Coercion

Although the snow was deep, the group of young people, thinking that they would soon be able to practice martial arts and change their fates to stand out like Xu Yang, and with ample preparation, truly all persisted into the city without anyone falling behind.

Xu Yang only led them near the Liu Family before heading to the Liu Family. Whether they could change their fates depended entirely on the good fortune of these people.

Soon, he learned from Zhang Bo that the Liu Family concluded Bao Gang had met with misfortune and gave Bao Gang's family some money as compensation.

This single move instantly bought people's hearts, and everyone loudly praised the Liu Family for being righteous.

Even Xu Yang developed some goodwill toward the Liu Family. After all, he knew how Bao Gang died, which could be said to be completely unrelated to the Liu Family.

The Liu Family was able to produce money for Bao Gang's family; regardless of whether it was to buy people's hearts, they genuinely gave it.

In any case, this matter could not be traced back to him.

In the afternoon when he arrived at the Mighty Far Hall, he saw the people selected by the Huang Family this time. There were not as many as last time, shockingly only five.

The Huang Family raised their standards this time, not taking a single C-Grade Bone Root.

Their luck was also not as good as last time, lacking a genius like Lu Ren, and there were not any Grade B Bone Roots.

All five people were C-Grade Bone Roots-one C-Grade Upper and four C-Grade Lower.

It was said that Second Master Huang Huang Ping was angered to death and had no choice but to grit his teeth and increase the intensity of cultivation resources.

The dozen or so people who came from the White Stone Ward actually had one person selected, who was precisely his cousin Xu Zheng, one of the four C-Grade Lower bone roots.

"Brother A Yang!"

Seeing Xu Yang appear, Xu Zheng excitedly waved at him with a flushed face.

Xu Yang merely gave a faint nod. Although they were paternal cousins sharing the same great-great-grandfather, they had already exceeded five generations of mourning robes, and before he became a martial artist, Xu Zheng would not even greet him upon seeing him.

Xu Yang paid no more attention to the Huang Family's affairs, and the matter he worried about did not happen.

Three days later, the heavy snow gradually melted, and he cultivated step by step in an orderly manner.

In the morning at the Liu Family, in the afternoon at the Mighty Far Hall.

"Tap, tap..."

Qiu Yongqiang wore a panicked expression, running all the way with melted snow splashing beneath his feet.

Finally rushing home, he pushed open the door to see his eldest brother Qiu Yongjian lying pale on the bed, with a blood-stained garment piled on the floor beside it.

"Eldest Brother, are you alright?"

His eyes were filled with anger, but he first inquired about Qiu Yongjian's injuries.

A bitter smile appeared on Qiu Yongjian's face. "Your idea of supporting an attendant was right, Second Brother. Without a martial artist attendant, let alone business, even one's life-others will take it whenever they want."

Qiu Yongqiang could no longer restrain himself and roared, "Hong Xu goes too far! When he can't compete in business, he uses force, thinking only the Hong Family has martial artists? I have already sent someone to notify Wen Jie."

Both the Hong Family and the Qiu Family operated tea businesses, but the Qiu Family had better channels, and the tea they sold was not only superior in quality but also lower in price. Although there had been competition over the years, they had never resorted to violence.

He never expected that this time, with the heavy snow, external cargo could not be brought in, and the Hong Family began raising prices. Because the Qiu Family had plenty of goods and feared they wouldn't sell, they did not raise prices, which led to the Hong Family's price hike failing, and consequently, they started stirring up trouble again.

After several rounds of negotiations, the Hong Family's initial demand-that the Qiu Family follow suit and raise prices-unexpectedly changed into demanding that the Qiu Family share their procurement channels with the Hong Family.

The Qiu brothers naturally would not share such confidential matters with a rival, yet they never expected that when coercion failed, the Hong Family would actually resort to force today.

Hearing this, Qiu Yongjian's expression shifted. "This is bad. I only found out today that Hong Xu's demands kept changing because his eldest son Hong Feng's martial arts cultivation broke through to the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering, which is why he took action to coerce us with force.

Hurry and go stop Wen Jie. Don't let him go looking for the Hong Family; he is only at Qi Gathering and is far from being a match for Hong Feng. If a fight breaks out, Hong Feng will not show mercy.

Tell him to go find the Senior Brother from the Mighty Far Hall and invite someone with enough weight to speak on our part.

Hurry, Hong Xu only gave us one day to consider. If we don't hand over the channels after a day, he will have Hong Feng take action."

Hearing about Hong Xu's eldest son Hong Feng reaching the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering, Qiu Yongqiang's expression also changed drastically. Immediately unable to care about anything else, he rushed out hurriedly to intercept his son Qiu Wenjian.

Fortunately, he intercepted him before Qiu Wenjian reached the Hong Family, and he quickly explained that Hong Feng had reached the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering, along with his eldest brother Qiu Yongjian's solution.

"Father, rest assured, I will go to the Mighty Far Hall right now to invite a senior brother of consequence to step forward."

Qiu Wenjian gave Qiu Yongqiang a reassuring look and then turned and left, only when he stepped into the inner court of the Mighty Far Hall and looked around blankly, for a moment he had no idea whom to invite.

Among the various senior brothers in the inner court, quite a few could solve this matter with a single sentence, but he had almost no friendship with these people and had never even spoken to them.

Even if he swallowed his pride and asked, they would not help him.

Having entered the inner court for so long, he simply hung out with people like Xu Yang; those people with backgrounds simply looked down on his kind.

"Right, Senior Brother Zhang Yong."

He suddenly remembered that Zhang Yong was also at the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering and they had some friendship; Zhang Yong should be willing to step in and help.

Qiu Wenjian walked quickly to Zhang Yong's side, cupped his fists, and said, "Senior Brother Zhang Yong, my family has provoked an expert at the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering, and I want to ask for your help to step forward and mediate with the other party..."

Zhang Yong put away his stance cultivation, did not immediately refuse, and instead carefully asked about the situation of the person the Qiu Family had provoked.

"This person is named Hong Feng, hailing from the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School. His talent is ordinary, and it should have taken him three or four years to reach the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering. They are bullying us too much; both my Qiu Family and the Hong Family operate tea businesses..."

Qiu Wenjian did not conceal anything and recounted every single detail of how the Hong Family and the Qiu Family developed grievances and why it had evolved to this point.

At the end, he added, "If Senior Brother Zhang can help step forward and mediate, my uncle and father will surely prepare generous gifts in gratitude."

He did not plan to let Zhang Yong exert effort for free, as he understood the ways of the world and human relations.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yong changed his previous attitude, shook his head, and said, "Sorry, I cannot help with this matter."

Qiu Wenjian's face turned pale. "Senior Brother Zhang, you are also at the Minor Accomplishment of Qi Gathering cultivation. If you step forward to mediate a few words, Hong Feng will not refuse to give you face. If you feel the gift is too light, you can state it."

Zhang Yong sighed before saying, "It is not that I feel the gift is too light. If it were merely a matter of a few words, being fellow apprentice brothers, what would it matter to mediate for you?

However, based on your account, that Hong Family covets your family's supply channels and wants to swallow your Qiu Family to strengthen their own Hong Family-it is definitely not a momentary impulse.

If I step forward to mediate, it is by no means a matter of just saying a few words; we would definitely have to test our mettle with real martial arts.

Presently, before the Dragon Ascension of the martial examination, I have no certainty of reaching the Great Accomplishment of Qi Gathering. If I were to be injured and delayed, there truly would be no hope left..."

By this point, Qiu Wenjian already understood that Zhang Yong would not change his mind, and saying anything more was useless.

How could people of the same cultivation level fighting each other possibly avoid injury? Mutual destruction was even a possibility.

Zhang Yong's determination toward the martial path was firm, and he would never delay his martial arts for someone like him with only ordinary friendship.

"I understand, Senior Brother Zhang. I'll go ask other senior brothers."

Qiu Wenjian bowed to Zhang Yong and then turned away, yet looking around the vast inner court, he once again did not know whom to invite.

Since Zhang Yong had such concerns, the other senior brothers inevitably would too.

Unless it was someone with a strong background whose single sentence could make Hong Feng not dare to act, seeking anyone else would result in refusal.

Sun Tao, Jiang Ping, Gu Fang, Zhao Zhifei!

The few people with the deepest backgrounds in the inner court flashed through his mind one by one, and ultimately he decided to swallow his pride and ask Jiang Ping.

Sun Tao represented the Mighty Far Hall and could not casually step forward.

Gu Fang was a woman and likewise would not expose herself in public to negotiate with people.

Zhao Zhifei's eyes were higher than the top, and he only socialized with people of background, looking down on those from humble origins. Even Lu Ren was someone he disdained, and only Jiang Ping was relatively amiable with some chance.

Lost in thought, he walked quickly to Jiang Ping's side, cupped his fists, and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang."

Jiang Ping looked at the junior brother before him whom he had no impression of, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Something the matter?"

Qiu Wenjian took a deep breath and quickly said, "It's like this, Senior Brother Jiang. Someone wants to seize my family's industry, and I want to ask Senior Brother to-"

Jiang Ping interrupted him. "Scram!"

Qiu Wenjian's face flushed red in a wave, and with a stifled grievance, he murmured an apology to Jiang Ping, feeling his mind in complete chaos, not knowing who could save the Qiu Family.

Suddenly, someone blocked his path. Subconsciously raising his head, he saw Xu Yang looking at him with a stern expression, standing alongside Wu Yongfeng.

"When you have trouble, why didn't you look for me?" Xu Yang frowned and asked.