Whenever the family accomplishes something significant, it must be engraved on the Jade Volume for generations to come, to be revered by the descendants.
This tradition has been carried on since Zhang Songqiao established the family.
Up until now, there have been seven individuals with outstanding achievements within the family.
However, Zhang Songqiao, as the head of the family, has always refused to have his name engraved on the Jade Volume because, in his view, aside from founding the family, he has no other accomplishments. But today is different.
After resolving the crisis with the Bai Family, he successfully controlled all the major families in the South through the Bai Family’s crisis.
From today onwards, the Zhang Family will be on par with the Xu Family, becoming one of the top families in Huadu.
From now on, when people mention Zhang Songqiao, they will also mention another name alongside his.
Xu Jiangyan!
Amongst the crowd, Zhang Changhuai gazed excitedly at his father, his eyes filled with a deep sense of admiration.
His father founded the Zhang Family and transformed it from an obscure small family into a super family.
Previously, when people mentioned him, Zhang Changhuai always felt he was just a rich scion, but secretly, they would mock him as a nouveau riche.
Even though he successfully entered the core circle of the Phoenix Club, he always found it difficult to excel under the pressure of Xu Hongzhu.
But from today onwards, everything will be different.
From now on, when people mention his name, Zhang Changhuai, even the name of Xu Hongzhu will be placed behind his.
Though Xu Hongzhu is strong, she is merely a woman, while he is a male heir of the family. With his power, he will surely surpass Xu Hongzhu.
His father has already had his name engraved on the Jade Volume.
In twenty years, his name will also be engraved on the Jade Volume.
"I must surpass my father. He elevated the family to the top in Huadu, making it one of the two leading families. And I must surpass the Xu Family!
When I trample Xu Hongzhu underfoot, that will be the time my name is engraved on the Jade Volume!"
Zhang Changhuai’s emotions surged as he looked at his father’s back.
At this moment, an old man slowly approached him and said in a low voice:
"Young Master, may I have a word?"
Hearing this, Zhang Changhuai was slightly taken aback, glancing disdainfully at the old man beside him.
This old man had a special status; he was an old friend his father made when he first established the family.
Known as the Hermit of Wild Mountain, it was said he was a true Daoist who could rarely be found in this world, capable of foreseeing fortunes and disasters.
Although there are countless Daoists in the world, how many can truly predict others’ fortunes and calamities?
This man arrogantly claimed to be extraordinarily cultivated and could predict the fortunes of those destined by heaven.
His father was enlightened by a few words from him, thereby obtaining his first pot of gold.
Since then, his father revered him as an honored guest, but over the years, he stopped divining; he just enjoyed his father’s hospitality.
In the family’s employee number sequence, his father was number zero, and he was number one.
Even among the six meritorious individuals recorded in the Jade Volume, none had a higher number than him.
Although he is the heir of the family, his number is ranked tenth.
Zhang Changhuai rarely dwells on things, but he viewed this matter as a thorn in his heart.
If the six meritorious individuals recorded in the Jade Volume were different, he could comfort himself by thinking it was a division based on ability, which showed the family’s legacy and conscience.
However, this old Daoist being ranked above everyone else greatly displeased him!
Initially, as long as this man did not provoke him, he would not bother about him.
But now, not only had the old man appeared before him, but he was also prominently appearing just as his father was recording his name on the Jade Volume.
How could he feel comfortable?
"Speak here, I don’t have time for idle chatter."
Zhang Changhuai coldly said.
Feeling the young master’s prejudice against him, the Daoist sighed helplessly.
Over the years, he has sealed himself and no longer performed divination for anyone.
Many people doubted and prejudiced against him, believing him to be a charlatan.
But these people never considered why, if he were truly a charlatan, Zhang Songqiao would have kept him for so long?
Since he helped Zhang Songqiao predict his fortune, twenty-odd years had already passed.
In these two decades, no matter the initial kindness he showed Zhang Songqiao, it has long been repaid.
Zhang Songqiao could have easily discarded him, even exposing him as a fraud.
But Zhang Songqiao didn’t do that.
Outsiders believe he deceived Zhang Songqiao, but they never ponder on the fact that someone capable of founding the Zhang Family could hardly be deceived by a common charlatan.
"Young Master, today is a day of great inauspiciousness according to the Yellow Calendar. Unpredictable weather and calamities shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you must hold such a large event, you should have arranged the Heaven and Earth Array in advance to suppress the invasion of evil spirits with righteous energy, or great disaster will follow."
The Daoist, with heartfelt sincerity, spoke, a bitterness flashing through his heart, suffering that only he knew for twenty-odd years.
When he helped Zhang Songqiao predict fortune and calamity, he incurred heaven’s backlash due to excessive calculation.
He detected the backlash early due to his profound cultivation and sealed his abilities, choosing to live quietly as an incompetent person.
Zhang Songqiao knew his suffering and thus never sought him again, but over these twenty years, Zhang Songqiao had also become careless.
"Daoist, according to your method of predicting fortune and calamity, at least fifty or sixty days in a year are inauspicious. If we avoided everything, how would people get anything done?"