Chapter 10

The Qin family, the Jiang family, and the Xu family, although all three are major powerful families in Shangjiang City with immense influence, each have their own unique situations.

To be precise, Jiang Shihao is considered the second generation in the Jiang family, one of four brothers. The patriarch of the Jiang family is already over seventy years old, at the age where he could pass away at any moment. Therefore, the four brothers of the second generation are in fierce competition, preparing to vie for the position of the next family head, creating a very tense atmosphere.

The Qin family is different. Qin Lang, in terms of seniority, is a generation younger than Jiang Shihao, making him the third generation of the Qin family. The current head of the Qin family, Qin Limin, is the second son of the second generation, a contemporary of Jiang Shihao. The patriarch of the Qin family passed away two years ago, and Qin Lang is the eldest son of Qin Limin, ranking third among the third generation.

As the current head of the Qin family, Qin Limin's son, Qin Lang, naturally holds a very special status. His sudden madness has naturally caused chaos throughout the entire Qin family.

Let's talk about the Qin family first, and we'll leave the Xu family for later. Qin Lang returned home for lunch and began laughing uncontrollably. At first, no one paid much attention, but when his laughter continued for hours without stopping, causing his body to convulse and tears to stream down his face, Qin Limin could no longer sit still. He rushed back from the company and invited many famous doctors from Shangjiang City for a consultation, but by late afternoon, there was still no improvement.

Most of the doctors who came were renowned in Shangjiang City, and they could see that something was amiss, but the problem of how to treat it was a big issue. One of them suggested, "Young Master Qin is laughing uncontrollably due to extreme joy, which is mainly a psychological issue. President Qin, why not invite some psychological experts to examine Young Master Qin?"

Qin Limin thought this made sense, so he ordered his people to invite all the famous psychological experts in Shangjiang City, not missing any from the surrounding areas, to come to Shangjiang.

The Qin family is large and influential, so many renowned doctors and psychological experts came at short notice, some even volunteering to come.

Of course, what happened in the Qin family has nothing to do with Ning Yuan. After leaving the Jiang Corporation with Gu Fenglin, he was taken to the residence that Gu Fenglin had arranged for him.

Gu Fenglin knew Ning Yuan's preferences, so he arranged a residence in the transitional area between the city and the suburbs, neither too bustling nor too quiet.

Since Ning Yuan would be staying in Shangjiang City for a long time, Gu Fenglin had already rented a small apartment for him near the Jianghe Park. It was a small two-story building, not too spacious but not shabby either. Such a residence in Shangjiang City is considered a luxury, not affordable for the average person.

Gu Fenglin, born into the Gu family, has gained considerable influence in recent years. Although the Gu family is not as powerful as the Jiang and Xu families, they are still a prominent upper-class family. For the current Gu Fenglin, renting such a small apartment is still manageable.

The car entered the residential area and stopped in front of the small apartment. Ning Yuan and Gu Fenglin got out and casually glanced around, and Ning Yuan smiled, saying, "Xiaofeng, not bad. This place isn't cheap in Shangjiang City, with the park nearby, fresh air, and a beautiful environment, surrounded by mountains and water."

"Hehe, as long as you like it, Little Uncle," Gu Fenglin chuckled, inviting Ning Yuan into the house. "The park is right next to the residential area. In the morning, you can go there to exercise. This area is not noisy, and the transportation is convenient. When you have time, I'll take you to get a driver's license."

"Alright, I'll stay here for now," Ning Yuan nodded and smiled, then asked Gu Fenglin, "How about the job search? Any leads?"

"Finding a job these days isn't easy. I think, why bother looking for a job? With your skills, you could just read the feng shui and calculate the eight characters for people in Shangjiang City, living a carefree life," Gu Fenglin said.

It was early 2004, and although finding a job was not as difficult as in later years, it was still not easy. A decent job would pay around 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a month, just enough to cover the rent for the apartment. Gu Fenglin knew Ning Yuan's abilities and had seen him compete with Li Chuanhe, so he naturally did not want Ning Yuan to take a regular job.

Ning Yuan waved his hand and laughed, "No way. You know I'm not interested in feng shui or fortune-telling. I prefer being a doctor. If it weren't for my master's plea on his deathbed, I wouldn't have taken over as the head of the sect. Being a young man and being seen as a charlatan would make it hard to find a wife."

"Haha, Little Uncle, could it be that you're afraid of not finding a partner, which is why you don't like feng shui and fortune-telling?" Gu Fenglin teased with a smile.

He and Ning Yuan had a good relationship in the past and knew some of Ning Yuan's thoughts. Although Ning Yuan had traveled widely with his great-grandmaster, he was still young and had grown up in a Taoist temple, influenced by the solitary lives of the old Taoists and his master, which likely shaped his thoughts.

Ning Yuan's face turned red, and he glanced at Gu Fenglin, scolding him, "Enough talk. How about the job search?"

"There is one that might work," Gu Fenglin poured Ning Yuan a cup of tea and sat down opposite him. "Fuhai University in Shangjiang City is hiring a school doctor. I've had some dealings with the vice president of the university and mentioned it. The salary is 2,500 yuan a month. Why don't you go check it out tomorrow?"

"Fuhai University?" Ning Yuan nodded. "Not bad, I can also attend classes there."

Ning Yuan's face was full of black lines, and he decided not to say more. His little uncle had stayed at the temple the previous year because the old Taoist was ill, delaying his university education. His habit of attending classes for free was quite amusing.

Gu Fenglin gave Ning Yuan the address of the university and the contact information of the vice president. They chatted for a while, had dinner, and then said goodbye.

After Gu Fenglin left, Ning Yuan took a shower and lay down on the bed in the bedroom to sleep. He had come to Shangjiang City by train from Pingyang, a journey of over twenty hours, and had not rested well. Today, after arriving in Shangjiang City and visiting the Jiang Corporation, he was already quite tired.

When he woke up, he opened his eyes to find it still pitch black outside. Checking the time, it was only 4:30 AM. He wanted to sleep a bit more but couldn't, so he got dressed and went out.

It was late October, and although it wasn't very cold during the day, there was a chill in the early morning. Ning Yuan had practiced martial arts since childhood and had already entered the secret realm, surpassing Li Chuanhe. He had reached the stage of internalizing his spiritual senses and was not afraid of the cold, so he wore only a light outfit.

Outside the residential area, there were already a few vendors selling breakfast. Ning Yuan ate some fried dough sticks and soy milk, then wandered into the park next to the residential area, finding a secluded corner to practice his martial arts.

In this era, few people practiced martial arts, and most of those who did were just for show. The few who truly preserved the traditions were from martial arts sects and ancient families.

As the head of the Jiuxuan Sect, Ning Yuan had a solid foundation in martial arts from a young age. His practice was vigorous, and the wind from his punches even made the nearby branches rustle.

By the time he finished his practice, it was nearly 6:00 AM. He had practiced for an hour and was drenched in sweat, his clothes sticking to his body. Seeing that people were starting to gather in the park, he decided not to stay and planned to go back, take a shower, and change clothes before going to the university to check on the job.

However, as he was about to leave the park, an elderly man in his sixties sitting nearby called out, "Young man, you look like you've just arrived in Shangjiang City from afar. Are you here to look for a job? It's still early. Why not come and chat? I know a bit about the I Ching and can offer you some guidance."

Ning Yuan, who was about to leave, heard the call and couldn't help but laugh. He didn't expect to encounter a con artist on his second day in Shangjiang City. He smiled and turned around, saying, "Old man, I don't have any money. You've got the wrong person."

The old man, hearing Ning Yuan's words, was neither angry nor embarrassed, still smiling. "Don't worry. If I'm wrong, I won't ask for money. If I'm right, how about giving me the hundred yuan in your right pocket?"

Ning Yuan was startled and looked at the old man in surprise. He didn't expect the old man to have some real skills, knowing that he had a hundred yuan in his right pocket. He subconsciously looked at his right pocket and was again amused to find that the hundred yuan had been partially exposed during his practice, making it very noticeable.

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