Han family, Tang family, Cao family, the combined might of these three great families left Wang Shan in a rather tight spot.
On this particular day,
As he was racking his brain, contemplating whether to ask the Zhao family for further financial assistance, the dedicated line for contacting the Zhao family suddenly rang.
Wang Shan felt a pang of confusion.
Normally, besides him reporting to the Zhao family using this line, the Zhao family rarely initiated contact.
Now that the Zhao family was calling proactively, it could only mean that some significant event had occurred.
With a sense of unease, Wang Shan pressed the answer button.
Indeed!
Before he could even speak, a roar erupted from the other end of the line.
"Wang Shan! What did you have Qi Shan do? Why did his soul tablet extinguish after only a few days in Leyang City?"
"Soul tablet extinguished?"
Wang Shan was not privy to all the unique secret techniques of the cultivator world, so he was unaware of what it meant for a soul tablet to extinguish.
Thus, he asked, not understanding.
"Mr. Zhao, what does it mean for a soul tablet to extinguish? I haven't seen Mr. Qi Shan these past few days!"
Mr. Zhao said coldly, "Hmph! When a soul tablet extinguishes, it signifies that Qi Shan has met his demise. Explain to me, what exactly did you have him do? How could a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage perish so silently in your small Leyang City?"
"What? Mr. Qi Shan is dead?"
Wang Shan was utterly bewildered upon hearing this.
He had not been in contact with Qi Shan since their last meeting, nor did he know who he met or what he did!
How could he have died so silently?
Could it be...
Thinking of this, Wang Shan was greatly alarmed.
He quickly explained to Mr. Zhao.
"Mr. Zhao! To be frank, I am truly clueless about this matter. After my first meeting with Mr. Qi Shan, he gave me some advice and then instructed me not to disturb him unless necessary. I genuinely have no idea what he went on to do! The only possibility is that I sent him a photo of the Han family. Could it be that he went to the Han family alone and was then..."
Wang Shan paused deliberately at this point. He believed Mr. Zhao would understand his implication.
However, Mr. Zhao on the other end of the line seemed unconvinced by this explanation.
"Hmph! Are you suggesting that the young man you mentioned, from the early Foundation Establishment stage of the Han family, silently killed Qi Shan? Even if you want to shirk responsibility, you don't need to concoct such a plausible excuse to fool me, do you?"
Wang Shan felt wronged but dared not express it. He could only weakly explain.
"Mr. Zhao, I wouldn't lie to anyone but you. Mr. Qi Shan was sent by you personally to assist me, much like an imperial envoy. Besides taking the utmost care of him, how could I possibly demand that he keep me informed of his every move!"
Hearing Wang Shan's earnest tone, Mr. Zhao largely believed him. At the same time, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
"Could it be that he was truly killed by that young man in the early Foundation Establishment stage?"
Mr. Zhao's tone was filled with disbelief.
He was fully aware of how rare it was in the cultivator world for someone in the early Foundation Establishment stage to kill someone in the late Foundation Establishment stage.
Unless one was an exceptionally rare prodigy, coupled with the support of an extremely powerful family or sect, such a feat was almost impossible.
And such an individual would possess an extremely noble status. Even his Zhao family could only look up to them with reverence. How could they be willing to remain in a desolate place like Leyang City?
But if not,
How could the death of Qi Shan be explained?
Unable to fathom it, Mr. Zhao was at a loss for words for a moment.
Just then, Wang Shan interjected with his analysis.
"Mr. Zhao, I believe there might be something peculiar about this matter!"
"Mr. Qi Shan's strength was so high; by all rights, no one in the small Leyang City should have been able to threaten his life."
"Yet, he died so inexplicably! How is that possible?"
"Therefore, my guess is that either the Han family used some underhanded schemes and tricks, causing Mr. Qi Shan to lose his ability to resist! Or, the Han family has also produced a cultivator of higher strength!"
"After all, the Han family and the Tang family have a very close relationship!"
The Tang family?
A flash of inspiration struck Mr. Zhao, and it seemed all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.
"That's right, that's right! You're absolutely correct! If the Tang family hadn't intervened, with Leyang City's power, it truly wouldn't have been possible to keep a cultivator like Qi Shan!"
Having deflected the responsibility for Qi Shan's death, Wang Shan breathed a sigh of relief.
However, he still had no clue how to resolve his current predicament. He tentatively asked.
"Mr. Zhao, what should we do now?"
Hearing Wang Shan's cautious inquiry, Mr. Zhao assumed he was worried about the killer of Qi Shan targeting him. Thus, he offered comfort.
"Let's put this matter aside for now! But you don't need to worry too much. No matter how powerful the person sent by the Tang family is, they won't act against you! By the way, have you resolved that financial crisis you mentioned last time?"
With his plan succeeding, Wang Shan couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. However, he deliberately let out a deep sigh and said.
"Alas. To be frank, Mr. Zhao. Regarding the previous matter, Mr. Qi Shan gave me a small piece of advice. I followed his method and annexed one of the influential families in Leyang City, which indeed resolved the previous crisis."
"However, just as I was preparing to counterattack, the Han family, in league with another influential family, began to contend with me."
Most importantly, the Tang family of Leyang City had now completely joined them.
"With the three great families united, I am truly, somewhat overwhelmed!"
Wang Shan was indirectly expressing his troubles, his sole aim being to prompt the Zhao family to provide him with financial support.
But to his surprise,
Mr. Zhao, just like him, began to sigh.
"Alas! After years of planning in Leyang City, I don't want to see you in such a predicament. But the problem is, my Zhao family is currently being constrained everywhere by the Tang family of Xingcheng, and we truly dare not divert our forces to you easily! So, please hold on a little longer, okay? I will plan carefully. As soon as I have some spare capacity, I will immediately provide you with support. What do you think?"
After hearing Mr. Zhao's comforting words, despite Wang Shan's myriad of reluctance, he could only agree resignedly.
After hanging up the phone, Wang Shan's mood grew even heavier.
The pressure exerted by the combined might of the three great families was immense. If the Zhao family could not offer assistance, he truly had no other way to resolve the current crisis.
"Could it be... I can only rely on Dr. Sim?"