Scheming

According to the previous agreement between Meng Jizu and the Sun Family head, this Martial Arts Arena would consist of three bouts. Those who took the field had to be blood descendants of the two families; outsiders were not permitted to interfere.

In each bout, both sides would put forward treasures, secret manuals, wealth, or other stakes of equivalent value for the wager.

The victor could claim both items, while the loser would receive nothing.

The family that won two out of three bouts—or even all three—could proceed to claim the mine, while the other family could not obstruct them.

The stakes were extraordinarily high. Only those with immense confidence in their own strength would dare adopt such a method.

Moreover, such a Martial Arts Arena required powerful witnesses as guarantors.

Under normal circumstances, no one would dare violate the agreement.

As for the ages of the combatants, the two sides had agreed that the gap could not exceed five years.

This ensured fairness while accounting for issues arising from excessive differences in age between the younger members of the two families.

There were not many direct descendants in the Meng Family's younger generation—only a handful in total.

Among the males were the eldest branch's two brothers, Meng Xi and Meng Wen; the second branch's Meng Zhao; and the third branch's two brothers, Meng Yan and Meng Chuan.

Meng Yan and Meng Chuan were the two sons of Meng Zhao's Third Uncle, Meng Hongdao. Meng Yan was slightly older and ranked third in the family, while Meng Chuan was two years younger than Meng Zhao and thus ranked fifth.

However, Meng Yan had a placid nature and paid little heed to family affairs. He had spent years traveling outside, frequently stirring up romantic scandals and angering Meng Hongdao no end.

By comparison, Meng Chuan, the Meng Family's fifth, not only possessed exceptional talent in martial arts but was also passionately devoted to training. He was known as the Little Martial Maniac.

The originally designated combatants had been Meng Xi, Meng Wen, and Meng Chuan—the future of the Meng Family's descendants, laden with glory and expectation.

Under such circumstances, Meng Xi's proposal to have Meng Zhao participate in this Martial Arts Arena carried an unclear motive.

If one called it goodwill, then it truly was, because this was indeed an honor. Being able to represent the family in battle itself proved one's excellence and strength.

Moreover, victory would allow him to obtain two stakes.

The stakes put forth by two great families would certainly be no trifling things.

But for Meng Zhao, it might not necessarily be a good thing. If he lost in such a setting, the blow to his personal reputation and confidence would be unparalleled.

What was more, Meng Zhao had left home as a child and had never received orthodox martial instruction. He had not even inherited the Meng Clan's ancestral divine art, the Red Flag Order. At most, he might have learned some rudimentary martial arts at Great Compassion Temple. How could he possibly defeat the Sun Family's young talents?

Lu Shun hesitated.

"Young Master, I fear this is somewhat inappropriate. And the Master likely will not agree!"

This was no minor matter that could be settled with a few words.

The interests involved were truly substantial; otherwise, the two great families would not have resorted to a Martial Arts Arena to determine ownership.

Even he could see Meng Zhao's disadvantages. Could Meng Jizu, the head of the Meng Family, fail to see them?

Meng Xi smiled smugly, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

"Under normal circumstances, of course it would be inappropriate. But what if my Second Brother suddenly fell ill and could not take the stage?

"Third Brother is always wandering outside, nowhere to be found. Besides, he has never liked martial arts, and his cultivation is shallow. He is not worth wasting time and effort grooming.

"Under such circumstances, even if Father is unwilling, he will surely have no choice but to agree."

Lu Shun's heart jolted at those words. He heard another layer of meaning in Meng Xi's words. It seemed that Meng Xi could make his own younger brother, Meng Wen, fall ill—or even die—at any time?

Then did someone close to Second Young Master serve as an informant planted by Young Master?

Thinking further, if not for concern over the elders' reactions, would Young Master truly make Second Young Master "die of illness"?

The question lingered in Lu Shun's heart. Though he knew full well that his Young Master was cold-hearted and ruthless, they were still brothers born of the same mother. Surely he would not go that far!

After hesitating for a moment, Lu Shun swallowed, his expression tense as he asked, "Then, since that is the case, Young Master intends to use this opportunity to strike at Fourth Young Master's reputation?"

Meng Xi smiled without answering. He turned his gaze toward the western sky, where white clouds drifted in clusters, and spoke in a distant tone.

"Perhaps. If he cannot win this Martial Arts Arena, then the humiliation of defeat, the blow to his reputation, and the disappointment of Father and Third Uncle will already be enough to repay him.

"And he will never know that I was the cause of this. He will only think it is a family duty that he cannot refuse.

"He may even resent Second Brother. After all, if not for Second Brother's sudden withdrawal, how would he have been made a fool of?

"Would that not be greatly to my advantage?"

He could vent today's fury and resentment while also driving a wedge between Meng Zhao and Meng Wen. Killing two birds with one stone was indeed highly advantageous to Meng Xi.

Still, Lu Shun could not understand.

"But if that is so, would it not harm the interests of our Meng Family?

"And once we lose the contest for the mine, our Meng Family may no longer possess its former dominance before the Sun Family.

"Those fence-sitters in the commandery, even throughout Ji Prefecture, may swarm to their side, fawning over them and bolstering the Sun Family's prestige. Should Young Master not reconsider?"

Fawning on the powerful and trampling the weak had always been the way of factions; it had nothing to do with individuals and everything to do with profit. What Lu Shun described was entirely possible.

Personal disputes of loyalty and honor could exist, but they must never harm the collective interest. That was a matter of principle.

If Meng Xi could not even see through that, then he truly was unworthy of becoming the Meng Family's master. Lu Shun would inevitably harbor some thoughts of his own.

His loyalty was genuine, but no matter how loyal he was, he remained a person with his own thoughts, his own way of thinking, and his own judgment.

Meng Xi smiled confidently and abruptly rose from his chair. His body stood straight and tall, his sword-like brows soaring.

A powerful, domineering aura radiated from him. Rolling waves of heat steamed through the air, as though the entire courtyard had been cast into a furnace. He declared proudly, "Lose? In Meng Xi's dictionary, there is no such word as defeat.

"And Fifth Brother—his talent is so extraordinary that even Father has praised him without end, personally calling him the tiger cub of our family, peerless in courage and ferocity.

"Among those close to his age, who could possibly surpass him?"

Only then did Lu Shun remember that his Young Master's martial arts were unfathomable. Not only did he cultivate the Meng Family's divine art, the Red Flag Order, but he also understood some martial arts of the Sage Family, the Kong Family.

There was also Fifth Young Master, whose talent was exceptional, a martial arts fanatic. In terms of talent alone, he was likely the foremost in the Meng Family today and was held in great expectation.

Against the Sun Family, which had always recruited experts from outside clans for its own use, their chances of victory were truly as high as they could be.

But what if?

Lu Shun did not dare voice that possibility.

He knew Meng Xi's temperament well. Even if he said it, he would only provoke Young Master's anger and accomplish nothing.

Still, Lu Shun had another question.

"What if Fourth Young Master wins? How should Young Master face Fourth Young Master then?"

At those words, Meng Xi's aura and arrogance subsided. The surging Internal Energy withdrew back into his body as he said calmly, "If he can win, then he naturally deserves for me to view him in a different light. It will not be too late to draw him in and recruit him then.

"The strong always deserve respect, do they not?"

Lu Shun sighed. Sure enough, Young Master still understood what was important and what was urgent.

If things truly could be so, it would be a blessing not only for Young Master, but for the Meng Family as well.

Yet no matter what, none of them could have imagined that the current Meng Zhao could no longer be judged by ordinary standards.

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