The Cheng Family was extremely straightforward. The thank-you gifts they gave were even more generous than the reward they had originally promised.
Five hundred taels of silver, along with two chests of ginseng, and Zhou Qiming was allowed to choose from the medicinal herbs they had gathered this time before anyone else.
After all, without Zhou Qiming's help, the Cheng Family's expedition team would have suffered a devastating blow.
Cheng Changkong insisted on giving him everything they had obtained this time, but Zhou Qiming refused. A deal was a deal—he took only the portion of the reward he was entitled to.
However, after uprooting the entire Earth Fiend Hall by the roots, the savings in his hands had already reached two thousand taels of silver. He had long since looked down on the Cheng Family's modest assets.
"Sure enough, nothing brings in money faster than killing and setting fires. With my current fortune, I should have enough to buy Haolai Restaurant, right?"
After counting through his gains, Zhou Qiming was about to leave the Cheng Family.
"Little Zhou, you're at the age when you should start a family, aren't you? What do you think of my niece Cheng Yan?"
As they parted, Cheng Changkong tried to keep him once more.
Cheng Yu, who was standing nearby, was also dumbfounded. His father's attitude had changed far too quickly. Earlier, he had still been complaining that Zhou Qiming was taking advantage of the Cheng Family for nothing, and now he was trying to arrange his cousin's marriage to him.
Cheng Changkong seemed to see through his son's thoughts. He glared at Cheng Yu, regretting that he had not fathered a beautiful daughter. He could only rely on Cheng Yan to win Zhou Qiming over.
Everyone knew that this boy was no longer a creature confined to a pool. Sooner or later, he would be able to reach the Bone Forging Realm, or even the higher Tendon Transformation level.
Moreover, Muscle Cultivation Martial Artists at the same level were simply no match for Zhou Qiming. The strongest person in the Cheng Family was only at the Muscle Cultivation completion stage. For this alone, they had to befriend Zhou Qiming!
"Uncle, you..." Since this concerned her directly, Cheng Yan was also somewhat startled, and complicated emotions surfaced in her heart.
At first, she had considered herself a proud daughter who had returned after completing her studies in the County Town, and she had looked down on Zhou Qiming, whom Cheng Yu had recommended.
But after this battle, Cheng Yan's attitude underwent a complete reversal. What was etched into her mind was the sight of Zhou Qiming sweeping through the entire Earth Fiend Hall alone.
Cheng Yan was nervous inside, unsure whether Zhou Qiming would agree to the marriage proposal. She knew that the gap between them was actually at its smallest right now. Once the hidden dragon returned to the sea, the Cheng Family could only look up at his retreating figure!
"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle Cheng. Martial cultivation comes first for now. I'm still young, and I have no plans to start a family yet."
Zhou Qiming shook his head firmly and declined the offer. Cheng Yan was not his type; she was merely a temporary companion. Besides, this world was far too dangerous. Even with all his effort poured into cultivating martial arts, he could only barely protect himself. How could he possibly find himself a burden as well?
Upon hearing this, Cheng Yan felt deeply disappointed. Her eyes dimmed. He had indeed rejected her. In the end, she was simply not outstanding enough, and she had also left Zhou Qiming with a terrible first impression. Cheng Yan felt somewhat regretful.
"Very well, then. Take this deed. The Cheng Family has nothing else with which to repay you, so please don't refuse." Cheng Changkong took out a property deed and handed it to Zhou Qiming. It was for a courtyard near the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School and the Cheng Family, more practical and safer than the adobe house where Zhou Qiming currently lived.
"Very well, then I won't stand on ceremony." Zhou Qiming accepted it calmly. The house was exactly what he needed now and would save him a great deal of effort. The civilian district where he had lived before was crowded and full of prying eyes, making it inconvenient to practice martial arts at times.
Zhou Qiming did not linger. He turned around and went back to temper his Iron Cloth Skill. He had to hurry and cultivate this technique from the great accomplishment stage to completion—and then break its limit.
Watching him leave, everyone in the Cheng Family finally came to their senses. This youth was only fifteen years old! He had not been practicing martial arts for long, yet he already possessed the strength of a Muscle Cultivation Martial Artist. With such monstrous talent, he had not even been accepted as Yuan Tieyi's disciple.
Cheng Changkong instructed his son and Cheng Yan, "The two of you must interact more with Zhou Qiming from now on. Whatever he needs, satisfy him with all the resources of the family."
Cheng Changkong let out a long breath of relief. Cheng Yu usually enjoyed befriending assorted good-for-nothings, which had long displeased him. But the friends Cheng Yu had made this time were different. His son had finally done something worthwhile.
It was easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow. Although the Cheng Family had not invested in Zhou Qiming from the very beginning, fortunately, they had not made an enemy of this youth.
At that moment, a young man dressed in martial arts robes was led inside by the gatekeeper. It was none other than Xiao Tian, the much-anticipated disciple of the martial arts school.
Xiao Tian immediately said arrogantly, "Second Senior Brother, the Restaurant Servant Xiao Ming who nearly got accepted by Master just now was the one who went out, right?"
If he had not broken through to the Early Bone Forging stage and revealed his talent and strength in time, the Iron Clothes Martial Arts School's closed-door disciple position might have been snatched away by Zhou Qiming. That was why Xiao Tian had been paying close attention to this servant.
Xiao Tian gave a cold laugh. When he had entered through the gate just now, he had seen that Zhou Qiming was carrying a large bundle, while guards behind him were moving two chests. It seemed that he had received quite a lot of benefits from the Cheng Family!
These days, everyone in the martial arts school had been fawning over Xiao Tian. Only Second Senior Brother Cheng Yu was unmoved, becoming so distant from this junior brother that he would not even attend banquets with him. He also seemed to be quite close to Zhou Qiming. Everyone in the martial arts school had noticed these things.
"What does that have to do with you? What brings you here, Junior Brother Xiao?" Cheng Yu said coldly.
When something had happened to his family's caravan, Cheng Yu had thought of Xiao Tian, his fellow disciple, first. Xiao Tian possessed the strength of Early Bone Forging and absolutely should have been able to help.
But Xiao Tian had demanded an exorbitant price, declaring that he would only investigate and lend a hand if he received thirty percent of the Medicine Shop's profits. After all, a favor from someone in the Bone Forging Realm was not so easily bought.
This matter had naturally become a thorn in Cheng Yu's heart as well. By comparison, Xiao Tian was not even worthy of carrying Zhou Qiming's shoes. He truly had no idea what his master had seen in him. How muddle-headed.
"Why is Senior Brother being so cold and distant? Do you want to break Master's heart?"
Xiao Tian shook his head with a smile and said calmly, "I've already postponed tomorrow's disciple-acceptance banquet until two months from now, all so I can strive for Minor Bone Forging Accomplishment. I hope Senior Brother won't be stingy. Right now, I still need one bottle of Bone forging pills and thirty roots of ginseng. This is also Master's intention."
"As far as I know, the crisis in the Cheng Family's Medicine Shop business has already been resolved, and the harvest from this gathering is several times richer than before. Borrowing a little for a short while shouldn't be a problem."
As soon as he said this, Cheng Changkong's face became conflicted and hesitant, while the veins on Cheng Yu's forehead bulged and his anger flared.
Cheng Yu suppressed his rage and gave a cold snort. "I remember that you still haven't settled the money for the medicine you bought last time, Junior Brother. My Cheng Family runs a small business. Money doesn't grow on trees. Please leave."
"You ungrateful Cheng Yu! I respect you, which is why I call you Senior Brother. How utterly shameless. Your Cheng Family would rather invest in a lackey from a restaurant than befriend a genius like me. This is going too far!"
With his shameless attempt to freeload exposed, Xiao Tian finally stopped pretending and tore off all pretense on the spot.
"When my Cheng Family asked for help, you weren't willing to take the risk. Now that we've weathered the crisis, you've come running to pluck the peach. What makes you think you'll get such an easy deal? Laifu, show him out."
"Yes, Young Master."
The servant Laifu hurried forward and gestured for this unwelcome guest, Xiao Tian, to leave.
Xiao Tian swept his sleeve, and just after stepping out of the gate, he called back threateningly, "Good, Cheng Family. Don't regret what happened today in the future. Today's humiliation will surely be repaid."
The angrier Xiao Tian became, the more he thought about it. Cheng Yu would rather befriend a lowly Restaurant Servant like Zhou Qiming than associate with him. He truly could not tell a pearl from a fish's eye. He would regret it sooner or later.
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