In any clan of sorcerers, there is only one rule for establishing the legitimate and illegitimate lineages: those with the aptitude for sorcering are legitimate, and those without are illegitimate!
They don't care who your mother's family is. Warlocks rely on natural talent. Some people, no matter how noble their birth, are simply not good enough. It's just that those from good families may initially enjoy better educational resources, but once they pass the age of ten and their aptitude is confirmed, the family will allocate resources based on that aptitude.
If members of the clan want to obtain more resources for their own family, they must put forward their most talented children. Over time, the sorcerer families have come to accept the rule that talent is of paramount importance.
Take Shen Yiyang himself for example. His birth mother was the principal wife of a prominent family in Nanyang, but he was later overshadowed by the illegitimate son. Although according to the rules of the sorcerer family, concubines who became pregnant should be divorced and the child kept, he was born to his mother and ended up managing the family affairs for the illegitimate son. Not only did his mother lose face, but he was also resentful deep down.
The reason for all this is that I am a mortal who cannot master the techniques!
But now someone is telling him that there is something in this world that can grant ordinary people supernatural powers?
Shen Yiyang suddenly felt his worldview being shaken!
"My lord... you must be joking, right? How could such a thing possibly happen?"
He felt his heart pounding; even though he thought it was absurd, it still stirred something within him.
"I initially thought it was impossible too..." Chen Ying said in a complicated tone, "But that's the truth. Shopkeeper Shen saw it for himself; the bravery of those soldiers was truly extraordinary, wasn't it?"
"That... that can't be some kind of supernatural power, can it?" Shen Yiyang frowned.
"It's supernatural power!" Chen Ying said with certainty, "They can jump down from such a height wearing armor weighing dozens of kilograms and still be so agile because they can control wind spirits. I've observed their movements several times, I can't be mistaken."
"Then... could it be that these soldiers are of a different bloodline..."
"No!" Chen Ying shook her head. "They're just ordinary hunters. Look closely..."
As she spoke, Chen Ying pointed to the two soldiers who were changing shifts. Shen Yiyang looked over and observed them carefully. As a businessman, he was naturally observant and quickly noticed the problem.
The two soldiers were chatting and laughing, but their situations were very different. Both were wearing armor weighing dozens of kilograms, but one walked slowly and was obviously struggling, while the other was as light as a swallow.
This is nothing to worry about. Everyone's constitution is different. Some people are stronger, and some are weaker. It doesn't mean anything.
The key point is what happens after the two people miss each other!
The situation changed the instant the shift change occurred, as the people coming off duty and those changing shifts separated...
The person who was originally as light as a swallow suddenly became noticeably heavier, and every step became much more strenuous. Conversely, the person who had been struggling just moments before now easily stepped onto the city wall in a few steps, as if they were a completely different person!
"This..." Shen Yiyang was stunned. "This is..."
"Outside this area..." Chen Ying drew a circle on the table with her tea. "... the area guarded by this city gate, these soldiers become ordinary people!"
"Is that so?" Shen Yiyang took a deep breath.
Although he was just a mortal, the Shen Family was a family of sorcerers with a history of thousands of years. Countless strange tales were recorded in their family records. He considered himself to be well-informed, but he had never heard of such a thing in the world!
"This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it." Chen Ying stared blankly at the city gate. "The world is truly full of wonders!"
Wei Gongcheng listened to their conversation, he secretly touched his numb legs, recalling Chen Qing's words when she tried to win him over.
General Wei is a capable man. Don't underestimate yourself; you'll rise again one day!
"To bestow supernatural powers upon mortals?" He murmured to himself, a glint reappearing in Wei Gongcheng's previously indifferent eyes...
On the fifth day, the market in Liuzhou began to exhibit a strange reaction.
Suddenly, a lot of people started asking about real estate in Liuzhou...
After the incident in Liuzhou, most residents moved out, leaving their houses vacant. Many people didn't have time to sell their properties, and even those who wanted to sell found no buyers in the market.
Many prime locations and large courtyards on South Street, originally worth tens of thousands of taels of silver, have plummeted to a mere ten Chengdu with no one interested. Even the middlemen who act as middlemen, talking themselves hoarse, can't sell a single property.
But in the past few days, a bunch of people have come to snatch up houses. Before many brokers could even react, the few properties they had listed for sale were all snapped up.
In the county town, it was even more exaggerated. Many wealthy merchants and scholars who had fled back were directly approached by people asking if they were interested in selling their houses in Liuzhou. For example, today, Squire Zhou from Spirit Deer County met someone who came to buy his house in Liuzhou.
"Oh, isn't this Chief Escort Gu?" The fat, big-eared Squire Zhou looked at the newcomer curiously. "I was wondering who wanted to buy the house. Chief Escort Gu, have you just returned from the north?"
"Yes, yes!" Gu Bei chuckled, "Thanks to your good fortune, sir, your batch of cloth sold extremely well. It's all thanks to your patronage."
"Haha, really? That's good, that's good!" Squire Zhou laughed like Maitreya Buddha, but he was actually deep in thought.
Is the fabric market really that good in the north this year?
He didn't take care of this rough guy who was a bodyguard. He expected that the other party had no way to purchase goods, so the price was raised very high. Do you like it? But in the end, the other party gritted his teeth and bought a lot, and even borrowed money at usurious rates. Unexpectedly, he still made a profit?
Looks like I'll have to make a trip up north sometime.
But what I'm even more curious about is what the other party is doing now.
"Gu Gu... oh no, I should call you Boss Gu now. Haven't you heard about what happened in Liuzhou?"
"I've heard, I've heard..." Gu Bei laughed, "I'm not afraid. You know me, sir. I've been sailing the seas for so many years, I've killed countless water ghosts. What's there to be afraid of, mere demons? I think those people in Liuzhou are overreacting."
When the officer heard this, he nodded and felt relieved. It made sense. The other party was originally an escort and had been running at sea for so many years. This was not the first time he encountered dirty things, so it was normal for him to be a bit cautious.
"I've made some money, and I'm planning to buy my wife and kids a bigger house to live in, something more impressive..." Gu Bei said with a simple, honest smile. "I also happened to see the situation in Liuzhou, with many houses being sold at low prices, and I thought it was a good opportunity."
"Since you have so many houses for sale at low prices, why are you coming to me?" Squire Zhou asked, squinting his eyes.
"The ones that aren't listed for sale are all too big..." Gu Bei said embarrassedly, "Although they're all 90% off, the base price is still there, and I can't afford them... As for the houses in the north of the city, well... they're not as grand South Street, so I came to ask you, Brother Zhou."
Although Squire Zhou smiled upon hearing this, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. He thought, "What a bumpkin! He's gone overseas to make some money, but he still can't shake off his peasant mentality."
Don't they realize why those houses on South Street are now worth only 10% of their original price? And they call them grand? Grandeur was created by the rich; now that everyone's gone, what's the point of all that grandeur?
Just when no one was willing to buy his house, this big, dumb guy showed up at his doorstep.
Thinking of this, Squire Zhou feigned hesitation. "Originally, I was reluctant to part with it, after all, we've lived here for so many years, but since Brother Gu wants it, we can't let our relationship sour over a house..."
"Hey, brother, what are you saying!" Gu Bei quickly replied, "I just came to ask. If you're reluctant, I'll find someone else. I definitely won't put you in a difficult position..."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of..." Having finally found a buyer, how could Squire Zhou let them go? He quickly said, "I certainly wouldn't sell to anyone else. Since Brother Gu has asked, there's no need to make things difficult... Well, how about this, we'll go with the current market price on South Street. My house isn't big, but it cost over ten thousand taels back then. How about I sell it to you for fifteen hundred taels now?"
"This..." Gu Bei was immediately at a loss. "Let me be honest with you, brother. My budget is only 1,200 taels. After all, I still need to buy goods for the next business trip."
"Alright!" Squire Zhou made the decision immediately. "We're both straightforward people, no need to haggle over those things. Since you only have this much budget, then twelve hundred taels it is!"
"Brother, you're so righteous!" Gu Bei quickly cupped his hands in praise!
"Hey, we're family, why are you saying such things!"
Fearing that Gu Bei might change his mind, Squire Zhou quickly had someone bring the land deed, signed it, and affixed his seal.
After the other party paid, I immediately felt a lot more relaxed.
It's truly a delightful thing that someone is willing to take over the property so early in the morning.
--
"Boss, how's it going? Got it yet?"
As soon as Gu Bei stepped out, several brothers who were waiting outside rushed forward and asked anxiously.
"Shh, keep your voice down!" Gu Bei glared at him, then quickly pulled the man away before lowering his voice and saying, "That short-sighted fat pig, do you think I can't fool him? What about Xiaowei?"
"We got them too!" The other person rubbed his hands together and said, "We've got Hong Jie and the others too, boss. Are we really living in the rich neighborhood now?"
"Hey, you bet!" Gu Bei's smile widened. "These idiots think they've hit the jackpot."
"Boss, is Liuzhou really going to be more lively than before?"
"Would I lie to you?" Gu Bei glared at him. "If you're not comfortable with that, give me the house you bought, and I'll buy it for 30% more!"
"No, no..." the other person grinned and said, "I want to live with those teachers too, so my son can study under great scholars!"
"Oh, right, don't forget the task!" Gu Bei immediately became serious upon hearing the other person mention the word "Master": "It's rare that the Prefect thinks so highly of us and has given us this task, so we must do it well!"
"Don't worry, Laoda. The brothers have already found out about the teachers. Shall we go now?"
"Good!"