Xuanqing Guard

Chapter 323: Chapter 323: Before the Banquet

The family had already started moving things since yesterday.

Wang Jian and Wang Yiming somehow found the time to specifically invite the cultivator with the highest cultivation in Fengri City, one who understood divination skill, to pick an auspicious hour for the move. They said the omens were excellent, promising the master of the house "prosperity in martial endeavors and turning misfortune into fortune."

Another person busy running around was a face that hadn’t been seen in a long time: Zhang Liao.

In the past, both Zhang Liao and Wang Jian were small banner officers in Li City Black Banner Battalion. Wang Jian was first Team A’s Xiaoqi, and later, when the unit expanded, he recommended Zhang Liao to Shen Hao. After Shen Hao was promoted to Hundred Households of Fengri City Black Banner Battalion, Zhang Liao wasn’t summoned to his side, but stayed in Li City under Chen Tianwen, who took over Shen Hao’s post.

Watching Wang Jian now thriving in Fengri City, and having recently been promoted to Senior Seventh Grade, Zhang Liao naturally didn’t feel great about it.

Zhang Liao wasn’t someone without ambition, and his temper was quite stubborn. He didn’t like working under people like Chen Tianwen, who only kept things as they were, and always missed the days when Hundred Households Shen was around, so he went through Wang Jian’s connections.

Maybe his horizons had broadened, or perhaps he really was short of help, Wang Jian didn’t refuse Zhang Liao’s request, and even gave him a direct tip: Hundred Households Shen is moving, come help me run errands and show your face, then it’ll be easier to ask the master for a favor.

So, Zhang Liao came over.

Wang Yiming saw all this but didn’t bother with Zhang Liao; he could give face to Wang Jian, but not to some small banner officer from Hundred Households Station. Plus, out of a sense of family superiority, Wang Yiming genuinely looked down on people like Zhang Liao.

The three, together with the steward Hu Tian, worked hard all day, finally straightening out the new house inside and out, including the manpower. Tomorrow, Shen Hao just needs to come and hang up the signboard and everything will be complete.

In the evening, after finishing his errands, Shen Hao soaked his feet in the study while listening to Hu Tian talk about the move.

"All the invitations were delivered, right?"

"They were sent out the day before yesterday. All the families replied, saying they’ll come tomorrow."

"How’s Li Erfu’s preparation going? He’d better not mess up."

"Please rest assured. Li Erfu sent people to the new residence two days ago for preparations. Anything lacking has been supplied. The helpers are all old hands he brought over from his previous inn; their skills are reportedly top-notch. I, Wang Xiaoqi, Vice Officer Wang, and that Zhang Xiaoqi all sampled the dishes—it was excellent.

Also, Zhang Family’s Wine Shop heard you were moving and sent over fifty jars of one-year-old Wuliangye, which arrived this afternoon."

"Zhang Xiaoqi? Which one is Zhang Xiaoqi?"

"Zhang Liao from Li City Black Banner Battalion," Hu Tian explained with a smile. He’d seen it all today—Zhang Liao even went out of his way to chat with him, but Hu Tian didn’t speak up; with the master’s affairs, a servant had no right to interfere.

Shen Hao was surprised at first, didn’t expect Zhang Liao to show up, but after thinking for a moment, he understood—desire at work. Even someone like Tang Qingyuan, who obviously had no chance, still aimed higher, so why wouldn’t young Zhang Liao?

"Zhang Liao came through your connections?"

"No, Master Shen, rest assured. I know the rules: you never spoke, so how could I dare put in a word for outsiders? Looks like Wang Xiaoqi brought him here."

"Wang Jian? Is that kid really so short-handed?" Shen Hao shook his head and laughed, more or less guessing why Wang Jian called Zhang Liao over. Changing the topic: "Don’t set out all the wine that Zhang Family sent—keep half in the cellar, and use the other half as return gifts to each family when the event ends. Serve the standard Wuliangye at the banquet.

And how’s the contact with Hong’en Hall?"

Hu Tian quickly responded, "The madam from Hong’en Hall has replied as well. Miss Lian Xiang can come, but the fee is fifty percent higher than usual. She also asked if you want other songstresses to accompany the drinking."

"No need, just invite someone to sing a tune to liven things up, not to hold some brothel feast at home. Let Lian Xiang bring her musician, that’s enough. No need for others."

"Alright, I’ll go to Hong’en Hall again tomorrow morning to confirm."

After soaking his feet, Hu Tian carried out the water. Two young girls, Hong Chou and Brocade and Silk, hurried in to dry Shen Hao’s feet, and one attended to his face wash.

"Where’s Xia Nu?"

"Ms. Xia Nu is cooking noodles for you, she’ll be here soon."

Soon enough, Xia Nu arrived in the study carrying a bowl of steaming noodles, then led the two little ones to stand to the side smiling as they watched Shen Hao eat.

Can’t deny it, one big, two small, three tails, three pairs of furry ears—standing so daintily, it’s pretty pleasing to look at.

After slurping down the noodles, Shen Hao put down the bowl and said, "You’d best stay out of the Moon Gate tomorrow, keep your distance. Those drunkards will definitely get wasted, and showing your faces might stir up trouble. Understood?"

The two little ones didn’t understand, but Xia Nu—having worked in the brokerage—got it and quickly nodded, glancing at Shen Hao with curious, furtive looks.

"Alright, go rest. I’m not going back to sleep tonight."

Ever since his return from Chang Baifeng, Shen Hao set himself a new cultivation plan. Where he used to sleep two or three hours at a time, now he squeezes three hours into two days, using the extra time for meditation and cultivation. Luckily, with his cultivation now at Gathering Spirit Realm Fourth Layer, stepping into the Middle Realm lets him replace some sleep with meditation, so three hours every two days is barely enough.

Trying this for half a month, Shen Hao managed to further stabilize his foundation in the Gathering Spirit Realm Fourth Layer, but soon he’d have to prepare for the next breakthrough. Because he’d reached perfection in Fourth Layer once again.

This pace made Shen Hao both suffer and smile, and he could only make more time to solidify his foundation and keep up with his rapid cultivation progress.

Also, the insights he got at the Sword Washing Pool were now showing their effect.

Ever since Qi Refining Realm, not to mention the barriers between great realms, even breaking through the bottlenecks between small realms required tough effort. Later, once the Black Beast Tattoo kicked in and with abundant resources, things became a bit easier.

This time, it was completely different.

Now, Shen Hao could "see" the next bottleneck ahead. He could even spot where it was thick and where it was weak—none of the previous clueless obscurity, but a real, clear sense of how to break through. Suddenly, everything became easier.

If he were to compare, breaking through small realm bottlenecks used to be like smashing a glass window—taking effort and risking getting cut. Now, it’s like finding the window handle—just twist and open, simple and painless.

And the ease wasn’t limited to cultivation progress. In magic and saber technique, Shen Hao had made astonishing advances over the past half month, especially with saber technique.

’Light Splitting Slash’ paired with Black Cut produced surprisingly excellent results. The two merged almost effortlessly for Shen Hao; coordinating the details came without much thought, as if it was instinctively clear to him.