Chapter 44
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Chapter 44: Zhao Family
Chen Yang understood the situation and directed his awareness farther away.
Now at the late-stage Gathering Qi level, his perception could cover the entire village on the northern bank.
At that moment, at the entrance guarded by family soldiers on the west side of the village, a long line of horse-drawn carriages awaited.
Over seventy members of the Liang Family anxiously gathered here.
It was their first time in the Song Mountain area, and they curiously looked inside, straining to catch a glimpse.
“So, this is a village under the Yang Family’s rule? It’s so prosperous!”
“Yes, besides its size, it looks no different from a town!”
“Look over there! By my mother, that golden red wall must be the Yang Family’s large courtyard! It’s even more impressive than the town master’s residence!”
After witnessing the strength of the Yang Family, the members of the Liang Family couldn’t help but express their amazement.
Just then, someone spotted the foggy aura swirling on the mountainside to the north of the Yang Family.
“How can there be such thick fog at noon?”
As they debated, a few pointed towards Misty Mountain.
Bang!
At that moment, the guarding family soldier erupted in anger, smashing his spear onto the ground and shouting, “Boldly! Do not disrespect the immortal mountain!”
The Liang Family quickly lowered their heads in apology and retreated into the crowd.
However, in their gazes towards the family soldiers, besides fear, there was more envy.
Before arriving here, they had never seen a family capable of training its own armed forces.
“Alas… the Yang Family is so strong. Whether there are many or few of us, would they really be willing to take us in?”
“I’m afraid if we pledge allegiance, we’ll just be forced to do hard labor to pay off debts.”
“Well, if we can find protection and ensure the survival of our bloodline, what’s a little hardship?”
At that moment, a sound approached. Yang Xiaolei arrived with a squad of family soldiers.
He checked the information from Liang Yi’s list one by one, and ultimately, seventy-four members of the Liang Family were allowed to enter the village.
After they followed Yang Xiaolei to their residence, a villager who had been watching from a distance rushed towards the eastern side of the village.
He ran, panting heavily, and finally stopped in front of a large mansion, where a sign displayed “Zhao Mansion.”
“Steward, what happened to you?”
The doorman rushed forward to help upon seeing him.
“Hurry and take me to see the master; it’s bad news!”
The steward staggered into the back yard, where Zhao Dapeng was leisurely feeding the koi fish in the pond with several visitors.
“What is the matter that you’re in such a hurry?”
Seeing the steward breathless, Zhao Dapeng frowned in displeasure.
At this moment, Zhao Dapeng was dressed in a bright robe made of silk and satin, wearing a pearl hat, with jade in his hand, a plump figure, and a rosy complexion.
Where once stood an old farmer, now there appeared a wealthy gentleman.
The steward couldn’t hold back any longer and quickly whispered a few words to him, causing Zhao Dapeng’s expression to change dramatically.
He then made an excuse to dismiss his guests and returned indoors with the steward.
“Is everything you said true?”
“Master, I saw it with my own eyes, over seventy people, it’s absolutely certain!”
Zhao Dapeng leaned back in his chair, twisting the white jade beads in his hand, his eyes shifting constantly.
“Master, the main family has really taken action this time…” the steward said quietly.
Hearing this, Zhao Dapeng’s anger flared up.
“Damn it! A bunch of useless fools, they never succeed but always ruin things! I told them to keep a low profile, but they wouldn’t listen. Now they’ve annoyed the main family; what are we going to do? It makes me furious!”
Zhao Dapeng slammed his hand on the chair and stood up, saying to the steward, “Go, gather everyone to the back yard! Remember, everyone! Bring those few boys back to me!”
“Understood, I’ll go right away!”
The steward hurriedly ran out, leaving Zhao Dapeng alone in the room, his face dark with worry.
“Alas… truly a disaster!”
He recalled the days when he toiled in the fields, struggling even to hire a helper, and whenever he visited relatives, they looked at him disdainfully.
Eventually, he had no choice but to take his young son Zhao Qi to the fields.
Every night, seeing the blisters on the boy’s feet made his heart ache.
Life as a farmer was bearable; each year, his family could eat and even save a little.
But who could have predicted the monster troubles would come? To survive, they were forced to abandon their fields and family business.
Zhao Dapeng and his family knelt outside Baishi Town for three days and nights without anyone opening the door. In utter desperation, he brought his last hope to the Yang Family seeking refuge.
Fortunately, the Yang Family was kind-hearted and willing to take in refugees like them, providing temporary housing and food.
From that moment, Zhao Dapeng pledged his loyalty to the Yang Family.
Later, when rumors about the Yang Family spread, he was the first to condemn those spreading such gossip, saying they had lost their conscience.
Eventually, when the monster tide was quelled, they regained their land and began a new life at the foot of Song Mountain.
Looking back now, it seemed that the fortunes of his Zhao Family began to change from that point.
Sharing hardships with the Yang Family, gaining clan status, and with Zhao Qi chosen by the Yang Family’s Master, Zhao Dapeng’s position underwent a dramatic transformation.
With a grand mansion, he became a master himself, and life became prosperous.
Yet, he never expected that as good days arrived, troubles would also knock on his door.
As the saying goes, when poor, no one comes to question you; when rich, distant relatives come flocking. After news spread of Zhao Dapeng and his family moving into their new mansion, all sorts of distant relatives who rarely contacted him hurried to visit.
Not just close relatives, but even those with a slight connection showed up at his door.
These weren’t too bad, but even those sharing just the Zhao surname dared to come with their faces thick with shame.
Seeing this, Zhao Dapeng became furious and drove them all out.
But once, twice, three times; day after day, they came begging and pestering him until he grew weary.
In the end, he called all his relatives together and decided to create a new family tree, establishing himself as the Master and clearly defining the relationships among them.
He thought that this would bring some peace, but little did he know, this was the source of trouble.
Those who entered the family tree, believing themselves to be favored by the Master, began to act tyrannically in the village.
At first, they only ran up debts at restaurants and shops, but as others began to fear them and no one restrained them, their behavior grew increasingly reckless.
Eventually, they even began bullying and fighting in the streets.
As a result, these individuals were captured by family soldiers, given a severe lesson, and made to pay for their misdeeds before being returned to Zhao Mansion.
Zhao Dapeng personally led these miscreant descendants to the main family to seek punishment.
He thought they would learn from their mistakes and behave, but unexpectedly, these fools continued their reckless ways, causing chaos on the southern bank while the family soldiers were on the northern bank, making the southern villagers cry out in despair.
“A group of brainless idiots! They have truly ruined me!”
Thinking of these troubles, Zhao Dapeng felt a tightness in his chest.
He himself didn’t care; even if he had to face punishment from the main family, he wouldn’t complain. He feared only that these issues would affect Zhao Qi, who had gone to the mountain.
Now, with the Liang Family’s surrender, it looked on the surface like an act of kindness from the main family, but Zhao Dapeng understood clearly that this was a warning!
From now on, the Zhao Family’s dominance on the northern bank would no longer exist.
“The Master, everyone has arrived,” the steward said from outside the door.
Hearing this, Zhao Dapeng collected himself, the hesitation in his heart vanished, and with a fierce glare, he showed determination.
In an instant, this slightly plump master of the Zhao Family transformed back into the solitary farmer he once was, guarding the night in the mountains.
He then pulled out an old, rusty grass-cutting knife from under the bed and strode out the door.
