Exactly the Same Face

Pei Jingzhi stepped forward, intending to give a reminder.

Or even give him a good reprimand.

However, before he could speak, the man seemed to hear the noise and turned his head first.

At that very moment, Pei Jingzhi's footsteps suddenly halted.

Looking at the person before him, his heart skipped a beat.

This person...

Looked so much like... him!

No, to be precise, he looked like him in his youth!

Just as handsome and dashing as he had been when he was young.

"How could he look so similar?"

"Could he be blood-related to me?"

"A distant nephew?"

At this moment, Pei Jingzhi's mind suddenly became a bit flustered.

Many bad premonitions seemed to flood his mind without warning; however, he still firmly believed in the character of his wife, Madam Liu.

He struggled to control his thoughts and stopped himself from overthinking.

He asked, "Who are you?"

The young man did not answer him immediately. Instead, he looked him up and down with scrutiny and provocation in his eyes, then said coldly, "Here comes another one!"

"And an old one at that."

"Heh!"

"Brother, take my advice. Looking like that, you won't be able to handle Madam Liu. Be a good boy and go back, let me handle it."

"What did you say?"

Pei Jingzhi frowned. These words were so cryptic that he could not make heads or tails of them, but the ominous premonition he had just suppressed surged up again and flooded his heart.

"Pretending you don't understand?"

The man sneered, "Newcomers are all like you, unable to let go, thinking they are some kind of treasure. But once you've seen it and stayed for a while, you'll know..."

"The competitive pressure here is quite high."

"I advise you to just go back."

"At your age, you have no advantage whatsoever. At best, Madam Liu might keep you around for the novelty, but in less than two or three days, you'll be told to get lost."

Pei Jingzhi was even more bewildered, and the panic in his heart grew heavier. Combined with the natural recollection of Dongxiang's previous behavior in his mind, Pei Jingzhi... felt extremely flustered.

Just as he was about to reveal his identity and ask for a clear explanation, he suddenly heard the sound of a great bell and a large drum, echoing loudly throughout the entire Liu Yun Manor.

The man's expression changed. He immediately dropped the stone weights, picked up his clothes, and walked quickly inside while putting them on.

He completely ignored Pei Jingzhi's calls.

Pei Jingzhi could only follow, heading towards the sound of the great bell and drum. Going through corridors and crossing bridges, the man walked too fast. Pei Jingzhi followed for a few steps but lacked the strength, and could only watch helplessly as the man disappeared into the distance.

As a result, he now lost his target.

He had no choice but to continue towards the sound of the great bell and drum.

Just as he turned past a rockery, he saw another different young man, also walking briskly towards the direction of the great bell and drum. This was not strange; after all, it was absolutely impossible for there to be no men in Liu Yun Manor.

But...

This person was also just as young.

His clothes were still untidy, dripping with sweat. Obviously, like the man from before, he had been hiding somewhere exercising his body.

This was strange!

But what was even stranger was the inner demon in Pei Jingzhi's heart.

Exercise!

Exercise!

Exercise!

This was something his wife, Madam Liu, frequently asked him to do, always telling him to maintain a strong physique. But how was it so common here in Liu Yun Manor?

Pei Jingzhi could no longer suppress the panic in his heart and took large strides to catch up, "This brother..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the man turned around.

Boom!

It was as if a heavenly thunderclap exploded in his mind.

Pei Jingzhi's body trembled, and he felt a buzzing in his head.

This person...

Also looked so similar!

Looked like him in his youth!

And he also looked like the young man he had met upon entering Liu Yun Manor!

How could there be two people who looked extremely like him in his youth?

"Yo!"

During the moment Pei Jingzhi paused, the man had already started sneering, "Another one? Madam Liu is indeed extraordinary to be able to find someone like this, but aren't you a bit too old?"

"Look at your physique, your posture, how could you possibly catch Madam's eye?"

"Old man, I advise you to just go back!"

"With your frail little body, you won't be able to handle it!"

The man spoke extremely fast and did not pause his steps much, so before he even finished speaking, he had already hurried off, leaving Pei Jingzhi alone, bewildered in the wind.

His body even began to tremble slightly.

Bad speculations surged forward like a tidal wave.

Drowning him!

He felt as if he had sunk into the deep sea. Looking up, everything was dim, with only a tiny sliver of hope in his heart serving as the remaining light.

But this bit of light was soon covered by dark clouds.

Because Pei Jingzhi encountered a third person.

Young, handsome, with a strong physique, walking hurriedly, also heading towards the place with the great bell and drum.

Moreover,

This person looked very much like him in his youth!

"Already three. Three nearly identical faces, the same height, the same hairstyle... What on earth is going on in this Liu Yun Manor?"

Pei Jingzhi soon found out.

After rushing as fast as he could to the source of the great bell and drum sounds, he saw an extremely elegant little courtyard. It was densely packed with people who had hurried over from all directions of Liu Yun Manor.

These people were fundamentally identical to the three men he had encountered along the way.

Young, handsome, with a strong physique...

Exactly like him in his youth!

Pei Jingzhi stood frozen in place. The last sliver of hope in his heart was completely annihilated by the surging seawater. He was so frantic that he suddenly could not catch his breath, and his face flushed bright red.

Eighteen of them!

Eighteen identical faces!

Eighteen identical people!

Eighteen versions of him in his youth!

This...

What on earth was going on?

The eighteen men who had arrived paid no attention to the newly arrived Pei Jingzhi; instead, they began to argue.

"Madam is about to return from her outing. We agreed that we must line up properly and wait for Madam to choose. But, let it be said upfront, this time, it must be fair!"

"Yes, it must be fair. It can't be like last time. Madam clearly chose me, but that son of a bitch Number Two impersonated me to accompany Madam. Absolutely shameless!"

"Fairness, fairness, it's all about fairness! This time, if anyone does something Madam dislikes and then frames me for it, I will kill him!"

"I also think it must be fair. Let's show our dedication and let Madam see exactly who looks the most like him and who suits her taste best. Otherwise, step aside voluntarily, or we will all gang up on him."

"Exactly, we must do it this way. You have to know that the method to make us look more alike was taught to Madam by His Majesty today. Could what His Majesty does be wrong?"

"Oh, you sure know a lot, don't you?"

"Of course, Madam favors me the most. Moreover, I also know that His Majesty learned this from the White-robed Chancellor at Chongning Nunnery. It is extremely precious."

"You know too much. We brothers have decided that this time, anyone can accompany Madam, except for you!"

"Agreed!"

"Agreed plus one!"

"Agreed plus two!"

"Agreed plus seventeen!"

...

Amidst the noisy scrambling for favor, someone suddenly shouted, "The Madam has returned!" The eighteen men instantly fell silent. Clearly well-trained, they neatly arranged themselves into a square formation.

However, this formation was rather peculiar.

One row of nine stood facing the open space.

The other row, also consisting of nine men, stood back-to-back with the first, facing the open space on the opposite side.

They all stood tall with their backs perfectly straight. Regardless of whether they were naturally domineering or timid, they all took on the disciplined aura of military men.

"Not bad, not bad at all. You all please me very much..."

Madam Liu's voice drifted over from a distance, carrying a hint of a smile.

...