CHAPTER 9: I Have The Upper Hand Now!

Lui Ming was seen inside a big wooden tub filled to the brim with hot water, steam curling softly in the air. After Mammy Fang had brought him a bucket of water earlier, it still hadn't been enough—he hadn't felt clean. Not even close. So he ordered her to prepare his bath.

She had done so without a single word, moving with quiet urgency.

Now, he lay still in the tub, letting the heat soak into his skin. His pale body was barely visible through the faintly murky water, shoulders relaxed against the wood. Feeling extremely reliefed, he didn't feel the urge to scrub himself raw.

He felt clean.

His damp black hair clung to his cheeks and neck, strands sticking to his collarbone as his breathing steadied. Slowly, Lui Ming raised his right hand out of the water—his hand, the one that had struck Mammy Fang—and stared at it.

Steam ghosted through his fingers.

He watched it in silence. His expression Just a dull, heavy thought echoing quietly in his mind.

He had been cautious of Mammy Lu and Mammy Fang who always seemed like they were hiding something. They acted careful, calculated, as if they were always a few steps ahead of him. Stronger. Smarter.

Maybe even dangerous.

He used to think… maybe they were big figures pretending to be servants. People planted to keep him under control. Maybe they held secret cultivation, hidden strength.

But then—why had she gone flying so easily?

Why hadn't she fought back?

Why did they treat him like a pitiful thing, instead of someone to fear?

*Don't the weak fear the strong?*

Then what were they? And what did that make him?

Lui Ming's hand slowly lowered, falling back into the hot water with a soft splash. The ripples spread, breaking the surface calm.

His gaze didn't change. Still undistinguishable. 

He suddenly felt really stupid. Ever since he'd arrived here, they'd never once shown a shred of intelligence—aside from the occasional mindless insult, they hadn't displayed anything resembling wit or cunning. Just empty words, loud mouths, and louder footsteps.

And that was the point.

They weren't clever.

They were just weak, petty, and cowardly—and yet they had still spoken over him, ignored his requests, pushed him around like he was some frail porcelain doll with no teeth.

And now?

Now that they knew what a single slap could do—how far they could fly from the flick of his wrist?

They ran.

They listened.

They obeyed.

Lui Ming slowly sank deeper into the water, steam curling along the rim of the wooden tub. His body finally clean, his skin flushed pink from the heat, he rested his head against the rim, eyes half-lidded in thought.

He wasn't just stronger than them physically. He had power. Real power. The kind that didn't need screaming or chasing—it just needed silence and a single look.

He could make them bring him whatever he needed.

Information. Supplies. Answers.

And they'd do it without question.

His life would become easier, infinitely so, if he simply leaned into it. If he made fear do the walking for him.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Why didn't I think of this earlier…?

The thought hit him like a bolt of inspiration, and in one swift motion, Lui Ming stood up in the tub with dramatic flair.

Brilliant.

The air in the room shifted—his bare skin met the cold breeze from the open window.

"...!" His whole body jerked like a struck drum.

The icy bite of air smacked against his damp buttucks.

Without a single word, Lui Ming immediately sat back down into the steaming water.

"…So cold," he muttered bitterly.

His cheeks, already pink from heat, turned a shade redder.

Dignity: shattered.

Genius moment: gone

He scrubbed himself again—not too harshly this time, just enough to be sure any lingering dirt was gone. The water was still warm, faintly scented from the flower petals floating on the surface.

After a while, when his fingertips started to wrinkle, he stepped out of the tub. He dried himself off, dressed in clean robes, and let his long hair fall over his shoulders to dry naturally.

Once everything was in place, he sat down on a chair and folded his arms.

"Mammy Fang. Mammy Lu."

His voice rang out cold and clear.

Almost immediately, rushed footsteps approached. The two women appeared at his door, slightly breathless.

Just as they were about to step inside, Lui Ming lifted his gaze.

"Are your shoes clean?"

The women froze.

"N-no, Young Master, we didn't—"

"Then don't enter," he said flatly. "Stand there."

The two obediently stopped just outside the threshold, not daring to speak again.

Lui Ming rested his elbow on the armrest. His tone was low but steady.

"Do you know any information about Mu Lingfeng?"

There was a pause. Mammy Fang shifted nervously.

"Young Master… the one from the Tianlan Sect?"

Lui Ming said nothing and slightly nodded

Mammy Lu stepped forward. "We heard he's to be banished. The news came down just recently—from the steward's gossip. Said it's supposed to happen today, at noon."

Mammy Fang nodded eagerly. "Yes, today. It was passed around in the morning. He offended someone high up, maybe even took a forbidden item. That's what everyone's whispering."

Lui Ming's eyes narrowed slightly. A small twitch pulled at the corner of his mouth, not quite disbelief—just irritation.

Today?

That didn't match.

Offending a higher up? that's not what i over heard five days ago

So all this time he had eavesdropped on a bunch of nonsense 

His thoughts jumped back to last night—to Ping An, of all people. That idiot, scam-artist with a thief's grin… who had casually mentioned that Mu Lingfeng was banished a month ago. And that he'd heard it directly from someone in the Tianlan Sect.

Which meant—

Lui Ming shifted in his seat, eyes turning cold as they glanced at the two maids.

"Is that all?" he asked, voice clipped.

Both Mammy Fang and Mammy Lu stiffened. "That's all we've heard, Young Master. Forgive us if—"

"You may leave."

They blinked. "Yes, Young Master."

With hurried bows and faintly confused expressions, the two maids retreated from the doorway, whispering to each other as they left.

Lui Ming remained seated, unmoving for a moment.

Then, slowly, he lowered his gaze to his lap.

So the servants only had fake or late rumors. Empty gossip. Useless.

But Ping An…

Ping An had accurate information. Timely. Connected.

If he's being honest to himself he wasn't sure if what Ping An said was true but he said it so casually and he didn't feel like he was lying 

And Lui Ming needed that.

The only problem?

It was broad daylight. The streets were busy. He had no clue where Ping An actually lived, or where he disappeared to when he wasn't at the night market. That man was like a stray black cat—never in the same place twice, and always making trouble.

And yet…

Lui Ming exhaled slowly.

I have to find him again.

If he wanted more useful information—real information—he'd need Ping An. That meant one thing.

He would have to wait for nightfall.

Because someone like Ping An didn't show up under the sun.

No… people like him only crawled out when the lanterns were lit and shadows got long.

And if Lui Ming wanted to catch him—

He'd have to think like scammer

___________

Mammy Lu and Mammy Fang walked back to their rooms whispering to each other 

"Where did he suddenly get that kind of confidence?" Mammy Lu hissed.

Mammy Fang rubbed her cheek, still slightly swollen. "I don't know… but if that slap had landed with full strength, this sister wouldn't be alive to speak today."

"Ah, Sister Fang, that's it—we'll make him pay for this," Mammy Lu said darkly.

"How?" Mammy Fang snapped. "The drugs we've been mixing into his food aren't working anymore. I even gave him the same dosage we used on Mammy Qin, but nothing happened! He seemed even more awake!"

"Don't worry," Mammy Lu said with a cold glint in her eyes. "Leave it to me. Even if it means killing him."

"Mammy Lu!" Mammy Fang hissed, looking around in alarm. "What do you think his family would say if they found out he was dead? Bah—"

"His 'family' are the ones who sent him here like garbage, for being useless," Mammy Lu spat. "Even if he died, no one would know. They've never visited. Not once."

Mammy Fang hesitated, biting her lip. "But… Young Master Su Ren…"

"Su Ren only came to check if Third Young Master Feiyu was still in a drugged, half-mad state. He didn't stay five minutes."

"But still—"

"Stop worrying," Mammy Lu said sharply. "Everything will be taken care of. Tomorrow morning, we'll lace his breakfast with the most poisonous herbs from the secret garden behind the old storage room."

Pausing for a while she continued "If that doesn't the he is not human "