Chapter Thirty-Eight: Complete Loss of Internal Energy

  The Fifth Watch of New Year's Eve

  ——

  "Master, hot water is ready."

  Xiao Zhao wiped her small hand and gestured to me.

  I nodded and waved for her to go ahead and get ready.

  Looking at this quite obedient little girl, I feel more and more that I've really made a profit.

  At the age of twelve or thirteen, it's not considered old, but saying you're young is also not entirely accurate, as some people are already eligible for marriage at this age...

  I couldn't help but despise myself intensely, an old cow eating tender grass!

  No way, I'm only 14 years old, just the right age for being innocent and carefree! This is the time when I should be accumulating experience and leveling up quickly...

  "Master," Zhao Cheng interrupted me, his words bringing an end to my increasingly fanciful daydreams. "The people we sent to keep watch on Xiao Shuang and Shuang Er have returned with news."

  He turned back seriously and said in a low voice: "Yesterday evening, there was suddenly an extra spiritual position in their room."

  "A spirit tablet?" I thought of a long, flat wooden board in my mind and coldly said, "Is it for that old thief Han Xi?" This question was serious, I had just beheaded Han Xi, and you were offering sacrifices to him, this was too obvious.

  Zhao Cheng hastily explained: "The people under me took advantage of the emptiness to sneak in and carefully examine it, and on top is Bian Zhang's name."

  "Oh?" I felt my face quickly recover from its tense state, "Xiao Zhao and Shuang Er were originally servants of the Bian Zhang family, so it's normal for them to pay respects to their ancestors. No need to be alarmed."

  Zhao Cheng nodded and asked: "Then...do we still need to keep an eye on him?"

  "Alright, withdraw." I waved my hand and let him retreat. Han Sui was already dead set on it, still staring at the two little girls, what's the point? If they saw something they shouldn't have seen, I'd be the one to suffer.

  But basically confirmed that these two girls and Han's undercover have nothing to do with each other, which makes me quite happy: after all, who doesn't hope that their own women - already set them aside - end up being personal meat spies or something, accidentally farting in their sleep, just thinking about it is really pitiful...

  I turned around and pushed open the door, and a faint mist had already risen inside. First, a screen blocked my line of sight, and then in the center was a round tub. Yes, this is the bathtub most commonly used for bathing in ancient costume dramas. Actually, it can be made into an oval shape, personally I think a bathtub would be better. Hmm, next time find someone to make a new one, best if it's a bit bigger, can fit a few more people...

  I reached out to touch the water temperature, it was just right, and I was about to change into my swimsuit when I suddenly felt a cool breeze.

  "Stop right there." And, young master is taking a bath, what's the maid afraid of? Don't tell me about men and women not being intimate! "Where are you going?"

  "Master, if you need anything, Xiaozhao is just outside the door, it's just...". The little girl used to look quite professional, why has she become so disobedient?

  "Then I'll call you now, and also Xiaoshuang, come in to serve me," I added with great care, "it's cold outside, don't freeze my little servant."

  Yes, the autumn wind in August is indeed quite cold.

  "Young master, I've never served a master in bathing before, I'm afraid..."

  "You've washed dishes before, right?" I considerately thought for her.

  "Yes."

  "That's about it, come on, don't be shy, just the other day you even wiped my butt for me, why are you being so distant today?" I casually brought up what happened two days ago.

  "Master, servant...," Xiaozhao's voice was slightly lower, seemingly having reconsidered, then changed her words to "Duer is young, please spare..."

  She hadn't finished speaking, I had already walked over to the screen and reached out to grab Xiao Er's small waist: "Come here!"

  I've heard of the tyrant forcing someone to help with bathing, but I've never heard of a servant being forced by their master to help with bathing - what kind of professional ethics is this!

  Her body trembled slightly, her arms crossed in front of her chest, and she involuntarily pushed me away with a slight shove to my abdomen.

  This push uses all her strength, and I wouldn't even notice it. Even if she were to suddenly launch a sneak attack and hit me, I would just feel a slight itch - of course, as long as she doesn't use the blade or aim for my vitals.

  What's wrong with you today?!

  I couldn't gather any strength in my lower abdomen, and after being hit by these two small fists, the force quickly spread throughout my body, and I didn't even have a bit of strength to resist!

  Downy feathers scattered in the wind.

  Although the word is a bit excessive, but at that time my feeling was just like this, being pushed down by her, my back hit the screen, the wooden screen shook left and right, making an ear-piercing "zi zi" sound.

  I was so shocked that I couldn't get up for a moment!

  What's going on?!

  What's wrong?!

  I've spent many years cultivating my inner power, but it's still not complete. Is it all going to be wasted just like that?!

  What's the point of even talking about dominating the world?

  Should I let such a great martial arts talent go and study literature like Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi?

  I! I seem to be unable to learn...

  At that moment, several thoughts rose and fell in my mind. Although it was far from being desperate to the point of collapse, a faint voice whispered:

  What if you give up from now on and become like Pang Yu?

  What's going on?!

  From now on, I'm like a useless person, can't even compare to an ordinary person's strength, being pushed by someone and falling to the ground unable to get up, what should I do?!

  How the hell did you know!

  There are some people who often consider the consequences of things extremely pessimistically when they encounter them.

  Unfortunately, I am like this.

  My body seems to have started trembling already.

  I stretched out my palms and tried to gather some strength, but my body clearly told me that I had failed.

  I should have noticed earlier, yesterday when I killed Han Jue to grab the short sword in Ma Wen's hand, she easily shook me off; today on the way back to the city on horseback, there were several times when I couldn't even hold the reins and almost fell off the horse; now it's even more miserable, being directly pushed to the ground by a little girl just over ten years old!

  Am I going to end up like this?

  What the heck! What kind of joke is this? You can't fool people like this!

  Laozi's King Ba Xiong painting Jiangshan beauty! Hasn't even started yet and it's already over?

  It can't be like this, right?!

  This must be temporary physical exhaustion and has not recovered yet.

  I am not afraid of myself.

  I leaned against the crooked screen, unable to stop trembling on my own, and the screen kept shaking.

  Xiao Zhao and Shuang Er were both shocked, with Shuang Er even more astonished as to why she could easily push me, a relatively sturdy Northwest big man, to the ground with just one hand.

  Although surprised, as a qualified maid, a sense of responsibility prompted the two sisters to help me up.

  I forced a smile and said softly, "Young master, I'm not that kind of person. I just let your sister serve me to take a bath, no need to use so much force to make me fall to the ground?"

  Shuang'er lowered her head and remained silent, while Xiao Zhao straightened up the crooked screen.

  "I whispered: 'Help me change clothes.'"

  The two little girls were extremely obedient this time, and they carefully took off my clothes. After all, they were both just over ten years old, and they rarely saw a male body. When I was clean and got into the water, the two little girls had already blushed bright red.

  "It's not that I'm making things difficult for you, it's just that I really don't have the energy anymore," I said, finding an excuse. "You should have also heard, yesterday at the foot of Yúwǔ City, I killed the old thief Hán Zūi..."

  "Young master is so brave, all the maids have heard about it, now the whole city is talking about young master's name." Xiaozhao smiled slightly and wet a handkerchief.

  Shuang Er still stood there in a daze, her little head slightly lowered, her eyes not daring to look up.

  I chuckled and asked, "Really? What's been going around in town?"

  Xiao Zhao thought for a moment: "Of course, it's to praise the young master as a young hero with extraordinary martial arts skills. Han Sui, the old thief, is not an opponent at all and can only wait for death without putting up any resistance. The city will surrender without a single soldier or general being injured."

  "Not even a match?" I shook my head, the movement somewhat laborious now. "You know my old man's martial arts skills, he's practiced for twenty or thirty years and has reached perfection. As soon as he went on stage, he was completely suppressed by Han Sui. With my four or five years of gun practice, could I easily kill him?"

  Xiao Zhao was undoubtedly a good listener, she completely understood how to react at this time, her eyes were shining with water vapor, and her half-long eyelashes flickered lightly.

  I'm naturally very satisfied with this little girl: "The last stab, it wasn't even me who stabbed it out, at that time half of my body was already numb and weak all over, the force of that one stab was like a sudden possession by gods and ghosts, and then suddenly disappeared, completely draining the last bit of strength I had left, so much so that after resting for half a day, I still felt like I couldn't exert even half a bit of strength, which is why I got bullied by Shuang'er so easily."

  Her ears turned slightly red, obviously extremely shy, yet she couldn't help but lift her head up. She opened her mouth and softly said: "Thank you, young master, for your understanding."

  I waved my hand - if such a slight swing could be considered waving - and said in a low voice: "You don't have to thank me, because I was the one who was rude first."

  I've decided to put out an ad.

  Although this move is risky.

  But is there anything in life that's absolutely certain?

  ——

  I decided to post one more