Leave Some Contingencies

About half an hour passed.

After finishing a cycle of cultivation, Chen Guan opened his eyes from his meditative state and looked toward Patriarch Zhao and the others in the courtyard.

"Guan'er."

Seeing Chen Guan finish his "training," Patriarch Zhao stepped forward two paces and said with a smile at the doorway:

"What would you like to eat? The same crispy chicken as yesterday?

I'll have the kitchen prepare it right away!"

"Sure." Chen Guan smiled, quite enjoying this belated fatherly love and the treatment of a young master.

This feeling, to be honest, was actually quite nice.

"Is Fifth Brother awake?" Eldest Young Master and the others saw Chen Guan looking over, but they dared not move recklessly.

Even though the whole family had eaten together yesterday and it seemed harmonious, they hadn't actually exchanged many words with Chen Guan at the dinner table.

Coupled with Chen Guan's tendency to wipe out entire families at the drop of a hat, they were truly afraid of this Fifth Brother.

Currently, only Patriarch Zhao seemed to be doing a bit better.

As for Sixth Young Master, he admired his Fifth Brother's martial arts from the bottom of his heart!

"My brother is the third strongest expert in the town..."

Sixth Young Master had a heart for martial arts, but his physique was too frail to support such training.

"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Sixth Brother."

At the same time, seeing his brothers standing at the doorway, Chen Guan stood up and invited them to take a seat on the small stone stools in the courtyard.

His own room was still too small.

Although it could accommodate a few grown men, there wasn't much room to move around.

"Thank you, Fifth Brother..."

"Thank you, Fifth Brother..."

The three expressed their thanks, and only after seeing their father and Chen Guan sit down one after another did they dare to take their seats in order of age.

Although the Zhao Family was just a small rice merchant in a small town, their family rules were quite good, adhering to traditional etiquette.

This was reflected in the seating arrangement, which followed the order from elder to younger.

Among peers, the one with the most ability was the first to sit.

Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if Chen Guan sat first.

But since the family was treating him well, he naturally felt he should observe these proprieties and logic.

Chen Guan felt that he was, after all, a very reasonable person.

Thinking of this, Chen Guan pulled three large bundles from under the stone table in front of him.

"This is?" Patriarch Zhao and the others had seen these items earlier and suspected they were related to the Liu Family.

But since Chen Guan had been training, he hadn't spoken.

They had only looked and dared not touch them.

"Inside are some secret manuals and fragments of cultivation techniques."

Under the focused gazes of everyone, Chen Guan opened the bundles while speaking.

Whoosh—

At the same time, near the gap in the courtyard wall not far away, the two guards felt that these were things they shouldn't be hearing.

They quickly gathered their gear and moved outside the courtyard.

Their sturdy bodies effectively blocked the gap that was about to be repaired, shielding the scene from the eyes of those on the street.

After the incident with the bandits, the Zhao Family guards had become much more cautious.

Seeing this, Chen Guan nodded slightly to himself, feeling that these two were quite sharp.

Seeing their solid builds, he thought he might teach them a few moves during his spare time from cultivation.

Strengthening the family's power was, in a roundabout way, an improvement for himself.

For instance, if the Zhao Family became the number one family in town, wouldn't there be more resources available?

Even if it's not used in this life, perhaps it can be borrowed in the next.

It was with this thought in mind.

Chen Guan not only took out the martial arts manuals from his bag but also nearly a thousand taels of silver notes.

This was all the silver notes the Liu family had.

Among them was also a "Red Jade Pendant".

This was after Chen Guan learned that there were still remnants of the Liu family outside the town, waiting for that Bamboo Swordsman, so he rushed out of town overnight.

Running back and forth like this allowed Chen Guan to recover his spiritual energy in the room just now.

"These riches, I entrust them to Father."

Chen Guan took out this large sum of money and placed it on the table in front of Patriarch Zhao.

"Whether it's collecting martial arts manuals for me or expanding the family business, it all requires money.

Your son is not skilled in these matters, so I'll leave the decisions to you, Father."

"Guan'er... you...?"

Patriarch Zhao gasped, never expecting his son to have truly "raided and annihilated" the Liu family!

And now, he was handing over such a colossal sum of money to him?

Patriarch Zhao truly hadn't anticipated this.

He thought it was more likely that his son would keep it for himself, not mentioning a word, nor giving it to the family.

After all, having so much money was something the child earned himself.

He had such thoughts.

It was also because Patriarch Zhao was straightforward and traditional, preferring to settle matters clearly, without talking about filial piety or saying things like "I raised you for years, so you must do this."

Because in Patriarch Zhao's mind, filial piety should come from the heart, not from others dictating it.

If it was spoken, it was a request or a command, what did it have to do with filial piety?

Patriarch Zhao was such a peculiar person.

At the same time.

"The money Fifth Brother gave, at least a thousand taels..."

Eldest Young Master and the others, seeing these silver notes, would be lying if they said they weren't envious.

Anyone would want to possess such wealth!

But they still understood some gratitude and knew that their rescue was thanks to Fifth Brother.

Therefore, after just a few envious glances, they forced themselves to pretend not to care and naturally shifted their gaze away.

Now, only Sixth Young Master looked at Chen Guan with respect and curiously at the martial arts manuals on the table.

As for the guards outside the courtyard, they didn't even turn their heads.

Chen Guan took it all in, and seeing that his family was still peaceful despite him taking out so much money, he knew this family could be "raised."

Night.

Chen Guan, carrying a small bundle, holding the handwritten martial arts manuals and three hundred taels of silver notes, left the town and headed towards the deep mountains and old forests once more.

The purpose of this trip was to have a "backup plan" in case he accidentally died one day.

And on the way to the burial site.

Chen Guan walked quickly, occasionally glancing back in the direction of Little Liuzi Town.

"Silver notes are a relatively flexible 'small backup.'

After I reincarnate, as long as conditions permit, I can come and retrieve them.

As for my family, they are a 'major backup.'

If I can nurture them a bit, they can be of assistance in a future life.

However, 'returning home in glory' and 'reuniting with ancestors' to leverage the situation will require long-term planning.

It's far less convenient than retrieving these small backups."

Chen Guan pondered much and also prepared to strive hard in this life to see what heights he could reach.

The higher he strove, the more backups he could leave for himself.

This was leaving behind "talent inheritance for the next life."

However, the talent inheritance within the scroll was random before effort.

This, however, was entirely dependent on one's foundation and effort.

The next morning.

He arrived near the dilapidated temple again.

Chen Guan first went to the dilapidated temple. Seeing that Xiao Qing was not there, he took a cowhide bag from the side room.

Inside was the "Yin-Yang Eye Potion."

Afterward, he buried the banknotes and secret manuals under the bluestone slabs in the backyard.

Chen Guan felt that he had made sufficient arrangements for the early stage.

"First, calculate defeat, then calculate victory.

As long as this inheritance remains, after future generations retrieve it, they will at least be much more affluent in terms of wealth."

Chen Guan's thoughts were clear. He was no longer as rough and impulsive as he was during his Black Bear period, burying treasures on a whim. Instead, he was making arrangements with a plan.