The Situation

"My bodily injuries are healing."

In the courtyard, Jiang Chen sat immersed in a medicine barrel, focusing his mind inward.

He could "see" the gentle energy in the medicinal liquid seeping into his flesh, skin, sinews, and bones.

The hidden injuries caused by his hard training in White Ape Fist over the past few days were healing.

Splash.

After a long while, when the effects of the medicinal bath had faded, Jiang Chen climbed out and got dressed.

Although he was home again, he didn't let up. He continued practicing White Ape Fist.

As the saying went, a journey of a thousand miles began with a single step, and mighty rivers and seas were formed from tiny streams.

If he slacked off just because he'd left the martial hall, he'd never achieve anything in the martial way.

He didn't bathe and go to bed until Zi Hour.

The next day.

Jiang Chen still woke early. He went to eat breakfast only after his morning practice.

"Father, we've hired so many guards. Has something happened?"

At the table, Jiang Chen asked about the guards again.

"Chen'er, don't worry about the family's affairs. Your focus right now should be on training hard and trying to enter the True Martial Realm as soon as possible."

Jiang Sihai reacted just like Lin Shuyun: he shared good news, not bad.

"Father, I'm a martial artist now. Whether it's family matters or clan affairs, I should at least know what's going on."

Jiang Chen said.

In this world, age had never mattered.

Strength was the only standard!

"All right."

Seeing this, Jiang Sihai knew Jiang Chen must have heard some rumors. After thinking it over, he decided it was better to tell him the truth than let him keep guessing.

"Some days ago, City Lord Yu left..."

Jiang Sihai then explained the current situation in detail.

With City Lord Yu's departure, undercurrents stirred among the various factions in the Prefecture City.

Take the East District, for example. The recent clashes between gangs were, at their core, powerful factions fighting over territory.

And after losing the City Lord's Mansion as their backing, every branch's businesses had been affected.

Other businesses were openly and secretly squeezing them out and stealing their share of the market.

On top of that, plenty of factions were eyeing them from the shadows.

The whole clan was in a very difficult position.

"The Upper Sect? The City Guard?"

After listening quietly, Jiang Chen's thoughts roiled.

"So the clan hopes Jiang Xuan will place high in the Martial Exam at the end of the year?"

Jiang Chen quickly weighed the pros and cons and figured out the clan's plan.

If they didn't want to end up as meat on the chopping block, they had to find a way to get a seat at the table.

And the only way they could do that was through the Martial Exam.

Only by placing high in the exam and joining the City Guard could they gain a foothold.

"A few days ago, after discussing it, the clan decided to support Jiang Xuan with everything they had. Every branch has to contribute. We have to hand over five hundred taels of silver each month."

Jiang Sihai nodded.

"Five hundred taels?"

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes.

His family had several shops, but none of them had a monopoly.

Five hundred taels a month would eat up nearly all their monthly profits.

No.

Now that chaos had taken hold in the city, their shops were being squeezed and suppressed. Each month, they'd have to dip into their savings just to stay afloat.

"There's no other way. The whole clan's hopes rest on Jiang Xuan now."

Jiang Sihai sighed helplessly.

With the situation as it was, he had to contribute everything he could.

Otherwise, once the clan weathered this crisis, his family might be driven out.

The branches paid tribute to the clan, the clan greased the wheels with the various factions, and in turn protected the branches.

That was how every clan organization operated.

"Father, put off handing over those five hundred taels for now."

Jiang Chen said.

You've got to be kidding.

He hadn't even reached the Second Qi and Blood Gate, and his bare-minimum monthly expenses were already nine hundred taels of silver.

If he added medicinal baths, massages, acupuncture, food, and everything else, it would come to nearly a thousand taels.

And that was only for the Second Qi and Blood Gate.

When he broke through the Three Qi and Blood Gates, and later tried to reach the True Martial Realm, he'd need even more money.

His family had been in business for years, so they must have some savings, but even those couldn't last forever.

Every coin his family had was crucial to him.

If they handed it over to the clan, it would be difficult to get it back later.

"Chen'er, are you confident you can take the Martial Exam?"

Jiang Sihai's heart filled with hope.

There were only about five months left until the Martial Exam at the end of the year.

Could Jiang Chen enter the True Martial Realm in just a few months?

In the past, Jiang Sihai wouldn't have dared dream of such an extravagant hope. But Jiang Chen's performance now had given him a glimmer of hope.

"Of course."

Jiang Chen nodded.

With the Myriad Dao Chart to help him, as long as he had enough resources, reaching the True Martial Realm within five months was entirely possible.

And by the time of the Martial Exam, his combat experience would make it no trouble to handle martial artists at the same level, even if his cultivation was slightly weaker.

A martial artist's combat strength didn't depend entirely on the height of their cultivation.

Cultivation, martial arts, weapons, surroundings, condition, combat experience—any of these could affect their ultimate strength.

Even if he couldn't take the top spot in the Martial Exam, he could at least make the rankings.

"Good. Then we won't hand over the money for now."

Seeing Jiang Chen's expression, Jiang Sihai's hopes grew stronger.

Everyone had their own interests.

Jiang Chen had been lazy and aimless in the past, so Jiang Sihai had had no choice but to rely on the clan.

But since Jiang Chen now had the confidence to rise, Jiang Sihai would naturally put him first.

Even if Jiang Chen didn't place high in the Martial Exam, as long as he entered the True Martial Realm, the clan wouldn't dare make things too difficult for his family.

As the saying went, martial artists were the ballast that kept everything steady.

"Besides the Martial Exam, we can also put in some effort with the martial hall."

Jiang Chen continued.

After City Lord Yu's departure, his family had lost its backing in the Prefecture City.

Naturally, they had to find a new one.

If neither he nor Jiang Xuan managed to place high in the Martial Exam before the new order in the Prefecture City took shape, they'd be carved up.

So they needed to keep both paths open.

"The martial hall? You mean the Zhou Clan?"

Jiang Sihai understood what Jiang Chen meant.

Martial halls were hugely profitable.

Take the White Ape Martial Hall, for example. A regular disciple paid twenty taels a month in tuition, or two hundred and forty taels a year.

And that didn't include any other income.

The martial hall took in hundreds of disciples each year, at the very least.

What were its expenses?

Just a few people to teach and guide the students. It was practically a license to print money.

Naturally, the business was nearly always monopolized. Without a powerful enough backer, no one could keep a martial hall running.

The White Ape Martial Hall had become an established institution in the East District because it was backed by the Zhou Clan, one of the great clans of the Prefecture City.

The Zhou Clan had dominated the Prefecture City for hundreds of years. They were a true aristocratic clan.

Their people could be found not only in the Prefecture City, but even in the Prefecture Capital and the Upper Sect.

That showed just how deep the Zhou Clan's roots ran.

If they could build a connection with the Zhou Clan, it really would be a brilliant move.

"But would the Zhou Clan even look twice at a small family like ours?"

Jiang Sihai wasn't sure.

They'd managed to get in with the City Lord's Mansion because City Lord Yu had just taken office and had no local businesses or connections. If he wanted to make money, he needed a few fronts.

Most of the profits the branches paid to the clan each year went to the City Lord's Mansion. In return, they'd earned the chance to establish themselves in the Prefecture City.

But the Zhou Clan was different.

As far as Jiang Sihai knew, the White Ape Martial Hall was only one of the Zhou Clan's minor enterprises.

That was right.

A martial hall this profitable and reliable was still only a minor business to the Zhou Clan.

In fact, the Zhou Clan probably hadn't opened martial halls for the profits at all, but to find promising martial arts talents.

That alone showed how immense the Zhou Clan's business empire was.

"More than money, the Zhou Clan values talent."

Jiang Chen said.

A deal you had to chase after wasn't a good deal.

What he needed to do was make the Zhou Clan approach them.

That would have been impossible before.

But things were different now.

These past few days at the martial hall, Sun Wu had clearly treated him differently.

As long as he kept up this pace of cultivation, he'd sooner or later catch the head instructor's eye through Sun Wu.

At that point, the Zhou Clan would naturally try to recruit him.

Geniuses were valued by every faction.

"If we can build a connection with the Zhou Clan, then even if you don't place high in the Martial Exam, you'll still be able to establish yourself in the Prefecture City!"

Jiang Sihai's eyes lit up.

Government offices were iron, while officials were water.

Compared with the City Lord's Mansion, the Zhou Clan was an even more dependable backer.

After all, the City Lord's Mansion could change hands at any time, but these entrenched aristocratic clans passed their power down from generation to generation.