Wang Family of Fragrant Swallow Valley

Zhao Sheng was still smiling. "Third Brother, don't laugh. My martial arts have greatly improved lately. Be careful you don't lose to me in a moment!"

With that, Zhao Sheng drew his longsword, tossed aside the scabbard, and aimed the tip at Zhao Zhijing.

"Come!"

Seeing that Old Ninth was serious, Zhao Zhijing helplessly shook his head. He raised his sword into the stance of "Phoenix Arriving" and said carelessly, "Come, then. Go all out!"

Seeing how frivolous and careless the other man looked, Zhao Sheng intended to teach him a profound lesson.

With a shift of his feet, Zhao Sheng's figure suddenly vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, he appeared at Zhao Zhijing's side, his right-hand sword sealing his throat, swift as lightning.

Zhao Zhijing only saw a blur before his eyes, and alarm instantly rang in his heart.

Yet before he could raise his sword and change moves, an icy, gleaming longsword was already resting against his neck.

"You lost!"

Zhao Sheng smiled at Zhao Zhijing and casually withdrew the Hundred Refinement Sword.

Fast—far too fast!

So fast it left people dumbstruck.

Third Brother had actually lost without even making a single move. No one could believe their eyes.

Zhao Zhijing was deeply shocked and could not help asking, "H-how could you possibly be so fast?"

"I told you just now. My martial arts have greatly improved lately," Zhao Sheng replied calmly.

"Could it be that you attained enlightenment?" someone beside them suddenly shouted.

"Mm." Zhao Sheng nodded, tacitly admitting it.

The moment those words fell, everyone's eyes—including Zhao Zhijing's—filled with envy and jealousy.

Jianghu rumors said that enlightenment could be encountered but not sought.

Once someone attained enlightenment, their martial arts would greatly improve afterward, and their power would advance a thousand miles a day from then on.

How could such a wonderful thing fall upon lazy Xiao Jiu? Heaven truly was unfair!

"I don't believe it! Xiao Jiu, come exchange a few moves with me!"

Old Sixth, Zhao Zhi Ping, stepped forward at this time. He was tall and powerfully built, and among his peers, he was one of the two strongest martial artists aside from two others.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhijing silently moved aside, the meaning of his action self-evident.

"Sixth Brother, come at me as you please!"

Zhao Sheng had come today to establish his authority, and he feared no challenge whatsoever.

Besides, among this group of Zhao Family members today, not a single one was worthy of his regard. They were all useless good-for-nothings.

"Good!"

After Zhao Zhi Ping let out a thunderous roar, he raised his sword and thrust. With a move, White Rainbow Pierces the Sun, his sword tip shot straight toward Zhao Sheng's chest.

Idiot!

The moment the other man revealed his sword move, Zhao Sheng could not help cursing inwardly.

White Rainbow Pierces the Sun was meant to be light, nimble, and swift, yet in Zhao Zhi Ping's hands it became fierce and overbearing, roaring with tiger-like force. It was simply driving south while the cart faced north.

The Zhao Family had lived too smoothly these past years. Their education of the younger generation had truly grown lax.

Sigh, this needs to change!

Zhao Sheng sighed inwardly as he swung his sword. The flat of his blade rested against the other's sword, then the blade trembled slightly. With one tremor and one release, he effortlessly dispelled Zhao Zhi Ping's strength.

Then—

Suddenly, a streak of sword shadow drifted like light smoke and thin mist, seemingly slow but truly swift. It easily tore through Zhao Zhi Ping's defense, its tip settling steadily against his chest.

"Sixth Brother, this is how White Rainbow Pierces the Sun is used," Zhao Sheng said with calm composure.

The moment those words were spoken, Zhao Zhi Ping flushed scarlet on the spot and retreated in shame and fury.

"Who else wants to come up and give it a try?"

Zhao Sheng swept his gaze around, his expression calm as the Hundred Refinement Sword in his hand tilted slightly upward.

Impossible!

Only two days apart, and Xiao Jiu's skill had become this superb?

Could enlightenment truly be so formidable, capable of transforming a person completely within a few days?

But the facts were laid out before them. The others also tried taking the field, yet every one of them was defeated.

In truth, the Zhao Family's younger members had not lost unjustly at all.

Not to mention them—if the enhancement of Internal family true qi were excluded and only martial arts moves were considered, fewer than three people in total could last a hundred moves against Zhao Sheng.

After this incident, news of Zhao Sheng's great martial arts progress immediately spread throughout Zhao Family Fortress.

Some young masters and young ladies who refused to believe it sought him out of their own accord, only to leave one after another with their faces covered.

Three days later, Zhao Sheng's treatment silently returned to what it had been before, while his monthly allowance was raised to two hundred taels.

He was quite satisfied with this. First Madam was indeed the mistress of the household—clever, practical, and exceptionally precise in judging the proper limits.

Two days later, Zhao Sheng carried his sword and took the initiative to seek out Zhao He Tai, the Third Branch Principal. What the two discussed in secret, no one knew apart from the parties involved.

That night, however, Zhao He Tai suddenly went to find Family Head Zhao Hexing.

After a brief conversation, Zhao Hexing took the initiative to gather the Branch Principals and the Elders for a secret meeting.

A few days later, all discussion concerning the Ninth Young Master abruptly ceased. From then on, no one ever mentioned what had happened over those days again.

Within a family, if someone served as the outer face, someone had to serve as the inner lining. The face could not be stained by the slightest dust. If blood was shed, the lining had to contain it. If it could not be contained and leaked onto the face, it might become a disaster that destroyed the family and exterminated its clan.

Zhao Sheng chose to become the "inner lining" of the Nanyang Zhao Clan in secret.

Having lived three lives, he had long passed the stage of seeking fame and profit. What use was a lifetime of glory? Could it grant immortality?

In this life, he had only one goal: to produce a cultivator.

Spring went and autumn came, time flew by, and another three years passed in the blink of an eye.

When the reputation of Zhao Family's "Jade Sword Young Master," Zhao Zhijing, had spread throughout the Jianghu of Ganzhou, an utterly ordinary carriage slowly entered through the gates of Moling City and eventually stopped before a three-story inn.

"Young Master, we've arrived." Zhao Xiaobao jumped down from the carriage and spoke respectfully toward the carriage compartment.

After three years apart, Zhao Xiaobao had changed greatly, growing into a handsome young man.

And his master, Zhao Sheng—

As the carriage curtain was lifted, a handsome young master with a face like carved jade, a tall and slender frame, and an elegant bearing stepped down from the carriage.

"Let's go in!"

With that, Zhao Sheng strode into the inn.

This inn was called Yue Lai Inn, a covert outpost established by the Zhao Family in Moling City.

The moment master and servant appeared, the innkeeper quickly ushered them into a secret chamber.

The moment Zhao Sheng took his seat in the secret chamber, the innkeeper, Zhao Sanchong, immediately prepared to kneel in salute.

Zhao Sheng raised a hand, and a stream of Azure True Qi shot forth in response, supporting the other man. "No need. Speak of business first."

"Qi Projection?!" Zhao Sanchong's heart shook violently. He had never expected that the Ninth Young Master, not yet twenty, had already advanced his power to such a degree.

One had to know that in the Jianghu, only First-class experts could achieve Qi Projection at the very least.

Even more terrifying was that the Ninth Young Master was only eighteen this year!

"The Zhao Family's revival is within sight!" Zhao Sanchong's heart surged without end.

Over two hundred years, the Zhao Family had produced countless practitioners of martial arts, and experts had emerged one after another. Yet there had only been two true Innate Grandmasters: the High Ancestor and the Fifth Generation Family Head.

One could imagine how difficult it was to advance into the Innate realm!

Thinking of this, Zhao Sanchong became even more cautious and respectful toward the Ninth Young Master.

"Young Master, this subordinate has already found an extremely suspicious location. Fifty li south of Moling City lies a mysterious valley called Fragrant Swallow Valley.

"This place is shrouded in dense fog all year round. Yet woodcutters often see people moving about within the valley. Occasionally, they can even see immortals flying down from the sky into it. Therefore, this subordinate believes there is an eighty percent chance that Fragrant Swallow Valley is the Wang Family's residence."

Zhao Sheng nodded in satisfaction. "You have done well. Once the matter is confirmed beyond doubt, you may return to Zhao Family Fortress to report on your duties. At that time, you will be rewarded with thirty mu of arable land, and your monthly salary will increase by twenty taels. In addition, one of your sons will be permitted to enter the family tree."

"Many thanks for Young Master's generous reward!" Zhao Sanchong's eyes filled with tears of excitement upon hearing this.

Setting everything else aside, merely being permitted to enter one son into the family tree was enough to make him offer up his liver and brains.