Chapter 174: Burning Body, Counterattack

Zhou Laodie's expression was one of shock as he looked at the surrounding relatives and clansmen one by one.

San Shugong, Xiao Wangshu, and others wore expressions of shame and dared not meet his eyes, while the other relatives were mostly indifferent and silent.

With a single sentence, Zhou Laixi cut off Zhou Laodie's eligibility to sign, and anyone else who dared to speak up met the same fate.

At this moment, no one dared to speak up for justice or say a fair word for him.

"What about the matter of being entered into the clan genealogy?"

When Zhou Laodie asked this, he no longer held any hope in his heart.

The other party's answer completely severed his last shred of hope.

"You have no hope in this lifetime, and Zhou You's generation is also unlikely; if you start sincerely working for the clan now, your grandson's generation might have the qualifications to return to the genealogy."

This was absolutely bullying people too far!

Zhou You never expected that even as relatives, no matter how distant the blood relation, they couldn't be more ruthless than strangers, could they?

They used the name of the clan to morally bind his family, extorting money, and not even giving them the slightest bit of status.

Even people who use mules give them a carrot or two! The usually good-tempered Zhou Laodie was trembling with rage; he was benevolent, not stupid, and it was clear they were treating him like a fat pig to be slaughtered.

With this look on Zhou Laixi's face, there was not a shred of concern for family affection left.

"Zhou Laixi, don't you take me for a fool."

In front of his son, Zhou Laodie finally exploded.

The other party was definitely prepared; Zhou Laixi's sons let out cold snorts and stepped forward, surrounding Zhou You and his father in a dark, oppressive circle.

Zhou Laixi's expression changed, "Sanwazi, do you really have no sense of your family's situation?"

"Don't think that handing out small favors can shut everyone's mouths. Do you want me to say in front of the relatives how your son has corrupted the family reputation? Do you dare to agree?"

Zhou You:...

Corrupted the family reputation! Me?

Before Zhou You could even get angry, his father was more agitated than him; you can insult me, but you dare to slander my son.

My son is the best son in the world, obedient, sensible, and capable, a thousand times better than your few dog sons.

"Zhou Laixi, speak clearly. If you don't make it clear, I will risk breaking my legs to invite the Great-Grandfather out to preside over justice."

Zhou Laixi looked confident and triumphant as he paced around in a circle.

"Fine, then I'll say it. Your son is learning boxing at a martial arts school in the city, right?"

"So what if he is?"

Zhou Laixi bowed toward the ancestral tablets, "Our family has our own Family Fist Technique. Instead of learning our own skills, he follows outsiders to learn; that is first and foremost disrespect to the ancestors."

That was quite a heavy label to pin on someone.

Zhou You's gaze held a question, and upon receiving a confirmed answer, there really was a family-transmitted fist technique called the Zhou Family Fist.

A third-rate farming style that only clansmen practiced; outsiders hadn't even heard of it.

Zhou You suddenly realized; no wonder he saw that Zhou Laixi's sons had rough, shallow internal force circulating in their bodies.

"So what? Go to the city and take a look; there are at least eight or ten thousand people who send their children to martial arts schools. The point is that it's close to home."

Zhou Laixi did not dwell on this point.

He walked to one side and asked a vigorous sixty-year-old man to stand up, "Fourth Brother, how did your son die, and how was your grand-nephew Tie Niu injured?"

The old man was tall and thin, with thick, sturdy muscles and bones in his arms; one look and you could tell he practiced both farming and martial arts.

Behind him stood a silent young man with a blank stare, as if his mind wasn't quite right.

Huh? Zhou You took a quick glance and discovered that the left side of the young man's head was sunken, as if struck by some hard object.

The sixty-year-old man was the Fourth Uncle, Zhou Laiwei, whose status in the clan was second only to Zhou Laixi.

Zhou Laixi had money and power, while Zhou Laiwei's family had the best fist technique in the clan and were the best fighters.

Every year when disputes occurred with neighboring villages, such as fighting over lost livestock or grabbing water sources during droughts, the men of Zhou Laiwei's family were always fierce warriors charging at the front. His family had suffered many casualties for the sake of the village and clansmen, and the clansmen held him in high regard.

"It was all because when we were seizing fields, he was beaten to death by a disciple of the Jian Xiong Martial Arts School, and my grandson Tie Niu also had his head kicked in."

Zhou Laiwei snorted heavily, "My skills were inferior, so this old man accepts it."

Hearing the words "Jian Xiong Martial Arts School," Zhou Laodie's heart skipped a beat; it was over.

His son was at the Jian Xiong Martial Arts School; the murderer who beat Zhou Laiwei's son to death and injured his grandson was a fellow disciple!

He immediately grabbed Zhou You's sleeve, "Son, let's go!"

He didn't care about returning to the genealogy or bringing glory to the family anymore; he just wanted to take his son and wife back to the city.

He finally saw through it; all these years of obsession with the family had been for nothing.

The only true home was that small space where the family of three lived in mutual support.

"Don't go. Do you dare tell everyone what your son's martial arts school is called?"

Zhou Laixi and his sons blocked the door, forcing Zhou Laodie to stay.

Zhou Laodie grew desperate and rolled up his sleeves to fight, but heard his son say calmly, "I am learning boxing at the Jian Xiong Martial Arts School."

Wow! Amidst the uproar, Zhou Laixi was triumphant, "Did you all hear that? He calls our enemy brother and learns boxing with him; doesn't that count as corrupting the family reputation?"

After speaking, he bowed to Zhou Laiwei, "Fourth Brother, I've let you suffer a grievance."

Even now he didn't forget to stir up trouble, reminding the other party to be hostile toward Zhou You.

Zhou Laiwei snorted without speaking, then suddenly heard Zhou You ask, "What is the name of the person who struck?"

"He is a fierce-looking martial artist with cruel leg techniques; his nickname is something like the Skull-Cracking Tiger."

That was it; the injury on the young man's head matched.

Zhou You grinned; at this moment, he was filled with a confident radiance.

"To tell you the truth, the reason I returned to my hometown to lay low this time is because I beat a fellow disciple to death at the martial arts school."

"That fellow disciple was named Zhong Shaoying, nicknamed the Skull-Cracking Tiger."

"If you all don't believe me, you can go and ask around!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Laiwei's eyes shot out a sharp light, and he stepped forward to grab Zhou You's arm.

The Qi and Blood vibration transmitted from his palm was clearly the strength of Qi and Blood Stage 1; this Fourth Uncle was truly remarkable!

For a farmer to be able to train to the initial stage of Qi and Blood, it is no wonder he can occupy such a pivotal position in the clan.

Zhou Laiwei was even more astonished as a surge of Qi and Blood fluctuations, far stronger than his own, erupted and sent his palm flying back.

"Qi and Blood 3rd Stage, no, at the very least it's the 4th stage; you are at the middle stage of Qi and Blood."

Zhou You smiled and nodded, cupping his hands in a salute, "Fourth Uncle's fist technique is impressive."

"You flatter me, I am far inferior to you."

Zhou Laiwei and Zhou You exchanged salutes, using the gesture commonly used among martial artists.

In terms of seniority, Zhou You was a generation lower, but in terms of martial arts rank, he was superior to Zhou Laiwei.

Zhou Laiwei beckoned the young man over, "Tie Niu, come quickly and kowtow to your brother, thank him for avenging your father."

Without a word, the young man knelt before Zhou You and kowtowed with loud thuds.

Zhou Laixi watched this scene, his expression turning very poor; his plan had fallen through, and Zhou Laiwei, who was originally meant to deal with Zhou You, had instead received a favor from him, making their relationship closer than ever before.

"Fifth Uncle, since my affairs were just hearsay and groundless, now it is time to talk about your affairs!"

While Zhou Laixi was still deep in thought, Zhou You turned the tables and brought the fire of battle onto him.

(End of chapter)