Chapter 9

C9 – Conquer the Same Generation

Zhou Tong was tempted to talk tough, but he couldn’t ignore the creeping chill on one side of his body. Zhou Jibo’s calm tone sent a shiver of danger down his spine.

With his younger siblings close by, Zhou Tong grumbled under his breath, refusing to concede. He retrieved the knife, placed it back in its spot, and massaged his icy shoulder. Then, he turned to leave.

“Stop,” Zhou Jibo commanded.

“What now?” Zhou Tong snapped back, irritation in his voice.

Zhou Jibo offered a smile. “Come over here. Let’s talk, heart to heart.”

“I’ve got nothing to discuss with you,” Zhou Tong began, but the icy shift in Zhou Jibo’s gaze made him reconsider mid-sentence. Fear still gnawing at him, he amended his approach, “Fine, I’ll listen. What’s there to talk about?”

“We actually have nothing to discuss,” Zhou Jibo said with a slight smile. “I just want to make it clear to you: don’t follow in our father’s misguided footsteps and lead yourself astray.”

What?

Anger flushed Zhou Tong’s face, and Zhou Zheyan, Zhou Xunshi, and Zhou Youqing all mirrored his reaction. Zhou Jibo was outright dismissing their fathers’ beliefs right in front of them. How could they not seethe with rage?

“Zhou Jibo, don’t think you can strut around just because you’re more advanced in your cultivation!” Zhou Tong yelled.

Zhou Jibo chuckled. “Sorry, but it’s precisely my higher level of cultivation that allows me to be so assertive.”

Zhou Tong was taken aback, not expecting such a brazen admission. He found himself at a loss for words. In a world where strength ruled, if the powerful couldn’t dominate the weak, what was the point of striving for power?

Zhou Jibo knew they didn’t grasp his point, and their dumbfounded silence was satisfying.

“Why do I say your father is mistaken?” Zhou Jibo pressed on. “Firstly, whether they succeed or fail, they remain the Third and Fourth Elders, and you are their offspring. None of you are in line to become the Patriarch. What exactly are you plotting? Are you all just blindly following Zhou Qian’s lead?”

“Secondly, if your fathers refrain from causing trouble, the Zhou family remains strong, and you stand as the proud children of the Third and Fourth Elders. But if they stir up chaos, the Zhou family weakens, and they become the Elders of a diminished clan, with you as their less esteemed children. Tell me, is there any honor in that?”

In the end, what have you achieved? A fragmented Zhou family riddled with weakness and internal conflict, and a status that invites nothing but disdain from others.”

“Sure, Zhou Qian unleashed his fury when he took over as patriarch, but how does that affect you? Your only gain is a diminished and scorned Zhou family.”

Initially seething with anger, Zhou Tong, Zhou Zheyan, Zhou Xunshi, and Zhou Youqing gradually fell silent, exchanging bewildered glances.

“By the way, Jibo, why aren’t you and Zheng Xunqin out on a date today?” Zhou Youqing inquired further, “It’s been three years since your engagement; surely the wedding is just around the corner?”

Married?

Zhou Jibo chuckled, “I won’t be marrying her. We’ve gone our separate ways.”

“What?”

Zhou Youqing gasped, taken aback, and Zhou Zheyan, Zhou Tong, and Zhou Xunshi were equally stunned.

Everyone in Icefair knew of this couple; Zhou Jibo’s profound affection for Zheng Xunqin was no secret to the Zhou family. How could they have suddenly parted ways?

“You’re not pulling our leg, are you, Jibo?” Zhou Youqing asked, still half in disbelief.

“I’m serious,” Zhou Jibo assured her.

“But why? Would the Patriarch approve?” Zhou Youqing pressed for an explanation.

“She was overly manipulative, planting spies in our Zhou family. Her intentions were not pure. So, I informed my father and ended things with her,” Zhou Jibo explained.

Hearing this, Zhou Youqing and the others exchanged bewildered glances. They had always known Zheng Xunqin to be the epitome of grace and gentleness; they never imagined she had such a duplicitous side. And Zhou Jibo, he wasn’t known for being so resolute, was he?

As the four were deep in conversation, a wave of clamor spilled in from outside. Zhou Youqing peered out and saw the Zhou family members returning from the Zhengs. After some familiar faces inquired about the situation, they erupted into astonished uproar. Within moments, the news that the Zhou family had issued a letter of divorce to the Zhengs spread throughout Icefair City.

“Is it really true? Jibo, you have my utmost admiration!” Zhou Youqing called out.

Zhou Zheyan, Zhou Tong, and Zhou Xunshi all voiced their respect in turn. They wouldn’t dare to do something as bold as disrupting a marriage alliance between two families.

Seeing their reactions, Zhou Jibo allowed himself a slight smile.

With this, only the most stubborn of the Zhou family’s internal strife remained—the toughest nut to crack.

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