It was only then that she noticed the Family Head standing right in the doorway, which startled her into a sharp intake of breath. She immediately knelt to pay her respects, answering, “All these treasures were won by the Young Master when he went out gambling.”

“Won? Truly!” Jun Zhantian’s voice shifted slightly, though his heart was both shocked and delighted. If his self-control hadn't been ironclad, he might have cried out in astonishment. However, the shock clearly outweighed the joy. Old Master Jun naturally grew suspicious. When had this boy ever managed to win at gambling? It seemed that since he learned this vice years ago, he had never once won... If Old Master Jun hadn’t strictly limited his allowance, Jun Moxie would probably have gambled away the entire Jun Family by now. Yet here he was, not only winning, but winning back such high-grade valuables...

“Yes, these treasures were indeed won by the Young Master. Your maid wouldn't dare deceive the Family Head. Besides these treasures, there are also three million taels in banknotes—all brought back by the Young Master this time,” she affirmed. “I heard these valuables were won from Young Master Li and Young Master Meng. When he got home, the Young Master just tossed these things here for me to sort out, and then he went off to the Library Pavilion to read.”

She felt a surge of pride. The Young Master had never won money before, yet this time he had won so much. In the little maid’s heart, the Young Master had suddenly become quite capable. Although she still feared him, the Young Master had genuinely been different in recent days; at least, he wasn't as hateful as before!

“That boy has gone to the Library Pavilion again?” Old Master Jun’s joy now far surpassed his astonishment. He no longer had to worry about cleaning up his grandson’s messes. But hearing where the boy was, his eyes glazed over; he could barely cope with the shock. Trembling, he raised a hand to touch his forehead, confirming he didn't have a fever and hadn't misheard. Only then did he regain his composure.

“Oh, when he returns, tell him to come see me,” the Old Master said, then departed with the steward, Old Pang. The little maid was left behind, her eyes shimmering silver as she repeatedly tallied the value: “These three jade pendants alone can sell for at least one hundred thousand taels, those pearls and gems will fetch at least another one hundred and fifty thousand, and that thing can sell for... plus these banknotes... Wow...”

“Old Pang, what is your assessment?” Jun Zhantian asked as they walked, feeling completely uncertain. His grandson’s actions this past month were too inscrutable. What was the boy trying to achieve? What was he actually doing?

“This old servant does not know, but the Young Master’s conduct recently has been positive,” Old Pang replied, also mystified. But as long as he didn’t have to clean up Jun Moxie’s messes, it counted as a good thing.

“If he is truly that interested in reading, do you think I should send him to Wenxing Academy?” The Old Master had a sudden, almost dreamlike aspiration. Wenxing Academy was the pinnacle where the world’s greatest scholars pursued knowledge; even counting the teachers and students, there were barely a thousand people there. This number was an infinitesimal fraction of the Heavenly Fragrance Empire's hundreds of millions of inhabitants! In other words, only the most outstanding talents with impeccable backgrounds from every region qualified, or even had a chance, to study there. Every graduate was immediately employed by the state, provided they truly met the graduation requirements! However, achieving those final qualifications was arduous, even for renowned prodigies!

One could say that Wenxing Academy was the golden path for all scholars in the world! No matter how exalted one's status—even a Prince or Princess—without true scholarly merit, entry into Wenxing Academy was impossible! The fact that Old Master Jun was considering sending Jun Xie there suggested he genuinely believed Jun Xie was turning over a new leaf.

“...Or perhaps it will be very difficult.” Send Jun Moxie, of all people, to Wenxing Academy? Everyone who entered had spent over a decade studying diligently; they were all celebrated talents from various regions who qualified for the entrance exam. Did the Old Master truly believe his grandson, who had been indolent for sixteen years, could enter after just one month of reading?

Of course, Old Pang didn't dare to be so direct. He continued cautiously, “Those venerable masters at Wenxing Academy are far too pedantic. If Your Lordship were to go in person, you might run into difficulties... Hmph, this old servant believes, believes, that we should proceed slowly, and perhaps... reconsider.”

“Alas! The greatest pity is that this boy’s Profound Qi cultivation is utterly subpar. If he could enter the Divine Profound Academy, that would be best. Our Jun family has served as generals across battlefields for generations. If we produced a sissy little scholar, it would truly be quite incongruous.” Jun Zhantian understood the difficulty. Back when the Second Prince entered Wenxing Academy, even His Majesty the Emperor had to swallow a mouthful of suppressed anger from those old masters before securing entry. He and those dusty scholars never saw eye-to-eye, making the task infinitely harder. Not to mention Moxie’s very nature...

“Old Pang, what path do you think I should arrange for Moxie’s future?” The Old Master sighed again today. “If we let him study literature, this boy clearly lacks the aptitude. If we push him toward the martial path, he possesses not a shred of talent, nor the ability to endure hardship—he’s utterly unteachable. If we try business... he’d probably manage to bankrupt my coffin! ... Must we just let him drift along until he starves or dies?”

Regarding this matter, Old Pang was also at a loss, offering belated comfort: “The Young Master has shown considerable progress lately. Perhaps he is finally striving forward, a prodigal son returning... Ah, the Young Master is still young; I trust it is not too late for everything...”

“What annoys me most is this kind of false, sanctimonious comfort! Now even you have picked it up!” Jun Zhantian frowned, showing impatience. “Old Pang, this isn't like you. The Pang Lie who once charged alone into tens of thousands of enemy troops on the battlefield was not like this!”

Old Pang forced a wry smile: How could I not speak this way? What else could I say? Should I simply state that children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, and Your Lordship should stop worrying? Everyone knows your grandson is just a piece of mud that cannot be plastered onto a wall, and no matter how much you worry or arrange for his future, he will still ruin it completely? If I said that, wouldn’t you draw your blade on me instantly?

“There is one other method to protect the Young Master, allowing Your Lordship to have no lingering concerns,” Old Pang suddenly recalled something.

“What method? Tell me quickly!” Jun Zhantian was surprised. He had only meant to vent his frustrations today, yet Old Pang actually had a solution!

“This method might be somewhat difficult to implement,” Old Pang hesitated as the words reached his lips. “That is, we acquire a young Profound Beast of Level Eight or higher for the Young Master, and then spare no expense to force its growth...”

“Stop, stop, stop!” Jun Zhantian cut him off forcibly before he finished speaking. “Old Pang, are you talking in your sleep? Tell me yourself, is that possible?”

Old Pang stared blankly for a moment, then drooped his head in defeat. “Impossible.”

“Since you know it’s impossible, why the hell did you bring it up!” Jun Zhantian sighed heavily.

Profound Beasts were unique creatures on the Profound Profound Continent. Any high-level Profound Beast possessed terrifying power. Legend held that any Level Eight Profound Beast could contend with a master of the Heavenly Profound realm without losing ground! More powerful Level Nine offensive Profound Beasts could even fight evenly against Supreme Divine Profound masters!

But Profound Beasts were ranked just like humans, and the classification was even stricter. Human experts, by mastering certain special skills and techniques, sometimes managed to challenge opponents at higher levels, even defeating those with stronger Profound Qi cultivation. However, among Profound Beasts, such level-skipping combat was impossible!

Profound Beasts below Level Four were, at best, merely ferocious beasts, or perhaps slightly more destructive than common wild animals. Only starting from Level Five did they possess the potential for some special abilities, yet Levels Five and Six beasts weren't of much use, especially when young. More critically, once a Profound Beast reached adulthood, there was no possibility of taming it. A juvenile beast would require at least several decades to mature, some even needing a century! By the time a young beast grew up, the human would be old; what use would it be then? Furthermore, a Level Five or Six Profound Beast would only possess the strength of a Silver Profound master at most. Therefore, beasts of this level were not overly expensive and were relatively easier to find.

But Level Seven and above were different. Profound Beasts of Level Seven and higher showed a fundamental breakthrough, possessing intelligence not inferior to humans. Besides their innate skills, they also possessed a unique special ability. It was this specific ability that made raising a juvenile beast no longer an impossible task!