"Arrogant brat."

An Elder of the Zeng Family heard Li Feng's arrogant words and struck the ground with his cane, causing the Qinggang Stone tiles to shatter instantly.

"Indeed, too arrogant. First, he destroyed our family plaque at the entrance, and now he's putting on a show in front of me. I've long been fed up with him. This time, I'll teach him how to behave in his next life."

Zeng Batian cracked his knuckles with a cracking sound. If it weren't for wanting to kill this audacious kid in front of a large audience to warn him of the consequences of provoking the Zeng Family, he would have done it already.

After saying this, Zeng Batian was about to step into the ring, but just as he took a step, someone rushed ahead: "Uncle, leave this kind of trash to me. You don't need to dirty your hands."

As he spoke, one of the younger members of the Zeng Family, Zeng Yu, one of the two Golden Core cultivators, leaped forward. Zeng Batian watched as his nephew moved faster than he did: "This kid..."

"Seventh Brother, let Zeng Yu handle it. Given his age, if you go out there yourself, people might say our Zeng Family bullies the young with our seniority. Zeng Yu is a more fitting opponent."

Zeng Xingtian spoke.

Zeng Batian turned to look at his second brother, Zeng Xingtian, and felt it was inappropriate to intervene excessively. There were eight brothers in their generation of the Zeng family, but only four survived to adulthood.

The eldest is the current Family Head Zeng Chengtian, the second is Zeng Xingtian, the fourth is Zeng Jingtian, and the seventh is Zeng Batian. In the next generation, only two youths achieved the Golden Core stage: the family head's son, Zeng Fan, and Zeng Xingtian's legitimate son, Zeng Yu.

Of course, Zeng Liang, who was beheaded by Li Feng, was also Zeng Xingtian's son, but under Zeng Yu's halo, Zeng Liang was not favored.

So when Zeng Yu stepped onto the stage, even if Zeng Batian was a bit displeased, he could only hold back. In the end, Zeng Liang was killed, and his second brother had been holding in his anger for three days without acting because of the family's strategic plan.

If he insisted on seizing the first battle, his second brother's temper, fiery as it was, would be provoked, so Zeng Batian could only lower his flags and retreat.

It seemed he would have no opportunity to act. Clearly, he did not see Li Feng as a worthy opponent, wondering where a newly advanced Golden Core cultivator got the courage to challenge the Zeng Family.

Zeng Yu approached Li Feng, his arrogant lips curving disdainfully as he glanced at Li Feng: "So, you're the one who killed my incompetent brother."

"Killing a Foundation Establishment with a Golden Core, ha, what great skill you have."

In a private booth in a restaurant beside the square, a mother and son sat by the window, looking out at the two facing each other.

The boy was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with rosy lips and white teeth, slightly immature, and an untamed pair of sword-like eyebrows scanned the Zeng Family, crushing the teacup in his hand with force, fresh blood trickling from his hand.

Across from him sat a beautiful woman, probably in her thirties, with no traces of time on her, her delicate face exuding extraordinary charm. She was now the matron of the third-class family, Fang Family, and the boy opposite her was Fang Zhoushan, the current Family Head of this Fang generation.

The beautiful woman watched the blood flowing from Fang Zhoushan's hand, got up, took out a handkerchief she carried with her, and came to Fang Zhoushan, opening his fist.

"Don't do anything meaningless. Even if you crush a hundred, a thousand cups, it won't harm the Zeng Family."

"Mother, I just can't let it go. Why can't I grow up quickly and let this Zeng Family lord over our Fang Family, even trying to force you to marry over? What do they think of our Fang Family as?"

Fang Zhoushan was furious. A man could be killed but not humiliated. The Fang Family was at least a third-class family, yet being bullied by an upstart family to such an extent was intolerable.

"When your strength is insufficient, you must endure, and it's for the better. If it's not this Zeng Family, it would be another. The Fang Family is like a delicious piece of meat that everyone wants a bite of."

"But regardless of who devours the Fang Family, remember to endure until you become strong enough and the right time comes. Only then will the Fang Family have a chance to turn the tables."

"Behaving like you are now will only make people want to kill you. You are the Fang Family's only hope. If you die, how can your mother live alone."

"For the Fang Family, and for me, you must endure, understand?"

Listening to his mother's words, Fang Zhoushan exhaled a long breath: "Understood, Mother."

The beautiful woman, having tended to the wound and wrapped the handkerchief around Fang Zhoushan's hand, then turned back to her seat: "Do you know who that is?"

"Of course, I know, Zeng Xingtian's son, Zeng Yu."

How could he not know who the enemy was? The scene where Zeng Xingtian personally came to coerce his mother into marrying was still vivid in his memory, something he could never forget.

Hearing the hatred in her son's tone, the beautiful woman sighed, "The Zeng Family boasts eight Golden Cores. Zeng Yu is the pride of this generation, a Golden Core at such a young age, known as the 'Young Tiger of the Zeng Family.'"

"Although Zeng Yu doesn't compare to those prodigies on the newcomer rankings, he is still a talented genius with excellent potential."

Fang Zhoushan replied, "Mother, you don't seem to have faith in that Li Feng?"

The beautiful woman gently shook her head: "To challenge an entire family alone, you are either foolish or have no other choice. From what I've gathered over the past two days, it's clearly the latter for Li Feng. He has no choice."

"In the Lower Three Rings, he offended powerful forces, and now he has killed disciples from seven or eight families, including the Zengs. With wolves ahead and tigers behind, he has no way out and can only gamble his life in this battle, perhaps hoping for a sliver of vitality."

"Fighting an entire family alone, even if the Zeng Family doesn't attack him in full force and just engages in a war of attrition, how long can he last? Moreover, as a newly advanced Golden Core, how can he match the Zeng Family?"

The beautiful woman clearly did not have faith in Li Feng. It seemed more like a farce, with people coming to watch, curious to see who would overestimate themselves.

Fang Zhoushan nodded: "Mother, there's one thing I don't understand. Why did Li Feng choose to attack the strongest Zeng Family instead of weaker families like the Jiang or Liu families? Surely he would have a better chance of survival with them."

The beautiful woman smiled faintly.

"On the contrary, Li Feng shows some intellect. If he had chosen a weaker family, he might have had a chance to win, but he wouldn't have been able to stop the others from seeking revenge. Then, he would be facing not just one Zeng Family, but seven or eight families."

Fang Zhoushan responded, "But choosing the Zeng Family might make the others quiet down, yet is the Zeng Family someone he can defeat?"

Fang Zhoushan muttered softly, while the beautiful woman across from him raised her lips, an expression that would make others' eyes widen in surprise.

"That's why this is a deadlock, wolves in front, tigers behind, trapped with no way out above or below. Isn't this similar to the current predicament of our Fang Family?"

"Mother."

"But even so, we must still seek that potentially non-existent sliver of life, right? Otherwise, why not just kneel and surrender, awaiting slaughter."