Chapter 53: A Lethal Intent

“Never mind, I’ll find it myself.”

He hadn’t really expected much to begin with, just wanted to give it a try—so he wouldn’t have to ask someone else later.

“My lord, please wait here a moment. I’ll ask around for you.”

Hao Wenlong was indeed worthy of being a bodyguard. As soon as he spotted a group of women, he rushed over to them, perfectly attuned to his master’s thoughts. After exchanging a few words with the women, he returned and respectfully said to Xiao Yang, “My lord, I’ve found out. Just go straight down this road, then turn left at the end, and you’ll be there.”

“Excellent!” Xiao Yang thought for a moment, then offered Hao Wenlong a suggestion. “Wenlong, from now on, call me ‘young master.’ Don’t call me ‘my lord’—that makes me sound old.”

“Yes, young master!” Hao Wenlong immediately corrected himself, thoroughly performing a servant’s duties. With such a subordinate, even Xiao Yang couldn’t help but grow fond of him.

Soon, the two of them entered the marketplace, and, unsurprisingly, became the most striking sight there. Aside from the vendors, there were scarcely any men around, let alone a young gentleman like Xiao Yang, dressed in silk.

“Old Wang, look—whose young master is that? He’s actually lost and wandered into the marketplace.”

“Never seen him before—he looks unfamiliar.” The man called Old Wang shook his head, obviously never having seen Xiao Yang before. Of course, how could he have seen him—Xiao Yang had only arrived in North Desolation City yesterday.

“It’s none of our business anyway,” Old Wang said, then started hawking his wares, “Fresh beast meat, ten taels a pound! Fresh beast meat, ten taels a pound!”

Suddenly, Xiao Yang turned and headed straight toward Old Wang’s stall. Old Wang was instantly alarmed, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, thinking Xiao Yang had overheard their conversation. He knew all too well that the young masters of these great families were notorious for their tempers—one wrong word and lives could be lost. The thought of such consequences made him tremble, sweat pouring down his back.

“Y-young master, what are your orders?” he asked nervously.

“Brother, how much is this meat?” Xiao Yang asked with a smile.

Almost simultaneously, Old Wang dropped to his knees, trembling uncontrollably. “Please spare me, my lord. I spoke out of turn and shouldn’t have talked about you behind your back!” As he spoke, he raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Several slaps in quick succession before Xiao Yang snapped out of his surprise. “Brother, what are you doing?”

But his face was still puzzled. I just came to buy some food; you drop to your knees without warning—are you trying to set me up?

By now, a crowd had gathered, eager for a spectacle. However, upon seeing Hao Wenlong, they all shrank back, not daring to get too close.

“I don’t know which spoiled young master this is, coming here to stir up trouble.”

“Yeah, he probably isn’t right in the head.”

The whispers, though hushed, were still audible to Xiao Yang and Hao Wenlong.

Damn! What he’d feared had come to pass—they’d mistaken him for a foppish rich kid out stirring up trouble with his bodyguard.

Before Xiao Yang could respond, Hao Wenlong barked loudly, “You’ve got a death wish!” and strode toward the sound of the voices, shouting furiously, “Do you know who this gentleman is? How dare you speak of him like that?”

Xiao Yang, who had hoped to clear up the misunderstanding, nearly coughed up blood upon hearing this. Hao Wenlong was only making things worse. With every word, he made Xiao Yang seem more and more like a notorious scoundrel. Now his identity was out in the open.

Old Wang, hearing this, broke into a cold sweat and began kowtowing desperately. “My lord, please spare my dog life! I know I have a foul mouth, but I have an eighty-year-old mother at home and young children to feed—please, spare me this once!”

Thud! Thud! Thud! His head struck the ground hard.

Xiao Yang’s mind buzzed in confusion. What on earth is going on? Are you all determined to make me the poster child for debauchery?

“Wenlong, that’s enough!” He quickly stopped his bodyguard, who was about to grab someone, and hurried over to Old Wang’s side. Seeing this, some of the women in the crowd, fearing a bloody scene, closed their eyes in fright. Old Wang himself trembled like a leaf in the wind, sweat streaming down his face.

“It’s over—today I, Old Wang, am done for!” He wailed inwardly, convinced he wouldn’t survive this ordeal.

But to his astonishment, Xiao Yang did not harm him; instead, he helped Old Wang to his feet. “Honestly, must you be so melodramatic? I just came to buy some beast meat,” Xiao Yang said helplessly.

At that, not only Old Wang but even Hao Wenlong was stunned. They had assumed Xiao Yang had some ulterior motive for coming to the market, but it turned out he simply wanted to buy groceries.

“Ah?” Old Wang slapped himself twice, startling Xiao Yang.

Then, through tears, Old Wang’s voice rang out, “Ha ha ha! I, Old Wang, am not fated to die today after all!”

Xiao Yang blinked in surprise. What was this? Old Wang from next door? So this is the infamous Old Wang, known for… unspeakable things.

He gave Old Wang a curious look. By then, Old Wang had gotten up and returned to his stall. Without another word, he cut more than twenty pounds of beast meat.

“Young master, here is your meat. Take it as my apology for my loose tongue,” he said, wrapping it up and handing it to Xiao Yang.

Well! Was there ever such good fortune? Xiao Yang accepted the meat without protest, ignoring the odd looks from the crowd, and bought a few other ingredients as well.

Even after Xiao Yang left the market, the vendors could hardly believe it. A notorious young master from a great family, buying groceries in the street? Was this a joke?

But no matter what the crowd said, Xiao Yang and Hao Wenlong were already on their way back and would hear none of it.

“Young master, did you really just come to buy groceries?” After much deliberation, Hao Wenlong couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer.

“Is there any reason to doubt it?” Xiao Yang looked at Hao Wenlong, utterly baffled. He really had just come to shop, yet it was as if he had some dark secret.

“Forget it—even if I explained, you wouldn’t believe me. Just wait until we get back—you can try my cooking yourself.”

He realized that with people like this, he had to let his culinary skills do the talking.

“No, no need! Both Huahu and I have meals provided for us,” Hao Wenlong waved his hands in refusal. They were there to protect and serve Xiao Yang; how could they accept his cooking? If word of this reached Jin Buhuan’s ears, they’d be done for. There was no way they’d dare eat that meal!

Xiao Yang didn’t insist—he had no strange hobbies and certainly wouldn’t force anyone to eat what they didn’t want.

“Hmm!” Xiao Yang’s brow furrowed. He sensed a murderous intent—just for an instant, fleeting but unmistakable.