Father Huo Was Stunned! The Steward Who Turned from Arrogance to Deference!

"Sir, this is three hundred and sixty silver dollars."

Father Huo smiled humbly and carefully placed a stack of newly issued Celestial Empire Silver Dollar Vouchers on the desk.

The old house at home was simply too dilapidated, and Father Huo needed money urgently, so he could only sell it off cheaply for three hundred silver dollars.

Fortunately, together with the money Wu Xiaoxia had lent them, it was enough to secure his son a living as a carriage driver for the Martial Arts Hall.

As for the seventy-two silver dollars in kickbacks for the fat steward, Father Huo had slipped it to him early that morning, along with a box of costly foreign fruit.

The fat steward had said he could owe the twenty-percent kickback for now, but the interest was simply too high—so high that Father Huo did not dare delay even a single day.

Besides, he did not feel at ease. He feared that if he failed to pay the kickback, the fat steward would make things difficult for his son.

"Why are they all ten-dollar notes?"

The old steward from the Registration Review Room frowned.

"I didn't dare bring large notes. I was afraid they might be fake."

Father Huo explained with an ingratiating smile.

"Fine, then."

The old steward picked up the vouchers, moistened his fingers with saliva, and began counting them at an unhurried pace.

Father Huo watched nervously, not daring to make the slightest sound.

"Exactly three hundred and sixty silver dollars."

Only after hearing the old steward confirm it did Father Huo finally let out a breath.

"Come, what is your boy's name?"

The old steward moistened his fingers again, flipped open the miscellaneous workers' register in the corner, then picked up the brush resting on the rack beside him, preparing to add a name.

"Huo Yuanhong."

"Huo... what what what? Huo Yuanhong! Which Huo Yuanhong?!!"

The old steward had been about to put brush to paper, but the moment he heard the name Father Huo gave, his hand jerked in shock, splashing ink across a large patch.

He did not even bother cleaning it up. Looking utterly bewildered, he raised his head and stared at the increasingly uneasy Father Huo.

He truly knew the name Huo Yuanhong far too well. He had just written it down yesterday.

But the Huo Yuanhong from yesterday was the Hall Master's personal disciple!

"Come, write it down. What three characters are they?"

The old man shot to his feet and shoved the brush into Father Huo's hands.

Father Huo carefully accepted it. Though he had never studied and could not read, unable even to write his own name—

He could still scrawl out his son's name. Back then, he had followed the bookkeeper at the Carriage Firm for quite a while before finally learning it.

"Huo... Yuan... Hong..."

Father Huo gripped the brush in his entire fist and stiffly dragged it across the blank sheet of rice paper.

After great difficulty, he finally wrote three crooked characters. The character for "Hong" was even missing a dot.

"..."

At the sight of the name before him, the old steward's hands trembled even harder.

Inside... he wanted to curse his mother.

As the steward in charge of the Martial Arts Hall's records, he was already a towering figure in ordinary people's eyes. He could drink with the old Patrol Chief from the Inspection Bureau, and during New Year celebrations, he sat in the seat of honor.

But he had always known in his heart that some people could not be provoked.

Three hundred and sixty silver dollars sounded like a lot, but he would only truly receive thirty of them.

The rest had to be offered up to the hall for daily expenses, so that the Hall Master could turn a blind eye.

And now...

This time, when he tried to fleece someone...

He had fleeced the Hall Master's personal disciple?!

"Oh my, no wonder the magpies have been chirping nonstop today. So Father Huo was coming!"

The old man piled on a smile, carefully smiling along just as Father Huo had done moments earlier.

He hurriedly fished out the three hundred and sixty silver dollars from beneath the desk, deliberately adding several extra notes before stuffing them into Father Huo's hands.

"Look at this old fool, blind with age. A flood had washed into the Dragon King's temple—I failed to recognize one of my own!"

"Sir, this..."

Staring blankly at the vouchers returned to his hands, Father Huo was completely at a loss. He thought he must have done something wrong, offended some taboo.

The fat steward nearby, who had been smiling cheerfully, was equally baffled.

He had long since investigated exactly who Father Huo was. Otherwise, he would not have dared take money from him so casually.

"Old man, what's gotten into you? If there's something you're unhappy with, just say it. We've known each other for so many years."

The fat steward stepped forward, pulled the old man aside, and spoke in a low voice.

"Oh, my lord, do you know who his son is? You dared fleece even him?"

The wrinkles on the old man's face were nearly twisting out of shape.

"Who?" The fat steward had a bad feeling.

"That young man who came yesterday—the Hall Master's personal disciple."

The Hall Master's personal disciple!

The fat steward was instantly dumbfounded.

No...

He had only taken a kickback. How had he ended up taking it from the Hall Master's personal disciple?

"Though this one was accepted privately by the Hall Master and will not be publicly acknowledged, so his influence is limited, he is still someone close to the Hall Master. He is not someone we can provoke."

The old man added.

Naturally, the fat steward understood that reasoning.

Even a prime minister's gatekeeper was a seventh-rank official. Though he lacked an official title as a disciple, he could still speak to the Hall Master. A few casual words whispered in the Hall Master's ear would be enough to make their lives miserable.

In that instant, the kickbacks in his pocket felt scorching hot. He hastily pulled them all out and quickened his pace to stuff them into Father Huo's hands.

"Ah, Old Huo, congratulations, congratulations!"

The fat steward's fleshy face squeezed together as he forced out an exaggerated smile. His back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Huh?"

Father Huo was even more at a loss. These two sirs, who had always seemed so important in his eyes, were treating him with such courtesy. It was a strange thing he had never encountered before.

But very soon, he learned from the old steward exactly what had happened.

His son, Ah Hong, had become the Hall Master's personal disciple!

"The Hall Master's personal disciple... the Hall Master's personal disciple..."

Muttering those four words, Father Huo was completely stunned.

His son had mentioned it to him the previous night.

But he had thought Ah Hong was still fooling him, so he had gone along with his son's act.

And yet...

It was actually true?

His son, Ah Hong, had truly become a core disciple of the Martial Arts Hall!

Even though the old steward said that the Hall Master had only accepted him privately and did not intend to bring him into the public eye.

Thus, the level of training he received would be limited and would not truly match that of previous personal disciples.

In terms of influence, he might not even compare to publicly acknowledged registered disciples.

But he was still the Hall Master's disciple! A symbol of genius!

"My son is a genius, a genius..."

Father Huo's eyes reddened. He rubbed them hard, unwilling to lose control before outsiders.

Pride, glory, comfort, joy... all sorts of emotions surged into his heart, and his voice choked up.

"Old Huo, here, you must accept this red envelope. We've known each other so long—why be so formal?"

The fat steward wore a broad, cheerful smile as he endured the pain in his heart and pulled out another two Silver Dollar Vouchers from his sleeve, forcefully stuffing them into Father Huo's hands.

"I heard you sold your old house. Who did you sell it to? I'll personally go help you get it back, then have it renovated! Ah, no money needed. Why be polite? It's only a small token of my regard...

From now on, we're brothers. If you need anything, just come find me..."

Evening.

Huo Yuanhong returned to the old house carrying a rack of pork ribs and discovered that his father was already there.

Not only that, the old house, usually crawling with cockroaches, was unusually lively.

There was a plump fellow dressed like a Martial Arts Hall steward, as well as a familiar old steward, chatting warmly with his father about everyday matters.

Father Huo was astonishingly seated in the place of honor. Several fruit baskets and quite a few Gui Xiang Lou pastries had been placed on the table.

Besides them, several men in short shirts were nimbly patching cracks in the walls, renovating the house, and catching cockroaches.

"Ah, Disciple Huo is back!"

When the fat steward saw Huo Yuanhong enter, he rose with a cheerful smile to greet him.

"Steward."

Huo Yuanhong nodded slightly and greeted him.

In the past, a Martial Arts Hall steward like this was someone he could not have fawned over even if he tried. Whenever he saw one, he would inevitably feel nervous and constrained.

But now, he felt no pressure at all. He met their gazes naturally and greeted them as equals.

Practicing martial arts could strengthen one's essence, energy, and spirit, bolstering confidence and inner strength! Huo Yuanhong once again understood the meaning of those words!

There was martial arts in his heart, and a spear in his hand!

Thus, he feared nothing and dreaded nothing!

Especially after two days of practicing spear thrusts against paper, every movement he made was like one holding a Great Spear—steady, powerful, and free of the slightest wasted motion. There was even a faint air of returning to simplicity. At a glance, one could tell he was no ordinary person.

That bearing and temperament secretly shocked both the fat steward and old steward, who had seen all manner of people.

The youth before them did not seem like some impoverished boy from the lowest ranks, but rather a noble young master from an aristocratic family, trained in bearing and manners since childhood!

"I had long heard that Disciple Huo was a young hero. Seeing you today, even compared to a martial prodigy like Wang Tianlong, you are not inferior in the slightest."

At once, the fat steward's smile grew even more fervent, and there was even a trace of flattery in his voice.

Wang Tianlong was the ace the Martial Arts Hall had prepared for the minor competition three days later, a genius invincible at Manifest Strength. Even the Fang Family, the richest family, thought highly of him and had prepared vast resources to support him.

The fat steward naturally compared Huo Yuanhong, whom he remembered as having only just entered Manifest Strength, to Wang Tianlong in deliberate flattery.

"Not merely not inferior! In this old man's view, within three to five months, Disciple Huo will surely surpass Wang Tianlong and become our hall's new ace at Manifest Strength!"

The old steward also stood smiling, lavishing him with praise as he discreetly slipped over a stack of something.

Disciple Huo accepted it just as discreetly. After exchanging a few polite words, he heard the fat steward say with a cheerful smile, "Disciple Huo's successful advancement is a joyous occasion. Would you honor us with a gathering at Gui Xiang Lou?"

According to the unwritten customs of the Martial Arts Hall world, once a personal disciple advanced, the hall's stewards and senior disciples would often host banquets for him. One after another, they would last no less than three to five days!

If his future achievements were destined to stop at Dark Force or Transformation Strength, and he would inevitably have to deal with worldly affairs, then he naturally would not refuse such banquets. After all, only by building relationships with these people could he smoothly manage the Martial Arts Hall's affairs in the future.

But...

His ambition was to go beyond Transformation Strength, just like his master. He even felt sleeping was a waste of time that could be used for martial arts practice. How could he have the leisure to squander on this sort of clique-building?

So long as his martial arts rose high enough, he himself would be the greatest faction. Why abandon the root to chase the branches?

On the other hand, he could see that the presence of the two stewards made Father Huo extremely restrained. Even the hand holding his teacup was trembling.

How could their little schemes matter more than allowing his father to feel relaxed and at ease?

So Huo Yuanhong put on a troubled expression.

"I appreciate the two of you's goodwill, but the work Master assigned has not yet been completed..."

"No matter, no matter. Disciple Huo, focus on your training. The two of us have drunk enough tea anyway, so we'll take our leave for now. We shall invite Disciple Huo to Gui Xiang Lou another time."

The smiles on their faces stiffened slightly, but upon seeing the oppressive air Huo Yuanhong carried as he moved, like a Great Spear in motion, they quickly recovered their smiles and cupped their hands in farewell.

Once outside, the fat steward's smile abruptly vanished. "Our great personal disciple truly is diligent in his martial arts practice..."

"Normal, normal. If he were not diligent, how could the Hall Master have taken notice of him?"

The old steward's smile remained unchanged, as though he had not heard the implication behind the fat steward's words.

"Diligence is a good thing, but martial arts practice need not be rushed at this moment. Have a few meals, let us stewards become familiar with him—it would only take three to five days..."

The fat steward said mildly, "Could another three to five days of practice possibly let him reach Minor Accomplishment in Manifest Strength? Even if he truly did achieve Minor Accomplishment, he would still fall far short of Wang Tianlong, who is invincible at Manifest Strength..."

The old steward remained smiling. "He cannot help it either. How could the Hall Master's assigned work be delayed?"

"Hehe..." The fat steward chuckled and casually said, "By the way, Old Wu, there's a dinner gathering the night after tomorrow. It's to celebrate in advance Wang Tianlong taking first place in the Martial Arts Hall's minor competition. Would you like to come along?"

"Good, good, good! I definitely..." The old steward first revealed a delighted expression, then seemed to remember something. His words halted, and he said with a miserable face, "Ah, I nearly forgot. The doctor told me last time not to drink alcohol. What should I do? At an occasion like that, it would not do not to drink..."

The fat steward narrowed his eyes and stood with his hands behind his back, smiling. "Then forget it. Your health comes first. I have some matters to attend to, so I'll head back first."

"Good, good, good. Take care."

After watching the fat steward's figure disappear completely, the old steward's miserable expression vanished, replaced by a blank face. He spat viciously onto the ground.

"Bastard. He wants to trick this old man into being the first bird out of the flock. Does he really think I've gone senile? Even if he isn't publicly acknowledged, he's still the Hall Master's personal disciple!"

He had accepted so many offerings yet remained firmly seated in the Registration Review Room because he knew his own limits. Things he should not do, he would not do even if beaten to death.

Of course, in his view, Huo Yuanhong's future role would likely be that of the Hall Master's chief household manager, handling affairs on his behalf. The path he would take was different from that of a supreme genius like Wang Tianlong, who was destined to step into Transformation Strength and become the leader of a faction.

Practicing a few extra days truly would not accomplish much. He might as well use the opportunity to build connections with powerful stewards like the fat man and pay respects early to a future Transformation Strength powerhouse like Wang Tianlong.

Refusing the fat steward's banquet was truly a bit of youthful impulsiveness. He probably would not go very far.

But thoughts were thoughts. If anyone expected him to act as the first bird out of the flock and test Huo Yuanhong, test Li Shuxing's attitude, that was absolutely impossible. There was no fundamental conflict of interest at all.

This old man still wanted to land safely and steadily!