Chapter 14: You stay here and don't move around.

Explosions rang out, followed by sporadic gunfire.

Cheng Qingxin's face changed, ignoring the bruises on his face as he stood up and exclaimed, "Father!"

Cheng Benhe immediately ordered, "Have all clan members strictly guard the clan territory and refrain from going outside! Clan members in the Pukou District should immediately abandon their current tasks and return to the clan territory. Those in the main city area should find nearby shelter as soon as possible and await further instructions from the clan."

"Qingyuan, immediately go and contact the Hejian Xing family! Qingxin, command the family guards to seal off the Xiangshan Road, not allowing any vehicles or pedestrians to pass through!"

With a series of orders given, the senior members of the family quickly left, leaving behind the ordinary clan members still in discussion.

Cheng Benhe turned to Princess Nankang and said, "Your Highness, it seems that there is a sudden change outside. It would be best for you to stay here in our family territory for the time being."

"No problem," Princess Nankang waved her hand.

Usually, when there was chaos in the city, she would definitely go to the Cheng family's compound to find Cheng Jinyang.

However, now that the Shendu Cheng family's estate was probably one of the safest places in the entire Pukou District, she felt relieved and agreed to Cheng Benhe's invitation.

"Both of you should also take a moment to rest here," Cheng Benhe turned around and said to the two girls, "We will send a message to the Taiyuan Wang family and the Hejian Xing family to inform them."

"I have no problem with that," Xing Yuanzhi looked at Wang Wanrou and asked, "What about you?"

Young Miss Wang, after all, belongs to the Five Great Families, but this time she is staying in the ancestral land of the Shendu Cheng family, a fifth-grade noble family.

Won't the Taiyuan Wang family become suspicious?

"I don't mind," Wang Wanrou said with a smile.

"Alright," Cheng Benhe then called Cheng Yuexian from the crowd nearby, "You accompany Her Highness, the two guests, and your cousin to temporarily reside in the main residence of the Cheng family."

"Okay," Cheng Yuexian quickly responded, "Grandfather, what about you..."

"I will guard the front gate of the ancestral land," Cheng Benhe said in a solemn tone.

Cheng Yuexian immediately felt worried.

After all, her grandfather was the only fifth-grade supernatural powerhouse in the clan. If something happened during the turmoil...

But since the clan leader and others were not here, she, as a junior, couldn't say much. She could only nod with an anxious heart and turn to lead the others.

Cheng Jinyang followed his cousin and the others into the back hall of the Cheng family's main hall.

The decoration here was elegant and gentle, with tables, chairs, and tea tables all complete.

It was obviously a place where the Shendu Cheng family entertained guests and discussed matters, and ordinary clan members couldn't enter.

"Rest here for now, I'll go get you some tea," Cheng Yuexian invited the four to sit down and hurriedly went to the back door.

As soon as his cousin left, the atmosphere around them suddenly turned sinister, making Cheng Jinyang feel uneasy.

Princess Nankang, Sister Xinnan was looking at Wang Wanrou with narrowed eyes, sizing her up.

Wang Wanrou quietly covered her mouth, yawning as if she didn't even notice the malicious gaze from the princess.

Xing Yuanzhi sat calmly beside them, saying nothing, but Cheng Jinyang seemed to hear her inner voice, as if she were eagerly urging in her mind:

Fight! Fight!

"Why are we sitting here?" He could only break the silence by speaking out, casually saying, "Can't we join the fight too?"

"It's the family rules. Only those with seventh-grade or higher power can participate in military actions," Xing Yuanzhi said softly.

"Those below the age of thirty, with eighth-grade or ninth-grade power, are all considered reserve forces. Unless absolutely necessary, they won't be sent to the battlefield by the family."

"Jinyang, for young descendants like you, prestigious families naturally provide tight protection," Princess Nankang lazily remarked, her fingers twirling through her golden locks.

"In the Sima clan, as long as one reaches the age of twenty, they can be sent on missions."

"The Taiyuan Wang family never sends its offspring into danger," Wang Wanrou said softly.

These three responses represent three radically different family management approaches.

The Sima clan aims to maximize the value of its members, the Cheng and Xing families provide limited protection to the vulnerable, and the Taiyuan Wang family simply avoids conflict altogether.

In terms of actual combat effectiveness, sister Xinnan's gun skills are superb.

Although I haven't seen her in action, just the way she swiftly drew her gun to deter the Cheng family members indicates she's likely quite capable in battle.

As for myself and Ah Zhi, our combat abilities are mediocre.

Although we possess some supernatural abilities, we haven't received military training, so we have to rely on our wits to overcome crises.

Miss Wang, on the other hand, is simply useless in combat.

Last night, she completely relied on the two of us for protection in the nightmare, and even running would leave her gasping for breath.

In reality, she probably wouldn't be of much help.

Cheng Jinyang pondered for a moment, then suddenly heard Princess Nankang say with a smile, "Jinyang, if there's a chance next time, I'll teach you how to play with a gun."

Play with a gun?

Great, then in future nightmares when encountering demons up close, there would be no need for life-or-death struggles.

Just as he was about to agree, he heard Xing Yuanzhi say:

"For people with superpowers, mastering firearm shooting techniques for self-defense is sufficient. But what's the point of becoming an expert marksman? Moreover, once my family's Jinyang, reaches the peak of the ninth grade, he can use [Qiong Biluo] to fly freely. No matter how many marksmen there are, they will find it difficult to hit him in the vast open areas. So, instead of learning firearm shooting, it's better to spend time mastering algorithms and honing abilities."

"Does Miss Wang think so too?" Princess Nankang turned her gaze and asked with a smile.

"Juzhi," Wang Wanrou calmly replied.

This allusion comes from "Yanzi Chunqiu: Miscellaneous Chapter Ten."

Oranges are called "ju" in the south of the Yangtze River and "zhi shi" in the north.

Although the leaves are similar, the taste of the fruits are completely different.

Miss Wang's words are implying that Cheng Jinyang, as an inheritor of bloodline abilities, should use the training methods of a prestigious family's abilities.

Otherwise, if he follows others' methods indiscriminately, it's like oranges in the north, sour and tasteless.

Princess Nankang fell silent for a moment, quickly retrieving the allusion through the neural database and understanding what the other party meant to express.

Though she stood on Xing Yuanzhi's side, Miss Wang expressed herself with just two words, indicating she had no intention of engaging with Princess Nankang at this moment.

What can be said? It's no wonder she's from the Five Great Families.

As long as it's someone she's not interested in, even members of the royal family can be disregarded, casually brushed off.

So she smiled coquettishly again, but this time, her smile carried a hint of murderous intent, firmly locking onto Wang Wanrou across from her.

Miss Wang suddenly felt uncomfortable, as the gaze from the other party... not only lacked any hint of a smile, but also carried a chilling sense of threat, like the omnipresent danger in last night's nightmare.

So she furrowed her brows slightly and said: "If I were you, I wouldn't linger here for long."

"Why?" Princess Nankang continued to smile.

Miss Wang didn't reply, but Princess Nankang furrowed her brows slightly, suddenly seeming to realize something, her expression changing in an instant.

"Jinyang," she turned her head, concerned, and said, "I have some matters to attend to today, so I must leave first. Since Cheng Benhe has spoken, no one from the Cheng family dare to harm you."

"Stay here, don't go out, wait for me to solve the matter in a few days, then I'll come back to find you."

With that, she hurriedly stood up and walked out of the hall.