I Can See Your Combat Power

Thirty years ago, did Xiao Jinlin say such things? Xiao Zheng couldn’t remember. All he remembered was that back then, he spent his days indulging in wine and pleasures, playing zither, and dabbling in ink, viewing the world through drunken eyes with a sense of beauty in everything.

Sending a painting?

It seems like something might have happened, but he had absolutely no recollection of it.

If he had heard about it at that time, with his sharp wit, wouldn’t he have made preparations? Was everyone’s death a result of his own making?

How ironic. Xiao Zheng was overwhelmed with grief and anger: “You old madman, is this the reason you slaughtered my entire village and exterminated my family!?”

Why did he hate the man right in front of him so much? It was because Xiao Jinlin was not only his father but also the enemy who had wiped out his entire family.

How ridiculous it was that his own father had one night come to the village, killed everyone, and left him alone amid the mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

When he woke up the next day, everything he held dear was gone. The culprit was the person he respected the most, and it was all merely because he had ceased practicing martial arts?

At that time, his resentment was powerful enough to break through the heavens, and even more devastating was the fact that he knew he would never get a chance to take revenge, therefore all he could do was hate!

Hearing Xiao Zheng’s complaint, Xiao Jinlin laughed again. The upward-canted corners of his mouth pressed against the wrinkles by his eyes, making his previously intimidating eyes appear kindly instead. “Things like zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting are luxurious stuff that only the children of powerful families can enjoy. You, as the eldest son of the Xiao Clan’s leader, only have one choice: to work hard and govern diligently. Otherwise, you will bring the disaster of extinction upon the Xiao family. I was just having you experience it a little bit earlier.”

“After all, thirty years have passed. Even a dimwit would have reached the peak of mortal realm, let alone someone with your talent. But looking at you now, you are still a trash in the mortal realm who can’t even resist when you’re held by the dragon shadow. If Xiling were to fight, do you think you are any different from thirty years ago?”

Xiao Zheng shook with anger: “Madman, you crazy old man! Does not practicing martial arts mean I can’t ensure the safety of my family? What kind of logic is this? If every leader needs to have the strength to suppress their subordinates, then what are strategies and tactics all about….”

Before he could finish his sentence, the dragon shadow slammed him fiercely onto the ground. The floor cracked and shattered, and Xiao Zheng vomited a mouthful of blood. His back lost all feeling, and his mind briefly went blank, yet some sounds still found their way into his ears.

“Your ability to control your subordinates is only because the Xiao Clan is powerful, not because you are extraordinarily gifted. If the Xiao Clan were to be defeated in a great war, the first one to kill you would be those subordinates whom you have won over.” Xiao Jinlin smiled cruelly. “Loyalty? Martial artists are only loyal to the strong. In this world, there is only one standard for judging who is strong or weak, and that is martial power!”

“Aren’t you the reputed number one merchant in Xiling? Look at the Yun Clan, the legendary merchant family that once possessed the most wealth in Longzhou. They were simply relying on stronger power. Can you tell me why the Yun Clan was exterminated, while the Xiang Family is fine, even now reigning as the lord of Chaochang?”

Every young person has a rebellious phase. During this period, what they want to do most is prove themselves, prove that they are different from the rest of the world, and demonstrate that they can embark on a path that no one else has trodden.

The majority of people in the world are mediocre, so they are eventually knocked down by reality and surrendered. Then there are those who are uncommonly talented. Their superior intelligence makes them disdain mainstream phenomena. For instance, people always say that the only way to rise in society is through martial arts, but they refuse to accept it!

They might become merchants, healers, or take up all sorts of roles other than martial artists. It’s as if they want to prove with their exceptional talents that they don’t need to practice martial arts to lead a good life.

Are they living well? Maybe not so well.

The saddest thing in life is not making all the right decisions, only to end up with the wrong result.

It is making a completely wrong decision, but getting a momentarily right result.

Because this kind of achievement makes you pay an unbearable price in the later stages of life!

Thirty years of being a merchant has allowed Xiao Zheng to grasp countless visible and hidden connections. In Xiling, a place that had been peaceful for hundreds of years, his reputation was even greater than some prestigious clan leaders.

It seemed as if everyone had forgotten what a martial arts family originally looked like. But once you travel to the other provincial capitals, you would discover that the more powerful the family, the stronger the scent of blood around them!

As for his foolish son, despite his innate talent, he hadn’t accomplished anything at over forty years of age. Xiao Jinlin was truly disappointed.

The black dragon shadow dissipated, releasing the bound Xiao Zheng who turned over with difficulty, coughing up great mouthfuls of blood.

Struggling to stand up, Xiao Zheng glared at Xiao Jinlin with bloodshot eyes: “Warmonger, nonsense talker! If you insist on resisting the Tang Clan, I swear I’d rather die than let you do this. I will notify the Elder Council!”

The strength of a clan lies in the fact that it will never be dominated by a single person’s word. A clan is for the people of the clan, not just one person. Every major decision must be approved by a majority of the clan elders, who are the most outstanding representatives of the clan members selected by the clan itself. Only they can limit the power of the clan leader.

A half-hearted threat like this, well…

“If the Tang Clan doesn’t actively seek an alliance with the Xiao Clan within a month, forming an alliance with the Mi Clan will be the only decision. Even if the Elder Council is convened, it will not be changed!” Xiao Jinlin laughed. Although his thinking was mostly business-oriented, the martial inheritance of the Xiao Clan was still flowing in the blood of his eldest son, who could firm his resolve between life and death, and not yield to the powerful. Perhaps this was the only thing the old man was satisfied with in this conversation with Xiao Zheng.

But Xiao Zheng now completely felt that Xiao Jinlin was an old madman. He couldn’t bear to listen to him anymore and shouted angrily: “One month? In just one month, even for the TangClan, they won’t have enough time to distribute their treasury and organize their secret arts. They just got a major break and would hope everyone in Xiling overlooks them. Why would they proactively express willingness to ally? What’s more, even if they come to seek an alliance with us within a month, according to your theory, what’s the difference between us seeking an alliance with them or the other way round? As long as we ally with Tang Clan, Xiao Clan will eventually become a subsidiary of the Tang Clan. You crazy old man, you even forget what you say, cough, cough, cough,cough!”

So furious he was beside himself, Xiao Zheng spewed out another mouthful of blood, staining a patch of the ground in front of him dark red.

Xiao Jinlin sighed: “In your eyes, there are only Xiling’s insignificant clan leaders, and the fighting arenas that only appease the public. Has the peace of Xiling made you forget who really controls Xiling!?”

Tang Zhi, Tang Sen, Tang Kuan, and Tang Zu of the Tang Clan.

Mi Jin, Mi Hai, Mi Tiger, and the Supreme Elder Mi Yang of the Mi Clan!

It’s these people who, at a single thought, could shake Xiling to its foundations. As for the other lords of the influential clans and leaders of the powerful tribes, none of them is worth much attention.

“Do you know the clan leader of Tang Clan? Maybe you would need a month to solve these distribution problems with your capability, but with Tang Zhi in charge, the moment the goods have been transported, is the time when the distribution of goods is completed!”