Chapter 176: Yuan Shouzhi

That day, at dusk, Ximen Yong returned to Xiangu County by carriage with his trusted aide, Yuan Shouzhi.

Yuan Shouzhi was not tall, but his shoulders were quite broad and thick, giving him an overall impression of being very sturdy.

Yuan Shouzhi's father was originally the steward of the previous generation of the Ximen Family, and he only passed away within the Ximen Mansion a few years ago at the ripe old age of ninety.

Yuan Shouzhi and Ximen Yong grew up together in the mansion, and the two had been very close since childhood.

Ever since Ximen Yong took charge of the Ximen Family's business, he had never kept any matters, big or small, from Yuan Shouzhi.

It was just that Yuan Shouzhi's talent for martial arts cultivation was far better than Ximen Yong's.

Ximen Yong was currently only at the Inner Breath Realm Second Layer.

The circulation of Internal Breath at the Inner Breath Realm Third Layer was already a dual-circuit circulation, which had certain requirements for Mental Power; limited by his talent, Ximen Yong had never been able to achieve the Third Layer.

Yuan Shouzhi, however, had already achieved the Great Accomplishment of the Inner Breath Realm Fourth Layer by the age of thirty.

But even though Yuan Shouzhi had achieved the Great Accomplishment, he had always been extremely respectful in front of Ximen Yong, not daring to overstep his bounds by even half a step; this sense of hierarchy and propriety between the two had been formed since they were children and was already carved into their bones.

After Ximen Yong and Yuan Shouzhi returned to the mansion, they first had dinner. During the meal, Ximen Yong asked about Ximen Kankan, and the servants said that Ximen Kankan had gone out in the afternoon and had not yet returned to the mansion.

Ximen Yong did not take it to heart, and after the meal, he sat in the pavilion in the courtyard with Yuan Shouzhi, sipping tea and enjoying the cool air.

"Shouzhi, do you think this trip to the Prefecture City can be considered a success?" Ximen Yong sipped his tea and looked at the flower bushes swaying in the wind amidst the twilight.

Yuan Shouzhi smiled meaningfully and said, "Master! Shouzhi believes this trip was a great success!"

"Oh..." Ximen Yong's expression shifted, and he glanced at Yuan Shouzhi, as if encouraging him to continue.

Yuan Shouzhi said, "This person Chen Chunlei has quite complex connections within Yuanyang Prefecture, and his Raw Medicine Shop accounts for nearly one-third of the entire Prefecture City's market share. If we can establish a connection with him, even if we concede one part of the profit to him, in the long run, it is a steady and profitable path of wealth."

Ximen Yong nodded slightly and said, "Shouzhi, you are right. We think alike. Although our Xiangu County is located in a remote area with inconvenient transportation, these deep mountains and old forests are treasure troves of medicinal herbs. Moreover, once the sales channels are opened, we can mobilize the nearby villagers to grow herbs on the spot. The key is to open up this path with Chen Chunlei and bring in the flowing water of wealth."

"The Master's insight is far-reaching and his thinking is thorough," Yuan Shouzhi could not help but praise.

Ximen Yong's business acumen was indeed far superior to ordinary people; this was something he had learned since he was young.

Upon hearing this, Ximen Yong just smiled slightly, his eyes flickering as he looked at the garden where the night was growing darker.

Just then, Ximen Kankan had returned from outside, and as soon as he heard that Ximen Yong had returned to the mansion, he immediately came to the main courtyard to pay his respects.

After not seeing each other for several days, the gazes of father and son as they looked at each other both flashed with faint affection.

Ximen Kankan looked at the undisguised fatigue on Ximen Yong's face, felt a jolt in his heart, and said, "Kankan pays respects to Father! Pays respects to Uncle Yuan!"

Ximen Yong and Yuan Shouzhi both looked at Ximen Kankan with smiles.

Ximen Yong said, "Where did you go to play this afternoon? Returning to the mansion so late."

Ximen Kankan said, "I made an appointment with Duan Rong and Jiang Qingyu to go to Yanyue Tower for drinks, which is why I returned late."

Ximen Yong nodded; as long as it was not too outrageous, he basically did not interfere with Ximen Kankan. "In the days that your Uncle Yuan and I were not here, was there anything going on in the mansion?"

"It was all daily business; there was nothing!" Ximen Kankan replied.

"I haven't checked your cultivation in the past six months; have you been slack in your martial arts?" Ximen Yong suddenly asked.

As soon as Ximen Kankan heard the question about martial arts, he could not help but scratch his head; where had he practiced any martial arts in the past six months?

Seeing Ximen Kankan's appearance, Ximen Yong knew roughly what was going on and said in a deep voice, "Perform a set of the Thunder Smoke Saber for your Uncle Yuan and me to see."

Ximen Kankan sighed softly and had no choice but to bite the bullet, draw his saber in front of the pavilion in the courtyard, and start performing.

After finishing the set, Ximen Kankan stood holding the saber, looking at Ximen Yong with some trepidation in his eyes.

Ximen Yong was silent for a while before saying, "You may go. Don't run around tomorrow; accompany your father for a family meal at noon tomorrow."

"Yes." Ximen Kankan was stunned, then immediately said happily.

He did not expect to pass the test so easily; when his father mentioned martial arts, he thought he would be urged to practice every day again. "Father, Uncle Yuan, Kankan takes his leave!"

Ximen Kankan turned slowly and walked out of the courtyard; as soon as he left the courtyard, he immediately trotted away...

Ximen Yong watched Ximen Kankan's back, turned his head to look at Yuan Shouzhi, and said, "Shouzhi, this kid's saber technique seems to have become even more powerful..." Ximen Yong was a bit uncertain.

Yuan Shouzhi smiled lightly and said, "The Master has noticed it too! Kankan's saber technique has indeed made quite a lot of progress; it is clear that during this period, he has gained a further understanding of the saber technique of the Great Accomplishment realm of the Thunder Smoke Saber."

"Is that so? A further understanding?" Ximen Yong's eyes were suspicious.

"Kankan is gifted, and his future martial arts achievements will likely be limitless," Yuan Shouzhi praised.

"This kid's talent is indeed not bad; he takes after his mother in this regard," Ximen Yong smiled.

Ximen Kankan's mother, Ximen Yong's wedded wife Li Yilin, passed away due to illness when Ximen Kankan was three years old, and so many years had passed, yet Ximen Yong had never remarried.

During this period, Ximen Kankan sparred with Duan Rong, and because Duan Rong's progress was rapid, it also mobilized his full potential; Ximen Kankan originally had a very high aptitude for martial arts, and after a period of time, his saber technique naturally made significant progress. It was just that his heart was not in martial arts, and he lacked awareness of these changes.

"However, this kid has never liked practicing martial arts. His saber technique has actually improved during this period; why do I feel that something is wrong with this?"

Could it be that this kid has changed his temperament?

Ximen Yong suddenly called over the maid Meiqin who served him and said, "Meiqin, go find Shi Kang and bring him here."

About the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Meiqin led Shi Kang to the front of the pavilion in the courtyard. Meiqin knew that the master had something to ask Shi Kang, so after leading Shi Kang to the front of the pavilion, she bowed and walked away gracefully.

Ximen Yong looked at Shi Kang and asked if Kankan had been practicing martial arts recently.

Shi Kang first said that he had not been practicing, but when he saw that Ximen Yong's expression was not right, his eyes flickered and he said, "The Young Master has indeed been sparring with others on saber techniques recently."

"Sparring on saber techniques? Sparring with whom?"

"With the Escort Duan Rong from the Yuanshun Escort Agency."

"Duan Rong?" Ximen Yong's eyes narrowed, and he thought of this refined scholar who painted for Ximen Kankan at the Xueyan Residence, as well as his phrase, "Every branch and every leaf is always a matter of affection."

"Does Kankan often associate with the Escort Duan Rong?" Ximen Yong stared at Shi Kang.

"They associate often! And... and..." Shi Kang suddenly stammered.

"And what? Speak!" Ximen Yong said angrily.

"The Young Master addresses Duan Rong as Brother Duan, and he usually holds the Escort Duan Rong in high regard."

"Brother Duan?" Ximen Yong's eyes jumped. After pondering for a moment, he looked up at Shi Kang and said, "You may go, and take good care of the Young Master. If there is anything unusual, report it to me in time."

"Yes. This servant understands." Shi Kang felt relieved and hurried away.

After Shi Kang left, Ximen Yong stood up and paced in front of the pavilion.

In the world of business, no matter how big the matter was, Ximen Yong could always keep his composure, but whenever he encountered something related to Ximen Kankan, he was always prone to letting his concern cloud his judgment.

He knew his own son best. This brat was actually a bit of a rascal at heart; that he could call a peer "Big Brother" truly surprised Ximen Yong.

(End of this chapter)