As he left the center of the hall, Yan Xiaobao was looking around for Deng Wu, but no matter how much he searched, he couldn’t find the young master now hailed as the number one genius in Liluo City.
Although Deng Wu had finally concealed his cultivation base, this hadn’t made him as arrogant as expected. None of that had happened—Deng Wu was exactly the sa as before.
Deng Wu broke through his master’s requirents and refined nurous Qi Boosting Pills, which made his Qi purer. However, each refinent caused his total Qi to shrink. Even though he was now a master himself, he still worked hard to restore the lost Qi while increasing its purity.
Yan Xiaobao finally persuaded the stubborn Phoenix to help Deng Wu, but the Phoenix was so obstinate that it demanded so form of compensation from Deng Wu. It could be anything from information to items, though it was information that Lan Feng preferred most.
Yan Xiaobao sighed at the thought but, in the end, had no choice but to accept Phoenix’s conditions.
After walking through the mansion twice, Yan Xiaobao finally saw a familiar face flirting with a servant while a mockery-filled smile appeared on his own face. For soone deeply devoted to Rong Xing, he certainly felt free when his "queen" wasn’t around.
"Deng Wu." Yan Xiaobao silently called out for the big young man to stop flirting with the girl and turn around. He saw the silver-haired boy standing with Wang Julong. His foolish expression transford into a smile, and he quickly walked toward them.
"So you’ve gotten yourself together," Deng Wu joked while observing Yan Xiaobao for any injuries. When he realized there was no harm after another encounter with assassins, he relaxed.
"I have sothing for you," Yan Xiaobao said flatly, imdiately grabbing Deng Wu’s attention. "But Lan Feng won’t let it go unless you’ve got so interesting information to offer. Now’s your chance to use it."
Yan Xiaobao said this jokingly, but after the words left his lips, he noticed both Wang Julong and Deng Wu exchange a glance, visibly shivering before their gazes returned to him.
"Uh, actually..." Deng Wu started, sweat beginning to drip down his forehead. "It’s a small matter," he continued, glancing repeatedly at Wang Julong, who was slowly shaking her head, trying to avoid catching Yan Xiaobao’s eye.
"What is it?" Yan Xiaobao asked, curiosity piqued as he looked between Wang Julong and Deng Wu. Neither seed particularly eager to discuss the topic, but Yan Xiaobao had no intention of letting them off the hook.
It had been a long ti since he had heard anything remotely interesting, but both Wang Julong and Deng Wu were acting strange, as if they were holding onto a secret they didn’t want anyone else to know.
"If it helps, I could throw in so advanced Martial Arts Skills," Yan Xiaobao said casually, sensing Phoenix’s interest in the gossip was as intense as his own.
"No," Deng Wu replied sternly. Wang Julong’s face took on a serious expression as she clenched her teeth, seemingly struggling within herself about whether or not to spill the truth.
"We’re not entirely sure what’s happening," Deng Wu apologized. "Sothing is going on within our families," he whispered, anxiously checking their surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping.
"Our fathers have always maintained a good relationship. It’s likely due to their standing as part of the Hundred Major Nas Families," Wang Julong chid in before shaking her head slightly. "Lately, they’ve been eting frequently. But unlike before, these etings are shrouded in secrecy, and it seems they’re planning sothing."
"We gave a copy of those blueprints to the Wang Family," Deng Wu suddenly declared, his eyes shining. "Those blueprints were a gift you gave to the Deng Family—not ant to gain more power, rely an affordable bargaining chip for the elders. But now, they want even more power!" Deng Wu exclaid angrily. Even Wang Julong, who belonged to the Wang Family, nodded in agreent.
Benefiting from Yan Xiaobao’s cultivation techniques, Wang Julong understood Deng Wu’s feelings well. Both of their young masters were brimming with indignation.
Yan Xiaobao frowned. He held a poor opinion of Deng Wu’s father from the start. For one, he disapproved of how the man treated his son. Second, Yan Xiaobao found him to be soone he would never trust. Clearly, the old man would do anything, even betray his closest allies, if it ant gaining more power.
Knowing the heads of the Deng and Wang families were having closed-door etings unsettled Yan Xiaobao. This feeling was especially intense given the Deng Family’s willingness to share their precious blueprints. The blueprints acquired from Li Fen were priceless treasures, so it was easy to guess how much the Deng Family had promised in exchange.
As for the Wang Family’s point of interest, Yan Xiaobao couldn’t decipher it. The Wang Family had been eerily quiet, and Yan Xiaobao couldn’t understand what motivated these households to make such moves. For now, he was powerless to act due to his limited knowledge.
"Keep an eye on them," Yan Xiaobao said with a faint smile, noticing Gao Yan and Ma Gang were moving. For the mont, their current topic was closed, awaiting the next opportunity for their trio to speak freely without intrusion.
"Hello," Gao Yan greeted with a wide grin, the strong sll of alcohol lingering as he took a big swig of beer, clumsily planting himself on the ground as he continued sipping.
Clearly, this friend had spent much of the birthday celebration drinking, his intoxication evident.
Ma Gang was his usual self—a detached attitude often misinterpreted by those who thought he was mocking them.
Looking toward Hong Kong, Xu Yue couldn’t help but frown slightly, realizing how few of the Ma Family were present. This felt peculiar given they were one of the pillars supporting the City Lord.
"Where is everyone?" Yan Xiaobao asked. He recognized many mbers of the Ma Family due to dining and discussing insurance matters with them frequently, but their absence today made Yan Xiaobao feel sothing was off.
"Well..." Ma Gang smiled. "It’s a secret," he continued. "But since it’s you all, I suppose it’s fine to tell."
"Since we began this insurance business, we’ve been flourishing," Ma Gang explained, satisfaction evident on his face. He seed pleased with the potential in Yan Xiaobao’s proposition.
"We’re now preparing to expand into Rich City," he said. Hearing this, Yan Xiaobao raised his brows. Even though he hadn’t been inford about the Ma Family’s major developnt, he was glad to hear it. Their growing strength was beneficial to him in the long term. Supporting them was not only an act of friendship but also an investnt in reliable allies.
"Congratulations," Yan Xiaobao offered sincerely, prompting congratulations from Deng Wu and Wang Julong as well.
"Spit, wipe us clean!" Gao Yan roared before collapsing on the ground, head buried in the dirt. A crunch was heard as his nose broke, blood pooling onto the floor.
With a deep sigh, Ma Gang picked up his friend before leaving through the City Lord’s gate, clearly heading off to provide dical attention and send Gao Yan ho.
Yan Xiaobao stood by the gate, watching his friend turn to leave. His cheerful deanor transford into a serious expression. It was evident Yan Xiaobao wasn’t in the mood for jokes; his two friends imdiately sensed his mood and fell silent, following the silver-haired boy as he gestured for them to join him in a secluded area.
"So, your fathers are secretly eting, and the Deng and Wang Families shared blueprints of the water mill?" Yan Xiaobao quickly summarized while watching his two friends nod in affirmation.
"I understand." Yan Xiaobao paused to think before continuing. "Handing off the blueprints of the water mill to the Wang Family might imply they need to construct the water wheels before taking action. For now, I need both of you to keep an eye on your families and notify of anything you learn."
Fiddling with his storage stone, Yan Xiaobao finally retrieved two mory Stones—one golden, the other white. He tossed the golden mory Stone to Deng Wu and the white one to Wang Julong.
...
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l
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