The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2130 Bronze Snow Leopard
Feng Jiuxiao coughed twice and chuckled, "Alright, I admit I was wrong, okay?"

Yuan Zishan said with a half-smile, "If everyone just says 'I was wrong' when they make a mistake and then doesn't pursue it anymore, wouldn't this world be in complete chaos and a terrible sight?"

Chang Zijin laughed and said, "Sister Zishan, I feel you should enter the government! You have a high vantage point and a far-sighted view; none of us can keep up with your thinking!"

Yuan Zishan thought to herself: I just suppressed Xiong Mengyan's arrogance, and now you're showing signs of it again. Do you really think I'm a sick cat just because I haven't shown my power these past few days?

She replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Sister Chang, I cannot accept such words! If we are talking about serving as officials in the court, the Chang family of Jinzhong is the most suitable! The Chang family can not only get along well with the Northern Han Dynasty, but also have pleasant conversations with the Song Dynasty. They can be said to be successful in both directions!"

Chang Zijing's face immediately darkened, and she shut her mouth!

Yuan Zishan's words were like a poisonous thorn, pricking her painfully!
The Chang family of Jinzhong is a powerful local family, wealthy and influential. They are also one of the three great archery families in the martial arts world, holding a high status.

The Chang family's businesses spanned the Jinzhong and Jinyang areas, forcing them to find a way to survive in a precarious situation, having to please both sides.

In order to stabilize the border situation, the Song court would naturally not accuse the Chang family, a local powerful family, of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country. If the Chang family’s properties in Jinzhong were confiscated, it would only force other powerful families to flee to Jinyang. Wouldn’t that be tantamount to aiding the enemy?
At least Zhao Guangyi understood that once he destroyed the Northern Han and took Jinyang, these so-called powerful families would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board, at his mercy.
The Northern Han tolerated the Chang family's smuggling trade between the two sides simply because they wanted to use the Chang family's power to import some daily necessities such as porcelain, salt, and silk from the Central Plains. The Khitan didn't care about these things, so they were already being generous by taking them themselves, let alone expecting them to provide support.
As a result, the Chang family became honored guests of local officials on both the Song and Northern Han borders, enjoying unparalleled prestige for a time!
However, the Chang family's reputation among the common people was absolutely terrible!
Especially their status in the martial arts world of the Central Plains plummeted! Although they were dealt with by Feng Jiuxiao and their strength was greatly reduced, it was still a matter of martial arts conflict. After a few years of recuperation and no longer causing trouble, the reputation of the three great archery families will still be well-known!
After all, the Chang family of Jinzhong had produced a prominent figure like the Second Young Master Chang!

"His bow can set the sun, and his arrow can pierce the clouds," his fame resounded throughout the world!

Unfortunately, the Chang family nowadays has nothing to offer but to be scheming and greedy for money; there's nothing else about them that's worthy of respect.
What truly dragged the Chang family into this predicament was that members of the Chang family actually held official positions in both the Song Dynasty and the Northern Han Dynasty!

Trying to have it both ways! That's what makes it so controversial!

The Northern Han and the Central Plains have been at war for a long time. Although the people on both sides are Han people, they know that the rise and fall of the country is everyone's responsibility and that no one should collude with the enemy on their own!

Not only were the Chang family members able to make a fortune in business between the two countries, but even more outrageous was that some of them actually served as officials in the courts of both countries!

This is incredible!

In the eyes of the Northern Han people, you earn money from the Northern Han but serve as an official in the Song Dynasty, so the Chang family are traitors!

The Song people thought the same way: "Your Chang family made a fortune doing business in Song territory, yet you serve as officials in the Northern Han court—serving as officials in an enemy state! Isn't this aiding and abetting evil? Isn't this treason?"
As the saying goes, good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles!

This matter naturally could not be kept from Feng Jiuxiao and the others!

Yuan Zishan publicly mentioned the Chang family's ability to play both sides, and although she didn't use any profanity, she was undoubtedly calling the Chang family traitors! She killed without a knife, but every word was piercing and every sentence was bloody!

Chang Zijin was unable to refute it!
She has severed ties with the Chang family. Not a single good person in that family, from top to bottom, is any good! They drove her closest relatives to their deaths and indirectly caused the death of her beloved. So even if the Chang family were wiped out, she wouldn't shed a single tear!
But in the eyes of outsiders, he will always be a member of the Chang family, an inseparable community of interests sharing both honor and disgrace! Even if the Chang family members are called traitors, his face will still burn with shame!
It's like owning a dog that's ugly, but you're the only one who can complain about its ugliness!
If a stranger says it's ugly, I'll be very unhappy!
Only you can scold your own dog!

Seeing Chang Zijin get the short end of the stick, Xiong Mengyan couldn't just sit idly by. After all, the other woman had just stood up for her! Although it wasn't obvious, Xiong Mengyan felt that the two of them could take this opportunity to deepen their cooperation!

We are both down on our luck, so since fate has brought us together, why not take this opportunity to work together?
She immediately smiled and said, "Miss Chang, I heard that you have severed ties with the Chang family and have no further connection with them, is that right?" Chang Zijin thought to herself: You want to win me over to counter Yuan Zishan, which is a good idea, but you haven't considered the consequences! Once the two of them join forces, everyone's status in Feng Jiuxiao's eyes will immediately drop by half!
Although he occasionally clashed with Yuan Zishan, it was harmless and as long as he didn't cross Feng Jiuxiao's bottom line, he would always have the opportunity to stay by Feng Jiuxiao's side.

However, if he were to become associated with Xiong Mengyan, the probability of being ostracized would increase exponentially!

For now, she was still, at least, Feng Jiuxiao's "friend." Yuan Zishan would accept this reality considering various factors. However, if she formed an alliance with Xiong Mengyan, it would inevitably anger Yuan Zishan! Her attitude towards her would change from ambiguous to clearly defined, from friend and foe to mortal enemy!

Given Feng Jiuxiao's "obeying Yuan" nature, offending Yuan Zishan means offending Feng Jiuxiao, and it will be impossible for him to stay in this circle anymore!

Therefore, she would absolutely not form an alliance with Xiong Mengyan! But since the other party was extending goodwill towards her, she couldn't very well pour cold water on them, so she just smiled faintly, "Although I have no further connection with the Chang family, I still bear the surname Chang!" As she spoke, she turned to look at Pang Shiwu, "Shiwu, there are some things you really can't take, so don't take them!"

Pang Shiwu said, "That won't do. Leave it for that bastard? I'll shave it all off, then sell it and use the money to buy clothes for those kids. Winter is coming, and they don't even have decent clothes. How are they going to survive this winter?"

Chang Zijin was immediately startled!
She originally wanted to change the subject and ease the awkward atmosphere, but she was unexpectedly shocked by Pang Shiwu!
Venerable Bailian clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, "Excellent! Young Master Pang is kind-hearted and cares deeply for all living beings; he is truly admirable!"

Feng Jiuxiao was also taken aback, and gave a thumbs up, "Fifteen, not bad!"

Wang Sheng said, "Fifteenth Brother, don't worry about packing. I'll help you carry your bags in a bit!"

Duanmu Yan said, "I'll carry one for you too!"

Bigwolf said, "I'll take one too."

Four bags, one for each person.

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "Sister Chang, how's it going? Is it resolved?"

Four Persian rugs could really wrap up quite a lot! At a glance, it seemed that almost everything on the display shelf could be packed up.

Everyone was moved, but Xiong Mengyan thought to herself: Chang Zijin was clearly rejecting her alliance's test just now. It seems she still has some reservations! What are she worried about?

Suddenly, the bronze snow leopard in the corner pounced on Pang Shiwu!

Swift as lightning, catching you completely off guard!
In an instant, its front paws were already on the right shoulder of Pang Shiwu, who was squatting on the ground with his back to the snow leopard, arranging the jade objects on the Persian carpet!
As everyone gasped in surprise, Pang Shiwu realized the danger coming from behind. He slid to the left and then slashed back with his sword!
With a clang of metal clashing, the snow leopard's forepaw was severed!
The snow leopard charged forward with undiminished momentum, about to crash into the jade artifact on the carpet. In a moment of panic, Pang Shiwu kicked out, abruptly changing the trajectory of the bronze snow leopard, which weighed over a thousand pounds, and sending it crashing into the ground! With a thud, the snow leopard's other front paw struck the ground first, sending sparks flying. Everyone thought the bronze snow leopard would slide forward a little further, but it came to an abrupt stop! With one front paw on the ground, its entire body tilted upside down, motionless.

Feng Jiuxiao suddenly closed his five outstretched fingers, and the bronze snow leopard began to transform, as if being kneaded by a huge, invisible diamond hand. The bronze snow leopard was now as soft as dough, and was kneaded into a dough-shaped bronze object, resembling a giant potato, a bronze potato!
Above: Bronze Snow Leopard

Above: A snow leopard sculpted into a bronze potato shape.