The Chang Family

Chapter 22: The Chang Family

"Weren't you just saying I was special, that I had a unique and unconventional temperament? Why are you complaining now?" Xu Zimo chuckled lightly. "Ha, women."

"It's just that you can know a person's face but not their heart," Ji Baiyu replied indifferently.

"Then we'll have to find some time to get to know each other more deeply," Xu Zimo said, watching Ji Baiyu's expression of gnashing her teeth in anger as he laughed heartily and left with Shili Changkong.

Watching Xu Zimo's retreating figure, Ji Baiyu asked resentfully, "Grandpa Blackwood, do you really believe he can bear the Heavenly Mandate?"

"A Great Emperor is the strongest of an era; how could just anyone casually bear the Heavenly Mandate?" Old Man Blackwood shook his head and said.

"Then why did you let me give him the Imperial Blood?" Ji Baiyu asked, puzzled.

"If he had opened the jade token just now, I might have been able to fight to the death and escape, but what about you?" Old Man Blackwood said helplessly. "Don't be fooled by his constant smiling. I can tell that someone like him is absolutely ruthless and decisive.

He would definitely have killed you and then seized the Imperial Blood."

"Despicable," Ji Baiyu said hatefully, staring in the direction Xu Zimo had left.

On the other side, Shili Changkong asked curiously, "Was that really Imperial Blood?"

"Do you want to try taking it? One drop and you could attain enlightenment and become an immortal," Xu Zimo said with a smile.

"No interest. So what if it's Imperial Blood? My martial path will ultimately be walked by myself. External forces, no matter how strong, are only aids," Shili Changkong replied proudly.

When the two walked downstairs, they found Lin Ruhu and Guan Zhenhai sitting in the private room.

Guan Zhenhai had his arms around several girls, having a great time.

Lin Ruhu, on the other hand, was wolfing down food and drink, showing no interest in the girls beside him.

"Senior Brother Guan, enjoy yourself slowly. We'll head back first," Xu Zimo said with a smile.

"Ah, Junior Brother Zimo, you're down so soon?" Guan Zhenhai said, looking at Xu Zimo with an ambiguous gaze. "Junior Brother needs to replenish himself more. A weak kidney is a serious problem."

"Get lost," Xu Zimo laughed and cursed, then led the others away.

Meanwhile, at the Chang Family, the family head Chang Tianxiong listened to his son Chang Wei's words, his expression thoughtful.

He was burly, wearing a light blue robe with white clouds embroidered on the cuffs and collar.

His face was rugged, but his mind was meticulous. Stroking his thick beard, he asked, "Did that disciple say anything about his background?"

"He didn't," Chang Wei shook his head and said, "What kind of status could a fellow disciple of a waste like Guan Zhenhai have?

Birds of a feather flock together."

"Don't let your guard down. If he were just an ordinary inner disciple, we do have some connections within the True Martial Sacred Sect," Chang Tianxiong said thoughtfully. "But if he's an elite inner disciple or a True Disciple, that would be troublesome."

"Then what do we do?" Chang Wei asked, a bit frightened. "I was only trying to win over the Third Prince and wanted to book the entire Bright Moon Tower to host him."

"Has the person we sent to the True Martial Sacred Sect's Branch Hall returned yet?" Chang Tianxiong asked. "Guan Zhenhai has received plenty of favors from us over the years. It's time he proved useful!"

Chang Wei shook his head. "The people we sent to the Branch Hall were all driven out. They didn't even get to see Guan Zhenhai's face."

"Then we'll wait quietly for his arrival and see just what kind of demon or god he is," Chang Tianxiong snorted coldly. "Find a way to let the Third Prince know about this. The best outcome would be dragging the royal family into the water."

"I understand," Chang Wei nodded.

That afternoon, in front of many family elders and clan members, Chang Wei was given a hundred strokes of the board by the family head.

It was said that Chang Wei had tried to book the entire Bright Moon Tower to host the Third Prince, but had gotten into a conflict with a disciple of the True Martial Sacred Sect.

This news began to spread like wildfire throughout the Chang Family.

As night deepened, a crescent moon hung in the sky.

Inside a side room in the Chang Family's rear courtyard, a young man and an old man stood by the window.

The young man had handsome features, wearing a blue-white robe, exuding an overbearing aura that made people involuntarily submit. He seemed like a born king.

The old man was very low-key; if you weren't paying attention, you might not even notice his presence.

He wore a gray gown, his gaze as deep as a black hole, with black hair mixed with white on his head, looking like an old man in his twilight years.

"With all this news spreading outside, what does the Third Prince think?" the old man asked.

"The Chang Family has provoked the True Martial Sacred Sect and wants to drag me into the water," the young man replied with a light laugh. "But this True Martial Sacred Sect is rather excessive too. Every single disciple is incredibly arrogant."

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words. Some things are not for us to discuss," the old man quickly shook his head and warned.

"Is the True Martial Sacred Sect really that strong?" the young man asked skeptically.

He was the Third Prince of the Ziyang Empire, one of the two largest empires in the Far West Land.

His father was a powerhouse at the Imperial Meridian Realm, and the empire had nearly a hundred Venerable Meridian Realm experts, with countless Empty Meridian Realm cultivators.

But this True Martial Sacred Sect weighed down on them like a mountain. Everyone bowed and submitted to the Sacred Sect, and the young man felt extremely resentful in his heart.

"Your Highness, even if it were the monarch himself, he would still need to show reverence toward the True Martial Sacred Sect," the Old Man said with emotion. "Do you know why your An Family has become the rulers of the Ziyang Empire?"

"Isn't it because our ancestors conquered this land step by step?" the Young Man asked, puzzled.

"The Ziyang Empire has existed for nearly ten thousand years, and during that time, many rulers have come and gone.

The previous dynasty's ruler was not of the An surname. That generation's ruler was too arrogant, paying lip service to the True Martial Sacred Sect's commands while defying them in practice," the Old Man shook his head and spoke slowly. "Later, an old man walked out from the True Martial Sacred Sect.

Within a single day, that ruler, along with his clan and everyone connected to him, was erased from this world.

They have never been seen again since. And it was only after passing a trial that your An Family was appointed as the new rulers.

Do you understand? Power, an empire, a throne—before absolute strength, they are nothing but a joke."

"I understand. I never intended to clash with the True Martial Sacred Sect," the Young Man nodded. "But this time, my brothers and I are vying for the position of heir, and we've traveled thousands of li to come to the Chang Family.

Yet the Chang Family keeps dragging their feet on our proposal, unwilling to commit.

If we can help them solve their trouble this time, we might win them over and gain a powerful ally."

"Let's first see who comes tomorrow," the Old Man said after a moment's thought. "If it's an ordinary disciple, there's no harm.

But if it's a True Disciple, even our intervention would be useless."