Judging from this alone, although Peter Bennett is outstanding among his peers, he is still more than a notch below Charles Warren, who has always been groomed as the young clan leader.

"Heh~" Charles Warren sneered mockingly, "Cowardice is cowardice, why bother making it sound so dignified? I, Charles Warren, am standing right here today—no matter how many of the Liu clan's 'Yong' generation come, I, Charles Warren, will take them all on."

"Good! Well said, the new clan leader of the Wang family is truly bold."

"The Xuanwu family, a clan built on martial prowess—interesting. Let's see how the Liu clan responds to this. As far as I know, the oldest of the Liu clan's 'Yong' generation is thirty-six or thirty-seven, and the youngest is still babbling as a toddler. No matter how I think about it, I really can't imagine who could stand against the new Wang clan leader."

"Brother, how strong is this young man? Can he really defeat all of the Liu clan's 'Yong' generation?"

"You must be from out of town, right? That's our Ping'an Wang clan's new leader, Charles Warren. He's only eighteen and is already close to reaching the high stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Plus, it's said that he has extraordinary talent in swordsmanship—his skills are already at a masterful level." The local introduced with a hint of pride, "And Charles Warren has already passed the entrance exam for the Purple Mansion Academy. He was about to enroll, but unfortunately, the Wang clan had a major incident, so he had to give up his studies."

"The Purple Mansion Academy? The one that's said to guarantee enlightenment for anyone who enters? Impressive, impressive—what a pity!"

The surrounding discussions reached Charles Warren's ears, reminding him that he had indeed recently passed the initial selection for the Purple Mansion Academy.

The Purple Mansion Academy of Longzuo Prefecture recruits new students every three years, but their requirements are extremely strict. Within the Changning area, only one to three people pass the initial selection each time and qualify for the retest, and this year, Charles Warren was among them.

But to say he was about to enroll is an exaggeration. In the entire jurisdiction of Changning Guard, it might take eight or ten years to produce even one Purple Mansion student. Charles Warren considered himself exceptional, but he also knew that the chance of passing the retest was less than thirty percent.

The public opinion and atmosphere around them began to shift in favor of the Wang clan.

The previous conflict, if handled poorly, could have damaged the Wang clan's reputation. But now, it had actually boosted their prestige.

"Well done, nephew!" David Warren said with delight. "Let's see if those Liu brats dare to act arrogant now!"

Evelyn Grant was also pleasantly surprised. She hadn't expected that with just a few words, Charles could turn a situation that would have harmed the family's reputation into one that undermined the Liu clan's prestige.

Before this, her son had always focused solely on his own cultivation and cared little for other matters. She hadn't expected that, upon becoming clan leader, he would immediately show such capability.

"Good!"

Suddenly, a voice of praise rang out. "Clan leader Wang, your words are truly enlightening. I am impressed! The Xuanwu family is built on martial strength—if you can't defend your ancestral legacy, why not retire to a corner? Well said!"

As he spoke, a middle-aged man in a brocade robe, exuding an extraordinary presence, strode out surrounded by several fierce family guards, his expression half-smiling as he fixed his gaze on Charles Warren.

As soon as this man appeared, both Evelyn Grant and David Warren changed color. "It's actually Richard Bennett!"

Especially Evelyn Grant, who immediately looked uneasy and quietly reminded Charles Warren, "Zhe'er, the Liu clan leader showing up at this moment is definitely suspicious. You must be careful."

Richard Bennett.

Charles Warren's eyes narrowed slightly. The current clan leader of the Ping'an Liu family, it was said that his personal martial strength was not the strongest in the Liu clan—at forty, he still hadn't broken through to the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm.

But in Charles Warren's memory, this man was always known for his cunning and scheming—a famous smiling tiger. In his confrontations with the previous Wang clan leader, Henry Warren, he had repeatedly gained the upper hand, and he was also very skilled at managing the clan's assets, causing the Liu clan's strength to rise steadily.

"So it's the Liu clan leader himself." Charles Warren responded calmly, "Since the Liu clan leader agrees with my words, does that mean you also approve of my life-and-death duel with Peter Bennett?" Without hesitation, he set a trap for Richard Bennett.

"How could that be? Although clan leader Wang's words make sense, as the head of a clan, how can you bully the young as the elder?" Richard Bennett seized the opportunity and said, "If it's a life-and-death duel, then the participants should be of similar status for it to be meaningful."

His intention, of course, was to drag the fight back to being between Peter Bennett and David Warren.

"The Liu clan leader's words are very reasonable." Charles Warren nodded seriously in agreement. "Our Wang and Liu clans have had many frictions and accumulated grudges over the years. Since it's to be a life-and-death duel, why don't the two clan leaders face off personally? That would be a fair match in terms of status."

"What?"

Richard Bennett's face twitched. The clan leaders themselves in a life-and-death duel? Is Charles Warren crazy? First he bit onto Peter Bennett, and now he's biting straight at him, Richard Bennett! Is he just biting whoever he sees? Is that what I meant?

The surrounding merchants, travelers, and others at the ferry were all stunned into silence. Two clan leaders about to fight to the death—wasn't this a bit too reckless?

……

Chapter 4: The Clan Leader Is a Bit Fierce

……

"Nephew, you must not!" David Warren urged anxiously. "The Liu clan leader is already forty years old and very experienced."