Feedback

Zhuang Jin's breakthrough to the Two Meridian Realm produced immediate results. That very night, Xiang Qichen stirred up a commotion out of jealousy, though Qian Wende also came crawling over to curry favor.

The next day, he received even more direct feedback.

After breakfast, Chang Hetong—a dignified junior steward of the General Affairs Department and a Three Meridian Warrior—actually came in person. After asking Bi Kai a couple of questions and having the others leave first, he kept Zhuang Jin behind.

Clearly, Bi Kai was merely incidental to his visit this time. Or rather, Bi Kai was an excuse; Zhuang Jin was his true purpose.

"Good lad, you've already broken through to the Two Meridian Realm? If Old Tang hadn't told me, I'm afraid I still wouldn't know!"

Chang Hetong patted Zhuang Jin's shoulder. He had long thought highly of Zhuang Jin's talent and character and had wanted to increase his investment. Yet before even a month had passed, Zhuang Jin had directly reached the Two Meridian Realm. Good heavens—give it another two or three months, and wouldn't he reach the Three Meridian Realm and stand on equal footing with him?

Such fine jade and rare timber might still be a Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, but he was already showing the momentum of a Flying Dragon in the Sky. If he did not invest heavily and go all in at a time like this, he would have lived his sixty years in vain!

That was why he had hurried over so early this morning, wasn't it?

"I only luckily broke through yesterday afternoon. I was just thinking of visiting Uncle Chang in the next couple of days and asking for more guidance. I merely feared Uncle Chang was busy with official matters and did not wish to disturb you."

Zhuang Jin sensed Chang Hetong's even warmer attitude today, as though he truly were his own uncle, and sighed inwardly. There is no kindness in this world without cause. Sure enough, strength and value are the foundation of everything.

"It's true that I'm busy with official matters, but if you come by, I can always make time."

As Chang Hetong spoke, he stopped beating around the bush and got to the point. "The background investigation on your side has been completed. As you wished, it was carried out secretly, without alerting your uncle or younger uncle. Moreover, I adjusted the access permissions on the information I reported for you. Servants of lower rank cannot look it up."

He understood the ways of the world well. What one had done and how much one had paid had to be made known, so that the other party would remember the favor.

Zhuang Jin understood at once and promptly bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Uncle Chang. I've troubled you to go to such lengths."

He knew full well that his current peaceful days of cultivation existed precisely because the enemy was in the light while he was in the shadows. His former self's uncle and younger uncle did not know his circumstances; otherwise, they would never have stayed put and waited to die. Even if they could do nothing openly, their schemes and tricks would never cease... It could be said that the secret investigation and confidential information had spared him no small amount of trouble.

"I also looked into Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong. Some of what you told me before is already outdated. Your younger uncle broke through to the Three Meridian Realm two months ago and now stands at the same realm as I do. He has become an elite member of the Medicine King Gang. That alone would be one thing, but the month before last, your uncle rose from Third-Class Clerk to Second-Class Clerk and entered the Ninth Rank. Once he took that step, everything became vastly different!"

As Chang Hetong spoke, he clearly found the matter somewhat thorny as well. He sighed. "Several months ago, our Shen Family went to war with the Medicine King Gang. That great chaos was indeed a disaster for the ordinary people of the city, but it also created quite a few opportunities. As far as I know, the two of them reached this point because they occupied your family's house and fields, then sold them off to grease the right palms..."

"The Three Meridian Realm, an elite gang member? And a Second-Class Clerk in the yamen?" Zhuang Jin murmured, his expression grave.

He had long expected that the chaos would create opportunities. Sure enough, Zhuang Yutang and Zhuang Yuyong had truly taken a step upward by feeding on the blood-soaked buns of his former self's family!

"Still, there is no need to worry too much. You have not yet entered their sight, and besides, you are now a Two-Striped Servant of our Shen Family. Openly, you need not fear them making a move against you. You simply must be careful whenever you go out on assignments in the future."

Chang Hetong offered advice. "You broke through to the Two Meridian Realm this month, so you will have the opportunity to choose a self-selected mission in April. You might as well pick some safer assignments and strive to break through to the Three Meridian Realm during this period. Then, even if you go out on assignments, you will have the means to protect yourself."

"As I said before, endure for the moment. Once you break through to the Four Meridian Realm in the future, those two will no longer be worth fearing. Then it will be their turn to fear you."

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Chang." Zhuang Jin nodded slightly, pondering inwardly. If that is the case, then the rewards for choosing assignments are even more important.

Afterward, Chang Hetong told Zhuang Jin that he should temporarily stop raising his Cultivation Realm over the next few days and focus instead on the Martial Skill Black Fiend Palm. He should strive to get started before the month-end assessment; then, he could gain another two months of self-selected mission opportunities. Chang Hetong also instructed him to visit after the assessment, before selecting a mission on the first day of next month. Only then did he leave.

After Chang Hetong left, Zhuang Jin considered that since Chang Hetong already knew, Ping Yongfeng would likely learn of his breakthrough soon as well. If he did not go tell him, it might leave the man feeling slighted. Thus, he proactively went to share the good news.

Sure enough, Ping Yongfeng was delighted to see Zhuang Jin, and his attitude differed from before.

—When they spoke in the past, Ping Yongfeng had more often seemed to be guiding a junior. Today, perhaps because they were at the same realm, he subconsciously treated Zhuang Jin as an equal and interacted with him on equal terms.

This made Zhuang Jin sigh inwardly once more. Strength was the foundation of everything.

Like Chang Hetong, Ping Yongfeng told him to focus on Martial Skills over the next few days and visit him once before choosing a mission on the first day of next month.

Clearly, both men wanted to offer Zhuang Jin some guidance and sell him another favor then. The reason they did not explain now was likely that a few words would not be enough to make things clear, and they did not wish to delay Zhuang Jin's cultivation or distract him over this matter.

That same day, Zhuang Jin ran into Guo Jun while eating lunch. He had intended to greet him as usual, but Guo Jun wore a smile today and greeted him first. Clearly, he too knew of Zhuang Jin's breakthrough.

It could only be said that in the Shen Family Outer Courtyard, so long as one did not deliberately conceal things, well-informed old hands such as Guo Jun and Ping Yongfeng could easily learn news about anyone they were watching.

Last month, when I learned that Zhuang Jin had become a Formal Martial Artist in seventeen days, I knew this boy's potential was extraordinary. I never expected I had still underestimated him!

Guo Jun sighed inwardly, then suddenly thought of Hou Yong. The man feared that after Zhuang Jin accepted the silver and agreed to reconcile, he might still seek private revenge. Recently, he had been coming to Guo Jun for no reason at all, and Guo Jun had even heard that he had not left Half-Veiled Gate lately.

In his view, this was utterly laughable. If Zhuang Jin truly wanted to make a move, Hou Yong might as well wash his neck clean and wait for death. Why go to such needless lengths?

Zhuang Jin was likewise filled with emotion. It truly was one mountain higher with each Meridian; every breakthrough not only brought a tremendous increase in strength, but also a heaven-and-earth upheaval in status!

As his horizons broadened, his state of mind naturally rose as well. The childish squabbles in the dormitory no longer mattered to him in the slightest, and he began focusing wholeheartedly on Martial Skills.

Because he had spent every night this month lying in bed and pondering the Black Fiend Palm, while also asking Tang Wentao about many of his doubts, he picked it up extremely quickly.

From Bi Kai and Lin Hong's experience, I know Martial Skills also have bottlenecks. I wonder whether my Golden Finger works only for Cultivation Realm progress, or whether it can also be used for Martial Skills? If it can, then if I get started with the Black Fiend Palm this month, I might truly have a sliver of a chance!

Zhuang Jin calculated in secret and temporarily poured the same drive he had used to raise his Cultivation Realm in recent days into the Black Fiend Palm. He practiced five or six hours every day, and under such bitter toil, his progress was swift.