The following day, within the grand hall of the Yuan family, Yuan Zeyu and his son sat beaming, while He Quanxin ushered He Yiming and his elder brother inside.

After exchanging customary greetings, they all took their respective seats.

Over the preceding days, He Quanxin and Yuan Chengzhi had worked together within the commandery city, handling the aftermath of the recent events until everything was only just beginning to be settled today.

Upon entering the hall, Yuan Chengzhi immediately waved his voluminous sleeve, dismissing all the servants.

He then chuckled, "Nephew Yiming, Nephew Yitian, we have profited immensely from our venture into the city this time."

One could tell by the absolute elation in his smile that there was not a shred of exaggeration in his words.

Seven days prior, when He Yiming had first returned to the Yuan Residence, both Yuan Zeyu and Yuan Chengzhi had addressed him as Master He, absolutely daring not to use his given name.

He Yiming had remained silent then, and it was only when He Quanxin felt the propriety of the situation demanded otherwise that He Yiming acquiesced to his elder uncle’s wishes, continuing to address Yuan Chengzhi as 'Uncle.' Though the seniority structure remained formally intact, a subtle shift had occurred in the tenor of their interactions.

Just as Yuan Chengzhi now did; though he repeatedly called him 'Nephew Yiming,' his expression and bearing betrayed no semblance of addressing a junior. In fact, he seemed even more deferential than he was toward Yuan Zeyu.

He Yiming offered a slight smile. "Uncle Yuan, then my congratulations to you."

Yuan Chengzhi laughed heartily and recounted the entire experience of entering the commandery city.

Once the servants and retainers of the Fan family had spread the news of Fan Shuhe’s death and the disappearance of Lü Xinwen and Fan Hao, the entire Fan estate plunged into utter chaos.

It was at this precise moment that Yuan Chengzhi and He Quanxin, leading numerous experts from the Yuan family, entered the city and first secured Fan Haoyue, the Fan family’s sole surviving heir.

This dissolute wastrel could not compare to his father or elder brother in the slightest. Upon receiving the news, it was as if the sky had fallen upon him; he entirely forgot about rallying the Fan family's remaining forces. Instead, he retreated into the family’s inner vault, hastily packing all valuables, intending to flee.

However, with the two main pillars of the Fan family gone, the remaining servants and retainers were unrestrained, and several brazen, unscrupulous individuals set their sights on him. Just as he was about to escape, they intercepted him midway.

Although Fan Haoyue possessed a good father and brother, his own cultivation was meager, merely at the sixth level of Inner Strength. Surrounded by a few second-rate retainers, his legs instantly began to tremble, and he could barely articulate a word.

At that very moment, Yuan Chengzhi arrived with his retinue. Seeing the situation, he immediately intervened to rescue Fan Haoyue and subsequently took control of the entire Fan estate under his own name.

With the Fan family leaderless, the Yuan family smoothly managed to acquire all of the Fan family’s assets. In fact, just yesterday, Fan Haoyue had signed an agreement with Yuan Chengzhi, selling the entirety of the Fan family enterprise to the Yuan family for the paltry sum of one thousand taels of silver.

One thousand taels of silver was an immense sum to an ordinary person, but for the entirety of the Fan family assets, it was the lowest possible bargain.

Fan Haoyue was naturally aware of this, but even his life was held entirely in their grasp.

As the saying goes: the butcher holds the knife, and the man is the fish on the board. To save his life was already the greatest fortune he could hope for.

After the agreement was signed, Fan Haoyue left Zheng Tong Commandery City in disgrace, clutching the thousand taels of silver, and has not been heard from since.

Thus, the Yuan family not only preserved its own foundation but also seized the entire Fan family’s property opportunistically, reaping an unexpected windfall.

Naturally, upon witnessing the Yuan family’s haul, several of the super-eminent families in Zheng Tong Commandery City were intensely envious.

Yet, despite their envy, they almost simultaneously dispatched envoys to offer congratulations. Each family presented substantial, valuable gifts, and they all explicitly stated that the Fan family had justly deserved their fate, and that the Fan family’s assets rightfully belonged to the Yuan family.

When He Yiming heard this, his gaze drifted toward his elder uncle. He Quanxin gave him a slight nod, causing He Yiming to offer a wry smile.

Those families made such declarations, of course, because they had heard the fate of Lü Xinwen.

This 'Blood Butcher,' within Jinlin Kingdom, had once single-handedly annihilated an ancient, thousand-year-old aristocratic family. Such ruthless methods had seemed unstoppable, and every family held the man in extreme dread.

Now, with the Blood Butcher having been defeated by the Yuan family, and reportedly dead, those families certainly dared not harbor any designs on the Yuan family’s gains.

After detailing everything, Yuan Chengzhi’s expression grew serious. "Nephew Yiming, Brother He, Nephew Yitian, after several days of inventory, we have generally assessed the Fan family's holdings." He paused. "Although the Fan family was a newly risen minor house, in the process of its ascent, they were ruthless, wiping out several smaller families and seizing numerous properties through coercion and plunder. A rough calculation suggests those combined assets are valued at around seventy thousand taels of gold."

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. Seventy thousand taels of gold—that was an astronomical sum. Even the current He family could never produce such a vast amount of wealth.

Yuan Chengzhi continued solemnly, "My father and I have discussed this. The reason we achieved such a result this time is entirely due to the efforts of the three of you. Without Brother He and both nephews, let alone acquiring the Fan family assets, our Yuan family might have been devoured, skin and bones included."

He Quanxin frowned slightly. "Brother Yuan, you speak too formally. Your esteemed father and my father have decades of friendship, and our Taicang He family and your Jinlin Yuan family have maintained decades of business relations. If the Yuan family faced trouble, there was no way we could stand idly by."

Yuan Chengzhi nodded deeply, his gratitude evident. "Brother He, I understand everything you say. But friendship is friendship, and business is business; these are two separate matters and must never be conflated." He stood up and retrieved a document-like item from his robes, handing it to He Quanxin.

He Quanxin quickly glanced over it, his expression shifting slightly. "Brother Yuan, this gift is too valuable; we cannot accept it."

The two He brothers exchanged glances, both feeling profound surprise, wondering what Yuan Chengzhi had presented that could make even the usually steady He Quanxin react this way.

Yuan Chengzhi smiled. "Brother He, this is the result of discussions between my father and me. If you refuse to accept it, we would truly have no face to show."

He Quanxin still shook his hands, refusing to yield under any circumstances.

Yuan Zeyu coughed lightly. "Nephew Quanxin, I have written a letter to entrust to your delivery to Elder Brother He. These items are also gifts for Elder Brother He; please forward them."

He Quanxin paused, then could only offer a wry smile. Since Elder Yuan had spoken so, he could no longer refuse. After all, he was not He Wude himself, and he could not overstep that boundary.

He Yiming, curious, reached out his hand. The gift registry lying on the table immediately floated up, settling gently into his grasp.

Though this maneuver was simple, controlling Zhenqi outside the body was a feat achievable only by true innate realm experts.

Even the likes of the former Lin Taoli, though capable of using Innate Hand Seals to unleash Inner Strength, could only manage to inflict some level of damage; they could never manipulate Zhenqi remotely with such exquisite precision.

For a moment, Yuan Zeyu and the others fell silent, gazing at He Yiming with eyes full of admiration.

In truth, He Quanxin knew very well that obtaining such an unexpectedly heavy gift was not his own merit. Without his nephew, merely retrieving the Yuan family's past promises would have been a cause for thanks.

He Yiming opened the registry, and even with his composure, his heart could not help but stir profoundly.

It listed fifty thousand taels of gold, numerous precious artifacts, a twenty percent share in the Fan family’s former shops within Jinlin Commandery City, a concession of twenty percent of the annual profits from transactions with the He family, and even the former Fan family main compound in Jinlin Commandery City, designated as the He family’s residence there, was registered in He Yiming’s name.

After a long moment of stunned silence, He Yiming looked back at Yuan Chengzhi with a strange expression. Unbeknownst to him, he now possessed a grand residence in Zheng Tong Commandery City, and since it was the Fan family’s former base, it was surely not small.

Furthermore, the Yuan family had previously promised ten thousand taels of gold and a one-percent annual profit share on their private transactions with the He family. Now, it was a full fifty thousand taels of gold, a two-percent profit share, plus a twenty percent stake in the assets acquired from the Fan family.

Though He Yiming was no merchant and could not gauge the precise value, he, like his elder uncle He Quanxin, knew this gift was overwhelmingly substantial.

If nothing else, the twenty percent passive stake in the Fan family's assets was an extremely hot potato.

It looked delicious, and the annual profits would undoubtedly flow steadily into their coffers. But how could they easily accept a twenty percent passive stake?

Once they accepted, the Yuan family would have legitimate grounds to approach them for assistance whenever they faced trouble in the future.

Therefore, whether to accept the twenty percent stake or not was not a decision they could make lightly.

However, since the Yuan family had already offered a full fifty thousand taels of gold, even the most brazen person would find it difficult to politely decline just the twenty percent stake.

Moreover, the annual profit from that twenty percent stake would certainly not be negligible. If they truly accepted it, the He family's ongoing smuggling operations might become almost superfluous. It would bring an incomparably massive benefit to the He family’s foundation in Taicang County.

Suddenly, He Yiming felt a strange pressure. He looked up and met He Quanxin’s gaze, which was filled with inquiry.

He Yiming immediately grasped his elder uncle’s meaning. It seemed his uncle was also hesitant; he likely saw the underlying complication but was paralyzed by the fact that the He family was currently in a phase of rapid development, requiring substantial financial backing. He was looking to He Yiming to make the final decision.

Instantly, He Yiming felt a splitting headache, inwardly complaining.

Uncle, you are the elder! Now you won't make the decision but instead look to me to decide? Isn't this putting me in a difficult position?

He pondered for a moment, then his gaze fell upon his elder brother, He Yitian.

Though He Yitian sat steadily, seemingly observing only his own nose and heart, He Yiming could sense his underlying unease through his slightly accelerated heartbeat.

Suddenly recalling a promise he had made, He Yiming’s mind settled upon a resolution.

Once decided, his entire demeanor seemed to relax.

He understood perfectly well that the Yuan family was entrusting that twenty percent stake to the He family primarily to utilize the He family’s martial strength to guard those shops.

In the past, the He family lacked the capacity for such protection, but now, with the addition of a powerful innate realm expert like himself, the situation was naturally different.

Since the fact that he was now an innate expert was known to everyone, he no longer needed to hide anything. Therefore, he might as well accept the twenty percent stake.

With this thought, a surge of heroic confidence filled him, and his entire aura seemed to shift subtly.

"Uncle, since Grandpa Yuan and Uncle Yuan have both said this, then we shall respectfully accept their favor," He Yiming said calmly, a faint smile gracing his lips.

He Quanxin was taken aback; he hadn't expected He Yiming to agree so easily.

In the past, he might have refused or offered a few words of gentle persuasion. But ever since He Yiming defeated Lü Xinwen, a subtle change had occurred within him. Once He Yiming made a decision, He Quanxin found himself incapable of raising any objection in his heart.

He let out a wry laugh. "Very well. Since this is the good will of Uncle and Brother Yuan, I accept it on behalf of my father."

Yuan Zeyu and Yuan Chengzhi exchanged smiles, a breath of relief escaping them. They had found giving the gift so arduous; they felt a rush of emotion. But now that it was successfully offered, their minds were at ease. Moreover, they were aware that many aristocratic families in Jinlin’s Zheng Tong Commandery City longed for connections but lacked the means. They would gladly offer even more valuable gifts if it meant establishing good relations with He Yiming, such a young expert of the innate realm.

Yuan Zeyu cleared his throat lightly, his gaze sweeping over the three members of the He family. "Nephew He, since our two families have business cooperation, and you now possess property and related industries in Zheng Tong, I have a suggestion I hope you will consider."

He Quanxin immediately sat up straighter. "Please enlighten us, Uncle."

Yuan Zeyu stroked his long beard with a smile. "I have two granddaughters. One, Yuan Liwen, has been extraordinarily intelligent and well-mannered since childhood. If Nephew Yitian does not find it objectionable, let her accompany him to Taicang."

He Quanxin’s eyes widened instantly. He opened his mouth, torn between laughter and tears. "Uncle, you might not know, but Yitian is already married. His wife is the daughter of the Cheng family, one of the prominent families in Taicang County, Cheng Yanli."

When Yuan Zeyu brought this up, Yuan Chengzhi’s expression instantly changed. He paused in surprise, then immediately grasped his father's intention, frowning deeply, extremely displeased with his father’s arrangement.

This was not only because Yuan Liwen was the biological granddaughter of Yuan Zeyu but also because Yuan Chengzhi was thinking ahead. If this matter were to succeed and Yuan Liwen found favor with He Yiming, there was a risk that someone from the main branch of the family might become ambitious again someday. Fortunately, He Quanxin's immediate refusal brought him considerable relief.

Yuan Zeyu showed no sign of embarrassment on his face. He stated firmly, "That is not an issue. Since Yitian already has a principal wife, let Liwen be a secondary wife."

He Quanxin stiffened. "Uncle, this goes against propriety; absolutely not."

Yuan Chengzhi also interjected, "Yes, Father, since Brother He is unwilling, let us not force the issue."

Yuan Zeyu acted as if he hadn't heard them, continuing, "I have another suggestion. I have another granddaughter named Yuan Lixun, whom I wish to offer to Nephew Yiming as a secondary wife. What does Yiming think?"

This time, he bypassed He Quanxin and addressed He Yiming directly.

Both He Quanxin and Yuan Chengzhi opened their mouths to speak, but a glance at He Yiming caused them to clamp their lips shut immediately, adopting a posture of waiting entirely upon his decision.

He Yiming sighed internally. Yuan Chengzhi’s action was understandable, but even his own elder uncle was acting this way. This showed that since his advancement to the innate realm, even those as close as his uncle dared not make decisions for him anymore. He wondered if his parents’ attitudes toward him would also change once they knew.

He raised his head and looked at each person in turn. Most movingly, he met his elder brother Yitian’s eyes, which held a trace of pleading.

His heart warmed. Compared to the others, his elder brother’s change was minimal.

He took a deep breath; a rare flush of color appeared on He Yiming's face. "Uncle, this junior has met Miss Lixun before. Everything may be decided by you, Uncle."

He Quanxin’s expression became extremely complex. Although known as a martial arts fanatic who paid little mind to family affairs, a martial fanatic was not an idiot. Seeing He Yiming’s expression and posture, he immediately understood his nephew’s inclination.

He shook his head slightly, intending to offer a few admonishments, but then he remembered that his nephew was now an innate realm expert. What right did he have to criticize him? Could he accuse him of being greedy for female companionship?

He let out a light sigh, turning his head, only to catch the look of mingled surprise and delight in Yuan Chengzhi’s eyes. He Quanxin’s heart stirred—did Yuan Chengzhi not know about this arrangement? Looking at the composed Yuan Zeyu, a realization dawned upon him.

Yuan Chengzhi had been running himself ragged the past few days; he certainly hadn't had the leisure for such intricate planning. It seemed this elder gentleman had been manipulating everything behind the scenes.

Though He Quanxin felt a slight dissatisfaction, he nevertheless spoke, "Since that is the case, we thank Uncle for his kindness."

He Yiming smiled faintly. "Thank you, Uncle. Since it is decided, when we return this time, we shall travel with Misses Liwen and Lixun."

He Quanxin was startled. His lips trembled a few times, but seeing that although He Yiming’s face was smiling, the rigid line of his posture exuded an unyielding determination, He Quanxin’s heart trembled, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back down.

At this moment, his only thought was: Yiming’s aura grows stronger, so much so that even he felt a sense of reluctance to oppose him. How on earth was this son of his second brother born? He is truly the irreplaceable treasure of the He family...

Ps: Another chapter in two minutes ^_^