Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 44: Pingbo Dragon King

Baihe City, Governor’s Mansion.

"Ah..."

Zhang Yao yawned and drowsily woke up from the luxurious bed.

He pushed away several soft white arms on him, got out of bed, and called out:

"Come, someone, help your master get dressed."

Soon, several beautiful maids who were always ready in the outer room came in and deftly attended to Zhang Yao.

Under the service of many maids, Zhang Yao put on his luxurious brocade clothes, then leisurely headed to the toilet, opened his robes, and relieved himself.

On the way back, he encountered a few young maids and flirted with them, making them blush and run away shyly.

"Hahaha..."

Zhang Yao laughed heartily, full of satisfaction, sniffed the lingering fragrance on his fingertips, and strolled to the front hall.

Originally, the Governor’s Mansion had many servants and old maids, but he sent them all away. Now, the entire mansion had over a hundred young maids dedicated to serving him alone.

"Does this count as a villain thriving on temporary success?"

At this thought, Zhang Yao couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

As a distinguished Martial Arts Grandmaster, he certainly doesn’t consider himself a villain.

Living as the governor does bring satisfaction, and it was the most comfortable time in both his lives over several decades.

If he had stayed in Changping City back then, he might have lived such a luxurious life, but it wouldn’t have been as comfortable as now.

The power of a grandmaster is enough to suppress any dissent; no one in Baihe City dares to openly defy his orders, and a single word from him makes the major forces tremble with fear.

"Master, please have your meal."

When Zhang Yao arrived at the front hall, a delicately prepared breakfast was already ready.

A total of eighteen dishes, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, each beautifully presented and rich in color, aroma, and flavor, especially the locally steamed carp, which is a must for Zhang Yao at every meal.

The entire Governor’s Mansion exists solely to serve him, and no matter how late he sleeps or when he wants to eat, he can always have his meals readily available.

"Even though I slept till the sun was high, I still need to eat breakfast."

Zhang Yao picked up his chopsticks and started eating quickly, slurping down several bowls of congee.

The white congee he ate was made from pearl rice mixed with ginseng root, lightly sweet and nutritious, costing ten silver taels just for the ingredients, a luxury unimaginable to ordinary people.

"Master."

As he was eating, a charming female steward came over, leaned in, and with a fragrant breath, said:

"Cao Bang’s Captain Sun personally came with a message, saying that the Gang Leader is here and wants to arrange a time to meet you."

"The Gang Leader of Cao Bang? The ’Pingbo Dragon King’?"

Zhang Yao paused, thoughtfully saying, "Indeed, it’s about time he came."

He waved his hand casually, saying, "Alright, arrange to meet him in an hour."

"Yes."

After the charming female steward left, Zhang Yao quickly finished his breakfast and went for a walk in the back garden, taking the opportunity to play chess with a few pretty maids.

After eight years in Jiangdu, he developed a liking for chess and storytelling, hobbies he maintained to this day.

If he wanted to listen to storytelling, a famous storyteller from Baihe City would come to the Governor’s Mansion to perform for him alone within fifteen minutes at his word.

If he wanted to play chess, the major noble families would thoughtfully send young maids, proficient in guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, to please his interests.

In the pavilion in the garden:

"Hahaha, you lost again, admit defeat and take off your clothes."

"Oh, master, you’re cheating again..."

"Nonsense, your master is highly skilled at chess, especially at breaking through the defenses and capturing the dragon. Tonight, I’ll show you..."

......

An hour later.

Zhang Yao changed into a brocade robe and arrived at the main hall of the Governor’s Mansion.

A middle-aged man in his forties, with a dignified face and jet-black hair and beard, tall and well-built, was sitting on a Taishi chair, resting with his eyes closed, at ease.

At a glance, he resembled a sleeping, mighty lion, exuding a captivatingly oppressive aura.

"Hmm?"

Upon hearing footsteps, he suddenly opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on Zhang Yao, looking him up and down.

"Gang Leader Li? I’ve long admired your reputation!"

Zhang Yao showed a slight smile and saluted with cupped hands.

"I don’t deserve it."

Li Xiaofeng stood up and politely returned the gesture:

"Mr. Li is but a falsely reputed name, unworthy of Brother Zhang’s praise."

After exchanging a few polite words and sitting down again, maids promptly served them fragrant tea.

"This Li Xiaofeng, should be around seventy years old by now, right?"

While chatting with him, Zhang Yao was curious as he observed this renowned overlord of Jiangdu, the "Pingbo Dragon King" who led Cao Bang.

This Li Xiaofeng is undoubtedly a legendary figure.

It is said he came from humble beginnings but was extraordinarily gifted, his life full of ups and downs, stories and biographies were written about him.

Decades ago, Cao Bang was large in number but its power was dispersed, lacked unified direction, and had no grandmaster to anchor it, never regarded by Jiangdu’s Government Office or Business Alliance.

Until Li Xiaofeng rose to prominence:

At fifty, he ascended to the status of grandmaster and immediately employed tough measures to integrate the various divisions, drastically expanding and spreading Cao Bang’s influence in a short time.

By the time Zhang Yao arrived in Jiangdu, Cao Bang’s influence was already deeply rooted, having stood as an equal with the Government Office and Business Alliance for many years.

According to the time estimate:

Li Xiaofeng became the Baihe Squad Leader over thirty years ago, leading his subordinates to eradicate the bandit gang "Black Whirlwind" plaguing Bai Bo Lake, and was about forty at that time.

Now, over thirty years later, Li Xiaofeng should be about seventy, but a grandmaster can preserve vitality, maintaining his youthful appearance similar to someone in their forties.

"Brother Zhang."

After chatting with Zhang Yao for a while, Li Xiaofeng couldn’t resist his curiosity and asked:

"Brother Zhang must have attained grandmaster recently? May I ask your age?"

After Zhang Yao’s sudden emergence, naturally, all sides investigated his background.

Although they couldn’t find his past, he couldn’t hide the three months he rented a small apartment.

Upon learning about his experiences and actions, Li Xiaofeng surmised that Zhang Yao underwent his hundred-day transformation in Baihe City.

Zhang Yao smiled slightly and replied, "I am forty-three years old this year."

He deliberately reported a false age, but even so, it startled Li Xiaofeng.

"Forty-three... No wonder you look so young..."

Li Xiaofeng took a deep breath, marveling:

"Brother Zhang, your talent is truly the greatest I’ve ever seen!"

A forty-three-year-old grandmaster, what does that mean?

It means that the person in front of him likely became an Absolute Peak Expert in his thirties, or even his twenties, which is truly unimaginable.

A thirty-year-old Inner Perfection is already rare; most Absolute Peak Experts catch the tail end of their prime at thirty-four or thirty-five, allowing them to continue practicing External Martial Arts.

He considers himself fortunate and exceptional, yet even so, he pales compared to Zhang Yao’s extraordinary talent.

"Brother Li, you flatter me."

Zhang Yao smiled without explaining further.

In his view, if Li Xiaofeng, with his talent, had focused on self-cultivation in a peaceful setting rather than fighting, he too could have become a grandmaster in his early forties.

However, he would not voluntarily divulge the secrets entailed in this process to others.