Chapter 333

Pinned under Fang Zheng’s foot, Zhou Quan fears death like anyone. He was the Zhou clan’s leader and its sole survivor after the clan’s destruction, and pride alone had kept him from accepting Shang Xin Ci’s invitation before now. He regrets that pride now and works out that Shang Yi Fan spread the rumors that pushed him to spurn her, reasoning that Fang Zheng, as her greatest backer, would want him gone for it. He wants to beg for his life but cannot bring himself to do it in front of the watching crowd, and Fang Zheng’s growing pressure on his face leaves him unable to speak. ^{ch. 333}

Shang Xin Ci arrives and, addressing him as Brother Hei Tu, begs Fang Yuan for mercy. She tells the crowd that Zhou Quan has secretly worked for years to rebuild the Zhou clan at his late wife’s dying wish. Zhou Quan has no memory of ever telling her this, and he was not even present when his wife died, so he realizes she and Fang Zheng are staging his rescue. Fang Yuan eases his foot. Zhou Quan plays along, bitterly conceding aloud that he has lost to a younger generation. Fang Yuan answers that dying is easy but that enduring shame to live for one’s ideals is true courage, and Zhou Quan takes the opening, declaring himself enlightened. Freed and helped up, Zhou Quan bows and pays his respects to Shang Xin Ci. ^{ch. 333}

In his study, Shang Yi Fan is stunned that Zhou Quan submitted to Shang Xin Ci. Old Zhang explains that she lacks the ability herself but has Fang Zheng and Bai Ning Bing behind her, and admits he underestimated how scheming Fang Zheng is beneath his blunt manner, deliberately backing Zhou Quan into a corner until submission was his only way out. Rumors are already spreading through the shop district, praising Zhou Quan’s supposed sacrifice and Shang Xin Ci’s love of talent. Shang Yi Fan rages that the rumors his own side spread earlier have only helped them. Old Zhang counsels patience, since the competition is not over and they still have his mother’s backing. Shang Yi Fan resolves instead to sow discord among Shang Xin Ci’s people and poach them with money, believing their loyalty was coerced rather than earned. ^{ch. 333}

With Shang Xin Ci in charge, Fang and Bai as guardians, Zhou Quan assisting, and Wei De Xin and the Xiong clan brothers cooperating, the intel business in the battle stage finally opens. It recoups its capital on the first day and keeps growing through the third, and after seven days Shang Xin Ci’s three hundred thousand primeval stones have grown to four hundred and forty thousand. Shang Yi Fan’s schemes against her united force go nowhere, so he turns to his mother’s influence at a Shang clan meeting called to shut the business down, and Shang Yan Fei overrules every objection to back his daughter outright. Several months later, Shang Yi Fan and his mother’s faction lose badly, and Shang Xin Ci becomes one of the ten young masters succeeding Shang Ya Zi. ^{ch. 333}

Outside the city, Shang Xin Ci sees Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing off. Fang Yuan tells her to keep her sights above the ten young masters, on young clan leader Shang Tuo Hai, the five elders, her father Shang Yan Fei, and the supreme elder. She answers that she has none of the advantages the others started with and can only compete by gathering talent, and offers to help him with anything he needs. Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing head into the mountains toward San Cha mountain, and Shang Xin Ci watches until they vanish from sight, praying for his safety. ^{ch. 333}