At the end of the year, the Fang Family’s Inner Hall was exceptionally boisterous due to the annual re-testing at the Martial Arts Stele.

The courtyard was packed, with all the Inner Hall Descendants gathered. Every gaze was fixed on the towering jade Martial Arts Stele.

However, when a figure in green robes slowly approached the Martial Arts Stele, all the noisy chatter simultaneously died down, replaced by a near-breathless silence.

And that figure was Fang Han.

In the Fang Family’s Inner Hall, his name had already become a legend.

In just one year since entering the Inner Hall, he had crushed Lin Ao, once the top talent of Liangshui City’s younger generation, and defeated Xiao Chen, a prodigy from Celestial Wind City, to become the undisputed number one of Liangshui City’s new generation.

To the Inner Hall Descendants, who had never left Liangshui City and had limited experience, such achievements were nothing short of legendary.

Long accustomed to the searing gazes around him—a mixture of awe, admiration, and curiosity—Fang Han acted as if he didn’t notice, his expression as calm as the depths of an old well.

He extended a finger and wrote two words on the stele’s cold surface: "Fang Han."

He took a practice Fine Iron Sword from the weapon rack. The next moment, the flash of his sword was like a streak of green lightning splitting the sky.

He didn’t use the nascent strand of Inner Qi in his Dantian, which possessed terrifying destructive power. He only used the strength of the Late Stage Bone Refining Limit, because that was more than enough.

"HUMMM—!"

The Jade Stele suddenly erupted with a dazzling, brilliant light. The humming sound was deep and resonant, shaking one’s very soul.

The light swirled for a long time before finally subsiding.

After glancing at the display showing his number one rank, Fang Han stepped aside to wait for the other disciples to be tested.

After him, Fang Hong, Fang Xue, and the others stepped forward one by one in order to test their Power of Attack. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

As expected, neither Fang Hong nor Fang Xue could surpass his rank, even though he hadn’t used his full strength.

"Number one is Chief Fang Han, as expected!"

"Of course! Chief Fang Han is now the publicly acknowledged number one of Liangshui City’s younger generation. It’s only natural he’d take first place!"

"The power of that sword strike was terrifying! Compared to the last test, Chief Fang Han’s strength has clearly improved immensely!"

"Could Chief Fang Han have already reached the Late Stage Bone Refining Limit?"

The crowd of Inner Hall Descendants, especially the newer ones, looked at Fang Han with gazes full of fervent admiration and longing.

Soon, all the Inner Hall Descendants had finished their tests, and Fang Han, naturally, remained firmly in first place.

Elder Fang Yuan looked at Fang Han with satisfaction. He summoned two servants, who presented Fang Han with the first-place prize from the Martial Arts Stele—five hundred taels of silver.

...

Inside Tingyu Pavilion, Fang Han had just placed the wooden box containing the five hundred taels of silver on the table when he heard the faint sound of footsteps from the courtyard.

"Young Master."

A Maid stood outside the door, reporting softly.

"There is a visitor in the front hall."

"A visitor? I see."

Fang Han raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.

When he arrived at the front hall, he saw the visitor. It was none other than Xia Kang, the current master of the Qingwu Tea Garden.

"Young Master Fang Han, I apologize for the intrusion. I hope you’ll forgive me!"

Xia Kang did not sit. He stood respectfully in the hall, and on a nearby table were several gift boxes tied with red silk and a rather heavy-looking wooden chest.

As soon as he saw Fang Han enter, his face broke into an enthusiastic yet slightly reserved smile. He quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Master Xia, there’s no need for such formalities. Please, have a seat."

Fang Han gestured with his hand, his gaze sweeping over the gift boxes and the wooden chest.

"Master Xia, what brings you here?"

"Thanks to your good fortune, Young Master Fang Han, the tea garden’s year-end accounts showed a considerable profit. This humble one thought that since the new year is almost upon us, I would bring this month’s dividend over in advance."

"I also prepared some new year’s gifts to show my sincerity and wish you a happy new year in advance. May your Martial Dao flourish and your status rise ever higher in the coming year!"

Xia Kang said hurriedly.

As he spoke, he first presented the heavy wooden chest with both hands, then pointed to the several exquisitely wrapped gift boxes.

Fang Han took the wooden chest. It felt heavy in his hands. He weighed it slightly and knew the amount was likely more, not less, than last month’s.

He opened it and saw that it was indeed so. Inside were twenty-eight ingots of snowflake silver, each weighing ten taels, for a total of two hundred and eighty taels.

Looking at the new year’s gifts, they were all exquisitely packaged pastries, dried goods, and even two boxes of high-grade tea leaves. They were clearly not cheap. If converted into silver coins, they were probably worth several dozen taels.

’This Xia Kang really knows how to handle people. He’s quite shrewd.’

’In my past life, in front of someone like him who could be called a "big boss," I always felt inferior, and was always cautious and reserved.’

’But in this life, even someone who could be called a big boss is incredibly cautious and reserved in front of me.’

At that moment, Fang Han deeply felt the difference between his current status and that of his past life.

"You’ve been very thoughtful, Master Xia."

Fang Han nodded slightly, quite satisfied.

"It’s my duty, my duty! To be able to work for you, Young Master Han, is this humble one’s blessing. Please don’t worry about the tea garden. I will certainly do my utmost and not dare to slack off in the slightest!"

Seeing Fang Han accept the items, the smile on Xia Kang’s face grew even wider, as if he had just taken a calming pill. He spoke repeatedly.

He carefully added a few more auspicious phrases, but seeing that Fang Han had no intention of chatting further, he tactfully took his leave.

Fang Han had the Maid put away the new year’s gifts to be used when visiting relatives and friends during the festival, while he himself carried the chest of silver coins back to his room.

Closing the door, he opened the wooden box from his year-end reward and the wooden chest from Xia Kang.

The two boxes together held a full seven hundred and eighty taels of silver.

"System Panel."

Fang Han called out to the system, and a translucent panel appeared in his vision.

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 8x (Level 4 Amplification requires 10,000 silver)]

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 8x (Level 4 Amplification requires 10,000 silver)]

[Stepping Talent Amplification: 8x (Level 4 Amplification requires 10,000 silver)]

[Wealth: 52 silver]

"Deposit."

With a thought, the pile of snowflake silver before him vanished without a trace. The number on the panel flickered and then settled.

[Wealth: 832 silver]

’832 taels...’

Fang Han muttered the number under his breath.

He was only 168 taels short of a thousand. In the past, he would have been filled with anticipation, eager to save up a thousand taels to unlock the next level of Talent Amplification.

Now, however, it was difficult to stir any emotion in him, because the subsequent amplification for his three Talents couldn’t be achieved with a thousand taels. It required a full ten thousand.

’Ten thousand taels of silver!’

This was an enormous sum, enough to cripple many of the small and medium-sized families in Liangshui City.

Relying solely on his monthly stipend from the Fang Family and the dividends from the tea garden, who knows how long it would take to save up ten thousand taels.

’As for robbing someone... with my Cultivation at the initial Inner Qi Realm, I don’t have that kind of strength.’

’Borrowing from the family? I’d need a reason.’

’Without a suitable reason, even if the family values me highly, they would never lend me such a huge sum of money.’

’And the reason—to feed the system—is something I can’t tell the family. I can’t even let them become suspicious.’

’In the face of absolute benefit, even kinship is no guarantee of safety.’

"The Seven Sects..."

Fang Han’s gaze grew deep and sharp, as if it could pierce through the roof and see into the wider world beyond.

Only by joining such a transcendent power and gaining access to resources and a platform far beyond anything Liangshui City could offer could he satisfy the system’s increasingly terrifying "appetite" and continue his meteoric rise on the path of the Martial Dao.

His desire for the Qingxuan Sect’s disciple recruitment on the second day of the second month next year grew even more fervent and resolute.

...

The night was as black as ink. Liangshui City was like a slumbering behemoth, silent in the biting cold of winter.

At the Lin Mansion, a cloaked figure, almost one with the shadows, slipped silently through the back gate like a phantom.

They were extremely familiar with the complex network of paths and soon arrived outside a study.

"KNOCK, KNOCK KNOCK—"

The cloaked figure bent a finger and tapped on the door with a strange, fixed rhythm. The sound was exceptionally clear in the silent corridor.

"Enter."

A deep and authoritative voice, seemingly carrying tangible weight, came from within.

The cloaked figure pushed the door open and entered, closing it silently behind them.

Inside the study, a middle-aged man sat behind a wide desk.

His features were stern, and he possessed a natural authority. The heavy aura of someone long accustomed to a high position emanated from him. It was none other than the Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Yaotian.