Imperial Scepter

As dawn broke, Gao Chun practiced his boxing in his own courtyard.

Elbow strikes are powerful, punches are swift, and side kicks are sharp; a set of fighting techniques is executed with great flair.

He thought to himself that the power of his fists and elbows would surely increase greatly if he attached his Xuan Qi to them, but as soon as he condensed the Xuan Qi, it immediately dissipated.

The courtyard wasn't protected, and if it got damaged, it would cost a lot of Xuanjing (mystic crystals) to repair, which he couldn't bear to waste.

The greedy nature is ingrained in their bones; even self-cultivation requires first calculating economic gains.

Today, officials from Jiuyang Town are coming to inspect the village, and the entire Gaojia Village has to get busy.

My father, Gao Changhe, is the village head. He has to take the lead in everything, big or small. My sister and brother-in-law are also called on to help with receptions. They have no free time at all.

Early in the morning, my sister brought her little niece Gao Chengyao over. Before she even entered the door, her soft, sweet voice rang out.

The repeated calls of "Uncle" abruptly ended Gao Chun's cultivation plan. He stopped, stood still, and immediately put on a smile.

He couldn't afford to offend his older sister's domineering nature, so he could only reluctantly take on the task of caring for the baby. He tried every trick in the book to make little Yao Yao smile, but in his heart, he was planning his afternoon's cultivation schedule.

I made it through the morning and finished taking care of the kids.

Gao Chun cooked two bowls of black chicken fried rice, and Xiao Yaoyao and I had a quick lunch.

He planned to go to the training ground in Gaojia Village to release his profound energy for cultivation.

Just then.

Familiar footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, steady and powerful, followed by two unfamiliar figures, one light and one heavy.

Gao Changhe led in a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, who looked refined, and a little boy.

The man had a gentle demeanor and was well-dressed; he was clearly no ordinary person.

Gao Changhe shouted to Gao Chun, "Quickly greet Uncle Chen! This is Director Chen from the town's Finance and Taxation Department, Dad's close friend. He's here to inspect our village today!"

Director of the Finance and Taxation Department! A high-ranking official in charge of all the town's money, grain, and crystals!

Gao Chun's eyes instantly lit up as if he had seen a pile of mysterious crystals, and his mind raced with calculations.

His social skills instantly kicked in; he rushed forward, bowed deeply, and spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone.

"Uncle Chen, welcome to Gaojia Village! You're in charge of the town's finances and taxes, so please take good care of our village. From now on, we'll handle any tasks assigned by the town perfectly, and we won't let you worry about them!"

Director Chen's eyes lit up at these words, and he was full of approval, stroking his beard and nodding repeatedly.

I've long heard that Gao Chun is eloquent and quick-witted, and now that he has given birth to a three-colored Dao Seed, his future is sure to be limitless.

My child is very lively and needs a reliable playmate. I should spend more time with him in the future and build a good relationship with him.

then.

Director Chen stepped forward, smiling as he ruffled Gao Chun's hair.

His tone was friendly: "Little Chunzi is such a good girl. Uncle used to hold you when you were little. You've grown so much in the blink of an eye. How old are you this year?"

Gao Chun was overjoyed to hear those words.

However, he didn't show it on his face at all, and immediately put on a shy smile.

She replied softly, "Uncle Chen, what a coincidence! I just turned nine yesterday, and my three-colored Dao Seed was born not long ago."

He specifically mentioned the three-colored Dao Seed, which was neither ostentatious nor lacking in talent, and made Director Chen value this relationship even more.

Director Chen was taken aback at first.

He immediately realized what was happening, and couldn't help but chuckle, his eyes full of amusement.

This child is clever; he's subtly and overtly trying to get a gift, which suits his taste perfectly.

He wasn't stingy at all. As the Director of the Finance and Taxation Department, how could he lack such a small thing? Making a good relationship was far more valuable than these gifts.

He immediately took out several dazzling magical artifacts and a handful of lustrous magical crystals from the storage bag at his waist and handed them all to Gao Chun.

"A small gift to celebrate your birthday and to congratulate you on condensing the three-colored Dao Seed. Cultivate diligently."

"Thank you, Uncle Chen! I wish you good health, all the best, a successful career, and abundant wealth!"

Gao Chun took the gift with a smile on his face and hurriedly stuffed it into his storage bag, covering it tightly.

The sweet blessings came one after another, sincere and heartfelt. Gao Changhe looked at her with a wry smile, but he didn't say anything.

This favor was well worth it; it was more effective than him making ten trips to town.

Director Chen smiled even more broadly as he looked at Gao Chun's adorable appearance.

Pointing to the little boy beside him, he introduced, "This is my son, Chen Hongyou. He's a year younger than you. You're about the same age, so you should spend more time together and get closer. When you turn sixteen, you can go to the town's education office together and be classmates."

Gao Changhe saw through his thoughts at a glance; he wanted the two children to get along well and strengthen the bond between the two families.

Immediately, he decided to go all the way and said to Gao Chun, "Xiao Chun, you'll be taking care of Hongyou this afternoon. Show her around properly."

Gao Chun's heart skipped a beat, and the thought of cultivation that had just popped up was instantly extinguished by half.

Has the cultivation plan fallen through again?

He felt regretful, but he immediately started making plans.

"He who takes a man's gift is bound to be grateful. He accepted such a generous gift from Director Chen, who is also a high-ranking official in charge of finance and taxation. Such a powerful connection is hard to come by, so naturally he must maintain it well."

Isn't it just taking care of children?

They'll take the same care when we go to the training ground!

immediately.

A warmer smile spread across his face.

He reached out and took Chen Hongyou's hand, his tone affectionate: "Little Hongyou, come on, let's go to the training field, it's so much fun there!"

"Dad, Uncle Chen, I'll take Hongyou out to play! I promise I'll take good care of little Hongyou!"

Gao Chun called out, and before the two could respond, he took Chen Hongyou's hand and led Xiao Yaoyao outside.

Their steps were hurried, as if they were afraid that being a step too late would cause further complications.

They had just left the adults' sight and walked out of the Gao family's courtyard.

Chen Hongyou's talkative nature completely erupted, and he couldn't stop talking.

Her little mouth chattered incessantly, bombarding her with questions like a machine gun, never stopping for a moment, as if she wanted to ask about every single thing that piqued her curiosity.

"Gao Chun, what color Dao Seed did you give birth to? Is it particularly powerful? Were there any unusual phenomena when your Dao Seed was born?"

"Gao Chun, have you become a Xuan Master now? Can a Xuan Master kill a Xuan Beast with a single punch?"

"Gao Chun, how do you country kids usually play? Do you run around in the mountains every day, catching wild rabbits and picking wild fruits?"

"Oh my... this little girl is so cute, with such round eyes. Can I hold her? I'll be gentle, I promise I won't hurt her!"

"Gao Chun, how big is your village's training ground? Does it have a stabilizing formation? How does it differ from the training ground in town?"

As he asked, he moved closer to Yao Yao and gently pinched her little cheeks. His movements were so gentle that Yao Yao giggled and hopped around on her little legs.

"Gao Chun, Yao Yao has such a beautiful smile. How old is she? What does she like to eat?"

"Gao Chun, did you have a master to teach you when you were cultivating? Or did you figure it out on your own? Do you have any cultivation secrets?"

"Gao Chun, how do you usually earn Xuan Crystals? Your village is near the Southern Wilderness Forest, do you hunt Xuan Beasts there? Are Xuan Beast pelts particularly valuable?"

Gao Chun answered patiently throughout, and even though his ears were almost calloused from all the questions, he showed no sign of impatience.

Emotional intelligence was consistently high throughout.

He secretly observed that although Chen Hongyou was the son of a director, he was not spoiled at all. He was just a bit talkative, but his personality was pleasing and he was someone worth befriending.

After all, getting in touch with the Secretary for Finance and Taxation would only benefit his family and Gaojia Village.

Moreover, he had received so many good things from them; if he served this young master Chen well, he would definitely make a profit.

Yao Yao was amused and her short legs moved quickly, walking in the middle like a little bundle of joy.

Gao Chun walked on the outside, protecting Yao Yao while dealing with Chen Hongyou's barrage of questions. His steps were steady and firm, but his mind was already making plans.

Once at the training ground, how should one release their profound energy for cultivation?

He neither neglected Chen Hongyou nor delayed his own cultivation, achieving two goals at once.

After all, cultivation is the foundation. Only with strength can one earn more money and protect one's own wealth.