The following morning, He Yiming rose with the dawn. After washing up, the tattered weariness that had clung to him dissipated considerably, leaving him looking rather spirited.

While presenting himself in such a shabby state was initially a tactic to avoid notice, since he had already made his inquiries yesterday—and, even better, that Seventh Master had already put in a word—to not take advantage of the situation now would be sheer folly.

But if he intended to spend a few days as a guest retainer, he naturally needed to appear energetic. If he maintained that look of utter destitution, it would likely arouse suspicion instead.

Having finished his preparations, he left his room, settled his bill at the front desk, and proceeded down the main thoroughfare.

A mere few li separated him from his destination; for a cultivator, such a distance required negligible time.

However, under He Yiming's deliberate control, it still took him a full hour before he arrived at the Xu Family Stronghold.

The moment he first laid eyes on the Xu Stronghold, he couldn't help but feel a surge of complex emotion. This century-old lineage was certainly not something the current He Family could easily surpass.

The entire Xu Stronghold sprawled over hundreds of mu, its immense perimeter walls constructed right against the mountain range. The ramparts stood about five meters high, built entirely of colossal stones; viewed from a distance, the structure resembled an ancient behemoth crouched low, instilling an overwhelming sense of impregnability.

He Yiming had seen the city walls in the county seat before, but compared to the Xu Stronghold before him, they paled significantly.

He sighed inwardly; in Taicang County, the influence of the government was indeed far inferior to that of the great families.

Third Brother and the others had mentioned that although the Cheng Family established their main residence within the county town, they possessed several estates outside the walls. It was rumored that the very place where their fortunes began was also a location of severe defense and difficult to attack.

Every time He Yiming witnessed another facet of the Xu and Cheng families' hidden capabilities, his heart filled with awe. No wonder that even though the He Family possessed peak combat strength visibly surpassing that of the Cheng and Xu families, they were still ranked last among the three great clans—there was a reason for this disparity.

A thought suddenly struck him: the He Family did not keep guest retainers. This was not merely due to financial constraints; it was likely that any capable retainer, upon seeing the imposing might of the Xu Stronghold, would choose to pledge allegiance to the Xu family instead. This, perhaps, was the true reason why his grandfather was reluctant to recruit such individuals.

He Yiming gazed upward for a long moment, before finally turning toward the main gate of the fortress.

Just as he approached the gates, he was stopped by a man. This individual, in his thirties, wore a long robe that clearly distinguished him from the regular guards coming and going. He cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward He Yiming, a warm smile on his face. "Brother, you look quite unfamiliar. May I ask the purpose of your visit to the Xu Stronghold?"

He Yiming returned the salute, forcing a smile. "I am Xiao Qin, a native of Taichong County. I heard of the great reputation of the Xu Stronghold and wish to apply here, to earn a simple meal."

He delivered his explanation of his origins and intentions succinctly, in just a few sentences.

The man showed no surprise; he acted as if he had expected such a visitor. "I see. I am Xu Yuchang, one of the managers of the outer fortress. Brother Xiao, please follow me."

Saying this, he turned and began to walk away.

He Yiming hesitated briefly before following. Since this man's given name contained the character Yu (nurture/educate), he was clearly of the same generation as Xu Yucai and the others. Yet, given he was over thirty, his cultivation was only around the Fifth Layer, and he was merely an outer fortress manager, he was likely informed of the situation in Xujiazhen beforehand, which explained his deliberate welcome.

From any angle one viewed it, this man’s status within the Xu family could not be high.

This fact caused He Yiming to feel another pang of contemplation.

The Xu family was truly flourishing with offspring; the He Family Estate’s third generation combined barely numbered ten individuals, none of whom had reached thirty yet.

Entering the fortress, the first sight that greeted He Yiming was wide stretches of cultivated farmland. He paused slightly, instantly understanding why the castle occupied such a vast area. It turned out the fortress maintained its own arable land, although it might not be enough to satisfy everyone’s rations.

But if conflict arose, once the gates were sealed, they could hold out for a significant period without external support.

Looking at this self-sufficiency, He Yiming concluded that the ancestors of the Cheng family had truly exerted themselves to the utmost to establish the foundations of their lineage.

In the center of the farmland ran a grand avenue wide enough for eight horses to travel abreast; passing through this avenue brought one to the residential sectors.

Xu Yuchang led He Yiming into a spacious courtyard. "Brother Xiao, welcome to the Xu Stronghold. However, we have a rule for recruiting guest retainers. I wonder if you have heard of it?"

He Yiming nodded slowly. "Before coming here, this junior inquired. The guest retainers of the Xu Stronghold must possess at least the Third Layer of Inner Strength."

As he spoke these words, He Yiming felt a deep sense of melancholy.

At the He Family Estate, though the laborers had been nurtured from nothing by Old Master He, the strongest among them only reached the Third Layer of Inner Strength, with the vast majority being below that.

Yet here, at the Xu Stronghold, even the lowest-ranking retainer required a minimum of the Third Layer. The gap between them was immense.

Xu Yuchang smiled and nodded. "Correct. Xu family retainers must have at least the Third Layer of Inner Strength. However, if Brother Xiao’s Inner Strength can reach the Fifth Layer, he qualifies for a position in the Xu Inner Fortress. Should he render meritorious service within the fort, he might even gain access to the Library Pavilion to study the family's combat techniques and manuals."

He Yiming nodded heavily, his eyes seeming to hold an unusual, burning intensity, yet internally, his emotions remained perfectly still.

Xu Yuchang observed him calmly. He had received many such wandering cultivators; most failed to meet the requirement of the Third Layer of Inner Strength, and even those who barely scraped by possessed only mediocre strength.

This was, however, quite normal. What truly capable cultivator would come to the remote Taicang County? Those who willingly came were largely cultivators who had achieved nothing significant by an advanced age, arriving with the mindset of simply coasting until death.

Of course, some cultivators at the Fourth or Fifth Layer of Inner Strength did arrive, but their objective was the Xu family's Library Pavilion. They were unaware, however, that unless one was truly accepted into the family fold, the publicly accessible section of the library contained only the most common combat techniques and manuals.

He Yiming took a deep breath, stepped back several paces, cupped his hands toward Xu Yuchang, and then shifted his palms, beginning to demonstrate his fist technique.

He executed the Water Element combat skill, the Mian Zhang (Soft Palm).

This particular skill was widely circulated among cultivators; any practitioner of Water Element Inner Strength techniques would almost certainly know a few moves of Mian Zhang.

As He Yiming performed the Mian Zhang, Xu Yuchang’s brow furrowed slightly. His initial assessment of the man immediately dropped several notches in his estimation.

However, moments later, his eyes brightened with surprise, and all traces of his former condescension vanished.

Although He Yiming deliberately suppressed his Inner Strength cultivation to merely above the Fourth Layer, the Mian Zhang he displayed was far beyond what an ordinary person could manage.

Even when executing only the most basic routines of the Mian Zhang, it still exuded a continuous, seemingly endless flow.

Xu Yuchang was seized by a sudden, unexpected sense of awe.

Given his station and status within the Xu Stronghold, he was unable to access the highest echelons of people or matters, but having grown up within the fortress, through constant exposure, he could certainly distinguish the quality of combat techniques.

Witnessing He Yiming's flowing Mian Zhang, he made what he believed to be an accurate judgment.

This man’s Inner Strength cultivation might not be high, but he was clearly a seasoned veteran with rich combat experience, and he possessed a significant comprehension of the Mian Zhang technique—at the very least, he had grasped the martial intent behind the form.

And this was something many cultivators never managed to grasp in their entire lives.

A man like this already qualified as a talent in Taicang County.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, He Yiming finished the first sequence of the Mian Zhang. He retracted his hands, stood still, and quietly regarded Xu Yuchang.

To be honest, he felt a degree of nervousness, as he was unsure of the exact standard; thus, when executing the Mian Zhang, he deliberately exerted a fraction of his true power.

Xu Yuchang nodded slightly, extended a hand, and said, "Brother Xiao, please."

He Yiming was momentarily speechless. It turned out that after watching him for so long, the man hadn't even discerned that he was displaying the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength.

But he couldn't blame him. In reality, discerning a practitioner's actual strength merely through the performance of a set of martial arts forms was no simple feat. It required not only extraordinary insight and strength but also extensive experience.

When He Yiming, back in Xujiazhen, inferred the old man's cultivation level based on the sound of his voice, that was an extremely rare exception and something that could not be generalized to everyone.

He simply extended his open palm. He Yiming simultaneously channeled his Inner Strength, and their energies met and immediately retreated.

A smile touched Xu Yuchang’s face. "Brother Xiao, congratulations. Your Inner Strength has reached the Fourth Layer cultivation, and your application of the Mian Zhang has achieved a very high standard. You fully meet the criteria for a Xu Family guest retainer."

He Yiming let out a relieved smile. This expression only served to further dispel any lingering doubt in the other man's mind.

The subsequent arrangements were much simpler. Having gained Xu Yuchang’s approval, he was entitled to a residence of about twenty square meters in the outer fortress, three daily meals at designated locations, and a monthly stipend of one liang of silver. This treatment was already considered top-tier in Taicang County.

After confirming his strength, Xu Yuchang tactfully inquired about He Yiming’s purported "hometown."

He Yiming understood his intention perfectly and gave a place name within Taichong County. Given the Xu Stronghold's resources, it would take at least a month for them to investigate whether a person named Xiao Qin actually existed there.

However, by that time, He Yiming anticipated he would long since have departed.

P.S.: Sigh... Weekly recommendations have dropped to third place. Brothers, if you have any votes, please lend two. Thank you! Also, that fellow Ni Cangtian, who wrote Great Demon King, has started a new book. His works are usually excellent; he hit the New Book charts with only ten thousand characters, hehe! Although the word count is low, you can let it accumulate before reading ^_^ [bookid=1472329,bookname=《Ten Directions Heavenly Scholar》]