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Chapter 15: Is the System Surnamed Cao?

Lu Wei only paused for a moment before he realized what was going on.

It was likely that news of him becoming a disciple yesterday had spread, so everyone assumed he had food supplies.

This wasn’t surprising at all. After all, being taken as a disciple by a martial artist meant one wouldn’t have to worry about food or drink.

At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in fine embroidered robes approached Lu Wei with a smile.

“Lu Wei, my young nephew, I am Zhou Yuanshan. I was an old friend of your father’s, and I even met you when you were a child. Do you remember?”

Lu Wei looked at the man and was slightly surprised.

Zhou Yuanshan?

This man was a wealthy landowner from their region, owning thousands of acres of fertile land, several shops in the city, and dozens of servants. He was undoubtedly one of the richest and most influential people around.

However, what made him most famous was his miserly nature. It was said that if a dung cart passed by his house, he’d check to see if it was salty or not.

As for claiming to be an old friend of Lu Wei’s father, that was pure nonsense.

Lu Wei’s cheap excuse for a father had left shortly after Lu Xiaoxiao’s birth, and Lu Wei barely remembered him. He only heard stories that his father went off to do business and didn’t even return when his mother died.

So, Lu Wei simply considered him dead.

That heartless and ungrateful father associating with this guy wasn’t surprising either—birds of a feather flock together, after all.

“The esteemed Mr. Zhou, long have I heard of your name. May I ask what brings you here today?”

Lu Wei didn’t bother beating around the bush or wasting brainpower guessing; he directly asked for the purpose of the visit.

Zhou Yuanshan glanced around, smiled, and said, “There are too many people here, it’s inconvenient. Could we step aside to talk?”

Seeing Zhou Yuanshan’s smile, which resembled a blooming flower, Lu Wei knew this guy must want something from him.

His thoughts raced, and he vaguely understood what was happening.

However, he still wanted to get acquainted with such a wealthy individual. After all, he was currently short on money, and if benefits came knocking, why refuse them?

Lu Wei nodded. “Follow me.”

Lu Wei took Lu Xiaoxiao’s hand, followed by Zhou Yuanshan and a few servants, and moved to the side.

“Alright, Mr. Zhou, you can speak now.”

Zhou Yuanshan waved his hand, signaling the servants to retreat further away before speaking.

“My dear nephew, call me Uncle Zhou. Our families’ relationship must not grow distant. Back when your father was alive, our families often visited each other, and our bond was deep.”

Lu Wei didn’t believe a single word of this—not even a punctuation mark.

If their relationship was truly so good, why hadn’t Zhou shown up in all these years?

“In that case, I’ll follow your suggestion, Uncle Zhou. What is it you seek from me?”

Zhou Yuanshan could tell this young man wasn’t interested in small talk.

His original plan to build rapport clearly wasn’t working, so he decided to cut straight to the chase.

“How old are you, my dear nephew?”

“Eighteen.”

“Are you married yet?”

Lu Wei blinked, understanding immediately. He had heard rumors about Zhou having a daughter who was stunningly beautiful and of marriageable age. Clearly, Zhou was trying to arrange a marriage alliance.

As for why such a wealthy man would look favorably upon a penniless young man like himself, it wasn’t hard to understand.

Zhou Yuanshan wasn’t incompetent—he had built a vast fortune.

Although Lu Wei was currently penniless, he had become a discipleto a martial artist and had his younger sister by his side.

These two siblings would surely become martial artists in the future.

And in this world, the status of a martial artist was exceptionally high.

Despite Zhou Yuanshan’s wealth, his social standing couldn’t compare to that of a martial artist.

Though Zhou’s family was rich, they couldn’t afford to hire a martial artist.

At best, they employed some strong men who knew basic combat skills to guard their estate.

In these turbulent times, the importance of martial artists was even more pronounced.

If Lu Wei became related to their family through marriage, their household would gain the backing of a martial artist.

This was extremely important for a family that only had wealth.

Not to mention, some refugees had already set their sights on Zhou’s grain stores.

If thousands of refugees targeted them, their few dozen servants wouldn’t stand a chance.

But with a martial artist on their side, no one would dare touch their property.

Lu Wei, on the other hand, felt indifferent about this marriage proposal.

Although Zhou Yuanshan was wealthy, Lu Wei wasn’t far from riches himself.

With the system, earning money was effortless—it was practically like picking it up off the ground.

Moreover, any wife he chose had to be helpful to him. Beauty alone wasn’t enough.

After weighing his options, Lu Wei smiled and said, “My parents passed away long ago, and I haven’t married yet.”

Hearing this, Zhou Yuanshan’s smile widened even more.

“Then let me be blunt. The purpose of my visit today is to propose a marriage alliance. By coincidence, I have a daughter your age who hasn’t been betrothed yet.

Though she may not be as beautiful as a celestial maiden, she is graceful and elegant. Furthermore, her character is gentle, virtuous, and respectful—a perfect match. What do you think, my dear nephew?”

Normally, such matters shouldn’t be proposed by the girl’s father.

But during these extraordinary times, exceptions had to be made. Following outdated formalities might leave them with nothing but bones.

Upon hearing this, Lu Wei pretended to think deeply before replying, “Uncle Zhou, your proposal is quite sudden. I need time to consider. Besides, although my parents are gone, I still have my master. This matter requires his approval.”

Zhou Yuanshan was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a polite rejection.

He scrutinized Lu Wei carefully, noticing the insincerity behind his smile.

It seemed this young man wasn’t interested in their family.

However, Lu Wei’s excuse was flawless, leaving no room for criticism.

Despite feeling displeased, Zhou couldn’t show it.

He maintained his smile and said, “I apologize for being presumptuous. You’re right; consulting your master is necessary. Then I shall take my leave and await your response.”

“Very well, please take care.”

After seeing Zhou Yuanshan off, Lu Wei shook his head and chuckled. When poor, no one cares even if you’re in the bustling market. When rich, distant relatives appear even in the remote mountains.

He continued strolling through the market with Lu Xiaoxiao.

The entire marketplace had almost only one commodity: people. The rest were valuables like jade, gold, and silver.

After looking around and preparing to exchange some items for gold and silver, the system’s notification suddenly rang out.

“Ding! A bindable target has been detected. Would you like to view details?”

Lu Wei’s heart stirred, but outwardly, he remained calm, glancing around nonchalantly.

Silently, he commanded, “View target.”

Instantly, an interface visible only to him appeared before his eyes.

【Name】：Wu Liushi

【Age】：21 years old

【Aptitude】：71

【Comprehension】：68

【Constitution】：2/5

【Cultivation Level】：None

【Appearance】：79

【Figure】：85

【Talent】：None

【Favorability】：10

【Comprehensive Evaluation】：62.2

Meets binding requirements. Not yet bound. Return multiplier: 5x.

Wu Liushi?

Upon seeing this name, Lu Wei was slightly taken aback. Wasn’t this the Mrs. Wu from their village?

She is already a mother to a child—how could she meet the binding criteria?

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