Built a City

The brothers around him laughed. Yes! Why does their family revere martial prowess?

It's because reading more books is useless.

Zhao Xiang's eyes darkened. Zhou Wanwan looked at him and said, "What? Are you discouraged?"

Zhao Xiang shook his head and said:

"No, actually I don't think studying is necessarily just about getting top scores in exams."

Reading is for understanding principles, for cultivating one's character, and for becoming a better version of oneself.

Zhou Wanwan smiled and nodded, saying, "Look at his awareness, brother, I think you really have a problem with your judgment!"

Zhao Xiang is much more mature than Zhao Rui.

Old Master Zhao said with a smile:

"Xiang'er has indeed made a lot of progress compared to before, and I am very pleased. I will increase his monthly allowance."

Previously, it was 10 taels of silver per month; now it's increased to 100 taels.

Those brothers felt resentful, but there was nothing they could do.

Zhou Wanwan smiled slightly and said, "Oh! I'm tired too. I need to go back to my room to rest. Surely you won't make me stay in the woodshed tonight, will you?"

Old Master Zhao glanced at Zhao Rui indifferently and said, "That's impossible. Just stay in the east wing next door!"

Zhao Rui gritted his teeth and said, "The east wing? What right does she have to live in the east wing? That's where the legitimate sons and grandsons live."

Old Master Zhao ignored her and said to the butler behind him, "Clean up Wanwan's courtyard and let her move in. Choose the best furniture for her."

The butler responded and turned to leave.

Old Master Zhao looked at Zhou Wanwan and said, "You usually stay at Yanmen Pass, right?"

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Yes, I usually live in Yanmen Pass, and I'm going back tonight. Actually, you don't need to prepare a room for me."

Old Master Zhao looked at her and said:

"If I say I'll prepare, then I will. Don't refuse. If you want to come back and stay, then come back and stay."

When we have time, your sister-in-law and I will visit you at Yanmen Pass.

Don't worry, no one can bully you at the border.

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Thank you, brother. I've been away for a long time recently, and there are still many matters to attend to at Yanmen Pass. I'll head back now."

Old Master Zhao and Old Madam Zhao escorted her all the way to her door.

Zhao Rui followed behind Zhou Wanwan and said, "Don't think you're safe just because you've gone to Yanmen Pass. You just wait, I won't let you get away with this."

Zhou Wanwan couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

It was quite far from Yanmen Pass, and Zhou Wanwan quickly fell asleep in the carriage.

But halfway there, we were forced to stop.

Zhou Wanwan opened her eyes and asked, "What happened?"

Zheng Xing'an said, "Miss, there's a group of bandits ahead, trying to rob us."

Zhou Wanwan frowned. "Bandits? Approximately how many?"

"There are quite a few, probably several thousand people."

This is the border region, so the bandits here are called border raiders. There are a lot of border raiders, and they are very powerful and difficult to deal with.

The Old Scholar Tree not far away said, "Tsk tsk tsk... What border bandits? These are people Zhao Lili hired; she wants to kill you."

Zhou Wanwan sighed and said, "That Zhao Lili is really persistent! And who are all these people?"

"They are all Earth Ranking experts."

They had barely finished speaking when those people were already in front of them.

The leader said, "Hand over all your valuables."

Zhou Wanwan stepped out of the carriage and said, "There's nothing inside. Take what you want!"

The leader of the group laughed loudly, "Interesting, little girl. We know a lot about you. Don't be stubborn."

Zhou Wanwan smiled faintly and said:

"Really? Then can I say that I actually know who you people are?"

"It's truly a waste of talent for Earth Ranking expert to become a border bandit."

The man looked at Zhou Wanwan for a moment, then asked, "How did you know?"

Zhou Wanwan smiled and said, "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

Before they could even speak, countless tree roots burst forth from the ground.

The man leading this group is ranked 65th on the Earth Ranking, possessing considerable strength.

Unfortunately, they were facing Old Scholar Tree and their Old Ancestor; this inescapable net was simply beyond their reach.

Sitting in the carriage, Zhou Wanwan said helplessly, "They just had to come and bother me. Now look what's happened, thousands of Earth Ranking experts, I'm going to be busy."

The Old Scholar Tree and the Old Ancestor dragged the Earth Ranking Earth Ranking 65 and 68 deep into the forest.

Many other trees were also sold, and these were all highly nutritious.

After a while, they finally came out. "That felt so good! I haven't felt this good in ages."

"The experts on the Earth Ranking are really something else. I feel like I've become much stronger."

"Every time we eat Earth Ranking expert, we become stronger. I really hope there are more Earth Ranking experts coming!"

This team was secretly cultivated by Zhao Lili. At this moment, Zhao Lili sat in the room and said, "What Zhou Wanwan? She's just a piece of trash."

The maidservant beside her said, "But she's got money!"

Zhao Lili scoffed, "So what if you're rich? This world has never lacked rich people, it lacks strong people. The strong are respected."

The maidservant chimed in, "What Miss says is true, but isn't she about to die now?"

"So what if she dies! A lowly girl like her, trying to be my aunt, she's really overestimating herself."

Grandpa and Grandma are quite old, yet they actually agreed to such an unreasonable request.

I don't know what she saw in that wretched girl.

The maid flattered, "Miss is truly insightful; I think you are the most capable person in our household."

Zhao Lili squinted and said, "It's a pity I'm not the legitimate daughter, otherwise how could it be anyone else's turn?"

The maid comforted her, "Yes! If you were the legitimate daughter, the position of head of the family would surely be yours."

Zhao Lili snorted coldly and said:

"So what if I'm not the legitimate daughter? I can still compete. Zhou Wanwan is really impressive; she has quite a few good things in her possession."

If I had her treasures, I would have an extra layer of assistance.

I've suffered a lot of losses lately, and I don't even know who I offended.

The maid said, "Things will get better. We'll find that person soon, and they'll be punished severely."

Zhou Wanwan was completely dumbfounded by the scene before her. "Zhao Lili is so rich, she built an entire city!"

This small town, located at the far right of the border, is magnificently renovated.

Shops lined both sides of the long street, selling silk, jewelry, furs, and spices.

The streets were bustling with people and carriages, with merchants from the Central Plains, camel caravans from foreign lands, and soldiers guarding the border all mixed together, creating a noisy and prosperous scene that was completely unlike what one would expect from a remote border town.

If those treants hadn't absorbed the life essence of those Jianghu Alliance Earth Ranking, they wouldn't have been able to find this city.

As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows.

Zhao Lili is a shrewd and calculating person; she even thought of becoming a local tyrant here.

Moreover, the city is very well-governed, and she has really taken a liking to it.