Zhu Biqiong clutched the copy of the Taoist technique "Binding the Tiger" and rushed back to her room to study it with excitement.
Xiao Xiao remained in place, seemingly still recovering from the shadow of nearly being sent away.
Jiang Wang sighed: "Staying here, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse."
"Of course it's a blessing!" Xiao Xiao blurted out quickly, then lowered her voice unconsciously, perhaps feeling she had overstepped: "Master, you saved me and avenged little Cui. Meeting you, I don't know how many lifetimes of fortune that must be. How could it be a curse..."
"Stay near Miss Zhu for a while. Don't go too far from her."
"Master." Xiao Xiao said: "Can I learn martial arts?"
Meeting Jiang Wang's gaze, she bit her lower lip: "You said there's danger. I want... I want to be able to help you."
Jiang Wang suddenly thought of a figure.
That simple and honest man who was forever buried in Maple Forest City.
That Tang Dun who never complained, always called him "sir," and whose cultivation was to protect the peace of a place.
That Tang Dun who cooked for him and An An every day.
"I can't teach you."
Jiang Wang turned to leave. "I'm not a good teacher."
"Master, there's one more thing!"
Xiao Xiao called out behind him.
Jiang Wang stopped.
Xiao Xiao looked at Jiang Wang's back and asked hesitantly: "In the future, can I have the surname Dugu?"
Her eyes were filled with tears, but she didn't cry out loud: "My family abandoned me long ago, and I... I don't want them anymore."
Jiang Wang was silent for a moment, understanding what kind of psychology she was coming from.
"Up to you."
Behind him, Xiao Xiao broke into a smile through her tears.
Jiang Wang stepped forward to leave.
Just as he was about to cross the threshold, he added: "If you want to learn something for self-defense, ask Miss Zhu to teach you."
...
The Chongxuan family estate was extremely vast, with its residences extending to almost half the size of a smaller commandery.
Of course, among so many people, those with the Chongxuan surname were only a minority; most were soldiers, guards, and servants of the Chongxuan family.
At this moment, in Chongxuan Xin's residence, a ruddy-faced old man was weeping and wailing, with snot and tears, his voice mournful.
"Young Master Xin, you must give this old servant justice."
This man was the Chongxuan family member who distributed cultivation resources in Jiacheng of the Yang State.
He was also a long-time servant in Chongxuan Xin's household, having been granted the Chongxuan surname by Chongxuan Xin's grandfather in his earlier years. In his old age, he was given an easy position to wield power.
Chongxuan Xin frowned: "In Yang State, who could be so blind?"
No matter how weak a country might be, it was very sensitive about its own territory. The Chongxuan family's business in Yang State was initially not welcome either. But after the Chongxuan family showed a bit of their fists, everything settled down. Until now, it had been peaceful.
"His name is Jiang Wang," the old man cried. "He's just an outer retainer with a different surname, yet he dared to hit me. He simply has the gall of a dog..."
"Enough."
"He has the gall of a dog reaching the sky!"
"This matter..."
"Wooo wooo, this dog servant doesn't even know whose food he eats..."
Slap!
The old man was still crying bitterly when Chongxuan Xin slapped him directly, sending him into a daze.
"I said enough!"
The old man didn't dare cover his face, but he felt both wronged and confused, not knowing what had happened: "Young Master Xin..."
He had served in Chongxuan Xin's household for three generations, respected by everyone from top to bottom, which was why he could throw a tantrum in front of Chongxuan Xin.
This merciless slap made him feel uncomfortable and confused.
"I was also hit by him. I asked you to give me justice! Can you do that?" Chongxuan Xin glared at him fiercely and roared: "Can you give me justice?"
The old man immediately fell silent.
Only now did he realize what kind of iron plate he had kicked.
"Right now in the entire Qi State, who doesn't know that Jiang Wang is Brother Sheng's most trusted person? Only you are blind and deaf, getting involved in this kind of trouble!"
After suppressing Jiang Wuyong, Chongxuan Sheng's momentum had risen another step. The cooperation he discussed in Handan had also gone very smoothly, and now no one would question his qualifications to compete with Chongxuan Zun.
Chongxuan Xin pointed at this old servant but ultimately didn't strike again.
"Later, go to the storehouse yourself and get some things, then go to Brother Sheng's residence to apologize. He certainly won't see you, but the sentiment must be conveyed, and the posture must be there. Understand?"
"This old servant understands... understands..."
...
At Chongxuan Sheng's residence.
After returning from the trip to Handan, Chongxuan Sheng had been staying in his residence for several days, going nowhere.
The period of rapid expansion had passed, and now he was doing his utmost to digest everything he had gained, whether it was strength or power.
Like a massive beast, quietly hibernating. When he was hungry again, that would be the time to leave the residence and fight.
A matter of a servant from Chongxuan Xin's residence coming to apologize couldn't even reach his ears, so he wouldn't express any opinion on it.
At this moment, he was sunk into a specially made giant chair, looking down at the black shadow crouching before him.
This was the Shadow Guard he had independently formed with the support of the fierce Chongxuan Chuliang.
Belonging solely to him, it collected all intelligence for him and handled matters that were inconvenient to speak of openly.
The backbone and instructors of the organization were mostly old soldiers who had fought under Chongxuan Chuliang. From the move to Nanyao City to these current actions, this level of support also represented that Chongxuan Chuliang had fully boarded Chongxuan Sheng's ship.
He had placed a heavy bet on him. No longer as before, when it was more like an elder's affection for a junior.
"Is the source of this intelligence reliable?" Chongxuan Sheng asked.
The black shadow reported: "I personally checked three of the locations and found similar situations."
"This matter is no small thing; I need absolute certainty. You must investigate this thoroughly."
Chongxuan Sheng said, then added: "This matter is very dangerous; don't go yourself."
"Yes."
The black shadow retreated silently.
Shishi, clad in full armor, stood silently in the corner, like a sculpture forever still.
...
At a certain restaurant in Jiacheng, a fat man was feasting gluttonously.
Gobbling, gobbling.
The man was eating voraciously, enjoying it immensely.
The empty rice bowls in front of him were already stacked in three high piles, and the dishes on the table were soon a mess of cups and plates again.
"Are there more dishes? Bring them out!"
While eating and drinking, he took a moment to shout.
"Like a starved ghost reborn."
A distant waiter muttered softly, then trotted over with a professional smile already on his face: "Sir, this is already your seventh course."
"What nonsense!"
"No, this customer..." the waiter said awkwardly. "All the ingredients in our restaurant have been eaten by you; we can't make another course."
The fat man picked up the plate in front of him, tilted it toward his mouth, and drank the last of the sauce.
He smacked his lips, oil glistening on his thick lips.
"Burp..."
Because his bloated neck made turning his head inconvenient, he simply turned half his body to face the waiter, a dangerous light shining in his eyes: "But I'm not full yet."
"Sir, you..."
The worldly-wise old proprietor saw something was wrong and hurriedly called over: "We'll send someone out to buy ingredients right away, right away!"
But halfway there, he unconsciously stopped.
Because he saw the eerie light emanating from the fat man's eyes.
The old proprietor had lived most of his life, and he remembered that look.
It was the kind of light that often appeared in the eyes of starving beasts.
"Hehehehe..." The fat man made a strange sound from his mouth and said slowly: "But, I'm hungry right now..."