Chapter 327: Chapter 272 Gratitude and Resentment
“Zhu Qian, we have fulfilled your demands, and Yuelai Inn no longer has a place to survive in the Cang Dynasty,” she said. “Do not forget the promise you made!”
This was a cold woman, like Ice Mountain herself, Zheng Xueyue of Divine Lady Peak.
Standing in front of her was a polite young man, evidently the Zhu Qian whom Zheng Xueyue referred to.
“Of course, Goddess,” he replied. “When the Cang Dynasty attacks the Ming Dynasty, our Great Grandmaster will naturally appear and will not disappoint you.”
“That will be good, otherwise…” she trailed off. “The Sun Family has been completely destroyed—your Zhu Family might not be so different.”
Zhu Qian’s face changed at her words; he knew what she implied.
…
His lineage, always under investigation and in hiding, was out of touch with much information.
The Sun Family from the Eastern Dynasty had been entirely wiped out?
A family with thousands of years of history, now turned to dust?
A sense of fear crept within Zhu Qian; this was not the news he had heard!
He became even more respectful on the surface.
The destruction of the Sun Family meant the Zhu Family was not untouchable either.
As for Zhu Xiao of Yuelai Inn, once Zhu Qian learned certain secrets, he no longer considered those who followed Zhu Xiao’s line as true members of the Zhu Family.
They were the main line of the Zhu Family.
Seeing Zhu Qian’s expression, Zheng Xueyue was satisfied; this was the effect she wanted.
“In that case, go back and tell Zhu Long to prepare,” she directed.
The Eastern Dynasty was destroyed, and she had thought her Cang Dynasty would reap the greatest spoils, especially with one of the three top armies, the Heavenly Blue Army, at her disposal.
But unexpectedly, a dark horse, Mo Yang, had emerged with formidable strength and command of the Sun and Moon Army, one of the top military forces, something nobody had anticipated falling into his hands.
This unforeseen event significantly lessened the Cang Dynasty’s gains.
Although they still managed to acquire some territories, it was far from enough.
What mattered most was the annihilation of the Sun Family.
A family that had survived for millennia was gone just like that.
Together with the oddities of Taiping Sect and Mo Yang, she sensed something aberrant about this era; something was definitely wrong.
In just over a decade, seven great families had dwindled to three, and aside from herself, the other two families didn’t possess the greatest strength.
Such a scenario hadn’t occurred in thousands of years.
Zheng Xueyue felt an urgency within her to quickly gain more territory and find a solution.
It was this urgency that had led her to collaborate with Zhu Long’s lineage.
Zhu Long’s line, after several decades, now possessed a warrior who could have been considered a Great Grandmaster back in the day, a powerhouse that could change the tide in the current situation.
“I hope I will not be disappointed,” she mused. “Once I obtain the territories of the Ming Dynasty, my strength will become the strongest…”
…
Zhu Qian left Zheng Xueyue and heaved a sigh of relief. Although he was a Grandmaster, Zheng Xueyue could easily crush him.
Being in the presence of such a power, it was impossible not to feel nervous.
However, the news he received was not all bad.
Yuelai Inn had suffered considerable damage in the Cang Dynasty.
After a circuitous journey, he finally arrived at a secluded location and met with an elder who sat in a chair, seemingly resting with eyes closed.
“Grandfather, the Cang Dynasty has accomplished what they promised and hopes we will fulfill our oath!” he reported.
The elder opened his eyes, their piercing look and overwhelming aura suppressing even Zhu Qian.
Zhu Qian was astounded internally; was this the power of a former Great Grandmaster?
His grandfather Zhu Long had now reached this level of strength and it filled him with elation.
“Struggling to contain my aura, no wonder our seven grand families have thrived for so many years!” Zhu Long exclaimed, excitedly. “You say that wretched girl’s Yuelai Inn can’t survive anymore?”
“Yes, grandfather, Yuelai Inn has completely withdrawn from the Cang Dynasty!”
“Ha ha ha, good, good, good! This is just a little interest; I want her to lose everything!”
Being exiled was a lifelong humiliation.
Fortunately, he had left behind his most crucial assets.
“My strength should now be comparable to that wretched girl’s; when the time comes, I must personally settle our old scores!”
“Grandfather, there will be an opportunity; the Cang Dynasty is about to make their move and will inevitably confront that wretched Zhu Xiao,” he said.
In their words, both harbored deep resentment; they could not let go of past events.
“Then let us wait,” Zhu Long declared. “Once the Cang Dynasty rises, I want that wretched girl to feel what it’s like to lose everything step by step. Go and make preparations!”
…
The past affairs of the Zhu Family were not something that could be easily clarified in a mere few words.
Wang Sheng also roughly understood the course of events.
It was basically Zhu Xiao’s sudden emergence and victory over all opponents, but Zhu Long’s lineage, which originally considered the position of the Family Head of the Zhu Family as something in the bag, naturally refused to compromise.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Xiao’s strength was terrifyingly powerful, and she directly suppressed the opposing voices by force.
Afterwards, Zhu Long’s lineage fled outright, and had been causing trouble for Yuelai Inn all these years.
Zhu Long himself was an inheriting elder, and no one had expected him to be so selfish, taking away things that belonged to the entire clan.
“In fact, that old fellow Zhu Long was already nearing the limits of his lifespan, and must have been coveting that thing for a long time,” someone said.
“If he was already reaching the limit of his lifespan, why would they give that thing to Zhu Long?” Isn’t that just creating conflicts?
Such temptation isn’t something just anybody can withstand.
“Heh, because until now, there are those who are not convinced by my ascendance. They gave such crucial inheritance to an inappropriate person, most likely on purpose. At that time, even my father thought that the person from Zhu Long’s lineage was the most suitable. Unfortunately, I obtained the position of Family Head fair and square. He couldn’t go against the ancestral teachings and could only resort to these tactics.”
Previously, Zhu Xiao didn’t know about the existence of that thing in the shadows.
Now that she knew, she naturally came to understand a lot more.
“…”
I didn’t know what to say about this kind of “family business.”
“But it doesn’t matter. Zhu Long’s defection from the clan shows that his choice was not the correct one. Next, I’m going to retrieve those things.”
“Aren’t you afraid that Zhu Long has already used that thing?”
Zhu Xiao fell silent for a while, then said, “The method to use that thing is still half in the hands of the Clan Elders. Unless the elders have already made contact with Zhu Long’s lineage.”
“…”
“First, we need to find them!”
Sometimes Wang Sheng also thought that Zhu Xiao must be tired, earnestly managing the clan, yet no one trusted her.
“It’s hard to change concepts that have been established for thousands of years. In fact, I am very clear that if there is a method that guarantees a hundred percent chance to become a top Great Grandmaster, perhaps that would be the best way to inherit the clan.
Even sometimes I think, if my life runs out, it might not be long before all my efforts are in vain. Zhu Long’s lineage could waltz back in, and the clan might even welcome them!
But I can’t accept that. I’ve worked hard too, and both in terms of strength and power, the clan is stronger than before. I’ve thought of many ways, and in the end, I found only two methods that could solve all the problems.
One is to take back that thing, but that would be a compromise for me. And this kind of compromise seems to be a necessary evil.”
Zhu Xiao’s voice was somewhat suppressed.
“What’s the second method?”
“Break through to even higher levels!” Zhu Xiao said without hesitation, “After I felt the unnatural bottleneck, I knew there had to be a higher realm, and also the kind of unnatural state that the Master of Destiny reaches. Originally, this hope seemed slim, and I saw no breakthrough to that unnatural bottleneck, until I met you.”
“Wang Sheng, you can reach a higher realm, right?”
“Yes, definitely!”
Wang Sheng could feel Zhu Xiao’s frustration and hope.
If it wasn’t for that unnatural bottleneck, perhaps Zhu Xiao would have achieved it long ago.
“Definitely!” he said again.
Heavenly Father, he would solve it sooner or later.
For himself, and for those who had been blocked.
“Yes, definitely!”
The two did not speak again and continued forward. Before long, they arrived at the Royal Capital of the Cang Dynasty.
According to the intelligence, Zhu Long’s lineage was actually hiding here, and it took a lot of effort for the people from Yuelai Inn to find out.
“We don’t have an exact location, but that’s a minor issue!”
For Wang Sheng, as long as there was a general area, nothing could remain hidden from his Divine Thought.
He had long known what Zhu Long looked like.
“Thanks for your help!”
“It’s nothing. What we need to consider now is, if that thing has been used, then what should we do?”
“Since it can be passed on, it definitely can be restored.”
Zhu Xiao had made up her mind, at her position, she couldn’t rely solely on gentle methods.
“Alright, found them!”
He came here as a precaution, to prevent alarming Zheng Xueyue.
Yet, with his presence, it’s estimated that even if Zhu Long and his people were wiped out, Zheng Xueyue would not be aware of the incident.
“Found them, let’s go over there!”
Wang Sheng led the way, quickly arriving at an ordinary-looking residence.
The two did not hesitate and entered the residence.
Just as they entered, they saw a young man. Since they didn’t hide themselves, the young man naturally noticed them too.
“Zhu Xiao!”