In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Not only are there waterfalls cascading down here, but there is also a rare meteorite crater.

The reason why the Dragon-Subduing Wood took root here is because the special magnetic field generated by the meteorite crater fostered the growth of mutated Dragon-Subduing Ironwood.

Zhang Xiaoshan also delivered the extraterrestrial meteorite iron to a master swordsmith. Judging by the time, after leaving the valley this time, Zhang Xiaoshan will be able to obtain a peerless divine weapon.

However, he didn't want to forge a sword, but rather to make a three-foot-long spear blade specifically for himself.

It can be used as a short sword under normal circumstances, but when placed on the Dragon-Subduing Wood, it becomes a spear that is thirteen or fourteen feet long.

Every inch is longer and every inch is stronger!

No matter how strong the swordsmanship, a single sweeping thrust can defeat all enemies.

Especially when combined with the Dragon-Subduing Wood infused with true Qi, it becomes invincible and domineering.

"Hongxiao, Xue'er, get ready, we're leaving here tomorrow."

The young man looked around at the sheer cliffs, hundreds of feet high, shrouded in mist and clouds, with no end in sight.

Even so, Zhang Xiaoshan would return home once a year, not only to arrange the family's business and assets, but also to accumulate merit for himself.

The reason why Zhang Xiaoshan has accumulated so much merit over the past five years is due to these family businesses.

First, as the Zhang family's business continued to expand, they recruited a large number of homeless people and the poor who were forced by life's hardships, giving them a quiet and stable life and job.

Moreover, the Zhang family also runs many 'industrial' workshops, and except for absolutely core secrets, the general technology is open to the public.

Secondly, they provided relief by distributing porridge and building private schools.

This is truly a meritorious deed!

Therefore, Zen Master Xianxia also acted as a go-between for the Zhang family, inviting several masters from the Southern Shaolin Temple to serve as their guards.

The price was that the Zhang family had to donate a thousand taels of gold to the Southern Shaolin Temple every year.

However, it was not used to create a golden statue of Buddha, but rather for disaster relief.

Northern Shaolin Temple is the ancestral home of Zen Buddhism and is very wealthy.

The Southern Shaolin Temple was highly respected in the south for suppressing Japanese pirates and other pirates, and it never lacked worshippers.

The annual rental fee of a thousand taels of gold was also a test for the Zhang family.

After all, the Zhang family did not invite an ordinary expert, but the head of the Arhat Hall, one of the Eighteen Bronze Arhats!

Of course, these are all monks who have violated the precepts.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to rent out a Shaolin master of the highest rank.

···

"Uncle Yang, I heard that the young master isn't leaving again this time. Is that true?"

"Who said that? Don't ask about such things. We servants should never go around asking about our masters' affairs, or we won't even know how we died."

This time, the Zhang family made a big show of their operation outside Lin'an.

A dozen or so servants, led by the old steward Uncle Yang, awaited the young man's triumphant return.

A bold servant, looking curious, asked the old steward a question, only to be met with a sharp rebuke from the old steward.

Grand mansions are often filthy; to inquire about the owner's secrets is suicidal.

Even though the Zhang family doesn't have much gossip because it only has one son per generation.

But this habit is a path to death.

"Master!"

As the carriage slowly approached, everyone quickly bowed in greeting.

At this moment, the old steward looked at the young man who walked out of the carriage. After not seeing him for a year, the young man's skin had become much whiter as he had achieved success in his physical training and stepped into the Innate Realm.

Previously, his bronze skin exuded a masculine and rugged charm, but now, through the giant bell space, the young man has absorbed the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cleanse his marrow and bones, and his skin is as white and smooth as mutton fat, which would probably make the young ladies of the prominent families in Lin'an Prefecture extremely envious.

The maids following closely behind were even more slender and stunningly beautiful.

The servants and passersby were all captivated by the two women's charm until they entered the luxurious carriage for their transfer, at which point they gradually came to their senses.

The emperor's harem was filled with beauties of unparalleled grace, and from then on, he neglected his morning court duties!

"Uncle Yang, when is Dad coming back?"

"Master is currently within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, north of Longjiang. It will probably take another month before he can return."

"Is that so? Let's go back to the manor first."

In recent years, the Zhang family's business has expanded explosively, and Zhang Yuan spends at least nine months a year away from home.

Zhang Xiaoshan boarded his luxurious car, where a couch adorned with brocade fox fur, an incense table made of old sandalwood, and imperial porcelain from the imperial kiln...

At this moment, Hongxiao and Jiangxue were helping the young man tidy up his clothes, which he would need to change into later.

···

"Uncle, whose carriage is that? What a grand display!"

On the second floor of Zuiyue Tower, a delicate young woman in a wheelchair looked at the luxurious carriages slowly passing by below, and a solemn expression appeared on her pretty face.

"The Zhang family of Lin'an!"

The Zhang family were wealthy merchants in Lin'an Prefecture. Especially in recent years, their businesses had spread throughout the country, making them incredibly rich.

This carriage is a symbol of the Zhang family's direct lineage; it must belong to one of the Zhang family's most mysterious young masters.

What? Did you notice something?

"There are four top-notch martial arts masters around, and two top-level guards; there are also two maids with considerable auras inside the carriage, one of whom is unfathomable and may be no less powerful than Uncle Shi."

"Is it?"

Zhuge Zhengwo narrowed his eyes, not showing much surprise.

At this point, with the wealth accumulated by the Zhang family and the lineage passed down to a single heir, it wouldn't be excessive for Master Zhang to hire as many experts as possible to protect this heir.

Moreover, all the experts recruited by the Zhang family in recent years are on their records.

For example, five of the previous eighteen Arhats of the Southern Shaolin Temple had all mastered external martial arts, making their bodies impervious to swords and spears, and their external martial arts had reached their peak.

Zhuge Zheng knows that there are two top-tier masters among them who are insensitive to emotions.

Inside the carriage, as the boy relentlessly probed, he sensed someone watching him.

The high-tech features on the carriage, seemingly decorative jewels, could actually provide a 360-degree view of the surroundings. As a result, when the boy looked up, he saw the prying eyes of an old man and a young man.

'Having just entered the city, I was immediately targeted by the Divine Marquis's Mansion. Was it intentional or a coincidence?'

Although Zhang Xiaoshan had never met Zhuge Zhengwo, he knew the experts in Lin'an Prefecture like the back of his hand.

With such a combination, he could guess the outcome with a little thought.

With his eyes closed in deep thought, Zhang Xiaoshan thought about the Ghost Street business under his management.

If there's anything about the Zhang family that warrants the attention of the Divine Marquis's Mansion, it's the shady Ghost Street.

A dark place beneath the light.

With the rapid development of tomb raiding in recent years, logistics have long since moved beyond black market transactions.

Three years ago, Lei Laowu joined forces with several major forces in the black market to establish Ghost Street, and Zhang Xiaoshan would appear once a year as the big boss of Ghost Street.

Of course, most of the people on Ghost Street were unaware of Zhang Xiaoshan's identity.

People's hearts are fickle, so Zhang Xiaoshan was always extra careful.

Even among the tomb raiders, apart from Lei Laowu, who was promoted to Lieutenant General of Tomb Raiders, most people were unaware of Zhang Xiaoshan's existence.

Regardless of the division of stolen goods or special treatment, Zhang Xiaoshan remains the core of the entire team.

After all, a group of tomb raiders could easily earn tens of thousands of taels of silver a year if they did it themselves.

Lacking marketing skills and being pressured to lower prices when dealing with stolen goods, an antique worth a thousand gold pieces might only fetch a hundred or eighty taels at most.

But with the logistical support provided by Zhang Xiaoshan, the tomb raiders who used to earn only ten or twenty thousand taels a year now receive more than ten thousand taels in commission.

Most importantly, Zhang Xiaoshan resolved their worries.

Grave robbing is considered immoral.

If the family had a legitimate business, who would be willing to do something that could cost them their life?

Zhang Xiaoshan then resolved this worry for them.

Besides the successors they hoped for, their families, under Zhang Xiaoshan's secret arrangements, quietly became major landowners in the area, and also owned multiple shops in the county town.

Even if they want to quit, the boy won't make things difficult for them or do anything to silence them.

Instead, they were assigned to logistics (Ghost Street) work to continue serving the community.

Once you enter the world of martial arts, it's like falling into a deep sea!

Withdrawal is out of the question; logistics is their only way out.

After all, once their identities are exposed, they face the death penalty, an unforgivable crime, and their families will certainly be implicated.

Therefore, although the boy has been living in seclusion in the mountains for the past five years, he has a powerful force composed of outlaws.

The wealth accumulated through tomb raiding was kept secret; Zhang Xiaoshan used it all to develop his underground forces.

Chapter Four: Zhuge Zhengwo Breaks Principles

"Master!"

Upon returning to the Zhang residence, Zhang Xiaoshan first took a sauna and then had a large sword made.

The Zhang family's conditions included all the necessary infrastructure.

The two women, especially Hongxiao, were very skilled at this, and dressed in thin gauze, they massaged and rubbed Zhang Xiaoshan.

Compared to the ascetic practices in the valley, the Zhang family lived a life of extravagance, where "the emperor neglected his duties" and "the rich feasted on wine and meat."

Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan never suppressed himself, nor did he feel the need to become a saintly figure.

Just like a game, you progress through levels and enjoy freedom at will.

Merit is the experience gained in the game; you accumulate it little by little, level up, and become the strongest in this world.

"Uncle Yang, what's the grain price like in Lin'an Prefecture lately?"

The head steward is not only the steward of the Zhang family, but also the head manager of Lin'an Prefecture.

Previously, the head manager was Zhang Yuan, but with the rapid expansion of the Zhang family business, Zhang Xiaoshan proposed a new management model:

Within the Song Dynasty, each prefecture had three chief stewards who had the power to make decisions, execute plans, and supervise operations.

Moreover, each head manager is a business prodigy handpicked by thousands, receiving 3% of the profits from the shops under their jurisdiction each year, with additional commissions of 1% to 3% for those who perform well.

Therefore, Uncle Yang, as the steward, received more than 10,000 taels of silver in dividends in just the last two years.

After all, the business in Lin'an Prefecture was incredibly lucrative.

"Young Master is incredibly insightful. As expected, the continuous torrential rains in the south this year have caused disasters in many areas. Even if we sell the grain we have stockpiled at a fair price, we can still make a fortune."

Uncle Yang smiled, for no businessman is without guile.

In the face of disaster, people should unite as one, but for businessmen, it is an opportunity to make a fortune.

The social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with merchants holding a low social status, was not solely due to resentment towards the wealthy.

Like the old butler, Uncle Yang, who was usually kind and approachable, but at this moment, instead of feeling sorry for others, he was all smiles.

Because of the disaster in the south, the grain they stockpiled was worth far more than a few cents.

Instead, it's several times, even ten times, the profit!

"What the Zhang family lacks now is not money, but prestige."

Uncle Yang, give the order to transport the stockpiled grain to the disaster area, using methods such as spreading sand to make porridge and providing work relief to help them through this difficult time.

"Young Master, isn't this loss too great?"

The old steward frowned. He didn't object to the Zhang family's charitable acts, but donating all the stockpiled grain would result in losses far exceeding ten thousand taels.

You should know that even if they sell at a 'flat price', they still make a fortune.

Unscrupulous merchants could easily take advantage of the disaster to raise the price of grain several times higher than the originally set 'flat price'.