Just seventeen years of age but a level-five adept.
Out of these two points, just the latter alone was enough to cause a commotion in Yunfeng county, but with the former, there was no precedent in the history of the country of Yunyang.
On March 10th, 1228 of the Ziyun era, Zhou Donghuang, son of Magnolia Guild Master Lin Lan, pinned the head elder of the governor’s household, Zhao Jin’an, to the ground under his feet outside the main door of the Magnolia Guild. After that, the governor Zhao Lishang still treated Zhou Donghuang with a smile.
The news shocked the whole capital city of Yunfeng county.
“Now we can confirm… Zhou Donghuang is indeed a level-five adept.”
“Unless he is a level-five adept, he could not possibly have pinned Zhao Jin’an down beneath his feet… we’re talking about Zhao Jin’an, the most powerful man in Yunfeng county beneath the level-five adepts, not some other ordinary level-four adept.”
“Looks like Yunfeng county has another level-five adept besides the governor!”
“Even the governor is afraid of him, he must be more powerful than the governor… most importantly, he’s only seventeen this year!”
“Just seventeen years old and already so fearsome, will there be anyone who can match him in Yunyang county in the next ten or twenty years?”
“Looks like Yunfeng county is about to produce a star!”
Zhou Donghuang had become a hot topic in the capital city of Yunfeng county. Anybody who mentioned him could not help but give him a thumbs up with a face full of admiration. On the other hand, the few who had a feud with Zhou Donghuang hated him so much that they wished the skies would kill him with a strike of lightning out of jealousy.
…
At the Magnolia guild.
Although it had already been open for some time, the customers at the guild did not decrease, but instead, it even increased in numbers, to the extent that the doorstep was almost destroyed by the heavy traffic.
All these people were seniors of lesser families from beyond the capital city who had come to the Magnolia Guild to seek partnerships. All of them expressed that they were willing to give most of the profits to the Magnolia Guild, even if they made a small loss in the partnership. The reason for this was none other than the fact the Magnolia Guild had a certain “Zhou Donghuang.”
These days, Lin Lan was always smiling happily and joyous despite the hard work. Previously, she ran the Magnolia Guild to make money for the Lin family. But now, she was earning money for herself and did not need to give it to anyone else. The old Magnolia Guild relied on the backing of the Lin family to continue its business. But the new Magnolia Guild had her son, Zhou Donghuang’s support. She did not even have to put in the effort to seek partnerships because swarms of people were coming to her to request for her partnership. They were even willing to give the guild a big bulk of the profits.
Since the Magnolia Guild reopened, Zhou Donghuang had been practicing intently in his room alone. To him, the most important thing was to practice and increase his skill level.
“Hopefully Lu Qinghu is able to get most of the herbs for the formula… if he can, the quality of the qi-gathering elixir can be improved further.” A month ago, Zhou Donghuang had given Lu Qinghu a list of medicinal herbs and asked him to use the Lu family’s resources to search for them.
Now, using the qi-gathering elixir formula that Zhou Donghuang had given them, the Lu family business extended to other counties outside of Yunfeng county, and their connections had increased substantially as well. With that, it would definitely be much easier to search for the ingredients that Zhou Donghuang needed.
…
Time passed quickly. Soon, it was March 22, 1228 of the Ziyun era.
“Young Master, the Lu family chief is here.” Zhou Donghuang, who was practicing in his room, was startled by Fu’s voice from outside the room. His eyes lit up immediately.
Lu Qinghu was likely here to deliver medicine. Zhou Donghuang guessed correctly.
Lu Qinghu brought a portion of the herbs that he needed.
“Young Master Donghuang, our Lu family has only managed to find two-thirds of the ingredients you needed… we are still searching for the remaining third,” Lu Qinghu said apologetically as he handed the herbs to Zhou Donghuang.
“These herbs…” Zhou Donghuang was completely focused on the herbs in his hands. After checking what herbs were within, he gave a satisfied smile. “Are just right.”
In the list that he had given Lu Qinghu, some of the herbs had similar properties. He had listed them to make it easier for Lu Qinghu to find them. “With these herbs, I can produce a qi-gathering elixir that increases sensitivity by seventy percent!” Zhou Donghuang’s eyes shone brightly.
“Don’t bother looking for the rest of the herbs… the two-thirds of the herbs here can replace those,” Zhou Donghuang told Lu Qinghu.
“Hm?” Hearing this, Lu Qinghu, who initially had a face of guilt, was surprised at first. Then he breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s great, that’s great.”
“Take this.” Zhou Donghuang passed Lu Qinghu a piece of paper and three bottles of qi-gathering elixir. Then Zhou Donghuang bid him farewell and turned to return to his room to prepare an improved elixir. With an improved elixir, his progress in training could be increased further.
When Lu Qinghu took a good look at what was written on the piece of paper that Zhou Donghuang had given him, his eyes narrowed sharply.
“This… this is the formula for a qi-gathering elixir that increases your sensitivity to qi by ninety percent?”
A qi-gathering elixir that heightens sensitivity by ninety percent was incredibly valuable in the market, second only to the elixir that increases sensitivity to qi by a fold that was produced by the superior medicine masters of the imperial court.
Lu Qinghu’s breathing quickened rapidly.
However, after returning home and using one of the three bottles that Zhou Donghuang had given him, he was even more stunned after practicing for a while.
“This… this qi-gathering elixir… somehow… increases your sensitivity to qi by six… sixty percent?!”
In the past, Lu Qinghu used Zhou Donghuang’s elixir that could increase the sensitivity to qi by twenty percent. But today, the three bottles that Zhou Donghuang had given him were ones that Zhou Donghuang had been using for himself, a qi-gathering elixir that could increase the sensitivity to qi by sixty percent.
“Young Master Donghuang… who on earth is he?!”
After getting over his dazed shock, Lu Qinghu carefully took out the remaining two bottles of qi-gathering elixir. His gaze, as he looked at these two bottles, was strangely bright, like the eyes of a pervert looking at two beauties.
From using an elixir that increased the sensitivity to qi by twenty percent, to the new one that increased the sensitivity to qi by sixty percent caused such a huge impact to Lu Qinghu that only he himself would know.
“Looks like, if we continue to follow Young Master Donghuang… our Lu family can become a grand family, even a tycoon family or even kings in the future!” Lu Qinghu’s eyes shone brightly as he grew even more determined to latch onto Zhou Donghuang.
Of course, Zhou Donghuang knew nothing about this. He had given Lu Qinghu the elixir that increased sensitivity to qi by sixty percent because Lu Qinghu had been very efficient. Furthermore, after interacting with him for some time, he was quite satisfied with Lu Qinghu’s character.
…
March 25, 1228 of the Ziyun era.
A carriage drawn by three ferghana horses slowly rolled into the capital city of Yunfeng county, drawing the attention of passersby as it weaved through the traffic on the main roads. On both sides of the carriage, a man riding a ferghana horse stayed alongside the carriage like a shadow.
Five ferghana horses together was a majestic sight, and all heads turned to take a look.
As everybody watched on, the carriage stopped at the house of the preeminent Li family. Seeing this, many were shocked. “They… are going to the Li family?”
“I heard that the eldest daughter of the Li family had been married to the junior governor of the intermediate Guangling county… could it be that she’s back to visit her family?”
“Most likely.”
“Accordingly, the Wu family of the governor’s household of Guangling county is a grand family!”
“Only families with level-six adepts can become grand families… and the Wu family of the governor’s household in Guangling county is not just any ordinary grand family, it has many level-six adepts.”
“The governor’s household of Guangling county is much stronger than the one here in Yunfeng county.”
As everybody watched on, the two men flanking the carriage jumped off their horses in unison and stood guard on both sides of the carriage, surveying the area carefully.
“Young Master, Young Mistress, we’re here.”
Of the two men driving the carriage, one pulled open the curtain in the carriage while the other jumped off and lay on all fours on the ground.
Immediately after, everyone saw a young, handsome man with defined features dressed in luxurious clothing step out of the carriage and onto the back of the man lying on the floor.
“I was wondering why he was lying there… turns out he’s acting as a step for those in the carriage.”
“Poverty has restricted my imagination, who knew there was such a thing?”
“This is truly a first, the first time I’ve seen anything like this.”
Many onlookers gasped.
Soon after that young, handsome man had stepped out of the carriage, a young lady who was beautifully dressed up also stepped out of the carriage and onto the back of the man on the ground.
After getting out of the carriage, the lady naturally held the young man’s hand and walked towards the main door of the Li family house. The two men who had ridden the ferghana horses over followed behind the two of them, escorting them on both sides.
“Head Lady!”
“It’s Head Lady!”
The two Li disciples who had been standing at the main door had been rather dazed to see five ferghana horses appear, but as they saw the lady walking towards them, their eyes lit up.
Hearing this, the onlookers realized, “Indeed, it is Head Lady Li who had married into the governor’s household in Guangling county.”
“That means… the young man with Head Lady Li is Wu Nanxun, First Young Master of the Wu family, governor of Guangling prefecture?”
“He’s indeed the First Young Master of a grand family; what a show of extravagance.”