Chapter 18: The Idea of Forcing the Issue!

Anxi County, East City, Zhang Family Mansion.

Inside a luxuriously furnished, brightly lit study, the air was frozen like the cold of the third nine days of winter.

"Xu'er, you have disappointed me too much!"

A middle-aged man wearing a dark purple brocade robe with floral patterns, with a slightly thin figure and a face that revealed a trace of shrewdness and capability amidst his majesty, stood with his hands behind his back behind a sandalwood desk, his gaze like a tangible blade, scraping across the face of Zhang Xu, who was as pale as paper.

He was the head of the Zhang family, Zhang He, and also Zhang Xu's biological father.

Facing his father's reprimand, Zhang Xu, who was always arrogant and flamboyant in front of outsiders, now hung his head deeply like a frost-bitten eggplant, his teeth clenched, not daring to breathe, let alone argue.

In the Zhang family, the authority of the head of the family, Zhang He, could not be challenged.

"Think about your big brother!"

Zhang He took a step forward, his voice becoming colder:

"His foundation is only medium-superior, a cut below yours! But his will is resilient, he can endure loneliness, he can eat bitterness, and he knocked on the door of the Hidden Force realm in one go! He never made me worry for even half a moment!"

"Your foundation is superior, and I have higher expectations for you, and I have invested more resources in you!"

He stared at Zhang Xu, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's, and continued:

"And you? You possess a superior foundation, gifted by heaven! My expectations for you far exceed those for your big brother, and the resources I have invested have never been lacking in the slightest? But how have you repaid me?!"

Zhang He's voice suddenly rose, the anger contained within like a long-accumulated volcano, finally finding a vent:

"On weekdays, you call friends, linger in wine shops, and chase after wine and women; I just thought you were young and slightly indulgent!"

"But you, in such a major matter as knocking on the door of the Hidden Force realm, which concerns your martial foundation and your future prospects, you were so childish! So vulnerable! You failed?!"

He almost roared the last three words, each one like a heavy whip, lashing at Zhang Xu's already riddled self-esteem.

That mountain-like disappointment and pressure made Zhang Xu almost suffocate, his figure swaying imperceptibly, his already unstable aura becoming even more chaotic.

Zhang Xu's face was frighteningly white, fine cold sweat oozing from his forehead, his lips moving, but he couldn't make any sound, and he could only hang his head lower, almost burying it in his chest.

The huge shame and the pressure from his father made it difficult for him even to breathe.

The air in the room seemed to have frozen, with only Zhang He's slightly heavy breathing due to anger.

For a long time, Zhang He looked deeply at his son, who hung his head and said nothing; that gaze was complex and hard to understand, with anger at his failure to live up to expectations, and perhaps a trace of imperceptible fatigue and helplessness.

He finally let out a long sigh, which sounded particularly heavy in the quiet study.

"Forget it, everything that needed to be said, I have said." Zhang He's tone softened a little, but his majesty remained. "The most important thing right now is for you to recuperate well and make up for the lost vitality. The Zhang family does not lack medicinal herbs; I will have people send you the best supplements. When your Qi and blood recover and your mind is calm, there will be another chance to knock on the door."

He paused, his gaze becoming sharp again, forcing Zhang Xu to look at him: "However, Xu'er, remember, opportunity will not wait for you forever! Next time, you must not disappoint me again! Do you understand?!"

Zhang Xu, like a drowning man grabbing a piece of driftwood, suddenly raised his head, met his father's stern gaze, and said firmly:

"Father! Don't worry! From today on, your son will definitely turn over a new leaf and focus all his thoughts and energy on the martial path!"

"I will practice diligently, and next time I knock on the door of the Hidden Force realm, I will succeed!"

"If I fail again, your son... will have no face to see you again!"

Hearing this guarantee, which carried the meaning of a blood oath, the thick layer of ice on Zhang He's face loosened slightly, and his anger eased a little.

He nodded slightly: "I hope you can do what you say."

Then, he changed the subject, his gaze becoming deep again, carrying a kind of scrutiny and calculation: "By the way, how is your relationship with Liu Qingshi's daughter in the academy recently... have you made any substantial progress?"

"Father, she... she..."

Zhang Xu's face stalled, his eyes dodged, and his tone became stuttering; the cold sweat that had just stopped on his forehead seemed to have come out again.

He really didn't know how to answer.

In the academy, Liu Yiyi had always treated him as if he didn't exist.

On that face, which was as cold as a snow lotus, she had never shown him any expression different from others.

All his deliberate approaches and subtle shows of favor were like mud cows entering the sea, not even stirring up a ripple.

Seeing his son's stuttering and embarrassed appearance, Zhang He understood seven or eight points in his heart.

The softened expression on his face quickly sank again, and the annoyance of hating that iron could not become steel rose in his eyes again.

"I told you repeatedly when I sent you to the Qingshi Martial Arts Academy!"

Zhang He's voice carried suppressed anger again:

"Martial arts training is only one part, and not even the most important one! The most important thing is to take advantage of the fellowship of the same sect to win over Liu Qingshi's daughter! Establish a closer connection with her!"

He walked two steps closer, lowered his voice, but his tone was more heavy and compelling:

"Xu'er, open your eyes and look! The world is becoming less and less peaceful! Disasters are constant everywhere, refugees are like locusts, and all kinds of monsters and demons are emerging!"

"Who knows when Anxi County will become chaotic!"

"Taking advantage of this relationship with Liu Yiyi to win over Liu Qingshi, a Transformation of Force martial artist, is crucial for our Zhang family!"

Zhang Xu heard this and showed a trace of hesitation:

"Father, the world is not very peaceful, and there are some mud-legged people everywhere who can't live and make trouble..."

"But just relying on those mobs of 'bandits,' want to break through the walls of Anxi County? I'm afraid it won't be that easy, right?"

The Zhou Dynasty was already at the end of its dynasty, and there were refugee uprisings everywhere.

And these uprising refugees generally only did things like robbing houses and looting to make a living, so they were called bandits.

Zhang Xu didn't believe these mud-legged people could break through the county town.

"Do you think I'm alarmist?" Zhang He snorted coldly, a trace of anxiety and heaviness flashing in his eyes: "I just got the news that Lushan County was sealed off and under martial law yesterday, and the city is in chaos!"

"What? Those wandering bandits can make Lushan County chaotic and sealed off?"

Zhang Xu raised his head abruptly, his face full of disbelief.

Lushan County was right next to Anxi County; if the turmoil really spread over, wealthy households in the city like their Zhang family would definitely be the first fat sheep to be targeted.

"Relying solely on those mud-legged people, naturally they don't have this ability."

Zhang He's face was so gloomy that it could almost drip water. He leaned close to his son, his voice very low, as if afraid of being heard by some invisible thing, "I heard that behind the chaos in Lushan County... there is likely the shadow of the 'Qisha Sect' active!"

"What?! 'Qisha Sect'..."

Hearing the three words 'Qisha Sect', Zhang He's heart trembled.

In the Zhou Dynasty, the three words 'Qisha Sect' could be said to be notoriously famous, enough to stop children from crying at night!

This sect originated from the previous dynasty and was a real leader of the demonic sect, acting secretly and viciously, believing in proving the Dao through killing. It was once wiped out by the founding emperor of the Zhou Dynasty who led the army himself, and it once disappeared.

However, after the founding emperor passed away, its remnants were like mice in the gutter, quietly reviving in the shadows, continuing to this day.

The most notorious thing about the Qisha Sect was that the cruelty of its members' actions was beyond common sense.

It is said that one of the conditions for joining the 'Qisha Sect' is that one must have at least a thousand human lives on their hands.

This means that the members of the 'Qisha Sect' are all human butchers.

Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty hundreds of years ago, behind several massacres and exterminations that shocked the world, there was almost vaguely the shadow of this demonic sect.

Seeing his son scared to the point of being bloodless, his body trembling slightly, Zhang He's heart also sank, but he forced himself to be calm on the surface and shook his head slightly: "Of course, this news may not be entirely accurate."

"The lair and main forces of the 'Qisha Sect' have always been entrenched in those big prefectures in the north, and they rarely set foot in our south."

"Perhaps... it's just someone using their name to act, bluffing, who knows."

Zhang Xu heard this, and his pale face barely recovered a trace of blood, but the fear in his eyes did not completely dissipate.

"But no matter what, the wind has risen, and the situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse!" Zhang He's tone was decisive and unquestionable.

"Regardless of whether the 'Qisha Sect' is true or false, the sealing of Lushan County is real! The trend of turmoil spreading is real!"

"Who can guarantee whether Anxi County can stay out of it? Under a collapsed nest, are there any whole eggs? How can our Zhang family, which parasitizes this city, sit back and relax?"

He stared into Zhang Xu's eyes, word by word: "So, do you know how crucial it is for me to let you win over Liu Qingshi."

"I... I understand, Father!"

Zhang Xu swallowed heavily, suppressed the chill and panic in his heart, and nodded forcefully, "I will... I will think of another way, no matter what, I must get close to Liu Yiyi."

"Xu'er..." Zhang He suddenly interrupted him, his eyes becoming deep and hard to understand, and his tone carried a trace of indescribable meaning, as if he were teaching some experience that could not be told to outsiders, and said softly:

"Actually, this matter between men and women... sometimes, it doesn't all depend on mutual consent and things falling into place. In extraordinary times, perhaps one can use some... extraordinary means."

He paused, as if recalling something, his voice drifting: "When I was pursuing your mother back then, she was also full of refusals at first, treating me as if I didn't exist. Later... your father used a little... small schemes and means."

"Look, aren't your mother and I now respectful and loving?"

Zhang Xu was stunned at first, and then it was as if a lightning bolt split the fog.

His eyes suddenly lit up, flashing with a light mixed with realization and a kind of dark excitement, his voice trembling slightly with excitement:

"Father, you mean... let me... let me force the issue..."

"Go back yourself and think about it carefully."

Zhang He didn't let him finish the unbearable words, but had already turned around, with his back to him, waving his hand, his tone returning to his usual majesty and alienation, as if the highly suggestive words just now had never been said.