Uproot the Problem at Its Roots

Zhao Jiufeng saw him, then glanced at the black horse beside him, and his eye twitched involuntarily.

Although the black horse was a first-tier spirit beast, it felt even larger than the other two horses. Was the Shen Household Lineage that specialized in raising horses? One person alone was this big; this was definitely not Rogue Cultivator could do.

He smiled and bowed respectfully.

"Fellow Daoist Shen, you've arrived."

As he spoke, he took out two Rings and handed them over with both hands.

"This is what I prepared for you, fellow Daoist. Please take a look."

Zhao Jiufeng's heart pounded; he truly did not want to invite this person inside.

The fate of the Wang Household was still fresh in his mind, and he was terrified that if this person displeased him, the Zhao Household would be wiped out as well.

Shen Jingchuan took the Ring and scanned it with his Divine Sense.

Inside, there were over ten thousand spirit Spirit Stones, along with a considerable amount of spirit herbs and spirit medicines, and dozens of bottles of various pills.

He raised an eyebrow, somewhat satisfied.

He accepted the Ring, looked up at Zhao Jiufeng, and slowly began to speak.

"What, Patriarch Zhao Household, won't you invite me in for a seat?"

Zhao Jiufeng's smile froze for a moment.

"How dare I? How dare I? Please, fellow Daoist, please."

He was inwardly groaning. He'd already given her everything, and she was still going in. Did she intend to raze the Zhao Household to the ground? It seemed his daughter-in-law was doomed.

But it was no use being unwilling; she had no choice but to step aside and lead the way, taking Shen Jingchuan into the mountains.

In fact, Zhao Jiufeng hadn't felt at ease these past few days.

The day he was released, as soon as he entered the mountain gate, he summoned his sons and important Lineage members, including the clan elders, to his side.

He recounted everything that had happened to the Wang Household.

The other party has two second-tier spirit beasts, Pegasus, and demands that the Zhao Household hand over half of their family fortune.

Everyone in the room changed their expressions after hearing this.

His eldest son, now the Lineage, suddenly stood up.

"Half of the family fortune? Why should he?! Our Zhao Household isn't pushovers, let's fight him!"

The others also started to clamor, each one disagreeing.

Zhao Jiufeng waved his hand and recounted the origins and abilities of the two flying horses from the beginning.

Second-tier Demon Beasts are equivalent to Foundation Establishment cultivators; they also have wings and can fly, and possess abilities such as lightning and freezing.

The people in the room gradually lost their spirit, and no one mentioned the word "war" again.

The clan chief had considered fighting to the death, but the enemy had two second-tier flying horses. The entire Zhao Household was tied up together, and even if they won, there probably wouldn't be many left. They had no choice but to swallow their pride.

Zhao Jiufeng looked at everyone and then forced himself to continue.

Besides the family property, they also had to send the Wang Household's legitimate daughter, who had married into the family, over there for the other party to deal with.

Upon hearing this, his eldest son, the clan head, changed his expression drastically and knelt down with a thud.

"Father!"

"Ru'er has been with me for so many years, supporting her husband and raising our children. She even gave me two sons and a daughter. How could I possibly send her away and have her killed?"

"I'll accept the family property; it's our fault for messing with the wrong people. But Ru'er... Father, I beg you!"

Zhao Jiufeng looked at his eldest son kneeling on the ground and sighed inwardly.

He had always been satisfied with this daughter-in-law. He reached out to help her up, but still shook his head.

"You're not a child anymore; you should know the rules of the cultivation world."

"Ru'er is the eldest daughter of the Wang Household, and her cultivation is not low either, already at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. In their eyes, she is a potential threat."

"If we let her stay today, aren't they afraid that Ru'er will come looking for us later? How can we guarantee the safety of their descendants?"

The clan chief knelt on the ground, remaining silent for a long time, before suddenly raising his head.

"Father, what if he... wants more Ru'er?"

"The children Ru'er gave birth to also have Wang Household family blood in their veins; the Wang Household is their maternal grandfather's family."

Zhao Jiufeng's heart skipped a beat.

His two grandsons and one granddaughter were all his most beloved.

Especially the youngest grandson, who at such a young age has already Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, and is also very perceptive. Everyone in the Manchu tribe knows that he will be the future clan leader.

He closed his eyes briefly and waved his hand.

"You may all leave. I will try my best to protect this matter."

At this moment, he led the way without mentioning a word about the Wang Household's eldest daughter.

But that tension remained taut in my heart, and I dared not relax it for even a moment.

Zhao Jiufeng led the way, while Shen Jingchuan followed slowly with his hands behind his back.

Big Black followed silently behind the two.

After entering the ancestral home and passing a screen wall, you arrive at the main hall.

The hall was spotless, and fruit was laid out on the table.

Zhao Jiufeng raised his hand to let them in.

"Fellow Daoist, please."

Shen Jingchuan entered the main hall and sat down in the guest seat. A maid brought in tea and offered it to him with both hands.

Shen Jingchuan took it, placed it on the table, and didn't touch it.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, why is your Zhao Household so deserted? There's not a single person to be seen on the streets."

Zhao Jiufeng chuckled dryly, thinking to himself, "It's all because of you."

"I didn't know you were coming these past few days, so I gave instructions to the clansmen to stay home as much as possible, lest they offend our distinguished guest."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall. Several people filed in.

Zhao Jiufeng stood up and pointed at Shen Jingchuan first.

"This is Fellow Daoist Shen."

Then he turned to Shen Jingchuan and introduced the others.

"This is my eldest son, the current clan leader; those others are my nephews, all of whom serve as elders in the clan."

The men stepped forward one by one to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Shen."

Shen Jingchuan nodded, which was taken as agreement.

After the introductions were completed, everyone in the room took their seats, but no one spoke.

Shen Jingchuan remained silent, and the others were at a loss for words, leaving the hall eerily quiet.

After a brief standoff, Shen Jingchuan decided to stop wasting time.

He looked up at Zhao Jiufeng, a half-smile on his face.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao."

"About us, have you... forgotten something?"

Zhao Jiufeng's smile froze instantly.

What was bound to happen has finally happened.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a moment.

His eldest son, the clan head standing to the side, suddenly stood up, took a few steps into the hall, and knelt down with a thud.

"Senior."

"The eldest daughter of the Wang Household that you requested is none other than my legal wife."

"We have been married for many years. She has given birth to my children and taken care of the household chores... I humbly beg you, senior, to show mercy and spare my life."

Shen Jingchuan looked at the person kneeling on the ground and slammed his hand on the table.

With a sharp "snap," the entire room fell silent.

"Oh?"

His voice turned cold.

"Since you know the rules of this cultivation world, you must nip it in the bud."

"So you're saying you're willing to risk the entire Zhao Household to protect her?"

The clan chief lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

Just as the stalemate was at its peak, footsteps sounded outside the hall, and someone hurried in.

The leader was a middle-aged woman, neatly dressed, but her face was somewhat pale.

She was followed by three young people, two men and one woman.

The Big Black in the yard suddenly raised its head.

Its nose twitched, as if it had smelled something, and its ears, which had been drooping, perked up.

The clan chief heard the commotion, turned around, and froze.

"Ru'er?"

What brings you here?