Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

These days, Xiao Hua has grown accustomed to flattery.

The disciples' envy, the generous gifts from other families...

Compared to Old Master Shen's attitude, Xiao Hua felt a deep resentment welling up inside him.

Does your Shen family even deserve to be the head of the five great families?

Shen Wanzhou didn't even look at him. He simply put down his teacup, looked up at Master Yang, and said:

"I, Shen, have come today, but why am I not seeing your esteemed disciple, Ye Ci?"

A promising student?

Ye Ci?

Xiao Hua had already reached the door, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but slow down her pace.

Master Yang was taken aback and hesitated for a moment.

Since the other party had used the term "disciple," Master Yang naturally felt obligated to flatter Ye Ci.

Search and scrape the belly.

But I can't think of any achievements Ye Ci has to boast about.

But he immediately said calmly, "Disciple Ye Ci has been diligently cultivating and has a calm and steady temperament. Even I am surprised by the speed at which he has developed Ming Jin. He is now considered a master in Ming Jin..."

"Master Yang is being too modest!"

Shen Wanzhou laughed and said, "Do you think I'm blind? Hasn't he already mastered the hidden strength...?"

There are some things that shouldn't be said. You didn't see Ye Ci facing the Gale Camp alone.

I didn't see an invitation from the Wanfa Chamber of Commerce either.

However, he hesitated for a moment, considering that the matter of the barbarians was of great importance and he should not say too much, so he picked up his teacup and continued to drink tea with a smile.

"Hidden strength?"

Master Yang was stunned again, and his second senior brother, Lü Fang, who was serving tea, quickly stepped forward and whispered a reminder:

"Master, Junior Brother Ye has indeed mastered the hidden strength. When he returned, you were still with Commandant Qin. You've been busy ever since, and I haven't had time to inform you."

So fast?

Did I find something wrong with my bone analysis?

Master Yang pondered to himself.

At this moment, Shen Wanzhou finished his tea and looked around:

"Um...where's Brother Ye?"

He found it somewhat strange. Ye Ci had clearly returned to the martial arts school, so there was no reason for him not to show up, given his impressive entourage.

Master Yang suddenly came to his senses and said, "Fang Cheng, hurry up and call Ye Ci here."

"Please come here."

Shen Wanzhou added a sentence.

"Yes, Master Shen."

Please come?

He even called Ye... little brother?

Fang Cheng scratched the back of his head, puzzled, and hurriedly went out.

The fellow disciples outside the door all looked surprised. They had heard it very clearly, but everyone looked at Xiao Hua, who had come out to eavesdrop.

"Ye Ci?! Is Ye Ci the person Master Shen is looking for?!"

"Which Ye Ci? Is it the one from our martial arts school who always keeps his head down and practices, rarely saying a word?"

"Has Ye Ci also reached the level of hidden strength?"

"Isn't that about the same speed of improvement as Senior Brother Xiao?"

Xiao Hua gave this junior brother a cold glance.

About the same as me?

Where was he when I came in first place?

Even if he possesses hidden strength, what merit does he have to compare with me?

Inside the hall, Shen Wanzhou continued, "Master Yang, I have come here for two reasons. First, to express my gratitude for your guidance. Second, I would like to invite your disciple Ye Ci to serve as a retainer of the Shen family."

Upon hearing this, the disciples outside held their breath.

worship?!

They suspected they had misheard the wording.

"That can't be right! He probably meant 'guest advisor,' right?"

"Senior Brother Xiao Hua, it seems that a family invited you to serve as a guest elder before..."

Xiao Hua slowly turned his head and silently stared at the disciple.

Yes, there is one, but it's a small to medium-sized family that doesn't even rank highly.

If you serve as a guest elder, this family will provide you with cultivation resources. When the family needs help, they will ask the guest elder to lend a hand, so it's a mutually beneficial arrangement.

However, they usually invite veteran hidden martial arts practitioners, while those with less resources invite more veteran open martial arts practitioners.

For someone like Xiao Hua, who is just starting out in martial arts, the focus is usually on martial arts exams, so inviting him to be a guest advisor would be somewhat unwise.

However, Xiao Hua was invited for two reasons: firstly, his strength was no less than that of the veteran Dark Force masters, and secondly, it represented an investment of personal feelings, which was enough to make his disciples envious.

As for offerings, it's similar to the concept of a guest advisor; both refer to offerings or assistance when the family needs them in times of trouble.

However, there are differences.

Ultimately, guest ministers are henchmen, and their status and treatment are different from those of honored retainers.

Offering sacrifices signifies that this person holds a position in the family that is comparable to that of the head of the household.

Therefore, the disciples felt that Master Shen must have misspoke.

The offerings from the five major families could not possibly be a hidden force.

Compared to the disciples outside the door, Master Yang inside was completely baffled, wondering if Master Shen had become senile.

Are you inviting my disciples to serve as offerings?

Normally, even if they were guest advisors, the Shen family would only focus on those who achieved the highest rank in the martial arts examination; these were the pride of the county.

Of course, people wouldn't normally think that the Shen family has high standards, after all, they use a lot of money when they try to build connections.

There is no problem that money can't solve.

******

the other side.

Ye Ci stayed at home for a short while before heading to the county market.

He guessed that Mumu and the others might have set up a stall on the street.

The county town is divided into inner and outer cities. Some are near the gate of the outer city, and some are near the gate of the inner city. There are more than a dozen of them, each with a different size.

The streets were bustling, but Ye Ci still felt a bit lonely. He suddenly longed to see an elderly or infirm family.

In the distance, a small martial arts school was playing drums and gongs to celebrate its students' achievements in the competition.

Ye Ci glanced around and paused slightly, thinking that if he returned to the Rock Martial Arts School, Master Yang would probably be celebrating with Xiao Hua.

After all, Xiao Hua was a martial arts talent who would serve the imperial court in the future, and he could give back to the martial arts school after becoming an official.

Even without giving back, this reputation is enough to make Rock Martial Arts School's business even better.

"Senior Brother Ye!"

A voice came from behind. Ye Ci turned around and saw a familiar figure carrying two large bags of rice and flour on each shoulder, grinning.

"Wang De?"

"Senior Brother Ye, why aren't you practicing your martial arts diligently today? Why are you just strolling around here?"

Wang De put the rice and noodles on the ground, muttering, "Why didn't you participate in the Mingjin competition the other day? I even told my dad you were amazing. I squeezed in at the front and waited for ages, but I never saw you..."

"I've gone out to work as a bodyguard."

Ye Ci looked at him and asked, "What are you doing?"

Wang De swung his arms and said, "I can't learn martial arts, but I'm quite strong. I'm working for the family now, and I'll inherit this grain and oil shop in the future."

He pointed to the shop next door and muttered to himself, "Why did you go and become a镖师 (bodyguard/escort)? The money for镖师 is so little, it's nothing compared to winning a martial arts competition. I heard that Commander Qin made a lot of money from gangs, so he's very generous."

Ye Ci looked at the grain and oil shop, which was as big as three storefronts. Inside, they sold ordinary rice and bran, as well as high-quality rice and flour.

It's fine if I don't succeed; I can focus on supporting my family.

Everyone has their own way of living.

Ye Ci pondered, while Wang De, as if reading his mind, boasted:

"Senior brother, don't worry about me. The price of rice and flour has increased seven or eight times recently. My family has made a lot of money lately. I'll find a wife who is a good match for me and have my son practice martial arts."

Yeah.

Ye Ci listened, his gaze casually sweeping across the street.

Several beggars huddled in the corner lowered their heads, their eyes filled with longing as they gazed at the rice and noodles beside Wang De.

I lay in the carriage the whole way back, but as we got closer to Songjiang County, I heard a lot of soldiers and men discussing the situation, saying that there were more and more rebels outside.

Ye Ci casually asked, "Why have rice and flour prices increased seven or eight times?"

"There's nothing we can do..." Wang De muttered. "The market price is what it is now. I heard there are uprisings all over Daqian, so the price of grain has gone up. Now, several counties in Yizhou are experiencing famine, so the refugees are also causing trouble. Although it's not as big as the uprising, it will still affect the price of grain. We're only fortunate that Commandant Qin is in Songjiang County. He set up checkpoints at all the key roads, which prevented it from affecting the county. Otherwise, I was afraid that the refugees would rush into the city and rob my house."

Upon hearing this, Ye Ci felt a strong, inexplicable unease, and then asked:

"By the way, my second aunt mentioned that there's a militia requisitioning grain in a village outside the county. Have you heard about that?"

"I know about the rebel army, but they're mainly in the Qingzhou area, which is a long way from us... I heard from my father that those outside the city are just refugees in disguise... Now Commandant Qin is in charge of the county, and everything is very peaceful..."

Wang De chatted with Ye Ci for a few words, then got busy with his work.

Ye Ci left alone, secretly considering that if it really was in Qingzhou, it was almost across the entire territory of the Great Qian Dynasty from Songjiang County...

But... Ye Ci thought of the beggar's longing eyes and looked in that direction, only to find that the beggar had already quietly left.

"They can't cause much trouble in the county town. But the Great Qian Dynasty is truly beset by internal and external troubles... I wonder how long it can hold out."

Ye Ci shook his head secretly, thinking that once his injury healed, he should seize the time to practice martial arts and try to reach the level of Hua Jin as soon as possible.

In the midst of chaos, he hoped to protect the four elderly and infirm members of the Ye family.

Lost in thought, I stared at the panel.

Name: Ye Ci

Lifespan: 18/36

[Technique: Rock Stance Mastery (5/5000)]

[Techniques: Basic Combat Techniques (Perfect), Basic Archery (Perfect), Baoshan Fist (Perfect), Liuhe Saber (Minor Mastery) (1/600)]

While practicing martial arts at the Huang family in Lingshan County, Ye Ci noticed that after developing internal strength, the effects of the Qi and Blood Powder were not as good, affecting the accumulation of proficiency.

In other words, if you could gain 50 points a day before, you won't gain that many after reaching the Great Mastery stage. You might even only gain 3 points of proficiency after practicing for most of the day.

This difference made Ye Ci feel somewhat uncomfortable.

In this way, mastering the Hua Jin (化劲) skill truly requires painstaking effort and takes as long as three years.

He felt that three years was a bit long. In fact, if one could master the Hua Jin (化劲) skill in three years, it would be enough to shock all the martial arts schools in the county.

But in this world, Ye Ci always felt uneasy. Inadvertently, he glanced at the lifespan section on the panel...

Why doesn't practicing martial arts increase lifespan?

In any case, he should outlive Marquis Jianwu.

Before we knew it, the shouts of the street vendors on both sides of the street gradually faded into the distance.

Ye Ci arrived at the Rock Martial Arts School. As soon as he entered, he saw Fang Cheng rush out, looking like an ant on a hot pan.

"Junior Brother Ye, why are you only just getting back! Hurry up and come with me."

Fang Cheng dragged Ye Ci toward the backyard, almost running.

"Second Senior Brother, why are you taking me to the backyard?"

At this moment, the backyard was filled with disciples who had clearly heard Fang Cheng and Ye Ci's conversation and were greatly shocked.

"Where else would you go if not the backyard?"

"No, didn't you know someone was looking for you? Then why did you come back to the martial arts gym...?"

Ye Ci replied matter-of-factly, "Rice is expensive these days, it's not cost-effective to eat at home."

"???"

The disciples outside the hall all focused their attention on the courtyard gate.

Fang Cheng: "???"

Adam Silver: "???"

He remembered that gold could buy a lot of rice.

Ye Ci entered the main hall of the backyard and first smelled a strong, exotic fragrance, then saw a familiar figure.

To be honest, it was somewhat unexpected.

Unexpectedly, this gentleman was not only a man of his word, but also a man of swift action.

"Master, you wanted to see me."

Ye Ci first bowed slightly to Teacher Yang, his voice calm.

"Ye Ci, come here quickly and greet Master Shen!"

"Mr. Shen."

Shen Wanzhou stood up abruptly, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Ye, why are you being so polite!"

The word "young man" startled Master Yang, who then stood up as well.

He couldn't understand why Shen Wanzhou treated Ye Ci with such courtesy, but then, as a reminder, he mentioned that Master Shen had given him gold bars and invited him to serve.

"The gold and silver at the martial arts school are a minor matter. Young Master Ye has reached the Inner Strength realm in less than a year; his potential is worth the Shen family's investment!"

Shen Wanzhou laughed twice, revealing a knowing smile: "After I returned today and took a short bath, I arranged for servants to go to your residence to pick up your family. This time, I sincerely invite you to serve as a retainer of my Shen family. We will do our best to support your martial arts training. From now on, you will be an honored guest of my Shen family, and no one will dare to neglect you."

"Offerings? What do you need me to do?"

Ye Ci had some guesses about this word, but was not sure of its meaning.

"If the Shen family is in trouble, we hope that you, young man, can lend a helping hand."

Shen Wanzhou cupped his hands in greeting: "Furthermore, my Shen family will never make things difficult for you. If you feel your life is in danger, you are free to refuse. Within the Shen family, your words are equivalent to my words."

At this moment, the disciples outside the hall erupted in a commotion, with exclamations and discussions rising and falling, yet they deliberately kept their voices down.

"To refuse a life-threatening situation? This is truly the treatment reserved for a Grandmaster of Internal Energy; it's undoubtedly veneration!"

"Did you hear the second half of that sentence? Senior Brother Ye's status is equivalent to that of the head of the five major families..."

"My God! Is it true? Ye Ci broke through to the Dark Force realm in just one year and is already worth the Shen family's offerings?"

"Then what about Junior Brother Xiao Hua?"

"..."

These words drifted into Xiao Hua's ears, and he felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Master Shen invited him to be a retainer because of his hidden strength?

It's probably something serious!

Offerings made with hidden strength?

Why doesn't he contact me?

Is my potential inferior to his?

Then he saw Ye Ci being invited away by Master Shen.

"Master Yang! I'm sorry, today is a family banquet. I will invite you to a banquet at Wan Hua Lou another day..."

You're too kind.

Master Yang cupped his hands in greeting and saw them out the door.

Throughout the entire process, Ye Ci never looked at Xiao Hua in the crowd. It wasn't that she was deliberately disrespectful; she had simply forgotten about him.

Who would have thought Shen Wanzhou would be so grateful?!

After watching Ye Ci leave, the disciples whispered among themselves about the Shen family's wealth.

"You mean Old Master Shen invited Ye Ci to be a retainer? Isn't there some problem?"

Among the crowd, the third senior brother, Qi Wang, stroked his chin and pondered.

Fang Cheng, standing beside him, was also somewhat puzzled: "Is it because offerings for those with hidden strength are cheaper?"

"He... doesn't care about gold..."

Jiang Du, the second senior brother, finally managed to utter a complete sentence after his face turned bright red.

The implication is that Master Shen doesn't care about gold, so why would he seek out Ye Ci as a retainer just for a cheap price?

"So, they value Ye Ci's potential?"

Qi Wang continued to speculate: "In the end, Junior Brother Ye's speed in his second attempt to break through the barrier was not much slower than Xiao Hua's."

at this time.

Among the crowd, Xiao Hua's gaze followed Ye Ci as he left.

His cheeks flushed red, his hands clenched into fists, his nails almost digging into his flesh, his smugness shattered in that moment.

What do a few good deeds by a few powerful families amount to?!

What did the Shen family give them?

In comparison, can the tonics and money he received compare to Shen Wanzhou's promise to fully support his martial arts training?!