Zhao Jingang saw the morale of the crowd was low and couldn't help but forcefully boost their spirits, saying, "You don't have to worry! Once I have achieved Foundation Establishment, I will definitely persuade Senior Chen to mediate on our behalf. I think the Purple Sun Sect shouldn't act this way."
Zhao Sheng laughed and said, "Can you guarantee your success in Foundation Establishment? Can you assure that Chen Zichuan can achieve what Grandmaster Han could."
Without waiting for a reply, Zhao Sheng confidently said, "You can't! Not only can you not guarantee Foundation Establishment, but Chen Zichuan will definitely not go to the lengths that Grandmaster Han would. The so-called reliance on people will run, reliance on a mountain will fall. Give up your illusions and face reality; no one can help the Zhao family, one must rely on themselves!"
Seeing the crowd deep in thought, Zhao Sheng struck while the iron was hot, taking out a White Jade Pill Bottle from his Storage Bag.
He poured out from it a pill that was round and plump, emitting a faint green light.
"Foundation Establishment Pill!" someone blurted out loudly.
Indeed, before Zhao Jinfu left, he also did a good deed by exchanging a Low-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill from the Purple Sun Sect for the Zhao family to keep.
He must have known that the greatest crisis facing the Zhao family now was the absence of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator at Dragon Carp Lake.
After displaying the Foundation Establishment Pill, Zhao Sheng put it away again, then continued, "We have a total of two Foundation Establishment Pills in our hands right now. The fairest method is for each branch to receive one. Conveniently, both branches have one person at Qi Refining Perfection. This way, there's no need to fight over it."
Hearing this, the Zhao family members suddenly saw the light, looking towards Zhao Jinding and Zhao Jingang, the two elders.
Zhao Jingang thought for a moment and shook his head in doubt, "To increase the success rate of Foundation Establishment, it's best to give both Foundation Establishment Pills to one person to consume."
Zhao Sheng gave a slight smile and said, "I know Second Granduncle's suggestion is very correct. The key is that there isn't enough time."
Hmm?!
With his reminder, everyone suddenly understood and nodded in agreement.
It's known that advancing from Qi Refining Perfection to the Foundation Establishment Realm is no easy task.
A failure in Foundation Establishment would cause a massive drain in Primordial Qi, and it might take ten years to recover.
What the Zhao family lacked most at the moment was time.
Zhao Jingang soon came to understand as well.
His heart was filled with unwillingness; the wish he harbored for decades was about to come true, yet now it was being messed up by a child.
However, faced with the ironclad reality, he had no choice but to bow his head.
But...
"Even if what you say makes sense, the position of Family Head shall be mine," he declared, unable to hide his resentment.
Zhao Sheng reminded him, "If you succeed in Foundation Establishment, no one can take the position of Family Head from you. But if you fail, what's the point in being Family Head?"
The words left Zhao Jingang at a loss for words, his face momentarily flushed red, then turned to a shade of iron blue.
"To the Zhao family, whether or not there is a Family Head makes no difference; it's just a position. Whether you take it, I take it, or anyone else does, it's all the same!"
After saying this, Zhao Jingang felt a sudden movement in his heart, as if he had grasped something.
The next moment, he suddenly spoke up, "I suggest that the position of Family Head temporarily be held by Zhao Chonghe, until someone succeeds in Foundation Establishment, and then we can change the Family Head."
Since the position of Family Head had now become an unappetizing bone, Zhao Jingang simply chose to back away completely, actively pushing Zhao Chonghe forward.
This way, he could rightfully divide the things in the Storage Bag, while keeping someone in the position of Family Head.
After all, Zhao Chonghe, being young and of little repute, was nothing more than a figurehead.
No sooner had he said this than the crowd was once again astir.
But quickly, some of the more astute family members began to see the light.
"I agree!"
"I support the motion!"
"Let Chonghe hold the position temporarily for a few months! Once the elder achieves an upgrade, he can step down."
In the blink of an eye, the majority of the Zhao family had reached a consensus, and even Zhao Jinding eventually agreed.
At this moment, Zhao Sheng was somewhat flabbergasted.
He hadn't expected Zhao Jinfu to come up with such a sly maneuver, and even more so, that it would gain the approval of the majority.
He wanted to refuse, but the opportunity had already passed.
The him who "deeply won the people's trust" was now definitively the Family Head.
A quarter of an hour later, when Wei Chengwo found out that Zhao Chonghe had actually become the new Family Head of the Zhao Family, he burst into an angry laughter, while Chen Zichuan shook his head and sighed repeatedly.
But after triple-checking that this was no joke, Wei Chengwo glared at Zhao Sheng with full intent to kill.
It was this kid who had ruined the plans the Wei Family had been scheming for years.
Wei Chengwo wished he could tear him to pieces on the spot. However, he couldn't make a move in front of Chen Zichuan.
After all, the other party was a disciple of the Purple Sun Sect, and moreover, this group of good-for-nothings from the Zhao Family had accidentally sent out a Ten Thousand Miles One Line Talisman.
Under the constraint of not wanting to damage valuable items, Wei Chengwo had no choice but to suppress his anger and lead his family members back empty-handed.
Seeing a turn of events, Chen Zichuan also frowned slightly.
However, he wasn't as angry as Wei Chengwo.
If one strategy fails, look for another opportunity.
The Zhao Family's juicy prize wouldn't slip through his fingers.
"Speaking of which, the lease for Dragon Carp Lake is almost up!" Chen Zichuan thought with a smile as he left.
...
Half a month later,
The breeze was gentle, and the sunlight pleasantly warm.
A wooden boat about thirty to forty feet long drifted on the surface of Dragon Carp Lake, where from afar one could see a row of fishing rods extending from the left side of the boat, seven or eight fishing lines submerged in the water, the floats trembling slightly in the breeze.
A moment later, one of the floats suddenly sank. Zhao Tai hurried over and grabbed the fishing rod, pulling up with force and excitedly said, "Young Master, we've got a fish on the hook."
Zhao Sheng seemed not to have heard Zhao Tai's call. He was sitting cross-legged on the cool mat in the cabin, holding an ancient text in his hand, completely engrossed in his reading.
"In talisman painting, you lay down spirit qi and inscribe images to communicate with the divine.
"When qi connects with the true heaven, it possesses its own divine nature and can become a talisman.
"With each orifice interconnected, the spirit light shines brightly, and thus the talisman is complete."
Zhao Sheng's gaze stayed on these three sentences for a long time, his spirit immersed in contemplation.
Just these three sentences provided him with profound insight.
This "Jade Void Mysterious Talisman Scripture" clearly pointed out the essence of talismanic arts right at the beginning.
Even if Zhao Sheng's comprehension was poor, he could tell that these three sentences were laid out in a progressive relationship, clearly explaining how to refine and paint talismans.
Among the three sentences, the first talks about "what makes a talisman," the second discusses "the key to a talisman," while the third pertains to "how one should paint a talisman."
To Zhao Sheng, the true value of these three sentences on talisman discussion didn't lie in the sentences themselves but in their clear levels of hierarchy as well as their concise and pivotal significance.
With these three sentences in hand, the Hundred True Talismans within the "Jade Void Mysterious Talisman Scripture" were no longer just complex and messy images but layers of exquisite runes, each of which could be traced back to their original source.
Having grasped this, Zhao Sheng felt moved, which caused his thoughts to wander a bit.
The "Jade Void Mysterious Talisman Scripture" was found in the Storage Bag left by Zhao Jinfu.
Why would he leave this scripture? Was it intentional? Or indeed intentional!
Zhao Sheng might be slow-witted, but he could tell that this talismanic scripture would be considered a treasured text in any Sect, not to be disclosed to those who are not True Inheritors.
Zhao Sheng found it increasingly difficult to understand Zhao Jinfu; the image of that selfish person seemed to blur in his mind.