Treatment Up (Thanks to Immortal Qi Tian for the Alliance Leader Reward)

At this moment, seeing Wei He's calm expression beside her, Jiang Su felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

Putting on a show! He's just a kid who got lucky. His life is still long. Does he think he'll always be lucky and continue pretending to be a genius? Sooner or later, his true colors will show.

She couldn't quite articulate her feelings, but the emotion was like finding a fly in her porridge – a sickening disgust that was hard to describe.

Zhao Hong was the least concerned. In his opinion, Wei He had likely passed the test through sheer luck.

After all, Wei He had struggled so much to break through to Ox Hide previously. This time, he must have gotten lucky.

Perhaps it was just that Master Zheng was already overwhelmed and in a bad mood due to Xiao Ran's news.

Wei He's breakthrough was like a good omen, which is why his teacher thought more highly of him.

Besides, in truth, he wasn't particularly bothered by these things. Whether others broke through or not, it wasn't him breaking through.

Zheng Fugui was just saying that. If the two could be matched, that would be best, but if not, it wouldn't matter.

Seeing that neither of them was willing, he didn't bring it up again.

"Spread the word. You'll have a good junior brother. Look out for each other in the future and don't let him get taken advantage of."

"Yes," Cheng Shaojiu quickly replied. He was genuinely happy for Wei He.

However, as soon as he spoke, he noticed that Jiang Yan had also responded at the same time.

His expression shifted slightly, and he quickly said, "Master, don't worry. My Cheng family will definitely not shortchange our junior brother!"

Jiang Yan turned his head and gave Cheng Shaojiu a slight smile.

"I heard that Third Senior Brother's family has encountered some difficulties recently. Their treatment might not be able to keep up, right?"

"You don't need to worry about me, Junior Brother Jiang. No matter how bad things get, Junior Brother Wei's treatment will be guaranteed," Cheng Shaojiu said in a deep voice.

Jiang Yan's tone gave him a bad feeling.

Jiang Yan smiled and said nothing further.

Could his Jiang family's offer even compare to a small Yonghe Escort Agency in the Outer City?

His Jiang family didn't lack an elite who had undergone a second Blood Essence breakthrough. But judging by Master Zheng's demeanor, he seemed to value Wei He greatly.

In that case, bringing Wei He over would earn Master Zheng's favor, which was undoubtedly a worthwhile deal.

"Alright, everyone can disperse. Remember to stay away from the outskirts of the city recently," Zheng Fugui instructed, then waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.

"Yes," the few people quickly replied with their heads lowered, then filed out of the room.

The sunlight in the courtyard was scorching. The recent light rain seemed to have never happened, having been quickly dried by the current sun.

The ground was covered in dry dust that was rising into the air.

Stepping out of the room, Jiang Su didn't even glance at Wei He and the others. She strode away and left the courtyard in a flash, not looking back.

She was clearly still angry.

Jiang Yan shook his folded fan and smiled slightly at Wei He before turning to leave.

Zhao Hong offered Wei He a few words of encouragement. His attitude remained unchanged, just like usual.

It seemed that Wei He's breakthrough or lack thereof didn't matter to him.

Cheng Shaojiu patted Wei He, and the two left the courtyard, getting into a carriage outside.

"Let's go for a drink, you rascal! When did you break through? Why didn't you tell me anything?" Cheng Shaojiu revealed a smile after getting into the carriage.

"I just broke through myself, so I went to see Old Zheng first," Wei He replied with a smile.

"Today, I'll take you to try the September Ninth Vintage from Zuihua Tower! It's a celebration for you. Hey, with this, our brothers' influence is slowly growing.

If we continue developing like this, perhaps in the future, our names will truly be known in Feiye City."

Cheng Shaojiu was clearly in a very good mood.

Wei He was his daughter's godfather, and Wei He was also the person he was closest to. This also proved that Cheng Shaojiu had good judgment in making friends and brothers.

When he mentioned this news to his uncle, he would surely rub it in his face and make him lose face.

Didn't they say that Cheng Shaojiu only associated with bad influences? What about now? One of his brothers had reached the second stage of Blood Essence!

How many people in the entire escort agency had reached the second stage of Blood Essence? Only him, his father, and his uncle – three people.

Let's see who would dare to criticize him now!

Cheng Shaojiu felt invigorated, as if the accumulated grievances and frustrations from the past had been released with Wei He's breakthrough.

Wei He, sitting in the opposite seat, also chuckled inwardly.

Brother Cheng was already a father of four children, yet he was still so out of sync.

Soon, the carriage slowly entered the Inner City and stopped in front of Zuihua Tower.

While sitting in the carriage, Cheng Shaojiu sent someone to reserve a banquet. Upon learning that there was a wait, he decided to wait in the carriage.

The carriage slowly moved to a parking spot.

Cheng Shaojiu also felt quite emotional.

"In this Feiye City, the places truly worth enjoying are all within the Inner City.

And the Inner City doesn't allow people not affiliated with the Seven Families Alliance to reside there. Even those who wish to conduct business must apply for qualification.

Furthermore, merchants and traders are not allowed to live long-term in the Inner City; they can only stay for short periods.

The regulations are so strict, it's hard to imagine.

But it's precisely these rules that allow the Seven Families Alliance to have a complete understanding of the personnel within the Inner City.

They know exactly who enters the Inner City and can pinpoint their origins and escorts at any time.

This way, the safety of the Inner City is greatly improved."

He pointed to Zuihua Tower on the side.

"Take this Zuihua Tower, for example. If it were opened in the Outer City, it would be bled dry by various gangs in no time. It would be impossible for it to reach such prosperity.

But now, opening it in the Inner City, under absolute safety guarantees, compared to the precarious life in the Outer City, tell me, would wealthy people prefer to spend their money outside, or here?"

"Naturally, here," Wei He also understood.

"That makes sense," Cheng Shaojiu sighed. "This is also the fundamental reason why the Seven Families Alliance has been able to rule Feiye City for so many years. Just this Inner and Outer City system has allowed them to earn who knows how much. Truly..."

He paused.

"Truly what?"

"Truly enviable."

"..." Wei He was speechless. He thought the guy was going to say something amazing.

"Let's go, let's get down and see the surrounding scenery. You haven't had a good look at the environment around here since we arrived, have you?"

Cheng Shaojiu suddenly remembered and called Wei He to get out of the carriage.

The two of them got out and walked around Zuihua Tower.

The streets on either side were filled with all sorts of shops and businesses.

Jewelry, antiques, dried goods, ready-made clothes, snacks – everything was available.

Crowds surged, and everyone's attire, at the very least, was neat and tidy, clearly not the impoverished.

This level of prosperity made it hard for Wei He to believe that this was the same place as Feiye City in the Outer City.

Even in the most prosperous areas of Shiqiao Town and Hongshi Town in the Outer City, it wasn't as lively as this.

In those places, you could still see beggars and disabled people. In some corners, you could even see corpses that hadn't been cleared away in time.

"Who are these people coming into the Inner City?" Wei He couldn't help but ask.

Does Feiye City have so many rich people?

He watched people entering and leaving jewelry stores and medicinal herb shops, coming out with large bags, feeling puzzled.

"Not all of them are from the Outer City of Feiye City; the Outer City is only a part of it. More are from nearby powerful clans and earth forts. You know Hong Family Fort, but do you know that Feiye City has more than just one Hong Family Fort?

Outside the city, there are more than ten small forts, large and small, all built by various powerful clans. Some of them are under the protection of Hong Family Fort, while others are members of the Seven Families Alliance."

"I see," Wei He understood.

"Heh, each of these earth forts is equivalent to a self-contained small town, filled with clan disciples protecting the surrounding farmlands.

Compared to them, the towns in the Outer City of Feiye City might not even live as well as they do," Cheng Shaojiu shook his head.

As they were talking, they encountered two scholars they knew who greeted him.

He quickly responded with a smile.

Wei He scanned his surroundings.

He hadn't paid attention before, but now, looking closely, he noticed that the number of constables patrolling in the corners, and the men in tight-fitting clothes wearing the Seven Families Alliance insignia, seemed to be much larger than before.

These people were all vigilant, scanning their surroundings.

Wei He glanced at them and quickly looked away to avoid causing any misunderstandings.

On the other side, Cheng Shaojiu finished greeting his acquaintances, and a servant who was waiting in line ran over to inform them that there was a table available at Zuihua Tower.

The two of them returned.

Zuihua Tower was different from Baihua Tower; this was a proper place for drinking and eating.

The biggest difference wasn't that there were no beautiful girls serving them, but the quality of the dishes.

As soon as the food was served, Cheng Shaojiu skillfully ordered a string of dishes and requested a pot of good wine called "September Ninth Vintage."

"Today, to celebrate your successful breakthrough! It's rare to come here, let's have a drink together!" Cheng Shaojiu said with a smile, lightly tapping the table.

"Just one cup is fine," Wei He replied with a smile.

"Alright, alright, I know you're careful and afraid of affecting your training," Cheng Shaojiu said with a smile.

While waiting for the food, he talked about the major features of the Inner City.

Good food, good wine, beautiful women, and sweet dreams.

"The first three, I can understand, but what about this last one, 'sweet dream'?" Wei He asked curiously.

"'Sweet dream' refers to gambling dens, the Sweet Dream Workshop, meaning a place where dreams come true. Legend has it that someone went in and became incredibly wealthy overnight, living a life of luxury!" Cheng Shaojiu chuckled. "Of course, such stories are best taken with a grain of salt."

Soon, the dishes were served one by one.

Small grilled lamb chops, river fish and mushroom soup, stir-fried pork with green and red peppers, braised rabbit meat, and a cold salad of black fungus with five colors.

Four dishes and one soup, each served in a large bowl.

The rice was fragrant pearl rice sprinkled with black sesame seeds and crushed peanuts.

The rice was as white as snow, with a rich aroma.

Wei He looked at the spread of food before him, recalling the people in the Outer City who had starved to death in the gutters and were then dragged away.

He suddenly felt a sense of unreality, as if everything he had seen before was an illusion.

"Please, dig in!" Cheng Shaojiu sat opposite him and gestured. "Thanks to you, I get to enjoy a good meal too. This meal isn't cheap!"

"Please!"

Wei He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of the stir-fried pork, and put it in his mouth.

The meat was incredibly springy, rich, and delicious, with a hint of rich juice even seeping out.

"This isn't pork?" Wei He guessed, as he couldn't taste any pork flavor at all.

"Of course not. This is wild game, venison from a creature called the Branch-Antlered Deer. It's a great tonic," Cheng Shaojiu said with a knowing look.

"Uh," Wei He indicated he was still a child. "Is the Branch-Antlered Deer the kind of deer with branches and antlers on its head?"

"More than that. The Branch-Antlered Deer is robust, usually as large as a domestic yellow ox, with sharp teeth in its mouth, and a violent temper. They often contend with lions and tigers. In short, they are formidable beasts."

Cheng Shaojiu smiled. "Just eat it. This meat is much better than Silver-Kiss Black Snake Meat and has special effects. It's excellent for increasing Blood Essence."