TRWSB – Chapter 212 The Disputed Ownership of the Tianxing Mountains

“Young Master, the Grand Elder is here,” reported the captain of the Zuo family’s guard.

Zuo Yunfei frowned and muttered, “Why is that old codger here? Shouldn’t the family head be the one coming? That guy has always had it in for me—just because I gave him a beating during the clan competition. Is that really worth holding a grudge for this long?”

Hearing his complaints, the guard twitched his lips slightly but said nothing.

Zuo Yunfei turned to glance at Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong. “An old guy’s here. I’ll go deal with him.”

“Is this going to be a problem?” Qi Heng asked, a bit uneasy.

Zuo Yunfei waved a hand nonchalantly. “No problem at all. He can’t beat me.”

Qi Heng hesitated, then said, “Still, it’s best not to fight with the elderly…”

“I know,” Zuo Yunfei replied with a nod.

When Zuo Yunfei entered the main hall, he saw Zuo Yongsheng sitting in the main seat, sipping tea. “Where’s the family head?”

“The family head had other matters to attend to, so he sent me instead,” Zuo Yongsheng replied.

Zuo Yunfei crossed his arms and sat opposite the elder. “Doesn’t matter who came. Did you bring the land deed and transfer documents for the Tianxing Mountains?”

Zuo Yongsheng asked, “Zuo Yunfei, do you even know how much the Tianxing Mountains are worth?”

“Nope. Maybe twenty billion? Should be just about enough for a bride price,” Zuo Yunfei answered casually.

“The Tianxing Mountains, if fully developed, are worth at least sixty billion,” Zuo Yongsheng said sternly.

Zuo Yunfei chuckled, “Oh? So it’s actually worth that much? I really didn’t know. Seems like I struck gold.”

“Yunfei, after discussion among the family elders, we’ve decided that this land is a key family asset and can’t be given to you,” Zuo Yongsheng declared.

A cold glint flashed in Zuo Yunfei’s eyes. “Didn’t the family let this place rot before? Now that I’ve turned it around, the family head wants to go back on his word? That’s really low.”

Zuo Yongsheng scowled, clearly displeased. “Ridiculous! How can you speak of the family head that way?”

“What, he can act dishonorably and I can’t even mention it?”

“You don’t need to offer the Tianxing Mountains as a bride price!” Zuo Yongsheng insisted.

Zuo Yunfei turned to Zuo Yongsheng, his voice laced with menace, “Is this the family head’s idea? Or are you just trying to screw me over for your own selfish reasons?”

Zuo Yongsheng frowned deeply at Zuo Yunfei’s increasingly hostile demeanor. “What are you planning to do? You’re getting more and more out of line!”

Zuo Yunfei shrugged. “There’s a Saint-rank Earth Bear on this mountain. If it accidentally squashes you to death, who’s to say what happened?”

Zuo Yongsheng took a deep breath to calm himself. “All you want is twenty billion for a bride price, right? You don’t need to trade the Tianxing Mountains for that. Isn’t twenty billion a bit much? Can’t you and Qi Shaorong work something out and lower the price?”

Zuo Yunfei crossed his arms again. “Twenty billion isn’t much. That’s what my wife is worth.”

Zuo Yongsheng looked at him, clearly frustrated. “You’re really taking that servant of Qi Shaorong’s way too seriously. Why can’t you fall for someone else?”

Zuo Yunfei suddenly grabbed Zuo Yongsheng by the collar and growled, “Who I like is none of your business! Just hand over the deed and the transfer papers, you old fart! Say another word and I’ll kill you!”

Zuo Yongsheng’s face turned red. “The family head didn’t give me the deed or transfer papers.”

Zuo Yunfei sneered and tightened his grip. “Didn’t give you anything? So what are you doing here—asking to die?”

“Wait! He didn’t give me the deed, but he gave me something else!” Zuo Yongsheng blurted out in fear.

“What?” Zuo Yunfei demanded.

Zuo Yongsheng quickly took out a card. “This is a joint-issued Amethyst Card from the ten major trading firms. There are twenty cards, each with a one billion credit limit.”

Zuo Yunfei snatched the cards. “Why didn’t you just say so? Hiding them like you were going to keep them for yourself?”

Zuo Yongsheng glared at him. “That card isn’t a free gift. The family head has another condition.”

“Wasn’t he going to give me the Tianxing Mountains originally? Now he regrets it after seeing its potential? What else does he want?” Zuo Yunfei asked impatiently.

“Watch your tone, Zuo Yunfei. You’re still a member of the Zuo family!” Zuo Yongsheng snapped.

“If you weren’t part of the Zuo family, I’d have killed you already,” Zuo Yunfei growled.

“The Tianxing Mountains will now be taken over by the family,” Zuo Yongsheng declared.

Zuo Yunfei nodded indifferently. “Fine. I didn’t want to manage it anyway.”

Back in the main hall, Qi Heng let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Zuo Yunfei return.

“Yunfei, what did the Grand Elder say?”

Zuo Yunfei sat down and replied, “Originally, the family head promised me the abandoned Tianxing Mountains. But now that he realizes it’s a golden goose, he’s backing out and gave me twenty billion to brush me off.”

“If you’re no longer managing the mountains, what happens to the Earth Bear?” Zhuang Hao asked.

“There are two options. If Young Master Zhuang doesn’t feel at ease, you can take it with you. Otherwise, you can leave it here. The Zuo family is willing to pay three billion a year to hire it for mining. I can pay two years in advance.”

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Then leave it here for now. I’ll figure out what to do after I return to the capital.”

“Sounds good,” Zuo Yunfei replied.

Zuo Yunfei and the others stayed in the Tianxing Mountain Range for another two months, during which they thoroughly cleared out all the magical beasts in the area.

Two months later, Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao returned to Yuan Kingdom, while Zuo Yunfei took Qi Heng back to the Zuo family.

Inside the carriage, Qi Shaorong sat with a troubled expression.

Zhuang Hao glanced at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Liuyun married into another family, and now Qi Heng has followed Zuo Yunfei away. One by one, the people around me are being lured off by random guys—I’m heartbroken!” Qi Shaorong said with a deep frown.

Zhuang Hao looked at him and said, “If you married me, you wouldn’t be so heartbroken.”

Qi Shaorong: “Let’s talk about that later…”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

“I really miscalculated! I thought asking for twenty billion would make things difficult for Zuo Yunfei, but he actually managed to gather it all. If I’d known, I would’ve asked for more,” Qi Shaorong said with frustration.

Zhuang Hao smiled and replied, “Qi Heng found someone so capable. You should be happy for him.”

“I know, but it still feels weird,” Qi Shaorong muttered.

“In this world, strength is everything. Maybe it’s time I change my mindset too,” he added thoughtfully.

At the Zhuang Family Residence

“You’re back!” Zhuang Renquan greeted Zhuang Hao warmly.

“Yes, Third Uncle,” Zhuang Hao replied.

Renquan patted his shoulder and said, “You’ve grown stronger.”

Zhuang Hao smiled. “I’ve managed.”

“I heard you formed a contract with a Saint-level Earth Bear?” Renquan asked.

Zhuang Hao frowned and turned to look at his uncle. “You know about that?”

“With how big the news has gotten, how could I not? The Emperor probably heard about it even earlier,” Renquan said with a slightly sarcastic tone.

Zhuang Hao: “…”

“You’re impressive, Ah Hao. Contracting a Saint-level magical beast is no small feat,” Renquan said admiringly.

Zhuang Hao smiled. “It wasn’t all me—Shaorong’s potions played a big role.”

Renquan nodded. “Young Master Qi does have extraordinary skills.”

“Shaorong and I are planning to travel a bit,” Zhuang Hao said.

Renquan raised his eyebrows. “Qi Shaorong wants to travel? Can he leave his responsibilities?”

Zhuang Hao smiled. “Qi Heng went off with Zuo Yunfei, and Bi Liuyun married into the Sea Clan. Mu Tingxuan and Yi Fan are left handling everything, and they’re overwhelmed. Plus, Shaorong thinks both Mu and Yi Fan have great cultivation potential. The booming business of the Qingcheng Cosmetics Store is actually hindering their growth, so Shaorong plans to transfer some of the business.”

Renquan looked at Zhuang Hao in surprise. “Qi Shaorong wants to let go of his business?”

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Yes.”

“They won’t have any objections?”

“Shaorong already spoke with Yi Fan, who was actually glad. He’s been wanting to free up time to travel with Mu Tingxuan,” Zhuang Hao explained.

Renquan pondered for a moment. “That makes sense. Young Master Qi is still young and in his prime—being too tied down by business can hinder development.”

“That’s how Shaorong sees it too,” Zhuang Hao agreed.

Renquan looked at him and asked, “So, where are you planning to go?”

“Dilan City,” Zhuang Hao replied.

“The City of Magic?” Renquan asked, surprised.

Zhuang Hao nodded. “That’s right.”

Dilan City, also known as the City of Magic, is said to be the birthplace of magic. It holds countless magical relics. Many Saint-level magicians have found opportunities for enlightenment there, allowing them to break through to Saint-level.

“With your current strength, it’s good to go explore. But when you get there, keep a low profile. Your identity as the young master of the Zhuang family won’t mean much in that place,” Renquan cautioned.

“I understand,” Zhuang Hao nodded.

In Dilan City, many powerful and reclusive Saint-level magicians reside. Standing out too much in such a place is never a good idea.

As the holy land in the hearts of countless magic users, Dilan City is a must-visit for any accomplished magician. However, the cost of living there is infamously high—without a decent fortune, living there would be nothing short of suffering.