Chương 104: What a Miserly Cheapskate!

"In that case, I'll gladly accept it, shidi." With a smile, Yuan Lang accepted the gift. Still, he wasn't someone who took advantage of others without knowing his limits. After a moment's thought, he added,"I've built up a few connections within the Sword Casting Manor over the years. Three months from now, I'll definitely do everything I can to help you." Su Zhe smiled and cupped his fists.

"Thank you, shixiong." Yuan Lang waved him off before drifting away. Not long afterward, someone delivered Su Zhe's monthly True Inheritor allowance. As the fourth-ranked True Inheritor, he received five taels of refined gold every month, thirty fourth-grade Strength-Enhancing Pills, and ten portions of fourth-grade Qi Nourishing Powder. These were cultivation resources he could never have dreamed of obtaining back in Lu County.

That evening, Mingyue and Caixia finished cleaning Hongyi Courtyard before coming to invite him.

"True Inheritor Su, your medicinal bath is ready. We've already mixed the Qi Nourishing Powder into the water... Please enjoy your bath." Su Zhe nodded. Under the two maids' attentive service, he removed his clothes. The treatment enjoyed by True Inheritors was on an entirely different level. Even the quality of this medicinal powder was exceptional. The fragrant medicinal steam alone caused Mingyue and Caixia's faces to flush crimson. Standing beside the wooden bath, their cheeks looked as red as ripe apples.

As Su Zhe sank into the bath, he couldn't help letting out a comfortable sigh.

"M-True Inheritor Su... Is there... anything you'd like us to do?" After gathering her courage, Mingyue finally asked. Su Zhe glanced at the two girls. Ever since beginning his martial path, he had never touched a woman. It wasn't because he disliked women. Truthfully, there were times when he'd wanted to indulge himself. But for a martial artist, primordial yang was the foundation of one's essence. Losing it too early would inevitably hinder future cultivation.

Besides, Yuan Lang had already warned him about these servant disciples. Their status within the manor was extremely low. Because of that, many would do anything to climb higher. If Su Zhe gave in to momentary desire, a greedy servant disciple might later threaten his reputation as a True Inheritor in exchange for cultivation resources. The honey trap had always been one of history's most effective open schemes.

Once caught in it, even True Inheritors and Core Disciples often had to spend enormous sums to keep those servants quiet. Otherwise, word would eventually reach the upper echelons of the Sword Casting Manor. Su Zhe looked the two girls over with an amused smile before asking,"So... is this free?"

"Just so we're clear, I don't have spare money to sponsor your cultivation."

"If we're only talking about feelings, though, I can offer genuine sincerity." The instant those words left his mouth, Mingyue and Caixia's expressions turned ugly.

"True Inheritor Su, please conduct yourself with dignity." Grinding her teeth, Caixia finally forced out the sentence. The atmosphere immediately became awkward. Finding it rather dull, Su Zhe waved his hand.

"You may leave. I don't like anyone watching while I bathe." The two maids withdrew.

"What a stingy cheapskate!" The moment she stepped outside, Mingyue muttered under her breath, Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

"I thought we'd finally found someone important to rely on. Who would've thought this tree wouldn't even spare us a bit of shade?" Caixia sighed and interrupted her complaints.

"Don't say things like that. As long as we report everything True Inheritor Su says and does to True Inheritor Qin, we'll still receive a handsome reward."

"From what I've seen, this True Inheritor Su isn't someone easy to deal with. We'd better follow the rules."...

"True Inheritor Qin..."

"Is that Qin Yu? The ninth-ranked True Inheritor under Manor Lord Bingxuan?" Su Zhe frowned. After seeing the two women leave with angry expressions, he'd quietly circulated his inner force to his ears, intending to overhear their conversation. As expected, he learned something useful.

"Qin Yu..."

"So Mingyue and Caixia were planted by him. Then... does this have anything to do with Yuan shixiong as well?" The thought surfaced in Su Zhe's mind. But after thinking it over, he couldn't reach any conclusion. In the end, he decided to stop dwelling on it. He would simply remain cautious in the future. Taking a Strength-Enhancing Pill, Su Zhe resumed his cultivation. Only strength could truly guarantee one's safety. Once he reached the Fifth Grade, he would be able to unlock the Seventh Immortal Aperture.

At that point, his ability to protect himself would improve dramatically. He cultivated throughout the entire night. The next morning, Yuan Lang visited once again.

"Congratulations, shidi."

"Over the past few days, every major clan among the Five Great Families and Seven Noble Houses, along with all the prominent families of Mountain City, has sent congratulatory gifts for your promotion as a True Inheritor. I've brought them all here." Yuan Lang smiled as he congratulated him. Su Zhe looked over and immediately spotted countless treasure chests stacked behind Yuan Lang. The great families of Mountain City all survived under the protection of the Sword Casting Manor.

Whenever someone became a Core Disciple, these powerful families would invariably send lavish gifts to establish goodwill. They would also host banquets throughout Mountain City, hoping to befriend promising young geniuses. It was, in essence, an investment. After all, the future of any martial artist was uncertain. No one knew which Core Disciple might someday soar to incredible heights. Not to mention someone like Su Zhe, the unprecedented genius who had entered the ranks of True Inheritors directly.

Although the True Inheritor Investiture Ceremony three months later had yet to determine his final standing... Even if Su Zhe failed the ceremony, his potential alone was enough to attract everyone's attention.

"Shixiong, there are so many prestigious families..."

"If I attend all these banquets, it'll inevitably waste a great deal of time. The True Inheritor Investiture Ceremony hasn't even been held yet..." After thanking Yuan Lang, Su Zhe spoke with a troubled expression. Yuan Lang looked at him in surprise before inwardly praising him.

"This little shidi became famous at such a young age, yet he's remarkably steady. Instead of enjoying all the flattery, he's focused on practical matters."

"That kind of temperament is truly rare. No wonder he was accepted directly as a True Inheritor." The more Yuan Lang thought about it, the more impressed he became with his master's foresight.

"If people insist on giving you things, you'd be a fool not to take them."

"As for attending their banquets..." Yuan Lang snorted coldly.

"You're our master's True Inheritor. Do you think you're someone who comes and goes whenever others summon you?"

"... Those are also Master's instructions." Understanding immediately, Su Zhe hurriedly nodded.

"I understand... I understand." Free benefits were meant to be taken. The gifts from Mountain City's great families were dazzling beyond compare. Refined gold alone amounted to fifty taels. The broken Golden Lock he had previously smelted contained another twenty taels of refined gold. Together with the reward from the Haiyan Hall martial artist, worth another ten taels... His personal fortune had already reached eighty taels of refined gold.

In addition, the Mountain City elites had gifted him countless rare treasures. Su Zhe entrusted Yuan Lang with selling them all for cash. Seventh Immortal Aperture Requirements: Reach Fifth Grade, 100 taels of refined gold, 100 jin of Meteoric Iron Heart, 1, 000 taels of Treasure Silver, 150 jin of Treasure Copper Heart, 200 jin of Treasure Tin Heart, and one complete Fifth-Grade demonic beast corpse.

"There's still a long way to go..."

"I haven't received Haiyan Hall's intelligence reward yet. Li Shanyun's East Sea Luminous Pearl and the treasures from the Mountain City families also haven't been converted yet."

"For now, my top priority is breaking through to Fifth Grade within these three months and unlocking the Immortal Aperture." As Su Zhe took stock of his wealth, he silently made his plans. Watching him openly accept the mountain of gifts, Mingyue and Caixia couldn't help feeling jealous. Yet Su Zhe had absolutely no intention of sharing even the smallest portion with them. Although they were full of resentment, neither dared show it in front of him. As the days passed, their frustration only continued to grow....

Another seven days passed in the blink of an eye. The end of the first lunar month arrived. The weather remained bitterly cold. Yet inside Hongyi Hall, Su Zhe practiced shirtless. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! He continuously performed the Three Spirits United Hammer Technique. The Ox tempered strength. The Bear tempered bones. The Snake tempered tendons. Separately, these were only ordinary martial arts. But when fused together, they produced an entirely new level of insight.

They forged Su Zhe's foundation to absolute perfection. Steam rose constantly from his sweat, forming drifting white mist. It was proof of just how vigorous his qi and blood had become. He then used his hammer techniques to practice all Eleven Forms of Xingyi. Every movement was executed with extreme slowness. His muscles coiled like living dragons, every line hard and sharply defined, each one overflowing with explosive power. His shoulders were as broad as shields, capable of bearing immense weight.

His abdomen was tight and solid, eight sculpted muscles resembling carved stone. Sweat slid along the contours of his body, making his masculine physique even more striking. Although Mingyue and Caixia disliked Su Zhe's miserly attitude, they still couldn't help blushing whenever they watched him train. As Su Zhe completed the Eleven Forms, however, he discovered that the final Dragon Form still refused to come together.

"My inner force has already reached the late Fourth Grade."

"But the Dragon Form still hasn't achieved the External Three Harmonies." He let out a quiet sigh. Putting away the Forging Hammer and the Starfall Hammer, Su Zhe changed into the martial uniform issued by the Sword Casting Manor. Over the past several days, he had trained relentlessly. Whenever his inner force was exhausted, he replenished it with Precious Blood and medicinal pills, allowing his cultivation to advance at remarkable speed.

"Now that I've reached the Fourth Grade, the effects of the Precious Blood seem to be getting weaker." He pondered silently. Just then, Yuan Lang knocked on the door.

"Little shidi, Master has summoned you."