Calm

Meng Xi's already unpleasant expression turned even more ferocious. His pitch-black pupils stared at Lu Shun, brimming with killing intent.

"Lu Shun, you dog slave, do you want to imitate Meng Zhao and rebel as well?"

If not for the shred of reason still left in him, and for Lu Shun's modest standing in his heart,

Meng Xi would likely have struck at once and blasted this slave who dared defy his orders out of the courtyard.

What people criticized most about Meng Xi, and what displeased his elders, was his overly domineering and self-centered nature.

At times, it was a display of strength and confidence, but it was also undeniably a flaw that others could exploit.

Though Lu Shun had been berated and his face was filled with distress, he did not change his mind. He earnestly advised,

"Young Master, please quell your anger. This lowly servant would never dare harbor divided loyalties toward you, much less rebel.

My wholehearted loyalty is entirely for Young Master's sake.

Fourth Young Master Meng Zhao now knows our attitude toward Red Leaf Ginseng and Wolfsbane Grass, so he has become wary.

If Young Master immediately tampers with those two businesses, Fourth Young Master will surely notice your hostility.

That would be no different from angering him, and there is an even greater chance that it will drive Fourth Young Master Meng Zhao to Second Young Master's side.

Therefore, this lowly servant begs Young Master to think thrice before acting. Do not delay the greater matter over a momentary fit of anger."

How could Meng Xi, as the successor painstakingly groomed by the Meng Family, fail to see such a simple truth?

Yet seeing it did not necessarily mean he could restrain the anger in his heart.

That was simply his temperament. What could be done about it?

It was like many simple, fundamental truths: sleeping early and rising early, staying up less, smoking and drinking less—these were good for one's health. But how many people could truly do them?

"Then am I supposed to let him flaunt his might in front of me? And after what happened this time, it will be hard not to offend him anyway.

Rather than that, I might as well teach him a lesson and let him learn what becomes of those who oppose me."

A trace of unwillingness still lingered in Meng Xi's heart. He looked directly at Lu Shun and spoke resolutely.

He believed that Second Brother Meng Wen was trying to win Meng Zhao over by showing him kindness. Even if he did the same, he would probably not surpass Second Brother.

It would be better to show him force instead, making Meng Zhao wary as a rat fearing the cat and unwilling to enter the fray lightly.

Lu Shun shook his head. Recalling everything he had observed of Meng Zhao in the study, he replied,

"Young Master's thinking is not wrong in itself, but it depends on who the target is.

Fourth Young Master Meng Zhao has a fierce tiger in his heart and a hidden dragon lying in wait. He is by no means someone who will easily bow his head and admit defeat.

More likely, this will stir his desire to resist and push him toward Second Young Master.

This lowly servant still says the same thing: toward Fourth Young Master Meng Zhao, we can only soothe and win him over; it is not advisable to suppress him.

This lowly servant also dares to guarantee that as long as Young Master does not take the initiative to reveal hostility toward Fourth Young Master, he will most likely not side with Second Young Master—at the very least, he will not declare his position so quickly."

Hearing this, Meng Xi was briefly lost in thought. He had always been domineering, yet he had forgotten that once others refused to play along, such a domineering manner would only become the fuse that intensified conflicts.

Lu Shun's words eased some of his fury and made him much more rational. He pondered again and again.

By all reason, he was the Meng Family's eldest legitimate son. In terms of status, he was the undisputed heir; it was set in stone.

However, because Meng Family Head Meng Jizu was practical and ambitious, he had personally told the two brothers that he hoped to choose the stronger one—whether in martial arts or ability—to inherit the Meng Family.

The two of them could only display themselves through the most wholesome form of competition. If either harbored killing intent toward his blood brother, Meng Jizu would not only cripple his martial arts, but imprison him within the residence for life, naturally stripping him of any claim to the status of Meng Family heir.

Thus, over the past several years, both had poured every effort into improving and proving themselves, not daring to take crooked paths.

As a reflection of one's personal abilities, the forces under one's command and the friends at one's side also carried considerable weight.

If Meng Xi truly forced his cousin Meng Zhao, along with the entire Second Branch, over to his younger brother's side, Meng Jizu's evaluation of him would surely plummet. That was something he could never tolerate.

Lu Shun knew Meng Xi's temperament deeply, and he understood even better what reasons would persuade him. Thus, he pointed these matters out, making Meng Xi understand that the one truly in a passive position now was him, not Meng Zhao.

Moreover, setting aside their blood ties and the Second Branch's influence, Meng Zhao possessed a noble status and held official rank. This was an advantage that set him apart from ordinary people; he could not be humiliated lightly without paying a price.

On top of that, Meng Jizu and Meng Hongdao, the two brothers, would certainly feel guilt and affection toward Meng Zhao, who had been away from home for many years. Under such circumstances, would it not be unwise to provoke Meng Zhao into fury?

When one's blood was up, some things might remain impossible to understand no matter how hard one thought.

But once one calmed down and one's thoughts returned to normal,

these obvious matters naturally came into view.

Meng Xi suppressed his dissatisfaction and anger. His eyes held more contemplation now. After a moment, he suddenly asked,

"Right. Father and Third Uncle, are they about to return?"

Lu Shun was somewhat stunned. They had clearly been discussing Meng Zhao—why had the subject suddenly shifted to the Family Head?

"That's right. This lowly servant recalls that the Family Head and Third Master have been away from the residence for over a month. They were not even able to receive Fourth Young Master promptly when he returned.

However, they should be anxious as well. Counting the days, they ought to be back soon."

Meng Xi lowered his head, deep in thought for a moment, then said,

"Then what do you think of my recommending him to take part in the Martial Arts Arena contest with the Sun Family after Father returns?"

At those words, Lu Shun froze.

In recent years, relations between the Sun Family and the Meng Family had worsened by the day. Friction often erupted between them, and both sides suffered losses. Even the Nan'an Commandery Governor had been forced to step in repeatedly to mediate.

Especially recently, the two sides had been fighting fiercely over ownership of a mine of immeasurable value, and the hostility between them showed signs of escalating.

Yet when forces reached the level of the Meng and Sun Families, they would not easily launch an all-out war.

Not only would the consequences be too great, but even victory would certainly be a miserable one, where the losses outweighed the gains.

Therefore, to seize this mine without making a great commotion, the two sides decided to hold three martial contests, comparing their families' strength and foundations to determine ownership of the mine.

This method was not uncommon in this world and was known as the Martial Arts Arena.

In truth, it was merely another kind of display of a family's strength.

Only a sufficiently prosperous family could cultivate powerful martial artists.

It was like how certain apex beasts in nature, when they encountered one another, would display their bodies, size, fangs, and claws to frighten off their rival rather than readily engaging in a true fight to the death.

Likewise, between great nations, economics, politics, culture, military affairs, and the like were all manifestations of National Strength, while the most direct manifestation remained military power.

As for which of two forces was stronger, mere words could not reveal it, nor could either side lay bare all its hidden reserves for the other to see.

In the end, whether it was a mule or a horse, it still had to be led out for a walk.

Thus, Martial Arts Arena battles arose as a means of resolving conflicts and disputes, becoming a distinctive feature of this world.

For instance, at the Mount Tai Alliance, Emperor Beitang Sheng first relied on the peerless divine art, the Ziwei World-Shining Art, to defeat the other great kings of the era one by one. Only then did he gain the support of most of the forces under heaven and swear to rule the realm together with all lords, ultimately quelling the chaos of war and founding the Great Yong Dynasty.

Though it concealed many deeper meanings, it could not be denied that the Mount Tai Alliance, to a certain extent, also possessed some of the nature of a Martial Arts Arena.

The Martial Arts Arena between the Meng and Sun Families would be the primary concern of both families for some time to come.