Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 1079: Great. Then it’s decided

"What if...", Ko Gunwen struggled, feeling the crushing pressure from his father’s foot on the back of his head, painfully forcing his forehead into the ground, but no longer succumbing to coughing or gasping for breath, "... I refuse to depend on you any longer, and take nothing more from you?"

This sentiment caused his three other brothers to curse inwardly, all wishing he would simply remain silent and obedient. Meanwhile, Ko Zhumen displayed a flicker of surprise, removing his foot from his son’s head. He crouched down, meeting his son’s gaze as the latter slowly pushed himself up to all fours, only to be halted from rising further by his father’s hand landing firmly on his shoulder.

"And you believe that absolves you from obeying me?", Ko Zhumen’s curiosity seemed to quell any immediate violent response. "How do you envision that? That I would simply deem everything I’ve provided for you thus far as a loss, write it off, and permit you to pursue your own desires and live as you please? Do I appear that magnanimous to you?"

"I will repay you.", Ko Gunwen’s breathing was slightly ragged and uneven, as he desperately tried to regain control over his Qi circulation, which had been disrupted by his father’s earlier assault. "I will find a way to compensate for all your investments in me up to this point."

"Hah!", Ko Zhumen’s voice escalated for the first time, laced with genuine amusement. He then continued in the same measured tone, yet the sarcasm dripped from every word. "You? On your own? Do you even comprehend your own words?"

He then cast a sidelong glance at Ko Fuan. "You think just because Fuan succeeded, you can too? You... the fool who nearly met his end on a simple errand? The one who now sports a red, indented handprint on his face and goes around humiliating me by failing to conceal it?"

His amusement appeared to intensify along with his growing frustration. The three siblings standing by sensed a dangerously volatile atmosphere brewing beneath this outwardly jovial facade. "Furthermore, let us hypothetically assume you manage to repay me and achieve your freedom. To do what, precisely? Do you even possess a goal? To merely... aimlessly survive within my city like a vagrant? Perhaps you wish to become a hermit, spending the remainder of your days somewhere in the mountains? Or join a Sect or organization and simply submit to someone else’s authority, which is no different from obeying me? Or are you deceiving yourself into believing you can forge your own path... as a rogue cultivator? Aspiring to grow into something significant on your own merit? Do you even grasp the realities of such a life? Do you have the slightest inkling? You believe you can survive out there without the protection afforded by your current status and lifestyle? Right now, if I were to banish you from the City Lord’s Manor with nothing but the clothes on your back and a weapon, do you think you could make it? Do you believe you could survive?"

"I...", Ko Gunwen attempted to speak, but the words caught in his throat, feeling choked by his father’s oppressive presence and the tempest of thoughts still swirling within his mind.

He genuinely lacked the answers to his father’s pointed questions. He was in the midst of a search for those very answers, immersed in a pursuit whose significance he had understood only more profoundly after encountering the 9th Prince’s companion.

Perhaps a few weeks prior, the situation would have been different. But by now, he recognized the truth in his father’s words. A life stripped of his current status and resources would likely prove far more arduous than he could ever have imagined. He perceived his own limitations, his ignorance, and his incompetence with far greater clarity than the City Lord supposed, though not yet with the absolute precision required to truly ascertain their full extent.

Ko Gunwen hadn’t fully articulated his evolving thoughts. Yet, he also understood that he could not remain in this state of suspended indecision, nor could he revert to his life before these questions began to surface.

It was true that after decades of living with his established status and lifestyle, with the singular aim of succeeding his father to the position of power, it became difficult to envision any other form of existence. However, when he was so abruptly cast down from his privileged position, Tt a point where death itself felt tangibly close, he suddenly realized the absence of any genuine core motivation behind his former endeavors. He had been drifting along the currents dictated by his circumstances, without truly engaging in independent thought.

The echoing words, "The Dao is formless... the Dao is endless...", had resonated within his mind for days, continually stimulating his intellect and urging him to persist in questioning, to continue seeking.

All these internal stirrings were reflected in his eyes. However, to the City Lord, they appeared as mere confusion and weakness, coupled with what he perceived as profound self-doubt. Combined with Ko Gunwen’s inability to provide an answer, City Lord Ko interpreted it as a clear sign of his son’s surrender.

With a snort, he stood up and turned back to his desk. "Don't trouble your head with absurd fantasies and just heed my words. You are to cover your face at all times from now on."

Ko Gunwen paused before replying. However, seeing his father stop and turn around with a threatening gaze, he felt he had no alternative, at least for the moment. "...Yes, Father."

City Lord Ko observed his eldest son for a few more seconds, unsure of how to interpret this sudden rebellious streak or his outlandish thoughts. Ultimately, he dismissed it as a natural consequence of the shock from losing his dominant position among the four sons.

He then returned to his desk. After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, during which Ko Gunwen stood back up, he resumed, "Regardless, the reason I summoned you here should be quite apparent. That Trading Company's auction is a significant event, and we cannot allow it to appear as though the City Lord's Manor is excluded."

"However, my personal attendance is out of the question; it grants them too much prestige," he added, omitting the fact that he deemed entering the powerful protective formation of the Soaring Feather Trading Company too perilous.

Ko Fuan felt a growing unease. It wasn't solely about Ko Gunwen's unexpected demeanor and thoughts; it was more about the fact that their father had let him off too easily and was now addressing all four of them.

His intensifying disquiet was soon validated when Ko Zhumen declared, "Therefore, I shall dispatch two of you. I had originally intended to offer Gunwen a chance at redemption and have one of you three volunteer. But you have forfeited that opportunity this time, Gunwen. Ensure you conduct yourself appropriately so as not to miss another in the future."

This declaration stunned not only Ko Fuan but all the sons, though none were as profoundly affected as he was.

For Ko Gunwen himself, this was indeed a shock. Yet, an even greater surprise was that he felt neither particularly moved by the mention of a chance for redemption nor by its loss. His heart did flutter at the potential, and he felt a pang of regret at missing it, but he was acutely aware that these reactions were far more subdued than he would have expected.

For Ko Fuan, however, this news struck like a bolt from the blue. He had already written off his eldest brother as a failure with no hope of redemption. Since the other two seemed to lack genuine ambition, he had already considered himself the de facto successor.

He had indeed made plans and contemplated strategies to solidify his standing, but these primarily involved gaining more recognition from their father rather than outcompeting his brothers.

All indications from his father throughout the week suggested he was correct. Thus, he was already certain of his victory, utterly convinced he was beyond the scope of competition, only for that sense of security and mental comfort to be abruptly ripped away by Ko Zhumen.

He could perceive the very real intention in his father's eyes to continue offering Ko Gunwen chances for redemption, even after the recent events, and even to incite the other two sons into competing for the successor position.

His teeth clenched involuntarily as he felt cruelly manipulated, yet he could not voice any objection. His father's cold, observant gaze shifted to him, compelling him to control his expression as much as possible to conceal his burgeoning frustration and rage.

"Fuan has recently taken on a significant portion of the city's patrol duties, so how about the two of you go this time then?" Ko Zhumen added fuel to Ko Fuan's distress, turning his attention to Ko Furen and Ko Wenlu, both of whom exchanged glances with Ko Fuan.

The former's eyes conveyed quiet concern for his younger sibling, while the latter's held a complex mixture of emotions.

It seemed he was surprised and assessing how the youngest received this news, but there was also an undercurrent of gloating, amusement, and excitement all at once.

"Certainly, Father. This should prove interesting," Ko Wenlu chuckled.

"Father, perhaps Fuan is more suitable-", Ko Furen began, but his father's sharp gaze silenced him.

"Are you refusing to go?" Ko Zhumen inquired, his tone allowing no room for changing the subject or avoiding a direct answer. His eyes, however, flickered back to Ko Fuan, who was desperately attempting to maintain a composed facade.

"No..." Ko Furen replied.

The instant he spoke, and though it appeared he wished to say more, Ko Zhumen nodded. "Excellent. Then it is settled. Furen, Wenlu, the two of you shall represent the City Lord Manor."

""Yes, Father"", the two responded in unison, their obedience marked by subtly different attitudes.