Steward Zhen

"This Lord Zhen actually lives in Southern City."

The Liang siblings were people of action. After finalizing their plan, they immediately went out to inquire about the Zhen family's address. Liang Yue took Liang Peng and bought a fruit basket, then went to the door together to apologize.

The land prices in Dragon Abyss City were definitely higher in the north and lower in the south. The area near the Imperial City in the north was incredibly expensive, filled with the residences of various ministries, yamen, and high officials. Courtiers generally chose to live there for convenience in their daily work.

The eastern and western areas also had their own wealthy districts due to the presence of the two markets.

In contrast, the most lively place in Southern City was the Red Sleeve Brothel, where brothels and pleasure houses gathered, but the land price wouldn't become expensive just because it was close to a brothel. Thus, the southern area became the poor district of Divine Capital, Dragon Abyss City, the place with the most common people.

It was no wonder Liang Yue felt surprised.

A sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, even if he didn't live in a mansion in the northern city, it shouldn't be difficult for him to get a courtyard in the eastern or western areas, right? To appear in this area of Southern City was truly a rare occurrence.

The Zhen residence wasn't considered large even within Southern City. The facade looked similar to an ordinary civilian house, with the only slightly more imposing feature being an extra porch. Perhaps considering his status as a court official, a black plaque with gold lettering was installed, and there was a gatehouse on the side where a white-haired old man was dozing off.

"Old sir... old sir?" Liang Yue stepped forward and called out twice, but the old man remained drowsy. He then shouted again, "Old sir!"

"Huh?" The old gatekeeper finally woke up, staring blankly at the two brothers. "Something wrong?"

"We've come to visit Lord Zhen about some family matters. Please trouble you to inform him," Liang Yue said.

"Huh?" The old gatekeeper nodded blankly. "What's your name?"

"My name is Liang Yue, and my younger brother is Liang Peng. We are classmates of your young master, Zhen Xiaohao," Liang Yue replied.

"Huh?" The old gatekeeper tilted his ear. "Yue what Peng?"

Liang Yue raised his voice again, "Liang Yue! And Liang Peng!"

"Oh..." The old gatekeeper finally responded, then turned and walked shakily into the porch.

A moment later, he shuffled back out, step by step, and greeted them, "The master is waiting for you in the study. Follow me."

The brothers followed him, passing through a porch, and then realized that this porch was actually a bit redundant. The courtyard of Zhen Changzhi's house wasn't much bigger than the Liang family's small courtyard in Peaceful Lane. At most, the buildings were a bit more regular, with more blue tiles and white bricks, flying eaves and upright pillars on the four sides, making it look a bit more upscale, but in the end, there were only four or five rooms.

In the center of the courtyard, a young man with his head wrapped in white cloth was kneeling. He seemed to be seriously injured and was kneeling dejectedly. When he saw the two brothers enter, he looked up at Liang Peng, his eyes immediately filled with hatred: "What are you here for?"

"To apologize to you," Liang Peng said calmly.

Then, without looking back, he followed the old gatekeeper to the entrance of the Zhen family's study.

"The master is inside, please come in," the old gatekeeper pointed inside, then left on his own.

The brothers stepped into the study. At first glance, they didn't see anyone, but instead saw a wall—the decoration of this Zhen family's study was also very strange.

Normally, rooms in large households are open from north to south, with at most a screen placed in the middle. However, in the center of this study, there was actually a thick wall, with a bead curtain hanging at the end of one side of the wall, obscuring it.

This wall divided one room into inner and outer chambers. The outer chamber only had some flowers and plant decorations, while the inner chamber should be the real study. The brothers lifted the bead curtain and saw that in this rather cramped space, there was a desk and a bookshelf.

A middle-aged man with a gaunt face and a serious expression was sitting behind the desk, holding a letter and reading it, his eyes lost in thought. Hearing the sound of the bead curtain, he used a book beside him to press down the letter paper, then raised his head and looked at the two brothers: "You are Liang Peng and his elder brother, right?"

This person was naturally the master of the house, Zhen Changzhi, the Principal of the Ministry of Works.

"That's right," Liang Yue nodded and said, "Today, my younger brother and your young master had some conflict. I specifically brought him here to apologize."

"I asked Xiaohao about what happened at the academy when he came home," Zhen Changzhi said. "The conflict was entirely due to him provoking repeatedly first. Although Liang Peng's actions were a bit impulsive, they were understandable. Both of them were at fault in this matter, and logically, Xiaohao should apologize first. I have already punished him by making him kneel for an hour and was planning to have him talk properly with Liang Peng at the academy tomorrow."

"Uncle Zhen, Zhen Xiaohao is just a bit mischievous. He often plays around like this with his classmates, and everyone is used to it. After reflecting on it, I realize I was indeed too impulsive and feel very remorseful. I am the one who made the big mistake, and he was injured. Please don't punish him anymore," Liang Peng said sincerely.

However, upon closer inspection, his words seemed tinged with a subtle passive-aggression.

Liang Yue secretly gave his younger brother a thumbs-up in his heart.

"I've heard a little about his mischievous deeds at the academy, but I haven't had the time to discipline him. It's good for him to receive some punishment this time, Liang Peng, you don't need to blame yourself." Zhen Changzhi said in a gentle tone, "I've long heard that you've always been the top student at the academy. Study hard and diligently, and you'll achieve success in the future. I promise you, Xiaohao will absolutely not affect your studies anymore."

"Lord Zhen is truly too benevolent. My brother will definitely get along well with Zhen Xiaohao in the future, and such things won't happen again," Liang Yue said with a smile, seeing the other party's good attitude.

"Heh, that would be for the best. It would be best if he could learn from Liang Peng's dedication to learning," Zhen Changzhi smiled slightly, then said, "I still have unfinished official duties today. Since this matter is settled, I will attend to my own affairs first."

"Okay, we won't disturb Lord Zhen," Liang Yue replied, putting down the fruit basket in his hand. "I brought some fruit for Lord Zhen. It's not worth much, just a small token of my sincerity."

"This is absolutely not permissible," Zhen Changzhi's face suddenly fell. "I have been an official for twenty years and have never accepted a single gift or had any personal favors. If you were to give me a gift, it would be ruining my reputation."

Liang Yue quickly picked up the fruit basket again and said, "Having an upright official like Lord Zhen is truly a blessing for the Yin Dynasty. Then my brother and I will take our leave."

As the brothers left, Zhen Xiaohao was still kneeling facing the study door in the courtyard. Seeing Liang Peng walk out, he muttered in a low voice, "You fatherless thing! Are you happy now?"

Liang Peng walked away calmly, only lightly dropping a sentence as he turned around: "Same to you."

Today's events went unexpectedly smoothly. After leaving the Zhen residence, Liang Yue still sighed, "No wonder Steward Zhen has such a good reputation as an official. He is indeed kind and reasonable. How could such a father raise such a son?"

Liang Peng shook his head, also expressing his confusion.

By the time the two brothers returned home, it was completely dark. Liang Peng returned to his room, while Liang Yue stayed in the courtyard to practice his fist techniques.

It was still the Tiger Might Fist. As he unfolded his stance, his qi and blood immediately surged, fierce as thunder, much more powerful than the previous two days. This progress was thanks to the pill given by Wen Yifan.

At that time, they unexpectedly caught a Nine Yang spy. The three little ones of the Imperial Capital Guard were all injured. Liang Yue was the least injured, only suffering a bruised leg bone with no internal injuries.

But Miss Wen from the Evil Extermination Bureau still gave them three pills.

She gave them casually, saying they were for stabilizing qi and blood and healing injuries, and Liang Yue believed her.

As a result, only after Chen Ju ate it did he realize that it was a very precious Profound Gate Deer Blood Pill. Among pills that supplement qi and blood, it was absolutely top-grade. The Profound Gate Pill Forging Lineage didn't bother much with refining such small pills, so the production was low and even less circulated on the market. Many wealthy families would only seek a few pills when their children were attempting to break through to the second realm.

Stabilizing qi and blood was its least valuable effect.

After the three of them took it, they indeed felt their qi and blood gradually fill up, receiving a surging and powerful boost!

As Liang Yue practiced the Tiger Might Fist now, he could already feel a roaring tiger phantom beginning to appear in his mind. His entire being increasingly took on the form of a beast king.

This meant that his qi and blood were flourishing, reaching his divine palace. When circulating with a roar, he could feel the divine charm of martial arts. The previous bottleneck had completely disappeared.

There was only a thin membrane.

He could break through at any time and step into the Contemplation Realm, the second layer of martial arts!

After reaching the Contemplation Realm, one could cultivate various powerful martial arts techniques by contemplating the divine charm, no longer limited to fist and foot techniques. For martial artists, the first layer was just building the foundation; the second layer was the true entry, stepping into the world of martial arts.

Whether it was martial arts, the Qi Refiners of the Three Teachings, or the legendary and mysterious Secret Technique Masters, all forms of cultivation were divided into three major realms: Layered Building Realm, Grandmaster Realm, and Immortal Realm.

The first major realm, the Layered Building Realm, was further divided into seven minor realms.

Breaking through each minor realm was equivalent to ascending a floor. The seven floors of martial arts were enough to trap the vast majority of martial artists for a lifetime.

Among these, the first layer, the Qi Blood Realm, could be achieved through hard work and might be broken through over the years. Upon reaching the second layer, the Contemplation Realm, it began to depend on that elusive and ethereal comprehension.

Without comprehension, it's common to achieve nothing even after a lifetime of contemplation.

Liang Yue was diligently practicing his fist techniques when he suddenly heard a sharp whistle from the sky not far away, accompanied by a bright light shooting straight up.

"Something's happening?" He immediately stopped.

This was the Imperial Capital Guard's exclusive signal arrow, used to summon personnel. One signal arrow meant that the Imperial Capital Guards stationed in this ward, whether on duty or not, were to immediately assemble; two signal arrows fired consecutively meant that all Imperial Capital Guards in Southern City were to immediately go for support; if three signal arrows were fired consecutively, then all Imperial Capital Guards in the entire city were to depart immediately.

Although there was only one signal arrow this time, it was still quite rare in Fukang Ward.

Liang Yue immediately put on his official uniform, strapped on his saber, and hurried out of Peaceful Lane, rushing towards the location where the signal arrow was fired. Just as he was about to arrive, he saw Chen Ju waiting at the street corner.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Something big happened..." Chen Ju pointed to the house behind him. "Zhen Changzhi, the Principal of the Ministry of Works, died in his own home!"

"What?!"

Thanks to Teacher Crow for becoming the sixth powerful Alliance Leader of this book. Thank you, thank you.