Resources Decided by Martial Contest

"Heh heh." Jiang Shan remained unmoved after hearing this. He merely chuckled, shook his folding fan, and said unhurriedly, "Second sister-in-law, don't be hasty. We had our reasons for making such a decision."

"First, second sister-in-law, you are a woman. You cannot show your face in public and struggle outside for the Jiang Family as we men do."

"Second, just as Third Brother said earlier, niece Tingyi will marry sooner or later. When that time comes, she will belong to another family. It would be too much of a loss for our Jiang Family to spend resources cultivating her."

"A loss?" Xu Yin stared at Jiang Shan in disbelief. "Is this a matter of whether it is a loss or not? You have a daughter too. Do you think it is a loss to spend resources cultivating your own daughter?"

Jiang Shan gave a dry cough. "That is different."

"What is different about it?" Xu Yin demanded. "Will your daughter not marry someday?"

Jiang He burst into laughter from the side. "Second Sister-in-law, don't forget that Eldest Brother has a son! I have a son too. Is there anything wrong with using our resources to cultivate our sons?"

"Sons?" Xu Yin looked disdainfully at Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Minghao below, then let out a cold snort through her nose. "So what if they are sons? Sooner or later, they will be surpassed by my daughter!"

Those words made Jiang Shan and Jiang He's expressions change in unison!

If there was one greatest thorn in their hearts, it was Jiang Tingyi's talent in martial arts.

Although Jiang Tingyi was a girl, her talent in martial arts surpassed both Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Minghao.

This year, fifteen-year-old Jiang Tingyi had already reached the Ninth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm.

By comparison, Jiang Mingxuan was already twenty, yet he too was only at the Ninth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm. Seventeen-year-old Jiang Minghao was even worse, at only the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm.

It was easy to foresee that by the time Jiang Tingyi reached their age, her achievements would far surpass what they had now.

For a moment, both Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Minghao revealed a trace of jealousy and hatred in their eyes!

"Looks like Second Sister-in-law has no intention of giving me face today?" Jiang Shan said in a deep voice.

Xu Yin said coldly, "The Jiang Family is a martial arts lineage. Naturally, talent should determine everything."

"If resources are not allocated according to talent, Eldest Brother, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince anyone, won't it?"

"The Second Madam has a point..."

"Allocating resources according to talent is the fairest way..."

The Jiang Family's collateral martial artists present began discussing among themselves.

As Jiang Shan listened to their rising and falling chatter, his expression remained calm and composed!

Since he had decided to dock the Second Branch's Lesser Origin Pills today, he had naturally made thorough preparations. How could he possibly leave others something to criticize?

"Mingxuan!" Jiang Shan called to his son.

"Father!" Jiang Mingxuan immediately rose to his feet, stepped forward, and stood face-to-face with Jiang Tingyi.

Jiang Shan said calmly, "Second Sister-in-law, since you keep insisting that resources should be distributed according to strength, then I shall grant your wish. Let these two children have a match!"

"If Tingyi wins, the Second Branch will continue receiving ten Lesser Origin Pills each month."

"If Mingxuan wins, the Second Branch's Lesser Origin Pills will be reduced to two each month. What do you say?" Jiang Shan asked.

"Hmph, why not?"

Xu Yin snorted coldly.

She was not blind to Jiang Shan's scheme. He had deliberately switched "talent" for "strength," forcibly ignoring the age gap and making fifteen-year-old Jiang Tingyi compete against twenty-year-old Jiang Mingxuan. It was clearly unfair to Jiang Tingyi.

Nevertheless, Xu Yin believed in her daughter. Jiang Tingyi and Jiang Mingxuan were both at the Ninth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm, and the martial techniques they cultivated were evenly matched. If they truly fought, Jiang Tingyi might not have no chance of winning.

Very soon, the two tables in the center of the council hall were moved aside, clearing out a martial arena in the middle of the hall.

Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Tingyi stood facing each other within the arena.

Just as the two sides were about to begin their match—

"Hold it!"

Third Master Jiang He suddenly spoke up to interrupt.

"It seems that merely having Jiang Mingxuan and Jiang Tingyi compete is not enough, is it?" Jiang He said in a booming voice.

Xu Yin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Him!"

Jiang He pointed from afar, directly at Su Chen beside Xu Yin!

"Since it is a contest between juniors, how can your nephew, Second Sister-in-law, not take the field?" Jiang He sneered.

Xu Yin instinctively tried to refuse. "Xiao Chen is not a member of the Jiang Family..."

"Who cares whether he is a member of the Jiang Family? Since he is sitting at the Jiang Family's direct line table now, he counts as a member of the Jiang Family too." Jiang He coldly cut Xu Yin off, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery.

The meaning was obvious. Who told her to insist on having this nephew sit among the direct line?

Since he had taken that seat, it would not be so easy to wriggle out of it now!

Jiang He had investigated Xu Yin's nephew long ago. He was a discarded disciple expelled from the Orthodox Unity Sect, so he could not possibly possess much strength.

Although the Orthodox Unity Sect's scale and status far exceeded those of the Jiang Family—

—even an idiot knew that a discarded disciple from beneath a sect of a thousand people could never be stronger than one of the Jiang Family's foremost direct-line descendants.

After saying that, Jiang He did not wait for Xu Yin to react before calling out, "Minghao!"

Jiang Minghao was Jiang He's son. Upon hearing this, he rose from his seat and walked to Jiang He's side.

"No!" Xu Yin immediately refused upon seeing this. She knew what Jiang He intended—he was definitely going to have Jiang Minghao spar with Su Chen.

But Jiang Minghao was at the Eighth Layer of Qi-Attraction Realm, while when Su Chen had first arrived in Clear River City, Xu Yin had checked his cultivation and found him to be at the Seventh Stage of the Qi-Attraction Realm.

Their cultivations differed by a whole layer. How could Su Chen possibly stand a chance?

Jiang He laughed heartily. "Could it be that Second Sister-in-law is afraid my Minghao will injure your nephew? Don't worry, I'll make sure Hao'er does not strike too heavily!"

"Trash!" Jiang Minghao sneered with even greater disdain. As a martial artist, he did not even dare take the field and needed a woman to stand in front of him. What else could he be if not trash?

Whoosh!

At the very moment Jiang Minghao's words fell—

Su Chen, who had been resting with his eyes closed all this time, suddenly opened them!

His gaze was like a sharp sword, stabbing straight into Jiang Minghao's eyes!

Jiang Minghao could not help but shudder inwardly. Under Su Chen's instant gaze, he actually felt the hairs on his back stand on end!

It was as though a sheep had suddenly been targeted by a vicious wolf. That instantaneous chill made Jiang Minghao feel as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

"You call me trash. Then if you lose to me, what are you?" Su Chen said blandly.

"Lose to you? Impossible!"

Jiang Minghao retorted reflexively, while secretly feeling vexed that he had lost his composure just now under the gaze of someone weaker than himself!

It must have been an illusion just now. This fellow is nothing to fear!

"I hope you remember what you just said." Su Chen smiled faintly, rose from his chair, and walked to Xu Yin's side.

"Xiao Chen, are you really going to take the field?" Xu Yin asked.

"Yes." Su Chen nodded.

Xu Yin wanted to speak but held back. She did not wish to undermine Su Chen's confidence, but in her eyes, Su Chen had almost no chance of winning.

Su Chen, however, remained perfectly calm.

In fact, from the moment Jiang He had pointed at him, he had guessed that Jiang He intended to drag him into the contest as well.

In his previous life, Jiang He had not done this.

Perhaps it was because Su Chen had already been a cripple in his previous life, so there was no need to drag him out specifically to humiliate him again.

Thinking of this, Su Chen could not help but sneer inwardly. Who would have thought that because I did not become a cripple in this life, Jiang He would set his sights on me instead?

However, that was just as well. Those who set their sights on him had never come to a good end.