Decision

Meng Zhao slowly digested the vital essence. The improvement to the Arhat Young Monk Skill was not obvious, but he could genuinely feel it.

In truth, this was the normal way internal cultivation progressed.

After all, internal martial arts emphasized a process of daily accumulation and explosive breakthroughs after long preparation.

What had happened to him before—having someone pour their cultivation into him and gaining such profound internal energy out of thin air—had been a pure stroke of fortune, like meat pies falling from the sky.

He might have reaped enormous benefits, but the monk who had bestowed that empowerment on him had likely been crippled even if he had not died, with nothing to gain from it.

Generally speaking, only those driven into a desperate corner or with little time left to live would do such a self-sacrificing good deed.

Picking up the white handkerchief set beside him, Meng Zhao wiped the corner of his mouth and, based on his earlier judgment, instructed,

"First, find out exactly which people Meng Xi and Meng Wen have planted. Do not miss anyone; at the very least, we need to know what is going on.

"As for what to do specifically, we will decide after I have met Eldest Uncle.

"Regarding Zhuangzi, we will go take a look this afternoon. A'le, pick more trustworthy men with good martial skills to accompany us."

Meng Zhao had deliberated over these two decisions time and again.

The Meng Xi and Meng Wen brothers had secretly sucked the Second Branch dry while the original Meng Zhao was away from home. It was truly shameless.

They would be too embarrassed to admit it if word got out; people would point at their spines and curse them.

Yet Meng Zhao could not simply turn hostile with them either. The fundamental reason was that the strength currently at his disposal was far too weak.

His father had died early, leaving him without anyone to back him up. That was a crippling flaw. Without strength, he had no confidence.

If he relied solely on a thin blood connection and thought he could accuse them and fall out with them without restraint, he would be courting disaster.

Did he truly think Family Head Meng Jizu and Third Uncle Meng Hongdao knew nothing of the brothers' little schemes?

No. They certainly knew. Since they had not stopped them, their attitude was obvious.

Still, now that he had returned, the brothers should restrain themselves somewhat.

He needed to first clarify the necessary information before he could respond to every move with a matching counter.

Even if the brothers had been blinded by profit, the elders could not possibly turn a blind eye forever. Sooner or later, there would be a conclusion.

As for Zhuangzi, Meng Zhao did not particularly care about the destroyed Medicine Field, the lost Herbal Ingredients, or the deaths.

Those losses seemed considerable, but for the Second Branch's scale, they were not much.

The reason he needed to show himself was that he hoped to use this opportunity to send a signal to the outside world.

The true master of the Second Branch, Meng Zhao—the Meng Family's direct bloodline and Fourth Sister among the younger generation of the Meng Family—had returned.

Do not underestimate this step. To certain people who muddled through life waiting to die, such an act was naturally dispensable.

But to Meng Zhao, who aspired to bring the Second Branch's power completely into his grasp and perhaps even swallow the entire Meng Family, prestige had the power to gather people's hearts. It was indispensable.

Of course, there was another intention: to weaken the influence of the Lü Zhong and Lü Yue father-son pair within the Second Branch.

Meng Zhao did not doubt their loyalty, but such measures and precautions were necessary.

Lü Yue's round face froze slightly. He could understand the first arrangement.

As for Zhuangzi, with his adoptive father there, there was no need to make this trip at all. It would only waste time and energy.

However, as a qualified attendant and servant, Lü Yue obeyed Meng Zhao completely and followed every order. After acknowledging him, he went down to make arrangements.

Once Meng Zhao had thoroughly digested the pure vital essence contained in breakfast, he did not remain idle.

Led by a servant, he arrived at the private treasury of the Meng Family's Second Branch.

This private treasury was a storehouse left behind by Meng Zhao's father, Meng Zhengan, designed by a master of mechanisms.

It contained several rare treasures and exotic curiosities, and likely held items containing the energy required by the Sky-Illuminating Mirror.

Unfortunately, Meng Zhengan had no interest in collecting, and over the past decade or so, Lü Zhong would hardly have taken the initiative to spend money buying treasures to decorate the private treasury.

Thus, there might be gains, but they would be limited.

Meng Zhao had come to the private treasury with the intention of scavenging for energy points.

To him, the energy points required by the Sky-Illuminating Mirror were a shortcut on the road to becoming stronger, as well as a great path leading to the heavens. Naturally, they took priority.

About a quarter of an hour later, Meng Zhao emerged from the private treasury beaming, his entire person brimming with excitement.

At that moment, a new information interface had formed upon the surface of the Sky-Illuminating Mirror in his mind.

Name: Meng Zhao

Constitution: ????

Energy: 5400

Cultivation: Qi Accumulation into Sea (opening a Lake-like Dantian)

Martial Arts:

Arhat Young Monk Skill (Beginner)+

Thirteen Arhat Hand Forms (Beginner)+

Plum Blossom Stance Steps (Beginner)+

Fused Martial Arts: Status (Off)

The contents revealed by this information panel were almost no different from last night, apart from the whopping 5,400 energy points.

That also explained why Meng Zhao was so thrilled and excited after stepping out of the private treasury.

Within the Meng Mansion's private treasury, Meng Zhao had used the Sky-Illuminating Mirror's instinctive reactions to find around ten antiques and treasures that elicited a response.

Among them, an ancient bronze sword of unknown age and origin had provided Meng Zhao with roughly 1,600 energy points—the most of any item.

It was even more potent than the Jade Prayer Beads he had been fingering.

There was also an exquisitely crafted, lavish jade ring engraved with dragon, phoenix, and tapir motifs. The label before its stand identified it as an antique from the Great Yuan Dynasty, yet it had only provided a pitiful ten energy points. For a moment, Meng Zhao suspected that this exceptionally attractive jade ring was a counterfeit.

Regardless, the result was good. It proved that Meng Zhao's earlier ideas and line of thought had been correct.

He merely guessed that antiques which had passed through martial artists' hands should be more worth collecting than ordinary antiques.

The only thing that disappointed him somewhat was the Constitution field, where four huge question marks still stood.

Yet unlike before, after absorbing sufficient energy points, the Sky-Illuminating Mirror's spirituality—which had originally suffered severe damage—seemed to show faint signs of recovery, and it gave Meng Zhao clear feedback.

His constitution was indeed not ordinary. It belonged to the category of Special Physique.

However, to investigate the source of its power, a mere five thousand-odd energy points were far from enough.

While this lifted a heavy stone from Meng Zhao's heart, it also forced him to abandon the idea of determining what kind of Special Physique he possessed in a short time.

The decision to hoard energy points was therefore no longer feasible.

On the contrary, with over five thousand energy points in hand, Meng Zhao was already eager to make a move. He wanted to explore the Sky-Illuminating Mirror's actual functions.

Of course, more than that, he intended to convert intangible wealth into personal strength.

At present, the Meng Family and the Sun Family, two great clans, were locked in an increasingly fierce struggle.

When gods and Buddhas fought, the little ghosts suffered. The attack on the Second Branch's businesses was one signal of this.

At the same time, his identity was a ticking time bomb. Though the chances of being exposed were extremely low, they were not nonexistent.

Thus, strengthening himself and increasing his safety naturally had to take priority.

Having Lü Yue select more capable and loyal subordinates to protect him was one aspect. He himself also needed genuine strength as a Trump Card.

Furthermore, with so many energy points, even after raising one or two martial arts, there should still be some left over.

When the time came, he could use them to improve the Meng Family's inherited divine art without ending up stretched thin.

He rolled the smooth Jade Prayer Beads between his fingers, producing crisp tapping sounds that rang especially clearly in the quiet surroundings.

Having made his decision, Meng Zhao suppressed his excited expression and strode swiftly toward the courtyard where he lived.