Two men, one in his fifties and the other in his thirties, stood before the most famous shop on Manual Street, Ikasa’s Manuals.

“So this is the famed Shop that sells Single Use Manuals that has affected our business in Sal City and Birch City?”

The older man asked Xu Ran rhetorically. His identity was so shocking that even Xu Ran, the owner of Martial Soul Trading Company based in a tier 2 Ebony City, bowed to him.

He was a Path Finder from the He Family, He Ding.

Xu Ran had seen the miraculous manuals sold by the Xue Family in Sal City. The moment he saw them, he came to understand that traditional Martial arts manuals wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

They were miles apart!

Single Use manuals were cheap, convenient and better quality while the traditional manuals were expensive, hard to use and lower grade.

No wonder they had captured the entirety of markets of these lower tier cities!

Noticing the rise of another giant in the Martial Techniques market, he carefully investigated the origin of the manuals and reported his findings to the He Family.

At the same time, He family also received another report from the fourth seat of the Hu Clan, Qi Shu. He also mentioned Ikasa’s manuals as the reason for their declining orders.

Thus, the He Family took this matter seriously. Losing the market of one Tier 3 City meant a loss of nearly 10,000 gold per year. After they lost Birch City as well, that loss became unbearably high. It forced them into action.

First, they tried to get rid of Ikasa using the Hu Clan but that plan failed spectacularly. Instead the Hu Clan was wiped out.

They couldn’t act immediately after because of the Battle of Rights. Due to the Battle, the entire Birch City was under a lockdown.

Even He Family did not dare to test the Absolutes’ Will.  They waited for the Battle to end. As soon as they received the news of the Battle of Rights ending, a Path Finder from the He Family set off for Birch City.

Xu Ran accompanied the venerated expert on this trip as a guide.

At this moment, they stood before their destination.

The two men were pleasantly surprised by the Shop’s modest display of wealth. The exterior was aesthetically pleasing and done tastefully, unlike the gaudy show of wealth that many shops go for.

A pleasant aroma of the Sandalwood permeated from inside the shop, inviting the customers to step inside.

“Hmph! This guy sure knows how to get more customers!”

He Ding commented, pushing the door open. Xu Ran followed after him. The Path Finder glanced at the thin middle aged man sitting behind the counter menacingly.

“Are you Ikasa? The Owner of this Shop?”

The Path Finder asked, slamming the sandalwood desk with his palm. He manipulated a little Energy to leave his palm imprint on the counter, scaring the shit out of the man standing behind the counter.

“N-N-No…  Th–The Owner is in h-his Villa in the N-North.. “

The middle aged man answered, with a stutter. Satisfied with his answer, He Ding did not cause him any more trouble and left with Xu Ran.

The two left so swiftly that the shopkeeper scratched his head with confusion. If not for the palm print on the counter, he might have thought he was dreaming!

——-

“The He Family made a move much faster than expected.”

City Lord Zhen remarked upon hearing the news of a Path Finder’s arrival in the City.

“This just means that Ikasa is much more valuable of an asset than you thought.”

Zhen Ya gloated, reminding her brother of the insurance agreement he had signed. The conditions were overly protective of Ikasa and it was all because of her interference.

“His plan is great. If he can execute it, we will only reap the profits without any work.”

The City Lord said, looking in the direction of Ikasa’s distant residence. When he heard of Ikasa’s plan, he could only say he was trying to take a bite of a dragon. But Ikasa’s manuals had the potential to bring his plan to reality.

Soon, he may capture the entirety of the Deciduous County’s Martial Methods market! And thanks to his prudence, he would receive 3% of profits  made every year!

While the Zhen siblings were celebrating their decision, a worried voice broke their chains of thought.

“If a Path Finder is going to his place, shouldn’t you protect him?”

Xue Miao, City Lord Zhen’s wife, asked with worry.

It was her family who had recommended Ikasa. She was initially skeptical of this unknown person but he had helped her husband more than she could’ve imagined.

With the rise of Ikasa, her sister-in-law’s stigma against her had also reduced and she could finally feel the relations between them improve.

Ikasa was the cause of her improving image and his downfall could also ruin her mending relations. Hence, she gathered courage to interject. She looked worriedly at the two siblings waiting anxiously for their reply.

City Lord Zhen smiled at his wife. She was naive and could cause mess, but she always had his best interests at heart. This was the only reason he had never resented her for the Monstrous Flame Sect’s fiasco.

He looked at his sister and mischievously asked, “What should we do Path Finder Zhen?”

“We should do as the Madam commands.”

In a rare show of youthfulness, Zhen Ya thawed her frosty countenance and cheekily replied. She winked at Xu Miao before jumping off the ground with City Lord Zhen.

And the two left for Ikasa’s Villa, leaving a stunned Xu Miao behind.

——

“Hahaha! This little piece of paper will guarantee my safety when I contact the He Family!”

Ikasa laughed heartily while holding the insurance agreement. The one he had obtained after unveiling his grand plan to City Lord.

It explicitly stated that he was protected by the Zhen Family. Any attack on him would be seen as an attack on the Zhen Family.

The City Lord was hesitant to write a contract with such direct words, but Path Finder Zhen Ya convinced him.

“The more I see her, the more I find her pleasing to the eye.”

Ikasa exclaimed, rubbing his smooth chin. He was in a great mood today because everything had gone according to the plan. As he was enjoying the bright sunlight, the door to his bedroom opened.

“Who looks pleasing to the eye?”

Behind him, Xin Ruo asked from the door. He detected a slight hint of jealousy in her question. Ikasa smirked before slowly turning around.

She avoided looking at him pretending to be busy with her work. Still, her furtive glances did not miss his notice.

He scanned the girl from head to toe as she placed the dishes filled with some snacks on the table. She was wearing a beige form fitting gown accentuating her curves. The gown’s color also suited her wheatish skin.

As she bent, Ikasa saw her plump behind highlighted under her gown. She looked a mixture of sexy and sophisticated.

A crooked smile came to his face, seeing her ravishing look. When she stood up, he closed the distance and held her by her shoulders.

“Who looks pleasing to the eye? You.” He whispered in her ears.

Then he gently lowered his gaze to her plump lips. He saw her bite her lower lip and his heartbeat accelerated.

He lifted her chin and smashed his lips against hers. Biting her succulent lip, his tongue penetrated her mouth.

“Mngh..”

She moaned as his roaming hand landed on her derriere, giving them a hard pat.

His right hand cupped her chest and gently pinched her erect nipple over the cloth.

She responded by biting his lip and breaking away from the kiss. Her face was flushed red and her breathing heavy.

Ikasa was in no different condition. He was consumed by lust.

He could control himself as long as he did not act.  But now that he had acted on his impulse, he didn’t want to stop.

“Xin Ruo, I want you.”

Ikasa hoarsely whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her earlobes. She shyly nodded, consenting to the deed.

He gently lifted her up and laid her on the bed.

Just as he was about to undress her, he heard a loud shout resound through the Villa.

“Ikasa, Come out! Let’s have a chat!”

Soon after, frantic footsteps came to a stop outside his door. Then someone banged on the door.

“Master! Someone from the He Family is here!”

It was Caretaker Han shouting from outside his door.

Ikasa barely suppressed his annoyance. He growled into Xin Ruo’s ear, “This is not over. We will continue this at night.”

She meekly nodded, turned on by Ikasa’s domineering side. Ikasa bit her earlobe and released her from his embrace.

He straightened his clothes and made himself presentable. Then with a raging boner, he went downstairs to negotiate the survival/expansion of Gold Heart Business Group!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep