A family of widows, all shouldered, raising the dragon flag!

"quiet!"

"This matter was not decided by me alone; it was a plan repeatedly discussed and agreed upon with your family! The Qin family bloodline must not be extinguished, and the family must not fall! This is the only way!"

Old Madam Qin glanced at her granddaughters-in-law, who were once again in an uproar, and slammed her dragon-headed cane down again.

"Ze'er, with the spirits of your father and brothers above, and the ancestors of the Qin family here! Give me a straight answer: will you take this burden or not!"

All eyes were once again focused on Qin Ze.

Qin Ze gritted his teeth, met his grandmother's sharp gaze, and bowed.

"I know I have been foolish in the past and am unfit for such a great responsibility..."

"but!"

"Now that my father and brothers have perished and our family is in grave danger, how can I, as the only surviving male member of the Qin family, remain inactive and allow myself to be slaughtered?"

"This responsibility will be shouldered by your grandson! I will do my utmost to continue the bloodline, stabilize the family business, and live up to my grandmother's trust and the spirits of my father and brothers in heaven!"

The words were spoken in a grand and dignified manner.

But Qin Ze knew the truth in his heart.

That's just a nice-sounding excuse when someone's forced into a corner.

Upon hearing this, the deep worry in Old Madam Qin's eyes finally eased a little.

Just as Qin Ze agreed.

The hot-tempered second sister-in-law, Liu Jinghong, immediately stood up.

"Grandmother! This matter concerns our entire lives, and even the survival of the family. It is no child's play. Since Ninth Brother is to take on this responsibility, he cannot just talk the talk and continue his dissolute ways!"

"Although I, Liu Jinghong, am a woman, I have practiced martial arts since childhood and have a rudimentary understanding of military strategy. I respect upright men with real skills! If you want me to nod my head, fine!"

"Three days from now, at the martial arts arena! Have a spar with me."

"I don't deceive you because you have no background. As long as you can withstand me for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, proving that you are not entirely hopeless, I will no longer openly oppose this matter! Otherwise, I would rather resign and go to the family temple to pray for my father and brothers than suffer such humiliation!"

Can you hold out until an incense stick burns?

Qin Ze was startled.

Martial arts flourished in the Great Zhou Dynasty, with clear distinctions between different realms.

There are ten realms for martial artists, with each three levels representing a minor realm.

The tenth realm is perfection.

Above the Ten Realms are the Vajra Mortal Realm, the Free and Easy Earth Realm, the Carefree Heaven Realm, and the Divine Wandering Mysterious Realm.

Those who attain the divine realm are also known as "land immortals," living for ten thousand years and being invincible in their time.

According to the original owner's memories, Liu Jinghong, as the daughter of a military family, possessed both talent and resources, and her cultivation level was likely already at the peak of the tenth realm.

The original owner's body hadn't even stabilized at the first realm, and was deficient in both qi and blood. It probably wouldn't even last a single move against her...

but!

That was the Qin Ze of the past.

Now I have the Supreme Yang Body and the Marrow Cleansing Pill as my foundation.

In three days, he went from being a useless person who wasn't even at the first level of martial arts to being able to withstand an incense stick's worth of attacks from Tiger Sister-in-law. Theoretically, there shouldn't be any problem, right?

Of course!

Liu Jinghong's words seemed to open the floodgates for the other widows.

Immediately afterwards, the gentle and refined eldest sister-in-law, Shen Zhiwei, slowly spoke.

"Ninth Brother, your Second Sister-in-law is right."

"Since we want to uphold our family's reputation, military strength alone is not enough. We cannot neglect our business. Under the name of the Prince's Mansion, there are three businesses in the southern city: a restaurant, a post station, and a silk and cloth business. They have been losing money year after year. If it weren't for the Qin family's name, they would have become fish on someone else's plate long ago."

"If you can turn any one of them around within a month, it will prove that you have the ability to run a business, and I am willing to wait and see how it goes."

Third Sister-in-law Su Ningzhi also spoke up at this moment.

"If Ninth Brother can personally write a heartfelt and well-written eulogy for the family memorial ceremony in seven days, instead of having someone else do it, perhaps people will see some sincerity and change in him."

Although the fourth sister-in-law Xiao Yunshu, the fifth sister-in-law Chu Yanran, the sixth sister-in-law Mu Nianci, the seventh sister-in-law Pei Shishi, and the eighth sister-in-law Gu Qingcheng have not explicitly established rules, the distrust and resistance in their eyes are equally clear, and they are all observing.

Old Madam Qin watched this scene without stopping it.

Letting these proud and arrogant granddaughters-in-law set their conditions might also be a way to temper and test Qin Ze.

If he can't even get past these hurdles, then the so-called continuation of the bloodline and support of the family lineage will be nothing but castles in the air.

"Did you hear everything?"

Then, the old lady looked at Qin Ze, her tone heavy.

"Their demands are perfectly reasonable!"

"If you truly wish to shoulder the responsibilities of the Qin family, this is the first hurdle you must overcome! If you cannot pass it, what is the point of forcing the marriage if the family is in turmoil?"

Qin Ze stood there, feeling immense pressure.

Good guy!

This time it's not just about building favorability anymore, it's about putting a hard test on us!

Fulfilling their requests is undoubtedly the most direct way to improve their favorability, but none of them can be accomplished in a short period of time.

Whoohoo!

Qin Ze took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation and a sense of absurdity in his heart.

"Grandmother, Qin Ze has noted down the requests of all my sisters-in-law."

"My past foolishness was my own fault, and now that I have taken on this responsibility, I will do my utmost."

"I don't expect immediate success, but I hope to make some progress, live up to my grandmother's expectations, and also alleviate the frustration in my sisters-in-law's hearts."

Seeing how sincere Qin Ze was!

The eight sisters-in-law had different expressions, but their absolute resistance seemed to have softened slightly because of his statement.

At least for now, it looks somewhat proper and human.

He was no longer the glib-tongued, spoiled ninth brother who would always come up with crooked ideas or throw tantrums.

Old Madam Qin took in all these subtle changes, and the heavy weight in her heart was finally lifted.

What she feared most was that Qin Ze would remain in a daze and do things half-heartedly; that would be true despair.

Fortunately, he at least showed an attitude of trying his best.

And these proud and arrogant granddaughters-in-law were no longer a united front of fierce opposition.

This is the best outcome we can achieve at the moment.

The old lady breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, you may all go back and settle in."

"Ze'er, you stay."

Following instructions, the crowd rose with varying expressions and left the ancestral hall one after another.

Soon, only Old Madam Qin, Qin Ze, and a few trusted servants remained in the ancestral hall.

Old Madam Qin's voice was much lower and more tired.

"Ze'er, don't blame your grandmother for being heartless and forcing you to this point."

"The Qin family is truly on the brink of disaster!"

"If it weren't for this hidden ailment, I could have bought you a few more years. Your eight sisters-in-law, each from an distinguished family and possessing excellent character and abilities, are now widows, filled with grief and resentment. How could they not harbor resentment towards you, their former unworthy brother-in-law?"

"The conditions they set may seem difficult, but they are actually giving you an opportunity."

"This path, which involves carrying heavy burdens on one's shoulders, is destined to be fraught with difficulties and dangers."

"The six-month period is not only about producing offspring, but also about you establishing yourself within these six months and showing everyone, inside and outside the family, that the Qin family still has hope!"

Do you understand?

"Grandson, I understand."

Qin Ze solemnly agreed.

"It's good that you understand."

Immediately, the old lady took out an antique wooden box that she had prepared beforehand and handed it to him.

"This is the Qin family's ultimate martial art, the 'Dragon Elephant Suppressing Technique'."

"Now that the family is on the verge of collapse, it is time for you to take over this legacy."

"If you can comprehend some of it and develop some of the Dragon-Elephant Power within three days, you won't be without a chance to pass your second sister-in-law's test."

"The world only knows you as a spoiled brat, but they don't know your intelligence! In your grandmother's heart, you have always been the most promising member of the Qin family!"

"If we weren't desperate, Grandma would have let you be a spoiled brat for life!"

"Give your grandmother a straight answer! Do you really want to shoulder all the responsibilities?"