Chapter 40: He Is Not Worthy

“Interesting.” Jiang Wang smiled.

“Are you going?” Ling He asked.

“Why wouldn't I?” Jiang Wang turned to An'an and said, “How about this: Big brother will take you out for a feast!”

Jiang An'an nodded her little head very seriously.

Ling He then tidied his clothes and casually strapped on his sword.

“Hey!” Jiang Wang stopped him. “You don't need to follow. It's not like we're going to a fight.”

Meeting Ling He's gaze, Jiang Wang added, “Don't worry, the Fang family isn't that stupid.”

Ling He thought about it, decided it made sense, and put his sword back down before sitting cross-legged. For him, if there was nothing else to do, he could cultivate for days on end.

Cultivation held its own universe; there was joy to be found within it.

...

Walking on the way to Wangyue Pavilion, An'an suddenly looked up and asked, “Are the Fangs bad people?”

“Oh?” Jiang Wang looked at her with interest. “Why do you say that?”

“I saw even Brother Ling He wants to fight them,” Jiang An'an said.

Jiang Wang laughed.

With Ling He's personality, it was indeed rare for him to show hostility toward anyone.

“Then let's not go eat,” An'an added.

“That won't do. We must go eat, and we must eat with style and excellence,” Jiang Wang said intentionally. “If we eat them into poverty, we'll be doing a good deed. Understand?”

Jiang An'an bit her thumb and nodded thoughtfully.

“Snap!”

“No biting your fingers!”

There was a Wangjiang Pavilion in Wangjiang City, which was grand in scale and famous far and wide. However, the similarly named Wangyue Pavilion in Fenglin City paled in comparison.

The building was not tall, consisting of only three stories. Because it bore the name "Moon-Watching," it inevitably suffered from a mismatch between name and reality, inviting ridicule.

However, the dishes in this pavilion were exceptionally good. Thus, it had always enjoyed prosperous business in Fenglin City.

Carrying Jiang An'an, Jiang Wang entered Wangyue Pavilion and was directly led to a private room by a servant of the Fang family.

A middle-aged man with a composed temperament and a refined countenance rose to greet them. “Nephew!”

As his gaze fell upon An'an, his smile became even more cordial. “Is this your sister? How lovely.”

Jiang Wang had met Fang Zehou before. Back when he was close to Fang Pengju, Fang Zehou had invited them to meals more than once. At that time, Fang Zehou had appeared to be a protective uncle with high expectations for his nephew. After Fang Pengju's death, because it was an ignominious end, no one from the Fang family was willing to step forward to bury him.

As for being his "nephew," Jiang Wang had no desire for the title. He greeted him, “Greetings, Clan Leader Fang.”

“It's nothing, it's nothing,” Fang Zehou smiled, then gestured for a servant to bring a string of gold beads, which he handed to An'an. “A gift from your uncle for our first meeting!”

Jiang An'an turned her head away, burying her small face in Jiang Wang's embrace. In her tiny mind, she had already decided this was a bad person, and she refused to even speak to him.

As Jiang Wang sat An'an down at the table, he said, “The little girl is shy with strangers, please don't mind her. As for the gift, let's skip it. Why don't you just get to the point, Excellency Fang? What is the purpose of this meeting?”

Fang Zehou had been granted the title of *Yuanwailang* through donation, so he held an official rank. Using the term "Excellency" was not out of place.

“No rush, no rush.” Showing no sign of embarrassment, Fang Zehou waved for the servant to take the gold beads away and said, “First, try our signature dish, Lotus Leaf Chicken.”

Having already decided to eat the villains into poverty, An'an was ready to dig in, but Jiang Wang pressed her hand down. Jiang Wang picked up his chopsticks and tasted a bit of every dish on the table. After savoring them for a moment, he selected a few dishes and placed them before An'an.

“Brother has tasted them for you; these are the best.”

An'an wanted to complain, but the aroma of the lotus leaf chicken drifted straight into her nose, leaving her no time for grievances. She reached out, tore off a chicken leg, and began to gnaw on it.

Fang Zehou maintained a cordial smile throughout, appearing as if he hadn't noticed Jiang Wang's wariness at all.

“You siblings have a wonderful bond,” he praised.

“We manage,” Jiang Wang replied perfunctorily.

An'an glared at him, but since her mouth was full, she could only bite into a chicken wing in resentment.

Unfazed, Jiang Wang continued, “I wonder, Excellency, why you sought me out...”

Fang Zehou suddenly let out a long sigh, his expression turning heavy. “Regarding Pengju's matter, our Fang family owes you an apology.”

Since it involved Fang Pengju, Jiang Wang could not help but become serious. Regardless of the circumstances, Fang Pengju was dead, and the grievances were settled. He had no desire, nor any need, to pursue a dead man's spirit.

“It is in the past,” Jiang Wang said.

“Though you say that, my Fang family cannot remain without showing something.” Fang Zehou pushed a small box across the table. “Here is one hundred taels of pure gold as a token of our apology.”

“Fang Pengju took responsibility for his own actions.” Jiang Wang was in no mood for more evasive talk. He didn't even glance at the box of gold. “Just tell me what you want.”

Fang Zehou nodded. “Pengju was once the hope of our Fang family, with limitless potential. He was killed by you in a death match; while it was his own fault, my family has not caused you any trouble because of it, correct?”

“Correct.” It was a fact, and Jiang Wang had no reason to deny it.

“Now, your uncle has one request.”

Jiang Wang looked at him, signaling him to continue.

Fang Zehou said, “After Pengju's death, the only youth of the next generation in our Fang family worth cultivating is Heling. I could only suppress my grief and pour all my care for Pengju into Heling. He is quite capable and works hard at his cultivation; his level even exceeds yours. But...”

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow, knowing the real meat of the matter was coming.

“After his battle with you, his confidence was shattered, and he has completely collapsed. He locks himself in his room, drowning his sorrows in alcohol every day. If this continues, I fear he... will become a cripple.” At this point, even an old fox like Fang Zehou's voice trembled slightly.

After all, he was his only legitimate son.

“And?” Jiang Wang asked.

“These words are difficult to utter,” Fang Zehou said. “But your uncle has the audacity to hope that you could go to Heling and admit a mistake—say that you used... unsavory methods during the duel—to help him regain his confidence.”

Jiang Wang almost laughed. “How am I supposed to admit to something I didn't do?”

“It won't be for nothing, it won't be for nothing!” Fang Zehou repeated urgently. “Once it is done, besides this box of gold, I will give you another hundred taels! You only need to... pretend to bow your head once...”

Jiang Wang tapped the gold box with his finger and actually laughed. “The Fang family once produced cultivators. I remember Old Master Fang was an Eighth-Rank Heavenly Cycle Realm cultivator? What meaning do these so-called gold and silver have to a cultivator?”

He pressed his finger on the small box and gently pushed it back.

Fang Zehou immediately pulled a small brocade box from his robes, opened it carefully, and placed it before Jiang Wang.

The fluctuations of Dao Essence within the box instantly caught Jiang Wang's attention.

“This is a Dao Essence Stone. To a cultivator, I believe it holds great meaning,” Fang Zehou said sincerely. “Just bow your head slightly, and it is yours.”

This Dao Essence Stone was, of course, meaningful! Compared to mundane gold and jewels, Dao Essence Stones were the hard currency of cultivators, used both to assist cultivation and to replenish consumed energy. Moreover, this particular stone was unused, full-weight, and contained a complete hundred units of Dao Essence.

For Jiang Wang, absorbing this stone would allow him to almost immediately reach the Foundation stage!

He finally understood why Fang Heling had been able to reach the Foundation stage so quickly and had even approached completing a Small Heavenly Cycle.

However, Jiang Wang merely closed the lid of the box. “Perhaps, as you say, my bowing my head is worth nothing.”

He pushed the brocade box back as well. “But Fang Heling... he is not worthy.”

He was the one who had been provoked; he was the one forced to fight. Where was the logic in him apologizing? If someone lost and collapsed, whose fault was it? Did the weak possess inherent justice? Did being weak make you right?

The Dao Essence Stone was important, but principles were more important.

“Consider it not just for yourself, but for your sister,” Fang Zehou said slowly. “She is still studying at the private school, is she not?”

At that moment, Jiang An'an was still eating heartily, her face covered in grease, completely unaware of what the adults were discussing.

Jiang Wang's gaze suddenly tightened, manifesting a clear and unreserved killing intent for the first time.

Fang Zehou struggled to meet his eyes, feeling a sudden urge to jump out the window and flee. Only then did he realize that this youth before him was entirely different from his son; he was no fragile seedling raised in a greenhouse, but a young beast that had already weathered the storms and struggled to survive!

“Hahahaha!” Jiang Wang suddenly burst into laughter. He stood up and scooped An'an into his arms. “We're done eating. Let's go home.”

Regardless of what he was thinking, he would not act recklessly or show off his strength in front of An'an, nor would he place her in danger.

“Mmph... mmph...” An'an struggled to swallow the meat in her mouth. Even though she was already in Jiang Wang's arms, her eyes were still fixed on the dishes on the table.

“Consider it... a plea from me!” Fang Zehou called out from behind.

But Jiang Wang had already carried his sister out the door without looking back.