In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

Zhang Xiaoshan bypassed his father and signed a marriage contract with someone else, pushing his father to his limits.

"Miss Wang? Was she with Murong Fu last time?"

"That's right, I signed this marriage contract because I'm interested in the resources behind the Wang family."

Lady Wang, Li Qingluo, is the daughter of the Western Xia Empress Dowager and Wu Yazi. One of the agreements I made with the Western Xia Empress Dowager was that the Zhang family's business guild would establish a presence in Western Xia.

However, the battle at Zhuxian Town might cause unexpected turmoil, and this marriage certificate would just be the perfect solution to this predicament.

Although Wang Yuyan's surname is Wang, she is actually the daughter of Lady Wang and the Prince of Zhennan in Dali. This step, along with the Zhang family's entry into Dali, presents an opportunity!

Upon hearing that Zhang Xiaoshan's marriage certificate involved two royal families, even Qiu Qianren was shocked.

This is the real Zhang family; they're ruthless when it comes to scheming.

However, after carefully examining the marriage certificate, Zhang Yuan's previously somewhat relaxed expression turned visibly angry again.

"Is this the content of the marriage certificate, indicating that he is taking a concubine?"

Zhang Xiaoshan's plan was good, but the word "concubine" on the marriage certificate—was he trying to pull strings? Or was he trying to make an enemy?

It's likely that once they see the marriage certificate, they'll immediately head straight for the Zhang family.

"That's exactly how it has to be, otherwise there's nothing to talk about."

"You've got quite a deep plan."

Zhang Yuan immediately understood Zhang Xiaoshan's meaning: Zhang Xiaoshan was already married, so the marriage certificate would be difficult to establish.

A concubine is someone who provokes the other party, and this is also an absolute condition.

Whether the engagement is dissolved or she is reassigned as a secondary wife, the decision rests entirely with the Zhang family.

Generally speaking, however, both Li Qiushui and Duan Zhengchun would likely prioritize breaching the contract, even if the terms were somewhat harsh.

Cunning! sly! Little fox!

For a moment, everyone looked at Zhang Xiaoshan with amazement.

"Father, try some! This is dragonfish meat, it's good stuff!"

A piece of fish flew out, and Zhongyuan, seeing the blood-red yet translucent flesh, couldn't help but swallow it in one gulp.

He then glanced at the fish and meat under Zhang Xiaoshan's command, a glint of cunning in his eyes.

How much of this stuff is left?

"I kept ten blocks in my home freezer, each weighing 100 jin (50 kg), enough for a year's use!"

Zhang Yuan nodded, understanding that this thing was precious and that it would take him a long time to digest even one serving.

At the same time, Zhang Xiaoshan placed three 10-jin (5 kg) platters in front of each of the River Fiends and Qiu Qianren in the hall, and a 50-jin (25 kg) platter in front of Zhang Yuan.

The domineering power of the Golden Tripod Iron Shirt technique, combined with Zhang Yuan's tank-like armor, means that eating fifty pounds in one meal is definitely not a problem.

"Since none of you three have the physique to train in external martial arts, ten catties should be enough for you to digest for a while."

The remaining twenty pounds were cut into pieces, and Zhang Xiaoshan carried them to the backyard.

"Gentlemen, this is excellent, please!"

"Mr. Zhang, please!"

With one bite, the fish meat transforms into vital energy that fills the body.

This is the most direct way to replenish qi and blood, so after a few bites, Qiu Qianren understood the key.

Zhang Xiaoshan's recipe wasn't a simple division of food, but rather a quantitative distribution based on how much could be absorbed at one time. Ten kilograms at a time was already the limit of their bodies; any more than that, and their bodies couldn't handle it.

Seeing Zhang Yuan carrying fifty jin all by himself, Qiu Qianren was extremely shocked.

Without external martial arts techniques, eating too much is a waste and could very well lead to over-nourishment.

Therefore, since Zhang Xiaoshan allocated so much dragonfish meat to Zhang Yuan, then Zhang Yuan's strength...

For a moment, Qiu Qianren couldn't help but feel that the Zhang family was hiding something very well.

Zhang Yuan, who appears to be a kind and gentle person who needs protection, actually possesses unfathomable martial arts skills.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaoshan came to the front yard carrying a tray of food.

Inside the luxurious kennel, the three hunting dogs, upon smelling Zhang Xiaoshan's scent, immediately began wagging their tails excitedly.

"Young master!"

As the person in charge of the kennel, the guard Da Yong also noticed Zhang Xiaoshan's arrival.

After all, the only person who could make the three old dogs so close was their true owner.

Moreover, there were sixteen large-looking dogs around them, their caterpillar-like curled-up bodies gone, each over three feet tall at the shoulder, like 'bully dogs' on the road.

These are the people they cherish most when they are protecting the hospital.

The older dogs are too much for them to handle, but the younger ones have become like family after spending so much time together.

It's safe to say that they always bring a small dog with them when they patrol the compound.

"Ok!"

Zhang Xiaoshan placed the fish in front of the three large dogs, then glanced at the dozen or so 'puppies'.

"For you guys!"

With a flick of his sleeve, more than a dozen pieces of fish flew out of the platter and landed in front of more than a dozen 'little' dogs.

It doesn't seem like much, only four or five ounces, which is just enough for a few bites.

But this was an absolute treasure, so after they finished eating, the dozen or so puppies immediately started staring longingly at Zhang Xiaoshan again.

However, Zhang Xiaoshan shook his head and directly refused the puppies' requests:

If we let them eat as much as they want, we could eat them out of house and home.

These dogs have digestive systems that are even more advanced than those of humans.

"Alright, eat up!"

The three old dogs were eating, and the scene had become so intense that it could be described as a fight over food.

In just ten breaths, the dog licked the plate clean, leaving about five pounds of meat.

He stared at Zhang Xiaoshan with lingering interest, but instead received three sharp raps on the head.

"Dayong, have the kitchen prepare some beef for them..."

"Yes, Master!"

These days, beef is definitely a good thing, and most of it is fatty beef transported from the grasslands.

Killing oxen is illegal, and the meat from oxen isn't very good either.

···

"Master!"

New Mansion Hall.

After the items were stored, another piece of dragonfish meat was thawed.

Thirty catties were given to the two hunting dogs guarding the courtyard. Then Zhang Xiaoshan and the women shared the food. Fifty catties went into Zhang Xiaoshan's stomach, ten catties were fed to the gyrfalcon and the snow fox, and the rest was the women's food.

Even with a weight of ten pounds, the faces of all the beauties were flushed and their skin was red.

Fish is highly nutritious; the more you eat, the more your blood and energy surge upwards.

However, it was not excessive.

"Piaoxu, this is a three-jin jar of dragon blood. Drink it tonight and then go into seclusion to cultivate."

Ninth Sister, this is yours.

And this picture of the dragonfish—I'll check the Ghost Doctor's notes tonight; I wonder if it's recorded there!

"Yes, son!"

The two jade wine jars, one large and one small, represent different levels of skill, and naturally, the amount consumed will also differ.

Murong Jiu's jar contains one jin (500 grams), which is already exceeding the limit.

However, what Murong Jiu was more curious about was the existence of the dragon fish.

The gains Zhang Xiaoshan brought this time far exceeded her expectations.

The other materials alone include dragon skull, fish fins, and dragon skin...

The fish maw, in particular, is even more potent than the legendary medicine after being dried, and its value surpasses that of the fish maw from the golden turtle.

The meaning of "willow catkins" is that this stuff is perfect for Zhang Xiaoshan's breakthrough in cultivation level.

Murong Jiu couldn't believe that Zhang Xiaoshan, who was now almost invincible, could still break through to the next level.

The next morning, Zhang Xiaoshan emerged from the Buddhist hall feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Last night, Zhang Xiaoshan consumed five catties of dragon blood and at least twenty or thirty catties of dragon fish meat with Master Mingchen. This seclusion will likely take several months to fully digest.

After all, Master Mingchen's strength was already comparable to that of Liusheng Piaoxu, and his skill was even more profound.

"Young Master, Chief Qiu is waiting for you in his study!"

"I see!"

Zhang Xiaoshan didn't expect Qiu Qianren to arrive so early, but he didn't go over immediately.

Instead, they went to the kennel in the courtyard, where they found the two hunting dogs fast asleep as if in hibernation.

They clearly ate too much and are still digesting it.

And judging from the looks of it, the benefits they've received shouldn't be small!

With his hands on the dogs' heads, Zhang Xiaoshan felt the power flowing within their bodies and realized that the power of the dragon fish meat was strengthening the two hunting dogs.

The true energy of these hunting dogs originally came from him, but they lacked the awareness to cultivate, and their true energy had long since dissipated.

After all, back at the Zhang family home, even the most beautiful women couldn't compare to the allure of these hunting dogs.

At this moment, the dragon fish's energy flow, mixed with his true qi, actually achieved twice the result with half the effort.

Zhang Xiaoshan was generous, mixing a stream of dragon's saliva energy with pure Yang Qi and pouring it into the dog's head.

These hunting dogs are far more loyal than humans, and they are excellent at guarding homes and property.

The reason Zhang Xiaoshan didn't want to keep the child in the new mansion was because there were too many people watching, and it would be too noisy at night.

Especially in homes under the bed, a sudden bark from a dog could easily scare someone to death.

Chapter 212 Natural Disaster or Man-Made Catastrophe?

"Son!"

As soon as he entered the study, Qiu Qianren stood up.

The more Qiu Qianren learned about the Zhang family, the more he realized how terrifying they were—a family teeming with experts and powerful figures.

Even the seemingly pampered Zhang family father and son are absolutely top-notch masters.

"I've kept Chief Qiu waiting!"

Without wasting words, Zhang Xiaoshan opened the storage compartment behind the safe, which resembled a vault.

Qiu Qianren saw Zhang Xiaoshan take out what appeared to be an extremely precious black jade mending ointment from the sealed jade box inside. He applied one layer, and it didn't seem to diminish at all. He had only used a very thin layer, and there was still at least 90% left.

This number is completely different from the rumored number.

But he knew this was a secret of the Zhang family.

After all, the value of this item is beyond doubt, so it's impossible for it to be taken out.

"These are enough for one person to recover."

As for the cooperation between the Zhang family and the Valley of Heartbreak, Chief Qiu will depart tomorrow, and I will arrange for a servant to accompany him.

Firstly, it can guide the flowering season in the Valley of Heartbreak, thereby increasing yield;

Secondly, it assists in the refinement of floral essential oils in the Valley of Heartbreak.

Floral essential oils have no market price, but they are said to be liquid gold. Therefore, the Zhang family would buy one or two ounces of floral essential oils for ten gold coins.