As evening approached, Wang Gang returned home. He had left the distillery and pig-rearing matters to Wang An. If he did not want to wear himself out in the future, he needed to cultivate the people around him.
Wang An had followed him since childhood. Cautious by nature and methodical in his work, he was a capable fellow. It was time to let him handle practical matters and gain some experience.
The moment Wang Gang stepped through the main gate, he sensed something off about the atmosphere at home. When he reached the rear courtyard, all the young maids wore miserable expressions.
"What's going on? Am I not welcome?" Wang Gang looked at the maids in surprise.
The maids mumbled, not daring to speak. Finally, Yingge stepped forward. "Young master, Xueyan offended the mistress today and was almost killed..."
After listening to Yingge's rambling account of what had happened in the rear courtyard that day, Wang Gang said with a laugh, "I told you not to provoke her. You wouldn't listen, and instead you went and challenged her!"
At those words, Xueyan felt terribly wronged. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, "It was all my fault for failing to recognize the mistress. I made a terrible mistake. I'll go throw myself down the well!" With that, she ran outside.
"Hey! Stop her!" Wang Gang reached out, telling the maids to grab Xueyan, then said sternly, "You're going to jump down the well over something this trivial? How am I supposed to drink the water after you've jumped in?"
Xueyan burst into even louder sobs. The other young maids knew Wang Gang was joking and did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"All right, be more careful from now on. Don't provoke her!"
Wang Gang waved the maids away as he spoke. He had yet to study the Flame Blade. Everyone headed for the door except Xueyan, who stood there on the verge of tears.
Growing impatient, Wang Gang tapped the table. "What? Don't tell me you want me to avenge you?"
"I wouldn't dare!" The young maid's face was full of stubbornness and grievance.
"Ah, Xueyan, you've been by my side for quite a few years. Having been your master all this time, I do want things to turn out well for you."
Wang Gang sighed. "Since you feel wronged here, I'll let you go home tomorrow. That way, you'll be happy, and I won't be put in a difficult position. Everyone can be content."
"Ah!" Xueyan looked as though lightning had struck her. She prostrated herself and sobbed, "Young master, please don't send me away! I won't dare do it again!"
Wang Gang said expressionlessly, "Though she and I are not on good terms, she is still the mistress of this household. If I argued with her over you, what would people think of me? Besides, you know perfectly well what started today's trouble!"
Xueyan's face stiffened, and her sobbing stopped abruptly. She understood at once. She had been thinking about this all wrong!
She had meant to play the pitiful victim and force Wang Gang into making a scene with Li Qingluo. Whatever the outcome, rumors would surely spread. For one thing, it would show how much standing she enjoyed; for another, perhaps the gossip would lead Wang Gang to take her as a concubine.
But she had forgotten that if Wang Gang confronted Li Qingluo to vent her anger for her, he would inevitably earn a bad reputation for favoring a concubine and trampling on his wife. Scholars valued their reputations above all else, and she was not even a concubine! She had taken far too much for granted!
"Go," Wang Gang said calmly.
"Young master, I..." Xueyan still wanted to explain, but Wang Gang would not even look at her. In the end, she could only leave dejectedly.
"Only women and petty men are hard to deal with: draw them close, and they grow insolent; keep them distant, and they resent you! The Master truly did not deceive me!" Wang Gang took out the gold foil with a sigh.
There were only a handful of people in his household, yet they were already scheming against one another. Those great clans and wealthy households could easily number in the thousands or tens of thousands. How did they manage them? No wonder putting one's household in order came before governing the state and bringing peace to the world!
Shaking his head, he concentrated on studying the Flame Blade manual. The technique was broadly divided into two parts: the internal cultivation method and the moves used to circulate and apply it.
After reading it through once, he found it subtle and profound. Fortunately, Jiumozhi had added his own understanding while translating it, so learning it was not particularly difficult.
Wang Gang took a sheet of Xuan paper, drew a meridian diagram, and marked out the circulation route according to his understanding.
He had just finished drawing and set down his brush when his vision blurred, and the panel appeared.
[Name: Wang Gang Reputation Points: 44000 Divine ability: Power of Space + Martial arts: Qi Refining Art +, One-Character Lightning Sword, Flame Blade (learnable)]
"Hm? My reputation went up another six hundred points."
Wang Gang looked at the panel and first tapped "Qi Refining Art." After practicing martial arts for so long, he increasingly felt the importance of internal cultivation. No matter how exquisite your moves, I can break them with sheer strength!
[Spend 4000 Reputation Points to advance to Third-Tier Qi Refiner?]
"Yes!"
Wang Gang made his choice. The internal power in his dantian surged again and began circulating on its own. Fortunately, the Minor Return Pill had widened and reinforced his meridians. Although they ached faintly this time, the circulation ultimately proceeded smoothly.
He carefully circulated it through one full cycle. Only after confirming that nothing was wrong with his meridians did he relax and tap the panel again.
[Spend 800 Reputation Points to learn Flame Blade?]
After he confirmed, diagrams of the technique's circulation routes flooded his mind, many going beyond his own understanding.
Wang Gang closed his eyes and contemplated them for a while. Only when he felt he had absorbed most of it did he continue upgrading.
[Spend 800 Reputation Points to upgrade Flame Blade?]
"Yes!"
A scorching warm current appeared out of nowhere inside Wang Gang's body, but no insights into its moves came with it.
He circulated his Qi Refining Art internal power and swept it through the current, instantly assimilating it into colorless, formless internal power.
When he circulated it according to the Flame Blade method, his internal power changed back into a warm current. It differed slightly from the one before, but its power was even greater.
Wang Gang tapped the panel again.
[Spend 6400 points to upgrade Flame Blade?]
"No!"
The Flame Blade was a technique focused on internal power, with few moves. He had the Qi Refining Art to improve his internal power, and it could also imitate other martial arts methods. There was no need to waste Reputation Points raising the Flame Blade's level.
To test this idea, he deliberately converted his internal power into Flame Blade internal power. The number of Reputation Points required on the panel changed dramatically along with it, clearly judging that he had surpassed his current level.
From now on, there was no need to keep upgrading techniques that focused on internal cultivation. He did not even need to learn them through the panel, which would save him Reputation Points.
Wang Gang felt the internal power gathering in his palm, growing hotter and hotter. The Flame Blade could build up power. The longer he accumulated it, the more internal power he gathered, and the stronger the attack would be when released.
At that thought, Wang Gang upgraded the Qi Refining Art again without hesitation. Feeling his internal power increase, he swiftly held back the additional portion in his dantian.
His meridians could not withstand such enormous internal power, but with these reserves, his Flame Blade effectively had more ammunition.
Wang Gang suddenly struck out with his palm. Nothing stirred around him.
Had it failed?
Boom!
The table in the corner of the hall abruptly split apart, tiny sparks flashing in the crack.
Jiumozhi had held back! The rolling waves of heat from his palm strike had definitely been deliberate.
"No wonder that brute Murong Bo said only the Six Meridian Divine Sword could compare to the Flame Blade! Hahaha..."
Brimming with satisfaction, Wang Gang threw back his head and laughed. Then he saw that he had only 30,400 Reputation Points left, and his laughter stopped short.
He had started with nearly a hundred and thirty thousand Reputation Points. Now he was eating through his mountain of savings. He needed to find a way to gain more Reputation Points.
After these several increases in Reputation Points, Wang Gang had formed a guess: he needed to display his prowess before others. The greater his fame, the more Reputation Points the panel would gain.
At first, he had scattered money everywhere. Everyone was delighted, and his Reputation Points had risen somewhat. Later, he had put the shops in order, letting people see his methods, and that increase had far exceeded the previous one.
His trip to the estate today to set up a distillery and raise pigs was not because he had nothing better to do, nor did he need those few melons and dates' worth of money. He wanted to see whether his Reputation Points would rise if an entire estate grew wealthy through him.
If this path worked, what about becoming an official in the future and governing the people of a county, a prefecture, or even the whole world?
Wang Gang scarcely dared imagine how many Reputation Points he would have then, or how powerful he would become. Would anyone under heaven still be his match?
While Wang Gang was imagining the possibilities, Qingniao hurried in and said in a panic, "Young master, something terrible has happened! Uncle Zhong is in trouble!"
"What!" Wang Gang slammed the table and sprang to his feet.