Chapter 98: A Visit to the Zeng Residence, a Family of Scholars

This batch of Apprentices is generally stronger; having been selected, they are a cut above Li Hao and the others.

Take Zhou You for example; besides his proficient force, he has the added advantage of outstanding movement techniques.

The other three Apprentices all possess the strength of Intermediate Force, each with sharp gazes and formidable physiques.

What is worth Zhou You's attention is that among the three, there is one named Shen Sanhe.

Shen Sanhe hails from a farmstead outside the city and recognizes Zhong Shaoying as his big brother; he is the cream of the crop among the farm youths.

Therefore, he and Zhou You are in naturally conflicting camps.

The street is quiet, passersby are in a hurry, and the group proceeds without obstruction.

They soon arrive at their destination: the home of Master Zeng.

The house before them is not tall, yet it carries a profound historical heritage; every brick and tile is an antique that has weathered a hundred years, exuding nobility without the need for gold or jade adornments.

The mottled wooden couplet hanging outside the door can trace its history back two hundred years.

"Thump, thump!"

After the door knocker is struck, a maidservant looks out through a crack in the door, "Who is it?"

Wang Yan lifts her skirt and steps forward quickly, "Sister Xiao Fang, it's me, please announce us."

"So it is the young lady of the Wang family; I shall go tell the young lady at once."

The maidservant is about to turn around when Wang Yan slips an object into her palm; she looks down to see it is a gold chain.

Wang Yan smiles, "Go on, go on."

After the maidservant leaves, Shen Sanhe speaks up with dissatisfaction, "Eldest Miss, this chain was given by Senior Brother Zhong; why did you casually bestow it upon a servant?"

As it turns out, Zhong Shaoying has feelings for Wang Yan, which the group of younger brothers is well aware of, and they often assist him.

Shen Sanhe joined the guards precisely because Zhong Shaoying was worried and sent his own people to help keep watch.

Seeing the gift Zhong Shaoying gave being casually handed out by Wang Yan to a maidservant, he is quite dissatisfied.

"What servant? Sister Xiao Fang is a maid of the Zengjia who is literate and well-read; her background is better than all of yours."

Wang Yan says coldly, "You have no right to manage my affairs."

"The things Zhong Shaoying gives me, I will give to whomever I please; even if he were standing here, he would have no right to speak."

Zhou You's brow twitches; well, the heart's blood of a simp has gone to waste.

Seeing Wang Yan's anger, Shen Sanhe dares not speak further and walks to the side with his head down.

A moment later, the door opens, and the maidservant invites Wang Yan inside as a guest.

"Everyone, please go to the open room to rest."

The maidservant blocks Zhou You and Shen Sanhe in the front hall, pointing to a low side door nearby.

She leads Wang Yan into the inner hall to meet Miss Zeng in the back residence.

Wealthy families have many rules; daughters are raised in the back residence year-round, and even when receiving guests, they do not go beyond the second gate.

The group is invited to rest in an open room in the side hall, which has windows but no door, is open on all four sides, and is fully furnished with tables and chairs for sitting, drinking tea, and watching the breeze.

"Brother Shen, the Eldest Miss is alone; will she be alright?"

An Apprentice feels it is improper and asks Shen Sanhe in a low voice.

Shen Sanhe, appearing slightly mature, shakes his head upon hearing this, "In broad daylight, behind high walls and deep courtyards, there is no place safer than this."

He also knows that the flower-picking thief commits crimes in the dead of night when it is quiet and everyone's guard is down.

Besides...

"Although the Zengjia is a family of scholars, they have a master at the Qi and Blood Middle Stage sitting in command."

While speaking, the maidservant walks over carrying a tea tray, serving each person a cup of hot tea along with three plates of dried fruit to accompany the tea.

Shen Sanhe asks her, "This sister, is your honorable residence still guarded by Pan Shifu?"

"It has always been Pan Shifu."

The maidservant serves the tea and says politely, "If you need anything, just call me; my name is Dujuan."

What a tacky name!

Zhou You only feels a wave of bright red peony-patterned bedsheet vibes rushing toward him. He cannot help but take a sip of the tea; the clear and elegant scent on his tongue, combined with the environment, brings a sense of unique tranquility to his heart.

Looking out through the hollowed-out wooden window, the uneven stone slabs of the courtyard and a few clusters of oleander sway in the wind.

He also hears the sound of flowing water from behind the wall, the rippling of the pond, and the movement of koi fish sipping water.

The layout of this family's environment has quite a bit of the Suzhou garden style he remembers.

"Pan Shifu is a direct disciple of Master Mao Mao of the Jiba Martial Arts Hall, at the Qi and Blood 4th Stage realm, and possesses formidable strength."

"After he finished his apprenticeship, many families offered high salaries to hire him, but he refused them all, ultimately choosing to be a guard for the Zengjia."

"Pan Shifu's ancestors were once wrongly imprisoned; at that time, the Zengjia's ancestor, a great Confucian, spoke up for justice and cleared his name. This debt of gratitude has been passed down through the generations, and it is only in Pan Shifu's generation that he finally found an opportunity to repay it."

The Zengjia is a family of scholars; although their status is transcendent, they do not have much wealth and cannot offer generous salaries.

A Qi and Blood master would never humble himself here if not for the sake of repaying a debt.

Everyone listens to Shen Sanhe's introduction of Pan Shifu's situation, thinking that this man knows how to repay kindness and is also a loyal and righteous person.

Zhou You only listens and does not speak; he is from within the city, and he is even clearer on these rumors and anecdotes.

The status of Master Zeng is best described by the term "pure and noble."

The Zengjia is a family of scholars, with the ancient style of great Confucians passed down through generations; their reputation is so heavy that everyone must give them face.

Others may have thousands of gold, but this family has reputation and connections more valuable than thousands of gold.

"Hoo, hoo, I'm burning up."

A high-spirited big man walks quickly into the open room, calling out as he walks, "Dujuan, bring me a big pot of cold tea."

He only realizes there are people there after walking into the open room, "Are there guests?"

Dujuan walks over carrying a copper pot and explains, "The young lady of the Wang family from Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall is visiting, and these are all guards."

"Pan Shifu, sit down and drink slowly."

Was this spirited big man Pan Jinshan? Zhou You observed him carefully; the man's ten fingers were tinged with a golden hue, and his fingernails emitted a faint metallic luster.

This was a sign that Vajra Fist had been practiced to a high level of proficiency.

He knew that if the man clenched his two hands, they would become terrifying weapons capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Pan Jinshan gulped down more than half of the copper pot of herbal tea in one go, then wiped his lips.

"A student of Wang Laohu?"

He frowned and said thoughtfully, "It seems my little junior brother Mao Lang once beat one of your martial arts school's Pseudo Qi and Blood practitioners to death."

Saying this to their faces was somewhat inappropriate.

Although that matter had been settled, it could not be spoken of openly after all.

Mao Lang had beaten someone to death on their own turf; if it hadn't been handled properly, he likely wouldn't have walked out of the martial arts school's gate that day.

However, the next sentence left the few of them unable to flare up.

"Hmm, that kid Mao Lang is also promising; he just broke through to Qi and Blood a few days ago. It seems it's a bit late for you all to seek revenge on him."

What, that wild child Mao Lang had already broken through the Qi and Blood barrier? Thinking about it carefully, it was normal; when he last saw him, he was already at the realm of pure and skilled strength, lacking only a single layer of separation.

This guy's progress was truly terrifying, well, second only to Zhou You.

"Mm, Dujuan, here is the copper pot; I still have things to do, so I'm leaving first."

Pan Jinshan came quickly and left just as quickly; after finishing the tea, he strode away.

Zhou You watched his back; this man was as still as a reclining pine, and when he moved, his Qi and Blood followed his form, with terrifying power compressed to the extreme hidden within his muscles.

His seemingly ordinary walk hid tactical shifts in every gesture, allowing him to react immediately if he encountered a surprise attack.

As Zhou You broke through to Qi and Blood, his discernment had improved, allowing him to further appreciate the high and low, strong and weak levels of Qi and Blood.

If he were to spar with him, the outcome would be vastly lopsided!

His heart surged; there were many experts in Gongliang City, and the joy brought by his recent breakthrough to Qi and Blood was instantly diluted.

(End of this chapter)