Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty – The Arrogant Son.

Patriarch Zhao was sweating. His son had waited until the end of the day to tell him about his botched proposal attempt. The morning was rising over the Gorge. It was too early to be conducting business, but Patriarch Zhao did not dare to delay.

There was a chance that Long Xiulan was overselling her abilities to sell his iron, but he would rather not find out what the woman was like as an enemy instead of an ally. It was not a long walk from the Zhao family residence to the home that Xiulan had rented.

Patriarch Zhao reached the entrance to the courtyard when he saw that XIulan’s guards were in the middle of carrying bodies out of the courtyard. The bodies were all covered in a black cloth robe that Patriarch Zhao recognized.

Trouble from the capital could only mean that the Bai Clan had finally made its move. Patriarch Zhao saw Xiulan and her blond companion standing at the door. He hurried to them and said, “thank the heavens you are safe, those men were…”

Xiulan cut him off, “Black Cloth Sect I know. The Bai family has made their move. Perhaps in a way that they hope will not be traced back to them, but my people are on their way to leave those bodies at the door of Magistrate Bai. I am sure he will get the message back to his family.”

Patriarch Zhao was gobsmacked by her blasé attitude. He ran his hand over his face and then bowed fractionally to Xiulan, “I understand that my son offended you yesterday. I just want to assure you that I have severely reprimanded him, and he does not speak for the Clan. I hope our business can move forward.”

Xiulan looked at Patriarch Zhao sceptically, “Patriarch Zhao you yourself are only a sixth level qi condensation cultivator.”

It was a statement and not a question. After a pause Xiulan finished the thought, “In my experience in this world, Clans will often bend to the will of the strongest as opposed to the wisest. I hope that you are right, and I will continue our plan if only to destroy the Kangs. Should your clan renege on the one percent commission on sales then,” Xiulan glanced meaningful at the now distant bodies, “I will react as appropriate.”

Patriarch Zhao grimaced but nodded. His son had been becoming more and more wilful after his cultivation had surpassed the Patriarch’s own. He just hoped that he could keep this mysterious woman as an ally to the clan. His strong gut feeling was that she was going to rise far in the world. Besides just in the few days he had known her, her cultivation as well as the cultivation of the woman around her had risen quickly.

If Patriarch Zhao had to guess, he would say that they all must be incognito cultivators from a Sect in the Capital. Only those Sects possessed cultivation methods that could cultivate so quickly in the sparse qi of Temple Gorge.

“I will try to ensure that your business with our clan is fruitful,” Patriarch Zhao bowed again as he spoke and quickly shuffled off back to the Zhao Clan courtyard.

When he returned, he was surprised to see his son waiting for him. Zhao Yaozu was leaning casually against the pillar of the main doors. He commented with a surprising amount of disgust, “the Zhao clan really has fallen low when its Patriarch goes to grovel in the morning with lesser business partners.”

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Patriarch Zhao wanted to hit his son but knew the blow would only be caught. He could not discipline his son only reason with him, “Yaozu that woman is going to increase Zhao family profits at least twice over. She is by no means the lesser partner in this deal. When we control the Kang Clan mines, we will also have a monopoly over iron in the city and a good deal of market share of all the iron going into the capital. That kind of influence is priceless.”

Zhao Yaozu scoffed, “that is the trouble with you father. You always think like a merchant instead of a cultivator. Without strength nobody in the capital will take us seriously. Besides Xiulan and I only had a misunderstanding. I should not have made my proposal at the same time as that useless Kang Gang. It made an association between us. I will propose again after the Kang Clan is delt with.”

Patriarch Zhao was shocked at the arrogance of his son, “she is not interested in men boy. She has not outright said so, but it is obvious from the way she interacts with her companions. She is not just going to marry you.”

Zhao Yaozu waved away the idea as if it were not a problem, “she has just not experienced a real man like me before. The men of the interior are all soft, not real cultivators at all. Besides she can bring her woman with her I do not mind.”

Patriarch Zhao was almost speechless. When did his son become such a fool? He made one last appeal to rationality, “I just returned from seeing the dead bodies of the men that the Bai clan sent after her. They hired Black Cloth Sect cultivators from the Capital. It made no difference. We do not want her as an enemy.”

“I do not want her as an enemy father but as a wife. Her competence only makes her more appealing. I like a woman who is capable as long as she knows her place is behind her husband. Apart from that she can trample over anyone she likes.”

“You are mad Yaozu. This thinking will ruin the clan. I forbid you to act on this as the Patriarch. I will not go so far as to order you to apologies to her, but this craziness of marriage cannot continue.”

Zhao Yaozu had a deadpan expression as he replied slowly, “this is your problem father cultivators take what they want. They do not make petty contracts and business deals. I will however respect the will of the Patriarch.”

He strode away in anger. No doubt to train his combat techniques for his Sect assessment. Patriarch Zhao did not like the way Yaozu emphasised that the will of the Patriarch is what he would obey and not the sound advice of him as a father.

Hopefully Zhao Yaozu would be accepted into a sect in the capital and leave the family for a time. Otherwise he would bring disaster to them all.

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