Chapter 248: As Long as I Have No Morals, You Can’t Kidnap Me!
Watching the murderous intent in Night Fragrance’s eyes, Lin Beifan coughed and said, “Young Master Night Fragrance, since you began your career, you’ve committed 17 cases of theft, and not a single one failed! Your strength, lightness technique, and thievery skills are all exceptional. The Dedian Mansion is in great need of talents like you. So, as long as you’re willing to join my side and work for me, I will let you go!”
Night Fragrance was shocked, “You actually want to recruit me and have me work for you?”
Lin Beifan earnestly nodded, “Exactly!”
“Hahaha… Hahaha…” Night Fragrance laughed heartily, clutching his stomach, “I am the renowned bandit lord Night Fragrance! You actually want to recruit me? Your imagination is really running wild. Am I dreaming? Hahaha…”
Lin Beifan’s face was expressionless, “Stop laughing, or I’ll splash you with feces!”
Night Fragrance choked, “Cough, cough!”
After a moment of contemplation, Night Fragrance suddenly realized, “Oh, I understand now!”
“What do you understand?”
Night Fragrance coldly smirked, “According to reason, when your court captures a thief king like me, for the sake of eliminating future troubles, you should kill me quickly! However, so many days have passed, and you haven’t taken action. You want to recruit me. It’s obvious you have concerns! Let me guess, you know there’s a grandmaster behind me?”
Lin Beifan nodded in agreement, “That’s right!”
“Haha, even your court has times of fear!” Night Fragrance laughed victoriously once again.
“It’s not fear, it’s concern! After all, the destructive power of a grandmaster is too strong. Our court cares about the people, so we are unwilling to create animosity and provoke trouble!”
“But if trouble comes, we are not afraid!” Lin Beifan held his head high, “As an empire with a 300-year heritage, our foundation is deep, and how could we not have a few grandmasters? Wouldn’t you agree?”
Night Fragrance sneered and said disdainfully, “Those grandmasters of yours lack experience. In the end, they are nothing more than tigers kept in cages! But my master is a fierce tiger that battles with the heavens and earth. Although they are both tigers, the strong and weak are clear! To be frank, my master could handle the three of your grandmasters with ease!”
Lin Beifan asked in surprise, “You talk so highly of your master. Who is he and where does he live?”
“I have no problem telling you!” Night Fragrance straightened his chest, saying proudly, “My master has lived for too long, I don’t know his exact name, but he excels in using spears. Others call him the Spear God! He wields the old spear with extraordinary skill, full of a killing intent, possessing the power to create and destroy. He once killed two grandmasters with his spear.”
Lin Beifan nodded, “It indeed sounds impressive!”
Seeing Lin Beifan’s calm demeanor, Night Fragrance felt a bit displeased and unsatisfied, “Besides his strength, my master is also skilled in teaching disciples! Apart from me, he has taught three other disciples, and they have all become fourth-level innate experts! They are…”
Lin Beifan calmly nodded again, “Indeed impressive!”
Seeing Lin Beifan’s continued composure, Night Fragrance, full of frustration, threatened with malice, “Perhaps my master already knows that I’m trapped in Great Wu Capital City and is on his way to save me! And my senior brothers won’t spare you either! Haha…”
Lin Beifan chuckled, “You make it sound like I can’t handle your master?”
Lin Beifan grinned, “Even if your master is strong, he’s just a grandmaster! Remember, beyond grandmasters, there are great grandmasters! Let me show you something!”
Lin Beifan took out a small knife and tossed it to Night Fragrance.
Night Fragrance took the knife and looked closely, instantly surprised. From this seemingly ordinary small knife, he sensed a profound martial intent.
This martial intent was something only a grandmaster possessed, something he had felt from his own master several times.
However, the martial intent on this small knife was several times stronger than that of his master’s. It carried a chilling killing intent and had the power to obliterate everything.
Moreover, from the gathering of this martial intent, it seemed to have just condensed last night.
Just then, the martial intent on the small knife was triggered.
“Boom!”
The small knife exploded, piercing through a hole in the nearby steel wall.
Night Fragrance’s face was filled with shock, his voice trembling, “This is the martial intent of a great grandmaster!”
Lin Beifan smiled, “You have a bit of insight! You have a grandmaster, but we have a great grandmaster! The gap between great grandmasters and grandmasters is even larger than the gap between grandmasters and innate experts! Your master won’t come, that’s good, because when he comes, he’s bound to meet his end!”
Night Fragrance felt a chilling coldness all over his body.
“Even if he doesn’t come, it doesn’t matter!” Lin Beifan laughed, “Now I know the identity and location of your master, and even the situation of your master brothers! To prevent future troubles, our great grandmaster doesn’t mind making a trip!”
Night Fragrance exclaimed, “Why are you all so heartless? My master and my senior brothers are innocent!”
“They might be innocent, but are you innocent?” Lin Beifan shouted, “You must understand that we didn’t offend you originally. It was you who came to us, stealing our national treasure, the Seven-Colored Pearl! All these calamities were caused by you! To eliminate the roots, we had no choice but to do this! As a person from the martial world, you should be able to understand us!”
Night Fragrance’s arrogance was shattered. His body swayed, and his voice was dry and weak as he pleaded, “Indeed, I was wrong. I’ve implicated them! I beg you, what do you want me to do to spare them?”
“It depends on you!”
Lin Beifan smiled, “If you bow down and confess, join the Dedian Mansion, and work for our court, then we will be family! Within a family, fighting and killing are inappropriate, wouldn’t you agree? If you disagree, don’t blame me for being merciless!”
Night Fragrance struggled visibly, and after much internal conflict, he sighed in resignation, “Alright, I’ll join the Dedian Mansion!”
Lin Beifan laughed, “Congratulations on making a wise choice!”
From his pocket, Lin Beifan took out a contract of servitude and handed it to Night Fragrance to sign and press his handprint.
In reality, this contract of servitude had no real use for someone of his caliber as a high-level expert. However, having this contract did impose some level of constraint on him. If in the future the other party betrayed him, he could stand on a moral high ground and pass judgment or take action against them.
After Night Fragrance signed his name and pressed his handprint, he said, “Can you let me go now?”
With a satisfied grin, Lin Beifan accepted the contract of servitude, “Just wait for a moment! I will report this to Her Majesty and can only release you after getting her approval. But there shouldn’t be any issue!”
Lin Beifan then reported this matter to the Empress, who was very pleased.
“Sir Lin, you’ve handled this matter well! You’ve averted a disaster and gained a talented individual! However, Night Fragrance is unruly. Keep a close watch on him and don’t let him cause trouble.”
Lin Beifan bowed, saying, “Your Majesty, rest assured, with me present, he won’t dare to act recklessly.”
With the Empress’s approval, Lin Beifan released the bandit leader Night Fragrance.
The first thing Night Fragrance did after leaving the prison was—
“Damn it! Finally, I don’t have to stay in this stinking prison anymore! Prepare a large amount of clean water for me immediately, along with soapberries, fragrances, and so on. This lord needs to cleanse myself and dispel bad luck!”
Lin Beifan commanded his subordinates, saying, “Why haven’t you gone yet?”
“Yes, Lord Prefect!”
After the clean water, soapberries, and fragrances were prepared, Night Fragrance locked himself in his room and didn’t come out.
News of the notorious great thief Night Fragrance being recruited by the Dedian Mansion quickly spread throughout the city.
“The great thief Night Fragrance has actually been recruited by the court?”
“Could this news be fake? How could Night Fragrance be recruited by the court?”
“No way it’s fake. My elder cousin works as an officer in charge. He’s responsible for overseeing the prison, and he’s the one who leaked this information!”
“It’s said that Lord Prefect personally intervened and used various means to bring Night Fragrance under his command!”
“To think such a unruly grand thief could be recruited. Lord Prefect is amazing!”
“Truly impressive! Beyond impressive!”
…
