The Zhang Family's Predicament! [Seeking Flowers, Collections, and Reviews!]

Su Xiaobai's current strength meant that if he wanted to, he was fully qualified to trample the Yuan Family underfoot, ravaging and slaughtering them at will!

And that would happen before the Yuan Family even had time to react, every last one of them losing their lives!

But Su Xiaobai wouldn't charge in so recklessly.

No matter how pathetic the Yuan Family was, they were still residents of the Core Area. With that status, the government of Base No. 18 and the major families would uphold the rules... Su Xiaobai was confident in his strength, but not confident enough to contend with Martial Generals or Martial Marshals!

So he wasn't in a hurry.

He would slowly improve his strength first. Once he was strong enough, killing the Yuan Family would be hardly more difficult than crushing an ant!

On the other side, in the Core Area, Zhang Family Manor.

In the meeting room, family head Zhang Henglong was discussing matters with a group of high-ranking members.

The atmosphere was heavy, everyone's brows tightly furrowed.

"Family head, we can't retreat any further!"

"That's right! The Yuan Family already snatched our territory in the Hot Rain Forest... If we give up the Green Tongue Wasteland this time, our profits will drop by at least thirty percent!"

"The Yuan Family is going too far... We give in again and again, and they just take more! Family head, give the order! Even if I die, I'll take at least one Yuan Family bastard down with me!"

"..."

The Zhang Family's high-ranking members were all seething with rage.

Each major family in the Core Area had its own martial artist teams, sent into the wilds to hunt Fierce Beasts.

First, to obtain beast materials, reaping enough profit from them to keep the family growing.

Second, to cull the Fierce Beasts, protecting the base and preventing them from breeding too fast and squeezing out human living space.

Third, to expand territory—if possible, to extend the range of the Human Base, giving humanity more room to live!

The latter two were rarely on the families' minds.

The only thing that truly drove them to give their all was the first point!

Profit!

Everything for profit!

And to ensure a stable source of profit, each family had clearly defined hunting grounds for Fierce Beasts... Once a beast territory belonged to you, no other family could hunt there without permission!

But recently, as tensions between the Zhang and Yuan Families escalated, their martial artist teams had clashed many times... And clearly, the results had always ended in the Zhang Family's miserable defeat.

In fact, to preserve their martial artists, the Zhang Family had been forced to give up their hunting zones.

Just now.

Another report came in from the Zhang Family's martial artist team.

The Yuan Family had once again invaded the Zhang Family's stronghold in the Green Tongue Wasteland, killing and wounding their team. The Zhang Family had lost several dozen martial artists, including several Intermediate Warriors and one Advanced Warrior!

As soon as the news spread, it ignited the fury of every Zhang clansman!

This was utterly outrageous!

Over the years, the Yuan Family had started wars many times. At first, the Zhang Family could hold their ground, but as their core strength dwindled, they gradually weakened... and the Yuan Family began to press their advantage aggressively.

Now they had gone even further, directly seizing territory by force!

To seek safety, the Zhang Family had been forced to give up several hunting zones... and even had to send people to find new ones.

But the Yuan Family showed no sign of stopping, continuing their incursions.

"I know you're all eager to fight, but now is not the time."

Zhang Henglong sighed and shook his head. "The Yuan Family's momentum grows by the day. With the Zhang Family's current strength, trying to oppose them... it's difficult."

As the head of the family, Zhang Henglong couldn't act as impulsively as the others.

He had to consider the bigger picture, the entire clan... If he forced a head-on confrontation, the losses would outweigh the gains, and the family would be severely crippled. For the sake of the clan, he could only choose to yield.

"So what, are we just going to let the Yuan Family corner us until we have no choice but to fight back?"

"If only the family head could advance to Martial General... The Yuan Family would have to come crawling to us, begging for mercy!"

The Zhang Family's high-ranking members gritted their teeth, burning with indignation.

The only way to break this deadlock was for Zhang Henglong to advance from Advanced Martial Master to Beginner Martial General... Once he did, the Zhang Family would reverse their decline, leaping from passive suffering to active offense, and the Yuan Family would be doomed!

But becoming a Martial General wasn't so easy.

Many could become Advanced Martial Masters.

But those who finally reached Martial General were few and far between.

Just then—

Bang!

Suddenly, the door was shoved open, and a breathless Zhang Hengde ran in.

"Second Head!"

Everyone rose to bow in greeting.

"Second brother, what's going on?"

Zhang Henglong's brows were deeply furrowed.

A trace of worry rose in his heart... Could it be that the Yuan Family had sent an assassin to kill Guest Elder Su, and Zhang Hengde, unable to defeat them, had fled back on his own?

But when he looked at Zhang Hengde again, there were no signs of battle on him at all.

"B-Big brother... I have something to report to you!"

"Urgent, extremely urgent!"

Zhang Hengde gasped for breath several times before finally recovering.

"Wait here for a moment."

"Second brother, come to my study to talk."

Zhang Henglong, feeling it wasn't secure enough, led Zhang Hengde into the study.

Leaving the Zhang Family high-ranking members in the meeting room, grumbling in discontent.

"I really don't understand what the family head is so afraid of! If we were to fight the Yuan Family head-on, with our current strength, we might not necessarily lose! Even if we did lose, we could at least cripple the Yuan Family's forces so they wouldn't dare act rashly!"

"Say one less word. The family head has his own considerations in making this decision!"

"When will this end? The Yuan Family keeps encroaching, and we keep retreating. If this goes on, we'll have to give up those territories in the east sooner or later! Then everyone in the Zhang Family will have to drink the northwest wind!"

"Alas..."

The Zhang Family high-ranking members sighed and shook their heads one after another.

Frustrating!

Too frustrating!

Being crushed by others, enduring all kinds of mockery and ridicule, unable to lift their heads, and not daring to fight back... This feeling was simply maddening!

Suddenly.

"Hahahaha..."

A burst of extremely hearty laughter came from the study.

All the Zhang Family high-ranking members in the meeting room were stunned for a moment, exchanging glances, none of them knowing what had happened to make the family head so happy.

Suddenly, the study door was pushed open, and Zhang Henglong walked out, his face still flushed with excitement and elation, his eyes flashing with sharp light.

"Go, tell all the Zhang Family Warriors that from this moment on, they are to enter full combat readiness!"

"I'm going out for a while. When I return, we will launch a full-scale counterattack against the Yuan Family!"