PCJ – Chapter 568 The Dilemma

When Zhang Jiaohua returned to the courtyard in Guluba Alley, Wei Changxin and Wei Chenguang were already waiting outside the gate of Fatty’s courtyard house. There was no entourage—just the two of them, standing respectfully at the door like they were awaiting a very important person.

The neighbors had already noticed the two men, but none recognized Wei Changxin as the district head of Beihai. After all, even though he held a high position, he rarely appeared on the popular television channels in Beijing. Most ordinary citizens, at best, knew the mayor’s name, but few knew who the district heads were.

“Jiaohua, these two men have been standing outside your door for a long time. Fatty hasn’t come back yet. Since you’re here now, go see what they want. If you don’t know them, don’t let them into the courtyard,” an elderly neighborhood auntie said with concern.

“Don’t worry, Granny Liu. I know them—they’re acquaintances of mine, waiting here for me on purpose. Thanks for your concern,” Zhang Jiaohua replied gratefully.

“As long as you know them. I was just worried they might be troublemakers. Since Fatty straightened out his act, and those local hooligans stopped coming around, we’ve had no more trouble here. In our hutong, everyone needs to help maintain this peaceful and harmonious environment,” the old lady said before finally leaving, reassured after seeing Zhang Jiaohua invite them inside.

“The people of our capital really do have such noble values,” Zhang Jiaohua said with a smile.

“Absolutely,” Wei Chenguang nodded quickly in agreement. He was rather intimidated by Zhang Jiaohua. Others may not know the full story, but he knew very well—this was the man who put the Luo Immortal Sect in its place and wiped out the Xiyun Sect with ease. If Zhang Jiaohua wanted, he could probably erase a minor cultivator clan like the Wei family with a flick of his hand.

“Have a seat. You’re guests now—no need to be so stiff,” Zhang Jiaohua gestured them into the living room.

But Wei Chenguang didn’t dare sit. “No, no, I’ll just stand.”

Wei Changxin followed suit. “Right, we’ll just stand.”

Zhang Jiaohua chuckled. “If I tell you to sit, just sit. What’s with all the fuss? Do I have to look up at you just to talk?”

Only then did the two hurriedly sit down.

“So, you went through all this trouble to find me. What do you want?” Zhang Jiaohua asked directly.

“To be honest, Senior Zhang Jiaohua, I’ve heard a lot about your recent activities and had some thoughts,” Wei Chenguang said, bowing his head slightly. He glanced up nervously, watching for any sign of displeasure on Zhang Jiaohua’s face.

“If you’ve got thoughts, just say them. I’m not going to eat you. And what’s happened recently isn’t exactly a secret. If Hua Zhaoyang and Hua Shaobo hadn’t come looking for trouble, I’d have had nothing to do with them. I’m not some man-eating monster,” Zhang Jiaohua replied casually.

“It’s like this,” Wei Chenguang continued. “I know you’ve sealed off the Xiyun Secret Realm. Although its spiritual veins have dried up and its spirit springs have ceased, the realm itself still contains strong spiritual energy. If left unused, that would be a terrible waste. So I thought, since you don’t value it, perhaps someone else could take care of it. In fact, many cultivators would be honored to serve under a powerful figure like you. For example, our Wei family. If you accept us, we’ll be utterly loyal to you, without a hint of betrayal.”

Zhang Jiaohua smiled. “So you’re interested in the Xiyun Secret Realm, huh?”

That startled both Wei Chenguang and Wei Changxin. Wei Chenguang hurriedly said, “We truly want to follow you, Senior Zhang. We harbor no greed.”

Zhang Jiaohua chuckled. “No one goes to this much effort without wanting something. What do you hope to gain from this?”

Wei Chenguang looked a bit awkward. Of course they wouldn’t bother if there were no benefit. “We hope to gain your protection, Senior Zhang. And if you’re willing to guide some of our younger generation, that would be even better. But even if you don’t, we wouldn’t dare expect such favors.”

Wei Changxin, though a powerful district head, dared not put on airs before Zhang Jiaohua. He behaved just like a low-ranking cultivator, speaking with utmost humility.

“Senior Zhang, the Wei family only rose to prominence because we were once a respected cultivation clan. Now that our spiritual line has been severed, decline is inevitable. In a few years, we might be no different from regular citizens. That’s something we, as descendants of the Wei family, cannot accept. But with your protection, we could rise again. That’s the real reason we want to serve you.”

Then Wei Chenguang sweetened the deal: “If our Wei family becomes your subordinate sect, I will not only restore and manage the Xiyun Secret Realm for you, but also rally other declining sects like the Yaowang Valley and the Artifact Refining Sect to your banner. With that, you could quickly form your own great sect.”

Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head. “What’s the point of forming a sect? I’d have to feed all those people? I’ve got better things to do.”

That left the Wei father and son momentarily speechless. From Zhang Jiaohua’s point of view, creating a sect really didn’t bring much benefit—just more responsibilities.

But Wei Chenguang hurried to change his mind. “There are benefits, of course. Though you’d have more people, you wouldn’t need to provide for them. Once the sect is established, we could unify scattered cultivator forces. Eventually, we might become a fourth great power in the cultivation world, rivaling the existing Three Holy Lands. Plus, even if we’ve declined in cultivation, our influence in the secular world is still strong. That kind of power, if used well, could help you avoid the kind of incident you experienced last time. You could focus on cultivation without distractions—it’s a win-win situation.”

Wei Chenguang added, “There are many forces like ours. But because no one can unite them, everyone does their own thing like loose sand. If these scattered cultivator sects could come together, we could form a force strong enough to rival the Three Holy Lands. Of course, those sects owe their dominance to possessing the three major spiritual veins.”

Zhang Jiaohua narrowed his eyes. “So, what you really want to know is whether I possess a spiritual vein, right?”

Caught red-handed, the Wei father and son didn’t deny it.

Wei Changxin calmly said, “Of course, if you do have one, Senior Zhang, then the rise of a fourth great cultivation power is just around the corner. But even if you don’t, as long as your strength continues to grow, scattered sects will still be willing to unite under your leadership. That would be beneficial for everyone.”

Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head again, still uncertain. “This is a big matter. I’ll need to think it over. Come back in a few days, and I’ll give you my answer.”