"I’m sorry, could you repeat that?," Zhen Shi asked while making sure his ears were still working, because he was pretty certain Zhen Wang just suggested something equivalent to having ravenous wolves escort a flock of sheep.
Zhen Wang rolled his eyes a bit, understanding that this was very out of character for him and his reputation, but he had made a deal...sort of.
"I’m saying that, originally, I was going to-."
"-apprehend you, so that you could face justice by the main branch clan leaders. But if you are truly aiming to return home to make ammends by your own accord, I will respect that, and I suggest that we travel home together as a sign of sincerity."
Zhen Shi stared at Zhen Wang in utter disbelief.
This was the same guy, as far as Zhen Shi’s memory was concerned, that had one time ripped the hand off of a man who pickpocketed from an outter disciple.
The same guy who jammed the handle end of an axe into the torso of a man caught cheating during an exam.
The same man who he watched publicly castrate someone for the crime of infidelity, was now suggesting that he escorts him, the man who was public enemy number one for the Pearl Scale Empire for several years because of a simple elopement, back home so that he could make ammendments.
’Either this guy hit his head too hard or he’s being coerced...hmmm...,’ Zhen Shi thought to himself.
He wasn’t sure how he should approach this situation, but...
"For what reason, after all these years, that you’re acting so magnanimous?," Zhen Shi asked point blank, "and why should I believe you won’t try to stab me in the back on the way back?"
A brutally honest question deserved a brutally honest answer, but that was something Zhen Wang couldn’t really give.
________________________________________________
Meanwhile, at the Zhen Clan’s family training arena...
"Huh? Xiao Liu? What are you doing here? Don’t you normally train in that abandoned quarry?"
"Well hello to you to Xiao Yue. I wanted a change in scenery, also, I heard we had some weird guests show up?," Zhen Liu asked as he settled on the wall near her training area.
He knew exactly who these guests were since he was the one who sent them, but nobody else knew that...well, except for Jin Fang.
[Think that guy, Zhen Li, showed up?]
[We did instill the fear of heaven and hell in them.]
At the mention of the guest, Zhen Yue immediately clicked her tongue in distaste.
"If you’re talking about those ’main branch’s guys, they did show up. One was an old man that looked to be the age grandfather did about three days ago, as for the other one...well..."
At that exact same moment, their cousin Zhen Ye came was sent flying towards them.
Hearing the alert, and going by instinct, Zhen Yue immediately side-stepped the incoming cousin shaped projectile. She fought with speed and grace in mind, so she wouldn’t have been able to catch Zhen Ye even if she wanted to...for now...
As for Zhen Liu, he stood his ground and caught the airborne Zhen Ye like he was a baseball.
[They’re outta here!]
[Touchdown...more... accurate...]
"Oof! You okay, man?"
"Y-yeah, thanks for the save," Zhen Ye managed to groan.
Zhen Ye didn’t look too beat-up, but there was a pretty distinct head print on his torso that was very much shaped like someone’s hand.
This was rather surprising to Zhen Liu, because out of all of his cousins, Zhen Ye had the hardiest defense.
"Alright, who’s next?," an arrogant voice called out.
[Wait...I know that voice...]
[We all know that voice.]
Following the voice, and Zhen Ye’s flight path, Zhen Liu saw that standing in the middle of the family arena was none other than Zhen Li, the young disciple of Zhen Wang, who was looking surprisingly smug for himself. Scattered about the arena were the disciples of the clan mixed in with a few of Zhen Liu’s cousins...all looking to be in various states of having their shit kicked in.
"Well, that’s disconcerting. I assume this has been going on for awhile?"
"Yup," Zhen Yue growled as she returned to her original position next to Zhen Liu and Zhen Ye, "the moment his master dropped him off here, he challenged everyone in the room for a ’friendly ’ sparring match while shouting some nonsense at us for being ’inferior’ branch members. You can imagine what happened next."
For someone he saw sweating bullets like a sinner in church, Zhen Liu was surprised that this guy was still acting like he was the cock of the walk.
________________________________________________
’Question: When y’all jumped him the other day, did you guys get a decent gauge of his power?’
[Yup!,] Hurricroak answered first, [Frosttusk took a kick to the face at that dude’s max power.]
[It fine... didn’t...hurt...only...peak...Master...level...]
’Oh that’s good to-wait, what?’
________________________________________________
"Zhen Yue, weird question."
"Did that guy by any chance state how strong he was, or..."
"No," Zhen Yue answered, a tad confused, "he just rolled up and challenged everyone. Although, from what I could sense, he has the power of a peak Aether Acolyte."
________________________________________________
’So he’s clearly hiding his power level in order to beat up weaker opponents and make himself feel better, right?’
[That appears to be the case.]
’Welp, I would normally send one of you guys to install some humility into someone like him, but he’s already seen you guys and I can’t exactly blow my cover...yet...’
’With that said, Razor Maiden, wanna go have some fun?’
[Never thought you’d ask, director.]
________________________________________________
"What’s wrong? No one else wants to try and fight me?," Zhen Li arrogantly declared while staring over the people he had already beaten.
While normally such an activity would be beneath someone of his privilege and power, there was something fundamentally cathartic about releasing his frustration on those weaker than himself...even if they didn’t know that.
"Come on, is the best that-huh?"
Off to the side, a new challenger had entered the ring, one that Zhen Li had read up on but couldn’t find any concrete details on.
"You mind if I have a go?," the Fourth Young Master of the Zhen Clan asked with a casual tone.
Out of three young notable masters of the "branch" clan that Zhen Li and Zhen Wang had sent people to keep tabs on, the one known as Zhen Liu was a bit of a mystery to them.
They had meant to have somebody spy on him to see what he got up to or if he would show off his abilities, but the man never left the Zhen Clan compound in order for them to do so.
It didn’t help that all of their operatives were also rendered indisposed, but that was unimportant...sorta.
That said, there were at least three facets floating around this young man that he wanted to know for certain were true or not, and the battle arena was no better place to confirm them.
"Now then, shall we?"