On the long corridor at the center of West Lake, Yan Shouyi walked ahead, with Zhao Zhenghao following behind, his head bowed, his eyes fixed on Yan Shouyi's retreating back.
"Aren't you afraid I'll make a move now?" Zhao Zhenghao said coldly. "You're quite capable among the younger generation, but you're still too young. If I wanted to kill you, San Long and the Baldy wouldn't be able to get here in time."
Yan Shouyi didn't turn his head, confidently stating, "Patriarch Zhao wouldn't kill me, because we have much to discuss tonight."
Zhao Zhenghao let out a cold laugh. "You boy, what gives you such confidence?"
Yan Shouyi stopped, placed his hands on the railing, and turned his head to smile. "Patriarch Zhao probably wants to act even less than I do. After all, the Zhao family's reputation is in tatters in the martial world right now, and your position is precarious. For you, facing internal and external troubles, you're already overwhelmed. There's no need to fight me to the death."
"Did you pry these words from that girl Yiyao?" Zhao Zhenghao's expression was a bit unnatural.
Alas, this girl is still too naive.
Yan Shouyi said, "Let's not talk nonsense. Honestly, for you to bring the entire Zhao family all the way to Rongcheng, there must be only one reason – in Rongcheng, you can resolve both your internal and external troubles! So, let's talk now about how to relieve your worries."
Zhao Zhenghao was silent for a moment.
Actually, what Yan Shouyi said was not wrong. Due to differing attitudes towards the Immortals, the Zhao family had long been jointly boycotted by the Northern Xuanmen, and their position in the Northeast was already precarious.
It was precisely because of this that the Zhao family members were restless. Many considered Zhao Zhenghao incompetent and began to covet his position as patriarch.
The Zhao family was already in trouble, and with internal discord, if the patriarch were to change, it would only accelerate the Zhao family's decline.
Therefore, Zhao Zhenghao's original intention in coming to Rongcheng was to kill Yan Shouyi, vent his anger, and establish his authority within the clan. He knew very well that Fukada Ichiro was not killed by Yan Shouyi, but was merely an excuse.
However, Zhao Yiyao was later captured, and Zhao Zhenghao's plan changed.
Seeing Zhao Zhenghao's silence, Yan Shouyi said leisurely, "Actually, there is no life-and-death enmity between our two families. I don't like making enemies everywhere, so I can offer you a plan that will resolve your internal and external troubles and also ease the relationship between our families."
Zhao Zhenghao tried his best to appear uncooperative, but he couldn't hold back. After only a few seconds of hesitation, he gave in and asked proactively, "What plan?"
"The Chamans have a cultivation method called 'Shen Nei Jing'."
Yan Shouyi merely uttered the name of this cultivation method, causing Zhao Zhenghao to tremble all over.
His eyes widened, and an uncontrollable, desperate craving flashed in them. "You know 'Shen Nei Jing'?"
"The Lu Ban Collection draws on the strengths of a hundred schools of thought. What do you think?" Yan Shouyi blinked and retorted.
Zhao Zhenghao became even more excited. "Are you saying that 'Shen Nei Jing' is recorded in the Lu Ban Collection?"
Yan Shouyi smiled without speaking, removed his hands from the railing, and walked away with his hands behind his back.
Zhao Zhenghao hurried to follow, only to find Yan Shouyi walking continuously forward. The corridor was not wide, and he couldn't even squeeze past Yan Shouyi to converse with him. He could only follow obediently.
"Every Chaman chosen by the Immortals must endure hardship. Not to mention the 'five disabilities and three deficiencies,' frail health is also common. After all, what possesses you are not true deities, but monsters who have not yet ascended. I actually understand why the Zhao family enslaves those Huang Daxian in return, as no one wants to be drained like this for a lifetime."
Zhao Zhenghao sighed and said, "That's right. Not all those Immortals are good monsters. Some Immortals even force us to do bad things, which is why we resisted. But this resistance, in the eyes of some old fossils, became defiance, a disrespect for tradition. This is why the Zhao family has become a public enemy, ridiculed by the Xuanmen."
"The Immortals possessing you are called 'Shen Wai,' while 'Shen Nei Jing' helps Chamans cultivate 'Shen Nei,' that is, themselves. Once cultivation is successful, one's own soul will be even stronger than the possessing Immortal. If the Immortal cooperates, you can join forces to become even more formidable."
Yan Shouyi paused and continued, "Unfortunately, 'Shen Nei Jing' was lost during the war when Northeast China fell decades ago. Now, only the Liu family in Heilongjiang possesses it, but their family is controlled by the Guardian Immortals and would never pass on 'Shen Nei Jing.' Therefore, in this world, only I still have 'Shen Nei Jing'."
Zhao Zhenghao's hands trembled uncontrollably. He stopped abruptly, gritted his teeth, and said, "If you are willing to give me 'Shen Nei Jing,' my position as Patriarch of the Zhao family will no longer be shaken. Once the Zhao family learns 'Shen Nei Jing,' they will no longer fear harassment or bullying from outsiders! This is indeed a way to resolve internal and external troubles!"
Yan Shouyi still didn't turn around. He laughed heartily and said meaningfully, "But did I ever say I would give you 'Shen Nei Jing'? You should know its value, Patriarch Zhao. As long as I'm willing to offer it, how many Chaman families would be willing to come to Rongcheng to trade with me? Why would I use such a treasure to offset a baseless accusation?"
This accusation was the so-called crime of him killing Fukada Ichiro.
Zhao Zhenghao took a deep breath.
He finally understood.
Yan Shouyi had been confident all along, as he had a well-thought-out plan. He held trump cards one after another, some that the Zhao family feared and some that they craved. From the very beginning, Yan Shouyi was playing a game that was impossible to lose!
And throughout this journey, Yan Shouyi had always kept his back to Zhao Zhenghao, all for the sake of Zhao Zhenghao's attitude!
He needed the Zhao family's submission!
Zhao Zhenghao stood behind Yan Shouyi, looking at the young man's confident and proud back under the moonlight, and realized how much Yan Shouyi resembled Yan Chou from back then.
Submit?
Or not submit?
This was a question that required no further choice.
Zhao Zhenghao gritted his teeth and knelt on one knee behind Yan Shouyi.
"I am willing to represent the Zhao family and submit to you, submit to the Yan family, and be loyal to the Yan family for generations to come!"
As expected, Yan Shouyi turned around to face Zhao Zhenghao.
He said indifferently, "The current era is different from the past. Generations are too long, and the Yan family will have its decline. At that time, it's hard to guarantee that your Zhao family won't betray us. Therefore—this 'Shen Nei Jing,' I will trade for the submission of your Zhao family for three generations! After three generations, your Zhao family is free to leave."
Zhao Zhenghao was greatly surprised. He hadn't expected there to be room for negotiation.
He couldn't help but say, "If it were your father, Yan Chou, he probably wouldn't have given us this chance."
Yan Shouyi slightly raised his chin, his tone calm yet firm, "I am not him."
After this simple answer, Zhao Zhenghao suddenly realized that this young man, who resembled Yan Chou in his youth by nine parts, now seemed vastly different from Yan Chou.
He was not Yan Chou.
He was Yan Shouyi.
Zhao Zhenghao smiled and said with heartfelt conviction, "In the past, I only saw you as Yan Chou's son. Now it's different. Now you are Yan Shouyi."
As Yan Shouyi shed the halo of Yan Chou through his own charisma, it also signified that the older generation would eventually remain in the past as memories, and the new generation of heroes began to emerge.
"The Zhao family for three generations is willing to go through fire and water for Yan Shouyi!"