Unusual Movements from Both Families

Amidst the Zhou family's joyous reunion, the news of his return naturally reached the Wang and Sun families.

The Sun Family

The Sun family Patriarch sat in his chair, his brows tightly furrowed.

"How dare this Zhou Erlang return? Is he not afraid that our two families will secretly strike him down?"

"Patriarch, should we have my younger sister probe the truth of the matter in a few days?" a burly man standing to the side asked. "If possible, we can just do away with Zhou Erlang directly. Then, Baixi Village will belong to our two families."

The Sun Patriarch nodded thoughtfully. "Zhou Erlang is by no means such a foolish and reckless person. It is highly likely he possesses some method that leaves him unafraid of us. Otherwise, why would he suddenly return home?"

He had originally assumed Zhou Ping would remain hidden in the mountains for the rest of his life. He had even planned for that Sun family woman to bear more children, allowing their own bloodline to seize the dominant position within the Zhou family. Then, they could slowly swallow the Zhou family's foundation piece by piece.

An uncle helping his nephew secure the family estate-this was morally justified no matter where one went.

But now that Zhou Ping had not only returned but also showed no intention of leaving, the Patriarch could not help but form new schemes.

After all, while slowly grinding them down over time to swallow the Zhou family's foundation was a viable path, it took far too long, making it highly susceptible to unforeseen variables.

What if the Zhou family suddenly produced a child with immortal destiny? Or what if they rose to prominence through some other avenue? Then the plots of their two families would turn to dust, and they might even have to bow and scrape before the Zhou family. Even if the possibility was slim, given enough time, it could always happen.

Moreover, he and the Wang family Patriarch were much older than Zhou Ping. They feared that after their deaths, their clansmen's hearts would scatter, leading to petty infighting. Meanwhile, Zhou Ping was in his prime; the Zhou family might be the ones to exploit the chaos.

The Sun Patriarch pondered for a moment and suddenly arrived at an idea.

The most anxious person right now was not him, but the Wang family Patriarch.

A few days ago, the Wang family Patriarch had accidentally caught a chill, and to this day, he coughed incessantly without recovering. Although it was a minor ailment, given the Wang Patriarch's advanced age, it weighed on him like a severe illness.

Even the Wang Patriarch himself worried that he might not wake up one day.

Even worse, the Wang family's young master lacked sufficient prestige and could not quite suppress the four branches and six households of the Wang family. If the old man suddenly passed away, even if the Wang family maintained an outward facade of stability, they would fracture from within.

If he secretly pushed things along, the Wang family Patriarch's anxiety might just compel him to take action.

"Mingcheng, go spread word in the village that Zhou Erlang has returned." The Sun Patriarch waved his hand, then paused. "While you are at it, mention that Zhou Erlang is in robust health, capable of wrestling wolves and tigers."

A middle-aged man stepped forward. His name was Sun Mingcheng.

Hearing his Patriarch's words, he was momentarily startled before realization dawned. He bowed slightly and said, "Your nephew understands."

The Sun Patriarch watched Sun Mingcheng's retreating back and nodded with gratification.

He only had a few good years left to live. If he could groom Sun Mingcheng into a capable Patriarch, he could secure the Sun family's foundation for the future.

This was the sorrow of mortal, wealthy families like theirs. They appeared to hold great power and vast estates, yet they lacked a powerful pillar of strength. If the family head or Patriarch was not respected enough and lacked authority, they could not bind the clansmen together. The family would naturally trend toward internal division, or even outright splintering!

The Qian family was a prime example. On the surface, it seemed the mishap with the Bai Trading Company caused their ruin. In reality, the disaster had thoroughly shattered the authority Qian Yuanqing had cultivated for decades. This caused the clansmen to lose faith, ultimately forcing the family to dissolve and divide their assets.

But the Zhou family was different. As long as Zhou Ping lived, no matter how many petty intrigues cropped up, they would never face a fracturing of the clan.

Because Zhou Ping was an Immortal Master.

Now, it only remained to be seen if that old ghost Wang would take the bait and test the depths of the Zhou family.

If Zhou Ping indeed possessed formidable methods, the Sun family would immediately behave themselves, living in harmony as dutiful in-laws. But if he did not, then they could not be blamed when the weak are prey to the strong.

The Wang Family

"Grandfather, look. This is your great-grandson." A young woman holding a newborn baby presented the infant to the Wang family Patriarch as if offering a precious treasure.

The Wang Patriarch lay back in a rocking chair. His complexion was incredibly weak, but a joyful smile surfaced on his face. He reached out his withered hands to take the baby, only to be seized by a violent coughing fit.

"Cough, cough, cough."

The ragged sounds echoed through the room. The old man's veins bulged in agony, and his face flushed a dark, bloody red. Frightened, the young woman hastily reached out and gently patted his back without stopping.

A short-bearded middle-aged man hurried over from a distance. He fed the old man a freshly brewed medicinal decoction, which finally eased the Patriarch's suffering considerably.

The middle-aged man crouched by the old man's side, his face etched with worry. "Grandfather, are you alright?"

"I am fine." The Wang Patriarch looked at the infant, wishing to reach out and hold him, but he had not a shred of strength left. He sighed dejectedly. "I am old. Useless."

"Grandfather is not old at all."

The middle-aged man brought the child over and gently rubbed the old man's hand against the baby's cheek. The coarse, aged fingers immediately chafed the delicate skin raw, causing the infant to wail loudly.

The middle-aged man frantically shoved the baby back into the young woman's arms. "Take him away quickly," he ordered in a fluster. "Do not disturb Grandfather's rest."

The young woman hastily departed with the child, terrified of disrupting the old man's peace.

"Ah Du, you must always be steady in your actions. Otherwise, how will you shoulder the weight of this family?" The Wang Patriarch gripped the middle-aged man's hand. His eyes brimmed with expectation as he offered his earnest counsel.

This was his grandson, Wang Du, and his most favored successor for the position of Patriarch. As for the nephews and grandsons belonging to his younger brothers' households, every last one of them was a short-sighted, gluttonous fool.

"Grandfather, I understand everything you say. I understand it all, but I worry for you," Wang Du wept.

"Ah." The Wang Patriarch sighed. How could he not wish to live a few more years? If he did, he could ensure Wang Du sat securely in the Patriarch's seat.

But now that he was bedridden with severe illness, Wang Du's prestige was insufficient to suppress the rest of the clan. Handing the family over to him now would undoubtedly result in chaos. Yet, entrusting the family to those useless fools left him even more deeply unsettled.

Even during this brief time he had been bedridden, the Fourth and Fifth Households had bickered endlessly over farmland. If he died, heaven only knew how vicious their disputes would become.

A flourishing population had its benefits, but it naturally carried its flaws. The Wang family had been established for seventy years; some branches had already passed down five generations. It could certainly be called prosperous. However, the result was a sprawling, bloated family where blood ties grew increasingly distant, breeding countless miserable squabbles.

Right now, as the eldest and the Patriarch, he could naturally suppress the various branches and households. But once Wang Du took over, how could he possibly keep them in line?

For a moment, the Wang Patriarch burned with anxiety, furious at himself for falling ill so suddenly and for failing to groom his grandson, Wang Du, a few years earlier. Yet, no matter his resentment, it all eventually dissolved into a solitary sigh.

Soon after, recalling the hushed murmurs of the clansmen that morning, he asked, "Has Zhou Erlang returned?"

Wang Du had originally intended to hide this matter and instructed the others not to mention it before the Patriarch. Now, he could only tell the whole truth. "He returned this morning and declared he would never leave again. He is currently holed up in the Zhou family manor and has not shown his face."

A sudden surge of vitality filled the Wang Patriarch. He forced himself to sit up with great difficulty.

Zhou Erlang had returned. Was it because he knew the old Patriarch might die soon, and thus no longer feared their two families? Or had he obtained some powerful method?

The closer one drew to death in old age, the darker and heavier one's thoughts became. A multitude of possibilities flashed through the Wang Patriarch's mind in an instant.

"Is there anything else?"

Wang Du hesitated, stammering slightly. "Some villagers say they saw Zhou Erlang this morning... they claimed they saw him carrying a fierce tiger back on his shoulders."

The Wang Patriarch merely sneered. He did not even need to think to know this was a rumor spread by that old ghost Sun, intended to provoke him into moving against the Zhou family.

But this was an open scheme, and he had no choice but to step willingly into the trap.

He did not fear the Sun family. This was not solely because the Sun and Wang families were heavily intertwined by marriage; it was also because the Sun family's internal affairs were scarcely better than his own, plagued by the same petty, domestic squabbles.

Even if he died, if the Sun family wished to strike at the Wang family, they would lack the strength to do so.

But the Zhou family was different. Though their numbers were few, their hearts were entirely united. He genuinely feared that after his death, someone in his clan, desperate to seize power, would be foolish enough to invite a wolf into the house by bringing in the Zhou family. Or, perhaps the Zhou family would strike in secret, turning his vast life's work into a wedding dress for another.

"I told you to grease the necessary palms. How is that matter progressing?"

"Everything is arranged. Among their guards, there is a man named Zhao Quan. He is greedy for wealth and lustful by nature, making him exceedingly easy to manipulate," Wang Du said.

Naturally, their two families' methods against the Zhou family extended far beyond simple marriage alliances. They had slowly infiltrated the servant girls and estate guards, secretly winning over the tenant farmers. Had it not been for their wariness of Zhou Ping, they would have swallowed the Zhou family whole long ago.

The Wang Patriarch gave a slight nod. "Find a few rogue scoundrels from the neighboring villages and send them to probe the depths of the Zhou family."

"Have Wang Yan go as well. Instruct him that if he cannot return, he is to die there. The clan will provide for his family."

Wang Du's expression shifted slightly. Wang Yan was a member of the Wang clan who had murdered someone abroad in his early years and vanished without a trace. In truth, he had secretly slipped back into the clan, a secret known to very few.

"Your grandson understands. I will absolutely ensure they are not traced back to our family." Wang Du's eyes flickered, and he slowly withdrew.

Although they had heard many tales of Immortal Masters being hacked to death by mortals, those were merely rumors.

However, the incident where the Immortal Master of Lin Family Village was stabbed to death in his sleep had happened right beside them. For those ignorant rustics, it tore away the sacred veil of the Immortal Masters. The deep-seated reverence and fear were gone.

The Wang Patriarch lay back in his rocking chair, resting with his eyes closed and coughing from time to time.

That old ghost Sun wanted him to move against the Zhou family to see if Zhou Ping had any hidden methods. Naturally, he intended to strike, but he would never use his own people. Doing so would leave no room for reconciliation with the Zhou family.

For a clan to prosper without decline, one had to look three steps ahead with every move, trading false smiles with enemies and preparing contingencies on all fronts. If the Zhou family proved powerful, the Wang clan would obediently bow their heads. If the Zhou family was weak, then they could not be blamed when the weak are prey to the strong. The world was simply unjust.

For now, he would let those ignorant rustics, blinded by greed for silver, use their miserable lives to draw out the truth for the Wang family.

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