Chapter 83: Zhou Clan Loses the Exotic Beast
Zhou Clan.
When Lin Chang’an and Zhou Bingyun arrived at the Zhou Clan’s territory, they saw many cultivators severely injured.
“What happened? Uncle Tieshan, are you alright?”
Upon seeing this miserable scene, Zhou Bingyun’s expression immediately turned tense.
Zhou Tieshan, a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator added after the Zhou Clan’s Wind Spiritual Root genius fell, was even younger than Lin Chang’an.
At this moment, Zhou Tieshan was clutching his injured arm, looking utterly disheveled.
“This time in the Cloudmist Mountain Range, we encountered a marauding cultivator. The leader even called himself Ghost Three Blades and snatched away the spirit beast we had managed to capture in the mountain range with great difficulty.”
Lin Chang’an’s gaze landed on Second Bull of the Zhou Clan, who had just taken healing medicine and was now surrounded by his family. Shen Lie, Lu Qingqing, and Wei Buyi had also arrived.
“Second Bull, are you alright?”
Approaching and seeing Li Erniu’s pale face, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but show concern.
Li Erniu, having taken a healing pill, still bore a lingering expression of fear from his brush with death. When he saw Lin Chang’an, he gratefully said with lingering dread:
“It really was all thanks to you, Brother Lin. If you hadn’t warned me beforehand, I would’ve taken the Barrier-Breaking Pill to break through before this clan mission. I nearly didn’t make it back…”
Hearing Li Erniu’s explanation, Lin Chang’an secretly let out a sigh of relief. As long as he was alright.
It turned out the Zhou Clan had completed the Foundation Establishment Pill transaction with him, and Erniu had rendered significant merit for the clan.
After returning, Erniu had taken the Barrier-Breaking Pill and successfully advanced to the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement. As a trusted member of the clan, he was then selected for this secret mission.
“As long as you’re alright. Second Bull, you really scared us. When you first came in, there wasn’t a hint of color on your face.”
Lu Qingqing spoke with lingering fear. At the side, Erniu’s wife and children were wiping away tears. His eldest son, Zhou Yifan, already twenty years old, was supporting his father.
When Lin Chang’an went up to examine Erniu’s injuries, he couldn’t help but be secretly shocked—this time, Erniu had truly escaped death by a hair’s breadth.
However, in the next moment, his heart suddenly jumped.
No, something’s wrong!
The lingering magical aura around Erniu’s wound gave him an uncannily familiar feeling.
“This familiar magical aura—there’s no mistake. It’s Huang Shaohai.”
Lin Chang’an frowned secretly and checked once more without showing anything on his face. He was certain his senses weren’t wrong.
Ever since he began cultivating the Eternal Evergreen Technique, his perception had become even sharper. Five months ago, at close range in the Gathering Immortals Tower, he had clearly felt this rather eerie magical aura from Huang Shaohai.
“This feeling… Huang Shaohai must be cultivating a powerful wood-attribute technique as well.”
While Lin Chang’an was examining the injuries, Li Erniu weakly said:
“Brother Lin, I’m fine.”
“Hmph, nearly lost your life, and you say you’re fine.” Wei Buyi, who usually didn’t see eye to eye with him, snorted coldly. Even now, the two couldn’t stop bickering.
...
“Fellow Daoist Lin.”
At this time, Zhou Clan Head Zhou Renmao appeared, his face still showing signs of anger as he came to greet Lin Chang’an, the Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Clan Head Zhou.”
The two greeted each other very familiarly. After all, half a year ago they had met in a cave abode and concluded a mutually satisfactory transaction.
This time, the Zhou Clan had suffered considerable losses, especially since over half a year of effort had all gone to waste.
“Clan Head Zhou, what exactly happened this time? I recall just recently hearing that Ghost Three Blades was still on the frontlines.”
Lin Chang’an frowned. The world outside was in chaos.
Ghost Three Blades was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, not a Golden Core one.
Traversing thousands of miles in a blink? Who did he think he was?
Facing a fellow Foundation Establishment cultivator, Clan Head Zhou hesitated for a moment before finally speaking of the situation and losses with suppressed anger.
“To tell the truth, our Zhou Clan discovered a rare exotic beast—a young Wind Chirp Bird—in the Cloudmist Mountain Range. For this, we dispatched a Foundation Establishment cultivator and dozens of trusted members, preparing for half a year. In the end…”
Using voice transmission, the Zhou Clan Head recounted the incident, which made Lin Chang’an frown deeply.
As for some Fire-natured Wind Chirp Bird, he didn’t understand. But he knew what an exotic beast was. Any beast that could make the Zhou Clan take such pains must be unimaginably precious.
Zhou Clan's secret operation—yet Huang Shaohai had known about it.
"Fellow Daoist Lin, the current situation is turbulent. There are just too many Ghost Three Blades out there." The Zhou Clan Head spoke helplessly.
Killing and robbing for treasure wasn't always the act of professional marauding cultivators.
More often, it was just a sudden surge of greed—cultivators impersonating marauders for a one-time score. In the world of cultivation, this was all too common.
Yet many would fall deeper into it after a windfall and gradually become full-fledged marauding cultivators.
After exchanging a few courtesies with the Zhou Clan Head and confirming that Second Bull was fine, Lin Chang’an finally took his leave.
Instead, he kept the information about Huang Shaohai firmly in his heart.
"Five months ago, Huang Shaohai needed a Beast Spirit Pill. That means he had at least one late-stage first-rank spirit beast at the time. By now, it might have already broken through to the second rank.
And now he has a Wind Chirp Bird as well—what a thorny situation. In the future, if there’s an opportunity, I must find out what exactly this Fire-natured Wind Chirp Bird is."
Lin Chang’an pondered silently. It wasn’t that he was overly cautious—it was that Huang Shaohai was narrow-minded. Lin Chang’an didn’t like waiting for others to come knocking.
He preferred to deal with those who stirred up trouble.
Unfortunately, these second-generation members of large sects had deep backgrounds. He still needed more preparation.
'But Huang Shaohai's arrogance probably isn’t just due to his own conceit!'
At that thought, Lin Chang’an cast a subtle glance toward the Zhou Clan. It seemed that ever since the Zhou Clan had moved to Tianxuan City, they had grown closer to Master Lu’s faction.
Adding to that the news previously revealed by Huang Shaohai—that Master Lu’s lifespan was dwindling and he was injured—naturally, no one wanted to see another Golden Core cultivator emerge in Tianxuan City.
So it could be said that the Huang Clan’s arrogance likely had the backing of a larger power behind the scenes.
Thinking of this, Lin Chang’an couldn’t help but frown inwardly. These were troubled times. Ever since the three great sects of Yue Kingdom began to clash, there had been no peace.
...
Zhou Clan.
"Clan Head!"
The injured Foundation Establishment cultivator Zhou Tieshan, his face full of frustration, hoarsely said, "I’m not willing to accept this. The Huang Clan of the Palace of Blazing Fire has gone too far!"
"Watch your words!"
The Zhou Clan Head fell silent for a moment, then let out a faint sigh.
"Clan Head, how am I supposed to endure this? Exotic beasts are rare!"
It turned out that the ones who impersonated Ghost Three Blades were recognized by Zhou Tieshan—it was none other than Huang Yuntian and his son Huang Shaohai from the Huang Clan of the Palace of Blazing Fire.
Though furious, he knew that the Huang Clan wasn’t someone they could afford to provoke. He could only swallow his anger and outwardly claim it was the work of Ghost Three Blades.
Even when Lin Chang’an asked, he hadn’t revealed a single detail.
"The Huang Clan acts tyrannically, and our Zhou Clan is weak."
Behind the Zhou Clan Head’s silent expression was the cruelty of the world of cultivation.
So what if they knew who the enemy was? These were not people they could afford to mess with.
Zhou Tieshan, after venting, understood the gravity of the matter. He could only grumble indignantly:
"The people of the Huang Clan want to seize everything they set their eyes on. But even we didn’t have full confidence in raising that exotic beast. I’d like to see how he’s going to ruin it!"
"Focus on recovering."
As the Zhou Clan Head’s silent voice echoed, he too began calculating quietly in his heart.
In recent years, the ancestor of the Huang Clan from the Palace of Blazing Fire had cultivated to great heights, to the point that the entire sect was nearly the Huang Clan’s personal domain. Naturally, small clans like theirs couldn’t afford to offend them.
Now there were even rumors that Master Lu was injured, his lifespan dwindling, and preparing to help his disciple reach Golden Core.
The situation in Yue Kingdom hadn’t calmed—it had only grown more turbulent.
This time’s choice—whether it was right or wrong—remained to be seen.