Chapter 362 - 346: A Leap in Status

「Early the next morning.」

Sunlight fell like flecks of gold upon the streets of Anping Square.

Su Yu stretched lazily, a series of satisfying cracks echoing from his bones. He pushed open the door to his room, letting the warm spring morning light pour inside.

He strode over to the well in the courtyard, drew up a bucket of clear, cold water, and splashed his face. The fatigue and murderous aura from days of traveling and fighting in the wilderness were instantly washed away.

"Phew... Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home."

Su Yu wiped his face, unable to hold back a contented sigh. He looked up, his gaze falling on the thick Iron Locust Tree in the courtyard. He noticed that sometime recently, strings of exquisite bronze wind chimes had been hung from its gnarled, dragon-like branches.

A morning breeze rustled past, and the wind chimes let out a pleasant, crisp TINKLING, adding a homey touch to the atmosphere.

"Brother Su!"

Following a call as crisp and clear as an oriole’s song, the door to the adjacent room was pushed open.

Yang Ai ran over like a gust of wind, dressed in a set of form-fitting white inner clothes. The fabric clung to her figure, unable to conceal the young woman’s graceful curves, and her straight, slender legs seemed strikingly fair in the morning light.

With her hands behind her back, she bounced over to Su Yu like a little rabbit. Her large, expressive eyes twinkled as she stared at him, her face filled with an excitement she couldn’t contain. "Brother Su! Take a guess! Not counting the caravan’s goods, just the spoils of war you brought back for yourself—how much silver do you think it’s all worth?"

Su Yu picked up a towel to wipe his hands. Seeing her adorable, money-obsessed expression, he decided to play along. "Around ten thousand silver?"

He’d extorted quite a lot from Wind Evil Stronghold this time. Before he left, Xie Yong had also sent a large sum of money as a thank you. On top of that, after he’d helped eliminate the Yu family’s influence, he’d received a little something as an unspoken gesture of appreciation.

’All that added up should be close to twenty thousand silver,’ Su Yu estimated.

"Nope! Too low, way too low!"

Yang Ai shook her head again and again, her beautiful eyes curving into two happy crescents.

Su Yu deliberately raised his guess. "Fifteen thousand silver?"

"Still too low! Guess again!"

"Then... twenty thousand silver?"

"Still too low! It’s twenty-three thousand silver!"

Yang Ai finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. She excitedly grabbed Su Yu’s arm and pulled him over to the stone table. "You sit here and don’t move! I’ll go get the ledger I organized last night and show you!"

With that, she dashed back to her room.

Yang Zhen walked over just then, smiling. "Brother Su, Ai’Er was so excited last night she counted everything three times. She completely wore herself out."

"Mm, you both worked hard." Su Yu took her soft hand, pulled her onto his lap, and gently held her from behind, inhaling her faint, fresh scent.

’I don’t know if it’s because of her Wood Spirit Body, but being near Zhen’Er always makes me feel calm and comfortable. That fresh scent really isn’t just any ordinary fragrance.’

"Have you found any clues about the Qi and Blood backlash Ai’Er suffered when she broke through to become a Martial Artist?" Lately, Zhen’Er had been poring over ancient texts, searching for any record of the strange phenomenon that had occurred during her sister’s breakthrough.

Zhen’Er turned to face him and shook her head. "Brother Su, there are just too many ancient texts, and it’s a hassle to go through them one by one. I’ve already searched through all the texts collected in the city and visited the biggest bookshops, but I still haven’t found anything."

"The only things left are the jade slips you obtained from the Ancient Water Mansion. Those are even more of a hassle to inspect. I have to go through them one by one. I’ve searched through about half of them, but I still haven’t found anything."

Su Yu’s brow furrowed as he listened. ’This is a problem,’ he thought.

"Take your time. Ai’Er’s condition seems stable for now, so she’s not in any danger. I’ll go ask Master about it tomorrow."

"Mm." Yang Zhen nodded obediently.

A moment later, Yang Ai came running back, panting as she carried a huge stack of thick ledgers. With a loud THWACK, she excitedly slapped them down on the stone table. "Brother Su, quick, take a look!"

Yang Zhen had already risen and sat to the side, organizing the ledgers and handing them to Su Yu one by one.

"This is the final tally. We have cash, gold and silver ingots, plus silver notes exchangeable throughout the Great Xia, totaling eight thousand silver! There are twenty-six stalks of Treasure Medicine, which at the current inflated black market prices are conservatively valued at six thousand silver! Various Pills that aid breakthroughs are worth five thousand silver, and the remaining materials are worth another four thousand!"

"And that’s just your personal spoils of war," Yang Zhen added, looking up with a pleasantly surprised glint in her eyes. "The goods Yang Gang brought back from the caravan trade are worth several times more than this! On this trip to Linyuan City, our Su Mansion has truly made a fortune!"

"Excellent! This is excellent!"

Listening to this string of astonishing numbers, Su Yu’s voice filled with an excitement he couldn’t suppress. ’With this wealth of Martial Arts Resources, I can go all-out grinding for Breakthrough Points and advancing my Martial Arts, pushing my strength to a whole new peak!’

"Zhen’Er, go coordinate with Yang Gang on inventorying the caravan’s goods. Then, sort out and set aside all the Qi and Blood Treasure Medicines and resources I can use directly! For the foreseeable future, I’m going all-in on my training!"

"Yes, Brother Su!"

...

「White Ape Martial Arts Hall, the tea room.」

The fragrant aroma of tea wafted through the air, rising with the steam.

Su Yu accepted a cup of the finest pre-rain green tea from his Senior Sister, Lin Wanzhu. He gently blew the froth from its surface and took a slow, deliberate sip.

"Master, although the trouble in Linyuan City has subsided for now, Wind Evil Stronghold wasn’t completely eradicated. There’s no telling if they won’t get desperate and retaliate. For the caravan’s safety, I suggest we temporarily suspend the northeastern trade route."

Su Yu set down his teacup, his gaze calmly falling on Qin Fangqiong, who occupied the head seat. He then nonchalantly swept his eyes over the guests.

Seated there as guests were three Patriarchs: Lin Yunshu, Xu Luan, and Jiang Yanchu.

"Mm, Yu’Er is absolutely right. To be on the safe side, we’ll suspend that trade route for a few months," Qin Fangqiong said, stroking his beard in satisfaction before turning to the three men. "What are your thoughts?"

"We’ll leave the decision entirely up to Younger Brother Su!"

This time, the three Patriarchs—all seasoned men who had weathered many storms—were surprisingly unanimous, nodding in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

Lin Family Patriarch Lin Yunshu set down his teacup and smiled faintly, his gaze toward Su Yu now filled with the genuine respect one shows an equal.

"Ah Yu, your talent is astounding. Not only are you meticulous, but you resolved this perilous situation perfectly with decisive action, saving our families from a massive loss of nearly one hundred thousand silver. That kind of spirit and ability has long surpassed us old bones, who are already nearing the grave. As for future trade route planning, your word is final, Ah Yu. The Lin Family will have no objections!"

Lin Yunshu’s declaration was absolutely heartfelt.

He recalled how just a few days ago, in this very room, he had thought his brother-in-law, Su Yu, was arrogant and didn’t know his place, acting far too recklessly. He had even considered putting him in his place a little.

But when news of the battle’s outcome in Linyuan City had arrived, the Lin Family Patriarch was left completely dumbfounded.

Su Yu had quietly broken through to the Muscle Forging Realm!

Not only had he broken through, but as a newly advanced Muscle Forging practitioner, he had slain Feng Dakui, a ferocious bandit at the Tiger Tendon Realm! And then he had nonchalantly crushed both Yu Fujiu and Feng Yuncheng!

Such a terrifying combat record made Lin Yunshu understand one thing with absolute clarity:

The twenty-year-old young man before him now possessed the status and qualifications to stand as an equal with the established Patriarchs!

In Black Stone City, or even the entire Jian’an Prefecture, a Muscle Forging Realm expert who could kill opponents in a higher realm possessed the absolute right to open a Martial Arts Hall and establish a new family!

’The Lin Family would have to shamelessly curry favor with such a young and promising genius to build a good relationship.’

’Fortunately, my sister has incredible foresight and secured a relationship with this brother-in-law of mine early on. I’ll have to urge her to take things a step further with him soon...’

"Damn right! The way Younger Brother Su handled this was so damn satisfying! So damn badass!"

The burly Xu Luan slapped his thigh and laughed heartily. "Killing three Muscle Forging Realm experts! I’d like to see what witless highwaymen on the trade routes will dare to touch the White Ape Caravan’s cargo from now on!"

"You and I are drinking later, and we’re not stopping until we’re both smashed!"

The more Xu Luan looked at Su Yu, the more he liked him.

’To have such immense strength right after entering the Muscle Forging Realm... He’s truly worthy of being called the number one genius of Black Stone City’s Outer City. With that kind of monstrous talent, what do those disciples from the Inner City matter? They’re still no match for Su Yu!’

"Xu, you brute, you think we needed you to tell us that? My rascal of a son, Jiang Liuchuan, got a hold of me the moment he returned yesterday and bragged for over a full hour!"

Jiang Yanchu flamboyantly waved his folding fan, his face a mask of pride and satisfaction. "That boy of mine kept saying his Senior Brother Su has the power to hold up the heavens! He even claimed that the first time he saw Senior Brother Su at the Martial Arts Hall, he could tell he was a hidden dragon, destined to one day soar into the sky! Heh, that brat might be a good-for-nothing when it comes to training, but his eye for judging people? He definitely inherited that from me!"

Faced with the three Patriarchs’ effusive praise, Su Yu simply replied calmly, "You gentlemen flatter me. There is no shortage of geniuses and heroes in this world. My current strength and talent are hardly worth mentioning. When I truly do soar to the heavens one day, I will be sure to return and have that drink with you all."

His words stunned everyone into silence.

Then, Master Qin burst into hearty laughter. "Hahahaha! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! It seems this old disciple of mine is a true hero indeed! The stage of Black Stone City is not your final destination!"

"Come, let’s go to the courtyard. Since you’re here, I will teach you the martial arts cultivation for the Muscle Forging Realm! We’ll also let these Patriarchs see for themselves whether my disciple has the talent to one day leave Black Stone City behind!"