Chapter 7

The Xu family and the Gao family were different. These two massive families had, over a thousand years, extended their influence to every corner of Xiaohanshan, becoming the backbone of the cultivation families. If not for some unwritten rules in the cultivation world, they would have long seized control of Xiaohanshan.

It is an unwritten rule in the cultivation world that descendants of cultivation families cannot hold real power in various sects. For example, in Xiaohanshan, the mountain master, the six peak leaders, and the hall masters cannot be from cultivation families. Therefore, the descendants of cultivation families can only serve as elders with limited power in the sects. This is a consensus reached between cultivation families and sects over thousands of years. However, even so, the influence of cultivation families in the sects is still significant, especially for these thousand-year-old families.

Although the Zhou family was powerful, its history was short, only about three hundred years. The rise of the Zhou family, like many other cultivation families, began when a genius in the family condensed a Golden Core 120 years ago, becoming a Grand Elder of Xiaohanshan. The Zhou family's strength and influence rapidly expanded.

However, in the end, the family had only one Golden Core elder. If this elder were to meet with an accident and the Zhou family had no new geniuses to replace him, the family would quickly decline, just like the Wang family. Therefore, for a cultivation family, the most important thing is the succession of talents. The current and previous generations could not be relied upon; the strongest were only the current generation, including himself and one other, both at the initial stage of the Gangsha Realm. The only hope lay in the next generation, and in the Zhou family, only two seemed to have potential: Zhou Ningsnow and Zhou Beifei.

Compared to Zhou Beifei, Zhou Ningsnow was more promising and had the greatest potential. If she could gain the support of both the Zhou and Xu families, her future would be boundless. This made some people in the family very excited.

Their excitement made Zhou Song feel cold. Was it so easy to take advantage of the Xu family?

His mind was in turmoil when he heard the announcement that Wang Tong was here. He had to gather his spirits, shake his head to clear the fog, and rub his temples to stay alert, as he was about to face a potentially irrational young man.

When he saw Wang Tong, Zhou Song shook his head inwardly. The eighth level of the Fuchen Realm was beyond his initial expectations. How many pills had this boy taken to reach this level?

But thinking about the upcoming Five Peaks Competition, he was not too surprised. The Five Peaks Competition was a death sentence for Wang Tong. If he performed poorly, he would be kicked out of the inner disciples, and if lucky, he might become an outer disciple. If unlucky, he would become a target for others. The inheritance of the Golden Flame Sword aside, a Dragon-Soaring Sword was a mid-grade magical tool, and many people coveted it. The Zhu Huang Pill was also a valuable item.

To reach the eighth level of the Fuchen Realm, this boy must have taken at least three Zhu Huang Pills, which was not a good thing. Pills are not candy; even the most miraculous pills are toxic. Taking too many at once would damage one's foundation. Even if this boy managed to stay in the inner disciples, he would not have much of a future. At best, he might barely reach the first level of the Linggen Realm, condensing one spiritual root. In his old age, he would become an outer elder, find a wife, have a child, and continue the family lineage, just like many declining descendants of cultivation families.

In a moment, he seemed to see through Wang Tong's future. This was a cultivator with a bleak future, and such a person did not need much attention.

"If it were after the Five Peaks Competition, things would be much easier," he sighed inwardly, forcing a smile. "You're here, sit down."

Wang Tong kept a stern face. Before coming, he had adjusted his mindset. Being jilted was not a happy thing, although he was secretly glad, he had to show a sense of impending humiliation. He even used his cultivation to make his eyes red, his face stiff, and his back teeth clenched, as if ready to explode at any moment. He stared at Zhou Song and said stiffly, "No need, Elder Zhou, just say what you have to say."

Zhou Song sighed, sensing that things would not be easy today. He knew Wang Tong's character, so he spoke in a low, solemn voice, his Gangsha Realm aura bursting forth, "Since you're here, sit down first."

Wang Tong's expression changed, his back teeth clenched even tighter, his eyes bloodshot, and he looked like a rabbit cornered. His legs trembled, his forehead was sweating, his fists were clenched, and his nails pierced his palms, drawing blood. He seemed to be using all his strength to say, "No, I said no, just say what you have to say!"

"Ah, what a stubborn child!" Wang Tong's strong will surprised Zhou Song slightly. He realized that using his aura to pressure a Fuchen Realm cultivator was not very honorable, especially since it had not worked. To avoid making things worse, he relaxed his aura.

"Since you want to stand, stand then. I called you here mainly to discuss your engagement with Ningsnow..."

"You want to break the engagement!" Wang Tong interrupted him, a surge of anger burning in his mind.

"Yes, we want to break the engagement!" Zhou Song softened his tone, knowing that provoking Wang Tong in his current state would be like lighting a fuse. "I know this is unfair to you, but you must understand that even if you cling to this engagement, Ningsnow will never marry you. You know her potential; her future is boundless. If she wants, she can drag you down. So, this is actually a release for you."

"Release, what release?" Wang Tong growled, his neck veins bulging, his mind filled with the angry roars of his past life's Roaring Master, trying to make his performance more convincing. "This is not a release, this is an insult. You are bullying me with your power."

Before Zhou Song could respond, Wang Tong angrily pulled out the marriage contract from his chest and tore it in half. "A forced marriage is no marriage. Since you want to break it, so be it. I hope you won't regret it in the future." He threw the torn contract on the ground and turned to leave.

"Stop!" The situation took Zhou Song by surprise, but seeing Wang Tong about to leave, he became anxious. Breaking the engagement was one thing, but how to do it was another.

This engagement was already well-known in Xiaohanshan for some reason. Although the Zhou family had prepared the public opinion and gained the upper hand, it did not change the fact that they were forcing Wang Tong to break the engagement. Wang Tong, though with no future, was not just anyone. At least before the Five Peaks Competition, he was still an inner disciple of Wang Huai, and his every move concerned the face of Lianyun Academy. Forcing him to break the engagement was already inappropriate, and letting him leave without any compensation would be a slap in the face, not just to Wang Tong but also to Lianyun Peak.

So, Zhou Song had already planned a compensation scheme. But he did not expect Wang Tong to be so straightforward, tearing the contract and leaving, leaving Zhou Song with a mouthful of unspoken words.

Wang Tong could walk away, but Zhou Song could not let him. If he left, the Zhou family would be in a difficult position. This engagement had cost Wang Tong's father a great deal; he had used up the Zhou family's debt to the Wang family.

If the engagement was established, the debt was repaid. Now that the engagement was broken, the debt remained. From Wang Tong's attitude, it seemed he did not want to deal with the Zhou family in the future. Zhou Song did not want to be criticized and did not want to leave any hidden dangers in this already troublesome matter.

"Breaking this engagement is our Zhou family's fault, and we will give you sufficient compensation."

"Compensation? Hmph, I, Wang Tong, have not fallen so low as to need charity!" Wang Tong did not look back and continued walking.

"You are the last of the Wang family. If you lose the Five Peaks Competition, you will have no place in Xiaohanshan, and the Wang family will be finished. A family that has lasted for over six hundred years will be destroyed by you. You will be a sinner to your family."

"The affairs of the Wang family do not need outsiders to meddle in." Wang Tong stopped, turned around, and said in a trembling voice, one word at a time. At this moment, he felt like a genius, even to himself, who had seen countless films.

Zhou Song walked up to him, took his hand, and placed a green jade pendant in it. "This is the Nine-Stripe Green Jade Shield, a high-grade magical tool. With it, you can pass the Five Peaks Competition. This is not for me or for you, but for your father. I knew him; he was a good man. He did everything he could for you. I hope you do not let him down!" As he spoke, he forced the Nine-Stripe Green Jade Shield into Wang Tong's hand and left.

During this process, Wang Tong almost lost his composure. He thought he was a good actor, but Zhou Song was even better, playing the part of a tragic figure more convincingly.

This guy probably hated Wang Xing, the brainless one, to the bone.

Holding the Nine-Stripe Green Jade Shield tightly, as if it were his wife, or rather, in a sense, it was his wife.

After leaving Tianfeng Valley for about ten miles, Wang Tong finally put away his humiliated expression. Being an actor was not easy, especially when facing a senior actor with much stronger aura.

The night sky was cold, the stars twinkled, and the moonlight bathed the fields in a serene white, making the scene tranquil and beautiful.

"The moon is truly beautiful. If I could cast a divination, it would be even better!"

Thinking of this, Wang Tong subconsciously reached for his left waist, a habit. In the past, he always kept three copper coins in this pocket, and in his bag, there was a turtle shell he had bought from an antique market. But this time, he paused, as if remembering something, and smiled bitterly, "Right, I haven't cast a divination for a long time."

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End of the chapter.