The chilling west wind howled, and the gathered figures stood as stark as snow.
Chen Yuan had scored two points in a single match, completely securing the victory. Having lost two formidable fighters in a row, the He Family glared at Chen Yuan, their eyes brimming with resentment and an unwillingness to accept defeat. What had practically been in the bag had been ruthlessly snatched back by him. This trip to Wankou Mountain had resulted in a total loss!
This enmity was absolutely irreconcilable.
He Tianxiong knew their defeat was certain today. With their morale plummeted and no chance of turning the tide, he gave a cold snort and led the He Family away. On the other side, the Fang Family members were brimming with high spirits. They immediately began the mining operations on the spot, full of drive.
As the greatest contributor to their victory, Chen Yuan was naturally invited back to the Fang Residence.
Fang Zhengde laughed heartily. "Chen Xiaoyou, it’s getting late. Please do me the honor of dining at the Fang Residence."
Chen Yuan glanced at the rising sun. It was indeed approaching mealtime, so he didn’t decline. "Then I will intrude upon your hospitality."
He figured this meal would be quite sumptuous, which was perfect since fighting two consecutive matches had drained a considerable amount of his stamina. Fang Zhengde remained behind temporarily to oversee the operations, while Chen Yuan returned to the estate with Fang Zhengqing, Fang Minghai, Lv Mingyuan, and the others.
On the way, Fang Minghai couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer and asked, "Junior Brother Chen, have you practiced another Cultivation Technique? I noticed your strength and physique don’t seem like the usual Great Success in bone-refining."
It was no wonder He Tianxiong had been suspicious; the combat prowess Chen Yuan displayed was simply too ferocious. Lv Mingyuan also leaned in to listen. After witnessing the previous two battles, he practically idolized Chen Yuan, and his curiosity was burning.
Chen Yuan smiled. He knew they would inevitably notice some clues, so he didn’t hide it. "Senior Brother Fang has a keen eye. I have indeed practiced an additional Body Tempering technique, which is why my physique is slightly stronger."
Realization dawned on Fang Minghai, and he nodded. "No wonder. Body Tempering techniques are notoriously difficult to master. It’s truly unbelievable that you can cultivate one while progressing so rapidly in both Body Refining and martial techniques, Junior Brother Chen."
Cultivating the Martial Dao was already arduous enough; ordinary people simply wouldn’t spare the energy for other disciplines.
Lv Mingyuan’s expression shifted slightly, still a bit perplexed. "Brother Chen, are Body Tempering techniques really that powerful?"
Chen Yuan’s performance had been too formidable. If it was truly due to Body Tempering, he was tempted to try it himself.
Chen Yuan smiled faintly. "That’s how Body Tempering works. You won’t understand until you temper it yourself. However, not everyone is suited for it; you still have to choose what fits you best."
He thought that his Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppression Body was likely a relatively high-tier Body Tempering method.
"Thank you for letting me know, Brother Chen," Lv Mingyuan said with a slight bow, suppressing the thrum of excitement in his heart. At his current stage, grasping Hidden Force should still be the priority.
Soon after, the luncheon began.
Fang Zhengde, having returned, took the seat of honor, while Chen Yuan was arranged in the second most prestigious seat. Plates of mouth-watering delicacies were brought to the table. It was an absolute feast of meat and fish—the fish were prized catches, the meat was Exotic Beast Meat, and even the soup was brewed with precious herbs.
This single meal couldn’t have cost less than several dozen taels of silver, clearly showing how highly the Fang Family valued Chen Yuan.
Fang Zhengde smiled. "You must be tired, Chen Xiaoyou. Don’t stand on ceremony; eat to your heart’s content. You absolutely must try this three-year-old Silver Thread Fish."
Compared to Chen Yuan’s contributions, this table of food was practically nothing.
Chen Yuan’s appetite was already piqued, so he held back no longer. "Alright, then obedience is better than politeness."
He didn’t bother with table manners or etiquette, eating however he felt comfortable and gorging himself heartily. He thought that even if he stood on the dining table and danced right now, no one would say a word—they might even praise his footwork.
A short while later, Chen Yuan was completely satiated. He felt his strength gradually returning, and under the nourishment of the various rare dishes, it was continuously growing.
It felt fantastic.
Seeing that Chen Yuan had mostly finished eating, Fang Zhengde smiled.
"Chen Xiaoyou has done our Fang Family a great favor today, and Fang is endlessly grateful. I hear you are not yet betrothed. As it happens, our family still has a few unwed young ladies.
"If you are interested, it wouldn’t hurt to interact with them. Should anyone catch your eye, I can act as a matchmaker."
Having witnessed Chen Yuan’s extraordinary valor, he was certain the young man would achieve great things in the future. Although they currently shared some goodwill through financial sponsorship, it wasn’t a long-term strategy. If they could become in-laws, it would be perfect. The Fang Family might even ride Chen Yuan’s coattails to reach greater heights.
Chen Yuan shook his head with a laugh.
"It was merely what I ought to do. Patriarch, please don’t weigh it too heavily. As for marriage, I currently have no interest in such matters; I only wish to advance on the Martial Dao. However, if the Fang Family faces difficulties again, I will naturally do my best to help where I can."
The local custom here was that whenever people saw a commoner Martial Artist with immense potential, they immediately sought to secure the relationship through marriage. Marriage had essentially become a tool. He thought to himself that having too much charm was quite troublesome.
Fang Zhengde thought it was a pity, but he didn’t push the matter. He wasn’t actually too surprised. Chen Yuan was currently serving the Li Family, and with his talent, any marriage alliance would likely be with one of the Four Great Families like them. Still, managing to secure a bond of mutual goodwill was already quite good. He absolutely had to ensure Minghai maintained a strong relationship with him.
He smiled warmly.
"That is fine as well. However, since your strength is now so remarkable, Chen Xiaoyou, calling it ’sponsorship’ seems somewhat inappropriate. How about we list you as an honorary Tributor for the Fang Family? You wouldn’t need to handle any daily affairs, but you would enjoy a monthly stipend of fifty taels of silver. What do you say?"
The implication was that this monthly stipend of fifty taels would maintain their relationship, requiring him only to lend a hand at crucial moments.
Chen Yuan pondered for a moment before agreeing. He was indeed short on money right now. Since this was a positive relationship forged during his weaker days, it wouldn’t hurt to maintain it. Besides, it wouldn’t interfere with his regular martial training.
With the matter settled, Chen Yuan saw no reason to linger at the Fang Residence and stood up to take his leave.
Fang Zhengde rose to see him out. He clapped his hands, and a servant immediately came forward carrying a leather suitcase. He smiled.
"Chen Xiaoyou, inside is three hundred taels of silver. Our Fang Family’s business has been affected recently, so this is just a small token of our appreciation. I hope you won’t find it too meager."
Judging by how Chen Yuan had extorted a sum of silver from the He Family right before the battle, Fang Zhengde deduced that the young man must be in need of money. Therefore, if he wanted to sustain their connection, handing over this money was a must.
Chen Yuan’s eyes brightened slightly. Another massive windfall of silver. He didn’t decline.
"Cultivating martial arts does indeed drain one’s finances, so I won’t refuse. Thank you, Patriarch."
Just yesterday, he had been fretting over the silver needed for the Dragon Sinew stage, even planning to postpone his cultivation until he had enough funds. Who could have imagined he would furiously rake in 760 taels of silver today? It was undoubtedly a massive fortune, enough to sustain five months of Dragon Sinew cultivation.
One Strong Sinew Pill a day? No, he could even afford two a day now! Having money meant he could be as lavish as he pleased. The only question was whether his body could digest such an overwhelming amount of medicinal efficacy.
His monthly wage from the Li Family had increased to 80 taels plus 10 Bone Strengthening Pills, and his sponsorship had turned into a 50-tael Tributor stipend. That was 150 taels a month. He could directly replace the Body-Strengthening Soup and Blood Qi Pills used to replenish his vitality with the higher-grade Blood Replenishing Pills. He could even afford occasional medicinal baths, which would undoubtedly accelerate the accumulation of his blood qi.
Although six hundred taels of silver wasn’t overly heavy, it was inconvenient to carry around, and bringing it home might attract trouble. So, Chen Yuan simply left it deposited with the Fang Family, planning to withdraw it whenever needed. Naturally, Fang Zhengde had no objections to this; in fact, it made him feel quite pleased. This was a clear display of Chen Yuan’s trust in them.
Since it was getting late, Chen Yuan headed straight for Funiu Mountain. Arriving half an hour early was no issue; he could chat and spar with the morning shift guards for a bit, and the time would pass quickly.
While he cultivated peacefully and solidified his foundation, news of the battle at Wankou Mountain spread like wildfire, becoming a popular topic of conversation within Qingyuan County’s Martial Realm.
In the main hall of the Gu Family, the atmosphere was oppressive.
Gu Changfeng sat in the seat of honor with a gloomy expression, listening to his eldest son, Gu Ning, report on their recent business situation. Planted contraband, blocked sales channels, and competitors driving up prices—this string of incidents had directly caused the Gu Family’s overall revenue to drop by twenty percent, with a continuing downward trend. And all of this stemmed from Yu Yan’s death. Following his demise, the Gu Family’s competitors, spearheaded by the Zheng Family, had begun to place sanctions on them.
Gu Changfeng cursed in a cold, hard tone.
"That damned Zheng Family! Back when our Gu Family was on the rise, they were the most obsequious of all. Now look at them—trimming their sails to the wind and kicking us when we’re down! They sure have a knack for it!"
Lately, he had been up to his ears in trouble, leaving him with no time to even investigate Yu Yan’s death. In the end, everything revolved around profit. Valuing Yu Yan had been for the sake of profit as well. A dead man held no value.
Gu Ning sighed and said softly, "Father, the Zheng Family has stated that they wish to form a marriage alliance with us. If we agree to their terms, it might quell this whole affair. Joining forces with them would also be beneficial for us."
At the mention of this, Gu Changfeng’s expression worsened. He snorted coldly.
"That forty-something-year-old toad from the Zheng Family actually has the gall to say he wants to marry Wan Tong? This is naked humiliation!
"If we agree, where would our Gu Family’s dignity go? Do they really think we have no one left? If they have the guts, let them try to fight us to the bitter end!"
It was blatantly obvious that the Zheng Family, seeing the Gu Family without a strong successor, was testing their bottom line. Gu Ning sighed inwardly and said no more.
At that moment, Gu Ye hurried inside and cupped his hands. "Big Brother, something has happened. It’s about Chen Yuan."
Gu Changfeng frowned again. "Chen Yuan? Did they find out he’s the killer?"
Gu Ye shook his head and recounted the events at Wankou Mountain in full detail—how Chen Yuan had successively slain the He Family’s prodigy and their elderly Tributor. When he first heard of such a ferocious combat record, even he could hardly believe it.
Hearing this, Gu Changfeng also fell silent.
Chen Yuan had only just achieved Great Success in bone-refining and entered the Hidden Force Domain, yet he could beat to death the He Family’s elderly Tributor. That man was an old fox who had retreated from the muscle-refining stage—his experience was incredibly vast! This was enough to show just how monstrous Chen Yuan’s talent was. It wasn’t just raw talent, but pure, tangible combat effectiveness.
He thought that even if Yu Yan were still alive today, he would probably just end up being beaten to death by Chen Yuan anyway.
His tone turned somewhat bitter. "So, does this mean Yu Yan likely died by Chen Yuan’s hand?"
Gu Ye didn’t answer the question directly. He simply said, "Big Brother, is there any use agonizing over that now? Wasn’t it Yu Yan who was arrogant and repeatedly provoked Chen Yuan? With his temper, even if he were alive, he would only bring us greater trouble.
"Are we really going to offend Chen Yuan for the sake of a dead man? With his talent, reaching the muscle-refining stage is a foregone conclusion. It’s not even impossible for him to eventually break through Marrow-refining, grasp Projected Force, and become a top-tier Martial Artist! What we should be considering right now is how to win him back to our side."
Gu Ning also saw the situation clearly now and advised, "Father, with Chen Yuan’s aptitude, if we can rope him in, why should we fear the mere Zheng Family? He is young, gifted, and possesses fine features. Even if Wan Tong must enter a marriage alliance, choosing Chen Yuan is the absolute best strategy."
The problem was that Chen Yuan likely wouldn’t even look twice at Gu Wantong.
Gu Changfeng let out a heavy sigh. Once the battle results from Wankou Mountain were revealed, how could he not understand Chen Yuan’s worth? If Chen Yuan truly became a top-tier Martial Artist, with such a powerhouse backing them, the Gu Family might just become a first-rate family, second only to the Four Great Families.
Moreover, he originally wouldn’t have needed to put any effort into winning Chen Yuan over. Chen Yuan was already the Gu Family’s sponsored protégé! If they had nurtured him from the beginning until now, he could practically be considered half a Gu Family member.
Alas, remembering his own foolishness—how he had readily believed Yu Yan’s slander and overruled everyone’s objections to expel Chen Yuan from the Gu Family—Gu Changfeng was instantly filled with remorse. He beat his breast and stomped his feet in agonizing regret.