The Zhou Family's Predicament

As Zhou Muzhi left, his thoughts grew clearer.

He would definitely make the incense. If he could control the wronged spirit, that would give him another trump card.

Once everything was ready, he could get to work.

Leaving the street, he boarded a carriage and headed toward the Zhou Residence.

What he needed to do now was advance to the subsequent martial realms. His master had yet to explain those, saying only that he would teach him Our Sect's true core cultivation method once his blood and qi had fully stabilized and could advance no further.

Core sect legacies like these carried their own weight, even at their most rudimentary level. They were not something one could learn simply because one wanted to.

Zhou Muzhi had said he understood and would return to receive the legacy once he finished tempering his blood and qi.

While he rested with his eyes closed, the carriage stopped.

"Sir, we've reached your destination."

The driver called out.

Zhou Muzhi opened his eyes and stepped down from the carriage. With both feet on the ground, he looked at the closed gates of the Zhou Residence, then went forward and knocked.

The gatekeeper opened the gate from inside and greeted him respectfully upon seeing that it was the Fourth Young Master.

After stepping through the gate, he headed toward the central courtyard, passing servants who were cleaning along the way.

The Zhou Residence had quite a few people.

There was the old steward, Old Chen, and six servants, three men and three women; then there was Lao Xu, the head guard, along with four ordinary guards.

These people formed the foundation of the Zhou Family, handling the everyday work.

After he had walked a short while, Xiaozi approached from ahead. Clearly, she had received word from the gatekeeper and had come specifically to meet him.

Xiaozi had changed into a new dress today. Paired with her youthful figure, it made her look slender and lovely, and her delicate face was pleasing to the eye.

"Fourth Young Master!"

Her voice was rather sweet, and her greeting was affectionate. Clearly, she regarded Zhou Muzhi as someone she could rely on.

As a bed-warming maid, she would generally end up becoming a concubine and receiving a formal status.

"Mm. Has anything happened at the residence today?" Zhou Muzhi asked.

There was a reason the household kept guards: they could deter brazen petty thieves.

Xiaozi shook her head. "The guards have been patrolling all along. Nothing has happened. Fourth Young Master, the medicinal cuisine is ready to be served. Would you like to have it now?"

As she asked, she was already preparing to fetch it.

"Sure. I'm hungry anyway."

His second brother had specially arranged the medicinal cuisine, hiring an eminent physician to make it as powerfully nourishing as possible.

He had to admit that it really did work. After drinking it, he could feel his strength increasing little by little as the medicinal potency dispersed.

Xiaozi went to fetch the medicinal cuisine, and Zhou Muzhi returned to his room.

He drew a sheet of snow-white paper from his desk and began writing on it with a brush dipped in a little ink.

What he wanted to write down was the situation he currently faced.

First was the Qian Family. Until he understood their trump cards, it would be unwise for him to show himself.

Compared with the Qian Family, the Zhou Family fell far too short.

Then there was Qian Zhen, the Qian Family's eldest young master. In his memories, this was a highly capable man who stirred up storms throughout Suming County. It could be said that all these local thugs were now working for him.

Finally, there were Hua Kai and Ma Jin, the two men he intended to deal with. They had had direct contact with what was suspected to be the wronged spirit's original body and were the most likely to know the truth.

Of these two, Hua Kai was searching for the person who had killed Brother Gui and the other three. Those thugs were also people entangled with the wronged spirit.

This indirectly suggested that the man probably knew something.

He drew several circles on the paper, each containing a name.

Zhou Muzhi held his brush suspended for a moment, studying the paper in thought.

His current strength was sufficient, but his concern was that among the strong, there was always a stronger hand. Plenty of people had come to grief after growing arrogant on the strength of their abilities.

"No rush. I need to proceed more carefully."

His brush descended again, writing down "Third Master." This man was clever, someone whose age had honed him into an old fox. Zhou Muzhi liked clever people.

Clever people weighed gains against losses and sought advantage while avoiding harm. He would be helpful to Zhou Muzhi's later plans.

A plan immediately formed in his mind, and with a sweep of his brush, he marked the words "Third Master."

Xiaozi entered the room carrying the medicinal cuisine. The piping-hot dish gave off the scents of herbs and meat.

"Fourth Young Master, your medicinal cuisine is here."

Zhou Muzhi murmured in acknowledgment. "Put it on the table. Get some proper rest today. Come out with me tomorrow."

He no longer had a source of deduction points, so tomorrow he intended to revisit Antique Street, where he had gone before, and see whether he could pick up a hidden bargain.

Xiaozi answered with an "Oh," indicating that she understood.

Zhou Muzhi added, "Choose a guard for me. Have him come along tomorrow."

Although he had made progress in martial training, that was a trump card. He still needed to conceal it under ordinary circumstances.

Xiaozi answered with another "Oh."

Zhou Muzhi looked at Xiaozi then, feeling that something was a little off about the girl today.

So he asked, "What is it? Short of silver? I'll have Uncle Chen raise your pay by half a tael!"

Xiaozi hurriedly shook her head in refusal. "It's already a blessing to serve at your side, Fourth Young Master. I have enough silver."

"Then why the long face?"

He valued this personal maid who attended to his food, clothing, and daily needs. After all, some chores were too troublesome to do himself.

His questioning made Xiaozi a little frightened. She turned her head away and murmured something.

"When I was passing by the other day, I heard the Second Young Master telling the steward that the family's distillery output had dropped quite a bit. He said the Qian Family was doing the same business, too, and kept sighing."

At her words, Zhou Muzhi's face became expressionless.

Xiaozi immediately dropped to her knees, her voice trembling. "Fourth Young Master, I didn't deliberately listen to the Second Young Master discussing business. I overheard it by accident. I was afraid you didn't know, so, so..."

Before she finished, Zhou Muzhi waved a hand. "What you did is all right, but there mustn't be a next time. You may go."

Xiaozi said yes several times before leaving the room.

"The Qian Family..."

A chill flashed in Zhou Muzhi's eyes.

They truly were a colossal beast, with an enormous appetite to match. Now that they had set their sights on the Zhou Family, this would probably be difficult to settle amicably.

The two families were on entirely different levels. The Qian Family had over a hundred servants alone, and with their land and established resources, ordinary lineages could hardly stand against them.

Quite a few small lineages had been targeted over the years, and their endings had been far from pleasant. Most had vanished without a trace, and even more had taken their own lives.

"I need to hurry."

This news, stumbled upon through a casual question, added a few more threads of urgency to Zhou Muzhi's heart. As his foundation and starting point, the Zhou Family could still provide considerable assistance in the future.

The next day, he took Xiaozi to Antique Street again to browse antiques, repeating what he had done last time.

Unfortunately, the old objects were little different from those before, and there were very few new arrivals, so the trip yielded nothing.

Another three days passed.

There was no word from Lao Xu for the moment, but news came from the True Immortal Temple. His father sent a letter saying that the temple master had gone on a long journey and would only return in a few days, so they were waiting there.

All of this had begun because of him. His mother left a message in the letter saying that the root of his illness had not been removed, and they still needed to ask the temple's True Person to intervene.

Even having him come over to take a look would put their minds at ease.

Another three days passed in the snap of a finger.

Without the effects of sudden enlightenment and the Treasure Pill, his innate aptitude was merely average. Thus, despite many days of tempering, he was still some distance from the limits of the Blood Gate.

Today, however, Lao Xu appeared before Zhou Muzhi brimming with vigor, striding like a dragon and a tiger.

His entire bearing proclaimed that he had reached the Blood Gate Realm.

"I have not failed you, Fourth Young Master!"

Lao Xu had fulfilled the wish of half a lifetime and was now riding highest.

A slight smile appeared on Zhou Muzhi's face as well. His plan could begin.

"Tonight, have Third Master send word to Hua Kai. Tell him the person he's looking for has been found, and have him come identify them."

Lao Xu smiled too and nodded. "All right. I'll see to it now!"

With that, he left and headed for Third Master's residence.

As for whether Third Master would obey or Hua Kai would come, Zhou Muzhi was not worried.

A Blood Gate Martial Artist could resolve that problem.