Chapter 1436: Zhang Family Clan Meeting

"The Zhang clan? Which Zhang clan?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Is there any other Zhang clan in this world? Of course, I mean the one ranked first among the Sage Clans!" Jian Qinsheng explained. "I want to go there, and I hope Master Zhang can accompany me."

"Me?" Zhang Xuan was utterly confused. "What would I do there?" He wasn't a member of the Zhang clan, so going there seemed pointless! Besides, he had just beaten Zhang Chun to a pulp. Going directly to their stronghold, he wasn't keen on dying young.

"Well..." Hesitating slightly, Jian Qinsheng's face reddened as he said, "The Xingmeng Sword Saint of the Zhang clan and I have a bit of a rivalry. I once swore to cultivate a successor who would surpass his... You've met a few of my students; they're simply not up to the task, so I was hoping Master Zhang could step in for me..."

If he hadn't been desperate, he would never have bothered Zhang Xuan. As fellow grandmasters of the Sword Dao, he and the Xingmeng Sword Saint had competed and clashed at the Saint Son Hall. After Jian Qinsheng became an elder and the Xingmeng Sword Saint returned to his clan to assume the role of acting clan head, it became inconvenient for them to continue their direct rivalry due to their statuses. Instead, they agreed to have their students compete. They had competed several times before, and Jian Qinsheng's students had lost miserably every time. The Zhang clan members, whether in terms of talent, bloodline, or even the speed at which they learned sword arts, were far superior to his disciples.

He had originally given up hope, but seeing Zhang Xuan — someone with the surname Zhang, yet not from the Zhang clan — reignited his confidence, and he shamelessly sought him out. Compared to Zhang Xuan, all his students were like frogs in a well; even Jian Qinsheng himself was far inferior.

"You mean for me to challenge that Sword Saint as your sword art successor?" Zhang Xuan understood. He had met Jian Qinsheng's students before, and they truly weren't up to par. Even the strongest among them, Senior Brother Xie, had been defeated by Zhang Xuan with a single strand of hair, completely unable to resist.

"Challenging him directly, your current strength would certainly not be enough. I want you to challenge his successors..." Jian Qinsheng felt a little awkward. Zhang Xuan hadn't learned a single move from him; on the contrary, he had given Jian Qinsheng pointers. Asking him to impersonate a successor now truly felt embarrassing.

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned, unsure how to respond to such an unexpected request. While he certainly disliked the Zhang clan and wished to thrash them, he intended to do so as Ruoxi's boyfriend, not as someone else's proxy.

Zhang Xuan didn't outright refuse. Frowning, he suggested, "If Senior truly wishes to get revenge, you could train a successor using the modified sword art I provided. It shouldn't take long for it to show results; there's no need to rush, is there...?" Feeling guilty for destroying Jian Qinsheng's room and severely injuring him earlier, Zhang Xuan had modified some sword arts and passed them on to Shui Qianrou. Given her talent and strength, if she diligently practiced, it wouldn't take long for her to undergo a complete transformation. In that sense, she would be his true direct disciple, making the challenge more legitimate. After all, although he hadn't been at the Saint Son Hall for long, he had already offended many members of the Zhang clan and was well-known to them, particularly as Master Yang's student. If he were to impersonate someone, the Zhang clan would have to believe it first.

"The sword art Master Zhang imparted is indeed profound and mysterious; even I benefited greatly after studying it... If Shui Qianrou studies diligently, she can certainly make astonishing progress... But time waits for no one. The Zhang clan's family meeting is about to begin, and once we miss it, who knows how long we'll have to wait." Jian Qinsheng paused before continuing.

"Family meeting?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled. "What does their meeting have to do with this? What does your personal feud with the Xingmeng Sword Saint have to do with their family meeting? Why go there during it? Are you planning to cause a scene? If the Zhang clan were so easily provoked, they would have been wiped out long ago!"

"During the Zhang clan's family meeting, all their top talents will return. If you challenge them then, you can encounter their strongest sword dao masters... Only by defeating all of them can it truly be considered a victory over my rival," Jian Qinsheng explained. "The most crucial part is that winning at such a grand event would deal a significant blow to their morale and force them to admit defeat..."

"This..." Zhang Xuan's mouth hung open; he couldn't argue. To completely defeat an opponent, naturally, one must choose the best moment, and their family meeting was perfectly suitable. With all clan members present, a victory would certainly deflate their arrogance and reverse Jian Qinsheng's previous setbacks. However, if he were to fail, his reputation would be ruined, with no chance of recovery.

"This would mean gambling with all your honor, Senior. The cost is simply too high, and I don't feel worthy of such a responsibility." Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan paused, then still refused. While humiliating the Zhang clan had always been a dream of his, challenging them at this time would be gambling with Jian Qinsheng's honor. A win would bring infinite joy, but a loss would mean no chance of recovery. Although it would be difficult for him to lose, the implications were too vast, and it was best for an outsider not to interfere.

"Uh..." Seeing his refusal, Jian Qinsheng forced a wry smile. "It seems I was too naive. You're right, this doesn't concern you at all, and your refusal is perfectly normal. I was presumptuous." He had only met Zhang Xuan once. Far from teaching him anything, Zhang Xuan had actually pointed out errors in his cultivation. One could say Zhang Xuan had shown him great kindness. Asking a benefactor for such a favor without offering any reward was indeed a lot, so it was perfectly normal for Zhang Xuan to decline.

"Senior, there's no need to be discouraged. If there's enough time, I can help guide Shui Qianrou. Perhaps if she steps in, the outcome will be different!" Zhang Xuan smiled.

"That won't be necessary; I don't want to trouble you," Jian Qinsheng said, shaking his head. "The Zhang clan's family meeting will be held in a month. Unless something unexpected happens, I need to rush there now. There's no more time to waste..." Although he really wanted Zhang Xuan to guide his students, time was already running out.

"A family meeting in a month? It's not even a holiday season, so why hold a meeting?" Zhang Xuan asked, curious. He seemed to recall Zhang Jiuxiao mentioning that the Zhang clan's family meeting was usually held during the New Year. It was currently October, so even a month later would only be early November, still a while before the New Year. Why hold a meeting now?

"Reportedly, there have been some changes, and the Zhang clan moved the meeting forward to complete a marriage alliance ahead of schedule!" Jian Qinsheng mused. "However, I'm not entirely sure if that's the exact reason!"

"Complete a marriage alliance ahead of schedule?" Zhang Xuan's eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Yes, it seems the Luo clan's little princess has found someone she likes, which displeased the Zhang clan. The wedding was originally set for April next year, but now it seems to be scheduled for around the New Year!" Jian Qinsheng shared the information he knew.

"New Year?" A thunderous thought struck Zhang Xuan's mind, and his fists clenched involuntarily.