My Father Said...

Inside the great hall, Zhu Tiandao wrapped everything up with total ease. He who has no desires is upright and unyielding! I am not begging you for anything, so what can you do to me? Just then, King Dahan seemed to recall something and said slowly, "Does that Su Yu... possess a relic site?" Zhu Tiandao frowned. Even an Invincible has his eye on it now? In the next moment, King Dahan gave a soft chuckle. "Tiandao, do not overthink it. I am merely reminding you that he has become rather conspicuous. By now, the myriad realms likely know he holds an Invincible relic site. Have him interact less with Xia Longwu..." At those words, Chief Hu's expression shifted slightly. Zhu Tiandao grew thoughtful as well and nodded. "That makes sense!" King Dahan sighed. "In fact, even if they do not interact... the greater his renown grows, the more trouble it invites. If that relic site can allow one to attain the Dao, then for many people, certain arrangements would be ruined..." He glanced around the hall and said calmly, "Xia Longwu—I know many people are waiting! Waiting for him to go to the All-Heavens Battlefield, waiting for him to slay an Invincible. However, stop stirring up trouble. Tossing and turning around, there is no need for it. "As for Su Yu's side..." He looked toward the crowd again, his voice rather detached. "Even if someone truly kills him, it will not be of much use. If he has long since disclosed the location of the relic site to someone else—to Xia Longwu, for instance, or to Zhu Tiandao—what good does killing him do? What could it prevent?" Several people paled. Others found it somewhat difficult to believe. The old man who had spoken earlier said directly, "King Dahan, do you mean someone wants to kill Su Yu to deny him the chance to pass the relic site to another, to prevent someone from attaining the Dao?" He did not know Su Yu. Yet having listened across several discussions, he broadly understood the gist: a peerless genius of the human race who also appeared to have inherited the relic site of an Invincible. And now, someone wanted to kill him. As for the motive, it was simple: to deny Xia Longwu the chance to attain the Dao in secret. Everyone needed Xia Longwu to attain the Dao out in the open, upon the All-Heavens Battlefield! King Dahan said placidly, "Perhaps! The myriad races probably share that goal as well. That is why more and more moves are directed at Su Yu. This young man... I find it hard to pass judgment on whether he is right or wrong. He made cultivation methods public and slew enemies, which benefits the human race. Yet by continuously making methods public, revealing that he holds a relic site, he has also stirred apprehension in many." After a pause, King Dahan added, "The myriad races will never abandon their desire to kill him, while we... can do only so much. Within the Human Realm, we shall do our utmost to keep him safe—or let him come to the Quest Realm, and I shall guarantee his safety!" Just as Zhu Tiandao was about to speak, King Dahan said calmly, "Tiandao, you understand certain realities as well. If he does not come to the Quest Realm, it is difficult for us to keep our eyes on that side at all times. Everyone has duties; it is impossible to have an Eternal constantly protect a single young man." Zhu Tiandao nodded and considered it. "What King Dahan says is entirely reasonable! However, safety is still guaranteed within my Great Ming Prefecture. As for the relic site..." Zhu Tiandao pondered and said, "Actually, Xia Longwu took it away long ago. How about we announce it to the myriad realms so anyone who wants to kill someone can go kill Xia Longwu directly? That slaughter fiend isn't afraid anyway..." Chief Hu rolled his eyes furiously! Damn it, show some decency as a human being! You have the nerve to utter such words? Zhu Tiandao did not care in the slightest. To put it bluntly, if Xia Longwu did not leave the Human Realm, who could kill him? Once he left the Human Realm, everyone would want to kill him anyway. What difference did it make? That slaughter fiend probably didn't care about such things either. He might even wish for an Invincible to assassinate him in secret—perhaps he could even bait out an Invincible to slaughter. At that, Zhu Tiandao added, "Even if Su Yu hasn't told Xia Longwu yet, once I return, I'll have Su Yu tell him where the relic site is. Once it's out in the open, if you wish to stop Xia Longwu from attaining the Dao, go make trouble for Xia Longwu..." At those words, someone said in a faint voice, "Manor Lord Zhu, a slip of the tongue once can be excused! It is not us who wish to obstruct Manor Lord Xia, but the myriad races. Manor Lord, must you insist on setting us against Manor Lord Xia time and again?" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "No such intent! Don't misunderstand, everyone! I had no such intention at all. In any case, it has nothing to do with me!" With that, he smiled again. "That fellow Xia Longwu is a slaughter fiend with a foul temper. In my view, the failure rate of his Dao attainment is ninety percent. Now there is still a ten percent chance, so stop stirring things up. If you truly push him over the edge... do you really think he is determined to attain the Dao no matter what? If driven too far, what if he simply chooses not to attain the Dao at all? In one stroke, all the scheming goes up in smoke, doesn't it?" He laughed cheerfully. "Certain people are still banking on this opportunity to reap benefits for themselves! If you push him to the brink right now, or if in the end he runs off to attain the Dao in some small realm... then you're all thoroughly done for!" Zhu Tiandao chortled loudly. "Qin Zhen, the Zhou brothers, the eldest of the Yuan family, the eldest of the Liu family... plenty of people are waiting. This opportunity likely comes only once. Stop this mess. It looks disgraceful! Put in his shoes, even I wouldn't bear it, let alone a slaughter fiend like Xia Longwu. You had all better keep a tight rein on your own people! Some of you should also wise up and not foot the bill for other people's blunders... If that slaughter fiend is pushed to the absolute extreme, hehe... just you wait and see!" Silence fell. King Dahan glanced at Zhu Tiandao, smiled faintly, and spoke: "Then let it be. As for the Xia family..." He looked toward Chief Hu and smiled mildly. "Little Hu, do you have anything to say?" Chief Hu replied with a smile, "Nothing. Neither the Manor Lord nor the Marquis has anything to say. Everything is for the greater good." King Dahan fell silent. Over on the other side, King Miecan said nothing either. Having nothing to say was what was truly terrifying! Someone like Zhu Tiandao, who fought tooth and nail and babbled on without end, still intended to get along within the Human Realm. But those who kept silent and bottled things up wouldn't stay bottled up forever. In the end, it might lead to massive chaos! The Xia family had nothing to say! Even King Daxia had remained uncharacteristically quiet on the All-Heavens Battlefield lately. Xia Longwu attaining the Dao... had already become an obsession for the Xia family. Whether it succeeded or failed, tremendous upheaval might follow. King Dahan had a headache as well. In truth, if Chief Hu had spoken up just now, he could have ordered Yuan Qingdong of the Yuan family to leave the Great Xia Prefecture. But in the end... there was nothing. The Xia family had no objections! The fewer objections they voiced, the more troublesome it was. Seeing this, Zhu Tiandao refrained from speaking further. It had nothing to do with him; he wouldn't meddle. Over on the Xia family's side, this attitude sent a chill down one's spine. Even the slaughter fiend Xia Longwu voiced no objections this time—weren't they frightened? Among the Eight Great Families, several family heads remained silent as well. King Dahan dropped the subject and sighed inwardly, soon saying, "Since that is the case, the Great Ming Prefecture's crisis can be considered resolved, correct? Tiandao, do you have anything else to say?" Zhu Tiandao nodded. "One last thing. It's not a major matter, just a private one. The Quest Realm has several Invincible manuscripts; could a few be gifted to Su Yu?" He said with a beam, "Just a trifle! Ordinary manuscripts will do! Su Yu's Quest Realm rewards, including the chance for body forging, will be provided by the Great Ming Prefecture, so there's no need to trouble you all to cut into your own flesh. How about each of the Eight Great Families contributes one Invincible manuscript, and then grant an extra thirty to fifty as a bonus? These things aren't worth much anyway; an Invincible can just casually scribble them down..." Silence! You have enormous nerve! King Dahan was quiet for a moment. Among the Eight Great Families, a family head said in a deep voice, "Invincible manuscripts are not to be shared outside!" Invincible manuscripts contained the insights of Invincibles. Such things were generally never passed to outsiders. Zhu Tiandao considered it and nodded. "Fine, then! The Primordial Spirit Cultural Art is considerably stronger than the Myriad Characters Scripture. The Myriad Characters Scripture can be exchanged for two body-forging opportunities, so the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art should be worth at least four, right? For the next four years, our Great Ming Prefecture will send one person each year to forge their body. Oh, right, the Great Ming Prefecture will also exchange fifty years of quota for one chance—make it five chances in total! For the next five years, people from the Great Ming Prefecture must come to forge their bodies. That works, doesn't it?" "..." Yawning, Zhu Tiandao said, "Then it's settled. Don't try telling me the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art is inferior to the Myriad Characters Scripture. If you say that... it won't be funny, and you'll be treating all Civilization Masters under the heavens like fools! All five years belong to our Zhu family!" The head of the Yuan family frowned slightly. "Does the Great Ming Prefecture even have five people in need of body forging?" This was a privilege reserved for top-tier geniuses! Zhu Tiandao nodded. "Even between my grandsons and granddaughters, two already need it. The Great Ming Prefecture has too many geniuses. Never mind five, even five hundred wouldn't be enough..." He smiled. "They are all supreme geniuses, rest assured. Once their bodies are successfully forged, any one of them could take on five Huang Tengs or five Qin Fangs." As for whether they actually could... then so what if they couldn't? Everyone was speechless. King Dahan chuckled softly. "A copy of my manuscript can be given to you... As for the others..." He looked toward the heads of the Eight Great Families. Would they give the Zhu family five consecutive years of body-forging opportunities, or give up manuscripts? Choose for yourselves! Zhu Tiandao was thoroughly at ease, in no rush whatsoever. Give whichever you please! Either was fine! The head of the Yuan family remained somewhat unwilling and spoke once more: "We can provide other rewards, including Heaven Yuan Fruits..." "Oh, Heaven Yuan Fruits? Will you give a hundred?" Zhu Tiandao smiled. "That works too, otherwise... they're of little use. You saw earlier that with a casual setup, I burned through more than ten Heaven Yuan Fruits. We do not lack them. To speak the honest truth, my Great Ming Prefecture has whole bunches of them. Years ago, my father secretly chopped down a Heaven Yuan Tree from the God Realm and brought it back. Didn't you know?" "..." Get lost! Who are you trying to fool! Zhu Tiandao grew impatient. "Don't drag your feet! If you keep stalling, the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art won't be shared. Prices will be doubled for all other prefectures! It's all thanks to the Eight Great Families. Why bother promoting a newly created cultivation art if there's no reward? Did you truly think we cared about that petty sum of money?" He was growing testy. Over on the other side, King Miecan chuckled and said, "Tiandao, why not license the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art to the War God Hall? I guarantee you'll receive ample benefits." Zhu Tiandao smiled. "Never mind. Once the Primordial Spirit Kaiyuan Art is released, if the results are good, I hope King Miecan will supervise the War God Hall's side a bit as well. No benefits were granted for the aperture fusion method." King Miecan did not mind, saying casually, "Weren't benefits just granted moments ago?" "..." Fine then! Too lazy to debate this further, Zhu Tiandao asked no more. He stood up from his throne and said with a smile, "Then that is that. Starting this year, I will arrange for people to seal off the Heaven Yuan Realm. In any case, Heaven Yuan Fruits are harvested once every nine years, and they were just harvested last year. Sealing it for five years won't be much of an issue!" Right at that moment, one of the family heads of the Eight Great Families sighed and spoke: "We can provide them. One copy per family, which, together with the copy from Lord King Dahan, will provide nine Invincible manuscripts for Su Yu..." "Let's round it up!" Zhu Tiandao beamed. "Since the Eight Great Families have contributed, the public treasury can provide one to make it ten. It's such a trivial matter; there's no need for a group of prominent figures like us to bicker over this as if we're in a vegetable market." A trivial matter? Were manuscripts from Invincibles so worthless? Too tired to argue with him, several people acquiesced in silence, saying nothing more. Ten Invincible manuscripts! This was the reward for the Primordial Spirit Cultural Art. If he hadn't asked, naturally no one would have offered; but once he demanded them, they could not refuse. Especially at a time like this! King Dahan and King Miecan were watching, as were the crowd from the War God Hall. In truth, the Eight Great Families felt deeply aggrieved as well. Whenever trouble arose in the Great Ming Prefecture, Zhu Tiandao would run off to lodge complaints with flying speed. The Great Ming Prefecture fell under the jurisdiction of the Quest Realm, so naturally they were the ones who suffered. When trouble occurred in the Great Xia Prefecture, one never saw the Xia family running to the War God Hall to lodge complaints. As a result, all the grief fell upon them. Zhu Tiandao, what a petty scoundrel! What shameless gall! Zhu Tiandao did not care in the least, smiling as he said, "Then have each family take them out right now. I'll take them back with me on the way, saving you all the trouble of delivering them! The matter is satisfactorily resolved, which is good for everyone. As I said, a minor matter—no need to make a fuss!" Who was the one making a fuss? Everyone was speechless! Today, every single word had been monopolized by you alone! Several family heads spoke no further and retrieved their manuscripts one after another, sending them flying toward Zhu Tiandao. In the hall, several Shanhai experts looked on with envious, covetous eyes. King Dahan smiled faintly and casually tossed over a manuscript as well. Zhu Tiandao tapped his forehead as if suddenly recalling something, turning around with a smile. "Lord King Miecan, Su Yu counts as half a disciple of yours. Could you write an insight manuscript on Time for me to take back?" King Miecan was slightly taken aback. It's really him? At that moment, throughout the grand hall, the Sun Moon and Shanhai experts on both sides were quite astonished. Time? King Dahan was somewhat surprised as well, looking toward King Miecan. A disciple picked up on the cheap? Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Half a student is still a student. Of course, if King Miecan has no interest in acknowledging this disciple, it's no big deal. That Su Yu has a proud temperament as well, and might not even be willing... Cough, cough, pardon me, slip of the tongue! Please don't take offense, King Miecan!" King Miecan smiled faintly, saying with teasing amusement, "Little Fatty..." "..." The hall fell quiet for an instant, and Zhu Tiandao's face twitched. King Miecan cleared his throat—a slip of the tongue! This was a formal audience, not a private setting. It was inappropriate to address a manor lord that way, though it wouldn't have mattered in private. King Miecan knew it had been a slip of the tongue as well and immediately dropped the subject, smiling. "Su Yu inherited Time? That is rather interesting! Very well, then I shall gift him a manuscript of insights—some supplementary notes I've made over the years as well... I hope he does not bring shame to this martial art of mine!" With that, he tossed out a book. Zhu Tiandao caught it, ignoring the "Little Fatty" remark. If my cultivation weren't inferior to yours, do you believe I wouldn't instantly bring up how you had to be dragged out of a certain place back then? King Miecan sensed something vaguely and shot him a half-smiling glance. Feeling slightly guilty, Zhu Tiandao avoided his gaze. Time to run! Everything that needed doing was done. Why hang around here instead of running? This trip had yielded quite a harvest! At the end, he had even borrowed a tiger's banner: Su Yu was King Miecan's disciple, and King Daming was shielding him as well. That meant two Invincibles in one breath—everyone had better think twice! As for whether King Miecan truly acknowledged him, that was his own business. How could anyone know he wouldn't? A massive haul! Time to take his leave! Just as he was about to bid farewell, King Dahan spoke calmly: "The items have been given, and the pledges made. The ant infestation within the Twin Sages Prefecture should settle down as well! Everyone, calm down. Coming to the rear is meant to give us a few days of rest, not to deal with this foul nonsense! The front lines are not as peaceful as you imagine. The ancestors of both the Primordial God Race and the Primordial Demon Race show signs of emerging from seclusion. Must you throw the Human Realm into discord before you are satisfied?" Hearing this, King Miecan also remarked calmly, "That is indeed true. Not only them, but Eternals of the other races have also been stirring restlessly of late! Those of the Civilization Master faction, quiet down. We are easy to talk to, but someone else is not. If you truly provoke King Daqin into returning... Gentlemen, we bear in mind our sentiments toward old friends and find it difficult to speak out or take action. But that man... you had best consider it carefully yourselves. On the battlefield, it wouldn't be the first time he slapped his own Sun Moon experts to death!" We are softhearted folks burdened with too many considerations. Someone else is not! Stop recklessly creating chaos. If King Daqin is truly provoked into returning from the battlefield... he won't care whether you are descendants of Invincibles or not; killing you is just killing you. If he returns, the sky will fall! At those words, everyone was shaken once more. Zhu Tiandao grinned. But just as he cracked a smile, King Miecan said calmly, "If he truly returns and sees ant infestations all over the Twin Sages Prefecture, he won't be easy to speak with either." Silence. Zhu Tiandao felt awkward. He feared King Daqin as well; in truth, few people didn't. King Daqin might not be able to unify the world and suppress all Invincibles, but suppressing one or two was more than enough. If you enraged him, the Invincible backing your family might not dare to stand up for you. "Understood! Our Great Ming Prefecture will resolve the ant infestation as quickly as possible!" Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Very soon! The matters have all been discussed, and there are still some troubles back in the Great Ming Prefecture that need handling. Our losses this time were too catastrophic; I must return to oversee the reconstruction of the Great Ming Prefecture. Lords, fellow colleagues, Zhu takes his leave!" Tossing out those words, he turned and walked away. I'm not playing with you all anymore! Once he had hurriedly fled, King Miecan laughed. "This fellow... Little Song, how were the Great Ming Prefecture's losses?" A Sun Moon expert from the Great Song Prefecture, who had accompanied Zhu Tiandao here, was just preparing to slip away when he heard the question, feeling instantly embarrassed. You didn't know? I thought someone had already sent word! Yet when questioned by an Invincible, he didn't dare remain silent. He said awkwardly, "Well... the losses... the losses were... rather heavy..." "Rather heavy?" "It's just that... a teleportation gate was broken... and then... nine people died..." "Sun Moon experts?" King Miecan was slightly startled. The ones who died were Sun Moon experts? "No... Cough, cough, they were... ordinary commoners. The strongest among them... had reached the Wanshi Realm..." "..." The entire great hall fell frighteningly quiet. The experts on both sides were struck by an appalling silence. Nine people died! The Great Ming Prefecture is on the verge of destruction! He had to rush back to oversee the reconstruction of the Great Ming Prefecture?! Right at that moment, Zhu Tiandao's roar echoed from outside: "Thirty thousand Quest warriors, you'll do! Follow me back to the Great Ming Prefecture to garrison it! Quick, hurry, get moving! "Hurry up!" "..." Inside the hall, someone couldn't hold back and muttered in a low voice, "This... are thirty thousand warriors truly to be sent to the Great Ming Prefecture?" Damn it! Nine people died, and you claimed the Great Ming Prefecture was fraught with peril and on the brink of collapse! Granted, everyone knew Zhu Tiandao was full of nonsense, but considering they had eliminated nine Sun Moons and over a dozen Shanhais, it seemed normal that one or two Sun Moons might have fallen. When the Song family's Sun Moon said nine people died, they assumed experts had perished. In the end... you tell us they were all commoners, with the strongest merely in the Wanshi Realm?! Absolute silence! In the next moment, King Dahan rose, stepped down from the high dais, and said calmly, "Disperse! Furthermore... I hope someone takes my words to heart! After all, I am not the master of the Quest Realm and do not wish to meddle or intervene in these matters. However... time and again, if trouble is stirred during my seclusion once more, do not blame me for showing no regard for past ties when I emerge!" With those words, his figure flickered and vanished on the spot. Meanwhile, King Miecan chuckled and said, "What a mess. I can't be bothered with you all. Little Hu, take fifty thousand warriors back to the Great Xia Prefecture later. Don't forget, resources in the War God Hall have been a bit tight lately as well. Just right—take them back and feed them!" Leaving those words behind, he too vanished in an instant, and the War God Hall disappeared from everyone's sight. Chief Hu's expression shifted through several shades! Do I... take them or not? Just as he was pondering, King Miecan's voice drifted over once more: "Not just anyone can command the warriors. Since King Dahan said they are granted only upon slaying nine Sun Moons, then so it is. No stepping out of line in private to disrupt proper decorum!" He had departed completely. Chief Hu's face turned purple. Fifty thousand warriors meant an expenditure of over ten million merit points a year. I'm ruined! The Great Xia Prefecture's current intention was to reduce warfare! Could all fifty thousand warriors be marched out to battle the All-Races Cult? Otherwise, keeping them would just mean feeding idle mouths. Yet if they went out to fight the All-Races Cult, what would the Dragon Martial Guards do? "..." Chief Hu wore a crestfallen face. Why did I have to open my big mouth! Going back this time, I'm afraid I'll have to bleed profusely! ... Outside, Zhu Tiandao couldn't care less about any of that, swiftly assembling thirty thousand Quest warriors! These warriors were all in the Tengkong Realm. Naturally, among the thirty thousand, there were a rare few in the Lingyun Realm, as well as three who had just entered the Shanhai Realm. Their strength wasn't weak, though calling them exceptionally powerful would be an overstatement. The main issue was their limited potential! Most had been nurtured through specialized medicinal herbs, pills, and unorthodox methods. Zhu Tiandao didn't care about that. Thirty thousand men, all in the Tengkong Realm—even if individually weak, in a real battle they could easily crush elite legions in the Wanshi Realm. Spending money to maintain troops was no big deal! "Depart! Back to the prefecture!" Zhu Tiandao shouted, and the golden dragon soared into the air. Looking back, the two grand halls were parting, and the Invincibles had already departed. He chuckled, then suddenly raised his middle finger toward several people who had just stepped out of the hall, mouthing silently, "If you motherfuckers dare make trouble in my Great Ming Prefecture again, I'll mess with you until you wish you were dead!" "..." The experts who had just emerged all blanched slightly. Zhu Tiandao burst into hearty laughter. "Give Old He my regards! A broken leg is no big deal. The next time he comes to the Great Ming Prefecture, I'll host a welcoming banquet for him! The Great Ming Civilization Academy is still missing a vice principal—anyone can come, you're welcome anytime! "Hahaha!" With a booming laugh, the golden dragon soared away into the sky! "Today is such a happy day, oh today is such a happy day!" "Ninth stage of the Sun Moon Realm—how wonderful! Being an Invincible is far too lonely. Pity that Xia Longwu, insisting on attaining some Invincible Dao. If it were me, I'd slaughter them until they pissed their pants, what pure bliss!" "..." Zhu Tiandao's laughter, singing, and smug boasting drifted back continuously. I'm not attaining the Invincible Dao! No one can manipulate me! Whoever tries to manipulate me, I'll take you down first. Inside the hall, an old man smiled and sighed with emotion. "Since when did the inability to attain the Invincible Dao become an asset? Alas!" Pitiable and lamentable. Meanwhile, outside the hall, at the foot of the ninety-nine steps, a chubby middle-aged man was building a house. Seeing people look at him, he raised his head, bared his teeth in an honest, simple grin, and said, "My father said to build a house here, and strike the Ascending Dragon Drum whenever something happens. Please look after me in the future, everyone. I plan to plant a few mu of small fields here with vegetables and melons. If you like them, you're all welcome to join me for a bite." Outside the gates of the Quest Realm, beneath the Quest Hall, right before the sacred grounds... his Zhu family was going to guard the Ascending Dragon Drum right here, and even farm the land! Someone finally couldn't hold back and cursed under their breath, "An insult to gentility!" At the foot of the steps, Zhu Tiandao's eldest son bared his teeth with a goofy smile. "My grandfather used to be a farmer too; he wasn't genteel either. I'll help you scold him, Lord! When he returns, I'll scold him for insulting gentility. For a man like that to be King Daming is an utter embarrassment..." "..." Damn it! Everyone cursed inwardly—what an incorrigible rascal! Not a single one from the Zhu family was anything good. Zhu Tiandao's eldest son didn't stop there, grinning foolishly. "By the way, my father said I might be stationed permanently in the Quest Realm from now on. If I am stationed here, my branch will have to take root here. Let's discuss which plot of land you can allocate to me. Also, see what position I might take up. If nothing else works, I can look after the Ascending Dragon Drum. Furthermore, the council of the Eight Great Families ought to become Nine Great Families now. With our Zhu family here, we should at least have a seat..." The chubby middle-aged man babbled on, "The Quest Realm still has two hundred and seventy thousand warriors. If I serve as one of the leaders of the Nine Great Families, I can mobilize thirty thousand men, so you'll have to arrange that for me later. Oh, and presiding over the Quest Realm means getting an extra Heaven Yuan Fruit every nine years; you must give that to me. My branch has it too rough—my father didn't give me much starting capital. "Those thirty thousand warriors have nothing to do anyway, so arrange for them to come clear wasteland and farm. Food is the paramount necessity of the people; farming can bring wealth too!" The chubby middle-aged man beamed brightly, seemingly calculating how much harvest thirty thousand men could yield from farming. On the steps, a Sun Moon expert frowned slightly. "Zhu Guangshen, are you serious, or are you joking?" The fat man looked up and chuckled. "I'm not joking! Of course I'm serious! The Zhu family... has to participate! We have to meddle! We have to fight for power and profit! My father also said that I am a shit-stirrer. From now on, whenever you hold meetings and make decisions, you must invite me! If you don't invite me, I'll strike the Ascending Dragon Drum! Every decision, every resolution must be known to me! If you don't tell me, I'll strike the Ascending Dragon Drum as well! "My father also said that some people refuse face when it is given and think our Zhu family is easy to bully, so we have to slap their faces every single day! "My father also said that kind people get bullied just as gentle horses get ridden! "My father also said that the Zhu family consists of unrefined folks; at crucial moments, we just draw our blades and hack their granddaddy! Don't be afraid—if we win, we eat meat; if we lose, my grandfather will lead us in running away! "My father also said, who gives a damn about Eight Great Families or Nine Great Families? As long as our Zhu family is well fed, that's enough. If we don't get our fill, we grab our weapons, turn hostile, and fight! "My father said again that one shouldn't be too shameless, for shameless people come to bad ends; instead, one must have thick skin. Face is a bastard thing, utterly useless. Without face and without attaining the Dao, one can beat up whoever one pleases... "My father also said it was a good thing my eldest uncle died. If he hadn't died and had to attain the Dao, the Zhu family would have to grovel like grandsons! "My father..." "..." In all directions, experts stood in a daze. The Great Ming Prefecture... a den of incorrigible rascals... which bastard had gone and provoked the Great Ming Prefecture?! They had strength, they had status, and their thick-skinned shamelessness knew no bounds—and you went and provoked them? Are you out of your minds?! At the foot of the steps, Zhu Guangshen hummed a little tune and continued building his house, leisurely and carefree, singing little ditties. Beside the Ascending Dragon Drum, several Shanhai guards had stiffened expressions! From now on... are you really staying here? From now on, are we truly going to be neighbors? To hell with this guarding duty; I quit! Several men felt aggrieved and indignant. They were done; this was unworkable—it would infuriate a person to death. Upon the steps, the heads of the Eight Great Families remained silent one by one, quietly departing. None of them had planned to provoke the Zhu family! Old He taking office last time... was merely a casual probe. Who could have known it would poke a hornet's nest? Now, this adhesive dog-skin plaster couldn't be shaken off! A splitting headache! Yet there was no way to refuse. The Zhu family insisted on muscling in, and the eldest son's branch was going to put down roots right here. From now on... trouble had truly arrived.