Chapter 26: Stabilizing Hearts and Minds

Chapter 26: Stabilizing Morale

Upon hearing Yang Qi’s response, Elder Qin sighed softly.

"I have asked several old friends about this before and received the same answer. It is just that after practicing martial arts for a lifetime without ever crossing the threshold, I find it hard to be reconciled," Elder Qin lamented.

Seeing this, Yang Qi fell silent. Once one is past the prime age, there are only two ways to begin cultivation. The first is to have a powerful expert cleanse one’s marrow and cut the meridians—much like how Yang Qi himself had his physique transformed by the power of Hao Yang. However, to perform such a feat requires at least the level of a Great Dao Martial Venerable. The second method is the Marrow Cleansing Pill. While a Martial Master could refine such a pill, this was not the Heavenly Martial Continent; finding the necessary ingredients was a challenge in itself. Even if he could gather them, Yang Qi lacked the experience in alchemy, and without dozens of sets of materials to practice with, successfully refining the pill would be nearly impossible.

Regardless of the method, the requirements were too high for the current Yang Qi to meet.

"Elder Qin, have you encountered other internal martial arts practitioners?" Yang Qi asked, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"I have seen a few. In reality, the martial arts world has always existed; it is just more hidden and low-profile compared to the era of cold weapons, and they do not act easily," Elder Qin said with a smile. His unique background and his experiences during the wartime years of his youth had allowed him to witness such practitioners in action.

Yang Qi nodded in agreement. This was no longer the era of cold weapons. A single handgun would force any martial artist below the level of a Martial Master to their knees; even a Martial Master would not dare to resist it head-on, having only a slim chance to strike first. With Yang Qi’s current strength, he could easily handle a hundred opponents in the era of cold weapons, but now, a single pistol could end his life.

Moreover, there were many thermal weapons with far greater destructive power than a handgun. Unless one reached the level of a Martial Venerable, individual martial prowess held little weight in this age of modern weaponry.

Yang Qi asked many more questions about the martial arts world. Aside from a few secrets, Elder Qin was happy to explain. Through their conversation, Yang Qi gained a general understanding of the current state of the martial arts community.

In the present world, there were few people with strength comparable to Yang Qi’s. Otherwise, given Elder Qin’s status, it would not have been difficult to find an expert to force the shrapnel out of his body, sparing him years of suffering.

"In other words, the strongest internal martial artists currently are likely at the level of an eight or nine-star Martial Apprentice. There might be some hidden masters, but a Martial Master is probably the limit," Yang Qi mused to himself.

The two talked for a long time until after lunch, when Yang Qi finally took his leave.

In the days that followed, Yang Qi remained in seclusion to practice. In the blink of an eye, several days passed. One day, while he was meditating in his bedroom, his phone rang—it was Shen Yuxuan.

"Little Yang, it’s time you came to the company to take a look as our jade consultant," Shen Yuxuan’s voice came through the phone.

"Alright," Yang Qi agreed. In truth, since signing the contract, he had not even known where the company was located. Of course, this was largely due to the attack on Shen Yuxuan, which had kept her occupied. Now that the company's affairs were mostly settled, she had finally called him.

Because Shen’s Jewelry had lost their previous jade consultant and faced supply issues, the staff was in a state of panic. The addition of a new consultant would, to some extent, help stabilize morale.

"I have already sent Chen Feng to pick you up. Just wait at the school gate, and he will bring you over," Shen Yuxuan said.

Chen Feng was the driver who had taken him back to school that day. Ah Long, having been injured, was likely still hospitalized; Yang Qi had examined him at the time and knew his injuries were severe enough to require at least a month of recovery.

As soon as Yang Qi arrived at the school gate, he saw Chen Feng waiting.

"Mr. Yang, the Chairwoman asked me to pick you up," Chen Feng said.

The car drove for over half an hour, arriving at the center of the Qingzhou commercial district. Shen’s Jewelry’s flagship store was located in the most prosperous part of the street, while the headquarters were in an office building nearby.

"Mr. Yang, the Chairwoman asked me to bring you in." As soon as Yang Qi stepped out of the car, a capable-looking woman approached him. Faint bruises were still visible on her forehead.

This was none other than Xu Jiajia, Shen Yuxuan’s assistant, who had been knocked unconscious during the robbery. Her injuries, however, were much lighter than Ah Long’s.

Guided by Xu Jiajia, the two headed toward the headquarters of Shen’s Jewelry.

"Mr. Yang, thank you. If not for you, I might not be here today," Xu Jiajia said with a look of sincere gratitude.

"It was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Besides, I am a member of the company now," Yang Qi said with a smile.

"You’re a big winner; you made more money in one day than I could in a lifetime," Xu Jiajia remarked with a hint of envy. Yang Qi had unearthed four pieces of jade that sold for nearly six million, and with the two pieces he kept, his net worth was around seven million. To her, even as an assistant to the Chairwoman, seven million was a staggering fortune.

"It was just good luck," Yang Qi replied with a modest smile. With several million in his account, he felt much more confident. In the past, he would never have had the courage to chat so freely with a successful professional woman like Xu Jiajia.

"By the way, the Chairwoman is in the conference room. The managers of the Qingzhou branch stores have all arrived. The company was already on shaky ground, and after the attack on the Chairwoman, the situation has become even worse," Xu Jiajia said solemnly.

Yang Qi paused, then nodded. He understood why Shen Yuxuan had asked him to come at this moment; clearly, morale was extremely low, and she was desperate to steady the ship.

The company had already been facing operational difficulties, and if anything were to happen to Shen Yuxuan, Shen’s Jewelry would truly be finished.

"Chairwoman, Mr. Yang has arrived." Upon reaching the conference room, Xu Jiajia knocked on the door and announced.

"Come in," Shen Yuxuan’s voice came from inside.

"Everyone, this is our new jade consultant for Shen’s Jewelry," Shen Yuxuan introduced as Yang Qi entered the room.

"Him?"

"So young? Can he really do it?"

"She isn’t just finding someone to stall us, is she?"

The branch managers looked at Yang Qi, frowning and whispering in dissatisfaction.

Yang Qi appeared to be in his early twenties. Most jade consultants at jewelry companies were in their forties. A consultant in his twenties would only be expected if he were the disciple of a legendary master in the jade industry.

"Everyone, Mr. Yang recently unearthed four pieces of jade in a row at the Qingzhou Antique Street, all of which were high-value, including one piece of emerald," Shen Yuxuan said, her gaze sweeping across the room. "If you don't believe me, you are welcome to ask around at the Antique Street!"

"This..." Hearing this, the room fell silent. Shen Yuxuan would never lie about such a thing, as they were all part of the same industry and could verify the truth with a single phone call.