A thought seed to cross Cheng Zongyang’s mind, and a smile touched the corners of his mouth.
"Interesting. It looks like today wasn’t a total loss after all."
At his side, Li Lu asked in confusion, "What do you an? Is He Shujun trying to cooperate?"
But when he saw Cheng Zongyang continue to eat and drink nonchalantly, he felt a sense of helplessness.
"Brother Cheng, what are you planning to do?"
Cheng Zongyang put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth casually, and said,
"This was all within my expectations, so there’s nothing much to say. At least I was able to probe their attitudes. Now I can act accordingly. Aren’t you eating?"
Li Lu was too preoccupied to eat. He shook his head. "No, thanks. Just tell what you’re planning to do."
Cheng Zongyang said, "In that case, have these dishes sent to the hos of the various Hall Masters. A gift for them. It’s not like anyone else touched the food."
After that, he finally answered the question directly. "You don’t need to do anything. I’ll take care of it. There are still many matters in West City for our people to handle. Just proceed with the established plan. I’ll let you know if anything changes."
Since Cheng Zongyang had said as much, Li Lu didn’t press further. "Alright."
The so-called banquet had turned into a joke.
But Cheng Zongyang didn’t mind. This outco was within his expectations; he had known all along this would happen.
He had even considered the possibility of uglier scenes, perhaps even a full-blown brawl.
In the end, it all ca down to being underestimated because of his age.
If he were his father’s age, especially after what he did to Lu Yan, these people wouldn’t have dared to disrespect him so openly.
’So, when the ti is right, I’ll have to display my strength and show them. Show them whether or not I’m qualified to speak with them!’
After leaving the Restaurant, Cheng Zongyang’s gaze swept over the gaunt pedestrians on the street, his eyes sharp and bright.
He recalled He Shujun’s parting words.
"Since we’re neighbors, it would be perfectly normal to drop by one night, wouldn’t it?"
「On a street heading toward Northwest City Street.」
Lu Yan was no longer in the sa furious state he’d been in at the Restaurant. His son, Lu Wufei, however, still had a grim expression.
Clearly, Cheng Zongyang’s earlier actions had infuriated him.
"Father, why don’t we find a chance to kill them both? He’s only relying on the power of that Treasure Saber, isn’t he? He didn’t have it with him at the Restaurant just now—it was the perfect opportunity. Why did you leave?"
Looking at his own burly son, Lu Yan shook his head slightly. "Wufei, don’t be impulsive. Leaving was simply a way to show the others our stance."
"The only reason everyone is letting that brat run wild is that they haven’t finished investigating the Cheng Family’s origins."
"If they really are just an ordinary family from the Lower Three Grades, then there’s nothing to worry about."
"But if the Cheng Family has deeper connections, they’ll have to be treated differently."
"Then..."
"Don’t worry, it won’t be long," Lu Yan interrupted. "For the past couple of days, I’ve been feeling so discomfort in my chest. It must be my wound acting up. I need a couple of days to recuperate."
"You need to work with our clansn to consolidate our territory. Our turf is close to the West City territory, so don’t start any conflicts yet. Even if it cos to a fight, we must pull the other families in with us. Understand?"
"Yes, Father," Lu Wufei replied.
「Heading toward the East City.」
Inside the Qiu Family’s carriage, Qiu Fengxing frowned at his daughter. "Wan’er," he asked, "why didn’t you want to leave earlier? That conversation was completely aningless."
But Qiu Wan’Er shook her head and replied softly, "Father, if we don’t et him and get a asure of the man, how can we devise a targeted strategy?"
"And did you learn anything?" Qiu Fengxing was well aware of his daughter’s capabilities.
Qiu Wan’Er shook her head slightly. "I noticed a few things, but I can’t be certain. Father, did you notice the shift in his aura when he faced Patriarch Lu?"
Hearing this, Qiu Fengxing thought for a mont, then nodded. "I did. That aura was definitely at the level of the Peak of Grade Seven. Considering his fight with Lu Yan the other night, it’s enough to prove his strength is no less than our own."
Qiu Wan’Er asked, "In a one-on-one fight, could you win?"
Qiu Fengxing showed no displeasure at his daughter’s blunt question. After another mont of thought, his expression grew grim.
"If he had that saber, it would be difficult. Without it, I’d have a decent chance. A fight isn’t just about one’s Realm and strength, but also combat experience. Given his age, he can’t have been in many real fights."
However, Qiu Wan’er’s expression was grave. "Father, you’ve forgotten sothing."
Qiu Fengxing froze. "What?"
"The man-high Stone Stele he was carrying that night." Qiu Wan’Er was very observant.
That night, when she saw Cheng Zongyang appear, he had been carrying a Wordless Stone Stele. She didn’t know why he was carrying it. But for a stele that wasn’t particularly thick to withstand the Power of a Seventh Grade Martial Artist smashing it into the ground, its material couldn’t be ordinary granite or so common stone.
She suspected it was also a weapon.
"A Stone Stele?" Qiu Fengxing frowned. "I’ve heard of using pebbles as hidden weapons. But using a Stone Stele as a weapon? That’s unheard of. Are you sure you aren’t overthinking this?"
He had indeed seen the Stone Stele, but he had just assud it was ant to be a gravestone. Who would pay any mind to a simple stele?
After a mont of thought, Qiu Wan’Er shook her head slightly. "Perhaps I am overthinking it. But he gives a very dangerous feeling. For now, the Qiu Family should not make an enemy of him. As for cooperation, our family will neither take the lead nor will we be left behind."
Qiu Fengxing trusted his daughter’s judgnt. "Agreed. Make sure to tell your younger brother this when we get back. He’s too impulsive."
A knowing smile touched Qiu Wan’Er’s lips as she nodded slightly. "I’ll make sure he understands."
Likewise, in a carriage about thirty ters ahead of the Qiu family’s,
Xu Tieshan was also speaking with his son, Xu Yuandong.
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