A few more days passed, and Old Master Jun suddenly found renewed vigor. He commanded a major construction project in the central garden of the Jun Residence, uprooting countless rare flowers to erect a towering, seven-story pagoda-like structure, complete with a watchtower on the very top to survey the surrounding movements.

When idle, Old Master Jun often led his retinue in circuits around the residences of the nearby officials, and sometimes, in the dead of night, the sudden thunder of hooves would erupt, followed by earth-shattering shouts of battle—the Old Master was exerting his remaining strength, drilling his troops!

But this military exercise was no small matter. Over these few days, the few neighboring official families grew increasingly uneasy, finally spending exorbitant sums to purchase new properties and move away. Before anyone could even move in, Old Master Jun gave the order: those residences were to be razed to the ground!

With nothing better to do, Old Master Jun subjected the household guards to brutal training as if they were regular soldiers! Meanwhile, reports from personnel purchasing supplies outside the Jun Estate revealed that the Old Master often drowned his sorrows in wine when he had nothing else to do, drinking himself into a stupor...

Everyone understood this well: anyone who sees hope suddenly turn to utter despair cannot cope. Fortunately, the Old Master's behavior while drunk wasn't destructive, which was a blessing in disguise.

In truth, everyone could understand...

First, profound disappointment in his grandson, suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope that his grandson had turned over a new leaf;

Then, just as that hope appeared, news arrived that the grandson had been killed;

The heart, which had just moved from despair to hope, immediately plummeted back into despair, only to receive word that the grandson was, in fact, still alive;

And just as the news of his grandson's survival brought joy, they were then told the grandson had become a cripple...

...Wasn't this deliberately toying with a person’s emotions? Such violent swings from high to low—even the most resilient person would be hard-pressed to maintain sanity, and everyone marveled that he hadn't completely lost his mind. If they were in his shoes, they would have collapsed long ago, probably performing worse than Old Master Jun, so everyone readily accepted and dismissed his peculiar behavior.

The poor old fellow, tormented like this by fate, it was remarkable he hadn't gone mad. Let him rage; as long as he didn't direct it at them, that was all that mattered. This was the sentiment of almost everyone, even His Majesty the Emperor, who was usually so wise, harbored this thought to some degree.

Inside the Jun Estate, within the area universally recognized as forbidden territory, Jun Moxie laughed gleefully, pouring a cup of wine for Jun Wuyi across from him. The wine was crystal clear, emitting a rich, intoxicating aroma, transparent to the bottom—a drink that intoxicated one before even tasting it.

“I never imagined Mo Xie, you truly possess such skill. This wine is truly... an unparalleled vintage! Everything I’ve drunk before was nothing but dregs!” Jun Wuyi sipped lightly, his eyes closing in blissful intoxication. In another corner, four burly warriors, armed with iron hammers and operating bellows, worked the forge. The intense flame was almost silver-white, heating a massive block of iron until it glowed crimson. They would pull it out, take a deep sniff of the wine fragrance permeating the air, and then bring the heavy hammers down, one after another. Sweat poured off them, yet the iron block barely seemed to change in size, testifying to its unimaginable hardness...

The Young Master promised them a full jug of this exquisite wine for every day they smashed this iron until it met his satisfaction! Heavens, even the Emperor himself might never have tasted such a magnificent brew! How could four warriors devoted to drink not throw their entire being into the work?

“Brewing wine is merely a small trick among many lesser crafts. It's to prevent us from having to drink that swill ourselves. Constantly tasting such wretched, inferior liquor is truly unbearable!” Jun Moxie sipped elegantly, narrowing his eyes, and asked with keen interest, “Third Uncle, I heard Grandpa got drunk the first time he tasted this?”

“I heard... he got drunk,” Jun Wuyi frowned, his face darkening as he chided, “Don't gossip about elders behind their backs!”

“Ah,” Jun Moxie rubbed his nose, still eager, and pressed on, unwilling to give up, “I heard Grandpa sang after getting drunk? And that he passed out with his head stuck in a plate of jellied pork?”

“You brat! Are you asking for a beating?! You’ve let the truth slip, don’t you know how to exercise some discretion?” Jun Wuyi was exasperated yet amused. “Why didn't you warn me how potent this wine was beforehand? It’s a miracle your grandfather hasn't come looking for you for settling scores. It took him a full morning just to wash the smell out of his beard...”

“Oh...” Jun Moxie let out a meaningful 'oh' before flashing a sly grin, “Grandpa’s tolerance for alcohol seems rather low.”

“Enough about that!” Jun Wuyi was clearly uncomfortable, having no interest in discussing Old Master Jun. “What about you? Shouldn’t you be preparing yourself?”

Jun Moxie immediately put on a mournful expression, raising his cup, draining it as if to drown his sorrows, and sighed deeply.

A few days prior, Old Master Jun had a sudden, whimsical idea. Since Jun Moxie’s current Xuan Qi cultivation was low, the Old Master couldn’t find him a suitable sparring partner, nor did he wish to risk leaks. He suddenly had an inspiration: invite Guan Qinghan to feed moves to Jun Moxie! Thus began Jun Moxie’s journey through hell.

In reality, this was the Old Master deliberately tormenting his precious grandson for hiding things from him for so many years. He deserved a beating!

Jun Moxie felt utterly helpless.

Against his future sister-in-law, he couldn't exactly deliver a killing blow, could he? But if he couldn't subdue her immediately, he would simply suffer abuse. After all, although his Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong was wondrous, he had only practiced it for less than two months—how could he possibly match Guan Qinghan, who had cultivated Xuan Qi since childhood? Guan Qinghan’s family heritage was profound, and she was already on the verge of breaking through to the Silver Rank of Xuan Qi! Setting aside his deadly tricks, fighting his sister-in-law with his innate strength, given the vast difference in cultivation, was no different than being 'tortured'!

In truth, Guan Qinghan was highly reluctant. She felt uncomfortable whenever she faced Jun Moxie, but she was too embarrassed to defy Old Master Jun’s wishes, so she reluctantly agreed to come just once. To everyone’s surprise, once she started, she became addicted: the sensation of abusing this fellow was... thoroughly satisfying and profoundly pleasant!

Especially since the lecherous look in Jun Moxie’s eyes and on his face was gone, which, while keeping her on guard, made the whole experience less unpleasant. Moreover, there was another reason: the newly brewed wine Jun Moxie made from fruits was sweet and exceptionally delicious. Except for its slightly stronger kick, it was practically a heavenly grade spirit, something utterly unobtainable in the outside world! Guan Qinghan instantly fell in love with it. Thus, Guan Qinghan’s swift transition from reluctance to diligently arriving every day, rain or shine, was remarkable!

To come over, beat up her little brother-in-law to vent some pent-up frustration, and then casually collect two jugs of fine wine as payment—such a beneficial activity for both body and spirit, all done under the guise of Old Master Jun's command, allowing her to vent her temper freely. Doing this ten times a day wouldn't be too many; not doing it would defy natural law!

“Alas!” Jun Moxie sighed deeply, suddenly remembering something, and asked, “Third Uncle, how is the collection of herbs you ordered? After all this time, they should be ready by now, right?”

Jun Wuyi sighed, “We have secured plenty of Lie Chang Hua, Tong Xin Cao, and Duan Xu Gen. However, there is still no word on the Fen Jing He; as for the Jiu Ye Cao, it is a rare herb, used by very few, and difficult to locate. A few days ago, I finally heard that the Jin Xiang Merchant Guild had discovered three stalks and were transporting them to the capital. I immediately sent men to intercept and purchase them, but to my surprise, by the time they arrived, they had already been bought...”

“Someone else bought them?” Jun Moxie immediately became wary, straightening his back. “That kind of medicine is only needed for severe injuries where the meridians are blocked! Why would someone buy it at such a critical juncture? Could the news have leaked somehow, and someone is targeting our Jun family?”