Chapter 56

(Please note: The following is a continuation of the burst update before the official release, a celebration for all of you. I'm still seeking recommendations, clicks, and favorites, which are crucial for a new book. Thank you for your support.)

Hao Qi and Zhang Heng met with Su Shiyun's family members the next day. Although Su Shiyun had only mentioned four other Inner Strength Realm members—her two uncles and two brothers—the Su family had actually dispatched a team of over twenty people. The weakest among them were close to the Near Inner Strength Realm. Apart from the five Inner Strength Realm members, there were seven Near Inner Strength Realm members, and the rest were warriors approaching the Near Inner Strength Realm. This clearly demonstrated the Su family's strength, befitting a large family with a power base far surpassing families like the Li family of the Blue Shadow Republic. It also showed how seriously the Su family took this mission.

It was unclear what Su Shiyun had told her family members that night, but they did not obstruct Hao Qi and Zhang Heng's joining. However, their reaction was quite cold, lacking even the most basic warrior etiquette. Su Shiyun's two brothers, in particular, seemed to harbor hostility towards Hao Qi, though they did not act on it. There was no dramatic confrontation like in novels, which left Hao Qi, who had been somewhat expecting it, a little disappointed.

"Probably because of her cousin, right?" Zhang Heng, standing beside Hao Qi, signaled to him and, with Hao Qi's Inner Strength wrapping around his voice to prevent others from hearing, said, "What do you mean?"

"Don't you know?" Zhang Heng asked in surprise. "Many noble families often arrange internal marriages, like between cousins or second cousins, to ensure that the Inner Strength Realm does not spread outside or to maintain the purity of the Inner Strength Realm bloodline. This is a common practice in many noble families. Don't you know?"

"Why should I know?"

Hao Qi was somewhat amused but also gained a bit of understanding about the hostility from Su Shiyun's brothers. However, he did not care. This journey was to repay Su Shiyun's kindness. A single meal's favor was now worth life and death. A promise is a promise, and he would not regret it. As for the Su family members... why should he care?

After everyone gathered, it was clear that the Su family's preparations were complete. They mounted their single-humped beasts and left the port first. Hao Qi and Zhang Heng followed suit without much comment. While Hao Qi remained calm, Zhang Heng seemed quite indignant, as if angry at the Su family's coldness and indifference. Suddenly, Hao Qi said to Zhang Heng, "Zhang Heng, I just thought of something. Do you want to hear it?"

Zhang Heng, who was frowning at the Su family's coldness, was taken aback and asked, "What is it?"

"There's a dialogue where one person says he doesn't get along well with a group of people because he's from a poor country and they look down on him. He feels angry and insulted. The person he's talking to asks him, 'So what are you going to do? Are you going to grab their collars and order them to respect you?'"

"Many people might empathize with the first part, where he feels looked down upon because of his background. But when the other person suggests grabbing their collars and forcing them to respect him, it sounds ridiculous, right? Why should I care if they respect me? Should I really grab their collars and force them to respect me? If I do that, or even think that way, isn't that too lowly? If I need to command or beg for their respect, is that really respect?"

Hao Qi laughed heartily, ignoring the disdainful looks from the Su family members who turned back to look at him. He said to Zhang Heng, "Do you remember what I told you in the Hundred Herbs Kingdom? 'Heaven's movement is healthy; the gentleman follows it by being strong and never ceasing.' Respect, dignity, and strength—these are all that matter. As for whether others respect me, it's none of my business. I don't care if they respect me. If they slander, bully, insult, mock, belittle, or deceive me, then what should I do?"

"Beat them so badly their mothers won't recognize them, right?" Zhang Heng asked immediately.

"Of course! Why should I endure it silently? Hahaha!" Hao Qi laughed again, drawing more angry glares from the Su family members.

At the front of the Su family's group, Su Shiyun heard Hao Qi's hearty laughter and the corners of her mouth curved slightly. Beside her, a middle-aged man suddenly said, "Third Miss, you were indeed rash. This mission is crucial; how could you allow outsiders to participate? If you hadn't already told them about the ancient sect's ruins, they wouldn't have been allowed to join. Now, we have no choice but to have them follow us to monitor them... Third Miss, you've made a mistake. The family will have to make a decision about this, and you should be prepared."

Su Shiyun bowed but said nothing. The middle-aged man sighed but did not say more.

Su Shiyun was an anomaly in the family. As a woman, she was a martial arts prodigy. At fourteen, she had mastered the family's highest sword dance, not just the basic sword techniques. Although her progress slowed and she hit a bottleneck, it was clear to all Inner Strength Realm members that she continued to improve, albeit slowly but steadily. The realm of returning to simplicity, which few people could achieve even after a lifetime of practice, was within her reach.

Because of this, Su Shiyun, as a woman, was given a Jade Muscle Pill, a reward for her talent. However, it was also a concern for the family...

Though the middle-aged man was scolding Su Shiyun as an uncle, everyone in the family, especially all Inner Strength Realm members, knew that due to the side effects of the Jade Muscle Pill, Su Shiyun, who had just reached the Inner Strength Realm, was now the strongest in the Su family. If family hierarchy were ignored, he, as an uncle, would not be as influential as Su Shiyun.

Because of this, Su Shiyun's actions were tacitly approved. Although Hao Qi and Zhang Heng were met with suspicion and hostility, they were indeed part of the mission, a result of Su Shiyun's hidden influence.

The group maintained a distance of at least fifty meters between the front and back. Hao Qi and Zhang Heng were not bothered, especially after Zhang Heng heard Hao Qi's words and calmed down. They followed the Su family's group, leaving the port city of Salan and entering the desert. Despite being near the sea, the desert still had some vegetation due to occasional rainfall. As they traveled from morning to dusk, the Su family found a flat sandy area and set up tents and a campfire. As the smoke from the campfire rose into the sky, especially against the backdrop of the setting sun, Hao Qi finally understood the poetic imagery of "The vast desert with a straight column of smoke, the long river with a round setting sun." He was momentarily captivated by the scene.

Zhang Heng, who had been working hard to set up the tent, saw Hao Qi staring and felt a surge of annoyance. He punched Hao Qi from behind and said, "Stop staring! Your Su girl is still organizing her things in the tent. Want to go in and look your fill?"

"Cut it out," Hao Qi laughed, scratching his head awkwardly. "I have a clear conscience with Su Shiyun... don't look at me like that. We are still maintaining propriety, and besides, she is deeply tied to her family. There's almost no possibility for us, so don't say such things."

Zhang Heng looked at the Su family's camp, which was clearly separated from theirs, and sighed. "Indeed, she is deeply tied to her family. Today, she didn't say a single word to us, which is quite telling."

"Are you blaming her for not saying a word to us today?" Hao Qi asked, looking at Zhang Heng.

"A little, but considering the attitude of the Su family members, it must be difficult for her," Zhang Heng admitted.

Hao Qi laughed and sat down on the sand, smiling silently for a while before saying, "No, I don't think it's about the Su family members' attitudes. Although I've known her since university, I understand her character. She is a lady of noble birth with a sense of chivalry, a wealthy young lady with a bold spirit... I think the reason she didn't say a word to us is that she trusts us, just as we trust her and don't look down on us like the Su family members. This is probably..."

"Silent trust."

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(Please note: The following is a continuation of the burst update before the official release, a celebration for all of you. I'm still seeking recommendations, clicks, and favorites, which are crucial for a new book. Thank you for your support.)