Three Strikes and You're Out, Zhang Su Draws His Sword!

"Second brother... you've finally returned..."

"Yes, big brother, I am back."

Seeing Zhang Su arrive, Su Mulan burned with even greater rage and shrieked, "Su Zhenzhen, didn't you say that an outsider like me has no right to interfere in the affairs of the Su Family?"

"Then what does that make him?"

"Zhang Su, a piece of trash who bought his way into the Guiyuan Sect as an Outer Sect disciple, only knowing how to come to my Su Family to sponge off us. Now he even dares to brazenly step into the meeting hall; is he not an outsider?"

Su Zhenzhen's expression shifted.

She knew the status "Zhang Su" held in her husband's heart.

How could she tolerate Su Mulan's accusations?

"Slap."

Su Zhenzhen struck Su Mulan across the face.

Su Mulan was stunned.

She trembled with rage: "Su Zhenzhen, you actually hit me for the sake of a useless brother-in-law?"

"I hit you because you deserved it! My second brother is visiting our Su Family for the first time, which makes him an honored guest. Is this how our Su Family taught you to treat guests?"

"You..."

Su Mulan's eyes turned red.

She stared daggers at Su Zhenzhen.

Su Zhenzhen was not one to indulge Su Mulan.

Having been the apple of the Su Family's main branch's eye since childhood, showered with endless affection, how could she not handle Su Mulan?

"Second brother, please don't take offense..."

Su Zhenzhen turned back, a warm smile appearing on her face.

"Clang."

But the next moment, the crisp sound of a sword being drawn echoed in everyone's ears.

Without any warning, Zhang Su had drawn his sword in an instant.

"Second Miss, watch out..."

There were guards in the meeting hall.

One of the guards from the third branch had his expression change drastically in an instant.

His reaction had been fast enough.

However, he was still a step too late.

The sharp edge of the blade instantly swept across Su Mulan's forehead.

Su Mulan could even feel the cold touch of the blade.

"Ssh."

A soft sound.

A lock of hair was severed by the longsword and drifted to the floor.

"Click."

Zhang Su sheathed his sword.

The entire meeting hall fell into immediate, deathly silence.

No one could have imagined that someone would actually dare to draw a sword in the Su Family meeting hall.

"You..."

Su Mulan was trembling all over.

The look she cast toward Zhang Su was filled with terror.

Just a moment ago, she had truly felt the scent of death.

That sword strike made her realize that the Zhang Su before her truly seemed capable of killing her!

Zhang Su's expression remained calm as he said indifferently: "At the city gate, your carriage was reckless and aggressive, showing no regard for the fact that I was standing there. That is your first insult to me."

"In front of the Su Family gates, you spoke insolently. That is your second insult."

"Just now in the meeting hall, you insulted me a third time."

"Three strikes and you're out; consider this a lesson. If there is a next time, my sword will surely draw blood!"

Zhang Su's words shocked many people.

However, they were even more shocked by that sword strike just now.

As the saying goes, laymen watch the spectacle, while experts watch the technique.

There were quite a few Su Family guards inside the meeting hall.

They appeared to be resting with their eyes closed or simply standing to the side.

But in reality, they were extremely vigilant.

The moment Zhang Su drew his sword, they had already sensed it.

However, no one could stop him.

It wasn't that they didn't try to stop him, but that they couldn't.

It was too fast.

So fast that even if they were the ones facing that strike, they would likely be in grave danger.

The few guards exchanged glances, their expressions extremely tense.

They immediately shielded their young mistress and young master behind them, their eyes locked tightly on Zhang Su, fearing he might strike again.

As for the eldest brother, Zhang Chen, he had been given quite a fright.

But when he saw that Zhang Su had only severed a lock of Su Mulan's hair with that single strike, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, he also keenly sensed that the "second brother" before him seemed different.

A year ago, his second brother had a huge argument with him and unilaterally declared that they were severing ties.

Yet a year later, having returned from the Guiyuan Sect, his second brother already possessed a hint of the demeanor of a disciple from a major sect.

Su Zhenzhen was also somewhat surprised.

She hadn't expected this "second brother," who looked as gentle as jade, to be so fierce.

He had acted without saying a word.

Moreover, he had moved so quickly that even the Su Family guards couldn't stop him.

This was highly unusual.

She knew very well that Zhang Su had relied on the Su Family's connections and used silver to "buy" a spot as an Outer Sect disciple in the Guiyuan Sect.

She had assumed he was just idling his time away in the Outer Sect.

She hadn't expected that he might have actually achieved something.

"Alright, the Zhenyuan Escort Agency should be back by tomorrow. Let's leave everything until then."

Su Zhenzhen knew that nothing more could be decided today.

"Husband, second brother, let's head back first."

Zhang Chen nodded.

He smiled and said, "Second brother, it seems you've made a lot of progress this past year. Come, let's go back and have a good chat."

A genuine smile appeared on Zhang Chen's face.

The people from the main branch quickly cleared out completely.

Inside the meeting hall, only the people from the third branch remained.

Su Mulan's face still held a trace of paleness.

Even now, her emotions had yet to settle.

Su Qianhe immediately rebuked, "Uncle Qiao, how are you acting as a guard? Aren't you the renowned Iron Pen Judge in the pugilistic world? How could you fail to stop a strike from an ordinary Guiyuan Sect disciple?"

"Uncle Qiao" was the guard who had been standing behind Su Qianhe, attempting to block Zhang Su's sword.

His real name was Fang Qiao, and he was quite famous in the pugilistic world.

Hearing Su Qianhe's rebuke, Fang Qiao let out a long sigh and said, "Young Master, you don't understand. When Zhang Su drew his sword just now, I was already prepared to intervene, but... I couldn't stop it."

"Although this Zhang Su is an Outer Sect disciple of the Guiyuan Sect, I can guarantee that he is definitely not some ordinary disciple. He is likely a top-tier talent among the Outer Sect."

"He might even be among the top ten disciples of the Outer Sect! If you don't believe me, Young Master, you can ask all the guards here: who among them could have stopped that strike from Zhang Su just now?"

Su Qianhe frowned, his suspicious gaze sweeping over every guard in the meeting hall.

But wherever his gaze landed, the guards lowered their heads.

Clearly, they truly had no confidence in being able to block that strike from Zhang Su.

"I have heard of this Zhang Su as well. Before this, he had a huge argument with Zhang Chen, and it was Zhang Chen who used silver to buy a spot to send him to the Guiyuan Sect."

"Could it be that he actually managed to make something of himself at the Guiyuan Sect?"

Su Qianhe found it hard to believe.

The Zhang Family had fallen to the point of becoming matrilocal sons-in-law for the Su Family.

How could they be getting stronger one after another?

There was no need to even mention Zhang Chen.

At first, he had thought Zhang Chen was a cowardly son-in-law.

But after marrying into the Su Family, Zhang Chen had instead taken control of the Su Family's business.

In just one year, Zhang Chen had managed the Su Family's business in perfect order, showing more capability than anyone else in the Su Family.

Now it was Zhang Chen's younger brother as well.

Even getting into the Guiyuan Sect required paying for a spot.

Looking at it now, had he actually achieved success in martial arts?

Were the people of the Zhang Family truly all this bizarre?

Su Mulan gritted her teeth and said hatefully, "Zhang Su has only been practicing martial arts for a year, and he was already over the age limit when he entered the Guiyuan Sect. How strong could he possibly be?"

"He actually dared to draw his sword on me today. Tomorrow, I will bring Brother Cheng here, and I will let everyone in the Su Family see what a true genius is!"

After Su Mulan's voice fell, no one in the meeting hall responded.

Jiang Cheng?

He was indeed a genius, and a genius famous throughout Qingquan Prefecture.

He also came from a family of martial arts practitioners.

He lacked nothing in terms of family background, resources, or cultivation techniques.

"Mulan, you aren't married to Jiang Cheng yet. If you rashly bring someone from the Jiang Family into the Su Family, I'm afraid the main branch will have complaints..."

Su Qianhe said cautiously.

"Complaints? I can't worry about that much right now. That Zhang Su, and the main branch, have bullied me so much—can't I even go to Brother Cheng to vent?"

"Besides, if the people from the Zhenyuan Escort Agency lose their cargo tomorrow, we will have to challenge the main branch. Zhang Su has some skill; even Uncle Qiao doesn't seem to be his match. If we don't have someone who can suppress him, how can we challenge the main branch?"

Su Mulan's words plunged Su Qianhe into deep thought.

Although these words were mixed with Su Mulan's personal emotions.

The fact that the main branch had suddenly gained a Zhang Su was indeed a variable.

Introducing the Jiang Family early seemed to be an absolute necessity!

"Fine, let's go back and report this to Father."

With that, Su Qianhe and his people quickly left the meeting hall.