The main courtyard of the Jiang residence, usually a place of quiet, ordered diligence or, more often, solitary, resentful contemplation for its exiled young master, was now buzzing with an unprecedented, palpable, nervous energy. Under the warm, descending gaze of the mid-afternoon sun, which cast long, sharp shadows from the elegantly curved eaves, nearly three dozen servants stood assembled in anxious, shuffling rows.
They were arranged roughly by perceived rank, a microcosm of the estate's hierarchy: the few household guards, clad in worn but functional leather armor, stood stiffly near the front, their faces impassive but their eyes darting nervously towards the main hall; behind them, the cooks and cleaners fidgeted in their aprons and simple tunics, wiping sweaty palms on their clothes; and further back still, the gardeners, grooms, and errand boys like young Xiao Liu shifted their weight from foot to foot, their faces a volatile mixture of ingrained fear, bewildered confusion, and perhaps a spark of morbid curiosity about what fresh madness had gripped the notoriously temperamental Young Master now. Why had they all been summoned so urgently, pulled away from their duties with such immediacy? The very air itself felt thick, heavy with their collective apprehension, a tangible humidity mingling with the familiar scents of the courtyard garden – damp earth from the recently watered flowerbeds, the sweet perfume of blooming jasmine climbing a nearby trellis, the faint ammonia tang from the meticulously kept carp pond – and overlaid with the less pleasant, sharp underlying aroma of human sweat born from pure nervousness.
Adding immeasurably to the strangeness, the sheer wrongness of the scene, were the props I'd had strategically placed around the stone paving earlier: twenty large, sturdy wooden chests. They were utterly plain, unadorned dark wood bound with simple iron strips, looking like they might hold bulk shipments of grain, bolts of cloth, or perhaps even dowry items from some distant, half-forgotten relative. Their presence was entirely unexplained, starkly utilitarian amidst the courtyard's restrained elegance, adding a layer of bizarre, almost threatening mystery to the assembly.
Xiao Liu, the young servant boy I'd tasked with the gathering, stood near the front now, practically vibrating with importance, his face flushed with a mixture of pride at fulfilling his duty so quickly and sheer terror at what might happen next. He kept glancing towards the main hall entrance, then quickly down at his worn sandals, clutching the single gold coin I'd given him earlier inside his tunic as if it were a talisman against ill fortune.
Even Lin Ruolan, standing discreetly off to one side near the steps, a pillar of forced composure amidst the palpable unease, couldn't entirely hide her own disquiet. Her face was a carefully neutral mask, her Stage Six Qi Gathering aura retracted and smooth as polished jade, but the slight, almost imperceptible tension in her shoulders, the way her gaze kept darting towards the enigmatic chests, betrayed her internal apprehension. She, too, had absolutely no idea what I was planning, and, judging by her expression, she suspected it involved some new form of humiliating extravagance or volatile outburst.
Well, it's time to hit them with Shock and Awe!
I made my grand entrance.
Stepping out from the cool, shadowed archway of the main hall into the bright, direct sunlight of the courtyard felt exactly like stepping onto center stage, the world narrowing to this single, focused moment. The ridiculously ostentatious robes I wore – nearly blinding crimson silk interwoven with thick, glittering gold thread that formed nine writhing, incredibly detailed celestial dragons coiling around my body – seemed to drink the afternoon light, blazing with an almost offensive brilliance that made several servants physically recoil. Numerous heavy jade pendants, carved into snarling, vaguely menacing mythical beasts, thumped rhythmically against my chest with each deliberate step, a percussive beat accompanying my arrival. Upon my fingers, the large, crudely cut gemstones set in heavy gold rings – gifts from the Su family, apparently meant to either impress or, more likely, embarrass me – flashed emerald, ruby, and sapphire fire, scattering fractured rainbows across the paving stones and the servants' stunned faces. It was the absolute pinnacle of vulgar, nouveau riche taste, a cacophony of wealth signaling lacking any hint of genuine refinement, something the original Jiang Li, for all his flaws in taste, had rightly deemed to be too much.
But for Leo Maxwell, the actor? It was the perfect costume. The perfect statement for the role I needed to play now: the eccentric, perhaps slightly unhinged, but immensely talented young master blessed by impossible fortune and irrevocably changed by a near-death epiphany.
I moved with the newfound confidence and undeniably smooth Qi circulation of my brand new Stage Four cultivation, letting the power subtly radiate outwards – not aggressively, but as an undeniable presence, projecting an aura that was both undeniably stronger than the weak signature they would have remembered and intentionally, making me seem unsettlingly unpredictable.
I paused dramatically at the top of the short flight of stone steps leading down into the courtyard, deliberately taking a moment to survey the assembled staff, my gaze sweeping slowly, deliberately, over their nervous, upturned faces, lingering here and there, letting the silence stretch, build, thicken with anticipation and a rising tide of fear. A faint, enigmatic, perhaps slightly mad smile played on my lips.
Let them fear.
Let them wonder.
Let them believe something profound was about to happen.
Finally, I descended the steps, the heavy silk robes whispering around me like living things, the jewels flashing with every movement. I stopped in the precise center of the courtyard, positioning myself amidst the scattered, mysterious chests, and turned slowly to face them all. Taking a deep, deliberate breath, feeling the power gather within me, I subtly infused my voice with Qi, not just to project, but to add a resonant, almost hypnotic quality to my voice, letting it ring out clearly, reaching every corner of the courtyard, commanding their absolute attention.
"Servants of the Jiang household!"
My voice was loud, theatrical, filled with a booming confidence that startled several of the mortals near the back, making them jump.
"You gather here today wondering, perhaps fearing, the reason for this sudden assembly." I paused again, letting my gaze sweep across them, meeting eyes briefly, forcing them to acknowledge my presence, my authority.
"I know," I continued, my tone shifting slightly, becoming almost confiding, drawing them in, yet still projecting clearly, "that serving under the 'previous' me," – I made a subtle, dismissive gesture indicating myself, acknowledging the past persona without apology – "was… trying!"
A ripple of nervous agreement, quickly suppressed, went through the crowd like wind through dry grass. Shoulders hunched. Eyes dropped. Some servants flinched visibly, likely expecting a sudden accusation or punishment for some imagined slight remembered from the original Jiang Li's reign of petty terror.
"Your diligence and loyalty," I continued, my voice softening slightly, adopting a tone of magnanimous understanding, "in the face of… adversity," – I chose the word carefully, letting it validate their past suffering – "your continued service despite… difficulties… has been noted!"
I let that hang in the air, letting the implications sink in.
"Noted" by whom? By the heavens? By the family? By me, the supposedly clueless Young Master?
Then, abruptly, I changed tone again, my face breaking into a wide, almost manic beam of enthusiasm, radiating energy.
"But things are different now! Very different! This Young Master," – I thumped my chest lightly with a bejeweled fist, the jade pendants clicking loudly – "has had… an epiphany! A revelation! A breakthrough, brought on by a brush with the ethereal void itself!"
I had no clue what the hells the "ethereal void" was – but it was exactly the kind of melodramatic bullshit that should work here! My vagueness was intentional, hinting at profound, mystical experiences far beyond their comprehension, adding to the mystery of my transformation.
"And my good fortune," I declared, spreading my hands wide, gesturing to encompass the entire courtyard, the chests, the servants themselves, my voice filled with infectious joy, "shall be your good fortune!"
Confusion warred openly with disbelief on their faces now. They stared at me as if I'd sprouted a second head. What was I talking about? Good fortune? For Them?
"From this day forward," I proclaimed, my voice rising again, taking on a tone of absolute, unwavering conviction, the Qi infusion making it resonate deep in their bones, "hear this, and know it to be true! No servant of the Jiang family, living under my roof, residing in my household, shall ever know poverty again!"
The declaration echoed off the courtyard walls, stark and unbelievable. Stunned, absolute silence greeted it. Even the carp in the pond seemed to pause their lazy circling.
"Your face," I continued, pointing a dramatic, ring-laden finger towards the assembled servants, then jabbing it back towards my own chest, "is my face! Your prestige reflects upon me! When people in Qingshan Town, no, when people in Yuhang City itself speak of the servants of Jiang Li, they will speak with envy and profound respect!"
This was beyond anything the assembled servants could possibly comprehend. Their expressions shifted from confusion to utter, slack-jawed bewilderment. This wasn't just generosity; this was madness. Linking the Young Master's face, his family's face, to theirs? Preposterous… or was it?
I continued aggressively, to try to keep them off balance.
"Your loyalty," I boomed, taking a sudden, purposeful stride towards the nearest, largest chest, the golden dragons on my robes seeming to writhe in the sunlight, "will be rewarded beyond measure! In time," – I paused for maximum dramatic effect, leaning in towards the front rows, lowering my voice to a conspiratorial roar that still carried easily – "even my servants shall have servants of their own!"
That final, audacious claim, so ludicrously extravagant, seemed to break the dam of their disbelief. A wave of murmurs, gasps, and hushed, incredulous whispers swept through the assembled staff like wildfire.
Did the Young Master turn truly mad? Had the illness, the brush with death, fractured his mind completely? Or was this… could this possibly be… real?
The air itself seemed to crackle, thick now not just with apprehension, but with burgeoning, almost fearful, desperate hope. Hope was a dangerous thing for people in their position – it was easily crushed, and yet, the promise being made was intoxicating.
Now, for the proof. The anchor for their belief.
My first miracle.
I stopped directly before one of the larger chests near the front, turning dramatically to face the crowd again, ensuring all eyes were on me and the chest. "Steward Lin!" I called out, my voice sharp and commanding, cutting through the rising murmurs, drawing her (and every single servant's) undivided attention. She startled, her head snapping up, then bowed respectfully, waiting, her face a mask of tense anticipation.
I pointed a jewel-encrusted finger, glittering ostentatiously in the sun, directly at the chest before me. "Steward Lin," I stated, my voice ringing with absolute, unshakeable confidence that allowed no room for doubt, projecting an aura of immense, almost casual power. "This chest is full. Completely full. To the brim. With gold coins."
Her eyes widened, disbelief warring with the sheer force of my conviction.
"Full? Young Master, but... how?" she stammered, her practical mind immediately grasping the impossibility. "The lockbox contained only a few dozen gold! Did you... did you perhaps sell the spirit stones your esteemed Father sent? Or did someone in the main family send forth additional funds without my knowledge?"
"Irrelevant!" I interrupted sharply, cutting off her logical, entirely reasonable questions with a dismissive wave of my hand. The source was not the point; the result was. "Do not concern yourself with where the gold came from. Where it came from does not matter! What matters," – I leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with her again, channeling the full intensity of my newly Stage Four Qi, projecting immense confidence, demanding her focus, her submission to my narrative – "is that it is full. What matters," my voice dropped further, becoming dangerously quiet but resonating with absolute command, "is that you know it is full. Steward Lin," – the question was soft, almost intimate, yet seemingly carried the weight of her very fate – "do you trust your Master?"
The air crackled with tension. Her gaze darted between my intense eyes and the plain wooden chest, her mind clearly struggling against the illogical assertion. Her cultivation, her intelligence, her experience – all screamed that it was impossible. But my performance, the new power she could now sense rolling off me, the memory of my impossible survival against a potent Qi poison, the sheer, unwavering certainty in my voice and eyes… all of it created a powerful counter-narrative. After a long, breathless moment where the entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath with her, she gave a jerky, almost imperceptible nod, her heightened emotions finally outweighing her logical skepticism under the brute force of my delivery.
"I... trust Master," she whispered, the words barely audible… but they were enough.
The System responded instantly, a cool confirmation in the back of my mind.
[Qualified Belief Detected: Lin Ruolan (Qi Gathering, Stage 6). BQT Level 3 Met!]
[Intent Match: Manifest 57,000 Gold Coins (Chest 1)]
[Threshold Met! Manifestation Initiated!]
[Belief Meter +85 (High Quality Belief Acquired)]
Yes!
A surge of fierce, triumphant energy shot through me, carefully masked by my arrogant, expectant expression.
"Good," I said, the single word sharp with satisfaction.
I turned my gaze to the trembling Xiao Liu, who had been watching the entire exchange with rapt, almost religious attention.
"Boy!" I commanded, my voice booming. "You showed initiative earlier in gathering everyone so promptly! Now, demonstrate your strength! Open this chest! Let our diligent, ever-practical Steward see the minor resources she frets over! Let everyone here witness a mere fraction of the Jiang family's true foundation!"
Xiao Liu, emboldened by my direct command and perhaps still buzzing from the gold coin now safely hidden in his tunic, scrambled forward eagerly. With trembling hands, fueled by adrenaline and awe, he fumbled with the simple iron latch on the heavy wooden chest. It sprang open with a rusty groan. He gripped the edge of the heavy lid and threw it open, letting it fall back with a heavy thud against the paving stones.
A collective, sharp, unified intake of breath sucked the very air from the courtyard, followed by a deafening, absolute silence.
The chest wasn't empty.
In fact, it was quite full.
Brimming.
Overflowing.
Packed to the very lip with the unmistakable, warm, gleaming light of pure gold. Thousands upon thousands of identical gold coins, seemingly freshly minted, each bearing the intricate seal of the Azure Dragon Emperor, filled the large chest almost to the very top. The afternoon sunlight struck the massive hoard, reflecting in a dazzling, almost blinding wave of pure, unadulterated wealth. A few coins near the top, disturbed by the lid's impact, spilled over the edge, landing with heavy, satisfying, musical clinks on the stone paving, rolling slightly before coming to rest. The sheer visual impact, the aura of impossible fortune suddenly made real, was staggering, potent enough to steal the breath and stop the heart.
Lin Ruolan stumbled back a step, her hand flying to cover her mouth, her eyes fixed, wide and unblinking, on the impossible fortune revealed before her. Her carefully controlled Qi signature wavered wildly for a moment, spiking erratically in sheer, unadulterated shock before she visibly fought to regain control. The other servants were utterly frozen, silent statues carved from disbelief, their faces masks of dawning, world-shattering awe.
I let the stunned, breathless silence hang for a long, delicious moment, savoring the impact, the perfect dramatic beat. This was the power of belief made manifest. This was the System. This was my new reality.
Then, throwing back my head, I let out a loud, booming laugh, a sound filled with unrestrained confidence, exhilaration, and perhaps, yes, just a touch of genuine madness born from the sheer absurdity and power of it all.
"You see?" I declared, gesturing towards the open chest with a grand, dismissive flourish, as if revealing a common pantry staple. "Minor resources! As I said! Barely enough for pocket money!"
Turning back to the still-stunned assembly, I raised my voice again, projecting easily over the rising tide of choked whispers and fearful gasps.
"And this fortune," I announced, my voice ringing with magnanimity that felt intoxicatingly real, "is now your fortune! It is the foundation of our household's new prosperity! Therefore! Effective immediately," – my voice boomed, ensuring every single person heard the decree – "every servant in this household, regardless of rank or duty, from the guards who protect our gate to the cleaners who maintain our halls, shall receive a minimum daily wage of two gold coins!"
Pandemonium erupted.
The announcement hit them like a physical blow, shattering their remaining composure.
Two gold coins.
A day.
It was a sum so vast, so far beyond their comprehension, it might as well have been infinite. For most mortals, it represented more money than their parents and grandparents combined might have seen in their entire lives. Even for the low-level Qi Gatherers among the staff, it was an astronomical sum – more than enough to buy basic cultivation resources they could only dream of before. Gasps turned into ragged cries of disbelief. Several of the older mortal servants swayed on their feet, their eyes rolling back in their heads, fainting dead away from the sheer, overwhelming shock, collapsing onto the stone paving amidst the concerned cries of their neighbors. Others burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably, overcome with emotion they couldn't process. Many dropped instinctively to their knees, kowtowing frantically, desperately, banging their foreheads against the hard stone, shouting my name – "Young Master Jiang! Generous Master! Merciful Master!" – their voices thick with tears, pledging undying loyalty in choked cries. It was utter chaos, pure emotional overload, a tidal wave of disbelief giving way to ecstatic, life-altering hope.
"Furthermore," I continued, raising my voice even higher, letting my Stage Four Qi add a resonant weight to my words that cut through the din, forcing them to listen despite their hysteria, "those among you with special skills – cooks like Chef Wang who can prepare rare delicacies fit for nobles, gardeners who show aptitude in cultivating spirit herbs, guards who demonstrate exceptional power, vigilance, or loyalty – will see their wages increased accordingly! Rest assured – from today onwards, your contributions will be recognized and rewarded!"
I paused, letting that sink in, then added the crucial hook, planting a seed of ambition and potential advancement in their minds, "And any among you," my gaze swept across the mortals and low-level cultivators alike, "who dedicate yourselves diligently to the path of cultivation, who manage to advance your realm under my guidance and resources," – I gestured vaguely towards the gold – "will find your continued loyalty rewarded even further! My household will support your talent and dedication!"
Then, I turned my attention to Lin Ruolan, who was still staring at the open chest of gold as if hypnotized, her face pale, her expression lost somewhere between utter disbelief and frantic mental calculation.
"And Steward Lin," I said, my voice softening slightly but still carrying clearly across the courtyard, acknowledging her unique position, "Your loyalty, despite past difficulties," – a subtle reminder of her previous fear and my forgiveness – "and your recent diligence in handling this… unpleasantness… have also been noted and are greatly appreciated." I saw her flinch slightly at the implied reminder.
"Your previous wage of sixty silver coins per day," I continued, my tone becoming dismissive again, "was, frankly, an insult to your cultivation level and your dedicated service to my mother. From today forward, your daily compensation shall be twenty-five taels of gold."
That snapped her fully out of her daze. Her head jerked towards me, her eyes wide with fresh, incredulous shock.
Twenty-five taels of gold.
A day.
It wasn't just a raise; it was a life-altering fortune, enough to comfortably support her entire Lin family, including her mortal sister, back in Yuhang City. Enough to purchase low-grade cultivation resources for herself – in time, perhaps even enough to push towards the peak of Qi Gathering or beyond. It elevated her status immensely, far beyond that of a mere steward managing an exiled young master, making her instantly one of the wealthiest individuals in Qingshan Town by sheer income.
Despite the overwhelming, impossible evidence of the first chest shimmering before her eyes, despite the sheer, staggering magnitude of her own personal raise, a lifetime of practicality, her ingrained understanding of the world's economics, and perhaps a lingering thread of skepticism made her find her voice, though it trembled noticeably.
"But Master... this... Truly, you honor this servant and all within the household immensely! But..." she hesitated, her gaze flickering towards the single open chest, then sweeping across the nineteen still-closed ones, her brow furrowed with logical doubt that warred with the impossible reality.
"...Please forgive this servant's impudence... such expenditure... Master, even the main Jiang family..." She couldn't bring herself to form a coherent sentence, but the implication was hanging heavy in the air. Where could such impossible, astronomical wealth possibly come from? Even the fabulously wealthy Jiang merchant dynasty didn't simply leave nearly a million gold coins lying around for a talentless, exiled son in a backwater town.
It defied all reason.
Her doubt, however logical, however understandable, was the perfect setup. The final beat needed for the crescendo. The last nudge required to push the collective belief over the edge. I cut her off with another booming laugh, this one filled with absolute, unshakeable confidence, perhaps bordering on gleeful megalomania.
"Worried about funds, Steward Lin?" I scoffed, waving a dismissive hand towards the remaining nineteen chests as if they were inconsequential props.
"You underestimate the Jiang family! Or perhaps," I added, leaning in slightly again, letting a mysterious, almost dangerous glint enter my eye, playing the enigmatic genius card, "you underestimate me. I tell you now – and I tell all of you!"
My voice rose to a commanding roar, infused with Qi, silencing the remaining murmurs, demanding their absolute attention.
"EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of these twenty chests is equally full! All of them are overflowing with gold! And there's far more where that came from!"
The declaration hung in the air, audacious, impossible, defying all logic and experience. But the servants, having witnessed the miracle of the first chest, having been promised personal wealth beyond their wildest dreams, seeing their master's absolute, unwavering conviction radiating from him like the sun itself…
The truth was, they wanted to believe.
Desperately.
That desperate, fervent hope, combined with the tangible evidence of the first chest, ignited into a frenzy of collective, irrational belief. Lin Ruolan, caught between the logical impossibility and the overwhelming spectacle, seeing the raw, unshakeable faith shining in the eyes of the mortals around her, felt her own carefully constructed doubt washed away, replaced by the sheer, stunning, intoxicating possibility.
Could it be true? Could Master really have…such wealth?
I felt her doubts buckle and shatter under the psychological pressure.
And the System responded instantly to the powerful, unified wave of mass belief, a cascade of notifications flooding my mind, far more potent, far more overwhelming than any of the individual triggers before.
[Mass Qualified Belief Detected! (36 individuals: BQT 1 x 28, BQT 2 x 7, BQT 3 x 1)]
[Analyzing Intent: Manifest ~57,000 Gold Coins in remaining 19 chests]
[Threshold Met! Manifestation Initiated!]
[Belief Meter: +320 (Massive Boost from Belief Volume & Confirmation)]
A subtle, almost imperceptible thrum of energy, stronger than the System's previous intervention, seemed to pass through the courtyard, focusing invisibly on the nineteen closed chests. Outwardly, nothing appeared to happen. The chests remained inert, solid wood and iron.
But I knew. Oh, how I knew. My connection to the System purred with confirmation.
"Open them!" I commanded the household guards nearest the chests, my voice ringing with pure, unadulterated triumph, pointing towards the remaining containers.
"Open them ALL! Let everyone who has eyes see the foundation of this household! Let them see the generosity of Jiang Li!"
The guards, caught up in the frenzy, their eyes gleaming with reflected gold and personal avarice, scrambled to obey. Latches clicked open one after another, heavy wooden lids creaked and groaned as they were thrown back almost simultaneously.
And the courtyard exploded in light and sound.
Nineteen more chests, identical to the first, each one filled to the absolute brim with gleaming, newly-manifested gold coins. The sheer, overwhelming sight of it – twenty massive chests overflowing with gold – was staggering. The blinding reflection of the afternoon sun off well over a million gold coins filled the courtyard with a warm, dazzling light. The air itself seemed to shimmer with the potent aura of impossible sudden wealth made real.
The reaction was instantaneous: complete pandemonium. The servants screamed, cheered, wept openly without shame or restraint. Many dropped to their knees again, kowtowing frantically, banging their foreheads repeatedly against the stone paving until blood trickled, shouting my name –
"Young Master Jiang! Generous Master! Divine Master!"
– their voices thick with raw, unbridled emotion. It was utter chaos, born of disbelief shattered by undeniable, miraculous reality. Their world, their understanding of what was possible, had been irrevocably turned upside down.
I let the chaos reign for a satisfying moment, the actor in me relishing the raw, overwhelming power of the audience reaction.
This felt better than any standing ovation Leo Maxwell had ever received. This was belief made manifest, the very reality of the world reshaped with the power of performance.
Then, raising a hand slowly, deliberately channeling a subtle but firm pressure with my Stage Four Qi – not harmful, just enough to command attention over the din, a wave of palpable energy washing over the courtyard – I gradually brought the assembly back to a semblance of order. The servants fell silent, though many still trembled, their faces flushed with excitement, tears streaming, looking at me now with expressions of pure, unadulterated awe, reverence, and perhaps a healthy dose of newfound, profound love and loyalty inspired by the Master's charismatic promises.
Now, to put this manifested wealth to immediate use, further cementing the reality of it and setting the next set of belief ripples in motion... I pointed towards a portly, perpetually stressed-looking man in a stained chef's apron standing near the front.
"Chef Wang!" I called out, my voice resonant with authority. "Tonight, everyone in this household feasts! Procure the finest ingredients available in Qingshan Town – spirit beast meat if you can find it, century-old wine if it can be bought! Spare absolutely no expense! All of the servants and their families are invited! Let the wine flow freely! This household shall celebrate its fortune and bright future!"
Chef Wang, who usually looked like he was one bad meal away from a debilitating heart attack, gaped for a second, his round face slack with disbelief. Then, as the words registered, his face split into a wide, incredulous, ecstatic grin. He bowed deeply, his considerable bulk quivering with excitement. "Yes, Young Master! At once, Young Master! A feast worthy of the City Lord himself! Only the finest! The absolute finest!"
He practically waddled off towards the kitchens, already shouting instructions to his terrified but equally excited underlings, visions of roasted spirit pheasant and hundred-year-old plum wine likely dancing in his head.
Next, I singled out the Guard Captain – a stern-faced, heavily scarred mortal veteran named Feng, whose loyalty Jiang Li's memories marked as solid and reliable, if unimaginative. Though not a cultivator, he was a veteran martial artist with a well-tempered body, whose combat strength was formidable.
"Captain Feng!"
The Captain snapped to attention, his eyes gleaming with newfound respect and the undeniable allure of two gold coins a day. "Yes, Young Master!"
"Take two," I commanded, gesturing towards the chests nearest the gate, then reconsidering as I surveyed the sheer volume of gold, "no, take four of those chests. Seal them securely. Go immediately to the Mercenary Guild, or any other reputable source necessary in this town. Hire the strongest, most reliable protection this city has to offer. Double the guards on duty, reinforce the patrols, secure the entire perimeter of this residence completely. I want this place impenetrable by dusk." I met his gaze. "Understand? Report back directly to Steward Lin with the capabilities of the men you hire and their ongoing costs. Do not fail me."
Captain Feng's eyes widened almost comically at the sheer amount of gold indicated – in this backwater town, four chests full of gold represented a truly staggering sum, enough to hire a small army of mortals, including powerful martial arts experts with combat abilities on par with Stage 1 or – in exceptional cases -- even Stage 2 Qi Gathering cultivators.
But his military discipline held firm. He gave a sharp, crisp salute, his voice ringing with newfound determination and purpose.
"It will be done, Young Master! This residence will be the safest in the city!" He immediately began barking sharp, efficient orders at the other household guards, organizing them to carefully seal and begin the arduous process of transporting the designated chests, their movements filled with a new energy and importance.
Finally, I turned to the still-reeling Lin Ruolan, who was watching the proceedings with a mixture of awe, deep bewilderment, and perhaps dawning calculation as she processed the implications of this sudden, impossible fortune. I gestured to two of the remaining household guards: burly, strong-looking cultivators at the first stage of Qi Refining who immediately stepped forward.
"Steward Lin, you accompany me. Guards, select two of those remaining chests – ensure they are securely sealed – and bring them along."
Ignoring the ongoing buzz of excitement and whispered, incredulous conversations among the remaining servants, who were likely already calculating their future wealth, I strode confidently towards the main gate, the heavy crimson and gold robes swirling dramatically around me. As I passed the threshold of the main hall, I reached into my own sleeve, retrieved the two remaining gold coins from the earlier experiment with Xiao Liu, and, with a final theatrical flourish designed for maximum impact on the watching servants, tossed them high into the air towards the two nearest servants, causing another small wave of gratitude.
Let the legend of the generous, unpredictable Young Master begin!
Reaching the now-open main gate, ready to step out into the dusty, chaotic street beyond, I paused and turned back briefly, a wide, unpredictable, perhaps slightly dangerous grin spreading across my face. I met Lin Ruolan's wide, questioning, still slightly shell-shocked eyes.
"Now," I announced, my voice filled with manic energy and keen anticipation, loud enough for the nearby guards and servants to hear clearly, ensuring the word would spread, "we are going shopping!"