Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Xiao Wuzi
The grand chamber was alive with tension, voices rising and falling like waves crashing against the shore. Seated at the head of the hall, Xiao Wuzi listened in silence, his fingers idly tapping against the armrest of his ornate chair.

Among the gathered elders and high-ranking members, one man finally stepped forward, his expression grim.

“Family head, we cannot ignore the growing pressure from the Hua family any longer,” said Xiao Bo, his voice laced with urgency.

“They’ve been aggressively expanding their control over the alchemical market, undercutting our prices, driving out our merchants, and even seizing distribution routes that have belonged to the Xiao family for generations.”

A murmur spread through the hall. Some nodded in agreement, others exchanged worried glances.

Xiao Bo continued, his face dark.

“But that’s not all. The Hua family has made an outrageous demand—they want our genius, Xiao Ling, to marry into their family, claiming it as a symbol of ‘unity.’ In reality, they want to shackle our rising star to them, weakening our influence from within.”

A collective gasp echoed through the room, followed by a sudden eruption of angry voices.

“Absurd!”

“The audacity!”

“Do they think we are weak enough to be trampled like this?!”

The chamber was filled with heated debate.

Some argued that rejecting the Hua family’s demands outright could bring retaliation, while others claimed that giving in would spell disaster in the long run.

Xiao Wuzi.

So that’s my new name.

He let the words settle in his mind, tasting them like bitter wine.

Fate was a cruel, twisted thing. To be reborn—no, to be chained once more to the Xiao family. The very name that once weighed him down like shackles, the very name that led to his downfall.

He kept his face expressionless, a cold mask of indifference as the voices around him clashed in heated debate. Their arguments—desperation wrapped in pride—buzzed like insects in his ears.

They squabbled over markets, over influence, over a marriage proposal meant to gut their family from within.

Pathetic.

How had the Xiao family fallen so low?

Once, they stood unshaken, a force that no one dared to provoke. Now, they cowered beneath the pressure of a small mortal family, grasping at fleeting authority like drowning men reaching for air.

Xiao Wuzi’s fingers tapped idly against the armrest of his chair. He listened, but he did not react.

Not yet.

He was still assessing, still calculating.

If this truly was his second life, then he would not waste it clinging to outdated notions of loyalty and tradition. The Xiao family had nothing to do with him. He owed them nothing.

But power…

Power was a currency that even the dead could not ignore.

And if he had to carve a path through this family, through the Hua family, through anyone who dared stand in his way—so be it.

His fingers stilled.

Then, he stood.

The chair scraped against the polished floor, a heavy finality in the sound.

All voices ceased.

All eyes turned to him.

Xiao Wuzi lifted his gaze, his expression impassive, his voice cold as steel.

“Enough.”

His voice, though calm, carried the weight of absolute authority.

“Listen well. The Hua family seeks to challenge us? Then we will show them exactly why the Xiao family stands above the rest.”

His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept across the hall. “We will not be reduced to beggars scrambling for scraps. We will not allow them to sink their claws into our future.”

He took a step forward, his presence suffocating.

“We will break them—but not recklessly. First, we dominate the upcoming tournament. We will display our strength through our younger generation, proving to all that the Xiao family is not to be trifled with.”

He let his words settle, watching as the weight of his command sank into their minds. Then, without hesitation, he continued.

“Send them to my chambers.” His tone was unwavering. “I will personally oversee their training.”

A deep silence followed, one filled with both anticipation and fear.

Then, without another word, Xiao Wuzi turned and walked away as he recalled his past.

Black Kong.

The name itself was once enough to send tremors through the heavens and the underworld alike. A war god feared by both deities and devils, a force that nothing could subdue—until him.

That wretched fool.

Xiao Zhi, the so-called emperor.

Wuzi’s fingers curled into a fist as memories of betrayal and downfall surged through his mind. He had been untouchable, invincible.

Yet it wasn’t divine might or infernal sorcery that felled him.

No, it was treachery.

His lips twisted into a dark smile.

This time, there would be no mercy.

He would find Xiao Zhi and crush him before he could rise again.

Before that, though… there was something else to take care of.

Xiao Wuzi sat in silent meditation, his breathing steady, his pulse a slow, controlled rhythm.

He was waiting.

Soon, he would meet the Xiao family’s so-called talents. The ones meant to reclaim their family’s dwindling prestige.

He had no memories of how the Xiao family clawed their way through the mortal realm. Frankly, he didn’t care. But he knew one thing—this generation, or the one one he was from, was riddled with rot.

That rot needed to be cut out before it spread further.

A single thought settled in his mind, sharp and unwavering.

Nip the trouble at the bud. Strangle the traitor before he was born!

…..

…..

“Liu Mei! Stop right there—you’re going to explode!” Shan Yifeng’s voice rang out in alarm.

Liu Mei barely spared him a glance, already reaching for another glistening piece of fat.

“Call me Senior Sister, Junior Brother!”

she shot back, grinning as she popped the piece into her mouth with zero hesitation.

Shan Yifeng groaned, torn between frustration and amazement.

“Senior Sister my foot!” He muttered under his breath.

Ace pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly. “Mei’er, listen to your junior. I’m not here to raise pigs.”

Liu Mei looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, tilting her head just so—the ultimate cutesy defense technique.

“Are you saying I’m a pig, Master?” she asked, her voice soft and wounded, as if he had just shattered her fragile heart.

Ace hesitated. “Uh… no, I’m just saying—”

“That’s good, Master!” Liu Mei beamed, immediately cutting him off before he could dig himself a deeper hole.

“You’re the best! This will be the last one, okay?”

Ace narrowed his eyes.

“Promise! It’s a promise!” She held up a piece of pork as if swearing an oath, then quickly added, “Last one, last one—final last, absolutely final last!”

Ace sighed as he waved a hand in defeat. “Fine. Last piece it is.”

Shan Yifeng, barely able to stand at this point, stared at Liu Mei with a look of absolute betrayal.

“Master!” he cried, pointing at her dramatically. “She’s a pig!”