Chapter 001: The Sickly Child of the Zhang Family

The coachman halted the carriage and casually tossed aside the whip, then hurriedly ran into the residence, shouting as he went: "Master, Master, something is wrong! The young master has fainted again. Please come out and take a look..."

I truly hate this; it would be so much better if that kid weren't around. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have to endure being bullied by those brats from the Li and Wang families without daring to retaliate. " At this point, the man said angrily, "No, I must find an opportunity to give him a good beating sooner or later; I need to vent my frustration.

Prominently displayed in the most conspicuous place on the top of the carriage was a large red character "Zhang," indicating that this was the vehicle of a prominent family with the surname Zhang

Zhang Lei would not dare to admit that this woman is a well-known "mother tiger" in the Zhang family, known for her fierce temper. Moreover, his younger brother is her Achilles' heel; no one is allowed to speak of him, or else they would face a severe beating

You really have some nerve, speaking ill of her brother in front of her; isn't that courting death! The other boys walked over to him, chuckled, and then followed him inside

That appearance is akin to having one's eyebrows singed by fire, conveying a sense of great urgency

Call for action

At that moment, the middle-aged man exhaled a breath of stale air and slowly opened his eyes, yet traces of fatigue were still evident on his face

Oh, if you're hungry, come find me, I will make something for you, you know!" Zhang Xin said

"My father exhausted his energy to save me, and I am truly useless as a son." Zhang Cheng's expression darkened slightly, and a hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes

After everyone had walked out, the boy lying in bed slowly sat up, looking at his thin arms and legs, his face revealing a sense of decline that did not belong to his age

Hmm, I understand now. Chang Cheng nodded slightly, feeling a warmth in his heart

Father, please come quickly, my younger brother has fainted again The clear voice echoed within the residence, filled with urgency and self-reproach

"What nonsense are you talking about, you little brat? It is only natural for me to save my son. Besides, it's just a bit of true energy; I can recover after practicing for a while. So stop overthinking it." Zhang Fang gently patted Zhang Cheng's little head, a loving smile appearing on his face

"Who can deny it? Moreover, I have also heard my father say that the head of the family reached the peak of a seventh-grade martial artist five years ago, and is expected to break through to the eighth-grade martial artist realm within three years. Yet, it is precisely because of the existence of this little burden that the head of the family has made no progress in his cultivation over the past five years, which is truly infuriating," said a fair-skinned man beside him.

Thank you, sister. I am not hungry yet; I am just a bit tired and would like to rest for a while said Zhang Cheng, shaking his head

Well, then you should rest well, Xin'er. Let's go out." Saying this, Zhang Fang stood up and left.

Indeed, if the head of the family had not been burdened by this little rascal, our Zhang family would have possessed a master at the eighth rank level two years ago. At that time, both the Wang and Li families had no eighth rank masters in residence. If the head of the family could have broken through to the eighth rank then, our Zhang family would surely have taken the opportunity to eliminate these two major families in one fell swoop. But now, the situation has changed; both of those families have developed over the past few years and now have eighth rank masters in residence, and not just one. Meanwhile, our Zhang family has yet to produce even a single one. I believe it won't be long before our Zhang family is driven out of Shaoyang City.

After a fit of coughing, the young man slowly awakened. Upon seeing the familiar decorations, he realized he had returned to his own room. Turning his head, he noticed his father sitting cross-legged nearby, his complexion somewhat pale, while his sister stood by the bedside, looking at him with a worried expression

"Don't! Why won't you take me out? I'm almost dying of boredom at home by myself." Upon hearing that the girl did not intend to take him out, the boy quickly replied, "Next time, when you go out, I won't move; I'll just stand by and watch you practice martial arts."

Sigh, living like this is worse than being hit and killed directly before... The young man sighed, his voice filled with helplessness

"It is still my fault; from now on, even if it kills me, I will not take you out again," the young girl said firmly

After the coachman entered the residence, a pair of delicate white hands lifted the curtain of the carriage, and then a charming little girl with a steady gait emerged from the carriage.

"Cheng Er, how are you feeling?" the middle-aged man asked with concern

Is there any need to say more? That fellow comes around every now and then, and each time he requires the head of the family to transfer vital energy to him. After all these years, if the head of the family had transferred all the vital energy given to him to me, I would have likely reached the cultivation level of a sixth-tier martial artist by now. What a waste

"Phew, that was close." After Zhang Xin left, Zhang Lei finally let out a sigh of relief; he was genuinely afraid that Zhang Xin would have hit him.

The girl swiftly helped him down from the car, carried him on her back, and then set off. In just a few steps, she crossed the distance of over ten meters, and in the blink of an eye, she had run into the courtyard with the little boy on her back

Indeed, we have guessed correctly. Alas, it seems we cannot escape this fate; it appears that our Zhang family will still be burdened by him.

Following the sound, one could see a horse-drawn carriage charging towards them from a distance, careening wildly as it approached

Brother Zhang Hu, wait for us...

In the room, a middle-aged man gently placed the young man onto the bed, then helped him sit up. Following this, he also climbed onto the bed and supported the young man's back with both hands. After a short while, wisps of white smoke began to rise from the young man's head.

You better not, that kid can't take a hit. With your current strength, a single punch might just kill him. If he really ends up dead because of you, then you would be in serious trouble. Given our master's temperament, even with your second uncle protecting you, you would still have to pay with your life for this kid...

Before long, a middle-aged man suddenly burst out of the house, causing the door to splinter into pieces due to his violent movement

A single neigh of a horse echoed from afar, and in the blink of an eye, the carriage sped past on this road, disappearing in an instant at the street corner

Sigh, it must be that the young master of the Zhang family has encountered trouble again. Truly, such a kind-hearted young man, why is his fate so unfortunate? The pedestrians on the street did not feel anger or rage at the reckless charge of the carriage; instead, they revealed a hint of regret.

Upon seeing this, the neighbors who had been strolling along the street all stopped in their tracks and voluntarily made way for a spacious path for the carriage to pass through

Alright, Xin'er, stop disturbing your brother's rest. Let's go, everyone else should head out as well. With that, Zhang Fang led Zhang Xin and the others outside

If it were not for the fact that she is currently at home with some elders watching, she would not have said so much after she went over, but would have instead given a flurry of punches

After the girl jumped down from the carriage, her small hand reached back into the carriage again, and before long, she pulled out an even smaller boy.

... ...

Zhang Fang actually has another son named Zhang Long, who is the eldest among the three of them; however, he is currently studying outside and is not at home

"Make way, make way, quickly make way..." On the bustling street, a sudden loud and urgent shout drowned out the calls of the street vendors, successfully capturing everyone's attention

"Did I say something?" Zhang Lei was startled when a woman called his name, and he quickly pretended to be clueless, saying: "Sister Xin, you must have heard wrong; I didn't say anything!"

Zhang Cheng understood that his father said this to avoid making him worry, yet the weariness in his father's eyes could not escape his notice

After the man emerged, he saw the girl and the unconscious boy beside her. His expression changed immediately, and he quickly took three steps at once, reaching the boy's side in the blink of an eye

The carriage arrived at the end of the street, turned a corner, and then stopped in front of a government office.

"Alright, stop the nonsense. Let's go see if that kid is dead or not." At that moment, the young man walked out from the room again

It is evident that such incidents are certainly not happening for the first time, and they are aware of what has transpired; otherwise, they would not display such expressions.

Hmph, do not let me hear you speak ill of my brother again, otherwise, you know what the consequences will be. Zhang Xin clenched her small fist, glared at Zhang Lei, and then entered the room with the crowd

"Younger brother, are you hungry? Would you like me to make you some porridge to drink?" Zhang Xin asked as she returned to Zhang Cheng's side

Due to the vigorous shouts of the coachman, many people in the residence were startled, among whom several young men slowly emerged from a room.

"Hmm, I understand," Zhang Cheng sighed inwardly and said, "Father, you should return to your cultivation early. I am fine now, and besides, I am tired and would like to have a good sleep"

The first man to step out couldn't help but frown and said, "It must be that sickly fellow who has gotten into trouble again"

This man is named Zhang Fang, the current head of the Zhang family. The boy lying on the bed is named Zhang Cheng, Zhang Fang's youngest son. The girl next to him is Zhang Fang's daughter, named Zhang Xin, who is a few months older than Zhang Cheng

Cough cough ... ...

The middle-aged man touched the neck of the boy who was dozing on the girl, felt his faint pulse, and then swiftly picked the boy up in his arms, quickly entering another room.

Moreover, the most important point is that her cultivation is also not low; at such a young age, she has already reached the strength of a second-tier warrior. With such cultivation, among her peers in the Zhang family, apart from Zhang Long and Zhang Hu, there is simply no one who can match her.

If he admits it, then his fate is predictable; at the very least, he will have to stay in bed for a week.

The young man was dressed elegantly, with a stern expression and a decent appearance. Moreover, his words seemed to carry significant weight. As soon as he spoke, everyone fell silent, and then he walked directly through the crowd towards the exit

This girl is dressed in athletic gear, with her wrists and ankles wrapped in cloth bands, giving her a capable and decisive appearance. If it weren't for the "ponytail" at the back of her small head, along with her fair and delicate skin and beautiful oval face, one might mistake her for a boy

At this moment, the coachman on the carriage wore an anxious expression, vigorously swinging the whip to strike the horse in an attempt to increase the speed, while simultaneously shouting at the top of his lungs.

However, upon hearing the other party speak ill of her brother, she immediately became furious, walked over to him, stared at him with wide eyes, and questioned him.

"Zhang Lei, what did you just say? If you have the guts, say it again." The girl's ears were exceptionally sensitive; although the boy's voice was very soft, it could not escape her hearing.

Sister, do not blame yourself; it was I who insisted that you take me out. I just didn't expect my body to be in such poor condition that I couldn't endure even a little movement.

"Younger brother, do you feel better now?" Zhang Xin saw that the young man had woken up, and her anxious expression eased slightly. She then sat beside him, took his small hand, and continued, "It's all my fault for taking you out for no reason, causing you to faint again."

At this moment, one can see a plaque above the government office from the outside, on which the words "Zhang Fu" are inscribed

Call

At this moment, the little boy's face is pale, his eyes are slightly closed, and his brows are tightly furrowed, presenting a very uncomfortable appearance