Top-notch Little Horseman

Ye Chen raised his eyes slightly. He could tell that Yan Luo was very strong and a true master.

Even at my peak, my chances of beating him would be only fifty-fifty.

The Smoker took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yan Luo, and said, "Brother Yan, I never expected you to be begging for food at the Qian family mansion."

"We apologize for our intrusion today, as it was our fault as captain."

Yan Luo smiled at the smoker and slowly said, "Hard Qigong? You are indeed a master. No wonder you dared to break into the Qian residence."

Yan Luo acknowledged the Smoker's strength, then looked at Ye Chen with a somewhat complicated expression.

"Kid, you're so skinny, I didn't expect you to be such a fighter."

"Your fighting style is strange, ruthless, and vicious; you must have practiced killing techniques."

"But you're clearly very strong, so why is your body so weak? How did you cultivate?"

The smoker also wanted to ask this question, as it was rather unreasonable.

"With bones but no flesh, we can't get enough to eat, there's nothing we can do about it," Ye Chen said, shrugging.

"Hehe, you're quite interesting. Let's have a spar sometime." Yan Luo chuckled lightly, pressing down on the hilt of his sword with one hand, and turned to walk into the courtyard.

"The master wants to see you now, come with me."

Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally won his gamble. As long as he could meet Qian Wansan, he was confident he could persuade him.

Ye Chen followed Yan Luo toward the inner courtyard, and chuckled strangely as he passed by Steward Ye.

"Old man, now you really have to write your name backwards."

At this moment, Steward Ye dared not speak out in anger and could only lower his head in frustration. In the Qian family, no one could disobey the master's wishes.

Now, he only hopes that Ye Chen and the old man's negotiations will break down, so that he will have a chance to take revenge.

Ye Chen followed behind Yan Luo, touching the back of his head. This wound needed to be treated as soon as possible.

"Brother, do you have any spirits? And some water would be nice too. I need to get ready before I go see your boss." Ye Chen wanted to disinfect himself with alcohol first, otherwise getting infected would be troublesome.

Yan Luo glanced at Ye Chen, his gaze slightly narrowed, and pointed in a direction.

"Over here."

Ye Chen followed him to a bathhouse, a huge bathroom measuring ten feet in size.

Flower petals can be seen floating in the bath, and maids are waiting nearby.

"Wash yourself," Yan Luo said, turning and leaving. "Take care of it yourself."

After the maids tidied up the clean clothes and prepared the hot water, they turned and left.

Ye Chen didn't say anything, took off his clothes and jumped in, wanting to wash away the smell.

He disinfected it with strong liquor and then wrapped it in white gauze.

Looking at the thin Ye Chen, Smoker earnestly advised, "Captain, your body is too weak. You need to work on building up your physique."

"With a body like yours, you would surely die within half an hour on the battlefield."

Ye Chen nodded slightly and said, "You're right. After we finish dealing with this transaction, we'll begin the grueling training."

Time was of the essence, and he needed to first ensure his own safety before he could pursue other plans. The best way to achieve this was to first secure external assistance.

Ye Chen washed away his fatigue, changed into the clean clothes prepared by the Qian family, and walked out with the Smoker.

Yan Luo sat by the door, yawning, looking like she was about to fall asleep.

Impatient Yan Luo saw Ye Chen come out and immediately said, "Come with me."

As he spoke, he began to lead the way again, and Ye Chen and Smoker immediately followed, arriving together in front of a two-story building.

Qian Wansan lay on the second-floor windowsill, watching Ye Chen and the Smoker approach with a smile.

"You two fought beautifully. Have my useless guards offended me?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen looked up, touched the back of his head, made a pained expression, and then said with a serious face.

"Look what your lackey has done! I earn my living with my brains, you'd better pay for my medicine!"

"A horse herder from the horse camp? Squad leader Ye Chen, right?" Qian Wansan asked with a refined smile.

"I've brewed a pot of fine tea, please come in and have a seat."

Qian Wansan was somewhat different from what I had imagined. He wasn't the aloof and unapproachable type; instead, he seemed like a warm and hospitable scholar.

Ye Chen swaggered into the house and went up the stairs to the second floor.

Rich people are different; his entire second floor is over 400 square meters.

With windows on all four sides, a tea table, a dining room, a study, and even a stage for playing the guzheng (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument), its level of luxury can be described as top-notch.

Dressed in white, Qian Wansan, who looked like a refined scholar, sat upright in front of a large tea table carved from a huanghuali tree stump.

At this moment, the fragrant aroma of tea floats on the tea table; it is Biluochun from Dongting Lake.

Such precious tea is not something ordinary people can afford. For a servant like Ye Chen, being able to drink a sip of it would be worth dying for.

A sip of tea can be equivalent to a month's worth of food for an average person—something many people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

"Please sit down." Qian Wansan smiled slightly and gestured for him to sit.

Ye Chen brought the Smoker to Qian Wansan and sat down opposite him, enjoying the famous tea that the richest merchant in the Northern Territory had brewed for him.

The smoker sitting to the side seemed a little awkward, after all, he had never experienced such a scene before, and he didn't even dare to imagine it.

But now, as a horse herder, the lowest of the low in the North, he has the opportunity to sit opposite the most powerful merchant and even drink Biluochun tea worth hundreds of taels of silver.

Yan Luo held his treasured sword and leaned against a pillar. His relaxed demeanor completely lacked the composure expected of a master.

However, everyone present knew very well that if Ye Chen and the Tobacco Ghost made any improper moves, his knife would be faster than their actions.

Qian Wansan did not come from a distinguished background; he was merely a traveling merchant. During one of his trade trips, he was attacked by bandits, and he was the only one in his family to survive.

However, Qian Wansan was not overwhelmed. He rose to prominence step by step, eventually reaching the pinnacle and establishing a top-tier family business.

Then, he used the share redistribution system to firmly hold onto the family power.

In the Qian family, it could be said that his word was law, and his decisions were absolute.

Surprisingly, Qian Wansan, who was ruthless and cruel, was actually a refined, humorous, and unpretentious scholar.

"Young friend Ye, how old are you this year?" Qian Wansan picked up his teacup, gently swirled it, and asked softly.

"I am twenty-two years old this year. Because I couldn't pay my taxes, I was forcibly conscripted here to become a horse herder in the border army. Now I am a squad leader, and I have been doing this for three years."

Qian Wansan smiled slightly, looked up at Ye Chen, and placed the teacup in front of Ye Chen.

"I am twenty-six years old this year, a few years older than you, so I take advantage of you and act as your elder brother."

"It's dark now, so let's get straight to the point. I'll be frank with you."

Qian Wansan picked up his teacup, blew on it, and took a sip.

"You've come to my Qian residence claiming you have business to discuss. Now I'll give you a chance. Tell me what you have to say."