Visitors

At last, Meng Zhao said to Sun Chuanshan,

"Young Master Sun, now that we've discussed these matters, let's talk about your compensation."

At the mention of this, Sun Chuanshan showed a touch of pain, speaking evasively,

"Young Master Meng, it's not that I'm deliberately putting this off. If I had money, then no matter how bold I was, I wouldn't have provoked your Meng Family.

So could you grant me a few days' grace? I'll go find a way to scrape together more money."

Meng Zhao smiled. To him, wealth was merely something outside the body.

It might have been important, but not as important as people imagined. He said,

"Young Master Sun, you misunderstand. I'm not speaking of money, but of seeing some of the Antique treasures in your Sun Family.

This is merely a personal hobby of mine. I particularly like treasures that have once been handled and admired by powerful martial artists.

Rest assured, I only wish to look at them and satisfy a certain longing in my heart. I have absolutely no intention of laying hands on them."

Meng Zhao's purpose was to use Sun Chuanshan to rake through the Sun Family's Antique treasures for possible energy points.

This thing was rather intangible. Only the Sky-Illuminating Mirror could detect, absorb, and make use of it, which was why Meng Zhao had set his sights on Sun Chuanshan.

After all, the Sun Family was a powerful clan on par with the Meng Family. Even if it was weaker, it could not be weaker by much. It would certainly have some fine goods, perhaps enough to replenish his energy points once more.

After experiencing the ambush, Meng Zhao placed even greater importance on martial strength.

At the time, the guards around him had been numerous enough, yet his enemies had still managed to get close. In the end, the only thing he could rely on was his own martial arts.

Thus, he was especially eager for energy points that could swiftly raise his martial cultivation and foundation.

Hearing this, Sun Chuanshan felt somewhat relieved. If that was all, it would not put him in a difficult position.

"This is simple. I do not have many treasures in my own collection, but my father and brothers all have their own storehouses. I can borrow some for two days of appreciation, then return them. That should satisfy Young Master Meng's particular taste."

This secret discussion lasted a full half hour before Meng Zhao finally left with Lü Yue. He wore a beaming smile as he departed, clearly having gained a great deal.

In contrast, Sun Chuanshan, who remained in Hanxiang's room, had his brows tightly furrowed as he cursed Bai Yang and all those useless fools who had bungled the job.

Only after composing himself did he wake Hanxiang, who had been knocked unconscious for a long time, and resume drinking his sorrows away.

This was true living for today's wine and today's drunkenness; when tomorrow's worries came, tomorrow's worries would be faced.

After returning to the mansion, Meng Zhao practiced the Luohan Fist several times in the open courtyard where he lived.

He was not simply practicing, however. He practiced as he pondered.

He compared his movements against the cultivation experience transmitted by the Sky-Illuminating Mirror, using it to advance his mastery of the fist art.

This was an efficient method of cultivation, wiser than grinding away through dull, clumsy tempering.

In his view, the Sky-Illuminating Mirror could be used, even heavily relied upon, but he could not depend on it completely.

He also had to do what he himself could. Beyond his daily breathing exercises, he needed to study and comprehend the martial arts he had learned.

Moreover, Martial Dao Cultivation was by no means something achieved in a day or a night. Its value lay in persistence; only through unceasing practice could one possibly climb to the summit.

Over the next two days, Meng Zhao lived an exceedingly regular life.

Most of his time was spent in unwavering cultivation and martial practice, reading books, and increasing his wisdom and experience.

From time to time, he also inquired into the Second Branch's business affairs, learning how to control the Second Branch's forces.

In addition, he personally went to Sun Chuanshan's residence and swept up a batch of energy points. The Sky-Illuminating Mirror's energy points rose from 3,900 to 9,700. He was only three hundred points away from breaking ten thousand.

Unfortunately, even such a quantity of energy points was still insufficient to reveal Meng Zhao's Special Physique.

As for the trifling matters of tracking down Bai Yang, setting traps and ambushes, and luring out the group of martial artists who had attacked him, he handed them all over to Lü Zhong and Lü Yue, father and son.

He only needed to know the results and make decisions when crucial judgments were required.

Meng Zhao believed that in doing anything, great or small, one had to make the best use of everything and employ each person according to their talents.

Lü Zhong and Lü Yue, father and son, were rare talents of the great steward kind.

Aside from the vigilance one needed under all circumstances, it was necessary to delegate authority to them and let them handle the tasks they ought to handle.

Just as Liu Bang, in devising strategies within the command tent and deciding victory a thousand li away, could not compare to Zhang Liang; in stabilizing the state, comforting the people, supplying provisions and ensuring the grain routes never ran dry, could not compare to Xiao He; in commanding millions, fighting every battle to victory and taking every target he attacked, could not compare to Han Xin.

Yet Liu Bang, who could command these three great talents and allow each to fully display his abilities, was the true hero, the true emperor.

Meng Zhao did not dare compare himself to the Han Dynasty's founding emperor, but truthfully, if his mind were entangled by countless trivial affairs, not only would he be distracted, whether he could handle them well would also remain unknown.

The two days passed in the blink of an eye. The elders of the Meng Family were still away on business and had yet to return.

Meng Zhao received no good news regarding Bai Yang or the armed force from the Sun Family.

Instead, he met someone he did not particularly wish to see and encountered a thorny matter.

In the study, Meng Zhao sat with composed elegance in a redwood grandmaster's chair, dressed in white like snow, his back straight.

One hand held the Jade Prayer Beads, while the fingers of the other lightly tapped upon the spotless desk. He said,

"You are Lu Shun, my Elder Brother's personal attendant? What business do you have with me?"

Lu Shun appeared to be in his twenties. He looked clever and alert, with lively eyes. His clothes were plain, yet he had an agreeable appearance.

His position beside Meng Xi was roughly equivalent to Lü Yue's, so Meng Zhao did not slight him in the least.

If Meng Xi became the head of the Meng Family in the future, this insignificant Lu Shun might rise in a single step to the heavens, becoming one of the most powerful figures in Meng Mansion aside from the direct line. Outside the mansion, he would be someone countless people flocked to court.

Since this man had come to find him, his Elder Brother must have some matter for him.

That made Meng Zhao somewhat uncomfortable.

The ambush against him two days ago had plainly been possible because there was a traitor inside the mansion passing information to others, allowing them to catch him off guard.

Had he not used the Sky-Illuminating Mirror to raise his own strength and gain some ability to protect himself, he might have been captured and used by Sun Chuanshan as a hostage to extort money.

That afternoon, when he and Lü Yue returned to the mansion, they discovered that one suspect they had previously suspected had accidentally fallen into the water and drowned.

The matter thus came to nothing and could no longer be pursued.

Such a coincidence was difficult to believe and made Meng Zhao even more wary.

Afterward, he had Lü Yue dismiss a group of potentially problematic people under the Second Branch, lest the same thing happen again.

Under such circumstances, his opinion of the two brothers from the First Branch was anything but favorable.

Meng Xi was like this, and Meng Wen was no better.

Lu Shun bent slightly at the waist, stood with his feet together in a proper manner about a zhang away from Meng Zhao, then raised his head and said respectfully,

"In reply to Fourth Young Master, my Young Master has long been interested in the business of Red Leaf Ginseng and Wolfsbane Grass.

He has sought out many channels these past days, but found no way in.

By chance, I learned that one of the Second Branch's properties includes a mountain devoted to growing Red Leaf Ginseng and Wolfsbane Grass.

Therefore, wishing to share my master's burdens, I came to ask for your convenience.

I wonder whether Fourth Young Master would be willing to part with it and sell the Red Leaf Ginseng and Wolfsbane Grass business to this humble one."