At this point, does anyone still think Li Chen is weak? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)

On the bustling Vermilion Bird Avenue in Shanghe City, a magnificent residence stood tall. Above its vermilion gates studded with golden nails hung a dark gold plaque, bearing two large characters in bold, sweeping calligraphy.

Wei Residence!

Deep-sea pearls were inlaid around the plaque's edges, giving off a lustrous glow even at night.

Eight household guards in fitted brocade outfits stood on either side of the entrance. Their temples bulged slightly, and their eyes flashed like lightning. They were clearly all trained fighters.

Gilded insignia plaques hung at their waists, engraved with the Wei family crest.

These were proof of their status. Even securing a position as a household guard for the Wei Family earned a person respect in Shanghe City, second only to serving the Jiang Family.

But the Jiang Family was not something just anyone could compare with. It had already transcended the category of a merchant family and joined the ranks of the imperial relatives.

After all, so many women from the Jiang Family had become consorts and enjoyed the emperor's deep favor.

The Wei Family could also be considered the fastest-rising family in Shanghe City of late.

Call them nouveau riche, and they would not argue. They really did have money.

Beyond the Wei Family's gates lay a winding white jade bridge. Running water had been channeled beneath it to form a pond, where rare Golden-Scaled Dragon Carp swam. Each fish was said to be worth a thousand gold pieces.

At the end of the bridge stood an enormous jade spirit screen. Gold wire inlaid across it depicted the trade routes that had brought the Wei Family its fortune, from the salt fields of the East Sea to the camel caravans of the Western Regions, all rendered in lifelike detail.

Of course, much of it was