Chapter 44: Secret Exposed (1/2)

‘An army is valued by its speed; better early than late.’ While Wang Chong was still in his room, conflicted over the Stone of Destiny, he received a news from his cousin, Wang Zhu Yan.

On this aspect, with big uncle behind her, her intelligence network was much greater than his.

Wang Chong was spot on!

The Yao Clan’s Old Master Yao had truly put down his pride and appeared at his grandfather’s living quarter in the Four Quarters Embassy tonight!

The Yao and Wang Clan were officially in peace talks.

After Wang Chong’s reminder, when Big Uncle Wang Gen joined the conversation, he added the issue about having Cousin Wang Li’s name added in the promotion list as part of the negotiations and requested for the Yao Clan to cooperate with Wang Li’s promotion.

On this issue, Old Master Yao had no choice and accepted it on the spot. After that, they started negotiating about political matters.

It was a rare opportunity for the Yao Clan to be seeking a truce, hence, grandfather and big uncle made full use of this opportunity and added in more demands on the political aspect so as to scrape a layer of skin off the Yao Clan.

Wang Chong’s cousin, Wang Zhu Yan, was extremely surprised over the matter and her disbelief was clearly expressed in the letter.

“That old fellow sure reacted fast!”

After sending away the servant ‘Second Sister’ Wang Zhu Yan sent, Wang Chong couldn’t help but be impressed with Old Master Yao.

Wang Chong didn’t expect that Old Master Yao would pay a visit to his grandfather so soon. His sensitivity toward such issues and his decisiveness wasn’t something anyone could compare to.

Old Master Yao had never lowered his head to his grandfather through their decades of battle. Yet, for his offsprings, he made this decision with absolutely no hesitation.

This was also why the Yao Clan was fearsome!

As long as Old Master Yao was breathing, the Yao Clan was an indestructible entity. There was no one who was capable to destroying the Yao Clan!

However, this wasn’t what Wang Chong was concerned about.

Wang Chong was certain that with his performance, everyone’s impression of him had changed. Wang Chong even remembered the shock in his big aunt’s eyes when she was bidding farewell, as well as the delight his mother showed when she glanced at him.

Even his father, Wang Yan, in his letter, expressed intense joy and disbelief over the affair. Wang Yan had always held an unfavorable impression toward his son, and what Wang Chong found the most difficult was to change the impression his father had of him.

However, after the incident with King Song and Yao Guang Yi, Wang Chong believed he should have completely altered the impression his father had of him.

As for the clan…

Wang Chong glanced at the letter on the table. In the letter, Wang Zhu Yan had questioned him about the matter and her incredulity was expressed through her words. This was an indication of the clan’s current impression of him.

Even though it was insufficient for him to enter the core of the family just like that, without a doubt, he had earned everyone’s acknowledgment!

“… Currently, there’s just one more matter left!”

Wang Chong chuckled. As the saying goes, ‘joyful occasions come in pairs’. Wang Chong had received a note from Wei Hao, saying that the forging of the Wootz steel weapon should be completed within these few days.

As long as they were completed, he should be ready to rake in money.

Hua!

Pulling up his robe, Wang Chong walked out from the room. The night sky was pitch black with a bright moon hanging high in the sky. Under the moonlight, lantern after lantern was hung along the corridors in the Wang Family Residence.

Walking along the pavement, wherever Wang Chong went, he could sense countless gazes with respect and admiration toward him, which was completely different from how the guards, servants, and maids viewed him in the past.

After this series of events, not only had the Wang Clan’s destiny changed, Wang Chong’s standing in the clan had also changed.

“About time for me to start training!”

Wang Chong moved toward the corner, pushed the shelf aside, and started dancing along the constellations, thus starting his practice on the 《Dragon Bone Art》. ‘Diligence can compensate one’s flaws’, he couldn’t halt his plans, but neither could he neglect his martial arts. During the period of hard work, he could sense that his strength had improved once more.

…

The matter by the border continued to play out in the capital. Under the rumors spread intentionally by some, the news of the Yao Clan’s Old Master Yao visiting the ‘Harmonious Garden’ of the Four Quarters Embassy to visit Duke Jiu and the Yao and Wang Clan shaking their hands to make peace caused an uproar throughout the capital.

Of the many years of fights between the Yao Clan and Wang Clan, this was the first time the Wang Clan had the upper hand.

Yao Guang Yi’s failure at the border had become the turning point of their battle. Even in the alleys, it was the topic of discussion, Yao Guang Yi’s incredible foresight and flawless plans had become a subject of mockery.

Many people had said that the Wang Clan’s ‘Duke Jiu’ had invited a secret strategist, who was in no way inferior to Yao Guang Yi, to assist them. At this very moment, everyone was privately discussing who this incredible ‘secret strategist’ could be.

Putting the commotion outside aside, as the ‘secret strategist’ whom these distinguished families and nobles were talking about, Wang Chong was living a peaceful life in ‘seclusion’ as he happily carried out his wealth-amassing plan.

And this plan was almost completed.

“Haha, Wang Chong, look! The Wootz steel weapon which you spoke of has finally been crafted!”

In the cavern at the western suburbs of the capital, Wei Hao lifted a 3 chi long incomplete black sword excitedly. This was a standard Central Plains sword, a double-edged sword. With a straight sword body and a width of around two fingers, its black body gave it a tough impression.

A chi -> 0.33m

“Right, Wang Chong, why did you request to add two grooves to the both sides of the blade. I don’t remember the swords of our Central Plains having grooves?”

Wei Hao scratched his head in incomprehension as he stared at the grooves that stretched along the blade of the sword on both sides of the blade.

“It’s called a blood groove, and it’s designed for killing an opponent. After the sword is stabbed into a person’s body, his blood would spurt out through the blood groove, causing him to lose a large amount of blood within a minimal period of time!”

Wang Chong smiled.

“Ah!”

Wei Hao was taken aback, and he nearly dropped the sword from his hands:

“Blood groove? Killing an opponent? Wang Chong, this sword sure is savage!”