Zhang Mansion…

The great hall, which Zhang Taiying had destroyed in his outburst of anger many days ago, had been newly rebuilt.

Now that it was close to the City Lord Mansion's banquet dinner, Zhang Mansion was even more flurried.

Everyone was trembling in their posts, fearful of the unexpected.

This time, the banquet dinner at the City Lord Mansion would be different from the past. Everyone was aware of it.

This was a strategic move by the family head. The Zhang family could leverage this opportunity to extend its influence beyond Tiansang City if it was successful.

There were no empty seats in the great hall.

The seniors assigned to the remote affairs of the family were transferred back here at the moment.

Everyone was sitting on the edge. It was so quiet that if a needle was dropped in the hall, it could be heard.

It was the eve of the banquet dinner. However, there was another equally pressing matter that weighed heavily on everyone's minds.

"So, during the daytime explosion, the killer from Three Incenses was dispatched, but Xu Xiaoshou was not killed."

Zhang Taiying was sitting at the head seat. He tapped the armrest of his chair with his sole arm and spoke harshly.

"Yes."

At this time, only the head butler dared to step forward and answer.

"Was the killer a Sovereign Stage?"

"That's correct," the head butler replied after some hesitation.

Zhang Taiying struck the armrest of his chair, and it shattered with a bang.

"Do Sovereign Stage's these days grow up eating sh*t? I have not even mentioned how much attention it attracted! In the end, did the assassination of this Innate Stage ant also fail?"

"Is it because I haven't been out for a long time? Or are some of you pulling my leg?"

The seats in the great hall creaked. At this time, no one could sit still.

Each of them opened their mouths slightly, trying to say something. Even if they wanted to say anything, they found that they could not speak at all.

Seriously, an assassination of an Innate Stage by a Sovereign Stage failed and ended with the latter dead.

This matter was unimaginable in the past. No one even dared to imagine this possibility.

Now, such an absurd event was happening before them.

Who could explain it clearly?

The head butler trembled in fright and almost fell to the ground.

"The family head has misunderstood. Everyone present is from the Zhang family. How can they have dubious intentions?"

Zhang Taiying ignored him and continued his interrogation. "I heard that before the Sovereign Stage, there were two Master Stages who attacked. Is there any news from them?"

"..."

The head butler froze.

He struggled in his heart for a long time and finally said, "We cannot say. All we know is that one of them was blown up…"

Boom!

Zhang Taiying's remaining armrest on the other side of the chair also exploded.

The brows of the head butler jumped frantically at that sight.

He had served the family head for many years. Although every time the family head had an outburst of anger, it was a waste of money and objects. In the past few days, the occurrences were too frequent.

He had squeezed an armrest to dust with each sentence. Although the family wealth was inexhaustible, the main thing was...

The chair could not be replaced.

Zhang Taiying took a deep breath to calm himself. He knew that he could not devote too much energy to his son's affairs at this juncture.

However, it got on his nerves to be interrupted in this way.

"Raise the prize money! Sovereign Stage... Heh, what a bunch of useless things!"

"I heard this time it was delayed for too long, and the forces from the City Lord Mansion were dispatched."

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

He swept his hand, looked at the head butler, and said, "Give me information about that kid. I want the details."

"Does Master want to do it himself?" The head butler was surprised.

Before he could conduct further actions, an old man sitting on the left of the head seat opened his closed eyes.

"The family head has lost his focus on the big picture."

"The top priority is the City Lord Mansion's banquet dinner, which is the expansion plan of the Zhang family. How can the progress for that be delayed because of a personal matter?" The old man sighed wearily.

"Zhang Zhongmou!"

Zhang Taiying narrowed his eyes and coldly asked, "Do you think this situation is still small? An Innate Stage killed a Sovereign Stage in retaliation. There is a lot of peculiarity in this. Are you telling me that this is just an accident?"

"If that kid did not possess special means, I would be the first to not believe it!"

Zhang Zhongmou shook his head and said solemnly, "The family head has misunderstood the meaning of this old man."

"Naturally, I have no intention of preventing the family head from avenging Xinxiong, but there must be a priority and order in everything."

"You are still responsible for the process this time. Let Duoyu follow you to the City Lord Mansion to negotiate the White Cave quota and other matters."

"As for Xu Xiaoshou... Let this old man handle it!"

Everyone in the great hall was shocked when they heard that.

"Chief Elder wants to attack?"

"Is that kid worth it? To be honest, even if there is a shortage of people, there is no need for Chief Elder to do it. After all, Three Incenses has its sights set on the prize money..."

"I think this guy may be a misfortune in disguise. Now is a critical moment, and we need to act swiftly."

"If you let a minor incident affect major events, it will only disgrace us!"

"..."

Everyone talked about it animatedly, but it was clear that these guys were only fit to discuss trivial family matters. They did not have much say in dealing with actual operations.

Zhang Zhongmou looked toward the beautiful and alluring woman sitting on the right and asked, "Duoyu, what do you think?"

Zhang Duoyu was an attractive woman with an hourglass figure who looked almost 30 years old. She smiled and glanced at the man at the head seat.

"I do not have any opinion, but Chief Elder presented a good proposition. If you want to head out and enjoy the outside world, perhaps we can change positions."

"I'll deal with that kid while you go to the City Lord Mansion."

Zhang Zhongmou caressed his beard and shook his head. "I'm old! I will leave outside matters to you young folks. This old man will only be responsible for the little family matters."

He looked at Zhang Taiying and did not wait for him to speak. He waved his hand and said, "Let's do it this way. Look, it is late now. This old man is going to bed now. You can talk about the remaining matters."

After saying that, he got up and left.

Zhang Taiying narrowed his eyes as he watched the departing figure.

To tell the truth, he could accept this proposal if it were communicated tactfully.

However, the old man spoke in a commanding tone, which annoyed him tremendously.

The Zhang family had changed hands a long time ago, and the era of the old man had passed.

However, the force of the newcomers was strong. If not for the old man's influence, Zhang Taiying would have already eliminated him.

Whoever interfered with his matters had to die.

He turned his head to look at the head butler. "Give me intelligence."

The head butler was surprised. "This..."

He turned his head and glanced in the direction the old man who was leaving. He thought, 'Didn't they agree that Chief Elder would be responsible?'

Zhang Zhongmou did not look back, so he could only look at Zhang Duoyu again.

"I said give me intelligence!"

Zhang Taiying's pupils narrowed, and an unrelenting pressure exploded in the room.

The head butler was taken aback and hurriedly took out a jade scroll from his spatial ring. "It's here. It's here."

Zhang Taiying snorted coldly. He snatched the jade scroll and rubbed it lightly.

"Xu Xiaoshou…"

"Ha!"

There was a commotion outside the door. Zhang Taiying stopped his movement of touching the jade scroll and frowned at the door.

"What is going on?"

A servant entered from the door and hurriedly said, "Family head, there is a young man at the outer door saying that he wants to see you and that it is an urgent matter."

Zhang Taiying was stunned.

"What kind of urgent matter could take precedence over a family meeting?"

His tone was ice-cold as he shouted, "Where did your judgment go? How many years have you been a doorman? Don't you know the rules?"

"It's not like this…"

The servant knelt in a hurry and said with a trembling voice, "He said… He said that this matter is related to Young Master Zhang..."

"Hmm?"

Everyone in the great hall was startled.

Zhang Taiying finally calmed down. He paused for a long time and waved his hand.

"Let him in."