Please read, IMPORTANT: We got struck by a storm, we're in the path of the eye. Our city got wrecked. No electricity, no signal at our place. This is why I didn't update for a week. This will continue up to next month. Who knows how long it will take to fix since so many electric poles got knocked down.
Anyways, enough with the sad news, here's a Christmas chapter for you!
Chapter 41: Uncertain Premonition.
Edited by: Mochiusagi
3,000 taels of gold!
7,000 taels of silver!
Along with several antique paintings and calligraphy, that was valued up to 20,000 taels of silver!
Listening to Shi Qingsheng's report, Shen Changqing couldn't help, but be stunned: "It really is ten years of Qing Zhifu, one hundred thousand snowflakes worth of silver!"
3,000 taels of gold was equal to 30,000 taels of silver.
Meaning, there was a total of 57,000 taels of silver!
Shi Qingsheng continued, "In addition to these, the Zhao Family also owns several stores in Lin'an City, as well as some properties. They are currently estimated to be worth a little more than 150,000 taels of silver. Combined with the previous gains, there's a total of about 210,000 taels of silver."
210,000 taels of silver!
Shen Changqing took a deep breath.
An ordinary family's annual expenditure was only one or two taels of silver, at most.
But the Zhao Family in Lin'an City was worth 210,000 taels of silver. It was clear how much wealth Zhao Fang had raked in.
Not to mention that the Zhao Family in Lin'an City was only one of the main branch members of the Zhao Family. There were still the other branches in various places.
Maybe after all of the branches were taken into account, the entire Zhao Family's wealth might break the 500,000 taels of silver barrier.
As he spoke, Shi Qingsheng handed over the account book to Shen Changqing.
"These are the specific records, please read them."
"Hmm."
Shen Changqing took the account book and looked at it carefully.
He soon handed the account book back.
"Continue as planned!"
"Yes!"
Shi Qingsheng obeyed the order and retreated.
•×•×•×•
After a simple lunch, Shen Changqing did not go anywhere else. He just stayed inside the Government Office and Cultivated the [Heavenly Martial Astral Qi].
In his bedroom, Shen Changqing was sitting in a meditative position. He took out a Clear Meridian Pill and swallowed it.
The pill entered his belly and instantly turned into a powerful, warm current.
With a thought, the Heavenly Martial True Qi rose up from his dantian and merged with the warm stream, before it rushed towards a meridian.
[Rumble~]!!!
A thunderous ringing sounded from his body.
The meridians, that would have taken a whole night to break through, were now successfully broken through with ease.
Time soon trickled by.
Every now and then, after the effect of the Clear Meridian Pill would run out, Shen Changqing would eat a new one.
Just like that, he devoured the Clear Meridian Pills, one by one.
When he wanted to pour out a Clear Meridian Pill again, he suddenly found that the porcelain bottle was empty.
"There's no more!?"
Shen Changqing was stunned, but then he calmed back down.
A bottle of Clear Meridian Pills only contained eight pills.
Normal Cultivators would only use such pills when encountering bottlenecks. The rest of the Cultivation would be done on their own. Those who always eat Clear Meridian Pills, were few and far between.
Nonetheless, the results of using the Clear Meridian Pills were pleasing.
The Heavenly Martial True Qi in Shen Changqing's dantian had grown much stronger. Although it cannot compete with the Pure Yang True Qi yet, it was not being squeezed in a corner in his dantian anymore.
Though, the two strong True Qi strands were already starting to show signs of conflict.
It's just that the Heavenly Martial True Qi was still too weak to devour Pure Yang True Qi, and there was no way to do so for the time being.
Shen Changqing looked at the panel and saw that the [Heavenly Martial Astral Qi] had jumped from Level 1 to Level 3.
"A superior Martial Art that allows one to enter the Innate Realm, only took half a day's effort to break through from Level 1 to Level 3… Being assisted with an external means is indeed much faster than just Cultivating on your own!"
Seeing the data on the panel, Shen Changqing secretly let out a sigh.
If only he had an unlimited supply of Clear Meridian Pills, he might have entered the Innate Realm in a month's time, without using the panel's abilities.
Of course, this was just a thought.
First of all, although the effect of the Clear Meridian Pill was amazing, with the degree of its preciousness, it was naturally not easy to get.
Furthermore, the pills also had negative side effects. That was, pill poison.
When eating the Clear Meridian Pills, Shen Changqing sensed that his body had produced a lot of impurities.
Fortunately, these impurities were all refined by the Pure Yang True Qi.
But if the impurities were one or two times stronger, the Pure Yang True Qi would not be able to refine it as easily.
"Forget it, there is no need to think of such a thing. Now, the Heavenly Martial True Qi has already been raised to Level 3 and I have saved a lot of time."
"Once I get Killing Value, it is possible to fully upgrade the [Heavenly Martial Astral Qi]."
According to the convention that the higher the rank, the higher the consumption, Shen Changqing felt that the two levels he had crossed this session had saved himself at least 10.8 points of Killing Value.
Killing a Ghost Level monster that was about to break through the Grudge Level, only gave him 15 points of Killing Value.
In other words, the average Ghost Level monster can only get him up to 10 points of Killing Value, at best.
Maybe even less than 10 points.
At this time, it was already late and deep in the night.
Shen Changqing had deliberately instructed that when he was Cultivating, he should not be disturbed. That's why no one came knocking on his door.
By the time he finished Cultivating, the surroundings were already pitch black.
Getting out of bed, Shen Changqing lit the oil lamp in the bedroom, which instantly dispersed most of the darkness.
But for some reason, when the light dispersed the darkness, a not-so-comfortable feeling rose in his heart.
The feeling made Shen Changqing's brow instinctively form a frown.
"What's going on?"
Regarding this inexplicable feeling, he inferred that something was not quite right. But as for what exactly was wrong, he couldn't say.
"It is rumored that the deeper one's Cultivation is, the more accurate his feelings will be."
"I am now in Innate Realm, there's a chance that this feeling is not necessarily a false alarm."
Thinking of this, Shen Changqing immediately became alert.
At present, the situation of Lin'an City on the surface was quite stable, but behind the scenes were dark currents that could erupt at any time.
Especially since the Zhao Family was just taken into custody during the day, the commotion was not small–
"Wait!"
"The Zhao Family!"
Thinking that it might be associated with the Zhao Family, Shen Changqing's face changed slightly.
Could it be...
Someone was coming to break them out of the prison?!
With this thought in mind, he immediately walked out of the Government Office. Currently, the full moon was hanging high in the sky, and he could easily see his fingers, unlike the usual dimness.
Although the majority of places also had lanterns that would be lit by the Officials, for some reason, there was no way for his heart to calm down.
"Someone come here!"
Shen Changqing shouted.
It didn't take long before an Official hurriedly came over.
"What are your orders, My Lord?"
"Are all of the people of the Zhao Family being held in the cells?"
"They were all taken into custody during the day."
"Are there any abnormalities in the cells and the Government Office?"
"–No, not for the time being!"