Qi Family's Secret Meeting of the High Council

The story went two ways. Qi Yu had his own gathering, and the Qi Family had one too...

At that moment...

The Qi Family ancestral shrine.

Incense curled upward, while the ancestral tablets stood in solemn rows. Three sacrificial animals and fresh fruit were laid out on the vermilion-lacquered wooden altar.

With the New Year approaching, the four members of the Qi Family had gathered ahead of time.

For a great family, important matters were always discussed in advance.

The helmsman of the Qi Family, Old Master Qi—Qi Zhendong—as well as his eldest son Qi Changfu, second son Qi Changji, and third son Qi Changshun, were holding an important secret meeting here.

Old Master Qi had a stern face and silver hair that bristled like halberds. When his eyes opened and closed, their sharp light was intimidating.

He held a black-iron staff in his hand, and his presence commanded awe even without anger.

The old master had steered the Qi Family for decades. Decisive and ruthless, he had made the family's rise and fall his responsibility. His gaze slowly swept over his three sons. "You've all heard, haven't you?

"Qi Changji's son Feng has extraordinary talent. He has now broken through to the Seventh Rank, and has even earned merits in the Poison Water Army. His promotion to Brigade General is just around the corner.

"This is a state of affairs our Qi Family has never seen in decades!"

Joy shone in his eyes as he looked toward the spirit tablets of the ancestors and said slowly, "Feng has boundless prospects. If he can advance one step further, reach the peak of the Seventh Rank, and take first place in the metropolitan examination two years from now to become a Martial Graduate, then our Qi Family will have a chance to claim another seat in the Five Direction Army! This is an opportunity to bring glory to our ancestors and lay the foundation for a legacy lasting hundreds of years."

The three men fell silent.

Old Master Qi coughed and continued, "But... such a major matter cannot be accomplished through the strength of one person or one branch. The entire clan must pour its strength into supporting him."

With that, he smiled and then said amiably, in the tone of someone discussing household affairs, "How about this, Changfu, Changshun? To give Feng a helping hand, withdraw your people from the Herb Gathering Pavilion and hand it over to the second branch for unified management."

He looked at Qi Changji and continued, "Second, after your branch takes over, you must ensure that the annual resource allocations for Changfu's and Changshun's branches only increase and never decrease."

As the Poison Water Army Commandant and the Qi Family's foremost expert, Qi Changji naturally stood tall and straight. A sharpness tempered on the battlefield showed between his brows.

He gave a slight nod and said gravely, "Rest assured, Father. The resources of Big Brother's and Third Brother's branches will certainly be guaranteed from the Herb Gathering Pavilion's proceeds. They will never be short."

Old Master Qi turned his head toward the eldest and third sons, his eyes asking for their opinion.

Qi Changshun drew a deep breath. "Father, it's not that I refuse. It's just that back then, when you wanted to motivate us brothers to manage the Herb Gathering Pavilion with all our hearts, you established a rule: of the Ten Square Spirit Fields in the secret land, each of the three brothers would receive two fields, while the remaining four would be public.

"You stated clearly that whoever first cultivated a Heavenly Flame Flower in the fields under his charge would prove he had the greater talent for managing spirit fields, and that person would take charge of the Herb Gathering Pavilion."

After saying this, he paused and smiled. "Your son is unworthy, but all these years of effort have been poured into those two spirit fields.

"Now, after exhausting every means and paying a price, your son has finally found some special fertilizer, and the Heavenly Flame Flowers are showing signs of blooming. I expect they will bloom within a year."

He looked at Qi Changfu and continued, "Of course, Big Brother has also managed his fields skillfully, with impressive results. I expect he will be able to grow Heavenly Flame Flowers soon as well."

The air abruptly fell silent.

Qi Changshun was refined and elegant as he spoke at length. "Father, the contest over the Heavenly Flame Flowers is about to be decided. Since that's the case, why not let Big Brother and me jointly manage the Herb Gathering Pavilion?"

He smiled faintly. "Besides, Second Brother is the esteemed Poison Water Army Commandant. He is busy with military affairs and cannot be in two places at once, so he has no strength to manage the Herb Gathering Pavilion...

"That way, the three of us brothers can each display our strengths and support one another. Wouldn't that benefit the family more?"

Old Master Qi slightly furrowed his brows. After a moment of silence, he said, "Second, what do you think?"

Qi Changji said, "I'll follow Father's arrangements."

Old Master Qi lowered his eyes slightly and thought for a moment. "Eldest, Third, the Herb Gathering Pavilion can continue to be managed by your two branches.

"But you must grow Heavenly Flame Flowers within two years and then hand them over to Second.

"Besides that, from today onward, you will free up the spirit field in which you have not cultivated Heavenly Flame Flowers and hand it over to the second branch.

"Once Second breaks into the Sixth Rank, and once Feng becomes a Martial Graduate, we will discuss the ownership of the Herb Gathering Pavilion again."

Qi Changshun fell silent, then suddenly said, "Father, there is one more matter I must report."

Old Master Qi said indifferently, "Speak."

Qi Changshun said, "Yu'er... broke through to the Eighth Rank yesterday. Having just entered the Eighth Rank, he already defeated Sun Da Yun, the Eighth-Rank guard in my courtyard.

"In this spring Provincial Examination, Yu'er will certainly be able to fight for the title of Martial Scholar.

"Yu'er indulged in wine and women for so many years, yet he only began learning martial arts at the start of winter this year and has already achieved this. It seems his aptitude is extraordinary.

"That Heavenly Flame Flower... I want to leave it for Yu'er.

"With its assistance, he may in the future..."

Bang!!

Before he could finish, the heavy sound of a staff striking the ground rang out.

"In the future, what?"

Old Master Qi asked.

His voice was calm, but it carried a chill.

Qi Changshun rose and bowed to the old master. A stubborn glint appeared in his eyes, but his expression remained respectful. "Yu'er's aptitude is extraordinary. I want to keep the Heavenly Flame Flower I cultivated for him. In the future, he may not be unable to break through to the Sixth Rank."

"Enough!" Old Master Qi suddenly roared. "Third! Must I expose you?

"How did Yu'er break through? Do I really need to say it?

"You, Qi Changshun, wanted your son to earn a title so that he could inherit more of the Qi Family's estate, so you used some tiger-and-wolf medicine to force his growth! In martial dao, one's foundation is paramount. How can you greedily pursue a moment's speed?

"Heavenly Flame Flower, Heavenly Flame Flower... Is it for him to squander?!!"

Qi Changfu hurriedly raised a hand and tugged at his third brother's robe.

Qi Changshun shook himself free with a sweep of his sleeve and said calmly, "Father, I didn't give Yu'er any temporary-boosting tiger-and-wolf medicine. It was only a Blood-Activating Decoction."

He hardened his heart and continued, "Back then... my injuries only lacked a Sky Cloud Flower from the secret land.

"But you said Second Brother needed that flower to break through to the Seventh Rank.

"So I gave it to Second Brother.

"For Second Brother, for the Qi Family, I accepted it.

"Now you can't deprive Yu'er of this opportunity as well, can you?

"Isn't Yu'er your grandson?"

Old Master Qi froze. He seized his staff and lashed it down viciously.

The staff's shadow flashed like lightning!

Crack!

Qi Changshun's knees went soft, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

His robe hem became smeared with dust. He pressed his palms hard against the blue bricks, cold sweat covering his body from the pain.

He had lost all his power and was no more than an ordinary man.

Old Master Qi, however, had practiced martial arts.

That blow had been heavy.

Qi Changfu froze, then hurriedly threw himself to his knees beside Qi Changshun. Supporting his third brother, he repeatedly said, "Father, please don't ruin your health in anger... Give me some time. I'll persuade Third Brother. He's only confused for the moment."

Qi Changshun's arm had already swollen red. Hearing this, he raised his head and shouted angrily, "I'm not confused! Father, I'm your son too, and Yu'er is your grandson too!"

"Rebellion, rebellion!"

The old master's face blazed with fury, and his silver whiskers trembled.

He raised his staff to smash it down, but ultimately held himself back. He said coldly, "The Qi Family's centuries-old foundation is right before us. I won't waste words with you. Grow the Heavenly Flame Flower properly!

"As for the spirit field... since you refuse to hand it over, then divide half the resources every year. The secret medicines harvested from all the spirit fields will be selected by the second branch first. Only what remains will belong to your third branch."

Qi Changshun's arm throbbed with pain. He suddenly tried to rise, but Qi Changfu, the eldest brother beside him, held him down firmly and said, "Father, I'll persuade him again. I'll persuade him."

Old Master Qi looked at him. "Eldest, you understand the situation. You have no problem with your share, do you?"

Qi Changfu hurriedly said, "No, no, no. I'll listen to everything you say, Father."

Old Master Qi rapped his staff hard against the floor. "That's all for today."

With that, he turned and walked out.

Qi Changji looked at his eldest and third brothers, who were still kneeling on the ground, and sighed softly. "Third, practicing martial arts requires both bone structure and comprehension.

"Yu'er... isn't suited to martial arts.

"I promise you that if your branch produces a martial arts seedling in the future, I will nurture him with all my heart."

Qi Changshun suddenly raised his head as if he wanted to say something, but then he drew a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said nothing.

Qi Changfu patted him on the shoulder and said, "Second, let me talk to him again."

Qi Changji nodded and then strode out with his head held high.

By the time only the two of them remained in the ancestral shrine.

Qi Changshun said, "Nurture him with all your heart? Nurture him with all your heart so he can become a guard dog guarding the second branch's gate, or a personal soldier ordered around at will? And then our entire family would still have to thank him for it!

"All these years, since he became the Poison Water Army Commandant, his second branch has sat high above us. How have they treated us? Does he still regard us as brothers?!"

Qi Changfu hurriedly covered his mouth and said with a dark, distant look, "Third, don't be hasty."

Qi Changshun breathed heavily.

Qi Changfu asked, "You said Yu'er only used a Blood-Activating Decoction? Is that true?"

Qi Changshun nodded. "It's true. I don't know what suddenly enlightened that boy... At first, I thought my wife had used some tiger-and-wolf medicine on him. But after checking yesterday, that wasn't the case."

Qi Changfu's expression turned cold. "Then we'll devote all our strength to nurturing Yu'er..."

A smile appeared on his face, but at some point both his fists had clenched tightly. He lowered his voice and said, "Third, stop hiding that fugitive of yours. Let him help Yu'er. Old Father and Second Brother haven't left us much time."