Starting from the prison, an infinite simulation

The Zhang family.

Inside the lobby.

Zhang Yuqian, dressed in silver armor and with her black ponytail tied high on her head, stood in the center of the hall.

Her figure is like a tall and strong pine tree, standing firm and unyielding against the wind.

Sitting around her were the elders of the family, four in total, each seated on either side, their faces somber and silent.

As for the man in black robes sitting high on the central axis of the hall, he was naturally the patriarch Zhang Yuan. At this moment, he tapped the wooden chair with his fingertips, and a subtle sound quietly arose.

"Zhang Yuqian! Do you know your crime?"

Suddenly, an elderly man with white hair, leaning on a wooden cane, stared directly at Zhang Yuqian and spoke in a low voice.

Zhang Yuqian shifted her gaze slightly and met Zhang Chuansong's eyes directly, saying solemnly, "What crime have I committed, Elder?"

Zhang Chuansong sensed the icy chill in her words, tapped his wooden cane on the floor, and roared, "What crime? Zhang Yuqian, how dare you! You actually dared to steal the life contract!"

"If you had stolen it, that would be one thing, but you also handed over the life contract to Jiang Yueming. Are you planning to abandon your family?"

Zhang Yuqian's eyes turned slightly cold, and she frowned, saying, "Elder, I ask you, what's wrong with me returning the life contract to its rightful owner? If word gets out that you forced the Jiang family to hand over the life contract, the Zhang family will inevitably be branded as bullying the weak."

"At that time, who will abandon the Zhang family's reputation?"

Her words seemed to carry extremely sharp arrows, piercing Zhang Chuansong's heart one by one, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He could only pound his wooden cane in frustration, letting out a roar of resentment. He glared at Zhang Yuqian with indignant eyes, gritting his teeth: "You...you!"

Despite Zhang Chuansong's angry expression, Zhang Yuqian's gaze remained firm, showing no sign of compromise.

Seeing this, the white-robed man standing next to Zhang Chuansong suddenly stood up, pointed at her, and shouted, "Zhang Yuqian, don't forget that the blood of the Zhang family flows in your veins!"

"You're still a member of the Zhang family, no matter what! Don't you know why we're forming a marriage alliance with the Jiang family?"

Upon hearing the slightly suggestive voice, Zhang Yuqian pursed her red lips, her brow furrowing even more deeply.

She knew perfectly well the stakes involved.

The family simply wants to win the title of Martial God next year so that they can seize control of the Imperial State.

It's always the same; in the eyes of these elders, she's nothing more than a tool to help the family dominate the imperial land!

"Second Elder, let me ask you this: do you know what will happen to Jiang Yueming once he marries into the family?"

Zhang Yuqian raised her eyes and met Zhang Hun's gaze as he spoke in a deep voice.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Hun said, "The outcome? Nothing more than becoming a dried-up corpse. That good-for-nothing can cure your illness before he dies."

"It's his greatest honor! What does it matter if he sacrifices himself!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuqian lowered her eyes, looking at the clasped hands, a cold smile playing on her lips: "Heh, honored?"

"If my illness requires a life to be exchanged for another, then I'd rather not get treatment!"

Zhang Yuqian suddenly crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes flashing with determination.

"How dare you, Zhang Yuqian! Are you really going to abandon the entire Zhang family for a good-for-nothing?!"

A crimson fire seemed to ignite in Zhang Hun's eyes, and his eyelids gradually drooped, a flash of killing intent passing through them.

Zhang Yuqian's face was solemn, but she wasn't afraid of the threat in Zhang Hun's words. She said, "You say I'm abandoning the Zhang family? That's utterly ridiculous!"

"You bunch of frogs in a well have no idea how critical the situation is on the border of the Imperial State!"

"Our army has suffered repeated defeats on the border, and the foreign tribes beyond the Great Wall are eager to make trouble. Yet you three families possess power comparable to that of a kingdom, and you repeatedly engage in internal strife!"

As she spoke, Zhang Yuqian's clear, ethereal voice carried a hint of helplessness and indignation: "Once the alien race breaks through the last line of defense of the Imperial State and devours its territory, let's see how you three families deal with it then!"

She understood these elders all too well; they always saw the safety of the family as a chain binding her.

Even her father said that in order to save her life, he had no choice but to let Jiang Yueming marry into the family.

Ultimately, all they wanted was for her to recover from her illness so that she could lead the Zhang family's battle team and add a powerful fighting force to their quest for the Martial God title next year.

In this arranged marriage, the most tragic figure was the young man, who had no choice or way to survive from beginning to end.

Whether in the Jiang family or the Zhang family!

"Enough! Zhang Yuqian, you can leave now!"

Seeing the faces of the elders in the hall gradually darken, Zhang Yuan finally spoke up and rebuked Zhang Yuqian.

Upon hearing the reprimand, Zhang Yuqian's expression softened, and she clasped her hands in a fist salute to Zhang Yuan, her voice cold: "Patriarch, I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the door, the determination in her eyes unwavering.

"Zhang Yuqian, do you think it's worth it to go to such lengths for Jiang Yueming?" Zhang Hun coldly scoffed, gazing at the beautiful figure from behind.

"Zhang Hun, you're wrong. I'm not doing this for anyone else; I'm doing it for all the people of the entire Imperial State!"

"If the three of you continue to fight amongst yourselves, the barbarian cavalry will soon trample the entire Imperial Province!"

……

Jiangjia Square.

Jiang Yueming was tied to a large iron pillar. The blazing sun was rising high in the sky, and the rays of sunlight stung his back.

At this moment, the area below the iron pillar was already surrounded by Jiang family disciples. The disciples were all spewing sarcastic remarks, and their gazes toward him were full of mockery.

"See, this is what happens when you try to show off. Did he really think his good-for-nothing adopted son could turn things around? Now he's obediently waiting to be punished."

"I heard that the main purpose of this trip home is to whip this lowly adopted son with the Fire Whip?"

"What? The Blazing Whip! Does the patriarch intend to kill him?"

"That whip is incredibly strange; few people can withstand two lashes. Even if someone is hit once and survives, they will be crippled."

"..."

Jiang Yueming heard the whispers of the disciples below, his brows furrowed slightly, and his thoughts raced.

In the memories of the predecessor, the Fire Whip seemed to be a family treasure, and its power could be described in a few words.

One lash shatters the body, two lashes tear the soul apart, three lashes scatter the soul.

"Hiss, if I were to be whipped even once at my current level, wouldn't that just be the end of me?"

Jiang Yueming's expression turned solemn as she secretly plotted how to talk to Jiang Xuan about Zhang Yuqian later.

In the simulation, he could only escape his fate by talking to Jiang Xuan about Zhang Yuqian.

"Greetings, Master!"

Just as Jiang Yueming was lost in thought, a sudden chorus of respectful voices rang out from the surrounding disciples.

He looked closely and a middle-aged man dressed in a black tiger demon robe came into view.

The man's sinister eyes were fixed on him, and he held a long, fiery red whip in his hand. The whip flickered with flames, constantly scorching the void, as if turning the surroundings into a sea of ​​fire.

"Jiang Yueming, do you know your crime?" Jiang Xuan walked up to Tie Zhu, clenched his fist and asked.

Jiang Yueming's eyes darkened, and he shook his head: "Patriarch, if you use the Fire Whip to whip me and something happens to me, what will happen to Zhang Yuqian?"