Big Black's Fortuitous Opportunity

The middle-aged woman didn't look at her husband; instead, she raised her eyes to look at Shen Jingchuan, who was sitting in the center, and curtsied.

"Greetings, fellow Daoist."

Shen Jingchuan glanced at her twice, then remained silent.

Ru'er straightened up, her voice not loud, but very steady.

"I've heard about what happened with the Wang Household."

"I didn't want to implicate the Zhao Household, so I came here personally."

"In all the years I've been married into the Zhao Household, not a single Zhao Household has treated me unfairly. I can't let them suffer because of me."

Shen Jingchuan looked at her and suddenly spoke.

"Oh?"

"Then let me ask you, why haven't you run around these past two days?"

Ru'er shook her head, her expression calm.

"If I run away, what will happen to the Zhao Household?"

"This score must be settled. I admit I'm not as skilled. That's just how the cultivation world is."

Shen Jingchuan stared at her for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and slammed it heavily on the table.

"Smack!"

"What a convenient excuse of being less skilled."

"Then do you know why I destroyed the Wang Household?"

He didn't wait for a reply and continued talking to himself.

"The first time I returned home from the market, the Wang Household sent men to ambush and kill me on the road."

"That time, I killed them in return, but I didn't go after the Wang Household. I thought it was their personal matter and didn't represent the Wang Household."

And the result?

"I went to the market again, but the Wang Household, still not giving up, organized another group of people to ambush me outside the market once more."

Shen Jingchuan's voice turned cold.

"That's when I got really angry, so I went to their house and wiped out the Wang Household."

Zhao Jiufeng stood aside, having only known the general outline before, only to hear the whole story now. After listening, he shook his head repeatedly and sighed.

Ru'er stood in the hall, her eyes wide open, staring at Shen Jingchuan, and remained silent for a long time.

Shen Jingchuan glanced at her.

What, you don't believe me?

"Look at me, do I look like I'm making up a story?"

He leaned back in his chair, but his tone became indifferent.

"If I were the kind of person who deliberately picks fights and is unreasonable, why would I be sitting here today wasting my breath arguing with you?"

"I'll just take action and wipe out your Zhao Household too, wouldn't that solve everything?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was stunned.

There were originally a few young people who were holding their breath, thinking they would fight it out no matter what.

But now, hearing him speak so casually, and thinking about the Wang Household's fate...

The Wang Household patriarch, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was defeated even when he joined forces with the Zhao Household family patriarch; they both lost their lives.

Now, the Zhao Household only has one patriarch left, and he's injured. The rest of them are at most at the Qi Refining stage; if they really Qi Refining, they're no different from being sent to their deaths.

One by one, they swallowed their anger and no one uttered another word.

Ru'er stood there for a long time, looking at Shen Jingchuan, and then suddenly knelt down.

She had harbored a deep resentment ever since she heard that the entire Wang Household had been killed.

But now, after hearing the whole story, that overwhelming hatred dissipated considerably.

No matter how lacking in resources or how difficult things are for the Wang Household, they cannot resort to Bandit Cultivator.

Which cultivation Lineage with any sense of shame would stoop to such a despicable act?

She lay on the ground, her voice hoarse.

"I admit it."

"I am a member of the Wang Household, and over the years, I have benefited from the Wang Household's good fortune and used Wang Household resources."

"I am willing to bear the consequences of the sins my Lineage has committed."

"I only beg you, fellow Daoist, not to implicate the Zhao Household."

As soon as she finished speaking, the three young men behind her knelt down in unison.

The older ones took the lead, crawled two steps on their knees, and kowtowed to Shen Jingchuan.

"Senior!"

"I am the eldest son, I beg you to spare my mother's life, I will pay for it!"

The second son was the most promising talent in the Zhao Household. He had Eighth Layer of Qi Refining at a young age and was also very perceptive. The whole family hoped that he would take over the Zhao Household in the future.

He stepped forward, his face tense, but his voice trembling.

"Brother, you're the eldest son, so you should do it, senior. I'll do it in place of Mother!"

The youngest girl had tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly took half a step forward.

"My two elder brothers, you are the sons of the Zhao Household, and you will be the ones to support the Zhao Household in the future. You cannot die."

"I'll do it, I'll do it for Mother."

Ru'er suddenly turned around, looked at the three children, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Foolish!"

"Who let you out? Get out of here, all of you!"

She reached out to push, trying to shield the children behind her, but she herself was trembling uncontrollably.

"This is my business, it's none of your concern..."

As a mother, she desperately tried to protect her child behind her.

The children all vied to die in their mother's place.

Everyone in the hall who watched was deeply moved.

Just then, Big Black, who had been lying at the entrance of the hall, suddenly stood up.

It strolled into the hall, walked step by step to the middle-aged woman, lowered its head, and kept sniffing her.

Everyone in the room was stunned; they even forgot to cry.

Ru'er was also surprised, looking at the horse with tears in her eyes, wondering what it was going to do.

Shen Jingchuan frowned, puzzled as well.

This Big Black dog is usually so steady, what's wrong with it today?

Shen Jingchuan was puzzled when Xian'er's voice echoed in his mind.

She was worried and stayed inside the space, watching the outside.

"Hey kid, don't just stand there."

"Big Black's reaction suggests it has found its fortuitous opportunity."

"Tell that woman to take out everything she has, including the contents of her Ring. What Big Black wants might be in there."

Shen Jingchuan's heart stirred, Divine Sense.

"Okay, sis."

He raised his head, looked at the family kneeling in the hall, and waved his hand.

"Alright."

"Stop putting on this act of maternal love and filial piety in front of me."

He looked at the group of young people and spoke slowly.

"I have a question for you."

"If the roles were reversed today, and I were a lowly cultivator coming to collect a debt, would you all be rushing to die in my place like this?"

He didn't wait for their answer and continued talking to himself.

"Won't."

"You still have no sense of morality, you just killed me here and then wiped me out."

"Now you know that if the Zhao Household resists, the entire clan will be wiped out, which is why they've acted this way."

The mother and her children, who were genuinely in love, were all stunned by his words.

Upon reflection, it made perfect sense, and they all lowered their heads, speechless.

Shen Jingchuan ignored him and focused his gaze on the middle-aged woman.

"You."

"Take everything off your person."

"The same goes for what's in the Ring; empty it all out, don't leave a single piece behind."

Ru'er, without asking any further questions, she reached out and took out the items from the Ring one by one, spreading them out on the ground.

She thought for a moment, then raised her hand, took off a jade pendant hanging around her neck, and placed it next to the pile of things.

As soon as the jade pendant hit the ground, Big Black Nose rushed over and sniffed it incessantly, while making low whimpering noises in his throat.

Shen Jingchuan raised his hand from a distance, and the jade pendant flew into his palm.

He held the jade pendant and looked at Big Black.

"Big Black."

"You've got your eye on this, haven't you? Is it useful to you?"

Big Black raised its head, nodded at him, and its voice echoed directly in his mind.

"Um."

"I can't quite put my finger on it, it's just the smell... it seems like there's something I need in this."

Shen Jingchuan raised an eyebrow and put the jade pendant away.

"Okay, you can go out first and wait outside."

"We'll talk about this when we get back."