King Guang?

A moment later.

After hearing everything and committing every key point to memory, Zhang Ming compared the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] with the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] derived through [Ignite Comprehension].

To his surprise, he found the two were extremely similar, both Innate cultivation methods.

Yet despite their high similarity, the results of cultivating them were worlds apart.

"Only around twenty percent as effective as the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method]?"

Twenty percent of the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method] was actually quite good already, not weak among Innate-level methods.

A Warrior's limit was two thousand jin of immense strength, the Postnatal limit was twenty thousand, while the Innate limit reached a terrifying two hundred thousand.

Unfortunately, compared with the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method], it seemed rather mediocre.

One had to know that Zhang Ming, who had only just entered the Postnatal Martial Artist realm, could unleash roughly thirty thousand jin of brute strength throughout his body when his Vital Energy was stimulated.

"It's basically an ultimate weakened version of the [Mighty Bull Cultivation Method]—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away."

"No, the ordinary servants at home can cultivate it in the future."

Having made plans for this cultivation method, Zhang Ming looked at Niu Kangshao, who was still begging endlessly on the ground, and grinned savagely.

"Continue. I ask, you answer."

A moment later.

From Niu Kangshao, Zhang Ming obtained a few more detailed pieces of information.

This information included, but was not limited to, the Martial Arts Hall's personnel structure, the location of its treasury, and certain hidden details about the various gangs in Yang City.

After learning all this, a smile appeared on Zhang Ming's face.

"Alright, you can go now."

"Really?"

Niu Kangshao froze at first, then was overwhelmed with joy. His face was full of disbelief.

"Of course. You can leave right now."

The moment those words fell, Niu Kangshao had no thought of lingering. He staggered to his feet and hurried away.

However... just as he was about to pass behind Zhang Ming.

Whoosh—

A chilling gust suddenly rang out. The Ring-Pommel Great Saber in Zhang Ming's hand seemed to turn into a spinning windmill, hacking down at Niu Kangshao from behind.

"You... you... you have no honor!"

Niu Kangshao only had time to curse once before his body was cleaved in half by the great saber, split down the middle into two pieces.

"Why talk honor with an enemy? Do you take me for a fool?"

Looking at Niu Kangshao's body on the ground, Zhang Ming sneered disdainfully.

Night.

Yang City, Zhang Mansion family banquet.

"Father, Mother, try the Demonic Beast Meat I went to great lengths to obtain."

Zhang Ming rose and ladled each of his parents, Zhang Yongfeng and Li Su, a small bowl of meat soup before bringing them over.

"Demonic Beast Meat? Is that real?"

"You'll know once you taste it. It's greatly beneficial to the body."

"You've put thought into this. Then I'll have to savor it properly."

Zhang Yongfeng and Li Su exchanged a glance, then slowly sipped the glossy, oily meat soup from the edges of their bowls.

In an instant.

A warm current spread from their stomachs throughout their entire bodies.

Both parents' eyes lit up.

"Mmm, not bad, not bad. The effect is this strong! What a treasure. It truly is Demonic Beast Meat, said to be worth its weight in gold."

Zhang Ming replied, "Of course. I spent a great deal of money and happened to acquire it by chance."

"Son, you should eat too. You've just comprehended Vital Energy and become a Warrior—this will be more useful to you than to us."

"Don't worry, Father, how could I make myself suffer?"

"Haha, our son knows how to enjoy life better than we do."

The two laughed. They thought of the spices Zhang Ming had brought in from the Western Regions and overseas over the years to satisfy his palate, as well as fruits shipped by sea from thousands of li away and preserved with saltpeter.

Faced with his parents' teasing, Zhang Ming gave a bitter smile.

"Father, Mother, the spice plantation has already been completed. If all goes well, we'll soon be able to sell our own spices."

"As for hybrid fruits, we won't see any results in the short term. But wait two or three years, and you'll know."

Having transmigrated into a quasi-ancient feudal world, there were more ways to make money than one could count.

Spices and fruits were merely business ventures he had slipped in while improving his own life and searching through memories of his previous life, so as not to waste the opportunity.

"Yes, yes, how could you misunderstand our son? Our son is a prodigy."

Li Su teased her husband.

Zhang Yongfeng smiled and chimed in.

"My wife is right, absolutely right. It was this husband who wronged our son."

"My Zhang Family has produced a Unicorn Child."

"Haha."

Amid laughter and cheerful voices, the family was filled with harmony and joy.

Night.

The Zhang Family study.

A Father-Son Talk after two months apart.

"Did something unexpected happen at the Mine that required you to stay there for more than two months?"

"And from the looks of it, your return this time is only temporary. You'll still be going back to the Mine."

Zhang Ming took a sip of tea to cleanse his palate and nodded.

"Something unexpected did happen. I was just about to discuss it with you, Father. Help me think it over."

"Oh? Go ahead."

"For the past few months, a Mysterious Buyer has been purchasing a hundred sets of Armor and Weapons and Strong Crossbows every month from the Mine."

The matter of the Mysterious Buyer was far too significant. Zhang Ming did not dare casually use Carrier Pigeons or other means of communication to notify his father.

He had only briefly told his father that something required handling at the Mine and that he would need to remain there for some time.

Thus, before this, Zhang Yongfeng had known nothing of the affairs at the Mine.

"What!"

Zhang Yongfeng could no longer sit still. He shot to his feet.

"A hundred sets of Armor and Weapons and Strong Crossbows every month!"

"What are they trying to do? Rebel?"

Armor and Weapons and Strong Crossbows were prohibited items under the Great Zhou court.

It was simply that, as the court grew ever weaker.

Everyone tacitly understood and secretly prepared some for themselves.

But even then, they would only prepare them on a small scale.

Who would buy them a hundred sets at a time?

Only forces harboring other ambitions would dare do such a thing.

"Father, that's what I think too."

"Perhaps they do not intend to overthrow the court, but they definitely have ambitions of carving out a domain for themselves."

Zhang Ming raised his head and looked at his father, Zhang Yongfeng.

"Father, who do you think is most likely to be this Mysterious Buyer in Jiangnan Province or the surrounding regions?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Yongfeng considered the matter.

"The Ten Absolute Sect, Jiangnan's foremost martial sect."

"The Shu Prefecture Rebels, Sword Pavilion of Shu Land."

"King Guang, the Five Poisons Cult, the Cangming Sect."

"And the major aristocratic families of Jiangnan, Shu Prefecture, and Liangguang are all possible."

After saying that, father and son exchanged a look. Among the long list of names.

The suspicion surrounding one particular force was self-evident.

"King Guang?"

"King Guang!"

"Father, it seems we thought of the same person."

A cold glint flashed through Zhang Yongfeng's eyes.

"King Guang is the current Emperor's younger brother by the same mother, with Liangguang as his fief.

Rumor has it that King Guang is accomplished in both civil and martial arts, his talent overflowing like eight bushels.

Had the current Emperor not been the late Emperor's eldest son, the throne would never have fallen to the current Emperor."

"And precisely because of this, not long after the current Emperor ascended the throne, he changed King Guang's fief to Liangguang—a place ten thousand li from the Capital City, a remote backwater of miasma and savage wilderness, sparsely populated."

Zhang Ming continued, "It was simply that His Majesty underestimated King Guang."

"In merely twenty or thirty years, King Guang relied on his own ability and maritime trade to raise Liangguang from the bottom of the Empire to a place now only weaker than a few wealthy provinces like Jiangnan."

"Being capable is naturally a good thing, but being too capable also invites suspicion."

"The Emperor, gradually growing old after being hollowed out by wine and women, is deeply wary of King Guang, who is in middle age and still physically robust."

Zhang Yongfeng frowned. After nodding, he shook his head again.

"On the surface, King Guang is the most suspicious."

"But..."

"Could things really be this simple?"

Zhang Ming said nothing.

Could an answer that was so easy to guess truly be the right answer?

Zhang Ming did not know, and his father Zhang Yongfeng could not be certain either.

After a long while, he let out a soft sigh.

"Alas, whoever it is, consuming a hundred sets of Armor and Weapons at a time is not something our Zhang Family of Yang City can withstand."

Looking at his son, Zhang Yongfeng's eyes were filled with guilt.

"We have dragged you down."

"Father, what are you saying?"

"Do you really think your father has gone senile? They want Armor and Weapons, but what they want even more is you!"

"You! We are your weak spot."

Zhang Ming said nothing.

Because what Zhang Yongfeng said was true. It might also be the confidence that allowed the Mysterious Buyer not to worry about Zhang Ming doing anything reckless.

Zhang Ming even suspected that the Mysterious Buyer had people stationed around the Zhang Family all along.

The moment Zhang Ming made any unusual move, they would act.

"Father, don't worry. Give me a few years, and I'll soon settle these trivial matters."

"Mhm. Father believes in you."

There was no solution to this matter, at least not for now.

So the two tacitly did not continue discussing the subject.