To be frank, he is no fool. However, the thoughts of Lord Long City are of no concern to him; obtaining tangible benefits is what truly matters.
In the Lord's Mansion at this moment, the Dragon Blood Guards have already delivered the results of their investigation.
"Young Master, three of the twelve teams involved in the attack on the Tianmang envoy failed. Both of our operatives sent from Donglin City were killed."
"According to the actual investigation by the Dragon Blood Guards, the martial practitioner in the Profound Realm who came to collect the annual tribute in Donglin City unexpectedly possessed a Profound Realm demonic beast. It was our oversight!"
"How about Lu Li?"
"Reporting, Young Master, Lu Li was hiding in the distance at that time and did not enter the battlefield, so he is unharmed. Earlier today, we sent someone to Lu Li's home to verify this matter."
"Good, as long as he's safe. Continue investigating the news about the Tianmang Twelve Forts, and there must be no more mistakes. The person responsible for investigating the envoy in the direction of Donglin City last time has been killed!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Lu Li naturally remained unaware of the matters in the Lord's Mansion. With an ample supply of Qi-Gathering Pills, Lu Li had taken two bottles of Revitalizing Pills today and arrived at the courtyard where his mother resided.
"The Master has arrived, please come in!"
As soon as Lu Li knocked on the door, he saw the rescued women from the Flying Tiger Gang bow deeply upon seeing him.
He wasn't sure who among them first addressed him as the Master, but it caught on quickly, and soon everyone was addressing him as such.
Their gratitude towards him was genuine, and Lu Li appreciated the attentiveness of these girls towards his mother. It was akin to acquiring a few maids who were grateful and knew how to express it.
"Sister Mei, is Mr. Chen and his daughter here?"
Chen Kang and Chen Axiu also resided in this courtyard. On one hand, someone had to stay here, and both of them were martial practitioners, making Lu Li feel more at ease.
On the other hand, there were tasks that some women found inconvenient to perform, and they required the assistance of the two. These tasks often involved physical exertion, though it was easy for martial practitioners.
"Master, I'll go call them!"
"As long as they are here. I also need to greet my mother!"
Lu Li entered the courtyard, first went to see his mother, exchanged pleasantries, and then gave his mother a shoulder massage before going to find Mr. and Miss Chen.
"Chen Kang, Axiu, this is for both of you!"
Lu Li handed a bottle of Revitalizing Pills to each of them, containing fifty pills each. With the wealth accumulated from his recent exploits, Lu Li was generous in his actions.
Of course, what he gave them couldn't be compared to what he gave Xiao Zhao.
Chen Kang and Axiu opened the bottles, and Chen Kang immediately knelt down in gratitude. Lu Li held him up; he appreciated Chen Kang because of his sense of responsibility, and his loyalty was rapidly approaching seventy.
On the other hand, Axiu expressed her thanks without kneeling, surprising Lu Li. This girl rarely looked at him directly.
After handing out the gifts, Lu Li intended to leave but checked their loyalty levels first. Chen Kang's loyalty had surpassed seventy, reaching seventy-two.
When Lu Li looked at Axiu, her loyalty had also increased. The troublesome zero had finally changed and turned into a seven.
"Sigh, I didn't expect Axiu's loyalty growth to be so simple. If I had known, I would have given her gifts earlier!"
Seeing that loyalty could increase so easily, Lu Li decided not to leave immediately. He took out two more bottles.
"These are for you both as well!"
Chen Kang and Axiu opened the bottles and found Qi-Gathering Pills inside, pills used to break through small realms. Moreover, there were not just one, but five pills in each bottle!
Chen Kang, who had been a leader of the Blackwater Gang for more than a decade, couldn't help but tremble a bit. Although he had been the leader, he never accumulated much wealth. The five Qi-Gathering Pills he received were the first of their kind for him.
"Thank you, Young Master!"
Chen Kang tried to kneel again, but Lu Li refused. Loyalty was crucial, and Lu Li deeply understood its significance. At this moment, he held a principle with the Chen father and daughter: spare no effort to increase their loyalty towards him.
"I didn't expect you both to be so good!"
Axiu's words made Lu Li feel delighted. Of course, he had no interest in this young girl, only in her loyalty.
Lu Li quickly checked their loyalty levels. After giving the gifts, Chen Kang's loyalty soared to seventy-two, and Axiu's, surprisingly, had increased as well, now standing at seven.
"Unbelievable, Axiu's loyalty growth is so simple. If I had known, I wouldn't have worried so much these past few days."
For girls, he needed to cajole and deceive, give gifts, and lavish praise. How did he forget this truth?
Dismissing his frivolous thoughts, Lu Li immediately changed his expression to a warm and pleasant one, taking out a box of rouge from the system space.
"Axiu, you're growing up. This is not a bandit's den; this rouge from Nanzhou is of high quality!"
Axiu shook her head, and Lu Li handed it to her.
"If you don't know how to use it, let the sisters in the courtyard teach you! A girl should have a girl's appearance, especially someone like Axiu, naturally beautiful. If you know how to dress up, you'll surely attract admiration!"
Chen Axiu blushed rarely, glancing at Lu Li.
"You really can't praise people!"
This girl could also feel shy. Lu Li quickly checked her loyalty again, and it had increased once more, nearly reaching thirty.
Lu Li made up his mind and continued to give them some jewelry and a round of sweet words. Axiu's cheeks turned even redder, and her loyalty skyrocketed to sixty-two in less than an hour. Can you believe it?
For such remarkable results, Lu Li couldn't help but burst into laughter outside the courtyard after leaving. Chen Axiu's loyalty had increased to sixty-two in less than an hour, unbelievable.
With such significant progress, Lu Li had only spent two bottles of pills and some items for the girls.
Indeed, he had chosen the right path, and the results were outstanding.
After Lu Li left, Chen Kang looked at Axiu.
"Axiu, go dress up and change into a daughter's attire. We're going to Young Master's place today!"
"Dad, why?"
"There are plenty of people here serving the Madam, and we have enough manpower. However, over at the Young Master's place, there are only two maids, and neither of them knows martial arts!"
"Alright!"
Axiu obeyed her father's words, mostly because the aphrodisiac Lu Li had given her was effective. At this moment, she didn't dislike Lu Li and
even faintly wanted to talk more with this young master.
The several women rescued from the Flying Tiger Gang in the courtyard were originally from decent backgrounds, and they were skilled in makeup. With the help of a few girls, Axiu soon changed into a daughter's attire. This was the first time she had dressed this way.
Back in Blackwater Gang and surrounded by bandits, she had always worn men's clothing. After entering Donglin City, she got used to it, but the male attire had remained unchanged.
"Axiu, you look so beautiful!"
"Yes, with this change of clothes, you're almost unrecognizable!"
"Simply a heavenly beauty!"
"Wearing like this, Young Master will surely like it!"
"Yes, but the rest of us are all withered flowers. If only we could also serve Young Master!"
The words "withered flowers" slipped out, and the person who spoke immediately realized her slip of the tongue. The house fell silent for a moment.