Jason Brooks smiled. Luckily, that girl wasn’t a good match for him in terms of age, otherwise...

Tsk tsk.

He would have ended up in the grave of marriage far too early.

Shaking his head, he paid it no more mind and headed straight back to his own private courtyard.

His courtyard was located in the northeast corner of the main residence, right along the family’s spiritual vein, making it a truly prime spot.

Above the gate, three characters were inscribed—【时运居】—the calligraphy bold and flowing, personally written by his great-grandfather Ethan Brooks, in hopes that his great-grandson would always have good fortune on his path of cultivation.

Jason Brooks strode quickly into the courtyard, calling out as he entered, “Xishun, Fubao, you two little rascals...”

Before he could finish, he abruptly stopped, his heart giving a sudden jolt.

In the courtyard stood a burly middle-aged man with his hands behind his back, fixing him with a stern gaze.

Meanwhile, Jack and Lucy, the two clever little servants, stood off to the side, hands at their sides, faces pale with fear, their legs trembling.

“Father!”

Jason Brooks’s own legs nearly gave out, his face turning white, barely able to stand.

This man was none other than the eldest legitimate grandson of Ethan Brooks—Alan Brooks.

He was also Jason Brooks’s biological father.

Chapter 5: Golden Yuan Body-Tempering Technique

Before his father could explode and call him a wretch or worse,

Jason Brooks hurried forward to bow, quickly speaking before his father could open his mouth: “Father, I’m innocent!”

Then, at top speed, he explained the whole story from beginning to end, and promptly handed over the storage pouch he’d picked up, awaiting his father’s judgment.

He was terrified that if he spoke even a beat too slow, the old man would slap him across the face.

Don’t be fooled by how meek his father acted in front of grandpa—when it came to his sons, he was always the picture of authority.

His father didn’t say a word from start to finish, his expression still stern.

But Jason Brooks keenly sensed that his father’s mood seemed to have stabilized quite a bit, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Alan Brooks glanced at the storage pouch and said calmly, “It was probably dropped by some guest by accident. Once you confirm the owner, return it to them.”

“Yes, Father.” Jason Brooks replied obediently, though he felt a pang for the lost spirit stones.

With that, Alan Brooks headed for the door.

Halfway there, he paused, turned slightly, and instructed, “Your fourth uncle needs to go to Sheshan Market tomorrow for some business. Go with him and lend a hand. Remember, watch more and speak less—learn well from your fourth uncle.”

“I understand, Father.” Jason Brooks bowed low, eyes downcast, showing respect.

After Alan Brooks left 【时运居】, and after waiting a moment longer, Jason Brooks finally leapt up, kicked Jack and Lucy both to the ground, and scolded, “You two little rascals, how dare you gossip behind my back!”

The two servants didn’t dare get up, lying on the ground and wailing their innocence: “Young master, we’re innocent! We’re your personal attendants—if anything happens to you, it happens to us too. Why would we say anything to get you in trouble?”

“That’s right! It must have been those two scoundrels on gate duty today who spread the rumors.”

“We’ll go catch them right now and bring them to you for punishment.”

Jason Brooks frowned slightly.

After a brief pause, he slowly shook his head and said, “There’s something fishy about this. Don’t act rashly—investigate the source of the rumor quietly first. When I return from Sheshan Market, I’ll deal with it then.”

“Yes, young master.”

Only then did Jack and Lucy scramble to their feet, accepting the order respectfully, their indignation mixed with a sense of shared outrage.

After sending the two servants away,

Jason Brooks entered a small building facing due south. The building was elegantly decorated, with carved beams and painted rafters.

At key points on the pillars and beams, there were small formation flags arranged. They swayed gently despite the absence of wind, invisibly linked to each other, resonating in a unique rhythm.

This was a common formation in the cultivation world—the 【Small Spirit Gathering Array】—centered around a palm-sized formation disk.

As soon as Jason Brooks stepped into the building, he felt a cool, refreshing sensation wash over him, instantly invigorating his spirit.

The spiritual energy here was several times denser than in the main residence.

If one lived in this building for a long time, even without cultivating, just passively absorbing the spiritual energy each day would prolong one’s life, making it easy to live to eighty or ninety.

At that moment,

A servant brought in his dinner.

On the wooden tray was a plate of steamed 【Blue-Tailed Spirit Sturgeon】 fillets—a rare delicacy from the East Sea, usually requiring several Qi Refining cultivators skilled in water to hunt and catch.

There was also a small plate of stir-fried 【Green Spirit Lotus Root Slices】, a specialty from the family’s own 【Autumn Lake Villa】, slightly spiritual in nature and good for clearing the mind and brightening the eyes when eaten regularly.

There was also a small bowl of white jade spirit rice, each grain distinct and crystal clear, with a fragrant aroma—another product of the family’s spiritual fields.

In the days following his great-grandfather’s funeral, Jason Brooks had been grieving and busy, barely eating properly.

Now, smelling the fresh food, his stomach suddenly rumbled, and his appetite returned in full force.

Jason Brooks picked up the rice, took a bite of fish, and the firm, springy texture filled him with happiness.

The only slight disappointment was that the fish’s fibers were a bit coarse—far less delicate than the family’s own 【Green Spirit Knife Perch】.