A Lesson

Although Xu Yuan had seemed to get along famously with Zhou Chen these past few days, and Zhou Chen had answered almost every question he asked about cultivation, Xu Yuan knew that deep down, Zhou Chen still looked down on him.

It showed in all sorts of little things.

He called him Third Young Master every other sentence, but as a bodyguard, he never knocked before entering Xu Yuan's room.

When they talked, he never bothered to hide the smell of alcohol on his breath.

And once, out of curiosity about how a supreme treasure like the Sumeru Ring was made, Zhou Chen had shamelessly asked Xu Yuan to lend it to him so he could study it.

Zhou Chen had said he only wanted to study it. He wouldn't dare keep it for himself.

After all, Xu Changge knew Xu Yuan had the Sumeru Ring.

If Zhou Chen dared to steal it, he'd be dead.

But the problem was, this was the Sumeru Ring. It held all sorts of private treasures.

Asking to borrow it was like knowing your friend's wife was home bathing alone, then asking him for the key to his house.

Xu Yuan had refused and given Zhou Chen a proper warning. But later, Zhou Chen had brought it up again, half jokingly.

There were countless other things like that.

When Zhou Chen had suddenly stepped in to help him deal with Xue Yong today, Xu Yuan had thought he'd changed.

He'd thought all the money he'd spent treating Zhou Chen these past few weeks, and his own month of hard cultivation, had changed Zhou Chen's opinion of him.

But afterward, Zhou Chen had acted just as he always did.

Grinning as he came over with his breath reeking of alcohol, chatting about women, then asking Xu Yuan to help him call up a few courtesans.

Xu Yuan could barely hold back anymore.

He once again came to understand, in a profound way, the position his predecessor had been in—and why he'd grown so sensitive and quick to anger.

Xu Yuan had originally wanted to put up with it, just as he had in his previous life: first prove himself, slowly establish his authority, then gradually deal with these subordinates.

But after thinking it over, he suddenly realized that his status and cultivation physique meant he had no need to be so courteous to Zhou Chen, a Grandmaster.

So Xu Yuan seized on the subject of hard cultivation and let his anger show.

The disdain in Zhou Chen's words seemed to say, You spoiled brat won't last. Stop putting on an act.

Xu Yuan had mocked him for being the pot calling the kettle black.

His predecessor had given up cultivating because his meridians were blocked and his Will Soul was practically crippled.

You, Zhou Chen, had hit a bottleneck and couldn't advance, so you'd started indulging yourself.

What was the difference?

What gave you the right to stand here and run your mouth in mockery?

With my physique, was there anything wrong with wanting to start cultivating again?

Xu Yuan's aim was clear.

First, he wanted to give Zhou Chen a thorough lesson.

Second, he wanted an excuse to focus on cultivation.

Third, he wanted to change the fixed impression people had of him and slowly establish his authority in the eyes of these retainers and honored guests.

There was a world of difference between subordinates who merely paid lip service and those who did their utmost.

In his previous life, if the employees on his project had dragged their feet, the worst that could happen was a delay—or the project falling apart. But if these honored guests and retainers dragged their feet now, people could end up dead.

That said,

Zhou Chen's reaction really did surprise Xu Yuan.

He'd thought this Grandmaster would sweep out in a huff after being embarrassed. He hadn't expected him to lower his head and admit fault outright.

But after thinking about it, Xu Yuan understood.

Zhou Chen was bowing his head because of the warning Xu Yuan had just given him, but also because of Xu Yuan's status—and, more importantly, because the Innate Dao Body held limitless potential.

Xu Yuan gave Zhou Chen, who stood with his back bent and fists clasped, a long look.

Being able to read the situation and immediately back down, lowering himself when things went against him—that was a good quality.

But still.

Xu Yuan said nothing, simply watching the Grandmaster in silence.

"..."

Zhou Chen kept his head bowed and his fists clasped. His face, hanging low, looked as though his guts had been torn out.

Xu Yuan's words had suddenly made him realize something.

The Third Young Master of the past had no future.

As a cultivation cripple with no future, the Third Young Master could be placated with the bare minimum.

But now, the Third Young Master had become an Innate Dao Body through a stroke of fortune.

And Zhou Chen had kept treating him with the same attitude he'd had toward the Third Young Master of old.

If the Third Young Master had truly turned over a new leaf, then with the talent of an Innate Dao Body and the resources of the Prime Minister's Estate, he might well become a second Eldest Young Master.

And he might even grow faster.

He'd broken through to the ninth rank in just over half a month.

In a few years, once his cultivation had advanced, with the Third Young Master's vengeful temperament...

"..." Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen truly wanted to slap himself hard across the face.

Habits really could get you killed.

The silence on the top floor stretched on.

Xu Yuan watched Zhou Chen quietly.

Zhou Chen kept his back bent and his fists clasped.

Seeing that Zhou Chen refused to say anything, no matter what, impatience began to show in Xu Yuan's eyes.

He was clever, but not especially clever.

Now that you've realized what the situation is, and I've put up with you for over half a month, you can't expect to brush it off with a single apology for offending me. You have to offer something, don't you?

Zhou Chen's cultivation let him sense the change in Xu Yuan's gaze. His expression shifted for a moment, then he gritted his teeth.

"Third Young Master, you've only just entered the ninth rank, and I haven't given you anything to mark the occasion. I prepared this small gift for you."

As he spoke, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small jade bottle.

"..."

Xu Yuan was a little disappointed.

He didn't want a gift.

He wanted Zhou Chen himself.

At the very least, he wanted a promise or two that Zhou Chen would step in to help him, right?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Xu Yuan realized he was being too greedy.

Getting a Grandmaster to wholeheartedly submit just because he'd reached the ninth rank? Even his big brother couldn't do that.

Putting the thought aside, Xu Yuan looked back at Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen looked pained. Eyes shut, he thrust out his hand and held the jade bottle before Xu Yuan.

"This is called Essence Dissolving Powder."

Essence Dissolving Powder?

Xu Yuan glanced at the bottle.

A little pile of fine, blue-gray crystalline powder lay at the bottom.

In this world, not all medicines came in pill form. There were countless kinds, in liquid, solid, powder, and even gaseous form.

A quick search through his memories brought back what this stuff did.

It was a good thing.

A top-grade body-tempering medicine. You simply poured it into the bath. It worked for cultivators of any rank, even Xu Yuan, who had only just entered the ninth rank. It could nourish his meridians and temper his body, laying the foundation for reaching the sixth rank, Iron Body.

A medicine that could aid a Grandmaster's cultivation—out in the open market, the Essence Dissolving Powder would fetch far more than ten thousand taels.

For Zhou Chen, it must have been a painful sacrifice.

Xu Yuan's lips curled slightly. He raised his hand, took the bottle of spiritual powder from Zhou Chen, and rolled it around in his palm.

Zhou Chen lifted his eyes and stared at the jade bottle in Xu Yuan's hand, his face full of reluctance and pain.

Xu Yuan suddenly turned to look at him.

Their eyes met.

"..." Zhou Chen.

Forcing a smile, Zhou Chen said with a grin, "Third Young Master, with your ninth-rank cultivation, you only need to pour a little of this in when you bathe—"

Before he could finish, Xu Yuan casually tossed the bottle back to him.

Zhou Chen hurriedly caught the precious jade bottle. His expression turned puzzled.

He instinctively assumed the Third Young Master didn't know what it was worth.

Xu Yuan merely glanced at him, turned, and left, tossing out a parting remark.

"Breaking through a bottleneck in martial cultivation isn't easy. Mr. Zhou, you should keep that Essence Dissolving Powder for yourself."

"..." Zhou Chen.

Silence.

A flicker passed through Zhou Chen's eyes. Then he suddenly grinned and clasped his fists.

"Zhou Chen thanks you, Third Young Master."

"..."

Xu Yuan didn't respond. He walked steadily toward the stairs.

After a moment,

Zhou Chen hurried after him. Sometimes, having a thick skin did more good than harm.

Walking beside Xu Yuan, Zhou Chen resumed his earlier manner, but there was no longer any smell of alcohol in his breath. Grinning, he asked, "Third Young Master, are you going to cultivate? I've got nothing to do lately. I could stay nearby and assist you."

"Assist me in cultivating?" Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow. It was the first time he'd heard of such a thing.

Zhou Chen explained with a smile, "It's a special trait of my cultivation technique. I can use my Will Soul to temper the Source Qi around us, then gather it around you. All you need to do is keep refining it."

"There's such a thing?" Xu Yuan glanced at Zhou Chen.

"Of course."

Zhou Chen shamelessly pressed on. "Would you like me to do that for you, Third Young Master?"

"Mm, not for now."

"Ah? Then where are you—"

"I'm going downstairs. Obviously, I'm going to find the madam of the house."

"..." Zhou Chen.

Xu Yuan stopped and glanced sideways at Zhou Chen with an amused look, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Tomorrow, a new flower queen is debuting at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion."