After strutting around and showing off, Calvin Li walked into Yvonne Jiang's residence and went straight into the main hall. Seeing Yvonne sitting there lost in thought, he quickly bowed and said, "Young Miss, if you need anything, just order me!"
Yvonne Jiang frowned, gave Calvin Li a cold look, and said, "Wait outside the hall. Don't come in unless I call for you!"
"Yes!"
Calvin Li nodded and walked out of the hall, but his face looked ugly. He fumed inwardly, "Stupid woman, if you didn't have a city lord for a father, I wouldn't even bother looking at you!"
After lingering outside the hall for a while and seeing that Yvonne was still zoning out, Calvin Li grew impatient. He suddenly came up with a scheme to mess with Ian Song, so he walked straight to the courtyard gate and said to Ian, "Ian, go to Heavenly Pill Pavilion and buy me a bottle of Xiaohuang Pills!"
Xiaohuang Pills are just a low-grade medicine, ten low-grade spirit stones for one pill, only used by cultivators below the Golden Core stage. The real reason Calvin told Ian to buy them was to set him up for abandoning his post.
If Ian tried to argue that Calvin sent him, Calvin could just say he had no use for such a low-grade pill—he was a Deity-Transformation cultivator, after all. As for the other three guards nearby, Calvin figured a few hints would be enough; none of them would dare offend him now that his status had changed, and there was no reason to get in trouble over Ian.
"Sorry, I'm on duty. If you want pills, go buy them yourself!"
Ian didn't give Calvin any face at all and rejected him outright.
Calvin's face instantly darkened. "Ian, what do you mean by this? Are you saying I can't order you around?"
"Brother Li, why don't I go buy it for you instead?"
Bruce Xu quickly added, "Let's all get along!"
"No need, I want him to go!"
Calvin Li glared coldly at Ian, but Ian didn't even bother to look at him, and this attitude of total disregard made Calvin furious.
"Ian, are you going or not?"
"No!"
"Fine, we'll see about that!" Calvin Li snorted coldly and turned back into the residence.
"Ian, was that really necessary? It's just buying a pill, why make trouble with him over it?"
Bruce Xu tried to persuade him.
"Why would a Deity-Transformation cultivator need Xiaohuang Pills?" Ian asked.
Bruce Xu froze, but quickly realized what was going on—Calvin Li was using this to set Ian up.
The other two guards also figured it out and couldn't help curling their lips. Calvin Li really was something else—he'd only just become a personal guard and was already scheming against people.
Back inside the residence, Calvin Li felt annoyed and started thinking up new ways to trip Ian up.
Just then—
Yvonne Jiang's voice rang out: "Hey, you—go call Ian in!"
"Huh?"
Calvin Li was stunned.
"Huh, what? Hurry up! I've never seen a personal guard as dumb as you!" Yvonne snapped impatiently.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Calvin Li turned to go, his face black as the bottom of a pot. He was a Deity-Transformation cultivator, yet Yvonne Jiang couldn't even remember his name—she only remembered some ordinary guard's name instead.
"Ian Song, one day I'll make you pay!" Calvin Li cursed inwardly, burning with jealousy.
"Ian, come with me!"
Calvin Li returned to the courtyard and called out coldly, deliberately hiding the fact that Yvonne Jiang had summoned Ian—hoping Ian would refuse the order.
"Yes!"
This time, Ian agreed without a second thought, making Calvin's plan fall flat yet again.
Ian didn't care about Calvin's petty schemes—he'd been the master of trickery in his previous life and wouldn't fall for something this basic.
"How is this kid so sharp?" Calvin wondered to himself.
Soon, Ian followed Calvin Li into the residence and arrived outside the main hall.
"Wait here, I'll go report to the young miss!"
Calvin Li shot Ian a look and strode into the hall.
Just then, Yvonne Jiang's voice rang out: "Let Ian in. You, get out!"
Calvin Li froze mid-step, his expression turning complicated. He had no choice but to leave, but his look at Ian grew even more hostile.
Ian entered the main hall.
Yvonne Jiang activated a formation, blocking all sound from leaving the hall so Calvin Li couldn't eavesdrop.
"Damn it!"
Calvin Li grew even more irritated.
"Why don't you want to be my personal guard?"
Yvonne Jiang looked at Ian, her tone a bit demanding.
"I'm short on spirit stones!"
Ian answered bluntly.
Ian replied.
Yvonne Jiang was puzzled. "What does being my personal guard have to do with spirit stones? Besides, the pay is three times that of a regular guard!"
"Steward Howard said that if I want to be your personal guard, I have to give him thirty million spirit stones!"
Ian said bitterly. Earlier, when Howard Jiang summoned him, he hinted at wanting a bribe, but Ian refused to become the personal guard, so Howard's plan fell through.
Now that Calvin Li had gotten the position, it meant he must have given Howard Jiang a gift. Howard probably spoke ill of Ian to Calvin, most likely trying to sow discord—even if Ian didn't know exactly what was said, it was probably something divisive.
Since Howard Jiang wanted to use Calvin Li to set him up, Ian didn't mind using Yvonne Jiang to trip up Howard in return.
Sure enough, when Yvonne heard Ian's explanation, her expression darkened. "Alright, I understand. You may leave now!"
"Yes!"
Ian bowed and left.
Soon after—
Yvonne Jiang quickly discovered that Howard Jiang had separately summoned Ian, Calvin Li, and another Deity-Transformation guard.
With her suspicions confirmed, she immediately concluded Howard was openly soliciting bribes.
Her eyes flashed coldly. "You old fox, how dare you use my bodyguard selection to extort gifts—do you think you can just ignore me, the young miss?"
However, Howard Jiang was the steward of the City Lord's Mansion, personally appointed by her father. Even as the young miss, Yvonne couldn't touch him without solid evidence.
Over the next two days, Calvin Li kept trying to make trouble for Ian, but Ian easily handled every challenge. Calvin grew more frustrated and resentful.
Part of this was because Yvonne Jiang's attitude toward Calvin kept getting worse.
Finally—
On the fifth day—
Yvonne Jiang summoned Howard Jiang and said calmly, "Steward, I'm not satisfied with your choice of Calvin Li. Replace him with someone else."
Howard Jiang's expression shifted, but he nodded. "Yes, young miss!"
When Calvin Li learned he'd been demoted back to a regular guard, his expression was a sight to behold.
He couldn't help but ask, "Steward Howard, why is this?"
"Why? I should be asking you! The young miss is very dissatisfied with you. I even got scolded for trying to defend you!" Howard snapped.
In the end, Calvin Li could only leave in embarrassment.