The air was cold, so cold that one could say the atmosphere in the entire threshing ground had solidified.
The Third Elder's eyes were filled with a sinister gleam, as he stared intently at Zheng Gongxuan, as if he couldn't wait to swallow him whole.
"Do you understand the consequences? Do you really want to betray the family?" The Third Elder's voice wasn't loud, but the chilling intent within it grew even colder!
Zheng Gongxuan's hand trembled slightly, but he quickly grasped it firmly.
"Third Elder, although you are an elder, there are some things that must not be spoken carelessly," Zheng Gongxuan said, his voice equally calm.
He said indifferently, "You do not represent the family!"
"Using the Divine Crossbow Team to attack a family elder is the same as betraying the family!" The Third Elder's words were firm and decisive.
"I am a father!" Zheng Gongxuan defied the Third Elder's gaze fearlessly, his voice steady, as if stating an indisputable fact.
Facing Zheng Gongxuan's gaze, the Third Elder felt a twinge of fear in his heart.
This sensation made him very uncomfortable. As the third-ranking elder of the family, he felt his authority was being challenged.
His gaze swept over the thirty strong men holding crossbows and then declared in a deep voice, "I am an elder of the family, and by the authority of the Family Elders Council, I command you to drop your crossbows immediately!"
"Put them down now!"
The Third Elder's voice was loud, but the crossbows still pointed directly at Zheng Hu didn't waver.
No one lowered their crossbows, and the thirty muscular men who hadn't yet achieved a rank gripped the crossbow arrows tightly in their hands.
They were waiting for Zheng Gongxuan's next order.
"With these crossbow arrows, you can't keep me here, and you know the consequences after I leave!" The Third Elder's gaze fixed on Zheng Gongxuan once again.
"I never intended to keep you here, Third Elder," Zheng Gongxuan rubbed his hands and said, "You're free to take everyone with you and return the way you came."
To come and go as one pleases, it sounds simple enough, yet these words made the Third Elder's expression grow even uglier.
He perceived a double meaning in Zheng Gongxuan's words, a warning to get as far away as possible.
The Third Elder's eyes fell upon Zheng Jinlong who was still on the ground, unable to get up. This matter couldn't just be left as is; he had to account for it to the Great Elder.
After all, the Great Elder had placed this matter in his hands before he came. Although Zheng Jinlong's defeat was his own doing, as the leader, he had to explain to the Great Elder.
"Zheng Ming used a Forbidden Technique to ambush Zheng Jinlong, this matter cannot be left unresolved!" After a moment of contemplation, the Third Elder stated each word deliberately.
Zheng Heng stood behind his father, at this moment wishing he could step on the Third Elder's face.
His brother had clearly and honorably defeated Zheng Jinlong, yet in the mouth of this Third Elder, it somehow became the use of a Forbidden Technique.
Ambush, my ass!
In the threshing ground, not only all the Zheng Clan members, but also the townsfolk of Luming Town, had clearly seen Zheng Ming defeating Zheng Jinlong with an honorable punch.
Zheng Gongxuan remained silent, which gave the Third Elder a bit of satisfaction. His previous words were meant as a condition.
In his eyes, he had already conceded a step this time!
"Third Elder, are you blind!" After a moment of contemplation, Zheng Gongxuan finally spoke out.
This remark made the Third Elder's hands tremble even more. Zheng Gongxuan speaking to him this way meant there was no longer any room for reconciliation.
If it weren't for the concern of those crossbow arrows, at this moment, the Third Elder would arrest Zheng Gongxuan under the charge of defying the family. But those rigid crossbows made him hesitate to make a decision. Yet at this moment, everyone following the Third Elder from the family warriors to the people of Luming Town had their hands on their weapons.
At this moment, the situation became explosive!
It was then that Zheng Ming walked over slowly, looking at Zheng Gongxuan, who stood as tall as a spear, with an indescribable warmth in his eyes.
"Third Elder, you accused me of using a Forbidden Technique to ambush Zheng Jinlong. Do you have any evidence to prove that I used such a technique?" Zheng Ming said coldly.
The accusation of using a Forbidden Technique came from Zheng Hu, an excuse for him to attack Zheng Ming and fervently deny the outcome of the match.
The Third Elder looked at the youth in front of him with clear and handsome features, his heart filled with even more hatred. He blamed this youth for all the trouble.
If this child hadn't deliberately concealed his cultivation level, if he had been the waste as the records stated, if he had been easily defeated by Zheng Jinlong, there would have been no such situation now.
Zheng Gongxuan dared to rebel!
"Kid, even if you did use a Forbidden Technique, how could you possibly be a match for the Third Young Master without it?" Zheng Hu, seeing that the Third Elder couldn't answer right away, quickly spoke out loudly.
"As for how to prove it, heh, just withstand three... ten moves from me, and I'll consider you didn't use a Forbidden Technique to ambush the Third Young Master."
Originally, Zheng Hu was prepared to declare three moves, after all, his cultivation level was Tenth Grade, but in the end, he changed it to ten moves.
And just as he uttered these words, he seemed to sense a hint of a smile in Zheng Ming's eyes.
Why is this kid smiling? No, it must be a trick of the eye.
Zheng Ming was indeed smiling; as he walked over, he already had the intention to challenge Zheng Hu.
After defeating Zheng Jinlong with one punch, Zheng Ming discovered that his previously stagnant Prestige Points had started to increase rapidly.
In just a blink of an eye, the red Prestige Points had risen by over five hundred, and that single yellow Prestige Point had jumped to ten.
However, when the situation became tense, Zheng Ming found that the increase in his Prestige Points slowed down once again.
At this moment, Zheng Ming confirmed his suspicion: Prestige Points could indeed be plundered, but defeating someone did not mean one could take away all of their Prestige Points.
Take his defeat of Zheng Jinlong as an example; since Zheng Jinlong's Prestige Points mainly came from Qingchuan County, and currently in Luming Town, there were hardly any people from Qingchuan County, defeating Zheng Jinlong didn't yield many Prestige Points at once.
It was only after the news of his victory over Zheng Jinlong spread throughout Qingchuan County that his Prestige Points would see significant growth.
Yet, Zheng Ming estimated that the increase wouldn't be much since Zheng Jinlong's high Prestige Points were mainly due to his identity as the third grandson rather than his cultivation level.
Zheng Hu, on the other hand, earned his reputation primarily on his own.
Judging by the behavior of the people in Luming Town, their fear of Zheng Hu was evident. If Zheng Ming could defeat Zheng Hu, his Prestige Points would surely surge again.
Moreover, given the present circumstances, Zheng Ming was reluctant to let his father and the Third Elder tear each other apart completely.
Even though he had Li Ruohai as a card up his sleeve, capable of sweeping through the Zheng Family of Qingchuan County, Li Ruohai was his last resort and could only be used once. Zheng Ming intended to use this trump card at the most critical moment.
Therefore, Zheng Ming decided to defeat Zheng Hu.
And his confidence lied in his Meteor Blade Technique, which had reached the Microcosmic Realm!
Although Zheng Hu's cultivation level was Tenth Grade, Zheng Ming's own Ninth-grade intermediate Meteor Blade Technique had reached the Microcosmic Realm, which was enough to offset some of Zheng Hu's advantages.
Plus, with the element of surprise on his side when unleashing the Meteor Blade, his chances of victory were even greater.
Seeing everything progressing according to his plan, Zheng Ming stepped forward and said to Zheng Gongxuan, whose expression was taut, "Father, allow your son to try."
"No!" Zheng Gongxuan rejected with a wave of his hand, "I've made my decision on this matter, step aside!"
Zheng Ming's heart warmed even further; he knew that Zheng Gongxuan's refusal was because he believed there was no chance of victory for him.
His refusal was to protect his child with all his might!
"Father, ten moves, your son should be able to withstand them," Zheng Ming said, then stepped up to Zheng Gongxuan's side and added, "Please believe in your son!"
Zheng Gongxuan, observing Zheng Ming's determined expression and scanning the tense atmosphere around him, wavered in his decision.
As the Town Chief of Luming Town, he was also reluctant to instigate a serious, irreversible conflict with the Family.
But could Zheng Ming really withstand ten moves from Zheng Hu?
Zheng Hu and he were both Tenth-grade warriors, and even Zheng Gongxuan himself wasn't completely confident in defeating Zheng Hu.
"Zheng Gongxuan, as long as your son can withstand ten moves from Zheng Hu, then today's incident will be deemed a fair defeat of Zheng Jinlong. We will all leave immediately," the Third Elder's voice rang in everyone's ears at that moment.
The Third Elder understood that there were no forbidden techniques or sneak attacks involved, and both he and Zheng Gongxuan needed a way out at this point.
Although confident he could escape, allowing a family branch to rebel and killing all his accompanying men would still be highly detrimental to him.
And now, with Zheng Hu stepping forward to challenge Zheng Ming to ten moves, he saw it as a solution. He had confidence in Zheng Hu's cultivation level.
Zheng Gongxuan still had a stern face, unable to settle on a decision, but at that moment, Zheng Ming whispered into his ear, "Father, your son has confidence. Besides, Mother and Sister are still at home. Please let me try!"
Zheng Gongxuan's heart trembled. Looking at the youthful yet vibrant face before him, he felt not only relief and joy but also a bitter sorrow.
His child had grown up and was considering the entire family. But he, as a father, could hardly offer protection to his son in such a moment.
It pained him deeply.
Eventually, Zheng Gongxuan stamped his foot heavily and then nodded, "Alright." His gaze then landed on Zheng Hu, saying word by word, "Zheng Hu, this is just a spar."
"If anything untoward happens to my son, I assure you, Zheng Hu will never leave Luming Town again."
Zheng Gongxuan's statement was resolute and, even with Zheng Hu's ferocity, he struggled to find a rebuttal. In the end, he stamped his foot and said to Zheng Ming, "Kid, let's see how many moves you can handle!" ps: New book is running naked, brothers, please support a lot!