Dream Fulfilled, Crisis

"Ruoying, together with her husband Zhang Yi and her son Zhang Jian, pays respects to Father and Mother. Your unfilial daughter has kept Father and Mother worried all these years!"

Emotion touched Gu Qi's lovely features.

Beside her stood the rather tall Zhang Yi. His slightly dark face bore a short beard, lending him an imposing air. Seeing this, he softly consoled Gu Qi, but under Qi Yi's blazing, icy scrutiny from above, his expression stiffened briefly. Yet the Zhang family head was thick-skinned indeed and did not care in the least.

He merely cupped his hands as well and said, "Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, your son-in-law wishes you a thousand autumns and pays his respects with this grand bow!"

His face was solemn, wholly unconcerned by the piercing gazes of his several brothers-in-law.

Watching from the side, Zhang Jian could not help sighing at how thick his old man's skin was. Even he could not compare in that regard.

Qi Yi's face darkened like the bottom of a pot.

"Head Zhang, this bow of yours is more than this old man deserves!"

He casually rolled up his sleeves, not even deigning to look Zhang Yi in the eye.

Within the main hall, the other relatives and friends exchanged subtle looks at the scene. Quite a few treated it as a joke.

Back then, some of them knew full well about the great uproar Zhang Yi and Qi Ruoying had caused.

Qi Ruoying had originally been promised to another family, yet she had gotten together with Zhang Yi. The pair had stubbornly devised ways to force the Qi family to break off the engagement, offending an old friend they had known for years. The entire Qi family had harbored grievances over the matter.

There was even less need to mention Old Master Qi Yi.

Though they had handled the aftermath fairly well and concealed it from outsiders, it had always remained a knot in Qi Yi's heart.

Zhang Yi did not care. Instead, he respectfully said, "Father-in-law, Zhang Yi was young and reckless back then, with a rash temperament. I committed wrongs, offended Father-in-law, and broke the rules. I regretted it deeply afterward and have kept it in my heart all these years. Today, I have brought Ruoying here specifically to apologize in person!"

"Third Brother-in-law makes it sound so easy. Hmph, back then, you two privately... joined yourselves in marriage. What you affected was not merely the Zhang family's reputation..." A noblewoman around thirty wore an indignant expression, glaring hatefully at Zhang Yi and Zhang Jian without concealing her emotions.

This was Gu Qi. Beside her, Gu Linlang tugged at her mother's sleeve.

Seeing this, Zhang Yi sincerely said, "I also ask everyone to be understanding!"

Gu Qi was still resentful and was about to add several cutting remarks when another elegant middle-aged man beside her stopped her.

"Second Brother!"

Gu Qi bit her lip, but in the end said nothing.

Yet she still blamed Gu Qi for marrying privately and affecting her own marriage prospects.

Qi Yi glanced at Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi's attitude left him unable to say anything further. Then, seeing Gu Qi gaze at Zhang Yi with ever greater tenderness, the breath he had been holding in his chest could no longer be released. Seeing this, the old madam hurriedly smoothed things over.

"You may all rise!"

"It is good that you have returned!"

The old madam's smile was warm.

She looked at Gu Qi with affection in her eyes. She had always loved this daughter from the bottom of her heart.

Gu Qi's eyes moistened slightly. Then she said:

"Mother, my husband and I have also prepared several small gifts for Father's birthday. A-Yu, bring them up!"

At those words, Zhang Jian nodded.

Under the gazes of the gathered relatives and friends, he took several brocade boxes from Zhang Lu and Hu Shan.

He then opened them before everyone.

They contained, respectively, a small and exquisite coral ornament, a jadeite treasure vase, an ancient painting, and a handwritten scripture!

"Father, although this delicate jade coral and jadeite vase are not particularly valuable, coral brings blessings and jadeite nourishes the body. They will surely add blessings and longevity to Father and Mother!"

As Qi Ruoying finished speaking, Zhang Jian noticed that his maternal grandfather's expression had visibly softened.

In truth, the many relatives and friends could all tell that the palm-sized jade coral and the emerald-green jadeite vase, clear as a blue sky, were undoubtedly priceless treasures. They were not things that money alone could buy; one needed influence as well.

They were absolutely not of little value, as Qi Ruoying had claimed.

The ancient painting was much the same. It was called Immortals Celebrating a Birthday and was likewise the work of a renowned master.

It was extraordinarily valuable.

Standing in the center of the hall, Zhang Jian clearly saw that many Qi family elders had stirred, their expressions changing somewhat.

Though they had been polite before, deep down they still held a prejudice based on family standing. In the eyes of many Qi family members, the Zhang family might be wealthy and powerful, but they were ultimately from a small household, unable to compare with the Qi family, a military lineage that had worn official caps and sashes for generations.

But the wealth the Zhang family had now displayed truly made it impossible for them to look down on them.

Originally, Zhang Yi had only intended to make do with some antiques and jade artifacts acquired from Prince Mian's Tomb, but Zhang Jian had replaced them in the end.

Though Grandfather Qi Yi had never been particularly close to him, his grandmother was good to him. Even for his mother Gu Qi's sake, they should have made the substitution.

However, Zhang Jian could imagine that Zhang Yi must have suffered greatly at the Qi family's hands back then. Otherwise, he would not still bear such a grudge.

Thinking about it, that was only natural. The Zhang family had not yet reached its current scale back then.

And they had provoked a colossal force like the Qi family.

For them to have endured until now, Zhang Yi must have poured in immense effort. His resentment was understandable.

At this moment, delight also appeared on Qi Ruoying's lovely face. Zhang Yi and Zhang Jian had brought her honor before the Qi family this time, so naturally she was overjoyed.

"And this final gift is a copy of the Jiachen Martial Scripture. It is a superior body-tempering method that can strengthen the foundations of our Qi family's military lineage. My husband knows that Father loves martial arts, so he went to great lengths to collect this superior classic as a birthday gift. May the martial fortune of our Qi family flourish!"

With a beaming smile, Qi Ruoying had Zhang Jian step forward and present the final treasure box for Qi Yi to inspect personally.

She noticed that the expressions of the relatives and friends had changed rapidly. Many Qi family elders who had merely come to watch a joke now pricked up their ears, their faces shifting.

"The Jiachen Martial Scripture?"

As the words fell, Qi Yi involuntarily rose to his feet.

Zhang Jian saw that his two uncles, the eldest Qi Yuanwu and Qi Yuansi, whose expressions had remained calm all along, changed color as well. Violent ripples flickered faintly in their eyes.

He knew perfectly well the shock this item would bring to the Qi family.

For a family of military generals, nothing was more important than the foundation upon which they stood.

Especially since the Jiachen Martial Scripture was no ordinary superior body-tempering method. It enjoyed a formidable reputation in legend.

It was an exquisite technique left behind by a body-tempering martial artist who had stepped into the Grandmaster realm.

This body-tempering method had come from Prince Mian's Tomb.

But judging by Qi Yi's expression now, never mind that it had been dug from Prince Mian's Tomb—even if it had been pried from a corpse's hands, he would have accepted it without hesitation.

This item should not originally have been given away. Such an exquisite body-tempering method could be preserved as the foundation of a family, even becoming the basis upon which it secured its life and standing.

But after learning that Zhang Jian and Zhang Yi had embarked on the path to immortality, Zhang Yi had changed his mind and simply used this item as a bargaining chip.

This was also, to some extent, an exchange of benefits with the Qi family.

In return for the Qi family's support for the Zhang family's expansion into other major counties of Fengyang Commandery.

Qi Yi solemnly leafed through the handwritten Jiachen Martial Scripture in his hands. With his discernment, he could tell at a glance that this exquisite method was genuine.

A faint ripple surfaced in his eyes.

Such an exquisite method also offered no small amount of enlightenment for his cultivation as he sought to break into the Grandmaster realm.

Even though he still held countless opinions about Zhang Yi, much of the anger in his heart had dissipated. For the first time, a faint smile was forced onto his stern, imposing face.

He looked at Zhang Yi and Zhang Jian, then nodded.

"Third Girl did not choose the wrong man!"

At the side, Zhang Jian saw Gu Qi's expression turn to tears of joy in an instant, and his gaze flickered faintly.

After the Zhang family couple had completed their birthday greetings, they immediately stepped aside!

Zhang Jian noticed that the expressions of his several aunts and uncles were somewhat subtle.

They were likely already cursing inwardly.

Especially his eldest and second uncles by marriage, who had previously fancied themselves kings of competition. One came from a prestigious Haojing clan and was a genuine descendant of dukes and princes.

The other was the grandson of a former dynasty's chancellor.

Both were descendants of Old Master Qi's old friends!

Neither looked particularly pleased.

Zhang Jian was happy to watch the excitement. This competition had not been started by the Zhang family. The true instigators were precisely these two uncles by marriage, who prided themselves on their highborn backgrounds.

At this point, the other two aunts and uncles by marriage could only steel themselves and step forward, each presenting a birthday gift.

Though these two gifts were also of considerable value, compared with the previous three, especially the gifts Zhang Yi and his wife had presented, they were clearly inferior.

It was not that they could not produce weightier gifts, but that these two aunts and uncles by marriage had been caught unprepared. They had not expected Qi Yi's birthday celebration to become so fiercely competitive, and their calculations had fallen short.

After the Qi family's five daughters had successively completed their birthday greetings, relatives and friends came forward one after another to present lavish gifts.

It was not until noon that the birthday banquet began.

The celebration gradually reached its climax, and some heavyweight guests began entering the Qi family residence one after another at the auspicious hour.

The several young masters of the Qi family responsible for welcoming guests at the entrance truly became busy.

The gatekeeper's announcements rose and fell in succession!

"Fengyang Commandery Governor Yu Tongguang has come to wish the family head a happy birthday!"

"Fengyang Commandery Commandant Wang Shao has come to wish the family head a happy birthday!"

"Fengyang Commandery's Master Gu Chengyan has come to wish the family head a happy birthday!"

"Master Yu You of the Yu family of Fengyang Commandery has come to wish the family head a happy birthday!"

"Fengyang Commandery Imperial Censor Supervisor Yao has come to wish the family head a happy birthday!"

The front courtyard was filled with guests. As several heavyweight guests from the commandery arrived, even Qi Yi, the birthday star himself, had no choice but to personally step forward to keep them company.

Yet amid such a lively atmosphere, Zhang Jian sensed that something was wrong.

It was not only the arriving guests. Even the entire Qi family estate, inside and out, seemed to carry the scent of blood and a coming storm.