Smiling Zhuge

Yang Musheng looked at Tang Tiandong and joked, "Your Tang Household received gifts from the Tong and Long families, will you also receive gifts from the Wu Household?"

If we receive a gift from the Wu Household, then many other Lineage will surely follow suit and give gifts in return.

"Our Tang Household doesn't have that much influence," Tang Tiandong said with a wry smile.

Just as Tang Tiandong was tidying up the items on the table in front of him, he suddenly felt a chill creeping towards him.

"Brother Tang, be careful and be patient. The Chu Household have ill intentions," Yang Musheng warned telepathically.

"They wouldn't dare kill anyone on the Wu Household's territory, but they would dare injure someone. Of course, if they injure someone, the Wu Household will make them pay huge medical bills."

Tang Tiandong watched the three Chu Household approach menacingly, thinking to himself, "I only received seventy-four Spirit Stone as a gift today. If this doesn't work, I'll have to stage an accident with the Chu Household and extort some medical expenses..."

However, once Tang Tiandong saw that the last of the three Chu Household was walking, he immediately abandoned his plan to stage an accident.

Walking at the back, with a smile on his face, was the fifth son of the Chu Household: Chu Shimo, twenty-eight years old.

Within a radius of several thousand miles, there are at least a hundred large and small cultivation Lineage in Gazing Dragon Lake.

Cui Xueyong had also given some introduction to the three major cultivation Lineage of Tong, Shen, and Chu, located on the southern slope of Gazing Dragon Lake.

The Chu Household embarked on the path of cultivation no later than the Wu Household; the only difference was that they hadn't had any powerful cultivators a hundred years ago.

Rumor has it that the patriarch of the Chu Household, Chu Baiyuan, is over four hundred years old and has not been born for decades.

Some say that Chu Baiyuan is attempting to break through to the [Heavenly Gate] realm.

Some say that Chu Baiyuan died long ago.

The current head of the Chu Household is Chu Wanyang, who is at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Chu Wanyang had six sons: Chu Shiming, Chu Shilin, Chu Shiquan, Chu Shiyan, Chu Shimo, and Chu Zhiyu.

The fifth son, Chu Shimo, was twenty-eight years old and known as the "Smiling Zhuge".

Chu Shimo, who Meridian Opening Seventh Layer of the Linking Vessel Gathering Stage Realm, is not only resourceful but also cunning and treacherous, always wearing a smiling face.

Although Chu Wanyang is the head of the Chu Household, in reality, it is Chu Shimo coordinates and handles all matters, big and small.

Cui Xueyong's original words: I would rather offend Chu Shiyan, who has the Qi Refinement level, than offend Chu Shimo, who has the Meridian Opening cultivation level.

Three Graves Mountain will be off-limits for the next ten years.

If they miss today's opportunity, it will be harder than climbing to heaven for the Tang Household to obtain Spirit Stone again.

Before Tang Tiandong could decide whether to stage an accident to obtain Spirit Stone, the three members of the Chu Household had already arrived in front of him.

"The Tang Household is so small, I've never even heard of them."

Not only are they not qualified to offer sacrificial rice, but they also dare to shamelessly post notices here to collect money.

"Hurry up and pack up your stall, or don't blame me for being impolite, Fourth Master Chu." Chu Shiyan unleashed a chilling aura from his right hand.

The cold air hit the paperweight, and the dark blue stone paperweight immediately cracked into pieces.

The Chu Household's [Cold Pine Palm] truly lives up to its reputation.

"This is Wu Household Gathering Friends Market. Anyone can set up a stall here as long as they pay the stall fee." Tang Tiandong's expression was neither humble nor arrogant, even though his heart was pounding.

"Fourth brother, I'm too lazy to waste words with him. I'll just overturn his stall to save the Wu Household from finding an excuse."

The patriarch's task for us this time was to receive at least two hundred Spirit Stone as a gift, but so far we've only received about Spirit Stone.

"Zhiyu's letter urging for Spirit Stone has arrived again," Chu Wan'an murmured softly.

"Old Six spends money way too much."

"You've only been in the Azure Origin Sect for half a year, and you've already taken over a hundred Spirit Stone." Chu Shiyan frowned, looked at Tang Tiandong, and said fiercely, "I'll just ask you one question: are you closing down or not?!"

The surroundings were quiet, and the cultivators all looked over coldly.

My father Tang Yuan, once said, "Martial arts are all about momentum."

Even when facing a powerful enemy, one must not lose morale.

If they slink away today, even if the Tang Household rises to prominence in the future, they will inevitably still be looked down upon.

If others look down on you, they will dare to bully you.

For the sake of the Tang Household, even if we hold a flag-raising ceremony today, we absolutely cannot lose our momentum. Besides, this is the Wu Household's territory; the Chu Household wouldn't dare kill anyone. If they hurt me, they'd have to pay me a huge sum in medical expenses.

"Our Tang Household's principle is: we never bully others, but we are also never afraid of others provoking us." Tang Tiandong smiled, drawing his Azure Edge from his waist. "Anyone who dares to overturn my stall, I dare to chop off their hand."

"Yo-ho!"

The bones are strong enough; I like that.

I'm at the Qi Refining First Layer, while you're only at the Meridian Opening Fourth Layer. Killing you is easier than crushing an ant.

hehe...

"You think I'm joking with you?!" Chu Shiyan sneered and reached out to flip the table.

Fourth Brother, wait a minute.

This is the Wu Household's territory, and everyone still relies on the Wu Household's Gathering Friends Market to get what they need.

Why should Fourth Brother get angry with a cultivator from some obscure, backwater clan?

These tables, chairs, and benches all belong to the Wu Household; if they're damaged, we'll have to pay for them.

"The Wu Household's things aren't cheap," Chu Shimo interjected, trying to stop them.

"Yes, the Wu Household's products are not cheap."

"I accidentally broke a glass lamp from Gathering Friends Market a couple of years ago, and Wu Qi from the Wu Household actually demanded half a Spirit Stone from me," a cultivator said sullenly.

"Yes, yes, it doesn't matter if we injure this junior cultivator."

"The key issue is that damaging the Wu Household's property would result in a huge loss." Many cultivators were also trying to give Chu Shiyan a way out.

Instead of directly refuting Chu Shiyan's actions, Chu Shimo used the Wu Household to pressure him.

On the one hand, it gave Chu Shiyan a way out, and on the other hand, it indirectly expressed dissatisfaction with the Wu Household, which resonated with most cultivators: whether they set up stalls to do business or post notices here, they were all charging money.

The reason Chu Shimo stopped Chu Shiyan from overturning the Tang Household's business was not because he was worried about having to pay the Wu Household money, but because he felt that the matter was not so simple.

Just now, Wu Juexia told the Chu Household that because they received a letter from a disciple of the Wu Household the Azure Origin Sect, they were asked to give the Tang Household some Spirit Stone as a gift today.

Wu Juexia implied to the Chu Household: if the Chu Household wants to receive the gift money from the Wu Household today, they must drive the Tang Household away.

Who else could be a disciple of the Wu Household of the Azure Origin Sect besides Wu Changgeng, who is at the Qi Refinement Fifth Layer?

The Chu family is not afraid of Wu Changgeng, but Wu Changgeng's master is Han Dahai, the peak master of Zizhu Peak of Qingyuan Sect.

Chu Zhiyu was a disciple of Cold Water Peak of the Azure Origin Sect. In his letter, he clearly stated that Purple Bamboo Peak and Cold Water Peak were somewhat at odds, and it was best not to offend the disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak.

The Tang Household was so small and unheard of that they actually managed to get an introduction from Wu Changgeng.

If it's just a personal friendship between Wu Changgeng and the Tang Household, that's fine. But if it involves Purple Bamboo Peak, then it'll be troublesome.

Today, the Wu Household gave the Chu Household of money, which was arranged two months ago.

The Wu Household is now saying that whichever Chu Household or the Tang Household, doesn't leave, the Wu Household will give the betrothal gifts to.

This is clearly a scheme by the Wu Household to instigate infighting between the Chu Household and Tang Household, so as not to offend either family or the Azure Origin Sect behind them.

If the Chu Household forcefully drives the Tang Household away, it will inevitably cause other Lineage to be dissatisfied with the Chu Household, feeling that the Chu Household is abusing its power.

However, the departure of the Chu Household would also cause other Lineage to look down on them.

What a vicious plan.

Wu Juexia is only sixteen years old this year and has never left the Wu Household since he was a child. He would never have come up with such an idea. It must have been instigated by Wu Qufeng, the head of the Wu Household.

After a quick thought, Chu Shimo, without waiting for Chu Shiyan to speak, immediately cupped his hands in greeting and said, "May I ask this fellow Daoist surnamed Tang, do you know Wu Changgeng of the Azure Origin Sect?"

"Brother Changgeng, that's something I'm quite familiar with."

"My eldest brother even drank with my elder brother Changgeng." Tang Tiandong sheathed his sword and returned the greeting with a cupped hand...