“I’m better than them.” The hand loosened weakly.
That was the truth. Seeing that he couldn't hold on any longer, wouldn't it be a pity if his hard-won disciple died now? He also wondered if his bones and muscles were damaged. In a panic, Jin Yue picked him up and dragged him away.
.
Inside the Ning family courtyard, the two stood facing each other.
Jin Yue said, "You may wish to become my disciple, but you must do one thing first."
Ning Yu said, "I will obey your orders."
Jin Yue laughed: "I want you to go to the shop next to the Yu family's money exchange and rob something."
Ning Yu was stunned: "Rob?"
Jin Yue said, "If you're going to be a thief, you can't be afraid of being discovered or ashamed. The more afraid you are, the easier it is to fail. Which thief hasn't been caught or beaten? That's what it means to ask you to rob someone."
He patted Ning Yu on the shoulder: "Remember, you're a thief now."
"I'm already a thief, what does it matter? What's there to be afraid of being laughed at?" Ning Yu remained silent for a while, then nodded: "I'll go."
Jin Yue laughed and emphasized, "You have to snatch it in front of others."
"I see."
.
The once-renowned Young Master Ning has now become a thief, and he's even robbing people in broad daylight! The city is buzzing with gossip, the tone less full of pity and more scornful.
On the high platform, the two stood by the railing, with the entire city scenery spread out before them.
Jin Yue said, "You will leave this place with me tomorrow."
Ning Yu nodded: "Okay."
Jin Yue said, "Now Miss Wen must be even more disappointed."
Ning Yu smiled: "Whether others are disappointed or not is none of my business."
Jin Yue nodded: "Now that you've thought it through, then become my apprentice."
Ning Yu immediately knelt down and bowed three times: "Disciple greets Master."
Jin Yue did not refuse: "You are not in a hurry. I have two more things to do. Can you do them?"
Ning Yu said, "Just give the order, Master."
Jin Yue said, "First, one should not drink more than three cups of wine."
Ning Yu said, "I won't drink."
Jin Yue nodded: "Our Thousand Hands Sect relies on our hands for theft, hidden weapons, disguise, and poison. If we drink too much alcohol, our hands won't be as nimble."
Ning Yu asked, "Second?"
Jin Yue said, "Secondly, since you have joined the Thousand Hands Sect and will inherit everything from me in the future, you should forget everything from the past, your worthless calligraphy and painting, your articles, and..." He paused, his words carrying a profound meaning.
Ning Yu replied, "This disciple understands."
Jin Yue nodded: "That's good, Ning Yu..."
Ning Yu interrupted him: "Master, who is Ning Yu?"
"This brat probably thinks stealing disgraces the family and won't use his real name, huh? If it weren't for me saving you back then, you'd be dead by now. What family honor are you talking about!" Jin Yue cursed inwardly, but smiled outwardly: "Alright, then what's your name?"
Ning Yu said, "This disciple has no name. I beg Master to bestow one upon me."
Jin Yue pondered for a moment, then turned and saw the river shimmering in the sunlight. A thought struck him: "The leaders of the Thousand Hands Sect have all changed their surname to Jin. Now I only have you as my disciple, so it's good that you changed it sooner rather than later. I've heard you scholars say, 'Even if you spend all your money, it will come back again.' Those rich people, even if they have a lot of money, it will just rot in their coffers. We, the members of the Thousand Hands Sect, all rely on our own abilities to take the world's surplus wealth for our own use. The world's wealth is inexhaustible, so what's wrong with spending a fortune? You shall be called Jin Huanlai, how about it?"
"Thank you for bestowing this name upon me, Master. I will call myself Jin Huanlai."
Ning Yu will no longer exist in this world; only Jin Huanlai will remain.
Shut up if you have a toxic reputation
Amidst the bright lights and bustling sounds, the air is thick with the scent of perfume and cosmetics. This is a well-known brothel in the city. Rows of young and charming women stand by the railings upstairs, while downstairs, the flow of customers is somewhat chaotic. Besides the usual playboys, all sorts of people come from different walks of life, each accompanied by more than one girl, either gambling, joking, or embracing as they walk upstairs to their rooms.
As the girls dressed in their finest attire left one after another, the madam beamed with joy. These were all prominent figures who disliked such occasions, so they had specially sent people to pick them up, paying twice the price.
Suddenly, a ragged young man appeared out of nowhere, grabbing one of the girls and refusing to let go: "happy Mei!"
The girl immediately burst into tears: "Second brother, save me! I want to get out!"
After this commotion, people immediately went up to pull them apart.
"It's that brat again!" The madam put her hands on her hips. "Once you're inside, you're all my daughters. There are no younger sisters here. Get out, get out!"
The man knelt down, crawled to the front, and kowtowed repeatedly: "Please, please let her go, please..."
"I bought this man with my own money, you get what you pay for. If you have money..." The madam cursed as she waved her hand, "Where are they? They're ruining business. Get this poor boy out of here right now!"
"Who's the poor kid?" came the cold voice.
Everyone turned to look.
The speaker was a young man dressed in black, wearing an extremely wide black cloak. He had high eyebrows, a straight nose, and bright, star-like eyes. His handsome face was smiling, but there was a hint of roguishness in his smile.
He leaned casually against the stair railing and asked with a smile, "Who are you calling a poor kid?"
The madam, a seasoned prostitute, knew who to avoid. Upon seeing the exquisite fabric and the gold-inlaid jade belt, she immediately smiled obsequiously, saying, "I'm just scolding this ignorant, poor boy."
A poor kid? He sneered, "How much is she worth?"
The madam paused, misunderstanding his meaning: "Miss Xi already has a date with a gentleman tonight, and it's her first time. Would you like to choose someone else..."
Before she could finish speaking, a stack of silver notes was thrown at her face.
"Is one thousand taels enough to buy her as a person?"
The girl was beautiful, but not exceptionally so. Why would he spend so much money on her? Was this man a sucker? Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and the girls upstairs whispered amongst themselves. The madam's mouth gaped open. Had she heard correctly? This girl only cost fifty taels, and he wanted a thousand?
"Not enough?" He casually pulled out another stack of bills, raising an eyebrow. "Add another thousand, or forget it."
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Fortunately, the madam snapped out of her daze at the crucial moment, realizing she had encountered a money god. Her face beamed with joy as she quickly took the silver notes and stuffed them away. She then gave the men a meaningful look, signaling them to release the crying girl. After praising their good judgment, she asked, "Young master, will you take her away now?"
Upon hearing this, the man on the ground cried even harder and embraced the girl tightly.
The man in black said impatiently, "You've been making a scene all day, and I'm losing my temper. I've already redeemed her for you, so hurry up and take her away. What are you crying about?"
Everyone nearly fainted. So, he spent so much money to redeem someone else?
"Poor kid?" The man in black walked past the madam, chuckled maliciously, and strode out the door.
The madam was both surprised and delighted, completely unaware of the terrible misfortune that was about to befall her. The next day, she was unable to utter another curse, and this situation lasted for a whole year.
.
On a platform about half a person's height, made of gold bars and bricks, sits a pot of beautiful and precious white begonia flowers. The petals are white jade, the stamens are made of gold threads, and there are about ten flowers in total. The leaves are carved from jade, and the branches are made of a precious red coral tree. Even the pot is made of agate and filled with many pearl and jade shavings as soil.
Jin leaned back in his chair, his feet on the table, his wide black robe trailing on the ground, making him look like a giant bat.
He admired his spoils, his expression relaxed and pleased: "Exquisite craftsmanship, exquisite craftsmanship!"
But he quickly lost interest and sighed, "Gold and silver are still the most practical."
This thing is just something rich people with nothing better to do, using silver to pass the time. It's only pretty to look at, it's neither edible nor usable, and it'll just rot away. Why don't you do a good deed, Mr. Jin, and enjoy it for me? Hmm, let me calculate, it could sell for over a hundred thousand taels.
He rolled his eyes.
Anyway, only wealthy people can afford it. It's just sitting there unused. Why not have the old man pick it up again in a few days and then resell it?
Besides the precious white begonia, there were countless rare treasures all around, each of considerable value, many of which were unidentifiable. There were six top-grade coral trees alone, haphazardly placed in the corners and on the ground. Then there were the gold bricks paving the floor, scattered with countless luminous pearls that emitted a soft glow, illuminating the entire room as bright as day. Even the chair he sat on was inlaid with gold and Western gemstones. The entire room was filled with gold and jewels, gleaming brilliantly.
"Poor kid?" He chuckled coldly, casually grabbing a handful of luminous pearls the size of pigeon eggs and tossing them out. They hit the wall with a crackling sound.
Curse? Grandpa Jin will tell you to shut up for a year.
With a crisp sound, the jade ruyi struck the wall and shattered.
I'm in a great mood.
He clapped his hands and stood up: "I'm rich, I love to spend money like water, so what?"
There is always an endless supply of money and countless treasures here. Almost every month, new things are thrown into the room, each worth more than a thousand gold pieces, some even priceless.
Jewels are endless, yet the room is never full.
.
Two years ago, Jin Yue brought him into this room: "These are the things you obtained from each mission over the past three years. I put them all in this room, and you can take them now."
Gold, silver, jade, agate, Western gemstones, and so on—a dazzling array of items, so bright and beautiful, that they practically filled the room.
He was dazzled and stunned by what he saw.
Jin Yue slapped him across the face and cursed, "You brat, you're the future leader of the Thousand Hands Sect, what are a few measly things worth? Stop acting like an idiot!"
"You!" he glared, then finally came to his senses, his face filled with anticipation. "I'm going to fill it up."
Without hesitation, Jin Yue slapped him again.
He covered his face and jumped away: "What are you doing!"
Jin Yue sneered: "Have you forgotten that when we were starving to death, money was meant to be spent, not just displayed? When our founder Jin Sihai established the Thousand Hands Sect, that was his original intention. Our Thousand Hands Sect takes the world's wealth for our own use and manipulates the world's treasures in the palm of our hands, not to make you a miser for them."
He said, word by word, "Remember, this room should never be filled."
Jin was still in a daze: "But there's so much, how am I supposed to spend it all?"
Jin Yue laughed and patted him on the shoulder: "People always complain about having too much money, not too little. The money is yours, so you should learn how to use it. Take a hundred gold bars and exchange them for silver. You should spend them all tonight."
Before Jin could refute him, he added sarcastically, "If you have an extra ounce left, you'll be in agony tomorrow."
Jin was stunned for two seconds, then seemed to understand something. He immediately looked down to check his body and yelled, "You actually gave me 'Soul-Chasing Powder'!"
"The reaction was much faster than last time," Jin Yue said with satisfaction. "Since you know this is 'Soul-Chasing Powder,' you should understand that I am the only one in the entire sect who possesses this antidote."
Jin retorted angrily, "You're getting more and more vicious!"
“It’s rare that my good disciple understands,” Jin Yue turned and left. “Spending money is easy, why do I need to teach you? You can eat well, drink well, find women, and even do your good deeds. You can spend money like water. You can try it.”
.