.
The next day, Zhang Furen and Zhang Cheng were summoned to Lord Xu's residence, while Lord Xu and the Sect Elders battled with the Xu Elders to settle on a befitting punishment.
Most of the Xu elders had now seen Zhang Furen for who she was, but quite a few remained stubbornly on her side.
"Don't you know how powerful that family is?!" The First Elder Xu argued. "It isn't simply one or two ties they have!"
The Zhang family indeed had ties in almost all twelve top sects, but most notably with five powerful families, two in the Yunchi Sect, and three in the Huofeng Sect...
The very top two sects!
Lord Xu still insisted Zhang Cheng should at least be disqualified from the tournament, but...
"No matter what, he's still the strongest Junior Disciple!" 1st Elder Xu argued. "And he's now a Xu clan disciple!"
"Ha! Isn't that because you made him one?!" Xu Fengyan scoffed. "Soon the 'Xu' surname will turn to 'Zhang'!"
"Xiaofeng! Don't bring up petty worries!" 1st Elder Xu warned. "'Live and Let Live'! We must tolerate the Zhang Family and coexist peacefully! You also know which families step in whenever the Zhang family is distressed! If they haven't done so already..."
He mumbled the last part, and Xu Fengyan's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"What do your words mean?!" Xu Fengyan demanded, but 1st Elder Xu looked away, a brief flicker of guilt in his expression, and a mild worry settled on Xu Fengyan's brow, as he wondered what those families might do to avenge the Zhang Family.
After several heated arguments, the Xu and Sect Elders finally settled on taking away Zhang Cheng's second position and making him the least among the qualifiers.
This meant Zhang Cheng could still compete, which did nothing but raise dissent amidst the disciples.
"Isn't this merely a slap on the wrist?"
"Hmph! It must be nice being born into a prestigious family!"
But the Zhang family was run through the mud again, and Zhang Furen had lost her reputation as a beautiful, innocent white lotus.
To worsen the situation, Zhang Cheng visited the Pill Pavillion the next day to pick up a few pills, but was shocked when a few burly guards blocked his path.
"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded, eyeing the guards, who were all Sect Warriors. "Why are you blocking my path?!"
"Forgive us, 1st Young master Zhang! We were instructed to never let you in!" One politely bowed, as two others grabbed Zhang Cheng's arms.
"Ei?!! How dare you!" Zhang Cheng protested, as two burly guards dragged him to the wide doors. "Do you know who I am??!!" He demanded, but,
"Throw him out! Quickly, quickly!" The Head Alchemist instructed, appearing from the stairway. "Clean everywhere his feet have stepped on!!"
The guards tossed Zhang Cheng out onto the street, and he landed spectacularly on his backside. "You-! You-!!" He struggled to his feet.
"Where is the sign...?!" The Head Alchemist swivelled to two young servants. "Put up the sign quickly! Do you want us to lose our *Golden Goose?!"
(*Someone or something bringing in a lot of money! In this case, Luoyin, as he makes high-level pills for them!)
Zhang Cheng dusted himself, but nearly slipped back to the ground when he saw a large sign by the Pill Pavillion's wide doors, which read:
YOU ARE READING
The Endless Promise
FantasyYin Xiaolong, the fearsome black dragon, is finally dead. But as the world rejoices, he awakens - reborn as Zhang Luoyin, a powerless human poisoned by his own family, and who is identical to his former self. Even worse, he must marry Xu Weiyan, the...
