Chapter 308 - 305: Scheming
Shen Fuxing wasn't the least bit concerned about the upcoming so-called exchange battle.
He didn't have much of a reputation to begin with.
Cowardly, incompetent, henpecked...
These were all labels pinned on him.
His reputation wasn't great to begin with, so even if the Shen Family was trampled and utterly humiliated in three days, it would be no real loss to him.
On the contrary,
the leaders of the other branches coveted his position as Clan Leader.
To this end, they had each spent considerable resources and wealth over the years to constantly cultivate their own leading geniuses.
Their goal was to showcase their abilities,
to prove they could lead the Shen Family toward a better future,
and thereby seize the position of Clan Leader from him!
It had to be said,
this had indeed caused him a certain amount of trouble.
Especially with the successive rise of two rebellious sons, Shen Chong and Shen Changchuan, both Demons of talent, who then became estranged from the Shen Family.
Because of this, the Old Ancestor had already developed an unfavorable opinion of him.
Although the Old Ancestor never said it to his face,
he could clearly feel the Old Ancestor's dissatisfaction.
Shen Fuxing knew very well,
the Old Ancestor was the heaven of the Shen Family,
the one whose existence determined everything for the Shen Family!
If things continued like this,
his position as Clan Leader would very likely be in jeopardy!
Because of this matter,
Shen Fuxing had been worrying, wondering how to suppress those people.
But now, Zhou Lingyun had delivered himself right to his doorstep,
handing him the very knife he needed.
'They've all been so active lately. For the upcoming exchange challenge, surely those geniuses you've all been pushing to the forefront will have to participate, right?'
'Heh, being eager to stand out might leave a good impression on the Old Ancestor.'
'But at the same time, when the sky falls, it's the tall ones who have to hold it up!'
A cold sneer appeared on Shen Fuxing's face.
It didn't take much thought.
Everyone knew how vast the gap was between the younger generation of the Shen Family and a prodigy from the Central State.
In the exchange battle three days from now, the Shen Family was bound to lose!
Moreover,
since that Zhou Lingyun was standing up for his aunt,
he would probably humiliate the participating Shen Family disciples severely!
In that case,
every single one of those overeager branches would suffer a heavy blow!
Killing with a borrowed knife,
was precisely his specialty!
As for Zhou Lingyun?
'Hmph, just a brat... absolutely clueless!'
Recalling the trace of contempt in Zhou Lingyun's eyes from before,
Shen Fuxing sneered inwardly.
He had never taken that Zhou Lingyun seriously.
He was merely a knife in his hand.
If not for the family background behind him,
he could have played the boy to death!
"Killing two birds with one stone. Master is truly unparalleled in his schemes!"
The figure in the shadows said fawningly.
"It's alright."
Shen Fuxing leaned his somewhat corpulent body back in his chair, relaxing, a look of leisurely contentment on his face.
The scheme involved was, one might say, extremely simple.
With a light wave of the hand, he used another's strength to strike,
effortlessly!
At this moment,
Shen Fuxing suddenly recalled several years ago,
the matter of that vile son, Shen Chong, defecting.
At the time, after learning of the situation,
he had simply given a little push from behind, letting those ambitious branches find out.
And so, in order to damage his prestige, those branches spread the news of Shen Chong's affair throughout the city in a short time.
It caused a huge uproar,
and without him having to exert much effort at all,
that venomous woman Zhou Yi was left in a sorry state, unable to even fend for herself.
It was like that last time,
and it was the same now!
Except this time, he was using the Zhou Family as the knife to deal with those delusional fools.
Acting by following the flow of the situation,
this was the true path of kings!
And so,
news of the exchange battle,
quickly spread.
Young Master Zhou Lingyun from the Zhou Family, hailing from the vast Immortal Cultivation Realm of the Central State, wished to have a sparring session with the younger generation of the Shen Family under the age of fifty.
In the Immortal Cultivation Realm,
sparring battles were not uncommon.
Even the closest of friends would sometimes fight a match to improve and temper their own strength.
Logically speaking,
Zhou Lingyun came from the more prosperous and vast Immortal Cultivation Realm of the Central State.
Therefore, for the Cultivators of the Shen Family, this should have been a good opportunity for them, from their remote corner of the cultivation world, to witness the power of the legendary and prosperous Immortal Cultivation World.
They should have been very enthusiastic about it.
However,
when the news spread,
a silence fell within the Shen Family.
There was even a faint sense of resistance in the air.
There was nothing to be done about it.
After all, not long ago,
word had gotten out from the Shen Family Mansion that Zhou Lingyun, who had come from the Central State to visit his aunt, was very displeased with her situation.
Some merciless rumors were already beginning to circulate outside.
And given the arrogance, domineering nature, and superiority complex that the First Madam, Zhou Yi, had always displayed,
as for Zhou Lingyun, who also hailed from the Zhou Family...
Who wouldn't know that this so-called exchange battle was just a way for him to vent his aunt's anger?
No one was a fool!
Naturally,
the resistance to this exchange battle was only to be expected.
Because it was destined to be an affair where they would just make him look good, serving as his backdrop.
But the problem was,
some things couldn't be avoided just by not wanting to do them.
The Shen Clan Leader, Shen Fuxing, had already made a public statement,
"He has come from afar and has kindly offered to give you all some pointers, to let you witness the splendor of a wider world. How can you waste such a kind gesture?"
"This is also a good opportunity to test the strength and achievements of each branch's disciples. It will prevent some who are just making up the numbers from occupying the lion's share of the family's Cultivation Resources based on trumped-up records."
"For the sake of the family, for the sake of the future, every branch must send a representative to fight!"
"Regardless of victory or defeat, you must at least display the bearing of our Tian Nan Shen Clan!"
Under the pressure of this righteous-sounding speech,
the disciples of the various branches found themselves in a dilemma.
...
And just as the undercurrents were swirling within the Shen Family Mansion,
Shen Changchuan was sitting in another manor within Tian Nan City.
"Brother Shen, you look troubled. Has something happened?"
Sitting across from Shen Changchuan at this moment,
was none other than Shen Tingchu, who had interacted with Shen Changchuan quite a bit!
Not long ago,
after choosing his compensation and subsequently bidding farewell to the Old Ancestor,
Shen Changchuan, who had been preparing to leave, happened to run into Shen Tingchu.
And so, at the other's invitation,
he had come here.
"Sigh, what else could it be? It's the exchange battle with that Zhou Lingyun in two days."
Shen Tingchu took a sip of tea and said with a wry smile.
"Exchange battle? What's that?"
"You don't know?"
Shen Tingchu was a little surprised.
"I just arrived in Tian Nan City not long ago. Then I was summoned by the Old Ancestor, and some matters took up a fair bit of time. I haven't had a chance to catch up on what's happening outside... What's wrong? Did something happen?"
"It's not a huge deal, just... sigh, we're just going to lose some face, that's all..."
Shen Tingchu shook his head with a wry smile.