coobybook Chapter 132 Attempting to Steal a Chicken but Losing the Rice Instead; Heaven Favors No. 1, Not Me
Chapter 132 Attempting to Steal a Chicken but Losing the Rice Instead; Heaven Favors No. 1, Not Me
Zhou Qingfeng's assertiveness today caused Jiang Xun's expression to change slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
He examined the chessboard, as if weighing the value of each piece and the next move.
After a moment, Jiang Xun slowly said, "Nephew, you flatter me. I meant no harm. I just wanted to seek greater benefits for both of our families. Perhaps my men did something wrong and caused you trouble. I apologize to you for that."
"Regarding the Xi Yi treasure, I do not intend to disrupt your plans, but rather sincerely hope to share this rare opportunity with you; you should know that only by working together can we go further, while confrontation will only result in mutual destruction."
At this point, Jiang Xun had no choice but to back down to Zhou Qingfeng and reiterate his sincerity in cooperating.
This time, Jiang Xun genuinely sought cooperation with Zhou Qingfeng with good intentions, rather than resorting to trickery or coercion.
Although Zhou Qingfeng now has the support of the top team in the Sword Tower and powerful allies nearby.
It can be said that they have completely taken the initiative and are in a favorable position.
Jiang Xun's grand plan to monopolize the Xi Yi treasure has been completely shattered. He can do nothing to Zhou Qingfeng, either openly or secretly. So he can only settle for second best, turn hostility into friendship, ease tensions with Zhou Qingfeng, and conspire to steal the treasure together.
Seeing that Jiang Xun had softened his stance, admitted his mistake, and compromised, Zhou Qingfeng stopped pressing him. Instead, he changed the subject and smiled slightly: "Uncle Jiang, I understand what you mean, but sometimes, actions speak louder than words."
"There is indeed no surplus in the distribution of the Xiyi Treasure, but I have noted the Jiang family's sincerity today."
"If there are other opportunities for cooperation in the future, I will definitely give priority to the Jiang family."
When masters fight, they stop when the time is right.
At this moment, a narrow-minded and stupid person would surely be extremely arrogant and demand that the Jiang family pay a heavy price, only caring about their immediate personal vendetta, and then ruining the excellent situation, causing bloodshed.
But Zhou Qingfeng was different. He was rational and calm, ambitious and full of aspirations, intending to achieve an unparalleled great cause in this turbid world and establish a Zhou family that would last for a thousand years, or even ten thousand years.
The three factions of Yuanmeng, Gu family, and Wei family were merely bargaining chips used by himself to contend with the Jiang family and protect his own interests. Now that his goal had been achieved, there was no need to start another war.
Moreover, Zhou Qingfeng has already caused the Jiang family a great loss. With the departure of the powerful Gu and Wei families from Winter City, the overall strength of Winter City will decline in the short term.
The Jiang family's attempt to steal a chicken backfired, and they lost more than they gained.
Somehow, they have already paid a huge price for their previous mistakes.
Now that Jiang Xun is willing to reconcile with him and repair their relationship, why should he make such a powerful enemy?
It's better to let bygones be bygones and make more friends than to let resentment fester and create another troublesome enemy.
However, for various reasons, Zhou Qingfeng would never allow the Jiang family to get involved again.
Firstly, he had finally managed to rally three forces to fight against the Jiang family, and the current situation was very favorable. If the Jiang family were to get involved, where would the Wei family, the Gu family, and Manager An be placed?
Secondly, now that the Jiang family has entered the game, if they try to sow discord and divide the country, they will lose control of the current situation and fall back into an unfavorable position.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun said, "I understand your concerns, my dear nephew. Since the quota is full this time, I will not insist."
"But please remember, my dear nephew, the Jiang family's doors will always be open to you."
"No matter when or where, as long as you want to cooperate, I am willing to wait with the utmost sincerity."
"Furthermore, as the city lord, I guarantee that the Jiang family will treat you sincerely from now on and will never do anything to harm your interests. I believe that the real treasure is not money, but genuine cooperation and friendship."
After two covert confrontations, Jiang Xun had already experienced Zhou Qingfeng's wisdom and methods.
Jiang Xun has already determined that Zhou Qingfeng will definitely become the leader of the Sword Tower in the future.
If offending Zhou Qingfeng could bring huge benefits, then it would be acceptable to offend him. However, there are no benefits to be gained now. If they do not find a way to resolve the grudge, it will be a very bad thing for the Jiang family in the future.
A barely perceptible smile appeared on Zhou Qingfeng's lips: "I admire Uncle Jiang's magnanimity. I, Zhou Qingfeng, am not a petty person either. Let's put the grudges between the Jiang family and me to rest."
"The Xi Yi treasure is important, but compared to the harmonious coexistence of our two families and the continuation of our long-standing friendship, it is nothing. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will definitely take the initiative to share this opportunity with the Jiang family."
The black and white pieces on the chessboard are intertwined, much like the complex relationship between them.
Jiang Xun took a deep breath and carefully placed a piece, suddenly changing the course of the game.
Seeing this, Zhou Qingfeng also placed his piece, and the battle between the two on the chessboard became increasingly fierce.
At the same time, the internal struggle between them has also reached a consensus.
This seemingly ordinary Go match has actually become a crucial battle for them to resolve their conflicts and seek a win-win situation.
This also laid the foundation for possible future cooperation between Jiang and Zhou.
Foolish people, foolish in all sorts of ways.
However, most intelligent people are alike.
Zhou Qingfeng and Jiang Xun, one young and one old, are both people who can bend and stretch, and who can judge the situation by its own measure.
His magnanimity and talent are far beyond what ordinary people can match.
If even one of them is as stupid as a pig.
The situation will then spiral out of control, ultimately resulting in mutual destruction.
A monstrous wave that was about to erupt was tacitly suppressed by the two of them.
Jiang Xun tossed the chess piece into the chess jar and smiled slightly: "A draw. My nephew's chess skills are impressive."
Zhou Qingfeng smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Uncle Jiang."
Jiang Xun nodded and smiled, then glanced at Jiang Li in the middle of the courtyard in the distance.
With just one glance, Jiang Li understood immediately. She knew that her grandfather had secretly reached a reconciliation with Zhou Qingfeng, so she temporarily abandoned the old cripple and quickly walked towards Jiang Xun.
Jiang Li faced Jiang Xun, clasped her hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "Grandpa."
Jiang Xun smiled faintly: "I'm tired today, A-Li, you can escort my nephew Zhou back to his residence."
Jiang Li clasped her hands and bowed her head: "Yes, Grandpa."
Zhou Qingfeng stood up to take his leave: "Uncle Jiang, farewell."
After saying that, Zhou Qingfeng and Jiang Li left side by side.
Jiang Xun stood up and walked to the edge of the courtyard, looking up at the sky and sighing: "Such talent, the younger generation is truly formidable. If I could have a son like him, how could the Jiang family not prosper? Alas, alas, Heaven favors the first and not me."
The scene shifts to Zhou Qingfeng and Jiang Li leaving the mansion together.
Jin Wei and the old cripple followed silently three meters behind.
Jiang Li put her hands behind her back and glanced sideways: "Young Master Zhou, there is something I don't understand and would like to ask you about."
Zhou Qingfeng walked slowly and smiled slightly: "It's not a question of asking for advice, Young Master Jiang, please speak your mind."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li didn't mince words and said bluntly, "Young Master Zhou, I'm very curious about how you discovered that Qiu Qilang and Du Jiulang were spies. I lost, but I want to lose clearly and understand why. Please enlighten me."
Jiang Li is not afraid of failure, nor will she be discouraged by it, because she has enough resources to learn from repeated failures. What she fears is not knowing why she failed.
So even if she lost, she wanted to know why she lost.
Zhou Qingfeng paused slightly, uttered only the words "Guess," and then continued walking.
Jiang Li quickly caught up, saying unhappily, "You want me to guess? If I could guess, why would I be asking you?"
Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "It's none of my business if you can't guess. I can't help you with that."
Jiang Li chuckled: "You're so stingy. You've already won, why are you still hiding it?"
“Let me tell you when you leave. Grandpa said I should personally escort you out of the country.”
"Don't worry, I'm alone. With me here, you can travel freely throughout the cold winter territory."
Zhou Qingfeng shrugged, indifferent. If the Jiang family wanted to show goodwill, then he would just accept it. After all, the current chaotic situation was created by the Jiang family, so it was naturally the Jiang family's responsibility to clean up this mess.
Since ancient times, when gods fight, mortals suffer.
Previously, the Jiang family and Zhou Qingfeng were sworn enemies in their struggle for the treasure.
The two families have secretly reconciled for the sake of the long term, and the Jiang family and Zhou Qingfeng can now talk and laugh together as if nothing happened.
This is the 'game' of the upper class, where their stance can change at any time depending on the situation.
Regardless of who wins or loses in the power struggle between Zhou Qingfeng and the Jiang family, it is always the pawns below who die.
There's no need to mention Chai Ronggui; he was a traitor to the Sword Tower, so his death is no big deal, nobody cares.
Xing Cishu, a dignified garrison general of Gancaobao with real power, was still caught in the vortex of power struggles at the top and became a victim of the struggle.
That being said, risk also represents opportunity. If you win, you soar to great heights, like a carp leaping over the dragon gate; if you lose, like now, you're just dead.
Zhou Qingfeng also climbed up step by step in this way. If he had made the slightest mistake, he would have ended up like Xing Cishu, suffering an irredeemable fate. However, he made the best choices at every step, which is why he was able to become the fourth young master of the Sword Tower.
From then on, he entered the ranks of the upper class and powerful, transforming from a pawn into the player.
Time passes quietly like water.
After staying for several days, Zhou Qingfeng packed his bags and set off again.
However, this trip was quite high-profile.
City Lord Jiang Xun personally saw him off and announced an order to the entire territory: "No one shall obstruct Zhou Qingfeng's actions. Any treacherous individuals discovered shall be executed on the spot, and their entire clan shall be exterminated."
In addition, the Gu family, the Wei family, and the Yuanmeng organization all brought a large number of people with them.
Within the ranks, flags fluttered, with the three major forces raising the banners of their families and organizations.
This move is meant to show everyone just how powerful this treasure-hunting team truly is.
Even if independent cultivators wanted to seize the treasure, they would be powerless to do so.
Of course, the reason why the Gu family head and the Wei family head were so open and aboveboard was because in the past few days, they had sold off their family businesses and taken almost everything they could with them, so they were not afraid of the Jiang family settling accounts later.
Manager An was much more decisive. He directly ordered the Yuanmeng Outpost to be shut down, and all the money had been transferred to the Yuanmeng Headquarters via the teleportation array. He then led all the people at the outpost to join Zhou Qingfeng in the treasure hunt.
Jiang Xun stood atop the city wall, gazing at the treasure-hunting team gradually disappearing into the distance, a complex expression on his face.
Standing behind him was Jiang Xun's chief steward: "City Lord, we have suffered heavy losses this time. The Wei family and the Gu family have broken away from our Winter City, causing great damage to our city and reducing our overall strength by at least 30%."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun shook his head and said, "Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. From the current perspective, the losses are indeed heavy, but in the long run, this opportunity has eliminated two major hidden dangers, leaving behind only the cultivation families that are loyal to my Jiang family."
"With the Wei and Gu families gone, the vacant cake can be distributed to the affiliated families who are loyal to the Jiang family."
"I can take this opportunity to solidify Winter City into a unified whole. Our internal cohesion and fighting strength will be much stronger than before. This is not entirely a bad thing for the Jiang family."
The Jiang family steward clasped his hands and said, "The city lord is wise."
Jiang Xun hummed in response, his face expressionless, his eyes deep and unfathomable, like a pool of still water.
He is the lord of Winter City and also the head of the Jiang family.
He could privately bow down and apologize to Zhou Qingfeng, admit his mistakes and reconcile, and silently correct his errors.
However, they will never publicly admit their decision-making errors that caused irreparable damage to Winter City.
Because this would greatly affect his authority.
As the one in power, he had no choice but to say so.
On the vast and desolate snow-covered plain, the cold wind howls, and the landscape is covered in silver for thousands of miles, like a cold and magnificent painting.
The Zhou, Wei, and Gu families joined forces to form a large team that headed to Despair Slope.
The Wei family head led two thousand loyal and courageous family members, one thousand well-equipped private cavalry, and more than ten thousand servants, forming a grand and imposing force.
Not to be outdone, the Gu family head led eight hundred elite family members, five hundred heavily armored private soldiers, and six thousand loyal servants, advancing in formation.
An, the leader of the Dream Fulfillment Organization, hired an additional 800 Dream Fulfillers to join this large army, in addition to the 200 core members under his command.
This massive army of over 20,000 men marched along the official road for ten miles, resembling a snow-covered dragon poised to unleash its power, awe-inspiring in all directions.
His presence caused the local hermits and cultivators along the way to flee in terror, and no one dared to easily confront him.
However, human wisdom and caution meant nothing to the demons and monsters lurking in the desolate snow forests. In their eyes, these living humans were nothing more than walking feasts of flesh and blood.
As a result, all sorts of terrifying evil spirits roamed freely, waiting for their chance to strike.
Occasionally, someone would be dragged into the depths of the snowy forest and disappear without a trace, leaving only a piercing scream that shattered the silent sky.
Sometimes people fall silently, their lifespan evaporating in an instant, their deaths tragic.
Sometimes, people fall into fantastical illusions, where they kill each other without distinguishing friend from foe.
In such large-scale open-field marches, casualties were inevitable. Almost every day, people were killed, ranging from a few to dozens of people. The shadow of death always loomed over them.
After traveling for more than ten days, they finally arrived at Despair Slope.
Zhou Qingfeng dismounted, glanced at the sky, and saw that it was nearing dusk. He then waved his hand and said, "Jin Wei, pass on my order: all forces should set up camp on the spot and establish strict defensive formations to prevent demons from launching a night attack."
Upon hearing this, Jin Wei immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and stepped back. He then summoned three guards to convey Zhou Qingfeng's instructions to the Wei family head, the Gu family head, and Steward An.
Before long, the group split into four, and the cultivators from each group cast spells to set up camp on the spot and erect high walls.
Four camps rose from the ground, finally providing temporary shelter as darkness fell.
The demons and monsters are even more rampant at night, a veritable night of a hundred ghosts and ten thousand demons wreaking havoc.
The wise course of action for humanity is to avoid direct confrontation.
Inside the military tent, Zhou Qingfeng was studying "A Survival Account of the Border Area".
Jin Wei strode in, cupped his fists in a salute, and said, "Young Master, Patriarch Wei, Patriarch Gu, and Steward An have come together to discuss with you tomorrow's climb of Despair Slope."
Zhou Qingfeng had already undressed and was sitting on the bed, quietly reading. Without even looking up, he said, "It's too late tonight, and I'm a little tired. Tell them to go back and rest. We can discuss anything else tomorrow morning."
Jin Wei agreed, but remained standing in the same spot, not yet leaving.
Zhou Qingfeng said calmly, "If there's anything else, just say it all at once."
Upon hearing this, Jin Wei reported truthfully: "The Dragon Cavalry Guard Captain, the Left and Right Deputy Envoys, and the Councilors want to see you, probably because you arbitrarily distributed a portion of the Xi Yi Treasure, and they have come to ask you for an explanation."
When the troops were divided earlier, their instructions were to gather at Despair Slope and then wait for orders.
This group arrived at Despair Slope first and waited for many days.
Zhou Qingfeng arrived at Despair Slope today and took the opportunity to send them back to the delegation. As a result, the power under Zhou Qingfeng's control increased significantly, allowing him to maintain real-time control over the Four-Party Alliance.
However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and here comes the downside.
Zhou Qingfeng casually put the book aside, got out of bed in his pajamas, and said, "Let's invite the head guard in first. He's my mother's head guard, and I'd like to hear what he has to say."
Jin Wei hesitated and said, "Would you like to change your clothes?"
Zhou Qingfeng waved his hand: "No need, go ahead."