The next morning, Su Yuan slowly came to.
He felt something soft and warm, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.
He opened his eyes and realized, to his shock, that he was lying in Gao Mian's arms. He hurriedly sat up.
"Sister Mian, this... we're siblings!"
He had come to respect Gao Mian as family, and he could never repay all she had done for him.
Though he had sensed her intentions, he still found them hard to accept. He had meant to pretend to sleep his way out of it, but whether from exhaustion or being dazed by her fragrance, he had actually fallen asleep.
"What's wrong with a younger brother spending the night in his older sister's arms? Don't I usually lie in yours and enjoy a massage?" Gao Mian chuckled, not understanding why Su Yuan was so worked up.
Su Yuan was so embarrassed that he simply got up and changed the subject. "Sister Mian, when can we go to Great Liang?"
"Hmph, you've got some nerve asking. You've just become the Chief, and you're riding high. How could they let you leave anytime soon?" Gao Mian replied coldly.
"I'm only of lower-grade bone structure. Am I really worth all this attention?"
"Precisely because you're of lower-grade bone structure, your comeback makes such a good story. The unrest in the city has only just settled, and the higher-ups know they've kept the reins too tight lately. They need the top ten, people like you, to set an example and promote Great Liang's benevolent rule. This is an opportunity for you, too. The resources you receive will far exceed those given to previous Chiefs. With the city lord keeping an eye on things, the Shan Family won't dare touch you for now. Give it about half a year, and the storm should pass." Gao Mian laid it all out for him.
Gao Mian was right.
After returning to the city, Su Yuan wore the Wolf-Patterned Crown and a golden-yellow silk robe. He rode in a grand carriage with the other nine finalists, leading a procession through the city with the Wolf God's statue.
Along the way, ceremonial officials loudly proclaimed their achievements, while Su Yuan and the others scattered strings of copper coins into the streets and alleys.
"The Wolf God bestows blessings! There's enough for everyone!"
Copper coins mixed with broken pieces of silver rained down, and the common people poured into the streets to scramble for them.
"May the Wolf God protect us!"
Someone shouted first, and soon the crowd began echoing the cry.
Su Yuan and the others scattered more silver where the cheers were loudest.
Street talk spread with the procession.
"I hear that Chief Su crushed all the upper-grade geniuses despite having lower-grade bone structure. He's a model for people like us!"
"It's all thanks to the Chai Family's pills! The higher-ups said they'll make the pills available to everyone in the future. Ordinary people will be able to practice martial arts and make something of themselves, just like Chief Su..."
"That's right. Chief Su even got first-class citizenship. I hear they're going to loosen the restrictions on registered origin, too. The Grey People may soon be a thing of the past!" One person spoke with such confidence, praising Great Liang's benevolent rule.
Yet the Jing People around them wore blank expressions. Clearly, they hadn't recovered from the cruelty of the past.
Only when the coins clinked against the ground did the crowd suddenly stir, bending down to snatch them up.
Though Su Yuan and the others were traitors, that didn't stop them from picking up the money.
In a shadowed corner, Ji Haoyang watched from afar and sighed. "Senior Sister, the Liang People are certainly willing to spend big to win hearts."
Yun Xu's expression was cool. "They're only scraping off a few crumbs from the people's hard-earned wealth they've plundered."
She looked at Su Yuan, brimming with confidence atop the carriage, and her feelings grew complicated.
He was no longer someone she could control. Just as she had broken free from the Shan Family's cage, he had broken free from her grasp.
Yun Xu rubbed her palms together without realizing it, feeling a little lost.
At first, they had indeed used each other. But on the execution ground, they had also been companions who comforted one another in spirit.
"I never thought he'd been hiding his strength so deeply. He's actually at the Three-Blood Realm." Ji Haoyang gritted his teeth.
He looked at his senior sister's graceful, beautiful figure, unable to connect her with those humiliating statues and paintings. His resentment deepened. "Senior Sister, you must hate him to the bone, too. He was the one who—"
The words reached his lips, but he feared they would touch a sore spot.
Yun Xu shook her head. "I don't hate him. He was the one who passed messages for me back then."
"What? You're saying Su Yuan was the one who delivered the messages? He's the Green Ghost?" Ji Haoyang nearly cried out.
"Who's the Green Ghost?"
"He's the informant who's been secretly in contact with us. His cultivation should be at the External Force level. Su Yuan couldn't possibly be at the External Force level. Maybe he was never involved with us at all, and he's been deceiving you from the very beginning." Ji Haoyang still couldn't believe Su Yuan and the mysterious Green Ghost were the same person.
Yun Xu remained unmoved. "But he really was the one who took my letter. Your method of testing the Green Ghost might not be reliable."
"Then how do you explain him cutting off Junior Brother Duan's head? Junior Sister Pei hates him now."
"There may be more to it than that. He might not have been the one who did it. If I get the chance, I still want to contact him." Yun Xu continued to defend him.
"Senior Sister, you..." Ji Haoyang couldn't understand why she kept protecting Su Yuan. Then he remembered those works, and irritation surged in his chest.
After the procession ended, Su Yuan entered the Chai Family's Inner City residence for the first time.
The mansion was vast, several times more imposing than the Shan Family's.
Its layout was much like the Martial Academy's. Many Chai Family disciples could be seen practicing martial arts on the training grounds, their shouts ringing out.
Su Yuan felt as if he had stepped from the Chai Family Martial Academy into a higher-level training ground.
"From now on, the two of you will train here. A residence has been prepared nearby, so you can move your belongings over. Su Yuan, come with me first," Chai Nian instructed.
The Chai Family disciples already knew Tie Niu, but they were curious about Su Yuan, who had won the title despite his lower-grade bone structure. Their eyes turned to him one after another.
"A Chief with lower-grade bone structure. That's a rare sight."
"Do you think he can reach Savage Strength? If he can't, he'll be the first Chief in history to get stuck at the Blood Condensing stage," someone muttered.
"Hard to say. It depends on how the family arranges things."
Whispers passed among them. Everyone remained doubtful about Su Yuan.
Chai Yuanyuan had followed them in as well.
The three entered a room, where Chai Hong was already waiting.
When Su Yuan came in, he smiled first. "Well done, boy. You did a fine job."
"It's all thanks to your cultivation, Young Master," Su Yuan replied respectfully.
Chai Hong examined Su Yuan's constitution as the city lord had, and came to much the same conclusion.
"Your bone structure is indeed a little poor, but there's no need to worry. The Blood Bone Pill was developed specifically to eliminate the harm caused by the Blood Origin Pill. Since you've won the title, the Chai Family has another reward for you." He took out three brocade boxes.
One contained a manual, one a bottle of pills, and one a sheet of red paper.
He presented them one by one. "This is the first two layers of our Chai Family's true art, the Heavenly Horse Flying Star Fist. It can help you break into Savage Strength. It's a pity you never learned the Galloping Horse Fist, so switching over may take you a little more time. Still, as long as you continue serving the Chai Family, we'll provide you with a hundred taels' worth of cultivation resources each month for free until you break through. If you reach Savage Strength, that will rise to three hundred taels a month."
"The second item is the Blood Bone Pill. You'll need to take it over the long term to improve your bone structure. The Chai Family can also use you to observe its effects."
So they really are using me to test the pills.
Su Yuan asked, "Does this pill have any side effects?"
"As far as we know, the only important thing is this: once you start taking it, you can't stop. Otherwise, your bone structure will return to its original state," Chai Hong admitted frankly.
So it's a short-term fix that leaves you weak once it wears off.
Once he started taking it, he'd be like a dog tied to a leash, unable to get away.
Fortunately, he had [Smoothing Edges]. Perhaps he could use it to disguise his improved bone structure in the future.
"The third item is the marriage contract between you and Yuanyuan. If you agree, you'll truly become one of the Chai Family." As Chai Hong finished speaking, Chai Yuanyuan moved closer to Su Yuan.
Su Yuan frowned. How had he ended up taking Tie Niu's place as the one fending off a marriage arrangement?
He shook his head. "Third Master, I can't agree to this third item just yet. I'm willing to serve the Chai Family and test the pills, but the risks of this pill are still unclear. If something goes wrong while I'm taking it, wouldn't that ruin Miss Yuanyuan's life? Let's discuss this later. I also need to talk it over with Sister Mian."
Chai Yuanyuan felt displeased when she heard his refusal.
To her, all his explanations afterward mattered less than that one mention of Sister Mian.
Chai Hong didn't press the matter. "A marriage is a major decision, so it can wait. But it might not be easy to discuss it with Gao Mian. I've already received word that she was imprisoned as soon as she returned to the Shan Family."
"What?" Su Yuan's heart lurched.
Chai Nian chimed in. "Ji City is not within the Gao Family's sphere of influence, after all. Gao Mian was alone and unable to stand against the Shan Family's Vein Splitting elders. She was a little too bold this time."
"Damn the Shan Family!" Su Yuan clenched his fists.
Chai Nian offered him a tempting promise. "Don't worry. The Shan Family won't dare do anything to her. At most, they'll keep her under house arrest. Take your pills properly and perform well, and the Chai Family may be able to help you get her out."
Only after Su Yuan left did Chai Nian ask Chai Hong, "Third Uncle, are we really going to give him a hundred taels every month? What if he fails to make any more progress? That's an awfully high price..."
An ordinary Three-Blood Realm Martial Warrior earned only ten taels a month for a post like this. He didn't have much faith that Su Yuan would reach Savage Strength, either.
Chai Hong replied calmly, "It's just for show, to let outsiders see. Once this wave of attention passes, if he hasn't made any progress, there'll be no need to spend so many resources on him. Focus on cultivating Su Tieniu. Just make sure to smooth out his temperament a little."
"I understand."
Su Yuan and Tie Niu left the Chai Mansion. They hurriedly picked up the children and took them to their new home, then prepared to leave the city and practice martial arts.
"Brother Yuan, are we really leaving the city in such a hurry? Shouldn't we rest for a couple of days?" Tie Niu asked, baffled.
Su Yuan's face was as dark as water. "The Shan Family has imprisoned Sister Mian. I have to get stronger faster and rescue her!"
With that, he headed straight for the South City Gate.
Tan Shen was still on duty at the city gate. When he saw Su Yuan, he immediately greeted him respectfully. "Chief Su!"
Su Yuan gave a slight nod. With no time for further conversation, he hurried out of the city.
A soldier nearby leaned over. "Old Tan, you actually know Chief Su?"
Who in Ji City hadn't heard of the Chief who had risen from lower-grade bone structure?
"Know him? He even gave me pointers!" Tan Shen puffed out his chest, his face full of pride.
The people around him looked on with envy.
Su Yuan put all that fame out of his mind.
Back at the old residence, he resumed practicing the Golden Horse-Head Technique.
He'd also made time to practice it during the few days of hunting.
He was close to Savage Strength.
Without hesitation, he took out a Break Strength Pill and swallowed it. A powerful wave of medicinal energy exploded within him, and Su Yuan felt his Blood Qi begin to boil.
[Golden Horse-Head Technique: 974/1000 (Second Layer)] [Golden Horse-Head Technique: 999/1000 (Second Layer)] [Golden Horse-Head Technique: 1/2000 (Third Layer)]
He had reached Savage Strength.
Before you continue