Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

The burly man at the head of the group forced a fawning smile, flicked the back of his knife, and opened a box he had brought, which was filled with silver coins.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow, saying, "I have offended you all at the entertainment venue before, and my master has ordered us to come and apologize to you. This is just a small gift, nothing more, and I hope you will forgive me."

Qin Ji knew this would happen when he accepted the fighting cock.

Yesterday, he pretended to deliver the goods to the wrong door, and after finding out the identity of the house owner, he prepared generous gifts and went to apologize today.

If he doesn't bite the bait, why would a self-proclaimed angler cast his line?

But the son of a provincial governor wouldn't be so short-sighted.

Qin Ji glanced at the box of silver, his expression indifferent. "I appreciate your master's kindness, but we'll consider yesterday's unpleasantness settled with the cockfighting. I can't accept something for nothing, so please take the goods back and leave."

The burly man at the head of the group was not surprised by the rejection; the son of the provincial governor was not so easy to please.

He turned to his subordinate and gave him a wink. The subordinate opened the wooden box he was carrying and took out a scroll from it.

Another subordinate took the scroll and carefully unfurled it.

The two lifelike fighting roosters leap off the paper, their feathers bristling and their postures agile, as if they were about to come to life from the painting.

"This is a painting called 'Two Chickens Fighting for Supremacy' by Xiao Yun, a famous artist from the previous dynasty. It was acquired by the master by chance. If you don't mind, young master, you and your brother can enjoy it and have some fun. It's better than letting it be in the hands of us rough people and letting a pearl be covered in dust."

He accepted a fighting cock yesterday, and in his conversation, he showed great indulgence towards his "younger brother" who loves fighting cocks.

So, within a day, the cockfighting pictures were collected, and the people in the gang knew how to cater to their tastes.

With a faint smile on his face, Qin Ji gestured slightly, and the steward of the villa respectfully stepped forward to accept the scroll.

In that instant, Qin Ji noticed an undeniable gaze coming from behind him.

He braced himself, enduring Jiang Jibai's rather intimidating gaze, and calmly addressed the gang members, saying, "The painting is good, an authentic work by Xiao Yun. Your boss has put in a lot of effort. As for the rest..."

Qin Ji's gaze swept over the box of silver. "Please take it back as is, and please also convey my thanks to your master for his kindness. Let him not take the previous misunderstanding to heart."

The gift of this painting was no less valuable than the box of silver. Seeing that he had accepted the painting, the burly man at the head of the group felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and said with a beaming smile, "Young master, your magnanimity is admirable. I will certainly pass on your message. If you ever need anything in the future, just send someone to give the order, and we will be at your service."

Qin Ji slightly raised his lips, which was taken as tacit agreement.

The gang members bowed to him in unison, then left with the boxes in a grand manner.

After dealing with them, Qin Ji turned around to explain to the Poison Master. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Jibai casually put his index finger to his lips, stopping him from speaking with an unquestionable air.

Qin Ji's Adam's apple slowly rolled up and down.

Jiang Jibai flicked his sleeves and calmly stepped down the stone steps. "It's getting late, and you must be tired."

As he passed Qin Ji, he turned his head and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I saw that the bamboo planks in your residence are quite nice, so I had someone send one to your senior brother's residence. I won't come to your door tomorrow; come find me next door yourself."

Qin Ji stood frozen in place.

What should I give as a gift?

How could you eat and take things at the same time?

You're too kind.

Isn't it just accepting bribes in front of you?

As for?

Qin Ji struggled to turn his neck, watching helplessly as Jiang Jibai strolled leisurely into the door next door.

I am so busy with state affairs that I will not have time to visit you tomorrow. You can wait if you wish.

The next day.

Jiang Jibai was practicing in the courtyard. Just as he put down the stone lock, he saw the junior disciple standing by the wall take a step back and put his hand on the ladder by the wall, as if he was about to run away at any moment if things went wrong.

The stone lock lay heavily on the muddy ground, leaving a dent. Qin Ji stared intently at the stone lock, his foot on the ladder. "Are you training? Did I come at an inopportune time? I'll be going now..."

Jiang Jibai patted the dust off his sleeves and slowly wiped his hands with a handkerchief. "You've arrived earlier than I expected today. Have you finished your duties with His Majesty?"

"Not yet, I'll go get busy right away."

He didn't want his cheap senior brother to see the spectacle, so he deliberately left the palace a little earlier and climbed over the wall before Shen Jiangliu finished his shift. Who knew that as soon as he landed, he would see the terrifying scene of the Poison Master carrying a stone lock with one hand, and it was his left hand...

Now he understood why, despite the frequent use of the paddle by the drug addict, his arms remained perfectly even.

Qin Ji, as if his feet were greased, hurriedly scrambled up the ladder.

Jiang Jibai grabbed the youngest disciple by the back of his collar and dragged him into the bedroom.

Qin Ji immediately noticed the brand-new bamboo plank leaning against the bed. His legs went weak, and he grabbed the door frame. "Teacher, please let me explain."

Jiang Jibai grabbed his arm, pushed him onto the bed, clasped his hands behind his back, and slapped him across the face. "Why don't you use the door when there's one? You prefer to be this sneaky, opportunistic gentleman on the wall. What's wrong with you?"

"If this happens again, I will hand you over to the authorities and charge you with trespassing."

Qin Ji was so pained that he flinched, and tears immediately streamed down his face.

If a slap hurts this much, he'll probably die here today if we use a small bamboo stick.

"What trespassing? I didn't even want to come here!"

He had barely uttered a retort when a chill ran down his spine. Goosebumps rose all over Qin Ji's body. Startled, he immediately broke free from Jiang Jibai's grasp, clutched his dumpling, and protested defiantly, "It's not what you think!"

Jiang Jibai chuckled softly, "What do I mean?"

Qin Ji glanced at Jiang Jibai several times, without the slightest hesitation, "It's related to His Majesty's mission. Those people are from the 'Cao Gang,' who run rampant in the West Market, bullying merchants. I didn't take that painting for myself; I just didn't want to alert them."

Jiang Jibai neither agreed nor disagreed with his statement, but patted his two hands, signaling him to take them back.

Qin Ji refused, blocking the dumpling and firing off a barrage of questions, "Do you really think of your disciple as someone who accepts bribes?"

"You think you can buy me off with a lousy painting? How easily do you think I'm swayed?"

"I am the emperor's study companion; my every word and action is being watched by countless people. Do you think I'm that stupid?"

Listening to his junior disciple's vehement accusations, Jiang Jibai carefully examined the wounds hidden beneath the two claws, then sat down on the edge of the bed, lifting the wary disciple onto his lap. "Didn't you apply medicine again today?"

The question made the sullen disciple withdraw his hand like a deflated balloon. "His Majesty's duties are time-sensitive. I'm running around here and there. Unlike you, who is a free man..."

The slap on his back made him wisely shut his mouth.

Unable to resist asking, "You haven't misunderstood me, have you?"

A crisp slap rang out in the room, and Qin Ji burst into tears.

Jiang Jibai remained calm and composed. "I only asked one question, why are you in such a hurry? How many more questions are waiting for me?"

Qin Ji retorted angrily, "Then what did you mean by bamboo clappers? You clearly misled me!"

Another slap resounded, and Qin Ji cried again.

"I told you not to rush."

"What's wrong with letting your teacher use this good stuff? It's not like I had to use it today."

Qin Ji: "..."

screw you!

I'm going to kill you!