The Wu family estate.
"What did you say? Who has come to visit?!" The Wu family head's body trembled. As if hard of hearing, he asked again.
"Family head, it's the family head of the Zhong family from the commandery city who has arrived. Young Master Wu Zhan is leading the way."
"Wu Zhan, he..."
The Wu family head actually felt an impulse to vomit blood on the spot.
He truly hadn't expected him to be such a reckless fool, his head turned by so-called fortune and jealousy, completely lacking the ability to analyze advantages and disadvantages.
The Wu family head was utterly disappointed, but at present he could only do his best to receive the Zhong family people. Thus, he went out with a smile to welcome them.
At the great hall, the Zhong family head acted as host instead of guest, sitting in the head position.
None of the several people below in the hall dared raise any objections.
The Zhong family head lightly tapped the redwood tea table with his finger, his eyes showing arrogance, "I also don't wish to waste time in Qingjiang. Tomorrow at the chen hour, gather at the estate gate.
Those of the Wu clan willing to go, follow me."
"If not a single person shows up, worthy nephew Wu Zhan, then we'll have to properly settle the matter of you deceiving me."
"This nephew wouldn't dare."
No matter what, Wu Zhan was definitely doomed to die.
As for the rest, let heaven decide. If they were truly blinded by greed, they couldn't blame others.
Wu Zhan persuaded his father, the Heavenly Dragon Hall Master. Eight or nine out of ten instructors and apprentices from the Heavenly Dragon Martial Hall followed, and more than half of the Wu family's elite guards also went.
The Wu family head was deeply anxious, and Magistrate Wu repeatedly tried to dissuade them, to no avail.
The next day, everyone gathered in front of the Wu family estate gate.
"Worthy nephew Wu Zhan invited Zhong to come. Considering the relationship between our two families, I'll definitely help with this favor."
The Zhong family head swept his gaze over Wu Zhan, the Heavenly Dragon Hall Master, and everyone else present, his smile hiding a blade, "Everyone, follow me."
"We're willing to follow Family Head Zhong."
Everyone raised their arms and spoke out, acting righteously indignant, yet their eyes showed greed, all harboring thoughts of coveting the Xu clan's wealth.
Shortly after, the group rode their horses, passing through streets and alleys, heading straight outside the city but when they reached the stream, the Zhong family head suddenly pulled his reins tight and raised his hand to signal a stop.
The group behind also did the same.
The Heavenly Dragon Hall Master squeezed the horse's belly with his legs, making it walk forward a few steps to the Zhong family head's side.
"Family Head Zhong, why have we stopped?" The Heavenly Dragon Hall Master asked in confusion, "If you're unfamiliar with Qingjiang County's roads, you can let my son lead the way."
"No need, we've arrived."
"What do you mean?"
The Heavenly Dragon Hall Master looked over with confusion, then a flash of silver light crossed his eyes.
The next moment, he suddenly felt the world spinning and saw a headless corpse falling from a horse.
I... died?
"Father!" Wu Zhan cried out in grief, "Why?!"
The Zhong family head's eyes were ice cold, "Kill them all, leave no one alive!"
"Wu Zhan, save him for last."
Seven innate martial artists, one grandmaster, dozens of late peak Postnatal warriors facing over a hundred first-rate martial artists and seven or eight late peak Postnatal warriors was like tigers entering a flock of sheep. Without question, it was a massacre.
In less than a cup of tea's time, everyone except Wu Zhan was killed on the spot, and the stream water was dyed red.
Wu Zhan's eyes nearly split open, bloodshot veins filling his pupils. The hatred churning in those eyes couldn't be extinguished even by the waters of three rivers.
"Family Head Zhong, you want to monopolize the Xu family's fortune, killing your allies by treachery. This act will surely bring divine retribution!"
"Ha ha ha~"
The Zhong family head laughed heartily toward the sky, "Monopolize the Xu family's fortune?"
"What makes you think my Zhong family came to Qingjiang to seize the Xu family's fortune?"
"If you knew who was behind the Xu family? What Xu Mingwei, what Xu Mingshu, with their level of strength, why would you think it unreasonable?"
"Backed by a fifth-rank clan with their support, do you think the Xu family wouldn't be able to grow?"
"So that's how it is?!"
Wu Zhan could scarcely believe it.
The next moment, his vision went black, and he lost all consciousness.
"Burn all these corpses."
"Yes, family head."
Many guards began to take action.
The Zhong family grandmaster walked up to the Zhong family head and looked toward the direction of the Xu family, "Do we need to pay them a visit?"
"Uncle, there's no need." The Zhong family head turned to glance and shook his head, "The Xu family borrowed our blade to kill, not wanting to stain their hands with blood. Otherwise, why would they need us to make this trip?"
"Going would instead cause their dissatisfaction."
The Zhong family head let out a long sigh, "Let's go, return to the commandery city. The Xu family's ambitions are not small. Perhaps in a matter of days, the commandery city will gain another seventh-rank clan."
"I'll follow your lead."
After finishing the cleanup, the Zhong family group headed toward the commandery city.
High above their heads, a blue eagle circled for a while before flying back to the Xu family.
Screech~
Xu Mingshu looked up, then turned to Xu Mingyuan beside her, "All the Wu family people have been completely eliminated, and their bodies burned to nothing. They acted decisively and didn't make any move to claim credit with our Xu family, directly returning to the commandery city."
Xu Mingyuan nodded slightly, a smile playing at his lips, "A wise choice. If they had come, what would have greeted them would be eldest brother's arrows."
"The Wu family is in trouble now."
Xu Mingshu gloated, waved to Xu Mingyuan, and returned to the Jade Cold Pool.
In the county city, at the Wu family.
The Wu family head was restless. From early morning until sunset, he didn't see anyone return, so he sent someone to Dongxi Village to investigate.
However, the Xu family was operating as usual. At the boundary of the Dongxi Xu clan stone tablet, people still patrolled day and night.
The Wu family head and Magistrate Wu discussed at length. Although each had their speculations, neither had any solid evidence.
Finally, the Wu family head personally made a trip to the Xu family. However, the Xu family was peaceful everywhere. Servants came and went calmly, no different from what they'd seen before. There were no signs showing they'd experienced fierce battle.
Seeing this, the Wu family head's heart was already clear.
Just one day later, rumors spread in the county city. Someone had seen from afar a large group of people massacred, the stream water dyed red, then black smoke gradually rising into the sky, dispersing in the clouds.
Afterward, that group of people was seen riding away, seemingly heading toward the main road leading to the commandery city.
In the county city, at Zuiyun Residence.
"Who knows who that group offended to be so brutally massacred!" Someone sighed with emotion.
At the next table, upon hearing this, someone turned and said, "I heard someone say it seemed like the Wu family had a large group leave the county city. Could those who died be from the Wu family?"
"Absolutely impossible. The Wu family is the foremost clan in Qingjiang. Who in Qingjiang could kill them?" Someone refuted.
Immediately, more and more people at Zuiyun Residence discussed this matter.
"Didn't they say the killers went toward the commandery city? How do you know the Wu clan didn't offend a great clan in the commandery? They've been running rampant in Qingjiang for so long, this is retribution!"
"It looks like the Wu family is about to face great disaster."
"Hmph, how can there be a clan that maintains nobility forever? It's nothing more than feng shui rotating. Today it's just someone else's turn."
The Wu family head heard these rumors and was anxious all day long.
They had also speculated it was the Zhong family's doing, but they had no grievances with each other and even had profitable exchanges. They couldn't understand why the Zhong family would do this.
However, as time passed, only this one answer remained.
But the Wu family no longer had time to ponder the reasons. What they had to face was whether those jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards in Qingjiang County who had once been subordinate to the Wu family would devour the Wu family alive at this time.
Even though the Wu family still had someone honored with the position of magistrate, they were already in grave danger.
…
The Xu family.
Wu Rushan knew nothing about it, her face full of maternal love, wholeheartedly awaiting childbirth.
Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan turned a blind eye to the Wu family's pleas for aid, watching coldly from the sidelines.
Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu, along with numerous younger generation members, were cultivating and practicing martial arts at the Jade Cold Pool.
Currently, in the entire Xu family, only Bai Jing had the ability to help the Wu family. If she spoke up to plead for the Wu family, Xu Mingwei and Xu Mingyuan would have to take it into consideration.
But like Wu Rushan, she would only learn of it after the fact.
Relations between clans were never about living peacefully, keeping to themselves. Rather, they involved patient concealment and mutual rivalry.
Even if someone wanted to follow the good path, one couldn't guarantee that people's hearts weren't sinister. Wealth and resources dazzled the eyes and clouded judgment.
Take the Wu family for example. Clearly knowing their strength was inferior to the Xu family, someone still wanted to use the strategy of driving the tiger to devour the wolf, hoping for leftover scraps, but didn't know who was the wolf and who was the tiger.
Having such thoughts and letting the Xu family find out, even if their clan was destroyed, they should have no complaints.
…
The Fang family estate.
The four families, Fang, Wang, He, and Cao, gathered together, secretly plotting to divide up the Wu family.
In the antique-styled study, the lights were bright, with only the four family heads present.
"Brother Fang, my subordinates reported that yesterday the Wu family went to Dongxi to seek aid and seemed to be turned away." The Cao family head stroked his beard, his lips holding a three-part smile.
"Ha ha, heaven truly wants to destroy the Wu family." The He family head clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "Brother Fang, can you now feel at ease joining forces with us?"
The Fang family head lightly tapped the table with his knuckles, making "thump thump" sounds.
After a moment, "It seems the Wu family did something to anger the Xu family. Otherwise, given the marriage relationship between the two families, they wouldn't stand by and watch." The Fang family head said.
"They're probably afraid of getting involved with the commandery city." The Wang family pondered briefly.
The study fell silent for a while.
The Fang family head swept his gaze over everyone, his lips curling slightly, "Since you all think highly of my Fang family, let's establish a covenant, never abandoning each other, sharing risks together."
"It should be so."
Several days later.
Magistrate Wu left the county office and was ambushed by several innate martial artists on his way back to the Wu family.
Although he was at the mid-innate stage, he was already elderly. Surrounded and attacked, though he broke through, he was injured in his heart meridian. After returning to the Wu family, he vomited blood and fell unconscious.
The entire Wu family went on strict alert.
However, how could the four families, Fang, Wang, He, and Cao, let the Wu family go? That foundation and accumulation of nearly two hundred years, if divided among the four families, would be enough for them to prosper for decades without decline.
"Fang, Wang, He, Cao, I know it's you four families. The Heavenly Dao turns in cycles. Today you're taking advantage of our misfortune, but one day you'll surely meet the same fate!"
"All of you, for the Wu family, kill!"
The furious shout echoed in all directions. Nearby people could almost hear it, but one by one they remained silent, pretending not to hear or see.
After all, sometimes having overly keen ears and eyes would only bring disaster.
Better to play deaf and dumb and just be a wealthy lord.
The Wu family head knew the four families wanted to destroy the Wu family. No matter what he said, they wouldn't stop until they devoured the Wu family clean.
If not for the loss of more than half their elite, even if the four families joined forces, it would result in mutual destruction. However, times were different now.
The Wu family could only fight desperately, fighting until the other side felt pain and fear. Only then would there be a glimmer of hope.
At the same time, several li away on top of a tall building, Xu Mingwei stood there with Xu Mingyuan and others beside him.
Xu Mingxuan and Xu Mingshu came to join the excitement and observe their eldest brother Xu Mingwei's prowess.
That's right, today he planned to act, eliminating all the innate martial artists besieging the Wu family at the appropriate moment.
From today onward, the Xu family would completely control Qingjiang, twisting it into a single rope to serve as the Xu family's foundation.