As Zhaang Ye fled by jumping into the river, his elder brother, Zhaang Shu, arrived at an exquisite courtyard in the center of the Zhaang Mansion to find their mother, Liuu Suqing.
Although Liuu Suqing was over thirty, she had always maintained herself exceptionally well. Coupled with her own cultivation as a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage, she looked like a young woman in her twenties. Seeing Zhaang Shu walk in, she smiled with satisfaction and asked, "Shu, you have two Body Tempering Pills now. Is it possible for you to advance to the Martial Arts Third Layer Heaven in the near future?"
Of the two Body Tempering Pills Liuu Suqing mentioned, one was a benefit distributed by the Zhaang Family for the Younger Generation's cultivation, while the other had been taken from Zhaang Ye.
Liuu Suqing knew this was very unfair to Zhaang Ye. But after the Zhaang Family Patriarch, Zhaang Chengtian, had gone into seclusion, the family had fractured into several factions, all vying for power and profit. This kind of clan struggle was incredibly cruel. The victor would become the family's master, wielding authority and enjoying endless glory. As for the losers, at best they would be reduced to idle members of the family, suffering disdain and living out their days in disgrace. At worst, they would be exiled and die in a foreign land.
In the end, the family struggle was really a fight for supremacy among the Younger Generation. Zhaang Shu's aptitude was outstanding, making him a strong contender for the Patriarch position. To give Zhaang Shu more opportunities to get ahead and smoothly enter the Zhaang Family's center of power, Liuu Suqing could only concentrate all resources on fully nurturing the talented and promising Zhaang Shu.
It was precisely to help Zhaang Shu grow stronger quickly that she had taken the Body Tempering Pill that belonged to Zhaang Ye.
Of her two sons, Zhaang Ye was destined to be abandoned. 'Who's to blame but his own poor aptitude? The Barbaric World is a world where strength reigns supreme. Here, strength is the foundation of everything. Poor aptitude means it's difficult to increase one's strength, and no one would waste vast, precious resources to cultivate someone who can't improve.'
'Among the offspring of wild beasts, only the strong survive. The weak are abandoned, sometimes even eaten by their siblings. Humans are the same. Those with poor aptitude are destined to be abandoned, even if they are your own flesh and blood.'
'This world is just that cruel!'
Hearing his mother's question, a hint of pride appeared on Zhaang Shu's face. He said, "Ten days ago, I underwent my fifth Body Tempering, and the impurities in my body have been almost completely purged. Now with two Body Tempering Pills, the few remaining impurities will certainly be swept clean with their help, allowing me to step into the Martial Arts Third Layer Heaven."
Listening to Zhaang Shu's confident tone, Liuu Suqing nodded in satisfaction. "Right now in the Zhaang Family, only Zhaang Fang among the younger generation can be compared to you. If you can successfully break through to the Martial Arts Third Layer, even Zhaang Fang will be surpassed by you. You must cultivate diligently and not disappoint me."
At this point, Liuu Suqing suddenly remembered something and said, "Right, you have a match with Zhaang Fang next month, don't you? Are you confident you can win?"
"I'm fairly confident. However..." Zhaang Shu hesitated for a moment before recounting his exchange with Zhaang Ye.
"What? You're saying Zhaang Ye has also reached the Martial Arts Second Layer? And he refused you?" After hearing Zhaang Shu's words, Liuu Suqing was greatly startled and hurriedly pressed for more details.
Zhaang Shu nodded in confirmation, a look of bewilderment on his face. "I couldn't believe he could reach the Martial Arts Second Layer either, but it's the truth. Not only has he reached the Martial Arts Second Layer, but his foundation is extremely solid. With another month or two of cultivation, I'm afraid he could even attempt to break through to the Mid-stage Second Layer. It's truly bizarre."
"It is strange..." Liuu Suqing mused. "I know Ye'Er's aptitude. If he had used a Body Tempering Pill, he might have had a slight chance of reaching the Martial Arts Second Layer. But his Body Tempering Pill is clearly in our hands, yet he still managed to advance. It's truly baffling. By the way, could he have accidentally consumed some kind of Spirit Elixir?"
Zhaang Shu shook his head. "Impossible. Someone who has consumed a Spirit Elixir would carry a unique aura, practically overflowing with Spiritual Qi. My little brother has no such medicinal scent on him. I'm certain he didn't advance by consuming some Celestial and Earthly Treasures."
'How could a person with such low aptitude advance without consuming Celestial and Earthly Treasures or using Elixirs to aid his cultivation?' Liuu Suqing was filled with doubt and questioned Zhaang Shu in detail for a while, but he couldn't provide any answers.
After asking Zhaang Shu a few more questions and getting nothing useful, Liuu Suqing changed the subject. While advancing in the Martial Dao certainly depended heavily on aptitude, it also involved other factors like destined opportunities and sheer luck. Liuu Suqing now saw Zhaang Ye as one of the lucky ones, believing he had advanced through a fluke.
After a few more words, Zhaang Shu asked hesitantly, "Mother, my little brother refused me. What should I do?"
Liuu Suqing was silent for a moment before speaking. "Ye'Er is a Martial Arts Second Layer Martial Artist now, so he can be of use to you. As the saying goes, brothers should be brothers-in-arms. Little Ye's strength is decent; you should groom him to be your right-hand man. This will be greatly beneficial for your future plans." Seeing Zhaang Shu hesitate as if he wanted to say more, Liuu Suqing understood his thoughts and continued coolly, "In this world, everything comes down to strength. His refusal to help you means he doesn't understand your power. You can show him your strength. Make him submit..."
After a pause, Liuu Suqing added, "If you can't even subdue your own mediocre brother, how will you make the others in the Zhaang Mansion submit to you in the future? Do you understand?"
"Show him my strength and make him submit! I understand what to do now! I'll go find him right away!" Zhaang Shu replied, his eyes lighting up. He thought to himself, 'Oh, little brother, if you still refuse me, then don't blame me for being ruthless...'
**************
「The next day.」
Zhaang Shu arrived at Zhaang Ye's small courtyard, a confident and cold smile playing on his lips.
His mother's words from yesterday—"If you can't even subdue your own mediocre brother, how will you make the others in the Zhaang Mansion submit to you in the future?"—were deeply ingrained in his mind. This time, he was determined to make his disobedient little brother, Zhaang Ye, submit.
With his strength at the Peak of Martial Arts Second Layer, he was confident he could suppress Zhaang Ye with one hand, defeating him so thoroughly that he would have no choice but to become his capable right-hand man.
"What? You're saying Zhaang Ye has already gone out to train?" Zhaang Shu glared at Cyan Lotus. "When did he leave?"
Cyan Lotus replied, "Just yesterday."
Zhaang Shu thought for a moment and asked, "Did he say when he would be back?"
Cyan Lotus shook her head. "I don't know either."
"Hmph!" Zhaang Shu slammed his fist down and turned to leave. As he walked, he thought, 'Oh, little brother, Three Rivers Town may be big, but where can you possibly run? You'll have to come back sooner or later! In the meantime, I'll just consume these two Body Tempering Pills and advance to the Martial Arts Third Layer. The Martial Arts Third Layer allows for True Qi Detachment attacks, and its combat power is far greater than the Martial Arts Second Layer. Hmph, when that time comes, even Zhaang Fang will have to submit to me. Won't you, little brother, be easily suppressed by me then? Heh, you think you can disobey your big brother? Unless you reach the Martial Arts Third Layer, you will have no choice but to submit to me!'
At this thought, Zhaang Shu let out a low, sinister chuckle.