A Man Who Knows the Times Is a Hero

"General Xu, Wu Yuan, he..." Wu Qiming wanted to answer on Wu Yuan's behalf.

"Clan Leader Wu." General Xu's gaze turned slightly cold, and his voice became indifferent. "I am asking Wu Yuan right now!"

An invisible aura spread out, like a fierce tiger opening its eyes, making Wu Qiming's pupils constrict and the hairs on his body stand on end!

Though he too cultivated the Martial Dao, he was merely a Sixth-Rank Martial Master.

"Wu Yuan, there is no need to be nervous." Dean Zhang Da beside him remained all smiles, easing the suddenly frigid atmosphere. "Speak whatever is in your heart. But as the dean, I still hope you will consider the matter more thoroughly."

It sounded like persuasion, but it was really a threat.

At that moment, Wu Yuan's gaze seemed entirely drawn to the thick stack of banknotes the servant had presented. His eyes even reddened slightly.

Seeing this.

Wu Qiming sighed inwardly, while faint, imperceptible smiles appeared at the corners of General Xu's and Dean Zhang Da's mouths.

No matter how steady he was, he was still a fourteen-year-old boy. Five Thousand Taels of Silver was enough to buy a grand residence in Li City!

"Wu Yuan, if you give up, you can take these Five Thousand Taels of Silver away right now."

General Xu tempted him again. "Next year, you can still enter the Cloud Martial Academy and pursue the pinnacle of the Martial Dao! Being granted a marquisate and made a general in the future is no empty promise."

A trace of struggle appeared on Wu Yuan's face. He stole another glance at Wu Qiming, then seemed to make up his mind. "General, Dean, I am willing to fight for the glory of 'Number One of the Four Prefectures' for Li City, then cultivate in the Martial Academy for another year."

"Haha, good!" General Xu could not help laughing. "Now that is a fine son of Li City, an outstanding disciple of the Prefectural Sect Martial Academy."

The corners of Wu Yuan's eyes kept sneaking glances at that stack of banknotes.

A look of regret and unwillingness flashed across Wu Qiming's face.

"Wu Yuan, take the banknotes and go out first," Zhang Da said.

"Yes." Wu Yuan quickly reached out and grabbed the banknotes, carefully putting them away. Then, guided by a servant, he left the hall.

Inside the hall.

After Wu Yuan left, Zhang Da looked at Wu Qiming. "Brother Wu, as the Clan Leader of the Wu Clan, you should understand the stakes involved. Do not bring ruin upon yourself."

"I understand."

Wu Qiming bowed slightly. "After returning, I will repeatedly remind Wu Yuan not to reveal a single word of this matter. Wu Yuan's withdrawal from this year's Martial Academy Grand Competition was entirely voluntary."

"Today, Wu Yuan and I merely had the good fortune to attend the general's private banquet. After the banquet, we returned home on our own. We were never summoned by the general or Dean Zhang." Wu Qiming continued.

General Xu and Zhang Da exchanged a glance, then nodded in satisfaction.

This Wu Qiming knew how to behave.

After the steward escorted Wu Qiming and Wu Yuan out of the residence through the side gate.

"Old Brother Zhang, there is one more matter I must trouble you with." General Xu smiled. "There is no need to tell Yuanhan that Wu Yuan has withdrawn from the competition."

Zhang Da was first taken aback, then nodded slightly and said with feeling, "Parents make far-reaching plans for their children. I only hope Yuanhan does not disappoint your efforts."

"This is all I can do. Once he enters the Cloud Martial Hall, it will depend on his own fortune." General Xu sighed.

"Fine."

Zhang Da rose to his feet. "General Xu, I will not stay any longer. Regarding Wu Yuan's matter, I still need to discuss it with several Martial Academy teachers and ensure nothing goes wrong."

The Prefectural Sect Martial Academy concerned the foundation of the sect. It was not something the dean could cover with one hand.

General Xu nodded. "Then I will not see you out."

Watching Zhang Da depart.

Whoosh!

From one side of the hall emerged a young man with a gloomy expression. He lowered his voice. "Father, even in a truly fair contest, Sixth Brother may not necessarily lose to Wu Yuan."

"Besides!"

"With your influence, Father, making Wu Yuan withdraw would only take a word. Why give him Five Thousand Taels of Silver?" The young man was greatly puzzled.

"Foolish!"

General Xu cast a glance at his eldest son, with all the exasperation of hating iron for not becoming steel. "You have loved playing petty tricks since childhood. What do you know of the words 'give and take'?"

"Only by giving can one gain."

"What are Five Thousand Taels of Silver to my Xu Clan? Yet it is enough to quell the Wu Clan's anger and reduce the risk to the greatest extent possible."

"Among you six brothers, only your Sixth Brother has truly inherited my Martial Dao talent. If the Xu Clan is to continue flourishing, our hope lies with him."

"For him to enter the Cloud Martial Hall, we would rather pay a greater price than allow even the slightest mistake." General Xu's voice was low.

"Your son did not think it through. I beg Father's forgiveness." The young man quickly lowered his head and admitted his fault, but a trace of chill lay deep within his eyes.

In Li City, the curfew was lifted every fifth day of the month. Today happened to be the fifteenth day of the third month, so though the night was deep, the streets along the way remained bustling.

Inside the carriage.

"Wu Yuan, you should not have agreed." Wu Qiming stared at Wu Yuan.

"Clan Leader, Five Thousand Taels of Silver is no small sum." Wu Yuan said calmly, "I am merely entering the Cloud Martial Hall one year later."

"Money is merely something outside the body. On the Central Land Continent, Martial Dao strength is the foundation of all things."

Wu Qiming shook his head. "Do you know why the Cloud Martial Hall only recruits youths under sixteen? From twelve to eighteen is the best age to lay one's Martial Dao foundation. Once missed, it will bring lifelong regret."

"To enter the Cloud Martial Hall a year earlier, not to mention Five Thousand Taels of Silver, even paying ten thousand taels would be worth it!" Wu Qiming had lowered his voice as much as possible, yet he was still somewhat agitated. "Wu Yuan, I thought you had recently attained Martial Dao Enlightenment and grown up, become sensible. But today, you have disappointed me too much..."

"Clan Leader!"

Wu Yuan suddenly cut him off. His clear eyes looked directly at the other man. "Did we have a choice today?"

Wu Qiming's expression changed in shock.

He suddenly realized that Wu Yuan's earlier performance in the side hall had all been an act.

"If I had refused, could I have changed the outcome?" Wu Yuan seemed to ask and answer himself. "No! I would only have offended General Xu and Dean Zhang, forcing General Xu to use more dangerous methods."

"General Xu dared invite us directly to the banquet and dared meet us face-to-face. That proves he was already absolutely certain. If I refused, whether I could safely live until the Martial Academy Grand Competition would itself be a question."

"Now."

"At least General Xu and Dean Zhang bear us no hostility, and I can continue cultivating peacefully in the Martial Academy."

"And I received Five Thousand Taels of Silver."

"It is no small sum." Wu Yuan smiled, took out the thick stack of banknotes from his robes, and separated out more than half. "Clan Leader, these are for you."

Wu Qiming was stunned.

"Without the clan, I could not have entered the Martial Academy."

"If you had not been there today, Clan Leader, General Xu would probably have sent me away with only five hundred taels." Wu Yuan shook his head. "Keeping one thousand taels is already me taking advantage of the clan. Besides, I truly need it for cultivation and my mother's treatment. I hope the Clan Leader can understand."

"Wu Yuan, keep all this silver! Martial Dao cultivation cannot do without money." Wu Qiming hurriedly said, trying to stuff the banknotes back into Wu Yuan's arms.

But Wu Yuan stopped him.

"Clan Leader, for me, as long as I have enough money, that is enough!"

"If I lack money for cultivation, I will come to you again, Clan Leader." Wu Yuan smiled. "Besides, as you said, Clan Leader, as long as I am strong enough, money will come rolling in."

"Eat only as much cake as your stomach can hold."

"Too much will only leave you bloated."

"Clan Leader, see me off here. Do not go in, or the other branches will gossip again if they see us together." Wu Yuan half rose, cupped his hands slightly, then with a light leap, he was already out of the carriage and walking into a side street not far away.

Wu Qiming sat on the carriage seat, lowering his head to look at the thick stack of banknotes in his hand.

He truly needed money. Maintaining a clan was not easy!

Making a clan continuously stronger was even harder!

"Xu Shouyi! Zhang Da!"

Wu Qiming muttered softly, his gaze icy.

He had served as the Clan Leader of the Li City Wu Clan for more than ten years. In his youth, he too had once harbored ambitions for the Martial Dao, but in the end, his years slipped away in vain!

For the clan, he had exhausted his heart and strength.

Wu Yuan was the Li City Wu Clan's most gifted disciple in recent years, and also one of Wu Qiming's greatest hopes for reviving the clan.

"When it is time to bow one's head, one can only bow it."

"I only hope Wu Yuan will not be delayed by this year." Wu Qiming sighed inwardly.

He did not take General Xu and the others' promise to heart. Let Wu Yuan take first place in next year's competition?

The promises of important figures were like a bear breaking off corn cobs—pure nonsense!

"I cannot help with Martial Dao cultivation."

"I can only find a way to ensure Wu Yuan has fewer worries weighing him down." Wu Qiming continued pondering how he could better help Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan walked into the dimly lit alleyways, greeting each person he encountered along the way.

Everyone living in this alley was a member of the Wu Clan.

The Wu Clan had several hundred members across more than ten branches. Most were ordinary families, generally better off than the 'poor folk' in the city's south, but they were still far from wealthy.

After walking more than a hundred meters.

Only then did Wu Yuan stop before a somewhat dilapidated little courtyard. This was Wu Yuan's home!

"Mother, I'm back." Wu Yuan smiled and called loudly toward the courtyard.