Chapter 102: Creating a Master

The world outside was in absolute chaos. For a massive conglomerate, it was impossible to be thoroughly investigated and find absolutely nothing. Under Zhou Ao’s leadership, Meihua had recently been continuously shrinking its defensive perimeter, cutting off dead weight to minimize its burden. Simultaneously, it had to cooperate with the U.S. government’s investigation.

Minor issues were uncovered, but nothing of any real significance. Naturally, as far as Will’s problems were concerned, their investigation turned up nothing. Just as Zhou Renjie had told Zhou Ao, "Don’t worry. The U.S. government might sit by and watch a bank go bankrupt, but they will never watch Meihua collapse. As long as it hasn't reached the point of no return, they won’t be the ones to push Meihua over the edge. So, for now, rest assured and carry on with your plans."

With this assurance, Zhou Ao let go of his reservations and began to stabilize the situation. As for Will, no one had seen him since he declared bankruptcy. Some said he had climbed the world’s highest peak and jumped off; others claimed he had committed suicide by gunshot. There were all sorts of versions and rumors, none of which held much credibility.

Stimulated by the Meihua incident and the bankruptcy of a bank, the financial crisis swept rapidly across the United States before spreading to the rest of the world. Regardless of faith, nation, or race, it swept through everything like a dark, relentless storm.

As the world’s primary economic power, the United States still possessed some resilience and managed to take a series of measures that kept the situation under control. However, they knew that if Meihua were to truly collapse, the situation would be far different, so they immediately began to support the company, thereby buoying the stock market and the entire economy.

"Boss, look, these are what Jingang selected," Chief Steward Lin Jian said, placing several thread-bound books in front of Xiao Tianci. Although they were well-preserved, one could tell at a glance that they were quite old.

Upon returning and paying respects to his ancestors, Xiao Tianci had begun researching martial arts. Chief Steward Lin Jian quickly located Xiao Lin’s secret collection. However, Xiao Tianci’s smile soon faded; there were simply too many books, and he had no concept of how to distinguish the good from the bad.

The Chief Steward was much the same, so they finally sought out Jingang, who knew more about these things than both of them combined.

As Xiao Tianci flipped through the books, Fang Meng explained from the side, "This 'Xuanyuan Manual' among them should be better suited for your cultivation, though it is also the most difficult. Among so many secret manuals, this one is considered top-tier. I had heard of it before but never knew anyone who could practice it. I didn’t expect the Old Master to have collected it."

*Heh... heh...* Xiao Tianci was delighted. Fang Meng was indeed clever; anyone who had seen his third transformation would find it hard to believe he could be so meticulous. If Xiao Tianci was going to learn martial arts, he wouldn't do it half-heartedly. If he were to learn, it had to be something powerful, regardless of whether he could master it. It would be meaningless to end up as a second-rate fighter.

Seeing his boss satisfied with the *Xuanyuan Manual*, Chief Steward Lin Jian asked, "Boss, are these to be given away?"

Xiao Tianci put the *Xuanyuan Manual* away. This matter could not be rushed; Jingang would be fully recovered in a couple of days and would need to help Qinglong improve his inner energy. Xiao Tianci had considered that the Xiao family’s talents had been lost in that disaster. Although they could search for and recruit more, in this society, while money could buy many experts, these people were often hard to control and harbored impure motives, which easily led to trouble.

After reflection, Xiao Tianci believed he needed his own foundation. However, experts could not be created overnight. The Xiao family had a group of over a hundred young people, all around seventeen or eighteen, who were currently learning the most basic martial arts. As Jingang had said, cultivating an entry-level martial arts expert took at least a few years. It required a guide to constantly expend their own *qi*.

Most people had similar potential; unless they were extraordinary, the early stages relied primarily on the guide. The amount of effort a guide was willing to spend to help open one’s meridians was crucial. It was important to realize that human meridians were no longer what they used to be, which was why the possibility of self-taught martial arts was increasingly rare and why most techniques had been lost.

Then, it depended on the mental cultivation method; different methods led to vastly different progress, among other complex factors. To reach the point where one could practice independently required at least a year of constant guidance. Even the fastest would take half a year to show any promise.

Xiao Tianci flipped through the pages again and asked, "Do you think these are enough to win them over?"

Jingang was very confident. "Boss, the gap between a good mental method and an ordinary one is at least several-fold. If they can get these in exchange for a year of effort and a bit of energy, they will certainly do it. They have much to gain in the future."

Xiao Tianci’s merchant nature surfaced, and he smiled cunningly. "Heh... heh... that’s good. Make dozens of copies of these manuals and approach those who can use them privately. Have them help guide someone, and in a year, we will have at least a hundred people capable of learning martial arts. Even if they only possess average ability, their combined power will be formidable. Plus, we have the best manuals."

Chief Steward Lin Jian cheered, "A brilliant plan! This way, we can mass-produce experts, and these people will be our own, with a high degree of loyalty."

Jingang watched the two of them with concern. He knew they didn't understand martial arts and perhaps didn't realize the implications of letting such manuals circulate. While it might not lead to an all-out war, people would inevitably die for them, especially if they were distributed in batches.

"Boss, these manuals are very rare and valuable; it’s normal for people to die fighting over them. If they circulate in batches, it might attract the attention of other organizations. Furthermore, won't this rapidly increase the strength of these people and potentially work against us?"

Xiao Tianci stood up, smiling, and paced the room twice. "Jingang, even if we aren't familiar with the martial world, your words prove you don’t understand business or organizational management. You need to understand the difference between mass production and a small workshop. Moreover, the true power of an organization doesn't lie in one individual. Take us, for example—you are the strongest, but the organization’s operation and growth don’t rely on you; you are merely a figurehead."

Seeing Jingang’s confusion, Xiao Tianci continued, "We are now an assembly line. Even if they can't reach your level—and I ask you, if you encountered a hundred people who had just mastered the basics of martial arts, could you defeat them?"

Jingang thought for a moment and shook his head. "Even after my third transformation, it would be impossible to kill them all at once. After a year of training, they would exceed the physical limits of ordinary people tenfold. Combined with techniques, mental methods, or modern weaponry, their power would be quite shocking."

"Exactly. If even your third transformation—as monstrous as it is—can't handle that, how many others could? When the time comes, you can subject them to military-style training and teach them coordination. A group of coordinated martial arts experts can easily kill someone several times stronger than them. As for the manuals, don't worry about it. They don't know who we are, and these manuals are useless sitting here. Why not copy them and create a group of experts?"

Having finally found a solution to the shortage of experts, Xiao Tianci was in high spirits. He patted Jingang on the shoulder. "Actually, many things are the same. In the future, I will learn martial arts from you, and you can learn business from me."

Jingang quickly shook his head. "I won't learn business; I'll just protect the boss."

"Suit yourself. It’s settled then. Jingang, take these manuals to Qinglong. You two handle the specifics. Also, if your body is mostly recovered, help Qinglong improve his energy as soon as possible. It’s chaos out there, and we need to hurry; staying here forever isn't an option."

The situation at Meihua could not be left alone. The U.S. government was truly cunning; they didn't come forward themselves but sacrificed a bank they controlled in the shadows, along with Will. If they had intended to drag the U.S. government into the mess, it would have been much livelier, but the current outcome was far less satisfying. There were others meddling as well—someone powerful must have played Will as well. Who were they?

Regardless, they wouldn't lower their guard. He had to prepare and continue the struggle. The deadly part was the Ghost; he didn't know when the next attack would come. One couldn't just keep taking hits; even the best defense had flaws. He had to find a way—this Ghost was truly a pain to deal with.

His thoughts turned to Ni'er. He was a bridegroom-to-be, a man with a family now. He couldn't always be out here; besides, if he wanted to conquer the world, his home front had to be stable.