Scheming

"Qin Jishi, what are you still standing there for? Hurry up and go out to apologize."

"Qin Jishi~"

"Qin Jishi~"

No matter how Tang Xiulan screamed and scolded, Qin Jishi remained unmoved.

"Trash~"

"Ungrateful wretch~"

Tang Xiulan didn't dare to hesitate. "Shiqing, hurry... hurry... go beg Liu Kai... I believe... I believe he'll let your father go for your sake."

The Zhang family could exist without her, Tang Xiulan, but not without Zhang Jinhua. If anything were to happen to Zhang Jinhua, the entire Zhang family would be finished.

"Shiqing... Shiqing..." Tang Xiulan was almost hysterical. "What are you still standing there for? That's your father! Consider it your mother begging you."

"Shiqing!"

Tang Xiulan was truly desperate and was about to kneel. "Mother begs you, just agree to the Liu family's demands. Mother has wronged you."

"Mother!" Zhang Shiqing quickly supported her. "What are you doing?"

"Father will be fine, absolutely fine," Zhang Shiqing reassured her. "As long as I'm here, no matter how great the crisis, I won't let anything happen to Father."

"Shiqing, Mother has wronged you." In Tang Xiulan's eyes, the only way Zhang Shiqing could save Zhang Jinhua was to compromise with the Liu family and marry Liu Kai.

Now that Liu Kai was impotent, marrying him would be like living as a widow.

But what could be done? If Zhang Shiqing didn't compromise, Zhang Jinhua would be in mortal danger. Weighing the options, she could only be wronged.

"Mother, don't say that. As a child, it's my duty to protect you."

As she spoke, Zhang Shiqing turned her head. "Aren't you going to make a move?"

Qin Jishi shrugged and said nothing.

This action immediately drew Tang Xiulan's displeasure again. "Trash, once this matter is over, our Zhang family will absolutely not tolerate you..."

"Qin Jishi!" Zhang Shiqing said in a low voice, "I'd like to see how long you can endure this."

After speaking, Zhang Shiqing looked straight ahead. "Stop!"

Her voice was chilling, and the crowd automatically parted, exposing Zhang Shiqing to everyone's sight.

The moment Zhang Shiqing entered Sun Baitan's vision, a glint flashed in his originally gloomy eyes, emitting a wolf-like glare.

"What a Cultivation Cauldron!"

Sun Baitan practiced fire-element cultivation techniques. Due to the accumulation of Fire Toxin in his body, he suffered unbearable pain at regular intervals. He needed to find a woman with a naturally cold constitution to alleviate the intense pain.

Although Sun Baitan couldn't see through Zhang Shiqing's constitution, he could feel the icy aura emanating from her. Coupled with her stunning beauty, she was truly a rare gem.

"Shiqing, you..." Seeing Zhang Shiqing walk towards him, Zhang Jinhua wanted to stop her.

"Father, it will be fine," Zhang Shiqing gave him a reassuring look.

Everyone looked at Zhang Shiqing, blinking their eyes repeatedly. They were filled with deep confusion.

What did she mean?

Did she think she could stop the Black Eagle Prefecture from pressuring them?

Bitch!

Liu Kai clenched his fists, his eyes filled with cruelty. If Zhang Shiqing fell into Liu Kai's hands, she would surely be tormented beyond recognition.

After a brief silence, Zhang Shiqing took a step forward, her voice indifferent. "Elder Sun, is it? We've heard of the Black Eagle Prefecture's reputation. I heard the Black Eagle Prefecture Lord is fair in his dealings. Here, may I ask a few questions?"

"Oh..." Sun Baitan said with interest. "You are the Zhang family's young lady? No wonder Liu Kai, despite being impotent, went to such lengths to have you."

"Heh heh!"

Sun Baitan paused, then chuckled. "Looking at you, it seems you want to speak for everyone. Fine, let me hear what questions you have."

"Shiqing!" Zhang Jinhua wanted to stop her, but Zhang Shiqing stopped him with a gesture of shaking her hand behind her back.

"Good!" Zhang Shiqing nodded and looked at Liu Qiang. "Patriarch Liu, regarding this matter, I believe you can answer a few questions for me."

Before Liu Qiang could respond, Zhang Shiqing began to ask her questions. "First question, did our Zhang family ever agree to a marriage alliance with you from beginning to end?"

"Zhang Shiqing!" Liu Kai immediately roared. "What right do you have to make my father answer questions?"

"I don't have the right?" Zhang Shiqing said with a half-smile. "Elder Sun has already agreed. Do you think you can be Elder Sun's superior? Or does Elder Sun have to take your orders?"

"You..." Liu Kai was speechless for a moment.

Although Liu Kai's aunt was a concubine of the Black Eagle Prefecture Lord, Sun Baitan, as an elder of the Black Eagle Prefecture, also held a significant position. How could he dare to be presumptuous in front of him?

What deep scheming! If Liu Kai were provoked and said something insolent, it might displease Sun Baitan.

"Kai'er!" Liu Qiang stopped him in time, then said grimly, "Your Zhang family did not agree from beginning to end, nor did you refuse. Therefore, there should be no problem with me coming to your Zhang family to propose."

Liu Qiang's explanation was flawless, as such matters were ultimately voluntary.

"Good!" Zhang Shiqing nodded and continued, "What Patriarch Liu said is indeed correct. Since it's all voluntary, my second question is directly related to this matter."

Zhang Shiqing narrowed her eyes slightly. "Your Liu Family proposed marriage to our Zhang Family, and our Zhang Family has the right to refuse. May I ask Patriarch Liu, when I married Jishi, did you utter any provocative words?"

As soon as she said this, Liu Qiang's expression changed slightly.

Zhang Shiqing's scheming was truly profound; even Liu Qiang, who had been around for many years, felt a chill.

Creak!

Gritting his teeth, Liu Qiang regained his composure and chuckled softly.

"Provocative words? That's absurd. Then I ask you, do you have any evidence?"

"Many people present attended your wedding."

Liu Qiang looked at the onlookers. "Patriarch Bu, did you see me utter any provocative words?"

"I did not... I did not..." Patriarch Bu quickly shook his head.

"Then did you see it?"

"No..."

"And you?"

"..."

Those factions all denied it without hesitation. It was a joke; even a fool could see that the scales of victory were tipping towards the Liu Family. How could they not know how to choose?

"Zhang Shiqing, no one saw anything. Who can prove it for you?"

As if she had expected Liu Qiang to say this, Zhang Shiqing merely smiled.

"Patriarch Liu, in that case, let me ask you a third question: how was Liu Kai crippled?"

A look of disdain appeared on Zhang Shiqing's face. "Liu Kai repeatedly called Jishi a good-for-nothing, simply because Jishi is a mortal? If that's the case, and he was crippled by Jishi, doesn't that mean he's even worse than a good-for-nothing?"

"Sigh~"

As she spoke, Zhang Shiqing shook her head and sighed. "A Mystic Spirit Realm martial artist had his Yang Vein severed by a mortal, yet he still arrogantly claims to be a genius. How utterly laughable."

"Shut up!" As if her words had struck a nerve, Liu Kai roared hysterically, "I would be inferior to that good-for-nothing? If I hadn't underestimated him and given him an opening, that wedding would have been his funeral."

"Kai'er... be quiet..." Liu Qiang's face darkened. By the time he wanted to reprimand him, it was already too late.

This reprimand struck Liu Kai like a bolt from the blue. Only then did he realize that everything Zhang Shiqing had done was to make him lose his temper and his reason.