered ten posters on various walls throughout the Wang Clan's area. Each poster displayed a bold headline: "Wang Family Head Caught in Scandalous Affair!" The details were embellished, of course, adding fuel to the fire of his gossip..

His mission accomplished, Chen Yang hurried back, his heart pounding with a mixture of thrill and fear. He slipped back into the alley, removed his mask with trembling hands, and changed back into his regular clothes.

He hurried towards his house, his mind already buzzing with anticipation. However, as he entered the familiar alley leading to his home, his smile vanished.

Standing at the other end was Uncle Tao, his eyes bloodshot and burning with an intensity that sent shivers down Chen Yang's spine. It was as if Uncle Tao were a predator about to pounce on its prey.

Chen Yang's heart plummeted. He tried to maintain a nonchalant facade, pretending he hadn't seen anything, and quickened his pace.

Uncle Tao began to stalk towards him, his every step radiating a sense of power that made Chen Yang tense up. He broke into a run, desperation fueling his movements. He fumbled with his keys, finally managing to unlock his door and slam it shut.

Uncle Tao began to stalk towards him, his every step radiating a sense of power that made Chen Yang tense up. He broke into a run, desperation fueling his movements. He fumbled with his keys, finally managing to unlock his door and slam it shut.

He secured the wooden bolt with trembling hands, sweat already drenching his back. Footsteps pounded against his door for a moment, followed by a frustrated growl. Then, heavy footsteps faded away down the alley.

Chen Yang slumped against the door, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "For now, it's best to avoid Uncle Tao. If he catches me, I might not even recognize myself afterward," he thought, his voice barely a whisper.

Suddenly, a loud banging resonated through the door. Someone was hammering on it with immense force!

Bang..bang....

Chen Yang lunged for a thick wooden staff leaning against the wall, bracing himself for what might come.

"You black-mouthed brat!" a booming voice roared from outside. "Show yourself! I'll see how long you can keep running!" A burst of unrestrained laughter followed, punctuated by coughs.

As the laughter subsided, Chen Yang heard footsteps approaching again. This time, they stopped right outside his door. A tense silence hung in the air. Then, the door creaked open a sliver, revealing Uncle Tao's furious face.

His eyes, still burning with rage, locked onto Chen Yang. But as quickly as the anger appeared, it was replaced by a hint of amusement. A slow, humorless smile spread across Uncle Tao's lips.

What a mischievous brat," he chuckled, his voice low and dangerous. "Seems you've inherited his talent for stirring trouble."

Chen Yang's heart hammered against his ribs. Uncle Tao's words sent a shiver down his spine. Did he know about the posters? Or was this a general comment about his personality? He swallowed hard, unable to form a response.

Uncle Tao's smile widened, revealing a glint of something akin to pride in his eyes. But before Chen Yang could decipher it, Uncle Tao turned and walked away, his heavy footsteps echoing down the alley once more.

Chen Yang sank to the floor, utterly defeated. "It's too late," he croaked, despair clouding his voice.