Chapter 129: Chapter 130: Eating Soft Rice Again?
Translator: 549690339
Zhu Clan Inner Court, filled with maple and willow trees, had building structures resembling pavilions, intricately scattered around this hillside lake island.
Looking back, one could catch sight of the entire bustling, dreamlike Waterdrop Lake City; looking ahead was like stepping into an otherworldly garden, with broad paths lined with orchids that bloom all year round, and branches, willow twigs, grasslands, and flower beds all meticulously maintained.
The outer court still carried a strong metropolitan residence flavor, but upon entering the inner court, it became a completely different world, as if it was the spiritual essence of the grand Waterdrop Lake all concentrated in one place. To describe it as the Spiritual Mountain Wonderland would not be an exaggeration.
This is probably the true foundation of the Zhu Clan. At the gate, it would have been impossible to imagine such a sight within; even the Imperial Palaceâs Imperial Court could not compare to the tranquility and elegance here.
âThe stone arch bridge we just crossed is the boundary between the inner and outer court. Sigh, my uncle and aunt have borne such humiliation; after such an incident, they probably donât wish to share the details with my father. In the end, they just swallow it all down.â Zhu Minglang heaved a sigh.
âYou think Iâm unaware of this matter?â Just then, a man fishing by an ancient willow tree at the lakeside spoke.
Zhu Minglang, Nan Lingsha, and Fang Niannian all turned their gaze toward the lakeside simultaneously; initially, they hadnât even noticed there was someone sitting there.
âYour wife and daughter have grown up so much, and only now you bring them back home. If your Elder Sword Sovereign hadnât given me a heads up, next month weâd be arranging your funeral here in the inner court,â the fisherman continued.
Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha glanced at each other.
Uncle, please donât pretend to be some wise man and not even turn around. Could you please make sure of your facts before speaking?
Who are his wife and daughter here?
âFather, after so many years, you still havenât cured your poor eyesight,â Zhu Minglang said, bringing the two women with him toward the fisherman.
It was then that the fisherman finally gave Nan Lingsha and Fang Niannian a closer look before his eyes awkwardly returned to Zhu Minglang, and with an embarrassed smile, he said, âYour mother has never allowed me to take a concubine. You, on the other hand, are leading a carefree life, discarding the enviable cultivation others dream of, ignoring the complex familial politics, living these worry-free daysâŠâ
âUncle, donât live in your own world. We arenât like that!â Fang Niannian said indignantly.
âThey are members of my Dragon Shepherd Team, this is a Divine and Mortal from the Nan Family of the Li Chuan Continentâs Ancestral Dragon City-State, Nan Lingsha. The one calling you uncle is my Little Food Manager; we are partners, not spouses,â Zhu Minglang earnestly explained.
âWhat did you just say you were?â the fisherman slowly stood up, looking solemnly at Zhu Minglang.
âI said I am now a Dragon Shepherd,â Zhu Minglang met his gaze, unflinching.
âDragon Shepherd, Dragon Shepherd!!â The fisherman seemed almost frantic upon hearing this, nearly throwing his fishing rod aside as he lamented, âThe Zhu Clanâs Casting Artâdoes it hold no place in your eyes? You said you wanted to pursue the sword, and then you followed your Aunt Xuehen to the Yaoshan Sword Sect. Now that your Sword Cultivation is gone, I was actually very happy, thinking you could settle down and learn our Zhu Clanâs skills properly. But no, not you, you became a Dragon Shepherd instead. Is there something disgraceful about Casting Art??â
Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha stood by with their mouths agape.
Something seemed off about Zhu Minglangâs father.
As the helmsman of the Zhu Clan, shouldnât he be stern and authoritative, not indulging in laughter with his son? Why did he seem⊠somewhat like a humbly doting father?
âFather, I have been practicing. I made a suit of armor for my dragon, Iâll show it to you later,â Zhu Minglang said.
âSo you picked up our ancestral craft because of dragons?â
âIf you wish to see it that way, I canât help it,â Zhu Minglang replied helplessly.
âFine, if itâs for the sake of dragons, then let it be for dragons,â the fisherman said, settling back down.
He waved his hand toward the lake as if calling someone upon the waterâs surface.
Suddenly, in the tranquil lake, a figure as graceful as a goose skimmed across the water, a valiant woman in black brocade landed at the lakeside, her whole being like a block of ice emerging from the waterâŠ
Without a word, the black-brocaded woman simply maintained a kneeling posture, her cheeks showing no superfluous emotions.
âI originally instructed Qin Yang to chop off the limbs of that little beast but spare his life so that your uncle and aunt could exchange it for some improvement in status. However, since youâve already said what you did in the ancestral hall, thereâs no need for me to intervene,â Zhu Heavenly Officer stated.
âSo you had plans in place, father. I thought the years had softened you,â Zhu Minglang said, managing a slight smile.
Seeking justice for Zhu Tong was the least he could do for Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin.
âThere are things youâre better handling publicly than me doing them covertly,â Zhu Heavenly Officer remarked.
Power struggles in the dark, friction and grudges are all too common, but there are unwritten rules as well.
If Zhu Heavenly Officer were to kill Hao Shaocong himself, it would not ensure that some higher-ranked individuals from the Purple Sect Clan would not harm the younger generations of the Zhu Clan.
âIs this matter targeted at you?â Zhu Minglang asked.
âHalf of it is. They want to provoke me, tossing out a Hao Shaocong and Hao Yong, hoping I would strike first. It would be equivalent to me breaking the rules first, giving the Purple Sect Clan free rein to suppress and bully the younger generation of our Zhu Clan,â Zhu Heavenly Officer explained.
âKnowing the gravity of the situation, you still planned to have Qin Yang take action?â Zhu Minglang inquired.
âThey have their plans, and I have my anger to vent. If something similar happens in the future, I will act the same,â Zhu Heavenly Officer snorted coldly.
Donât talk to him, Zhu Heavenly Officer, about schemes; he was a man who believed in retribution!
Of course, Zhu Minglang had returnedâŠ
Originally, it meant harming the enemy by a thousand, at the cost of self-inflicting eight hundred, but now there was no need for self-hurt.
Whatever conspiratorial tactics the other party used, they would simply bite back in kind.
Having Zhu Minglang kill Hao Shaocong in the grand tournament would be no big deal, they, Zhu Clan, would even pay for Hao Shaocongâs funeral expenses.
Zhu Yushan and Bai Xin would surely be delighted to spend that money, probably even hiring a professional pallbearer team to ensure the Hao familyâs loss was handled with dignity!
âFather, I heard from the Elder that there have been great changes within our Zhu Clan recently. Has something significant happened? Our Zhu Clan is, after all, one of the Six Great Clans, albeit the last one; why do we now seem so destitute?â Zhu Minglang said.
âWhat destitute, Young Master? Do you even care about the Zhu Clan at all?â Qin Yang, dressed in black brocade, spoke up at this moment.
âArenât we destitute??â Zhu Minglang asked in confusion.
âDo you really have that little confidence in your fatherâs ability to manage our clan?â Zhu Heavenly Officer raised an eyebrow and asked.
âNow the Zhu Clan and the Pu Clan stand as the two heads of the Six Great Clans. The other four major clans have already been suppressed by us. Let alone Hao Yong and Hao Shaocong â these minor families and clans â without Purple Sect Clan, we could annihilate them and no one would dare to criticize us. Itâs precisely because in these years, our clanâs development has been too rapid, which has drawn jealous eyes from the Royal Family, Purple Sect Clan, and other clans and powers, leading to many incidents.â Qin Yang explained. Zhu Minglangâs mouth hung open in shock for a long while, unable to close it.
The so-called changesâŠ
Meant that we had risen from the last of the Six Great Clans to the first???
Elder Sword Sovereign, could you not speak so ambiguously?
All the way here, Zhu Minglang had been incredibly nervous in his heart, fearing that the people in his clan were being bullied and destitute. Especially after returning and seeing those white lanterns for the funeral!
âSo when you act in the future, you donât need to be too timid⊠But the thing about severing the limbs of Royal Family descendants, try to do less of that. If you must, donât leave any leverage for others, make it flawless, you understand?â Zhu Heavenly Officer earnestly advised.
Fang Niannian and Nan Lingsha listened from the side, finding it all very odd.
Would any father really teach his son to act this way? Shouldnât he be advising his son to be cautious, not to act rashly or on impulse?
âRight, there is something I need Father to take care of urgentlyâŠâ Zhu Minglang said.
âWhich girl did you impregnate?â Zhu Heavenly Officer asked.
âWould you stop being so disrespectful? Iâm speaking of urgent matters. Do you know of the Li Chuan Continent?â Zhu Minglang said.
âOf course I know. That land isnât as simple as it appears, and in a little while, Iâm afraid many powers will covet it.â Zhu Heavenly Officer stated.
âWhat does Father know?â Zhu Minglang was somewhat surprised.
Likely, such a distant territory shouldnât arouse any interest in the Zhu Clan, so why did it sound like many big figures were eying the Li Chuan Continent???
âIâve only heard some fragments here and there. The Li Chuan Continent is actually even older than the Supreme Court Courtyard Continent. It is said to contain many undiscovered ancient relics, and perhaps even an Ancient Dragon GateâŠâ Zhu Heavenly Officer revealed.
âIs that true?â Zhu Minglang looked perplexed and turned to glance at Nan Lingsha.
Nan Lingsha did not respond.
It was unclear whether she had never heard of such matters or if she indeed had some secrets she had not shared with him.
âSo if you are intending to compete, you may face not just scions of various clans.â Zhu Heavenly Officer also knew what Zhu Minglang was thinking.
âDoes Father have any good ideas?â Zhu Minglang asked.
âWhat ideas can I have? Our Zhu Clan is now the envy of many. Any slight movement can bring a host of troubles. It might be difficult to protect the entire Li Chuan Continent, and if the rumors are true, those old monsters will certainly not allow our Zhu Clan to monopolize it⊠But to protect the four city-states you mentioned should be no problem. If worst comes to worst, Iâll call in your grandfather and tell him thereâs an ancient sword tomb on the Li Chuan Continent. With Yaoshan Sword Sect backing us, this matter will be secure.â Zhu Heavenly Officer said.
Zhu Minglang nodded. He had had this idea for a while, which was why he had made a point of visiting Yaoshan Sword Sect.
âWith Father saying this, I can rest assured. Sigh, I thought there had been a huge change in the clan, that it was struggling to survive. I had planned to return and revitalize the clan; it seems my worries were unnecessary.â Zhu Minglang remarked.
âHuh, I knew early on that I couldnât rely on you, you little good-for-nothing, so I had to be even more prudent than you. Our Zhu Clan doesnât have many Dragon Shepherds, so we canât offer you much support. Or else Iâll go to the Royal Family and arrange a marriage for you, make you a prince consort or something. With the resources of the Royal Family, you will surely ascend to the top with ease!â Zhu Heavenly Officerâs eyes lit up, as if even he thought the idea was excellent.
Eating soft rice again??? Zhu Minglang wouldnât stand for it!
Hey, why did he think âagainâ?
Fang Niannian, standing nearby, was already laughing so hard she could barely stand straight..
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