Chapter 6: This Is Ruining My Character!

Regardless of whether Qian Zhongxian was happy, Xue Yuan was certainly pleased. However, mindful of the business at hand, he suppressed the urge to offer condolences and took Jian Qi to the kitchen. Since the original host had been poisoned by a bowl of soup, the kitchen staff was naturally the first group that needed to be investigated.

The Prince’s mansion had seven or eight kitchens, staffed by over a dozen cooks and thirty to forty assistants. The head of the kitchen was Zhao Datong, who also happened to be from the same village as Qian Zhongxian. It was the dinner rush, and the stoves were roaring with fire as Zhao Datong directed the bustling crowd. It was said that the Princess and the steward required at least seventy-two dishes per meal, not including desserts. The original host, however, received only one dish and one soup a day, and only by occasionally currying favor with Zhao Datong could he hope for an extra side dish.

Xue Yuan entered the kitchen and said to Zhao Datong with a grin, "I have a good friend visiting, so I want seventy-two dishes for dinner tonight!"

Zhao Datong turned to look at Xue Yuan, then glanced at the blind beggar beside him, and couldn't help but sneer. He grabbed a handful of pig head meat scraps left over on the cutting board, tossed them into a bowl, and slammed it down in front of Xue Yuan. "Here, take it and eat! We’re busy, off you go!" Two assistants nearby chuckled knowingly at the sight.

Xue Yuan laughed as well, revealing his white teeth, looking with appreciation at Zhao Datong, who was likely being insubordinate for the last time. Suddenly, a flash of cold light brushed past Zhao Datong’s face, taking off his bloodied ear, which landed with a soft "plop" into a large pot of simmering broth.

This was the first time Jian Qi had used his sword since entering the mansion. Xue Yuan knew he was angry. It seemed this future Sword Saint was a person of deep emotion, merely masking it with indifference. In truth, not only was Jian Qi angry, but Xue Yuan himself was suppressing his own rage; these people, emboldened by the Emperor’s tacit approval, really did not treat the original host like a human being.

Jian Qi’s blade was so fast that Zhao Datong hadn't realized what happened until he saw the terrified expressions of the assistants looking at his right ear. He reached up, touched it, and his hand came away covered in blood.

"Ah, ahhh!" Zhao Datong began to howl, clutching his ear as he tried to rush out, only to be yanked back by Jian Qi, who slammed his head onto the chopping board. With a loud thud, the table dented, and Zhao Datong’s head became a bloody mess, with wood splinters embedded in his face. He collapsed to the ground, looking like a terrifying ghost, left with only the strength to groan.

Xue Yuan watched with a sense of immense satisfaction, struggling to keep his expression neutral. He flashed his innocent-looking eyes and said, "Oh my, how scary, how scary..." But he thought to himself: *Don't stop, don't stop!*

Jian Qi didn't stop. He said coldly to Zhao Datong, "Count to ten and get everyone here! One, two..." Zhao Datong, who had initially tried to play dead, felt a surge of adrenaline and scrambled out of the kitchen, shouting, "Everyone, get over here!" Soon, all the cooks, servants, and kitchen maids were gathered at the entrance.

Seeing Zhao Datong’s miserable state, the crowd trembled, their faces pale. Xue Yuan realized Jian Qi was helping him establish authority. This guy was perceptive; he was truly worth befriending. Putting aside his thoughts, he took the opportunity to stare at each person, trying to find clues about the poisoner through the status tags above their heads. However, after a thorough inspection, he found nothing suspicious.

After some thought, he asked Zhao Datong, "Wait, is this everyone? I remember there being hundreds of people in the kitchen. Did some choose not to play with me?"

Zhao Datong forced himself to speak, "N-no, there aren't hundreds, Your Highness! Other than Wang Sheng, who quit yesterday, everyone is here!"

*Well,* Xue Yuan thought, *the insubordinate Zhao Datong is gone; now he’s a good dog.* Xue Yuan frowned. The original host was poisoned at noon today, and that person had quit yesterday. It seemed unrelated, but his resignation felt too convenient. If the Prince were poisoned to death, almost everyone in the kitchen would be executed; no one could be spared. Yet, he happened to quit the day before the incident? "This Wang Sheng needs to be investigated thoroughly."

...

As the old saying goes, a young tree needs pruning to grow straight, and a person needs discipline to behave. Jian Qi’s disciplinary measures were remarkably effective. Once the news spread throughout the mansion, everyone became as quiet as cicadas in winter, bowing respectfully whenever they saw them. There were no villains here who would stubbornly talk back or claim the protagonist was playing hard to get, which made Xue Yuan sigh in relief—this was at least a normal world that didn't insult his intelligence.

It was July, and the heat was stifling. Sweaty, Xue Yuan took Jian Qi to the clear spring pool in the back garden to bathe. Between men, being open and honest while stripping down was a way to build rapport—even gang leaders often took their subordinates to the bathhouse.

After bathing, seeing that Jian Qi had no clothes to change into, Xue Yuan returned to his room, changed, and brought back one of his own silk robes. When he found Jian Qi again, he saw him sitting upright in a pavilion by the pool, holding a book. A breeze brushed his cheek, ruffling a lock of hair, but he remained motionless, eyes glued to the pages. The cover of the book was yellowed and looked like a martial arts manual.

Xue Yuan was moved. *Now, this is what you call professional!* A true master of the fifth rank, yet he remained calm and focused. Even though reading through a black blindfold was difficult, he was still squeezing in time to study his manual! Without this kind of obsession, how could he become a Sword Saint?

Xue Yuan walked over and carefully looked at the cover. The script here was almost identical to the ancient texts of his former world, so he could read it. The title of the manual was: *The World-Renowned Favored Concubine!*

"Eh?" Xue Yuan felt as if the back of his head had been struck by a hammer. He couldn't process it for a moment. *No, that’s not right, I must be reading it wrong!* Could it be *The World-Renowned Favored Concubine Sword Technique*?

He looked closer. Sure enough, beneath those four large characters, he saw a few lines of annotations:

[She is north of the Bronze Bird Terrace, the Emperor is to the south!]
[The vicious Empress struck a cruel blow; imprisoned in the cold palace for three years, she remains steadfast in her love, waiting only for the Emperor's return.]
[Witness the legendary, heart-wrenching romance between a mighty monarch and a peerless beauty.]

Xue Yuan’s mouth twitched violently. *What the hell? This is just a cheesy melodramatic novel!* And a female-oriented one at that! He looked back at Jian Qi, who was peering through his black blindfold, his face nearly pressed against the book. Xue Yuan felt his faith crumbling. *Big brother, you are the future Sword Saint! The path of the sword would be a long, dark night without you, and you’re using that night to read this stuff? And you’re a cold, tough guy reading female-oriented romance novels? This completely ruins your character!*

Xue Yuan didn't know how to end the awkward moment, so he gave a light cough. "Jian Qi, I brought you some clothes."

Jian Qi nodded, tucked the book into his robes, and remained indifferent. Xue Yuan realized the only one feeling awkward was himself. But then he remembered he was supposed to be a "fool," so he relaxed as well. *The "fool" halo is truly wonderful!*

After the bath, it was time to eat. Xue Yuan’s seventy-two dishes arrived on cue, not a single one missing. With so much food, the table had to be over ten meters long. His small, dilapidated room couldn't fit it, so he moved into a large room in the main hall next to Qian Zhongxian. He didn't kick Qian Zhongxian out of the main hall yet, because that guy would be useful later—no need to rush.

The subsequent plan had already taken shape in Xue Yuan’s mind.