Chapter 354: Paying a Visit

Zhang Fu.

The main hall, which had been directly shattered by Zhang Taiying in a fit of rage several days prior, had already been fully rebuilt.

As the night banquet at the City Lord's mansion drew near, everyone in Zhang Fu was bustling about in a frenzy.

Each person diligently worked at their station, meticulously avoiding any possible misstep.

Everyone understood that this City Lord's mansion night banquet was unlike any in the past.

It was a strategic move by the family head, and if it succeeded, the Zhang family might have the opportunity to expand its influence beyond Tian Sang City.

Inside the grand hall, every seat was filled.

Several key figures who had been assigned to manage the family's distant affairs were all summoned back for this occasion.

Everyone sat straight and still, the hall so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Although it was the eve of the night banquet, another matter of equal importance weighed heavily on their minds.

"So, the explosion during the day was caused by the assassins from San Zhu Xiang, but that Xu Xiaoshou didn't die?"

Zhang Taiying sat in the main seat, tapping the armrest with his single arm, his tone icy.

"Yes."

At that moment, only the steward dared to step forward and respond.

"Was the killer a Wang Zuo?"

"...Yes." The steward hesitated before answering again.

With a bang, Zhang Taiying smashed the armrest to pieces.

"Are all the Wang Zuo these days raised on dog shit? Assassinating a mere Houtian ant, and not only did it cause such a huge commotion, but it also failed?"

"Have I been out of the loop for too long, or is someone here trying to make a fool of me?"

Chairs scraped in the hall as no one could remain seated any longer.

One by one, they parted their lips as if to speak, but faltered, unable to find the words.

Truly, the idea of a Wang Zuo assassinating someone at the Houtian level and failing was something they wouldn't have dared to imagine in the past.

And now, such an absurd event had unfolded right before their eyes.

Who could possibly explain it?

The steward trembled, almost collapsing to the ground.

"Family head, you've misunderstood. Everyone here is from the Zhang family—none of us would harbor ulterior motives."

Zhang Taiying ignored him and continued, "I heard that before the Wang Zuo, two Zong Shi had also made attempts and then vanished without a trace?"

The steward froze.

After an internal struggle, he finally said, "Well, not exactly—at least one of them did cause an explosion..."

The other armrest of Zhang Taiying's chair exploded as well.

The steward's eyebrows twitched wildly at the sight.

He had served the family head for many years, and while he was accustomed to seeing destructive outbursts, the past few days had been excessive.

One armrest destroyed with a single sentence wouldn't bankrupt them, but the real problem was...

They couldn't replace them quickly enough!

Zhang Taiying took a deep breath. He knew that at this stage, he couldn't afford to devote too much energy to his son's affairs.

But being constantly interrupted like this was truly infuriating.

"Increase the bounty. Wang Zuo... hah, a bunch of useless trash!"

"I heard that because it dragged on, the City Lord's mansion got involved?"

"Hmph, I don't believe that kid will have such good luck next time!"

He extended a hand toward the steward and said, "Give me that boy's detailed information."

"Family head, are you planning to handle it personally?" The steward was astonished.

Before he could do much, an elder seated to the left of the main seat, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them.

"Family head, this would be a case of losing the forest for the trees."

"The priority right now is the City Lord's mansion night banquet and the Zhang family's expansion strategy. How can we delay progress over a personal matter?" The elder sighed.

"Zhang Zhongmou!"

Zhang Taiying narrowed his eyes, his voice cold. "Do you think this situation is trivial? A Houtian turning the tables and killing a Wang Zuo—there's something fishy here. Don't tell me it's just an accident?"

"If that boy didn't have some backing, I'd be the first to not believe it!"

Zhang Zhongmou shook his head and said gravely, "Family head, you've misunderstood my meaning."

"I'm not trying to stop you from avenging Young Master Xiong, but everything has an order of priority."

"You should focus on this process. Let Duoyu accompany you to the City Lord's mansion to negotiate the Bai Ku slots and other matters."

"As for that Xu Xiaoshou... I'll handle it."

Everyone in the hall was shocked at his words.

"The great elder is going to act?"

"That boy—does he really warrant that? Honestly, even if we're short on people, we don't need Elder Zhang Zhongmou to step in. The bounty is already posted with San Zhu Xiang..."

"On the other hand, this guy might be a hidden threat. With things at a critical stage, we do need to act decisively."

"If some minor trouble derails the big plan, that would be truly regrettable!"

The group burst into discussion, but clearly, while they could chat about family trivialities, they had little say in actual operations.

Zhang Zhongmou turned to a stunning woman seated to the right and asked, "Duoyu, what do you think?"

Zhang Duoyu was a beautiful woman who appeared to be in her late twenties, with a graceful figure. She smiled at the man in the main seat.

"I have no objections. Elder Zhang Zhongmou's idea is quite good. If you're still interested in going out, perhaps we could switch roles."

"I'll deal with that boy, and you go to the City Lord's mansion."

Zhang Zhongmou stroked his beard and shook his head. "I'm getting old! I'll leave the outings to you young people. I'll just handle the minor family matters."

He glanced at Zhang Taiying and, without waiting for a response, waved his hand. "That's settled. It's late, and I need to get some rest. You all can discuss the rest."

With that, he stood up and left.

Zhang Taiying narrowed his eyes, watching him go.

Honestly, if the idea had been presented properly, he could have accepted it.

But the old man's tone was still so commanding, which infuriated him to no end.

The Zhang family had already changed hands, and the old guard's era was over.

The new wave was on the rise, and if not for needing the old man's strength, Zhang Taiying might have already acted on his thoughts.

Anyone who interferes must die!

He turned to the steward. "The intelligence."

The steward was taken aback. "This..."

He glanced back in the direction the elder had left, thinking that it was supposed to be the great elder's responsibility.

Zhang Zhongmou didn't look back, so he turned to Zhang Duoyu instead.

"I said, the intelligence!"

Zhang Taiying's eyes flashed with intensity, his aura erupting menacingly.

The steward jumped in fright and quickly pulled a jade slip from his ring. "Here it is, right here."

Zhang Taiying snorted coldly, snatched the jade slip, and gently stroked it.

"Xu Xiaoshou..."

"Hah!"

A commotion arose outside the door, and Zhang Taiying paused his examination of the jade slip, frowning toward the entrance.

"What's going on?"

A servant entered from the doorway, flustered. "Reporting to the family head, there's a young man at the outer gate who says he wants to see you. He claims it's urgent."

Zhang Taiying was stunned.

"What kind of urgent matter could be more important than a family meeting?"

His voice turned cold as he snapped, "Have you lost your senses? How long have you been a gate guard—don't you know the rules?"

"It's not like that..."

The servant knelt in panic, his voice trembling. "He—he said this matter is related to Young Master Zhang..."

"Hmm?"

Everyone in the hall was startled.

Zhang Taiying finally composed himself. After a moment's pause, he waved his hand.

"Bring him in."