The Zhang family's inner clan was largely wiped out after that battle, but some members had managed to escape and were scattered outside.
When the overseas Zhang family initiated the war, they did so under Zhang Qiling's banner. Consequently, in the eyes of the inner clan members, Zhang Qiling, as the clan leader, had committed an unforgivable sin by allowing outsiders to attack their ancestral home.
It was difficult to fathom the thoughts of these deranged individuals, and Xie Yuchen was unwilling to waste too much time on these insignificant stones that couldn't even produce a single useful word. Thus, he bundled up all these self-surrendering inner clan members and handed them over to Song Shuning.
Although the inner clan members were as stubborn as cooked ducks, they were, after all, skilled fighters.
The overseas Zhang family was not afraid of these thoroughly brainwashed inner clan members revealing any secrets. They also felt that these former clan members were too troublesome to keep, so they handed them over to Song Shuning in one go, implying that they could atone for their past sins through "labor."
Inner clan members: Seriously?
These inner clan members had no human rights. Both those who gave them away and those who received them were delighted. Judging by the state of these survivors, this business could continue indefinitely after this deal.
Xie Yuchen completed the transaction with Song Shuning in front of the Zhang clan leader. Zhang Qiling showed no reaction, even displaying a hint of realization, as if thinking, "Oh, so it can be done this way."
Clearly, in his eyes, these Zhang family members were no different from any random person on the street. It was unknown what Zhang Haike would think upon realizing this.
Then, on the third day, Wu Tianzhen finally overcame all obstacles and returned to Changbai Mountain, having blazed a trail through all difficulties.
"Thank you so much, Xiao Hua. I've troubled you," Wu Tianzhen said, thanking Xie Yuchen. He then glanced at Zhang Qiling's condition behind him, his voice filled with evident worry, "Have you two been getting along these past few days?"
Zhang Qiling's expression was blank, appearing no different from when he was discharged from the hospital. Only his clothes looked more high-end, likely a touch from Xie Yuchen.
Knowing he wouldn't get any answers from the blank Xiao Zhang, Wu Tianzhen turned to Xie Yuchen with trepidation.
"...Speaking of which," Xie Yuchen paused, then sidestepped the topic, throwing a new question at Wu Tianzhen with a half-smile, "How come I didn't know the great clan leader Zhang was also taking on the role of a bodyguard here?"
"I heard you, Mr. Wu, were his introducer? Why don't you calculate for me how much salary I should offer him as a bodyguard, hmm?"
Wu Tianzhen: ...
Wu Tianzhen's expression instantly matched Zhang Qiling's perfectly, so blank that they were indistinguishable. He uttered "ah?" several times before finally recalling the infamous words from the depths of his memory.
...It seemed that when he had sent Xiao Ge over, he was afraid that he wouldn't accept living in Xiao Hua's house, and in a moment of casual reassurance, he had blurted out, "It's not entirely safe around Xiao Hua either; you can help him out when you get there."
Wu Tianzhen:?! So why did it turn into a bodyguard job? Xiao Ge, what kind of comprehension skills do you have, ahhhhh!
Zhang Qiling was oblivious to Wu Tianzhen's internal monologue. He tilted his head, observing Wu Tianzhen's ever-changing expression for a moment, as if he had just understood Xie Yuchen's meaning.
...He was calculating his salary!
And so, Wu Tianzhen watched as Zhang Qiling, with a look of "I understand," slowly picked up the optical computer next to him (he guessed it was a gift from Xiao Hua), his indifferent eyes carefully scanning the screen.
Then, Xiao Zhang very firmly stated, "One million a day."
The air instantly froze.
But soon, Wu Tianzhen's scream shattered the silence.
He let out a wail like a screaming chicken, and even Xie Yuchen beside him took a step to the side with a hint of disdain.
Zhang Qiling, however, remained motionless, appearing perfectly accepting.
It had to be said that Wu Tianzhen's current screams perfectly overlapped with the scenes of him constantly yelling in Changbai Mountain from the video package, giving Zhang Qiling, who had watched videos all day, a strange sense of familiarity.
"Xiao, Xiao Hua, Xiao Ge doesn't deserve this, pfft, no, what I mean is—" Wu Tianzhen struggled to articulate his thoughts after several attempts. He snatched the optical computer from Zhang Qiling's hand and stared at the row of zeros on it, his eyes blurring.
"...In short, why, ahhhhh?!"
In this moment, Wu Tianzhen thought of many things. He thought of himself, who had bought countless lottery tickets but won nothing, and then of Xiao Zhang, who had gotten rich quickly by selling his charms at the port. His confusion and shock reached their peak.
Zhang Qiling, being a considerate person, noticed Xiao Wu's trembling soul. Although he wasn't entirely sure why the number on the screen could cause such a massive mental attack on Wu Tianzhen, he still thought for a moment and intended to explain.
"Went to the White Horse Club, there are—" (killers)
Before Xiao Zhang could utter the word "killers," his ears were subjected to an unprecedented assault.
The moment Wu Tianzhen heard "White Horse Club," he was almost about to unleash all his physical energy into a scream. His expression completely transformed into the world-famous painting "The Scream," and his entire being, from head to toe, powerfully conveyed a state of extreme breakdown.
However, his throat simply couldn't sustain such prolonged high-load operation. Therefore, Wu Tianzhen stopped screaming just before Xie Yuchen, who was losing his patience, could intervene.
"Xiao Hua, Xiao Ge doesn't deserve this, ahhhhhh!" At this moment, Wu Tianzhen's cry was truly heartfelt.
Xie Yuchen: ...
Xie Yuchen's usually composed expression flickered for a moment. He forcefully suppressed the urge to smash Wu Tianzhen's head and said with a deadly smile:
"You'd better not overthink things, or I'm not sure what I'll do to you."
Wu Tianzhen immediately shut his mouth.
Xie Yuchen sighed, pressing his temples, which were starting to ache. He felt as if all the exasperation of his life had been used up in these past few days.
"...Not all of this money was earned by me. Don't look at me like I sold Zhang Qiling."
"There was a Zhang family inner clan assassin at the White Horse Club, whom Zhang Qiling controlled. I then handed him over to Song Shuning."
"Most of that money was a token of gratitude from Song Shuning after receiving the person."
Upon hearing this explanation, Wu Tianzhen displayed an unmistakably relieved expression.
He usually had little control over his expressions in front of people he trusted, but his overly blatant relaxation at this moment made Xie Yuchen's fists itch.
Wu Tianzhen, unaware that he had narrowly escaped, counted on his fingers and his tone suddenly became shocked.
"Holy crap, one Zhang family inner clan member, two million?!"
...Are the current Zhang family inner clan members this valuable? What's going on, are they made of gold from head to toe?
But Xie Yuchen suddenly showed a complex expression, trying to suppress a smile.
"...No, one isn't worth that much," he said in a peculiar tone, pointing at Zhang Qiling, who had been standing at the back as if uninvolved in everything. "But who's to blame when our Zhang clan leader has unique capturing skills?"
"He's very accurate at identifying Zhang family members and captured quite a few along the way. Even after letting go of the overseas Zhang family members who were guarding them, there were still five or six inner clan members left."
Wu Tianzhen suddenly understood something. He looked at the innocent-looking Xiao Zhang with a dumbfounded expression, and a famous saying suddenly flashed through his mind—
Your Majesty, why are you leading the rebellion?!