The cart pulled by the steed was loaded with many dark brown wooden boxes, engraved with four striking golden characters: ’Zhao’s Money Shop’.
Seeing this.
Patriarch Zhan’s pupils constricted. He felt a rush of hot blood surging from his heart, causing his chest to heave violently.
"This, this is..." He stood up, pointing at the boxes, his expression incredibly excited.
"Dad, we found the silver, we found the silver!" Zhan Weida purposefully shouted loudly, and then whispered, "But, there are only a little over 400,000 taels left. The rest must have been secretly transported out by the Xu Family."
"Hey, the Xu Family is really ruthless. But circumstances force our hand, and the debt to them of 300,000 is written in black and white and cannot be delayed even for a mont.
Also, the Fulin Escort Agency, the Fang Family, and the Yuan Family, we just need to sell so more dicine shops to barely manage." Patriarch Zhan took a deep breath and asked, "How did you find it?"
"My brother helped . He directly captured that Young Master Long from Cyan Cloud Manor. Then I had Uncle Pan interrogate him severely to force out the location." Zhan Weida said excitedly.
"What?!" Upon hearing this, Patriarch Zhan could no longer hide the shock on his face.
The Zhan Family had thought about this thod, but it had failed.
Cyan Cloud Manor had two renowned sabers, both at the Full Cycle cultivation level, and many skilled hands dispatched by the Xu Family, making it no less than a dragon’s lair or tiger’s den.
When did Weida make such a formidable friend?
"He’s my fellow disciple from the Extre Fist Sect, Liu Yi." Zhan Weida whispered, "Only a few of us know about this matter, and it must not be leaked out."
"Dad, I misjudged." Zhan Weicong, standing by, showed a rare sign of admitting his mistake with an ashad expression.
Upon hearing this, Patriarch Zhan also felt embarrassed.
He rembered reprimanding his second son in the past for befriending unreliable people and associating with unsavory characters.
Unexpectedly, in the end, he himself turned out to be the fool?
Suddenly, he saw Zhan Weida take out a thick stack of silver notes from his chest.
"Here are 100,000 taels borrowed by my brother. Dad, do you think it’s enough?"
"More than enough!" Patriarch Zhan said excitedly, "With this 100,000 taels, we don’t need to sell off our assets!"
"Your friend is a great benefactor to the Zhan Family! Invite him to our ho early, I want to host a grand banquet to treat him well!"
"Though I’m getting old, from now on, the Zhan Family will rely on you two brothers." Though Patriarch Zhan said this, his gaze lingered on his second son, showing a rare look of expectation in his eyes.
...
The Xu Mansion occupies dozens of acres in the heart of Tai City.
Within the mansion, there are pavilions, towers, carved railings, and painted beams, with small bridges over flowing water, and clusters of maids and servants, resembling a miniature palace.
Aside from the official forces of the City Lord’s Mansion, the Xu Family is undeniably the most powerful force in Tai City, with Old Master Xu, a renowned figure in martial arts, presiding over it. Even the City Lord’s Mansion is wary of them.
Xu Haoren, the second young master of the Xu Family, was leisurely lounging on an intricately crafted chair, his eyes slightly closed.
Beside him, maids were continuously fanning him, and one underfoot was massaging his legs. Occasionally, as he opened his mouth, slender fingers would place freshly peeled grapes into his mouth.
A life like this, even if the emperor ca, he wouldn’t trade.
At this mont, he heard urgent footsteps approaching, and he slightly opened his eyes.
Looking at this, he nearly laughed out loud.
The person arriving was his older brother, Xu Haoyin, but his current state wasn’t particularly good.
His right cheek was swollen high, red and bloated, looking like a disfigured toad.
"Brother, what happened to you?" Xu Haoren asked with feigned concern and then angrily said, "Who dared to hit you like this? They must be crazy!"
"Where’s Dad?" Xu Haoyin couldn’t be bothered with his scheming younger brother, asking directly.
"He’s probably in the basent."
Upon hearing this, Xu Haoyin hurried toward the basent direction.
Seeing this, Xu Haoren’s eyes flashed, lost interest in resting, and quickly sprang up from his chair, following his older brother.
The entrance to the Xu Family’s basent is located in a secluded garden deep within the mansion, hidden away, with strict security, and only key figures in the mansion have the authority to enter.
"Have you lost your minds, daring to block ?"
When Xu Haoyin arrived at this garden, he was stopped by two knife-wielding guards, getting so angry he cursed them.
The guards coolly said, "Young Master, the master has instructed that without his permission, no one can enter."
These two guards, judging by their aura, were both martial artists at the Great Cycle level.
"You!" Xu Haoyin was so angry he wanted to draw his saber from his waist but, for so reason, restrained himself.
He spat in hatred and stord off.
Not far away, Xu Haoren watched all this, with a puzzled look in his eyes.
"Even my brother is not allowed in; what is Dad hiding in the basent?"
The Xu Family’s basent was built very spaciously, resembling an underground palace.
At this mont, two figures were quietly standing in a spot.
One wore a brocade robe with purple and gold patterns, looking in his forties or fifties, his face stern, imposing without anger.
He was the Patriarch Xu, the father of Xu Haoyin and Xu Haoren.
The other wore a simple black profound robe, had a head full of silver hair, but his face didn’t have a single wrinkle, and his aura was as deep as an ocean, unfathomable.
From the respectful deanor of Patriarch Xu toward him, his identity was evident.
He was the Xu Family’s top martial artist, a living fossil, the renowned figure in martial arts, Soul Shattering Saber Old Master Xu!
Both their gazes were locked onto a cage before them.
The cage was entirely silver, crafted from precious profound iron, with chains inside also made of profound iron, locking up a white cat only a foot long.
This white cat had fur silky smooth and shiny, glimring with a subtle sheen, like it had been lacquered.
At the mont, it was glaring fiercely at the two most prestigious individuals of the Xu Family.
Its mouth opened, revealing inside nacingly sharp teeth, making people shudder.
The most distinctive feature was the prominently raised tumors on the back of the white cat.
They were covered with bright red veins, and the whole tumor was jumping about as if it could burst at any mont.
"I heard that beast turmoil signs are erging, and a full outbreak might not be far off. Old Master, are we really going to do this?" The dignified face of Patriarch Xu suddenly displayed a hint of fear, "If discovered by the court that it’s because we captured this beast, triggering an early beast turmoil, the Xu Family will be finished!"
"In the world of martial arts, one’s life is not their own." Old Master Xu showed a trace of helplessness, "You think I want this? If not for soone pressuring us, sigh..."
"What exactly is ng Konghua planning?" Patriarch Xu asked in anger, "He’s already the best in the world, what could he possibly lack?"
If anyone were present and heard the na ’ng Konghua,’ they would certainly be astonished.
He was the top martial artist in Wangjiang County, having entered the Martial Master realm decades ago, arguably the top expert in Wei Kingdom, having defeated leading sect leaders from many top sects in the Central Plains.
Though nowadays he rarely involved himself in martial affairs, stories of his exploits still circulated.
His current level of mastery was unknown, shrouded in great mystery.
"Silence!" Old Master Xu sternly shouted.
His gaze seed to inadvertently glance toward the top of a certain pillar on the right.
Atop the pillar was a hazy shadow, possibly sothing perched on it, or just its natural shadow.
Patriarch Xu’s expression changed, daring not to speak further, though his face still bore an unresolved grievance.
Shortly after they left the basent, the shadow seed to subtly tremble.
...
anwhile.
Recovering most of the scamd silver, coupled with the 100,000 taels borrowed from Lou Yi, the Zhan Family soon cald down this calamity.
And after taking back the 300,000 taels of silver, for so reason, the Xu Family made no further moves, allowing the Zhan Family to finally rest easy.
The Zhan Family returned to normalcy, and Zhan Weida and Lou Yi together returned to the Extre Fist Sect.
As soon as they stepped into the Martial Arts Arena, they recognized a familiar figure.
Hunched over, relying on a cane, starkly contrasting with his forr impressive and invincible deanor, filled with desolation and unwillingness.
Who else could it be but Zhou Yang?
...
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