Plan

The Provincial Examination notice was posted for all passersby to see.

The closer they got to the posting, the louder the excited discussions became.

"The top spot is Qi Yu? Who is this Qi Yu?"

"He's the third young master of the Qi family."

"The Qi family's third young master? He actually surpassed so many geniuses? Does he really have that much talent?"

"The Qi family is about to turn their luck around."

"Who says not? The Qi family was already a prominent clan, and now with such a talented individual, they'll likely reach new heights."

This time, Madam Liu didn't need to spend a single coin to arrange anything; the entire city was abuzz with talk about him.

However, these discussions weren't solely focused on him as an individual. More often than not, he was seen as an opportunity, a symbol of the Qi family's rising fortunes.

As the saying goes, when one person achieves success, their whole family benefits.

Any family aiming for greatness would naturally value the geniuses within their ranks, seeking to promote and support them, rather than engaging in internal strife and suppression.

During the annual meeting, the arrogance displayed by his second uncle and cousin… this time, his father and eldest uncle had forcefully taken the Herb Gathering Pavilion from them. He wondered if this would lead to greater conflict, or… compel them to maintain a semblance of harmony for now?

Or perhaps, it would evolve into an even more complex situation.

Qi Yu gently shook his head, casting aside these thoughts of scheming and deception.

A person's energy is finite. Where your heart leads and your actions follow determines the kind of person you are.

He only needed to understand these matters; the main thing was to become stronger.

The carriage wheels gradually slowed…

In the distance, the area around the notice board remained crowded, with people discussing animatedly and others rushing off to spread the good news.

Qi Yu lifted the carriage curtain and gazed at the posted names.

While he couldn't quite make out the tiny characters of the five names listed below the top three, the first three were crystal clear.

First: Qi Yu.

Second: Han Yan.

Third: Lin Wuming.

Zhen Tianshuang's name wasn't there?

He pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle Ding, go see if Chu Xiao's name is there?"

Ding Yi responded with a "Yes," got out of the carriage, and went to check. A moment later, he returned and said, "Young Master, it's not."

Qi Yu immediately understood.

The government must have confirmed that both Zhen Tianshuang and Chu Xiao were now incapacitated, which was why they weren't even granted academic titles…

The victor takes all, the loser loses everything. The world is nothing if not realistic.

"Let's head back to the manor."

"Yes, Young Master."

Inside the study, Master Chen had already departed some time ago.

After returning to the manor, Qi Yu was led by a servant directly to the study and took a seat opposite his father…

In his memory, he could recall almost never sitting in this particular seat.

Qi Changshun looked at him, his eyes shining with a proud glow. His countless unspoken words coalesced into a single word of encouragement: "Keep up the good work!"

Then, his expression became hesitant, his lips parting several times as if he were carefully considering how to broach the subject he was about to raise.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally asked tentatively, "Do you still remember Sikong Rong?"

Qi Yu tried hard to recall.

It seemed to be the name of a female disciple of the Umbrella Sect he had once been infatuated with.

He nodded.

Qi Changshun smiled, "You… if you could get the better of her, would you be happy?"

Qi Yu instantly understood what his father was hinting at. His father was indirectly trying to tell him that their family had joined the Umbrella Sect and was now trying to persuade him to do the same.

He decided to be direct: "You want to talk about me joining the Umbrella Sect, don't you?"

Qi Changshun asked, "Then… what do you think?"

Qi Yu answered decisively, "I'll join."

"But after joining, you'll have to abide by the sect's rules, and I'm afraid there might be some restrictions…"

Qi Changshun's tone grew increasingly nervous.

He couldn't help but be nervous. His son in the past had detested restrictions and always yearned for so-called "freedom." He remembered one time when his son returned from a brothel, and after Madam Liu scolded him a few words, he retorted, "If I weren't constantly restricted at home, why would I go out? Blame this family!"

"Restrictions are fine," Qi Yu replied calmly.

Qi Changshun hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, so smoothly that he hadn't even reacted before he instinctively asked, "Why?"

Qi Yu replied, "My cousin said our family is like a sword. It needs both a blade and an edge. As the edge, one must strive for strength, but it cannot be separated from the support of the blade and the hilt. We are one entity, one family. When does the edge reject the blade and the hilt?"

Qi Changshun fell silent for a long time, a look of immense satisfaction gradually appearing on his face. He tilted his head back and let out a sigh, his gaze towards Qi Yu filled with relief. "Father... is finally at peace. You've truly grown up."

Qi Yu smiled faintly.

Qi Changshun's tone became relaxed. "It's almost noon. Let's have a few drinks, father and son, and have a good chat."

"Alright."

Soon, outside the study, beneath the peach blossoms, a table of exquisite dishes was laid out. A jar of the Qi family's specialty twenty-year aged Hundred Flowers Brew was placed beside it.

Qi Changshun dismissed the servants.

Qi Yu understood and broke the seal on the wine jar, using a wine ladle to pour two cups for them.

Qi Changshun raised his wine bowl. "Yu'er, last winter, you mentioned something about being followed. Later, your mother told you it was a sacrifice... Today, I'll tell you the whole story behind that."

Qi Yu raised his bowl in a toast.

Father and son lightly clinked their bowls. Qi Yu tilted his head back and drank it all in one go. Qi Changshun took a deep breath and also finished his.

"Father, drink slowly," Qi Yu said with concern.

Qi Changshun coughed a few times, waved his hand, and chuckled, "My heart is at ease, so I must have a great drink."

Immediately, he gazed into the eyes of the young man opposite him and slowly began, "You know something about the family's situation. Your grandfather favors the second branch, causing their arrogance to grow. They no longer care about brotherhood, only seeking to dominate.

My elder brother and I, fearing the downfall of the family, had no choice but to... seek another way out.

Last autumn, we contacted the Umbrella Sect.

The contact person was Master Chen...

Before meeting Master Chen, my elder brother and I never believed in any divine power in this world.

When I roamed the jianghu back then, those so-called cults were merely fronts for unscrupulous martial artists to deceive people. It was truly despicable.

But that Master Chen showed us a power beyond imagination. And that power is something you've already witnessed in Zhen Tianshuang."

Qi Changshun said word by word, "The Membrane."

He paused briefly, and Qi Yu, at the right moment, refilled their wine bowls.

Qi Changshun took a sip and continued, "Yu'er, can you imagine someone with extremely weak martial arts, even at the lower end of Ninth Rank, being impervious to blades and spears?

That Master Chen was like that. He didn't circulate internal energy, nor did he wear armor. He wore a single robe. Your elder brother, wielding a fine steel treasure blade with all his might, struck him, causing his own tiger's mouth to go numb, yet the other party was completely unharmed."

"It wasn't that his body blocked it, but that the blade couldn't break his Membrane."

Qi Yu understood.

It was the same when he fought Zhen Tianshuang.

Zhen Tianshuang didn't gather any power, just wildly swung his hands like a street thug, yet every strike carried immense force.

Qi Changshun said, "So, my elder brother and I joined the Umbrella Sect. However, we were just ordinary disciples, also known as 'Rain Avoiders'—participating in gatherings to spread doctrine, paying offerings, or cooperating with sect missions.

As for your cousin Qi Zhao, she has already become an Internal Affairs Envoy, also known as an 'Umbrella Holder,' responsible for managing the sect's finances and land.

Unfortunately, her qualifications are still shallow, and her status is not high. Not only is she unable to utilize the sect's resources, but she also needs to constantly offer Qi family assets to the Umbrella Sect. Besides money, she must also provide sacrifices regularly to maintain her position."

"Then what's the use of cousin's position as Internal Affairs Envoy?" Qi Yu was somewhat curious...

"This Internal Affairs Envoy position, frankly speaking, is a position the Qi family bought for my cousin, just like the Poison Water Army Commandant."

Truly, money makes the world go 'round.

Qi Changshun said, "She can learn about sect information, organize disciples to a certain extent, and even issue missions and mobilize the Black Umbrellas... However, her status is low, and if she wants to mobilize the Black Umbrellas, she needs to pay an additional price.

As for the sacrifices you've always wanted to know about... they are actually demons.

There are indeed demons in this world."

Having said that...

Qi Changshun nervously watched Qi Yu.

However, he didn't see any fear in his son's eyes.

So, he continued, "These demons hide among people, living like ordinary individuals. They are completely undetectable in normal times; only specific methods can lure them out.

Different demons have different characteristics. Previously, we cooperated with Master Chen. To allow the Umbrella Sect to enter the East City, he eliminated the Black Tiger Gang leader and turned him into a snowman... This was because he knew the demon hidden there had a peculiar fondness for imitation.

So, the second time, after Wolf Bro was killed, that demon appeared and turned Wolf Bro into a stone figure. We followed this clue to hunt, losing many brothers before finally finding and killing the demon, obtaining the sacrifice."

Qi Yu asked, "Then what should I do now?"

Qi Changshun said, "You continue to cultivate. I will do my best to help you find a good partner."

"Partner?"

"The core strength of the Umbrella Sect is primarily female, but women have yin constitutions and require male partners.

The more potent a man's yang energy, the more divine power a woman can withstand."

As a reward... the man will receive the Membrane.

How much he gets depends on his female partner; how much he endures depends on his own aptitude.

This time, you performed outstandingly, so many female cultists should be fighting over you...

"Father, that... I have a request."

"What request?"

"Choose the people you approve of, and then in the end... I will pick for myself."

He needed to pick someone as weak and controllable as himself.

"And then, as soon as possible, I want to undergo the Cipher Text Baptism as soon as possible..."

"First, you'll join the cult and have your aptitude tested. As for the Cipher Text Baptism, it requires a sacrifice. Father has already sent people to search for abnormalities in the surrounding area, and we'll have news soon. At that time, Father and Eldest Uncle will send many people to accompany you on the hunt. As the old saying goes, focus on practicing martial arts... When you have free time later, take a pot of Hundred Flowers Brew and go see your teacher."