Fishing

Inside a Secret Chamber in the Zhang Family residence in Baiyang City, a group of people had gathered to discuss how to deal with the Wang family.

The Zhang Family could be considered one of Baiyang City's powerful forces, having been rooted in the city for over thirty years.

At its peak, the Zhang Family had been no less formidable than the Wang family, but then an accident occurred.

It caused one sixth-realm Marrow Cleansing Stage martial artist and two Bone Forging Realm martial artists in the family to perish.

Only several Clan Members in the Blood Exchange Realm remained.

The Zhang Family's old enemies emerged, while several families that had once been suppressed by the Zhang Family seized the opportunity and began hunting this toothless tiger.

After more than half their Clan Members had been killed or wounded, and the few remaining Blood Exchange Realm experts had also died in battle, the Zhang Family abandoned its ancestral land and brought its remaining Clan Members to You Province, eventually settling in Baiyang City.

Relying on the Zhang Family's former foundations, they quickly gained a foothold and began to recover.

They had even once suppressed the Wang family and firmly held the position of Baiyang City's foremost family.

But the Zhang Family had poor luck. They encountered Qin Yan.

After many years, the family had finally produced another Blood Exchange Realm expert and had been preparing to wipe out the Wang family and the other families that refused to submit to them.

Then Qin Yan appeared and killed the Zhang Family's newly born Blood Exchange Realm expert!

However, Qin Yan had only recently come down from the mountain at the time, and his strength had only just entered the Blood Exchange Realm. Though he killed the Zhang Family's Blood Exchange Realm expert, he himself had suffered severe injuries.

Furthermore, the Zhang Family had quite a few Muscle and Tendon Changing Stage martial artists, preventing the Wang family from wiping them out in one stroke.

The Zhang Family knew their place. They first spent a great sum to bribe the Youzhou Governor into mediating, then offered the Wang family vast amounts of wealth and promised that they would follow the Wang family's lead from then on.

Though the Wang family was somewhat unwilling, they had to give the Youzhou Governor face, and the matter went no further.

After that, the Zhang Family had been continuously suppressed by the Wang family until now.

It could be said that everyone in the Zhang Family had been holding back their anger.

Now, their opportunity had come!

The Zhang Family had produced Blood Exchange Realm experts again—and there were three of them!

Only after one of them reached Blood Changing Great Completion did the Zhang Family prepare to make trouble for the Wang family!

"To my mind, there is no need to have the Black Tiger Gang cause trouble at the Wang family's shops.

"The Wang family only relies on Qin Yan. The other Estate Guards work for the Wang family solely for money.

"As long as Qin Yan dies, those Estate Guards will surely scatter and flee. Wouldn't the Wang family be at our mercy then?"

The current Zhang Family head was in his prime, filled with ambition.

"You are underestimating Qin Yan. Years ago, Qin Yan was already at Blood Exchange Realm Great Completion!"

"So many years have passed. Although Qin Yan publicly displays the strength of Blood Changing Great Completion, how do you know that is not merely the strength he deliberately chose to reveal?"

A Zhang Family Clan Elder snorted coldly, feeling that Zhang Tang, the family head, was thinking too simply.

There had always been conflict between Clan Elders and family heads. The Clan Elders refused to relinquish power, while the family heads wanted to seize more authority.

Yet the position of Clan Elder could not be abolished, because every family head would one day step down. When that time came, the family head would also wish to become a Clan Elder and retain a voice in the family.

Unless the family head was overwhelmingly strong—strong enough to suppress every Clan Elder. In that case, the entire family would have only one voice: the family head's!

"Over the years, we have arranged for quite a few people to test him. Qin Yan's strength is definitely still in the Blood Exchange Realm!"

"I suspect that his battle with my second brother, Zhang Yang, back then damaged his foundations!"

"Otherwise, there is no reason Qin Yan would still be in the Blood Exchange Realm after so many years!"

"Besides, given the Wang family's style, if Qin Yan had broken through, they would likely have settled accounts with us long ago."

Zhang Tang's words brimmed with confidence.

"I agree with the family head. Sending a lowly force like the Black Tiger Gang to test the Wang family's reaction serves no purpose beyond making the Wang family wary in advance.

"Having the Black Tiger Gang provoke the Wang family without authorization this time was undoubtedly a mistake."

Another Clan Elder who supported Zhang Tang spoke up.

"But to guard against any unforeseen circumstances, let the families that have secretly sided with us act together with us."

An elderly woman with a head of silver hair offered her suggestion.

"That group is nothing but fence-sitters. They joined us because there are benefits to be had, but if we ask them to act alongside us, I fear no one will agree."

"Hmph, that is not for them to decide. The benefits from our Zhang Family are not given freely. Have Zhang Hong warn them."

"Then it is settled. Also, have someone attack the Wang family tonight and force Wang Ji to return!"

"Should we hold back?"

"Mm... Leave Wang Ji's wife and child alive. Otherwise, if his wife and child die, I fear he will simply go into hiding."

The voices in the Secret Chamber gradually lowered before finally fading away.

"Master, why not simply slaughter them all?"

It was Qin Yan who spoke. At that moment, he looked at Wang Ji with puzzlement.

If the Zhang Family learned that Qin Yan had quietly returned to Baiyang City, their first thought would likely not be to surround and kill Qin Yan.

They would run as far away as possible!

Because according to their intelligence, Qin Yan was currently by Wang Ji's side in Long City, You Province!

"You need to use your brain when doing things. Stop thinking about fighting and killing all day long. I think practicing martial arts has ruined your brain."

Wang Ji looked at Qin Yan and sighed helplessly.

"Master can handle the thinking. Isn't my martial arts practice meant for fighting and killing?"

"Besides, my brain is not as good as theirs. If they want to use their brains against me, then I'll use their brains."

Qin Yan scratched his head as though it were only natural, leaving Wang Ji both annoyed and amused.

"Of course it is for fishing. If not for the Zhang Family, how would I know which families truly stand with us and which are plotting against us behind our backs?"

"I had originally planned to let them grow for a while longer, since that Youzhou Governor is still alive."

"But perhaps the Zhang Family's three Blood Exchange Realm Clan Members gave them courage. They think they can do it again."

"They even intend to lay hands on my wife and child. That means they cannot be allowed to remain."

Wang Ji's eyes were icy. His wife and child were Wang Ji's Reverse Scale—whoever touched them would die.

"Master, didn't you say the Youzhou Governor is still alive? If we wipe out the Zhang Family, will that Youzhou Governor make trouble for us?"

Qin Yan was somewhat curious.

"Yes, so we need to make him die first."

Wang Ji smiled, but his words sent a chill down Qin Yan's spine.

A provincial governor was already a powerful frontier official. You Province in particular had unique terrain and bordered an enemy nation.

The Youzhou Governor could be said to wield immense power, with hundreds of thousands of troops under his command!

Even someone as unreliable as Qin Yan had never entertained such a mad thought as killing a provincial governor.

"Master, isn't this too risky? He is a provincial governor, after all. Once he dies, the Great Martial Empire will likely investigate the matter to the end."

Qin Yan tried to persuade Wang Ji to abandon the idea. The provincial governor was greedy for wealth; at worst, they could offer him money to buy him off. There was no need to kill him, was there?

"Are you afraid?"

Wang Ji asked in return.

"I'm not afraid. I'm just worried that if this is exposed, Master, you may have to take Madam and Young Master and flee for your lives."

"And when that happens, I wonder whether Master will still have money to settle my bills. After all, with my looks, I doubt the women at the brothel will let me off for free."

Qin Yan stiffened his neck at those words, then muttered quietly.

If the Zhang Family heard the two men's conversation, they would probably be scared out of their wits!

The entire Zhang Family seemed to have no secrets before Wang Ji. Wang Ji even knew exactly how many Blood Exchange Realm experts the Zhang Family had!