Chapter 89: Defending the Zhu Family's Castle

  Dingcheng, with its beautiful scenery, is nestled between mountains and the sea. As a transportation hub, it is accessible from all directions by waterway. The city is bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares. Countless wine houses, brothels, gambling dens, and even some secular martial arts schools can be seen here, presenting a completely worldly scene.

  But don't be fooled by the scenery in front of you, there are also several big families settled here, and the Zhu family is one of them. The courtyard of the Zhu family's mansion was filled with bursts of mocking laughter.

  "Zhu Shaogun, you still have the face to come back. In your Danxuan Gate, someone actually slapped you in the face and even knocked you out cold. Look at you now, several of your teeth are gone too. You've really brought shame to our family. Although our Zhu family may not be a top-notch clan, we're at least second-rate. Even the master of Danxuan Gate wouldn't dare slap us in the face directly. But you, on the other hand, got slapped so hard that your entire face is swollen. You've lost all dignity for our whole family. Do you still have the face to come back and ask for help?" a young man around Zhu Shaogun's age sneered.

  "Alright, Zhu Shaoyi, no matter how Zhu Shaoqun was beaten this time, it has affected the reputation of our family. This is a matter of face for our family, not just slapping one person in the face, but slapping the entire family's face. Tell me, what exactly happened? How did you provoke Chen Xuan?" an elderly man said.

  Zhu Shaogroup, who was standing at the bottom, still had a bruise on his face now, and it's unknown how severe Chen Xuan's slap was. Just looking at the right side of his face, which has collapsed in one piece, the teeth inside should have been knocked out.

  "Master, it's like this. Chen Xuan is a person who looks down on others and insulted our family, saying that we disciples are only able to cultivate well because of our family background, otherwise none of us would be as good as him. He also said that our family relies on other big families or sects to survive, and even said some unpleasant words about our family. In the end, I had no choice but to take action against him, which led to this situation."

  Zhu Shaogun didn't reveal the true situation of that day, "This time I'm back, I'll make our family produce a True Martial Realm disciple, and I'll chop Chen Xuan into pieces."

  If I tell the truth, the family probably won't agree to send a true martial artist disciple to take action, and it's even possible that I'll be punished myself. To save face, I have no choice but to lie. This Chen Xuan has made me lose all face in the sect, I must personally kill him. After answering the master of the house's question, Zhu Shaogroup thought to himself;

  "If this is as you said, then Chen Xuan is indeed despicable, daring to be so presumptuous towards our family. This time, the Zhu family will not be insulted so easily. You did the right thing, and we must strike back with all our might at any rumors or slander that harm our family. Although you were beaten by Chen Xuan this time, go back first, I'll send someone to handle this matter," said the master of the Zhu household.

  "Thank you, Master, for standing up for me. This time I will definitely work hard to cultivate and strive to break through the True Martial Realm as soon as possible. At that time, our family's strength will rise again, and at that time, our Zhu family in Dingcheng will also surpass the other two families and become the number one family in Dingcheng," said Zhu Shaoguo with a flattering tone.

  "Master of the house, do you really believe what Zhu Shaoyuan said is true? Is it possible that he provoked someone from another school who shouldn't be messed with and got slapped in the face? If he indeed provoked an enemy we can't handle outside, it may bring danger to our family. I think it's best to investigate this matter clearly first. If what Zhu Shaoyuan said is true, then it's not unreasonable for our family to send someone to take care of that kid. But if it's not the case, won't we become a laughing stock? We can't beat him so we're asking you to intervene. For now, we don't know if Chen Xuan has any powerful backers. If there are people more formidable than us behind him, won't our Zhu family be in danger? Please think thrice, master of the house," said Zhu Shaojie, who had been mocking Zhu Shaoyuan all along.

  "Uh, the master of the house thought for a moment, what you said makes sense too. We can't act blindly. This matter still needs to be carefully considered. If there's someone powerful backing Chen Xuan, it could bring devastating consequences to our entire family. Zhu Shaogroup, I hope what you're saying is true. Once I find out even a hint of concealment, you'll know how I'll punish you."

  "What's the background of Chen Xuan you're talking about, how did he end up at Dan Xuan Gate?"

  The homeowner calmed down after listening to Zhu Shao's words, earlier when Zhu Shaoyou said that someone had slandered his family and was in a fit of anger, he blindly agreed to go with Zhu Shaoyou to deal with Chen Xuan. If Zhu Shaoyou lied, it would be pointless to create an enemy for the family.

  "Going back to the main topic, I've thoroughly investigated Chen Xuan's background. His family doesn't have any impressive history; he was brought back from a very small place as one of our Danxuan Sect's disciples. The strongest person in his family is his grandfather, who is only at mid-stage Spirit Martial Arts. Everyone else has an acquired cultivation base, so we don't need to worry about him having some deep and mysterious background," said Zhu Shaogroup.

  "This young man is not simple, in such a poor place, he can have such fast cultivation qualifications, it's also a rare talent that doesn't come out for thousands of years. It's hard for him to cultivate to this level by himself alone, either someone is secretly helping him or he might have obtained some ancient mysterious encounter and got countless cultivation resources. Normally speaking, with his current strength, even if there was treasure, it would be difficult for him to take it out. What exactly happened, we must thoroughly investigate this matter, just in case." The family head said:

  "The master is wise, Zhu Shao-Yi replied at this time, I think it's best for me to investigate this matter, what do you think, Master?"

  "Zhū Shàoyì, this is none of your business, the master has his own arrangements. You'd best roll back to Taiyi Gate!" Zhū Shàoqún shouted angrily.

  "It's none of your business whether I go back or not, you're a proud Half-Step True Martial artist who got beaten by a mid-stage Spiritual Martial kid and lost half your teeth, do you still have the face to shout at me? You're truly shameless. If I were you, it would be better to go kill yourself or find a secluded place to cry. And yet you still have the nerve to ask for help from the family, you're really pathetic."

  "Zhu Shaoyi, you think you have the ability to compare with me? You're just talking big, in the family, you don't even count as a true direct descendant. What qualifications do you have to criticize me? I'm also fighting for the honor of the family, that's why I'm dealing with Chen Xuan. I'm seeking help from the family, just to let this Chen Xuan know, our Zhu family is powerful, and we can easily send a True Martial Realm disciple to kill him thousands of times," said Zhu Shaoyi.

  "After all, it's you who is being beaten now, so you can say whatever you want. Master of the house, I hope you can send me to investigate this matter. If it really turns out to be like what Shaogroup said, then even if Master finds someone to deal with Chen Xuan later, it won't be too late. What do you think, Master?"

  "This matter I have my own opinion, you two stop arguing, you two have been fighting since childhood, and now it's still the same. A family must unite to be strong, if everyone is like you, quarreling every day, where will the family's cohesion be? You both go down, this matter will end here for now, I'll send someone to handle it," said the head of the household.

  "The master of the house, we will all withdraw," after finishing speaking, both of them went out.

  "Someone's coming," Master Zhu shouted, and an old man ran in from outside. "What orders do you have for me, master?" the old man asked.

  "Sun Lao, you personally go to Dan Xuan Gate and ask some disciples about the ins and outs of this matter. I think Zhu Shaoqun hasn't told the whole truth, and that young man Chen Xuan is not simple either. He's already able to defeat a half-step True Martial at less than 17 years old, and if he really grows up, he'll be a figure to be reckoned with. If we take on his vendetta, I'm afraid it will be unfavorable for our family. For a second-rate family like ours in the Tianling Continent, there are almost daily threats of extinction, and new families emerge every day. I don't want my family to offend anyone, but if someone threatens us, I think we should resist to the death. To ensure our family's long-term survival, we need to make contact with powerful forces instead of taking on vendettas everywhere. This time, you must investigate the matter clearly," said the Patriarch.

  "I'm the master of the house, I'll go now. Tomorrow is the day of the Danxuan Gate's grand competition, and the management of the sect will definitely be relaxed too. At that time, I'll find an inner disciple to ask and I'll know," said the old man.

  "Alright, you can go," said the host, and the old man withdrew.