After teasing his gate guard and flexing his glutes at her, the monk strode right to the large gates of his mansion.
He stretched his chest muscles a bit as he pushed them open. The courtyard was rather populated now, with servants and gardeners left and right, all stopping their work and looking at him with wide eyes.
Some had seemingly heard the ruckus at the gate, and rumours spread among servants as they would among schoolgirls.
"So that's the Master of this Mansion then?"
"It must be! Guard Captain Qiu wouldn't mistake him for someone else..."
"He sure doesn't 'look' like a Sage... Weren't they supposed to be neat scholars or something?"
"Well, rumours are that he is just the king's friend or something. They're likely true, he seems to be an adventuring cultivator. Not too bad, at least he won't be here all the time..."
They spoke in hushed whispers, unaware that the monk could just hear them regardless. But Mo Yangling didn't mind a bit of healthy gossip, it at least kept things interesting in the lives of the servants.
He wasn't going to act out and forbid them from speaking ill about anyone really.
They were his servants now, if they wanted to, they could even speak ill about the King. The monk wouldn't give a shit. As long as they fulfilled their responsibilities accordingly they'd be paid regardless.
The monk whistled as he walked through the pathway, and servants bowed as he passed by, continuing their whispers as soon as they thought he was not within earshot.
The Monk smiled as he eventually reached the door of the mansion and took off his baggage right on the pathway, near the front door.
"You all!" The monk turned around to the servants and gardeners behind him.
They all immediately looked at him, sweating a bit as they felt his voice still echo through the entire courtyard.
"Don't try to move these things, there's no telling how dangerous they may be to mortals... Especially the vines!"
Some seemed startled or worried when hearing his tone. After all, the majority of them were mortals, now working for a higher-ranking cultivator.
Mo Qiao had managed to hire a lot of them at a good price because they were among those who had worked for the Mo Family before it had completely prohibited Mortals from their compound.
They were skilled and trained, their only flaw was that they wouldn't live for a few hundred years more than normal.
Many expected to be treated badly just on account of their new Master also being part of the Mo Family.
But those who had worked with the Mo Family already knew that there was no reason to worry about such a thing. Mo Yangling had always been different from his folks after all...
To them, the word 'Mortal' didn't sound like slang when he was the one to use it. After all, Mo Yangling himself had been called that all his life.
Even if Mo Yangling was different now, a mountain of a man, a head taller than most, with shoulders as wide as an ox, he was still the same young master who always treated everyone nicely.
"Yes Sir!" The former servants of the Mo Family responded in unison, smiles spreading to their faces.
Their mood was quickly replicated throughout the rest, as they all started to learn more about their Master's rather sordid past.
But none of that concerned Mo Yangling. He was too busy running into his private bath and jumping in the closest tub of water.
Liao, Liang and Mo Qiao were nowhere to be seen in the mansion, but there were still some servants around.
Some Bath Girls were also there to assist him with washing himself if needed. Apparently, a lot of nobles were very keen on having beautiful servants helping them bathe.
He of course turned them down, allowing them to resume their duties as housekeepers. After all, he was a grown man and could scrub down the dirt from between his ass cheeks without a helping hand.
Neither Bath Girl really knew how to react when he stated that word for word to them though...
'Alas, not everyone can understand my indescribable charm~' The monk heaved a relaxed sigh as the dried-up blood and grime that had stuck to him dissipated into the expensive bath.
The water within his basin was constantly flowing, allowing him to not pickle in his own filth for too long.
It was a rather interesting water system, it reminded the monk of modern bathrooms. They likely worked with a simple piping system, but it wasn't like he cared to look further into it...
He was a monk, not a plumber.
After finally washing himself, the monk put on a bathrobe, tied it so as to not flash all of the servants outside, and leisurely walked to his master bedroom.
His attire of choice was among the few that would still fit him from his wardrobe.
A pair of white pants, and a long white robe, fully lined with golden highlights. It had long and wide sleeves.
The monk had bought that robe for the explicit purpose of having some clothes that were not as tight fitting to him. But now after his recent increase in height and muscle mass, the robe stuck to his shoulders and arms better than a compressed t-shirt.
Thankfully the material was flexible, so the monk didn't need to worry about tearing it if he so much as moved a muscle.
He also didn't wear any shirt beneath that robe, displaying the middle of his heavily muscled abdomen and the rather large scar on the middle of his chest.
The monk patted his hair down a bit as well, still leaving most of it to flow wildly on his back, but having the top at least a bit more neat, that way his bangs wouldn't get in his eyes so often.
'Amitabha... I really need a haircut... I'll probably get one after I head to the castle.'
The monk stretched one last time in that mirror and immediately turned to leave. He gained quite a few startled gazes as soon as he walked out.
"Oh lord! The Manor's Master was this handsome?!"
"Gods, I really hope he plans on taking a few concubines. I'll have to put on more makeup from now on!"
"Ha! No amount of make-up can hide that ugly soul! I doubt anyone's becoming his concubine... But being assigned to bedwarming doesn't sound that bad now..."
Of course, younger, single, women were rather excited at the prospect of working under such a man. Stories about Maids being swept off their feet by powerful nobles and cultivators weren't exactly uncommon in their world after all...
"God damn, I thought he'd either be a nerd or a barbarian... Who would've thought that one can strike this perfect point in between?"
"I mean, being good-looking is great and all, but I am more glad that he seems to not have taken advantage of the housemaids assigned as Bath Girls... We may really have lucked out with this job."
The older attendants could also appreciate that he was pleasing to the eye, but they cared more about his actions and character instead of how his features.
The Monk, once again, paid no mind to their gossip, just nodding towards whomever he walked by as he went straight outside.
"Hmm?"
As soon as he stepped outside and onto the pathway, he couldn't help but scowl as he felt a threatening pressure in the distance. It was right at the gate, and it was an aura familiar to the monk...
As he walked towards the Gates, he could see some servants around looking at him strangely, whilst their gazes also darted towards the gate with worry.
As soon as he opened them, he smiled, finally remembering why the presence was so 'familiar'.
"King Guo! Fancy meeting you here! I was just about to come to pay you a visit!" The monk, his palms brought together in prayer whilst greeting the King with a smile. The tense atmosphere seemed to die down immediately when the monk stepped out of the gates.
"Sage Mo... You sure are hard to meet!" Guo Zhu had personally come to him. And from his tone, he was not exactly pleased.
He was dressed in golden robes, and even wearing his crown. He managed to keep the same regal appearance even when walking among the lower nobles of the Middle Ring.
He had come alone by the look of it, having rushed there as soon as he received news that Mo Yangling had somehow returned.
The monk just shrugged, not really bothered by the King's tone. It wasn't like he had received any specific orders to stay within the Capital after receiving his title.
He didn't even ask for a title or anything, the King had really only played himself.
The monk's gaze then turned to the side, where the former Enforcer Qiu was on one knee, holding her arm, which was twisted in the wrong direction.
Tears ran down the short woman's eyes as her robes were caked with dust and her sabre lay in pieces on the ground.
"... Guo Zhu... Why is my one and only Guard in such a state?"
The monk's gaze turned cold, his smile vanishing as he turned towards the King, whose demeanour was still filled with anger.
"I merely punished her for disobeying orders and not bringing you to me the moment you returned to the mansion... The fact that she is your guard is the only reason she is alive."
Qiu paled slightly when hearing her King's words, tears started falling from her beady eyes. Tears of pain, frustration and fear.
With every word he spoke, the king seemed to exude more and more pressure towards her, as if making a point. The aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator, even if not fully displayed, still made it difficult for her to breathe.
The King's oppressive aura was quite pronounced as he spoke, even the enforcers behind him trembled.
"Guo Zhu... Since when did you reserve the right to punish those under my employ?"
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Heyoo, sorry bout yesterday.
Slowly started to write on my other story, the Naruto FF, had to go through and re-read it tho, also will have to work on it a bit as well, I kinda neglected the f out of it tbh, so that's not good
If you want to support me and read up to 25 chapters ahead you can find me on Patr_eon by looking up 'VeganMaster'