After Jiang Wang left, a secret door in the wall behind Fang Zehou suddenly slid open. Fang Heling was pushed out, bound to a chair in an extremely humiliating posture.
Wangyue Tower was a property managed by the Fang family, which was why Fang Pengju had chosen to plot against Jiang Wang there.
Fang Zehou raised his hand, and only then did the Fang family retainer who had been pushing Fang Heling remove the gag from his mouth and untie the ropes.
But Fang Heling did not move. He remained slumped in the chair like a pile of mud.
As it turned out, he had been listening to the conversation in the private room the entire time under the retainer’s supervision, unable to speak or move.
"As you can see," Fang Zehou said, "he defeated you with his true strength, without any tricks or gimmicks. The gap between you and Jiang Wang is naked and obvious—a gap you failed to notice."
Fang Heling did not speak, but the look he gave his father was almost pleading—as if to say, please, stop!
"As you can see, your father has lost all his dignity because of you," Fang Zehou continued.
Fang Heling’s eyes drooped, his gaze unfocused.
Fang Zehou walked over to him, reached out, grabbed his face, and forced him to meet his eyes.
"As you can see, our Fang family is being looked down upon because of you!" Fang Zehou said.
Tears rolled down Fang Heling’s face. He reached out to stop them, even trying to wipe them back in, but his resistance was so feeble. He simply couldn't stop himself from being as weak as a dog.
Fang Zehou’s voice continued: "For your sake, I suppressed your cousin’s resources. For your sake, I conceded many benefits, all to secure you a chance to enter the inner sect of the Dao Academy. For your sake, I could endure any grievance. And you?! You became the laughingstock of all Fenglin City in front of everyone, and now you’ve given up on yourself, acting like a piece of trash. You’ve made me, Fang Zehou, a joke too!"
"I didn't want this, I didn't want this..." Fang Heling shook his head, mumbling through his tears, before finally shouting, "I didn't want it to be like this!"
"Then prove it to me!" Fang Zehou roared!
The middle-aged man, the man who held the power of the Fang family, loosened his grip.
He changed his hold to cradle Fang Heling’s face with both hands, his voice softening: "Then prove it to me... my son."
……
Leaving Wangyue Tower, Jiang Wang’s steps were not heavy.
To be honest, after entering the inner sect, he no longer worried about what the Fang family could do to him. The so-called Fenglin City Fang family, while wealthy and powerful, was nothing compared to the Dao Academy.
As long as he advanced courageously in his cultivation, he would sooner or later hold an official post in the Zhuang Kingdom, perhaps even a high position in the capital, Xin'an. There was no need to pay much attention to these local gentry and prominent families in Fenglin City.
The only thing was that when Fang Zehou mentioned Jiang An'an today, it truly stirred a murderous intent in Jiang Wang. Even if the Fang family did nothing else, just inciting their clansmen’s children to bully An'an at school was something Jiang Wang could not tolerate.
He could endure some grievances, but An'an could not. Their father was dead, their aunt had remarried, and Jiang An'an only had him.
"Are you full... Hey! Stop wiping it on my clothes!" Jiang Wang reached out and pulled away Jiang An'an’s little head.
She was being held in his arms and had been secretly wiping her oily mouth on his shoulder.
Jiang An'an blinked her large eyes. Her little mouth was already clean, but she pouted with an innocent expression: "You didn't wipe my hands for me..."
Jiang Wang surrendered immediately, his voice helpless: "Look at my clothes, is there any clean spot left... do whatever you want."
He had given up.
Jiang An'an’s busy little hands wiped and wiped, then she suddenly remembered something: "What did you say just now?"
"I asked you... sigh!" Jiang Wang sighed and said directly, "Cai’s Mutton Shop?"
"Mm-hmm." Jiang An'an nodded wildly. She reached out her little hands, cupped her brother’s face, and turned it to the left: "Go this way!"
Jiang Wang pulled his head back in disgust, "I know the way!"
Jiang An'an was already cheering, "Giddy-up~!"
Jiang Wang carried Jiang An'an and headed toward the mutton shop.
"Oh right, the teacher wants you to go to the private school tomorrow." Jiang An'an finally remembered the real matter.
Jiang Wang frowned: "Did your teacher say what it was about?"
Little An'an thought for a while, buried her head in Jiang Wang’s chest, and muffled, "I don't know."
Jiang Wang was suddenly filled with worry.
……
At the same time, in the City Lord’s Mansion, a conversation that existed only between Dong A and Wei Quji was taking place.
"...If it is truly as I suspect, with this bait, I don't worry about them not taking it. Once those demons jump out, we will close the net in one fell swoop and kill them all!" Wei Quji waved his fist, "That is the entire plan."
"The plan is tight." Dong A nodded, his expression still devoid of fluctuation: "But I don't think it has much meaning."
"Why?"
"Do you think..." Dong A looked at him with a hint of mockery: "Is there any need for the group that created the Xiaolin Town tragedy to appear in Fenglin City again?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know anything about this 'Bone Path' you speak of, nor do I know what kind of attraction that thing you worked so hard to get has. But with a major event like the Three-City Dao Discussion, Fenglin City is heavily guarded. Is that thing really worth them taking such a huge risk? Fools couldn't have played us in circles and sacrificed Xiaolin Town right under our noses! Besides, you aren't even sure if they are the Bone Path, are you?"
"Then we can only try it this way, Dong A! The Xiaolin Town incident happened so long ago, this office cannot go without an explanation!"
"But how much certainty do you have? Are you going to gamble the safety of all the people in Fenglin City on your certainty?"
"Fenglin City belongs to this office, and this office has made up its mind!"
Dong A stood up, slamming the table: "Fenglin City is the Fenglin City of the Zhuang Kingdom!"
"Dong A, think about it." Wei Quji was forced to soften his tone: "In the Qin Kingdom, in the Jing Kingdom, even in our neighboring Yong Kingdom! Could they do such a thing? Sacrificing an entire town! Thousands of people, the souls of how many generations that should have rested in peace!
When the Qinghe Water Mansion moves even slightly, the entire Qinghe Prefecture’s army has to redeploy. When a Heart-Devouring Demon appears, the entire Qinghe Prefecture’s Criminal Investigation Division swarms out. The enemy knows us like the back of their hand, yet we know nothing about them!
Do you still want to see such things happen? It is time, we must get to the bottom of this!"
Dong A sat down dejectedly: "Yes, we are both responsible. Among the names cursed by those who died unjustly, there should be yours, and there should be mine."
His voice was weary: "Proceed with your plan. The Dao Academy will cooperate. If those demons really do appear again, let me see... whether good and evil truly have their rewards!"
"If those people are indeed from the Bone Path, the Underworld Candle should be very important to them. After all, it was... taken from there."
"Regardless, I will cooperate with you fully this time. I hope this Three-City Dao Discussion does not become a joke for Qinghe Prefecture."
"They might come, or they might not. But this office can only try." After Wei Quji muttered this, he asked, "That Zhu Weiwu, can he really not make it back? Nothing happened to him, right?"
"His battlefield is not here." Dong A turned his head, seemingly looking through the window at some place far beyond the sky, "He is destined to shine in the National Dao Academy; wasting a spot on him would be a waste. I hope Zhang Linchuan can win that spot for the Three-City Dao Discussion."
"In that case, Fenglin City will have two talents for the National Dao Academy. You certainly have a perfect vision."
"I will guide them with all my might. Even if it is just a little, a negligible redemption."
In the dark room, a sigh came from someone, though it was unclear who.
The chairs were empty.