Chapter 5 (2/2)

during the daytime, he would find time to check on the business at shengde building, greet familiar guests, and even accompany them for a drink.

which of the old customers who frequent shengde building could be considered simple?

not to mention, during the day they drink at the tavern and at night they drink in the pleasure quarters. even if they were just drinking buddies, their friendship would be anything but ordinary after a long time.

after all, they are men…

having dealt with the regular customers in the tavern, liang sheng ordered the excess food from the kitchen to be given to the beggars outside the tavern, leaving amidst the beggars’ kowtowing.

liang sheng didn’t care much about this, it was just a small effort on his part and he would even sometimes reward the beggars with the leftovers from the customers.

following this routine for a few more days, he finally managed to master the first layer of the nine newly found health cultivation methods.

moreover, due to the accumulation of these techniques, it seemed as if liang sheng could sense the increase in his lifespan, making him even more determined and ambitious.

however, during this time, his second uncle, liang qiang, would occasionally invite liang sheng for drinks in the pleasure quarters, forcing him to reduce his cultivation practice to accompany him.

as far as martial arts families were concerned, they didn’t care much about whether someone like liang qiang or him, who were considered “waste” in martial arts, got married and had children.

after all, only those who succeed in martial arts become the essential pillars of the family lineage. they were merely their minions, and liang qiang’s failure to marry and have children was even a welcome situation for the other branches of the family.

after all, when they died, the resources under their control would be more easily distributed, and even liang ping never bothered about liang sheng’s marriage.

although he was liang sheng’s biological father, he was first and foremost the patriarch of the liang family, a martial arts clan, and had long ceased to be a mere father to one person.

this was what it meant to come from a martial arts family!

however, it could not be said that they had no father-son feelings, otherwise liang ping would not have provided him with so many resources in the early years. it was just that at his position, perhaps martial arts were the criterion for evaluating emotions.

liang sheng didn’t complain about this, but rather felt fortunate – because without any feelings of debt, it would probably be the best outcome.

days went by in this manner, and one day as liang sheng was performing his routine check of the tavern, he suddenly saw a familiar guest who greeted him. after a brief moment of surprise, he sat down with the guest.

zhang rongjun, eldest son of the wealthy merchant zhang family in jinzhou city, a regular at shengde building, and someone who liang sheng often encountered at yichun building as well.

now, zhang rongjun seemed to be somewhat intoxicated, making him more open in his speech than before, “brother liang, i’m afraid i won’t be able to visit shengde building for a long time. i consider myself lucky to have become friends with you these past few years.”

although liang sheng was considered a martial arts waste in the liang family, outside of the family he was still the son of the liang family, a status that could not be matched by the merchant families.

over the years, liang sheng had always been approachable and humble, which was why zhang rongjun felt the need to speak up. hearing this, liang sheng knew that something must have happened.

as expected, zhang rongjun continued, “my father is seriously ill, and i’m afraid he won’t live much longer.

as the eldest son of the zhang family, it’s up to me to take care of our family’s business. our zhang family is primarily in the business of trading, and this next journey may take three or four years. i don’t know when i’ll be able to visit again.

brother liang, i’ll drink a toast to you today in honor of your friendship. when i return next time, i will definitely invite brother liang to yichun building for a night of revelry.”

zhang rongjun downed his drink in one gulp, and liang sheng also gulped down his drink without affectation, “in that case, i won’t be hypocritical. i wish brother zhang a smooth journey and a wealth of fortune!”

it didn’t take long for zhang rongjun to get thoroughly drunk and be carried on to a horse carriage by his servants. liang sheng followed him to the entrance and watched the carriage leave in the distance.

zhang rongjun’s father was also considered a legend in jinzhou city, having built a vast fortune from scratch. but now, what was it all worth?

could he still escape the fate of turning into dust and becoming one with the clouds? even after zhang rongjun spent the rest of his life working hard, his fate would still be the same in the end.

at this moment, liang sheng was resolved more than ever not to waste the opportunity he had been given and would strive to explore the secrets of longevity.