After another night of Ren Yuan climbing Shao Cheng's bed without knowing the dangerous consequences of his actions, everyone is prepared to travel outside the Capital after eating a healthy breakfast.

"... Whitey, did you tell your family that I will be coming along with you wearing a disguise?"

Ren Yuan's lips twitched after receiving various gazes from the young man's family after standing in front of the carriage prepared for them to use.

Particularly the sharp and profound look from the twin Madams, the angry gaze of the oldest son of the Shao Family, and the contemplating look from the second son.

"No, somehow, they just figured it out."

Shao Cheng didn't know how to feel about the way his father, twin mothers, brothers, and sisters had been able to identify Ren Yuan every single time he was in disguise.

Even after using various skills or objects to change the man's height, physical body, and the contours of his face to deceive other people from guessing his real identity, they just didn't work out to fulfill their purpose.

Well, the main problem was the fact that other than Ren Yuan, there were no other people aside from his family who could easily get close to his side.

… This won't do… my actions are becoming easy to predict… I should start getting closer to other people in order to become more unpredictable in the future.

Shao Cheng understood that he couldn't continue being close to Ren Yuan alone; in order to deceive the people the way he wanted to, he needed to show that he also had other acquaintances beside him.

Sooner or later, someone will use and target Ren Yuan in order to get close to him.

Even though Shao Cheng didn't have power in his own hands, it was undoubtedly a fact that he was greatly favored in the Shao Family. Among the hidden enemies with malicious intentions, there was bound to be a person who would dare to use him in order to trample and harm the Shao Family.

Using their closest person was the best way to destroy a person, or family.

There was also the fact that sometimes, the useless or weak person whom some proud or conceited people completely ignored as they focused only on the people that can match and threaten them, could also be used as the greatest weapon to completely plunge them to despair.

Shao Cheng had experienced countless sinister and insidious ways to deal with enemies, particularly when pulling a person or family down.

Especially when Shao Cheng had also used such schemes and means in his previous life. To win and survive in the chaotic era of fighting over rights, status, and power, one couldn't simply imagine how most of the people could have no bottom line.

Shortly, Shao Cheng entered the carriage, followed by the disguised Ren Yuan, Shao Cai, and an awkward Shao Chia who wanted to stay with her fourth brother.

In the planned travel of the entire Shao Family, there were three carriages prepared. The first one was for the Twin Madams while the second one was for the first and second Young Lady of the Shao Family.

As for Shao Yan and Shao Chonglin, they had planned to ride the horses along with their father, Shao Yin, followed by other guards.

"Third Brother, how is your left arm?"

Knowing the inside story of the real cause of the supposedly broken left arm, Shao Cai worriedly asked with a pitiful expression on his face.

While Shao Chia only glanced at her injured third brother and secretly labeled how weak he really was, and wondered if she should start protecting him whenever she had the time.

After all, no matter how deep the grievance she felt from the indifference and heartlessness her third brother showed all these years, it didn't change the fact that they were a family.

Without knowing it, she was completely fooled by the weak impression through which Shao Cheng wanted to deceive the people around him.

"Don't worry, I'll get better soon."

Shao Cheng showed a small smile towards his worried younger brother before taking a sip of the prepared tea by a disguised Ren Yuan who was able to quickly adapt to his maidservant status.

Of course, the rather childish 'Praise Me, I'm Doing A Great Job' on his face had also lightened his mood.

Even though the urge to beat the man to death didn't disappear, and yet, after accepting the troublesome feelings, his eyes had also started to become blind and sometimes found the man's actions simply adorable.

He was starting to experience the horror of the famous idiom on Earth that 'love is blind'1.

Fortunately, the rest of the trip was peaceful, the usually unreasonable and annoying Ren Yuan had obediently behaved. Well, the prepared potato chips worked their magic after using it to bribe a certain someone.

After two hours of traveling, everyone finally arrived underneath a tall mountain where the Famous Temple had been built. And Shao Cheng could only sigh at the magnificent long stone staircase that reached the highest point of the mountain.

Fortunately, there were four parts of temples around the mountain aside from the highest one where extremely important people with special identities could visit, after all, it was the place where the High Priestess usually stayed while away from the Capital.

So, only the Royal Families, Highest Ranked Civil and Military Officials, and people with great merits to the Empire had the privilege to climb and stay at the peak.

As for the other four parts, the Temple built at the lowest part of the Mountain was for the commoners and merchants to visit. Of course, if there was a noble who wanted to visit the first Temple, they could also go there.

Then the second to the fourth Temples depended on aristocrat's ranks and merits, where the people with higher status could also visit the other Temple that didn't surpass their status.

In a world with hierarchy, it wasn't a surprising rule and regulation. Especially when the entire Mountain was the most sacred place where the Honorable High Priestess usually resided in the Chang Empire.

"... This is why I don't like coming to this place. It's annoying to climb the stairs every single time."

Although there was also a place where a carriage and sedan chairs could travel, there was a long tradition that even with high status, everyone had to climb the long stairs. Of course, people with different ranks had different starting points.

Even the Emperor needed to walk the stairs, although he could ride the carriage all the way up the mountain, only getting off at the stairs that lead to the highest Temple.

"By the way, when did you start wearing that red bracelet on your wrist?"

While climbing the long staircase that led to the fourth Temple, Shao Cheng quickly put his right hand away from the curious Ren Yuan who wanted to touch the beautiful red bracelet on his right wrist.

"It's Goldy."

"... Goldy?"

While Ren Yuan showed a confused expression on his face, Shao Cheng glanced at his family that had walked ahead, leaving the two of them to walk last. Of course, he noticed the 'Fight! You Can Do It!' cheering expression from his twin Mothers who were giving them a profound look.

At the same time, they were also pulling his first and second brothers from bothering them with scary expressions on their faces.

Shao Cheng didn't need to dig deeper into the meaning behind his Twin Mothers' actions and was resigned at their misunderstanding regarding his relationship and intentions toward Ren Yuan.

What could he do besides remaining oblivious at his Twin Mothers' scheme of winning Ren Yuan as their daughter-in-law?

"It's my new pet. Brother Yuan, let me introduce Goldy."

Shao Cheng gently shook the baby snake on his right wrist that had been trained to remain unmoving and unresponsive despite being easy to surprise and scare, of course, it wasn't perfect enough, but he could safely take him along.

So in Ren Yuan growing horrified eyes, the supposedly red bracelet had come alive and turned into the appearance of the deadliest and the most lethal snake in their entire Continent in just a split second.

And even though the small head of the snake swayed to the side in an adorable manner while making a small hiss, he could only focus on the beautiful crimson scales on the tiny snake along with its well-known feature, the gold spot between the deadliest snake's forehead.

Oh… that was where Whitey got the name 'Goldy', huh… %&^*&!!!

What the hell! Why are you allowing the deadliest snake to act as your bracelet as if it was normal???

"Don't suddenly touch Goldy… he easily gets scared and tends to bite without warning."

Even though Ren Yuan's face had turned extremely pale from horror, which was extremely rare and genuine, Shao Cheng continued to explain the important character of the baby snake happily swaying on his wrist.

Hiss!

'Mama Bug! It's finally nice to meet you! Big Brother Purple had mentioned you a lot!'

"Oh, if Brother Yuan needs to take care of someone in an instant, Goldy venom is the easi-!"

Swish!

Suddenly, Shao Cheng dumbfoundedly watched as the baby snake in his right wrist suddenly flew toward the forest on the side of the long staircase by a powerful gust of wind that came on his left side.

'Ah!!! Papa B-Bug! … S-Save me!!! Waaah!!!'

When Shao Cheng swiftly moved to catch the baby snake in the air, there was a sudden pull on his robe, followed by Ren Yuan's worried voice.

"Do you want to die???"

Although he understood where the man was getting at, but, the baby snake had its importance so he couldn't easily allow something wrong to happen to it.

So, he was determined to pull the robes away that Ren Yuan was grasping and step toward the place where the baby snake had landed.

However, an unexpected misfortune occurred, from the pulling away and being pulled movements between them.

The two embarrassingly and surprisingly lost balance, thus the next accident that happened shouldn't have been surprising.

"...Eh?"

"...Fuck!"

Shao Cheng openly swore as he found himself losing a footing, before a pull followed after, thus, it wasn't surprising when he began to rapidly roll down the staircase, which was followed by a dumbfounded Ren Yuan who didn't predict the sudden circumstances.

"Ahhh!"

"..."

… I want to beat someone to death...

Hearing the loud noise behind, the Shao Family turned around and witnessed their son/brother rapidly roll down the staircase, along with the disguised Ren Yuan who seemed to be having fun despite the supposedly embarrassing situation.

Origin

This expression was first used by Geoffrey Chaucer in Merchant's Tale in 1405. However, it gained popularity after Shakespeare used it in many of his plays during the late 1500s and early 1600s.