Chapter 822: I Have a Copy of

Leaving aside Rongguo Mansion's side, which has started moving, Little White Dragon.

On Ningguo Mansion's side, the atmosphere is extremely oppressive.

The main gate of the master's courtyard is tightly shut; although sunlight falls, not a trace of warmth can be felt.

It is only early winter now, yet the feeling it gives is like the depths of the coldest winter.

Lady You, Lai Sheng, and several Ningguo Mansion stewards are standing there.

Together with the Jia father and son — Jia Zhen and Jia Rong.

Jia Rong is naturally Tang Luo now, currently engaging in intimate father-son communication with Jia Zhen.

Including but not limited to testing whether Jia Zhen's head or the bluestone slabs are harder, and imparting some speaking techniques to Jia Zhen.

Don't open your mouth with "beast" and close it with "monstrous beast"; that's equivalent to scolding yourself.

Scolding yourself doesn't matter, but is Master Xuanzang someone you can scold casually?

Jia Zhen's mouth is obviously not as iron as his head.

Watching Tang Luo casually pummel Jia Zhen, Lai Sheng and the other stewards feel a chill in their hearts, their legs stiffening.

Those several stewards can at least occasionally exchange glances, finding a "fellow sufferer at world's end."

Lai Sheng, on the other hand, is completely expressionless, like a clay sculpture.

It is actually Lady You, this non-martial woman, who shows considerable courage at the critical moment: "Eldest Master, stop hitting him; if you keep hitting, you'll beat the Old Master to death."

"Rest assured, hitting like this won't kill anyone."

Tang Luo waves his hand and smiles gently, "Look, his head is so iron. He won't die that easily."

Looking at the originally flat bluestone slabs now full of pitted cracks and holes.

All of these were smashed out by Jia Zhen's head.

Thinking of this, Lady You feels a bout of dizziness, almost unable to stand.

She cannot understand no matter what why Jia Rong would suddenly become like this.

Could it be that Jia Zhen's daily harsh reprimands of Jia Rong finally made Jia Rong explode?

To tell the truth, compared to most father-son relationships in this era, Jia Zhen cannot be considered a strict father, but this is not praise.

Because to be more accurate, he doesn't even count as a father.

Jia Zhen's attitude toward Jia Rong is almost no different from how he treats servants; when angry he beats and scolds at the drop of a hat, when happy he bestows maids he has used himself.

In Ningguo Mansion, Jia Zhen is the sole emperor; everyone else is a servant.

Jia Rong clearly holds the heir's status, yet is treated so by his father, without even a place to "seek redress"; over time, suddenly going mad one day is not impossible.

However, Lady You still has one matter she cannot fathom.

That is why Jia Rong suddenly became so good at fighting.

Jia Zhen is a seventh-rank martial artist. Jia Rong, like her, a woman of the inner chambers, at best knows some rough boxing and kicking for fitness, fundamentally not even ranked.

Even if Jia Zhen gave him a hand, Jia Rong couldn't beat him.

Leaving the half-dead, not-quite-dead Jia Zhen, Tang Luo returns to the small courtyard pavilion and sits down: "Don't mind him; I said he won't die, so he won't die. Come here."

The several stewards dare not delay and immediately step forward.

"Look at his condition." Tang Luo points at Jia Zhen.

Lai Sheng and the others tremble all over, not daring not to look, forcing themselves to look at Jia Zhen's miserable appearance.

"He can't manage the household anymore now." Tang Luo says leisurely, "Since that's the case —"

Without waiting for Tang Luo to finish, Lai Sheng and the several stewards immediately kneel, expressing loyalty.

They are all crafty, sharp-witted figures; how could they not understand that Ningguo Mansion has already changed hands?

The Jia Rong before them has directly replaced Jia Zhen's original position.

Only Jia Zhen's death or voluntary abdication is lacking for Jia Rong to legitimately inherit the title and completely control Ningguo Mansion.

As for Jia Rong beating his father, who saw it?

As long as Jia Rong can keep Jia Zhen under control, everything is not a problem.

Jia Zhen is not a qualified clan head who combines benevolence and authority; underneath him there are no truly loyal people.

Even if there are loyal ones, their loyalty is to Ningguo Mansion, then to the entire Jia clan.

If it were an outsider insulting them, they might rather die than yield.

But family matters, just like Jia Zhen kicking his daughter-in-law's door at night and everyone pretending not to see, the current situation is the same.

Such is the family custom.

Therefore, the injuries on Jia Zhen's body are clearly from falling himself!

"Eldest Master, could it be you have achieved the Grandmaster rank?" After kowtowing to express loyalty, Lai Sheng asks cautiously.

Great Qian, to prevent martial artists from throwing the world into chaos, values ritual teachings: Heaven, Earth, Monarch, Parent, Teacher.

Yet there is one kind of martial artist who is an exception, able to transcend above — the Grandmaster!

What is a Grandmaster? One whom even the Kaiyuan Emperor, upon seeing, would cheerfully address as "Master X," a person who need not perform the kneeling salute even before the Emperor.

Although Lai Sheng himself is only a seventh-rank martial artist, as Ningguo Mansion's chief steward, his discernment is still somewhat present.

He has seen first-rank and second-rank Spirit-Refining martial artists.

Yet he has never seen Tang Luo's bizarre methods just now, and cannot help but suspect.

"Grandmaster? I haven't been one for a long time." Tang Luo combines benevolence and authority.

Just now was authority; now is benevolence, enough to settle hearts.

Not a Grandmaster?

Could he be even stronger than a Grandmaster? Great Grandmaster, Supreme Grandmaster?

Although above Grandmaster there are still divisions of Great Grandmaster and Supreme Grandmaster, in reality those are not martial dao realms, but affirmations of strength.

Simply put, a Grandmaster can withstand a siege by several Masters.

As for a Supreme Grandmaster, that is a legendary figure recorded in historical texts; it is rumored they can enter an enemy formation composed entirely of an elite army of one hundred thousand warriors plus ten Masters, behead a Grandmaster general, and then drift away unhurriedly.

Unthinkable, unthinkable.

Regardless of whether he is a Grandmaster — and he certainly cannot be a Supreme Grandmaster.

Just being a Master is enough!

Lai Sheng and the others were initially forced by Tang Luo; now, they would willingly lick Tang Luo's boots.

A Master!

Tang Luo forcibly seized authority over Ningguo Mansion; if he keeps the door shut and nothing gets out, there is no trouble.

Once it gets out, disaster is certain; the Imperial Family cannot possibly pretend not to see.

But if Jia Rong is a Master, sorry — even if it gets out, everyone will also pretend not to see.

If Jia Zhen were a pillar of the court, a high minister of state, one could still fight a lawsuit; but now, Ningguo Mansion merely maintains its family reputation.

The weight of a single Master — let alone Jia Zhen, even the entire Ningguo Mansion cannot compare.

Settled!

Lai Sheng and the others felt completely at ease.

"Alright, all of you go down. Oh right, drag this fellow away and take good care of him," Tang Luo ordered.

"Yes, yes, the Old Master definitely won't wake up."

Lai Sheng and the others declared their allegiance on the spot, hoisted the unconscious Jia Zhen, and hurriedly left.

Tang Luo then walked over to Lady You's side.

Lady You gave a miserable smile: "Please arrange a Buddhist hall for me..."

Lady You was merely a second wife, not Jia Rong's birth mother, and coupled with Jia Zhen's behavior, her status was not much higher than a concubine's.

After aging and losing her looks, being able to have a place like a "Buddhist hall" in the inner quarters to settle in, not being sent out the door, would already count as good — of course, if she cultivated martial arts and achieved something, the situation would be different.

"What Buddhist hall? Don't think about ancient lamps and blue Buddhas." Tang Luo waved a hand, "Starting today, cultivate martial arts properly. Come, here is a copy of the 'Great Strength Monkey King Fist'; it is written simply and understandably — as long as you can read, you can understand and practice it. Take it back and study and train hard; the task of reviving Ningguo Mansion is entrusted to you."

He fished out a martial arts manual he had prepared who knows when and stuffed it into Lady You's hands.

Lady You stared dumbfounded; what situation was this?

"I—"

"You wouldn't really want ancient lamps and blue Buddhas, a lonely life to the end, would you? How old are you?" Tang Luo said.

Lady You's body swayed slightly.

Her age was actually only just approaching thirty, precisely the age of fully ripe, tender beauty.

Even without cultivating martial arts, until aging and fading looks, there were at least ten more years.

"Let it be like this then."

Seeing Lady You was moved, Tang Luo simply didn't give her a chance to speak, turned and left.

Lady You wanted to speak but stopped, pinching the thin 'Great Strength Monkey King Fist' in her hand.

The art style began to go a bit off-track.

After giving Lady You a copy of Monkey King Fist, Tang Luo again instructed Lai Sheng and the others to properly settle Jia Zhen, then summoned all the servants of Ningguo Mansion, from sweeping maids, coarse labor grannies, young manservants to stewards — every single one.

Ningguo Mansion's family line was not flourishing, but it had many servants.

It took a bit of time to gather them; there were fully four hundred and odd people.

The crowd was initially chattering noisily, but as Tang Luo walked over, the scene instantly fell quiet.

Regardless of whether they knew about the "son rebelling against father" matter.

Just seeing the other party walk over like that, it was as if a shadow enveloped them, oppressive like the sky before a violent rainstorm, making it hard to breathe.

Tang Luo's gaze swept across the crowd, and he spoke directly: "My Jia clan is a martial merit family, established through martial arts. But looking at you lot, each without the strength to truss a chicken, are you fit to be my Jia clan retainers?"

These words were spoken inexplicably, yet no one dared retort.

"Here is a copy of the 'Eight Desolations Divine Art' I created myself; every single person must cultivate it. Every so often there will be an examination; those with no achievement, regardless of who, will all be expelled from my Jia clan," Tang Luo said, "Understood?"

The final sound was like muffled thunder surging in their ears, scaring these servants so they couldn't even speak.

"Lai Sheng, you arrange it. Those over fifty, under ten years old are exempt. The rest, regardless of who, must all cultivate; missing even one person, I will hold you solely responsible," Tang Luo said.

"Yes!"

Lai Sheng's voice was resolute and decisive.

If the 'Eight Desolations Divine Art' were merely issued down, naturally not everyone would cultivate it.

Not everyone is literate.

But with someone to guide them, it becomes much simpler.

In this world, wanting to become a martial artist is not as difficult as cultivating immortality and seeking the Dao.

As long as one is willing to endure hardship, learns those few moves, and grinds day after day, even the most ordinary person can become a martial artist.

However, that way the limit for this lifetime is merely a Body Refining martial artist.

To become a fourth, third, or second rank Qi Refining martial artist, one either needs a decent martial arts manual inheritance, or a famous teacher's guidance.

Plus one's own effort, only then can one become a Qi Refining martial artist.

As for the higher levels of first and second rank Spirit Refining, let alone Grandmaster — just having martial arts inheritance, famous teacher guidance, and one's own bitter effort is still not enough; one also needs talent.

Martial Dao Four (Three) Heavy Heavens, each heavy heaven a heavenly moat.

Ningguo Mansion still has some Body Refining martial artists; having them lead the cultivation of 'Eight Desolations Divine Art' is no problem.

"Right, Jiao Da was originally the Old Ancestor's personal guard, his martial arts extraordinary. Starting today, he is my Ningguo Mansion personal guard commander; all martial Dao matters are entirely under his charge, understood?" Tang Luo said before Lai Sheng left.

Lai Sheng blanked for a moment, then bowed: "Yes, I'll go invite him at once."

The 'Eight Desolations Divine Art' is naturally not some real Eight Desolations Divine Art.

Change to a real name, called the Great Strength Monkey Sun Fist, which was practiced by the monkeys of Flower-Fruit Mountain in the past.

Tang Luo had Sun Wukong make slight modifications to suit the martial arts cultivation of the present age.

As for the Great Strength Monkey King Fist, it was improved by Sun Wukong, and it is much more powerful than the Monkey Sun Fist.

It is also more powerful than the Jia family's inherited martial arts.

One can cultivate it all the way to the Refining Spirit Realm without any problem.