Chapter 60: This World Should Not Be Like This! Seeking Monthly Tickets
Jiang Huan’s ruthlessness did not affect the movements within Old Zhu’s bedroom.
Due to the two curses exchanged earlier, the room had fallen into a deathly silence.
Not only Zhang Biao looked at Old Zhu with a face full of surprise.
Even Old Zhu looked at Zhang Biao in disbelief.
He hadn’t expected himself to start cursing along with Zhang Biao.
How many years has it been?
It seemed that ever since he entered Yingtian Prefecture, he had rarely cursed.
It was because he was in a superior position and needed to maintain his dignity, as Song Lian had told him.
He also told himself that an Emperor should use “Zhen” (I), but he simply couldn’t get used to it, so he kept the self-address “Zan” (I).
But, what was wrong today?
This arrogant young man had actually corrupted him!?
“Hahaha!”
Before Old Zhu could react, Zhang Biao had already snapped out of his surprise and laughed heartily, “Old Zhu, Old Zhu, you’re just a mortal too!”
“Insolent!”
Old Zhu’s face instantly darkened, and with a tone laced with shame, anger, and killing intent, he said, “Zhang Biao! I know you’re tough and unafraid of death. I also admit that I do appreciate your talent. However, don’t think that I truly won’t kill you.”
“Heh!”
Zhang Biao sneered, “Then what are you waiting for? If you want to kill me, hurry up and do it! What kind of bullsh*t talent appreciation is this, from someone like you who burns bridges after crossing them.”
“Bastard!”
Before he could finish speaking, Old Zhu roared and interrupted him, then his gaze, like poisoned daggers, locked onto Zhang Biao’s rather handsome face: “Do you hate me this much!?”
“It’s not hatred, it’s not associating with jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards!” Zhang Biao said calmly.
“You!
Old Zhu, enraged, raised his hand to point, then coldly watched Zhang Biao, until Zhang Biao started to feel uneasy under his stare. Only then did a mocking grin, utterly devoid of imperial demeanor, stretch across his lips:
“I wanted to kill you, I wished I could dismember you and scatter your ashes, but I’ve changed my mind. I won’t kill you. I will let you live.”
“Oh!”
Zhang Biao also interrupted Old Zhu, then said with a face full of mockery, “Is His Majesty planning to take care of my old age and see me off in my final days? Or does he want me to witness him slaughtering innocents? Or to witness how your ‘Hongwu prosperous era’ will starve the next Wang Zhong and drive the next Li Mo insane?”
“Stop spouting that useless nonsense to me!”
Old Zhu slammed the edge of the bed with a force that wasn’t great but carried a fierce edge:
“I’m talking about Shen Lang, and Li Mo, Sun Gui, Zhao Fengman, and also those good brothers of yours who ‘held the account book to show determination’ in front of me and the civil and military officials in the Hall of Supreme Harmony today!”
Here it comes!
This shameless old beggar!
If he can’t do it directly, he’ll resort to sneakiness, right?!
Zhang Biao cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he pretended to be unconcerned and said:
“Oh? Them? What does Your Majesty intend to do with them? Invite them to a grand feast? Or pay them their salary? That would be great! I thank you on their behalf! Wang Mazi’s pig’s head meat will be served in abundance!”
“Eat pig’s head meat?”
Old Zhu acted as if he had heard the greatest joke, but his eyes were chillingly cold:
“I’ll treat them to a final meal! I want them to know that causing trouble with you, Zhang Biao, will cost them their heads! It will implicate their wives, children, old and young, sending them all to the underworld!”
Boom!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao felt a surge of blood rush to his head.
All his pretense, all his indifference, began to crumble under this naked, utterly shameless threat.
Back then, when he started the 《 dying for a cause training class 》, he originally intended to use Shen Lang and the others to anger Old Zhu and send himself on his way.
After all, in his eyes at the time, Shen Lang and the others were just a group of NPCs.
Even if they died because of him, as long as he transmigrated again, they would still appear alive, they just wouldn’t remember him.
He admitted that his actions were indeed selfish.
But later.
On the night the 《 dying for a cause training class 》 began, he saw too much heartache and heard too many hardships.
Especially the story of Old Censor Wang starving to death at home, and Li Mo, the editor, pawning his ancestral property to save his mother, he realized.
What bullsh*t NPCs are these!
These are clearly people with flesh and blood, a group of suffering individuals from the lower class, oppressed and exploited.
He didn’t know when his mindset changed.
Perhaps it was because he failed in his repeated attempts to seek death, or perhaps he simply didn’t belong to this world.
But no matter what, this world shouldn’t be like this.
When he incited these lower-class capital officials to demand salary from Old Zhu, he hadn’t considered that Old Zhu might kill them.
But he still held a sliver of hope for Old Zhu.
He thought of how many people in later generations praised Old Zhu, saying how amazing he was, starting with nothing and gaining the throne rightfully.
And such a ‘heroic ruler’ who rose from the bottom, shouldn’t he understand the suffering of the common people better?
Therefore, he resolutely chose to believe in Old Zhu.
Believed that he would care about his reputation and the overall situation, and would not kill these struggling lower-class capital officials for a mere three taels of silver.
But now, he realized he was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
The real Old Zhu was completely beyond his expectations.
This was a tiger and leopard that devoured people without spitting out bones.
How could he possibly sympathize with suffering?!
If he sympathized with suffering, what were his bizarre ‘livestock farming’ policies all about?
If he sympathized with suffering, then his own descendants who harmed the people should have been severely punished!
If he sympathized with suffering, he wouldn’t be a bloodthirsty emperor!
【 Damn it! Feudal dynasties should die! 】
Old Zhu watched as the resolute will to die on Zhang Biao’s face was replaced by immense shock, anger, and unwillingness. The cold curve of his lips deepened.
He knew that this knife had been firmly ensnared by him with the most vicious and effective shackles.
“What? You’re scared to die now?”
Old Zhu’s voice carried the mockery of a victor and the pressure of an emperor.
“Hahaha—!”
Zhang Biao suddenly erupted in a piercing, wild laughter.
He laughed so hard that he nearly fell over, tears almost streaming down his face, as if he had also heard the greatest joke:
“Zhu Chongba! Is this all the trick you have? Threatening me with other people’s lives? You think too highly of me, Zhang Biao!
Who am I, Zhang Biao? Orphaned since childhood, penniless, with nothing but the desire to die!”
Saying this, he pointed at his own nose, spitting with spittle: “You think I’m really their sworn brother!? Ptooey! Those are just empty words! Brothers on the wine table, scatter like birds when disaster strikes!”
“They caused trouble with me for their owed salary! For the sake of being able to afford pig’s head meat! They have nothing to do with me, Zhang Biao!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked closer to Old Zhu, his face filled with extreme mockery and insolence: “You want to chop them, right? Along with their entire families? Fine! Chop away! It’s all the same if they starve to death anyway, better to die sooner and be free!”
“If you kill them all, it will serve as a warning to all the civil and military officials, to the world, showing what happens when you associate with me, Zhang Biao! It will just show off your Hongwu Great Emperor’s might! Killing loyal ministers and good generals, right?!”
“You!”
Old Zhu’s face turned ashen with anger, seemingly not expecting Zhang Biao to counterattack.
Then he heard Zhang Biao say playfully:
“What? Are you planning to invite me to watch the execution? Great! I’ve never seen a river of blood in my life! That’s fantastic! So fantastic that I even want to offer the executioner a drink and ask him to kill them slowly so I can order some takeout as a snack!”
This bastard!
He has no shame at all!
Old Zhu’s facial muscles twitched violently.
An indescribable sense of absurdity and frustration welled up within him.
