A Forced Hand

Zhou Ping and the others arrived at the main hall to find an unfamiliar, elderly face awaiting them.

"I am Huang Yuanhai. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Zhou Ping pondered for a moment and quickly discerned the visitor's identity, though his heart grew heavy with apprehension.

The Huang family was powerful, and naturally, his own family had investigated their internal affairs to better prepare for contingencies.

The Huang family's generational names followed the order of Bai, Yuan, Zheng, and Xuan. This Huang Yuanhai was the steward of the Huang family's Fourth Branch. However, he was a cultivator with only fourteen strands of Spiritual Qi. Even with the aid of a Green Jade Pill, his chances of a breakthrough should have been slim. How had he managed it?

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on your breakthrough," Zhou Ping replied absentmindedly.

"Hahahaha!" Huang Yuanhai was brimming with satisfaction. "It was merely a stroke of luck."

In truth, his prospects had been bleak, but the Huang family had acquired an Ascension Spirit Pill through their connections with the Li and Song families. Such a pill could increase a cultivator's Spiritual Qi by one strand, but it cost upwards of a hundred Spirit Stones.

As the steward of the Fourth Branch, the elders had pooled the entire branch's resources to assist him, hoping to produce a Qi Condensation cultivator to bolster their influence.

Given his limited aptitude, he would likely never exceed the fourth level of Qi Condensation before his final days, yet he was content. It granted him several more decades of life, and his branch could now bask in his borrowed prestige.

Huang Yuanhai was not merely being boastful. By revealing this, he was displaying the Huang family's reach to intimidate the Zhou family.

He subtly sensed Zhou Ping's aura while the spirit detection disk hidden within his sleeve spun wildly, continuously probing the Zhou family's territory.

"Could the Zhou family truly only possess two Qi Condensation cultivators? This young one looks quite inexperienced."

Huang Yuanhai glanced at Zhou Ping and Zhou Chengyuan with lingering suspicion.

As for Zhou Qianling, she had retreated to the back mountain before Huang Yuanhai arrived.

They had deliberately exposed Zhou Chengyuan because he was soon to depart for the Baishan Sect. Only by openly establishing his status as a Zhou family member could they use his position to serve as a deterrent.

Feeling Zhou Ping's aura remain at the third level of Qi Condensation, Huang Yuanhai relaxed his guard.

Zhou Ping had only reached Qi Condensation in his thirties, yet his swift progress to the third level over fifteen years had once made others wary, leading to speculation that he possessed extraordinary talent.

Now, five years later, Zhou Ping remained stuck at the third level. This indicated that his potential was exhausted; he was no longer a threat.

"May I ask what brings you here today, Fellow Daoist?" Zhou Ping asked calmly.

Huang Yuanhai smiled. "With the recent conflicts in Zhennan Prefecture, my Huang family is concerned for the safety of all, so we have volunteered to patrol the borders."

"However, patrolling is arduous and exhausting. Should demonic beasts attack, there is always the risk of casualties. We ask that all families contribute resources to comfort the cultivators on duty."

At these words, anger flared among the Zhou clansmen. Zhou Chengyuan nearly lunged forward to strike, but Zhou Ping held him back with a firm gesture.

Huang Yuanhai's words were grand, but it was blatant extortion. Though Nanyang Prefecture was near the front lines, for demonic beasts to reach their doorstep, the major cultivators of the Zhao Kingdom would have to be dead!

Furthermore, Zhou Ping suspected that if he refused, the Huang family would simply disguise themselves as beasts to raid his borders.

For five years, the Huang family had monopolized the market and suppressed herb prices, but they had at least shown some restraint under the watchful eye of the Immortals' Directorate. Now, they were acting without any fear.

"No, I must send Chengyuan to the Baishan Sect immediately!"

Zhou Ping suppressed his rage and asked, "How much do you require, Fellow Daoist?"

Huang Yuanhai put on a stern, righteous face. "How can you put it that way, Fellow Daoist? It is not my family wanting anything, but the hardship of the patrol that requires support."

"Fellow Daoist Bai Qingshu has a particular fondness for fine wine; it helps him maintain his vigor. How about ten jars of Baixi Tide and thirty jars of Fire Knife Liquor?"

With that single request, he claimed one-third of the Zhou family's entire spirit wine output-worth twenty-three Spirit Stones.

That Bai Qingshu was a rogue cultivator who had married into the Huang family, using their resources to reach the Qi Condensation realm.

This demand was not arbitrary. The Huang family had clearly studied the Zhou family's finances, targeting roughly a quarter of their total profits from wine, herbs, talismans, and Earth Origin Paste.

It was enough to prevent the Zhou family from accumulating wealth for further cultivation, without pushing them to the point of desperation.

"Very well," Zhou Ping said, suppressing his fury with a calm smile.

Huang Yuanhai continued immediately. "Three months from now, on the seventh day, is my uncle's hundredth birthday. He has also successfully broken through to the eighth level of Qi Condensation. I hope Fellow Daoist Zhou will grace the banquet with your presence."

Zhou Ping felt a jolt of alarm. While rumors of Huang Bailin's breakthrough had circulated, confirming it was another matter entirely.

A Wood Dao cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Condensation, protected by a specialized Dharma Treasure, could contend with peak-level cultivators. In the four southern counties, he was now an invincible force.

Offending the Huang family now would be suicidal; when Huang Bailin's lifespan finally neared its end, he would likely drag the entire Zhou family down with him.

Huang Yuanhai watched their reactions with clear satisfaction.

Although Huang Bailin only had twenty years of life remaining, the others-like Huang Zhengming and Old Man Black Crow-were already at the fifth level. With such resources, they would undoubtedly advance further.

As long as the Huang family kept the other clans suppressed and maintained their absolute advantage, the four southern counties would remain theirs to command.

"We will certainly attend."

Huang Yuanhai nodded. "Oh, and my uncle is quite fond of exquisite treasures."

Zhou Ping felt a chill. The Huang family intended to extort them again under the guise of a birthday gift.

"Thank you for the notification, Fellow Daoist."

"Hahahaha! I shall not linger. I must make a trip elsewhere."

Laughing, Huang Yuanhai took his leave, heading north toward the Lu family.

Zhou Ping could no longer contain his anger. "Chengyuan!"

"Grandfather." Zhou Chengyuan's voice lacked its usual cheer. "I will go to the Baishan Sect tomorrow."

He had long known of Zhou Ping and Zhou Minghu's wishes. He had remained silent only because of his deep attachment to his family.

But the attack by Jin Yuanfeng and the relentless humiliation from the Huang family weighed heavily on him. His family asked for nothing more than a peaceful life; why did they always have to suffer such bullying?

Zhou Xuanya, standing nearby, was equally furious but could only sigh. Despite his formidable spear skills and reputation among the rogue cultivators, he was still just an early-stage cultivator, no more than an ant before the Huang family.

All he could do was manage the clan and educate the younger generation, sparing Zhou Ping from the burden of trivial matters.

Across the four southern counties, the Huang family's extortion was not limited to the Zhou clan alone; they were targeting all nine families that had shown signs of growth.

This included the Wei family of Dongshan County, the Wan family of Fuyang County, and even the Zhao family of Fuyang County.

Clearly, the Huang family no longer intended to let the Zhao family share in their profits.

Only the Fang and Fan families, who were closely linked to the Huangs through frequent marriage, remained untouched.

Meanwhile, a dark rumor began to circulate throughout the region: Zhao Wuji of the Zhao family had been ambushed by demonic cultivators within his own territory and was severely injured.

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