After dinner, when Zenki had excused himself to attend to some matters of the court, Zhenyue turned to her daughter and asked, "Mengting, how have you found your father? Has he changed?"
Mengting looked up from her plate and smiled, "Yes, mother. He has been trying his best to make amends for his past mistakes. He is even learning to cultivate."
Zhenyue looked surprised at this, "Really? Your father is learning to cultivate?"
Mengting nodded, "Yes, he wants to become a better person and leader for our kingdom."
Mingliang, who was sitting nearby, overheard their conversation and spoke up, "We'll see if father really changed or if this is just another one of his passing phases."
Zhenyue looked at her son, "Mingliang, your father may have made mistakes in the past, but he's still your father and the king. You should show him respect."
Mingliang looked down, "I know, mother. I just find it hard to trust him after everything that has happened."
Zhenyue placed a comforting hand on her son's arm, "I understand, Mingliang. But we must give your father a chance to prove himself."
Mengting added, "And I believe that father deserves that chance. He's been working hard to make amends and become a better person."
Zhenyue smiled at her daughter's words, "I'm glad to hear that, Mengting. It warms my heart to see you both getting along so well with your father."
Mengting proceeded to give more details about how her father had changed, such as his attitude and his newfound dedication to self-improvement. She also revealed that she possessed a rare Primordial physique and talked about meeting her master Liu Yong and her close friend Liu Wei. Mengting even shared how she and Liu Yong had journeyed to the forest for training. She also spoke about her mother and older brother.
Mingliang found it difficult to believe Mengting's stories about Zenki's transformation. "Could it really be?" he muttered, still skeptical.
Zhenyue then urged Mengting to do her best not just for their sake, but for her own future. She also emphasized the importance of keeping Mengting's rare physique a secret, telling Mingliang to keep the matter confidential.
The following day, Zenki shared with Zhenyue his intentions to investigate the head of finance with Mengting. Although hesitant to fully support his plan, Zhenyue knew that she couldn't stop her husband from doing what he believed was right.
What caught Zenki off guard was when Mingliang asked for permission to join them. Zenki agreed, but made sure to caution him to follow his instructions and not to wander off on his own. Mingliang readily agreed, thinking to himself, "This is a chance to see if my father truly has changed."
Zenki, Mingliang, Mengting, and Liu Yong dressed up like merchants and set off on their journey towards the villages that the head of finance Caiwu Zongjian was responsible for. They rented a caravan to carry their supplies, which included food, water, and other necessities for their long journey.
As they walked through the forest, they kept a low profile and tried not to draw too much attention to themselves. They stopped at various villages along the way, selling their wares and asking about Caiwu Zongjian.
Despite their initial expectations, Zenki, Mingliang, Mengting, and Liu Yong were surprised to hear the positive comments of the villagers about Caiwu Zongjian. They heard how he employed widows in his estate to help them earn a living, how he lowered taxes during natural disasters and even used his own treasury to assist those in need.
In order to uncover the truth about Caiwu Zongjuan, Zenki realized the importance of double checking everything before making a final decision. With this in mind, he and his team set out to visit the villages that were supposedly being aided by Zongjuan in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
To their surprise, the villagers had nothing but praise for Zongjuan, citing his assistance to widows by employing them in his estate and his generosity in lowering taxes during times of crisis. However, Zenki remained skeptical and pressed on with his investigation.
As they delved deeper, they uncovered evidence that contradicted the court's portrayal of Zongjuan. It appeared that a conspiracy was at play, and Zenki resolved to discuss his findings with Zhang Liang upon their return to the castle.
"This situation requires careful consideration and swift action," thought Zenki.
As Zenki and the others made their way back to the castle, they were suddenly ambushed by a group of bandits who had set their sights on their caravan. To their surprise, the shadow guards, who were supposed to be protecting them, were nowhere to be seen, leaving them to fend for themselves.
"This doesn't make sense. Where are the shadow guards?" wondered Zenki to himself.
With no other choice, Zenki and his companions prepared themselves for battle, knowing that their lives were at stake.
"Stay alert, everyone," warned Zenki, as they braced themselves for the bandit attack.
As Mengting fought the bandits, Liu Yong watched closely, ready to intervene if she found herself in a life-or-death situation. He knew that this was a valuable opportunity for her to gain experience fighting other humans. Fortunately, most of the bandits were only at the Advance Body Tempering stage, while their leader appeared to be in the Beginner Core Formation stage.
Mengting's heart was pounding as she faced off against the bandits. She took a deep breath and focused her chi, infusing it with the fire element, causing her fists to glow with a bright, fiery aura.
The first bandit charged at her with a rusty sword, but Mengting dodged to the side and struck him with a fiery punch. He howled in pain as his clothes caught on fire, and he stumbled backwards.
The second bandit, seeing his comrade fall, rushed forward with a heavy iron mace. Mengting sidestepped and swept his legs out from under him with a low kick, then finished him off with a quick punch to the solar plexus.
The remaining bandits, realizing they were outmatched, circled around her warily. Mengting smiled inwardly as she called forth the water element, causing droplets of water to form in the air around her. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the droplets flying at the bandits, blinding them momentarily.
Taking advantage of their momentary confusion, she summoned a sharp icicle from the water droplets, piercing through the armor of one of the bandits. He fell to the ground, gasping for air.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning crackled through the air, striking another bandit and causing him to convulse on the ground. Mengting had called forth the lightning element, channeling it through her body and releasing it at just the right moment.
The remaining bandits hesitated for a moment before charging forward in desperation. But Mengting was ready, calling forth the earth element to create a wall of stone that shielded her from their attacks.
With a final burst of fiery energy, Mengting unleashed a powerful blast of flames that incinerated the remaining bandits. She stood there, panting and covered in sweat, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Liu Yong, who had been watching the fight from the sidelines, walked over to her and clapped her on the back. "Well done, Mengting. You have become quite the formidable fighter."
Mengting smiled at him, feeling a sense of pride. She knew that she still had much to learn, but she was glad to have mastered the use of all the elements at her disposal.
Zenki moved quickly, dodging the bandits' attacks and landing precise strikes with his sword. He knew that he couldn't rely on instinct like Mengting, so he had to use his strategic mind to outmaneuver the bandits.
Despite being outnumbered, Zenki fought the bandits evenly, taking advantage of their reckless movements and turning them against each other. He noticed that the bandits tended to move in groups, so he used that to his advantage by drawing them into narrow spaces and picking them off one by one.
As the fight wore on, Zenki began to feel the strain of his injuries and the fatigue of fighting so many opponents at once. But he refused to give up, knowing that he had to protect his family.
On the other hand, despite being older, Mingliang has never truly liked to cultivate resulting in him on only having an Advance Body Tempering Cultivation
As the bandits closed in on Mingliang, he could feel his fear mounting. He had never been in a real fight before and the bandits looked experienced and ruthless. But just as one of them lunged at him with a sword, Zenki stepped in to block the blow with his own body. The impact sent Zenki tumbling to the ground, unconscious.
Mingliang was frozen in shock at the sight of his father lying motionless on the ground. But before he could react, Liu Yong sprang into action. With his swift movements and precise strikes, he was able to fend off the bandits and protect Mingliang.
With his father's life in danger, Mingliang suddenly felt a newfound determination. He could not let his fear hold him back any longer. Drawing on his inner strength, he unleashed a powerful strike knocking one of the bandits to the ground.
Emboldened by his success, Mingliang continued to fight alongside Liu Yong, determined to protect his family and their caravan. In the end, they were able to defeat the bandits and drive them off.
Exhausted and shaken, Mingliang turned to tend to Zenki, who was still unconscious. He worked together to stabilize his injuries.
Mingliang looked down at his unconscious father, who had taken a blow that was meant for him. His heart felt heavy with guilt and shame for being a deadweight earlier. Tears started to well up in his eyes as he realized the gravity of the situation.
"Father, I would never forget what you did today," he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "You risked your own life to protect me. I can never repay that debt."
Mingliang's mind raced with thoughts of revenge and anger towards the bandits who had attacked them. He made a silent vow to himself to become stronger, to never let this kind of situation happen again.
"I will train harder, become stronger, and make sure that no one ever harms our family again," he said, his voice filled with determination.