Chapter 105: The Peerless Young Master

“Hahaha…”
Xu Boqing laughed heartily at the sight.
Then, with the middle and index fingers of his right hand, he summoned a spiritual light and touched it to Zhao Xuanlang’s brow, whispering softly, “Behold this technique!”

Zhao Xuanlang’s body trembled, his gaze becoming unfocused as a series of images seemed to flash through his mind…

A beggar roaming the streets, begging for a few coins just to fill his stomach;
A poor scholar clutching his money tightly but unwilling to buy an oil lamp, having to steal light by drilling through the wall to read at night;
A destitute family quarreling over a few taels of silver;
Smoke curling from chimneys, countless lights glowing in every household…

So many things unfolded before him…

Yet, after transmitting the technique, Xu Boqing suddenly furrowed his brow, inexplicably gripped by a strange sense of dread, as if some great terror had set its sights upon him from the shadows!
He even faintly sensed an anger!

The strangest part was that this anger seemed to arise because he had just passed the technique to Zhao Xuanlang!

With an odd expression, he looked up. His mystical eye pierced through the flower boat’s pavilion, reaching the night sky, where dark clouds ominously gathered like the wrath of heaven…

And the fury was directed at him!

Before he could investigate further, the vision vanished as swiftly as it had appeared, leaving only a calm breeze and drifting clouds.

Xu Boqing withdrew his gaze, his brow still knit slightly…

Only to find a few young ladies gathering nearby—some shyly holding wine cups, others coquettishly pinching fruit.

His eyes flickered, and seeing the approaching girls, his expression softened. He welcomed them without hesitation—drink, eat, touch, and tease—causing the ladies to blush deeply…

Time passed unknowingly…

Zhao Xuanlang slowly awoke and glanced at the table. With newfound understanding, he reached out and brushed over the Tongbao coins and the few pieces of broken silver on the tray, noticing how the ‘worldly aura’ clinging to them was absorbed into his body.

From a young age, Zhao Xuanlang had been exceptionally intelligent. After taking charge of the Zhao family’s affairs, he thrived, traveling far and wide to gather potent elixirs and medicinal treasures, using wealth to force himself into the Innate Realm of martial arts.

Though his martial skills were somewhat lacking, his vision was far from ordinary!

A mere internal inspection revealed that, as the worldly aura dissolved into his being, a transformation akin to shedding a cicada’s shell was taking place inside him—

A rebirth!

This technique could transcend the mortal realm and ascend to immortality!

Zhao Xuanlang’s face showed astonishment. Regaining composure, he stifled the fiery sensation in his chest, bowed once more, and smiled: “Master Xu, all the young ladies on the flower boat are here. Is there one who has caught your eye?”

“…”

Seeing the ‘worldly aura’ accompanying Zhao Xuanlang, Xu Boqing realized the young man had indeed received a blessing…

But he paid little heed, turning his attention to the surrounding girls with a smile: “Each of the girls on this boat has her own specialty and charm. How am I to choose?”

The young ladies quieted instantly. Even the musicians stopped playing and mingled closer, each poised to be selected…

They all understood that after the wine and feasts, the final decision of who would stay and please the guest was imminent…

They could also see how much their master respected this esteemed visitor. Whoever was chosen to win his favor would surely rise in status…

Zhao Xuanlang chuckled, raising an eyebrow: “Master Xu, pick whichever you fancy. As long as your body can handle it, the more you choose, the greater their fortune.”

“Oh?”

Xu Boqing scanned the crowd and, spotting a timid young girl in the back who dared not meet anyone’s gaze, pointed at her and asked, “Young lady, how old are you?”

The girl flushed deeply but recalled her mother’s teachings and bravely lifted her head, replying with some trepidation, “I…I am fourteen…”

The other girls looked on with sorrow. Some of the more mature, voluptuous women were heartbroken that the guest had chosen such an unformed girl…

“Fourteen?”

Xu Boqing appeared momentarily distracted, then turned to Zhao Xuanlang: “She’s too young, not yet blossomed. Besides her, let the others remain.”

“…”

Silence fell over the pavilion.

The chosen girl looked somewhat bewildered, while the others brightened with joy.

Zhao Xuanlang, noticing there were over ten girls in the pavilion, twitched involuntarily and was about to caution them about their health.

But then he recalled that ‘Master Xu’ was an immortal who had fought many battles and possessed extraordinary methods, not to be judged by ordinary standards…

Snapping back to reality, he took the timid girl by the hand and exited the pavilion. As he closed the door, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Ladies, what are you waiting for? Show off your talents—sing, play, dance!”

“…”

Accompanied by phrases like “doom and gloom,” “don’t rush,” and “everyone gets a share,” he laughed warmly and shut the pavilion’s door…

Soon, cries of surprise echoed from within, mingled with exclamations such as, “Is this a thing of the mortal world?” and “A peerless young master!”—words not easily understood…

Unable to comprehend the commotion, Steward Zheng, who had just finished interrogating three assassins and was about to report back, saw his young master hesitating in front of the pavilion, appearing to eavesdrop but reluctant to proceed. He cleared his throat quietly…

“Cough, cough…”

“…”

Zhao Xuanlang snapped to attention, and after walking away, said earnestly, “I was worried Master Xu might not be accustomed to the atmosphere of our flower boat…”

“I understand, I understand…”

Steward Zheng smiled slightly, signaling his comprehension. Then he leaned closer and said seriously, “Young master, those three were assassins sent by the eldest son of the Lu family with a heavy reward.”

“I suspected as much…”

Zhao Xuanlang’s gaze darkened as he spoke softly, “The Lu family is wealthy, but for my eldest brother to hire three Innate Realm experts to assassinate me, he must have spared no expense. Uncle Zheng, do not let them die; when we return, I want to confront them before the clan elders!”

“Yes, sir!”

Steward Zheng nodded and glanced at the flower boat pavilion with a meaningful look, saying softly, “That young Master Xu…”

“Do not investigate, and do not ask!”

Zhao Xuanlang’s face hardened as he declared, “Master Xu is an immortal who plays with the world, both my teacher and friend, and a benefactor to me. We must not offend him by ignorance.”

“Phew… understood, understood…”

Upon hearing that his master was a ‘high immortal,’ Steward Zheng involuntarily sucked in a breath through his teeth. Then, recalling that his master called him ‘teacher and friend,’ his eyes widened in disbelief.

“Master… you… have obtained an immortal fate?”

“Shh…”

Zhao Xuanlang placed a finger to his lips, nodding slightly to signal silence before smiling: “There’s one more thing I need you to do.”

“Command me, young master!”

Steward Zheng’s aging face flushed with excitement upon learning of his master’s immortal fate. He said earnestly, “Even if these old bones must be laid to rest, I will help you fulfill this…”

“Not quite so dramatic…”

Zhao Xuanlang laughed and shook his head, asking, “What is the current exchange rate between silver taels and copper coins?”

“Exchange rate?”

Steward Zheng was momentarily startled, then frowned slightly: “The rates vary by region. Here in Daliang, one tael of silver can be exchanged for about seventy-seven to ninety copper coins. Other regions fluctuate within this range, not differing too much.”

“Seventy-seven to ninety…”

Zhao Xuanlang’s gaze sharpened as he pondered for a moment before saying, “Notify all branches of the Lu family business under my management: the exchange rate for silver taels to Tongbao coins will be fixed at one to a hundred, with no upper limit—accept all exchanges available!”

“This…”

Steward Zheng hesitated, “Young master, you have plenty of Tongbao coins in your various branches. Why the need for external exchange? And at such a rate, you’ll be losing twenty percent immediately!”

“Heh~ losing just twenty percent~”

Zhao Xuanlang smiled mysteriously. He knew his family’s vast wealth made twenty percent seem small, but in reality, it was a staggering sum. Yet compared to the immortal fate he had received, such sums were trivial.

Then, with a knowing look, he said, “Uncle Zheng, you’ve been with me many years. When have I ever done a losing business?”

“…”

Steward Zheng was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on.

“Oh~~~ it’s immortal…”

He was about to say ‘for the sake of immortal fate,’ but then seemed to reconsider. Before he could speak further, he covered his mouth, nodding vigorously and whispering, “Leave this to me!”

“Hahaha…”

Zhao Xuanlang laughed heartily, full of vigor: “When a fortune is spent, it will be regained. Since we’ve already lost twenty percent, let’s allocate another twenty percent for disaster relief and aid to the people…

Let the Zhao family see the foundation I’ve built over the years!”

“Yes, sir!”