Chapter 385: The Heart of Chivalry

Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback and asked: “Father, why do I not understand what you’re saying?”

Zhang Cai smiled and replied: “What I mean is, if we don’t touch this vast fortune, won’t we avoid drawing attention to ourselves?”

“Huh?” Zhang Xiaohua was bewildered. “Father, if we’re not going to spend the money, why did I even bring it out?”

Zhang Cai spoke with deep meaning: “Taking it out and not taking it out are completely different. Actually, Xiaohua, the silver notes you brought back five years ago still haven’t been spent. Your mother has always been frugal, saving them for you and your brothers to marry. Even when your eldest brother built a house of his own, he barely spent any of it. So, whether you take out the gold or not doesn’t really matter. However, now that you have revealed such a great fortune, our hearts can be at ease. Even if we spend all the silver notes now, isn’t there still gold in the house as our safety net? Tell me, isn’t that different from not taking it out at all?”

“What’s more, even as things stand, our family already draws some envy. If we go any further, it’ll only bring more trouble. But with you at home in the future, I suppose things will be much better.”

In that instant, Zhang Xiaohua understood. Though there were many silver notes, they would eventually run out, and that day wasn’t far off. That was why his mother and father remained extremely thrifty, never buying what wasn’t necessary, never spending what didn’t need to be spent. Now that there was gold enough to last a lifetime, it naturally gave their hearts a sense of security, and they could finally live a little more freely.

Of course, Zhang Xiaohua also knew that his parents were used to the ways of a farming family—they would never be wasteful. They had their own sense of propriety, and there was no need for him to say anything more.

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment, then probed: “Father, now that everything at home has been settled, do you think it’s time for me to leave?”

“Leave?” Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaolong immediately called out: “Xiaohua, you’ve only just returned home for a few days—why are you in such a hurry to leave? Didn’t Father and Mother both tell you to stay at home and not go wandering anymore?”

In his heart, Zhang Xiaohua thought: “Big Brother, there are still two young ladies waiting for me to escort them in Pingyang City. They’ve already been waiting for more than ten days. If I don’t return soon, they might think I’ve gone missing.”

Of course, he had no intention of telling his family about this. After all, Nie Qianyu and Little Orange were being hunted by evildoers, and there was real danger involved. If he told his family, they would only worry.

So, Zhang Xiaohua smiled and said: “Big Brother, hasn’t Second Brother still not been found? He’s been missing for years, and we don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. I’m going to look for him and drag him back from that so-called Piaomiao Hall. What do you think?”

Then, seeing Zhang Cai’s face cloud over, he quickly added: “Father, don’t worry. I’m only going to find Second Brother. I won’t get involved in the Piaomiao Sect’s affairs.”

Hearing this, Zhang Cai’s expression grew even gloomier.

Zhang Xiaohua secretly thought, “This isn’t good.”

Sure enough, Zhang Cai suddenly stood up with a “huff,” glared at Zhang Xiaohua, and barked: “Come here.”

Without another word, he turned and walked straight outside, stopping at the grave of Xiaohua’s grandmother. He called out: “Kneel.”

“Father~” Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback.

“Kneel!” Zhang Cai shouted again, without hesitation.

Though Zhang Xiaohua didn’t understand his father’s intentions, he still knelt down, feeling aggrieved.

Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s aggrieved, nearly tearful expression, Zhang Cai’s heart ached, but he steeled himself and said: “Xiaohua, I want to ask you a few questions.”

“Father, please ask,” Zhang Xiaohua replied quietly, still kneeling.

“When we encountered your eldest sister-in-law in Lu Town, who saved us?”

“Hero Wen and Lady Xue.”

“And when you and your big brother went to fetch your sister-in-law, who saved you on the road?”

“It was Hero Lu.”

“Where did you learn all your martial arts skills?”

“This…” Zhang Xiaohua hesitated. His Carefree Heart Sutra had been obtained by chance from the Piaomiao Sect’s library, and he had gradually comprehended it on his own. If he claimed it wasn’t taught by the Piaomiao Sect, that wouldn’t be true, since the Heart Sutra did indeed come from their sect. Moreover, his Big Dipper Divine Fist—its most fundamental form, the Arhat Fist—had been taught to him by He Tianshu of the Piaomiao Sect. To say his martial arts had nothing to do with them would be going against his conscience. So, Zhang Xiaohua could only helplessly answer: “I learned it from the Piaomiao Sect’s library.”

“When you first arrived in Pingyang City, wasn’t that manor you went to owned by the Piaomiao Sect? Wasn’t it them who gave you your first meal?”

There was no denying it—Huanxi Villa was indeed the property of the Piaomiao Sect, and it was thanks to them that Zhang Xiaohua had his very first job in life.

Zhang Xiaohua nodded, unable to refute.

“And your second brother—didn’t he join the Piaomiao Sect, win the favor of their sect master, and become a personal disciple?”

“That… that was what I exchanged my life for.” Zhang Xiaohua tried to explain anxiously, but Zhang Cai paid him no heed, only pressing: “Just answer yes or no.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, before your grandmother’s grave, search your heart and ask yourself—can you really sever all ties with the Piaomiao Sect? No matter whether they acknowledge you as one of their own, shouldn’t you first acknowledge that it was the Piaomiao Sect that made you who you are? And now, when disaster has befallen the Piaomiao Sect—rumor has it the sect has been annihilated—do you truly feel nothing? Can you still say, ‘If not for searching for Second Brother, what does the Piaomiao Sect have to do with me?’ Ask your grandmother in the afterlife—how would she answer you?”

These words struck Zhang Xiaohua like a bolt of lightning, sending a cold sweat coursing down his body, beads as large as beans rolling from his brow.

“Yes… Even if I am not a disciple of the Piaomiao Sect, and even if they do not recognize me as one, can I truly claim to have no connection with them?”

Seeing his son like this, Zhang Cai’s expression softened somewhat. He said: “Xiaohua, be grateful—remember, you must always be grateful. Our family is poor, and you left home early. For these five years, I know your life has been hard and dangerous. As your father, I haven’t fulfilled my duty, nor have I properly guided you. This isn’t your fault—it’s mine. Our family owes much to the Piaomiao Sect. As the saying goes, ‘A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring.’ You must always remember this: we must repay the Piaomiao Sect’s kindness.”

Ashamed, Zhang Xiaohua burst into tears and said: “I understand, Father. I truly will. Honestly, when I first returned from the deserted island and heard news about the Piaomiao Sect, my first thought was to avenge Sect Master Ou and the others. But somehow, as I traveled, I grew more and more weary, only wanting to quietly cultivate and not be entangled in worldly affairs. Even the words I just spoke—I don’t know how I could have said them. Maybe it just slipped out.”

Zhang Cai nodded. “If you said it so casually, then that means you do have such thoughts in your heart. I don’t understand martial arts cultivation, but let me talk about what happened yesterday. Since you managed to capture that man in black, you should have done it thoroughly, not giving him any chance to resist. Yesterday, you nearly made another mistake—Zai Zai’s father was probably badly injured, and the man in black ended up being burned to death.”

“Father, I know I was wrong. At the time, I just wanted to capture him and hand him over to the authorities.”

“And also, last night at the Li family, you spoke about human nature. I’m not a learned man, so I didn’t interrupt you then. Maybe you had a point, but I feel that while we must be cautious of others, we shouldn’t think too badly of everyone. I know people in the martial world can be cunning, but fairness lies in people’s hearts. Even if people have no conscience, the heavens are watching.”

“Now that you have real ability, I don’t expect you to become some great hero admired by all. I only hope you can be an upright person, facing everyone with gratitude, compassion, and a chivalrous heart.”

From childhood to now, Zhang Xiaohua had never been so earnestly admonished by his father. With tears in his eyes, he listened and nodded repeatedly.

Seeing this, Zhang Cai said: “That’s all I have to say. I can’t say more. Just kneel here and think it over. When you’ve figured it out, go back inside.”

With that, he turned and left.

He had only gone halfway when Guo Sufei came rushing over, with Zhang Xiaolong, who had just run out, following behind.

Seeing Zhang Cai’s angry expression and Zhang Xiaohua’s tear-streaked face, Guo Sufei also began to cry. She shot Zhang Cai a fierce glare, then hurried over to pull Zhang Xiaohua up, saying: “Xiaohua, don’t pay attention to your father—he’s getting old and muddleheaded.”

Zhang Xiaohua wiped away his tears and said: “No, Mother, Father was right. I truly was in the wrong. Please let me stay here with Grandmother and reflect for a while.”

Guo Sufei said: “Good child, but it’s so cold out here. If you must think, why not go inside?”

Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but laugh. “Mother, I’m already eighteen. You should call Jian’er ‘good child’ instead.”

“Eighteen?” Guo Sufei replied. “Eighteen and still crying?”

Embarrassed, Zhang Xiaohua wiped his tears again. “I’m not crying anymore, Mother. It’s just that Father hasn’t scolded me in so long, I was moved. Really, it’s not cold outside. Please go back in, or I won’t be able to think clearly with you here. Wouldn’t that just waste more time?”

Seeing that Zhang Xiaohua was determined to stay, Guo Sufei could only remind him: “Think carefully, and think quickly. I’ll go make dinner. When it’s ready, I’ll come call you.”

She left, still glancing back anxiously as she hurried away.

Once his mother was gone, Zhang Xiaohua finally calmed down and began to reflect quietly.

In truth, Zhang Xiaohua had always held a very good impression of the Piaomiao Sect, Sect Master Ou, Wen Wenhai, Lu Mingyue, Xue Qing, He Tianshu, and the others. He was especially grateful to Ou Peng. But after learning the secret of the Immortal Dao, and discovering that his Carefree Heart Sutra was an artifact of the Immortal Dao, he realized the Piaomiao Sect was a sect with immortal heritage. Remembering how mysterious Ou Peng had been in asking to copy his Big Dipper Divine Fist manual, doubts began to grow in his heart.