Chapter 5

After leaving Jinlong Treasure Shop, Jiang Qing'e remained silent in the carriage, and Li Luo continued to keep quiet, holding the box, lost in thought.

It wasn't until the carriage arrived at a grand estate, with small hills and pavilions scattered throughout, exuding a majestic aura, that they stopped.

This was the old residence where Li Luo's parents had founded Luolan Manor.

Four lion-horse beasts stopped at the entrance of the estate, and both Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e got out of the carriage.

"This place is much quieter than before," Jiang Qing'e said, gazing at the estate with a touch of nostalgia.

When Li Luo's parents were still around, this place served as the headquarters of Luolan Manor. The bustling scene of those days contrasted sharply with the current quietness.

"The headquarters of Xuanluo Manor has long been moved to the capital city. This is just an old residence, so it's natural for it to be quiet," Li Luo said with a smile.

As they spoke, someone came out from behind the gate.

A kind-looking old man led the way, and beside him was a woman. The woman had a mature and attractive appearance, with a particularly well-proportioned and curvaceous figure, like a ripe peach, swaying gracefully.

"Uncle Liu."

Li Luo called out to the old man, who had been with his parents for many years and now managed the old residence and took care of Li Luo's daily life.

But the unfamiliar mature woman puzzled Li Luo.

"Uncle Liu, it's been a long time," Jiang Qing'e nodded at the old man and introduced the woman to Li Luo: "This is Sister Cai Wei. She is my assistant in the capital city and helps me manage the affairs of Luolan Manor."

"Nice to meet you, Young Master," the mature beauty named Cai Wei smiled at Li Luo, her eyes sizing him up.

Li Luo nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your hard work, Sister Cai Wei."

"For the next period, Sister Cai Wei will stay in Nanfeng City to manage some of Luolan Manor's assets in Tianshu Prefecture, and she will report everything to you," Jiang Qing'e continued.

Li Luo was taken aback. With the headquarters of Luolan Manor moved to the capital city, the assets in Tianshu Prefecture had remained stable. Why would Qing'e suddenly send a capable assistant to take charge?

"Is something wrong?" Li Luo pondered for a moment and asked.

Jiang Qing'e's sudden return clearly wasn't just for his seventeenth birthday.

Jiang Qing'e fell silent for a moment, her delicate face becoming more serious. Then she walked into the estate, gesturing for Li Luo to follow.

"Even though you stayed in Nanfeng City, I'm sure you've heard some rumors about Luolan Manor, right? I didn't tell you about these things before, fearing they might affect you," Jiang Qing'e said as they walked along the gravel path, with patches of sunlight filtering through the trees.

Li Luo nodded. Although he hadn't been involved in Luolan Manor, he could guess that with his parents missing for years, the manor wouldn't remain peaceful.

In the Great Xia Kingdom, establishing a manor was no easy task, and one of the key requirements was that only those who had achieved the Marquis rank could do so.

Currently, there were five major manors in the Great Xia Kingdom, and Luolan Manor was one of them.

Among these five manors, Luolan Manor was the youngest and rose to prominence the fastest because both of Li Luo's parents had reached the Marquis rank.

Marquis Yangxuan, Li Taixuan.

Marquis Lan, Dantai Lan.

A manor with two marquises was the main reason Luolan Manor quickly rose to become one of the five major manors. Compared to the other four, which had a long history, Luolan Manor was very young, but this also meant it was weaker in terms of foundation.

However, this wasn't originally a problem. With Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan's talent and strength, they could have bridged the gap over time.

Unfortunately, they suddenly went missing.

Without these two pillars, Luolan Manor's strength declined rapidly. Initially, the lingering influence of the two marquises kept things stable, but as time passed and no news of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan emerged, rumors began to spread that they had perished in the Marquis battlefield.

As one of the five major manors in the Great Xia Kingdom, Luolan Manor had countless assets, making it a highly coveted prize. Many forces in the kingdom were eyeing it greedily.

Thus, as the influence of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan waned, some forces began to target Luolan Manor.

In this situation, Jiang Qing'e, who was still studying at the Holy Xuan Star Academy, had to take over Luolan Manor. Although her reputation in the Great Xia Kingdom had grown over the past two years, she hadn't reached the Marquis rank, so her authority was limited. Faced with numerous threats, she had to abandon some of Luolan Manor's assets to buy time for recovery.

This constant abandonment led many to believe that Luolan Manor was in turmoil.

But Li Luo understood that without sufficient strength, holding onto a golden mountain would only bring more trouble. Appropriate restraint was a long-term strategy.

"Although Luolan Manor's influence has declined over the past two years, it seems to have stabilized, right?" Li Luo asked, puzzled.

Jiang Qing'e pursed her lips and said calmly, "External pressure has temporarily eased, but this time, the problem lies within Luolan Manor."

Li Luo's eyes narrowed, and he said slowly, "Is it that Senior Brother Pei Hao?"

Jiang Qing'e and Cai Wei looked at Li Luo in surprise.

"Although you've only been in charge of Luolan Manor for a short time, your charisma is unmatched. Your influence in Luolan Manor is significant. The only person who can challenge you is this Senior Brother Pei Hao, who was taken in by my parents as a named disciple," Li Luo smiled, meeting their surprised gazes.

Pei Hao, a destitute youth, was once saved by Li Luo's parents after offending an enemy. Seeing his pitiful state, they took him in. He worked hard and showed talent, eventually becoming a named disciple of Li Luo's parents.

With this status, Pei Hao's position in Luolan Manor rose rapidly. By the time Li Luo's parents went missing, he had significant power within the manor.

When Li Luo's parents were still around, Pei Hao would occasionally visit him, but these visits became less frequent over the past two years, especially after the news of his Empty Phase talent spread.

From this, it seemed that Pei Hao was quite genuine.

"Pei Hao has always had objections to my leadership of Luolan Manor and has acted on his own in many decisions. He has considerable influence within the manor, and nearly half of the nine pavilion leaders are close to him, causing significant problems," Jiang Qing'e said coolly.

"Actually, if he were working for Luolan Manor, I could tolerate all of this. I wouldn't even have taken on this leadership role if it weren't for the appointment by my teachers before they left."

Li Luo nodded. Jiang Qing'e's personality wasn't suited for these manor affairs. Her talent was best used in cultivation.

Of course, it was also because he, the young master, wasn't strong enough... But both he and Jiang Qing'e knew that in his current state, his so-called Empty Phase talent wouldn't command respect. If he were to take over Luolan Manor, it would likely fall apart quickly.

After all, in this world, strength was the foundation of respect.

"Thank you, Qing'e. You've really worked hard," Li Luo said sincerely.

Jiang Qing'e shook her head, "No need. After all, we have a betrothal, and this manor is also part of my inheritance."

So direct.

Li Luo was speechless, and Cai Wei beside him covered her mouth with a charming laugh.

"Since my teachers went missing, the morale within the manor has been low. Although I've tried to stabilize it, the situation is clear. Pei Hao has been taking advantage of this to gain support and has been obstructing me at every turn. I've investigated and suspect that he might have the backing of other forces," Jiang Qing'e continued.

Li Luo caught a falling leaf and said, "This is... raising a white-eyed wolf."

"Tomorrow, Pei Hao will lead a group to Nanfeng City to talk with me. It's likely that we won't reach an agreement, and the worst-case scenario is that Luolan Manor will split, which would be a severe blow to its current state," Jiang Qing'e's golden eyes were particularly cold, with a hint of killing intent.

Li Luo's brows furrowed. With Luolan Manor already surrounded by threats, a split would greatly weaken it, leading to even more problems.

But in the end, he could only sigh in frustration. With his current strength, he couldn't influence the situation at all. As the young master, he was likely forgotten by many within the manor.

All of this was because he lacked strength and a promising future.

"Sorry, I can't offer much help," Li Luo said.

Jiang Qing'e shook her head and said softly, "Don't worry. Even if Luolan Manor is unstable now, I will ensure it is intact when I hand it over to you."

Li Luo didn't respond. He wasn't particularly concerned about this, as Luolan Manor, no matter how strong, was an external asset. In this world, only personal strength was the true foundation.

If he could one day reach the Marquis rank, all problems would be solved.

After returning to the old residence, they had dinner together. Jiang Qing'e then went to prepare for the next day.

Li Luo didn't disturb her and went to the training room to practice phase techniques for two hours before returning to his room to rest.

That night, Li Luo lay awake for a long time. After midnight, he got out of bed and opened the suitcase he had brought today.

He carefully took out a mysterious black crystal ball, holding it gently. At that moment, Li Luo could feel his heart pounding fiercely.

"Father, Mother, what have you left for me?"

Li Luo patted his heart, trying to calm himself.

"It can't really just be a birthday cake that's been stored for a few years, right?"