Chapter 155: Forcibly Entering the Liu Residence

"Mother, I..." Long Zongheng was at a loss for words, bowing his proud head in shame.

"Lift your head!"

Long Zongheng lifted his head, looking at Zhao Bingbing with embarrassment.

Zhao Bingbing sternly said, "You are a man of the Long family, the Crown Prince of this nation, and the future supreme leader of Huaxia. But look at yourself! Although I don't know what happened, just look at what you've done. Smashing things, breaking chairs, scaring the palace maids—is this how a Crown Prince should behave? Moreover, you acted so disgracefully in front of the servants. Do you want to bring shame upon yourself outside the palace?"

Zhao Bingbing's sharp reprimand made Long Zongheng even more ashamed. "Mother, I was wrong."

After all, Long Zongheng was young and buckled under pressure, losing his composure was inevitable. However, with Zhao Bingbing's stern admonishment, he quickly realized his mistake and admitted his fault.

"Since you know you were wrong, you must correct your mistakes!" Zhao Bingbing pointed at the mess on the floor. "You will bear the consequences of your actions. Clean up the room yourself. The cost of the damages will be deducted from your account. For the next three months, you are to stay in seclusion and may not come out without my permission!"

"Mother, but I..."

"Hmm!?" Zhao Bingbing's eyes grew cold as she looked at him.

Long Zongheng slumped, "Yes."

After leaving the Crown Prince's palace, Zhao Bingbing found the palace maid from earlier and inquired about her family's situation. Upon learning of their difficulties, she bestowed a large sum of money and reassured the maid about her job in the palace. She promised to personally find the maid a good husband to rely on for life when she turned twenty-five, ensuring her a worry-free life.

The maid was overwhelmed by the Empress's kindness and was deeply grateful. Taking this opportunity, Zhao Bingbing asked her not to tell anyone about the Crown Prince's earlier actions. The maid swore that she would keep the secret forever, even vowing that her entire family would perish if she broke her word. Satisfied, Zhao Bingbing left.

As the Empress, Zhao Bingbing demonstrated both kindness and authority, discreetly covering up Long Zongheng's indiscretion and earning the maid's gratitude. It was no wonder she had the ability and the right to admonish Long Zongheng, leaving him speechless.

She truly was a perfect woman.

Unaware of the struggle between the Liu family and Long Zongheng, Li Nianlong had been enjoying a blissful life since coming out of seclusion. He spent his days in the company of beautiful women and his nights gaining experience and rewards at the training ground, refining pills and honing his skills.

After a month, Li Nianlong had reached level 49 and accumulated 1,500 unused points. His skill proficiency had also improved. If not for the fear of running out of true qi, he would have further upgraded his "Heavenly Gang Body Protection" and "Plucking Flowers and Leaves."

In the training ground, Li Nianlong had cleared the 28th level and obtained the left and right leg guards and the cloak of the "Godspeed Set," needing only one more piece to complete it.

With the new year here and the Martial Arts Conference just two months away, the Liu family, as the hosts, had closed off the Liu Castle since New Year's Day for renovations, announcing it would reopen in April. 

The renovations were thorough, using modern materials to make the ancient-style buildings sturdier while keeping their traditional appearance. To complete the work in two months, the Liu family hired 100,000 workers. The castle was buzzing with workers and construction equipment, presenting a scene of 'prosperity.'

On January 4th, Li Nianlong was playing chess with the old master of the Liu family.

After resolving the rebellion within the Liu family, the old master had been in a good mood. Li Nianlong, with nothing else to do, had been cooking meals himself, improving the old master's appetite and mood significantly. In a month, the old master had become more robust and cheerful, like a beaming Buddha with hair and a beard.

"Checkmate." The old master made a move and said cheerfully, "Nianlong, you lost."

Looking at the deadlock on the board, Li Nianlong smiled and put down his piece. "Your chess skills are improving, Grandfather."

"Haha, don't think I don't know you're letting me win!" The old master had played with Li Nianlong often enough to understand his skill level. If not for deliberate allowances, the old master wouldn't have a chance to win. Yet, he appreciated his grandson's filial piety.

Resetting the pieces, Li Nianlong asked, "Grandfather, has anything happened in the Liu family lately?"

"What could happen?" The old master looked at him, puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just that the Liu family seems quite busy with all the construction, yet no one has come to cause trouble, which seems odd."

"Boy, what's there to disrupt in construction?" The old master laughed. "Besides, this is Tianfu. Those who dare to oppose the Liu family only play tricks behind the scenes; no one dares to show their face openly."

The old master made a beheading gesture. "The richer and more prestigious they are, the more they fear death."

Li Nianlong nodded in understanding and then asked, "With the Lunar New Year approaching, won't the construction affect some families?"

"It might this year, but next year will be better." The old master stroked his beard and smiled. "We're paying double wages. Two months here equals four months elsewhere. Who wouldn't want to make more money?"

"Grandfather, you're quite generous."

"Profit comes from the people." The old master laughed. "Last year's tourism revenue from the Liu Castle covers the renovation costs. Besides, martial arts conference attendees are wealthy, and in two weeks, we'll make a hefty profit. Do you know why so many martial families or sects vie to host the conference? It's for this invisible income."

Li Nianlong chuckled, "I'm not well-versed in economics, but I've heard about the hidden wealth from hosting conferences. How much can we make this time?"

"Why? Are you interested in making money now?"

"Not really, just curious. Although I've never experienced poverty, I don't know how a family like the Liu's makes money."

"Haha, at our level, it's through finance, technology, pharmaceuticals, steel, real estate, and tourism. This conference will attract at least 100,000 people. Even if each spends only 1,000 yuan daily, that's 1.5 billion in two weeks. Moreover, martial artists are lavish spenders. If nothing goes wrong, we could earn at least 10 billion. If you become the martial arts leader, the castle will host a three-day feast, and guests will bring generous gifts worth hundreds of billions."

"Do you know how much Xiang Qiong received when he became the martial arts leader five years ago?"

Li Nianlong shook his head.

The old master raised two fingers.

"Two hundred billion? That's a lot!"

The old master almost spat. "Two trillion!"

"What!?" Li Nianlong was stunned. "Two trillion in gifts? That's robbery!"

"That's the power of the martial arts leader." The old master sighed in envy. "I still remember the grandeur of past Xiang family leaders. I'll never forget it."

Li Nianlong smiled, "Grandfather, don't worry. This time you'll see a Liu family member at the top."

The old master, snapping out of his reverie, looked at his grandson with pride. "That's right. The Xiang family has monopolized the martial arts world for a century. It's time for a change."

"Checkmate, Grandfather, you lost."

"What? You sneaky boy!"

As they bantered, a servant rushed in. "Master! Old Master! Something's wrong! Someone has forcibly entered the castle and injured our guards."

"What!?" The old master and Li Nianlong stood up. The old master shouted, "Who dares to break into the Liu Castle?"

"It's... it's a woman."

"A woman?" The old master was taken aback, then furious. "You useless bunch, can't even stop a woman! What use are you to the Liu family!?"

The servant felt wronged: I'm just a servant, not a guard. Why scold me?

Li Nianlong stopped the old master's rage and asked the servant, "What kind of woman? Any distinguishing features?"

"Master." The servant, touched by Li Nianlong's kindness, quickly replied, "The messenger only mentioned it was a woman. I didn't get the details and came to inform you immediately."

Li Nianlong nodded. "You may go. I'll handle this."

"Yes, Master."

After the servant left, the old master asked, "Nianlong, this matter..."

"I'll go check." Li Nianlong smiled, moving like the wind. In a few strides, he was out of the old master's sight.

Watching his grandson's swift departure, the old master was amazed. After a moment, he sighed, "With such a prodigy in the Liu family, how can we not thrive?"