Cannon Fodder Cultivation Guide

Chapter 154 - Best Choice, No Regrets

After a round of discussions, the majority of elders and guest elders in the Wang family supported the idea of challenging the Qinghe Tang family. However, there were a few dissenting voices, and the most prominent of these came from the most senior guest elder, Elder Du. Elder Du, who had reached the middle stage of the Nascent Soul, had been cultivated by the Wang family and held a strong sense of loyalty despite being a guest elder rather than a blood member of the family. His objection surprised many, as he was known for his low profile and had never before disagreed with the family head's decisions. This time, however, it was evident that the head of the Wang family was fully confident in challenging the Tang family, which was widely regarded as the weakest of the twenty mid-tier families. Elder Du's clear stance that the Tang family was not the best choice, suggesting instead that the Wang family consider the Li family, led most in the room, including the family head, to view him with a sense of surprise.

The Wang family head broke the silence, giving Elder Du a thoughtful look as he asked, "Why does Elder Du believe the Li family would be a better choice for us to challenge than the Tang family?"

"Family Head, even a dead camel is bigger than a horse. Although the Tang family has declined to the lower ranks of mid-tier families, they were once a grand, large family and likely still hold some hidden strengths," Elder Du explained. He couldn't elaborate further beyond this point; he simply felt strongly that the Tang family, despite its decline, had been able to cling to the bottom of the mid-tier ranks for centuries. For Elder Du, it seemed wiser to challenge the Li family, which, despite its place among the twenty mid-tier families, did not have the Tang family's deep-rooted foundation.

"Elder Du, any family that ranks among the twenty mid-tier families is bound to be formidable," someone objected. "The Li family, though a newer member of the twenty, has a strength and influence that far exceeds the Tang family's. Your suggestion that we pass over the Tang family to challenge the Li family... Do you perhaps have other motives?"

This question came from Elder Jia, another guest elder in the Wang family, who had a history of friction with Elder Du. The resentment was mostly one-sided, with Elder Jia begrudging Elder Du's higher influence and the preferential treatment he received in the family.

"There are no ulterior motives," Elder Du replied, ignoring Elder Jia's provocation as he turned back to the family head. "The head summoned us here to share our honest opinions, and I hope you will give my suggestion some thought. If the Tang family were truly as weak as they appear, they wouldn't have been able to maintain their place among the mid-tier families for so long without being displaced."

Elder Jia sneered, clearly intent on discrediting Elder Du. "The Tang family has managed to stay at the bottom of the ranks only because their challengers were too weak. Those small families who failed are nothing compared to our Wang family. Or does Elder Du see us on the same level as those failed challengers?"

His words hit a nerve, especially with those in the Wang family who had been working hard to prove themselves. Although the Wang family was still technically considered a lower-tier family, they believed they were now fully capable of holding their own among the mid-tier families and needed only formal recognition. They certainly did not see themselves as comparable to the families that had previously failed to challenge the Tang family. Elder Jia's words fueled dissatisfaction, and some even looked at Elder Du with displeasure. Even the Wang family head, though he kept a calm expression, was slightly irritated.

"All right, that's enough," the family head intervened to smooth things over. "Elder Du likely didn't mean it that way, and Elder Jia, there's no need to take it to heart." He then subtly steered the conversation away from Elder Du's viewpoint. "Han siblings, what do you think?" he asked, directing the attention to Zhang Yiyi and Luo Qiheng, who had remained silent throughout the discussion. However, his gaze settled on Zhang Yiyi, clearly expecting a response from her rather than from Luo Qiheng.