Chapter 6: A Household Guard? Beat Him Up!

Chu Danqing sent the two maidservants away; he was about to open a treasure chest, and it was not suitable for outsiders to be present.

[You have opened: Treasure Chest (Excellent Grade), and received: Xiliang Infantry Armor, Paradise Points ×1700]

[Xiliang Infantry Armor]
[Type: Equipment · Armor]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Durability: 100/100]
[Attributes]
[Defense: 20]
[Effects]
[Cloth-Wrapped (Passive): Agility +1]
[Equipment Requirements: Strength 7, Constitution 7]

Chu Danqing took a brief look and tossed it into his storage space. While wearing it would indeed grant a +1 bonus to Agility, it was not a permanent increase; the effect would vanish the moment he took it off. Compared to Agility, he needed the extra 10 points of defense more, and since Dabao couldn't wear it either, he would just have to sell it later.

"The hierarchy of treasure chests is truly realistic." The Excellent-grade chest from the Qingya Bandit Stronghold and the one from the Cave Beast Priest were worlds apart. This was only natural; the items yielded by a treasure chest were tied to the group of beings killed. What standing did those bandits have to be compared to a Cave Beast Priest?

"Still, it's much better than the one-thousand-point floor," Chu Danqing thought, feeling quite satisfied as he watched his Paradise Points tick upward.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

A knocking sound came from outside. Dabao stood up to open the door.

"You, what for?" Dabao lowered his head, looking at a burly man holding a food box.

The man’s expression stiffened, and he forced a strained smile. "Bringing you some food."

Dabao reached out to take the box and casually closed the door.

"He, wanted to fight, got scared away." Dabao placed the food box on the table, and Chu Danqing took it out to set it before him. Dabao’s hands were too large to reach inside, so Chu Danqing had to do the honors.

"It was likely a show of force, or perhaps he was instigated by someone else," Chu Danqing mused, calculating how to handle the situation. One should not have the heart to harm others, but one must always have the heart to guard against them.

Dabao ate voraciously, dumping everything into his mouth in a few quick bites. "Average," he commented.

"Well, it's ancient times, so that's normal," Chu Danqing understood. How could ancient food compare to the various seasonings of the modern era? A single bag of MSG could turn a chef into a culinary god in ancient times. The claims about ancient food being "organic and better" were myths; one shouldn't mistake modern agricultural scientists and botanists for mere window dressing. Modern crops not only provided higher yields but also far surpassed ancient ones in flavor. While the ancients might have been clever, their culinary prowess was debatable. At best, they had access to rare ingredients that modern people might miss, but in terms of pure flavor, a modern snack street could likely hold its own. The wisdom of modern technology and "ruthless additives" was beyond the imagination of any ancient chef.

"Not full," Dabao muttered again.

Chu Danqing retrieved a significant amount of food from his storage space. Dabao’s consumption didn't come from nothing; he required a large intake of food every day to maintain his strength. However, he could also consume massive quantities at once to store as nutritional reserves. Chu Danqing was considering sourcing a batch of high-nutrition, easily absorbed compressed rations to reduce the volume and frequency of Dabao’s meals. In truth, that wasn't the best solution; the ideal approach would be to feed Dabao medicinal meals prepared with heavenly treasures and rare herbs. Unfortunately, he had none, so Dabao would have to make do for now.

As Dabao continued to eat, another knock came at the door.

This time, Chu Danqing opened it himself. The visitor, seeing that it wasn't Dabao, visibly relaxed. "You must be Mr. Chu, the eccentric talent that the young lady brought into the estate."

"I wouldn't call myself a talent, but yes, that is me," Chu Danqing did not deny it. "And who might you be?"

"I am Gao Jie, the head of the guards for the Lu family. I heard that the young master requested the position of guest advisor for you from the master, and I find it quite unjust."

"I came to see what sort of tricks and methods you possess," Gao Jie said, cupping his hands and stating his intentions plainly. The Lu family was not without guest advisors, but each one was a person of great renown. How could Chu Danqing, a nameless youngster, hold such a position? He feared that Chu Danqing had used underhanded methods to deceive the young master and lady of the Lu family, so he had come to test him. He had previously sent a guard, but the man had been scared off, claiming there was a talking beast inside.

"Dabao, beat him," Chu Danqing stepped aside, clearing space for Dabao to move.

Only then did Gao Jie notice the massive figure of Dabao in the room, but it was too late. Dabao charged forward without a word, swinging a massive, red-furred fist toward Gao Jie’s chest.

Gao Jie’s expression changed abruptly. He opened his mouth to say something, but the fist had already landed on his chest. The force sent him flying backward. Dabao was faster; he grabbed Gao Jie by the leg, yanked him back, and slammed his face into the wall.

He let Gao Jie slump to the ground, then stepped back to Chu Danqing’s side. "Beating done."

Dabao’s intelligence was limited, but he could distinguish between "killing" and "beating." Killing meant taking a life; beating meant teaching a lesson. He had controlled his strength well to avoid killing or causing permanent injury.

Gao Jie climbed up, bruised and battered, feeling pain all over his body.

"Head Guard Gao, you're not very capable, are you?" Chu Danqing mocked. "With these three-legged cat skills of yours, how can you protect the house?"

Chu Danqing was no pushover; if someone came to provoke him, he wouldn't offer them a kind face. Furthermore, he had been invited by Lu Yin and Lu Qiaoyun; he wasn't going to let an employee question his employers' hiring choices. Since the other party was rude, Chu Danqing had no intention of being overly polite.

Under Chu Danqing’s words, Gao Jie’s face turned from blue to white. He glanced warily at Dabao, knowing it would be unwise to offend them further. He steeled himself and said, "It was my own arrogance. Mr. Chu is indeed a man of extraordinary talent."

That was right; he had conceded. He had no intention of fighting to the bitter end. In his view, Chu Danqing’s skill in taming exotic beasts made his position as a Lu family guest advisor a certainty. They would be working for the same family in the future, and since his status was lower, if he didn't want a difficult life ahead, it was best to apologize and curry favor. Besides, the Lu family would certainly know who was more valuable: a head of guards or a guest advisor.

Chu Danqing hadn't expected Gao Jie to not only endure the beating but also take the blame upon himself. He was a talented man; it was no wonder he had managed to become a head of guards in a noble family.

"Head Guard Gao is too kind. I just hope there won't be a next time," Chu Danqing said, maintaining his composure. His attitude remained cold; since the man had come to provoke him, he couldn't expect Chu Danqing to just forget it on the spot. Not making things any more difficult was already an act of great magnanimity on Chu Danqing's part.