Chapter 1279 - 908: Chaos

The play is temporarily over!

Outside the Gong Family’s gate, an inconspicuous little insect flew away and landed in the Zhong Family’s courtyard, revealing Zhang Chen’s trail.

"This is just the end of one scene; the real drama has yet to be staged. Whatever means the Zhang Family uses, they won’t get the answers they want from Gong Chun. When the Zhang Clan refuses to let things go and continues to visit the Gong Family to demand the ’Book of Life and Death,’ that is when the real show begins." Zhang Chen’s eyes revealed a hint of murder.

"Your plan has a flaw. The Zhang Family is skilled in soul-searching techniques. If they search Gong Chun’s soul, they will surely find that they can’t obtain any useful clues. They might even discover that Gong Chun was indeed framed under the effect of soul-searching. Wouldn’t that make your plan fall apart?" The Fox Immortal Nannan emerged from Zhang Chen’s body, pointing out the flaw in Zhang Chen’s plan.

"You’re right; the memory within Gong Chun’s soul is indeed a flaw. But since I’ve taken action, how could I be unprepared? How would I leave such an obvious flaw?" Zhang Chen smiled with satisfaction.

Meanwhile, the Zhang Family group was dragging Gong Chun and the Black and White Elders out of the city. But just as they exited a street, the Black and White Elders somehow freed themselves from the rope constraints. Without giving the Zhang Family members any time to react, they drew two knives from their boots and stabbed them directly into Gong Chun’s chest.

"You!!" Gong Chun looked at the Black and White Elders with shock. Then, looking at the two knives inserted into his heart, his eyes were filled with horror, seemingly unwilling to believe what he was seeing.

"Gong Chun, don’t blame me! The Zhang Family’s means of soul-stealing are unavoidable for you. It’s better to die and be done with it." Elder Hei said to Gong Chun.

Gong Chun was so angry he wanted to curse. He wasn’t the one who stole the treasure, and he would eventually be cleared of suspicions. He certainly didn’t want to die; he still wanted to keep living.

But those two blades struck straight into his heart, puncturing it, giving him no chance to survive.

"Get them!"

Zhang Shenqi was shocked upon witnessing this scene and quickly shouted, his voice filled with anger, as if they dared to play tricks under his nose, simply a slap in the face!

Unfortunately, the Black and White Elders seemed insane at this point, completely disregarding their lives, directly exchanging injuries with the Zhang Family. Thirty breaths later, eight members of the Zhang Family were dead, and the Black and White Elders were also killed on the spot.

Looking at the corpses all over the ground, Zhang Shenqi’s face immediately darkened. Due to the suppression by the Dragon Qi within the imperial city, they couldn’t even extract the souls of the three.

"The Gong Family is destroying evidence and silencing witnesses!" Zhang Gaqi angrily cursed, turned, and headed toward the Gong Family: "I’ll settle scores with them."

Zhong Family Residence

The Blood God Child within Gong Hei and Gong Bai returned, bringing back the final memories. Zhang Chen stood under the big tree, looking at the azure sky with a subtle expression in his eyes:

"Next is the tussle between the Gong Family and the Zhang Family! With the Gong Family’s Eldest Son and the Black and White Elders dead, there will certainly be discontent within their clan. If I now push the Tree of Life out, delivering it to the Gong Family and exposing it, the Zhang Clan, to compensate for their loss, will surely focus their attention on the Tree of Life, using it as leverage to extort the Gong Family, thereby pushing the Gong Family into a deep abyss."

Zhang Chen’s eyes turned to the Ascension Pool. Under the influence of the Power of Time, the Tree of Life had grown into a towering tree, and the Peach Tree was growing rapidly.

Of course, the Heaven-Reaching Jianmu was also growing quickly, but now with the growth of the Peach Tree and the Tree of Life, the Innate Qi generated by the Jianmu seemed somewhat insufficient.

"It appears that the consumption of Innate Qi by the Innate Spirit Root is a massive amount. However, when the Peach Tree and the Tree of Life absorb Innate Qi, they also emit a strange Qi Mechanism, somewhat similar to the Spiritual Qi in the novels, which is essential for immortal cultivation and Qi cultivation. The reason this world can’t practice Immortal Dao is the lack of this Qi Mechanism, but now with this Qi Mechanism, Immortal Dao cultivation is possible." Zhang Chen named the Qi Mechanism emitted by the Peach Tree and the Tree of Life as Spiritual Qi.

As Zhang Chen pondered how to send out a branch of the Tree of Life, suddenly, there was a quick sound of footsteps. Zhong Wubai walked in from outside the courtyard, his face full of joy, and exclaimed: "Zhang Chen, wonderful news!"

"What’s the source of happiness?" Zhang Chen asked.

"The Zhang Family and the Gong Family have started arguing, causing quite a commotion. Even the Gong Family’s Eldest Son and the Black and White Elders died in the streets, and it’s likely the two families will be at each other’s throats, perhaps even leading to a battle." Zhong Wubai said gleefully: "With the two families fighting, you can relax, and no one will pay attention to you. You can cultivate peacefully."

Upon hearing Zhong Wubai’s words, Zhang Chen feigned ignorance of the intricacies, and thus asked with a face full of astonishment: "Strange! Aren’t the Gong Family and Zhang Family old friends? The Eight Great Clans have always been united, how did it come to this?"

"I heard from the spies that the Gong Family stole the Life and Death Record from the Zhang Family. The Life and Death Record is the foundation of the Zhang Family. Now that the Zhang Family has lost their vital core, it’s no wonder they’re fighting with the Gong Family." Zhong Wubai said gleefully.

"Is there really such a thing?" Zhang Chen’s face showed surprise upon hearing this, his performance was impeccable: "Seems like my luck is quite good, the Eight Great Clans are about to have internal strife, they won’t have time to pay attention to me."

"That’s exactly right. You should take this opportunity to establish your foothold in Kyoto and clear your name completely. Once the Zhang Family and Gong Family fight each other to the point of mutual destruction, you might have a chance to re-enter the Zhang Family and become the new helmsman." Zhong Wubai said.

"Both families are colossal, wanting to fight to the point of mutual destruction might not be that simple, right? Everyone’s an old fox, they’ll only fight within certain limits, maintaining relative restraint, without harming the fundamentals." Zhang Chen raised his doubts.

"Hehe, now that the dirt has happened, can they suppress it just because they want to? There are too many people in Kyoto who don’t look favorably on the Eight Great Clans. Now that everyone sees an opportunity to topple them, how could they not fan the flames from behind? Even if the two families want to make peace, the onlookers won’t allow it! Some might even secretly plot to stir up trouble, extend the conflict to the Eight Great Clans, and make them fight to the death and fall apart completely." Zhong Wubai said with a smile full of schadenfreude: "Not to mention others, the Great Victory royal family definitely won’t sit idly by. They’ll seize the chance to pull in some and suppress others, thoroughly dividing the Eight Great Clans, then incorporate them for their use, further weakening their power."

Zhang Chen was stunned upon hearing this, thought carefully and felt Zhong Wubai made a lot of sense. It appears he had oversimplified the situation before. For the Great Victory royal family, this is definitely the best opportunity to split the Eight Great Clans.

Once the Zhang Family and Gong Family clash, will the other clans take sides?

Although the Eight Great Clans are united, there are differences in closeness and distance. Once they take sides, even if it leads to division, outsiders only need to provoke slightly, a battle is inevitable.

The Life and Death Record is the foundation of the Zhang Family. Once lost, the descendants cannot awaken, decline would be within a hundred years, so if the Zhang Family wants to reclaim the Life and Death Record, it is now at the peak of its power, the best opportunity. In the future, as the old generation continually dies off, and no new generation awakens the bloodline, the Zhang Family will face extinction, with no chance to reclaim the treasure.

"So if the Gong Family doesn’t return the Life and Death Record, the Zhang Family will resort to waging a war of extermination! Unhesitatingly risking all its foundations!" Zhang Chen thought to himself.

"The breakup of the Eight Great Clans is in just one night. Who knows what madness possessed the Gong Family to steal the Zhang Family’s Life and Death Record." Zhong Wubai said.

Zhang Chen didn’t speak upon hearing this, though he certainly knew the Gong Family was innocent, more wronged than Dou’e. But the Gong Family couldn’t do anything; they had no way to recover in the current situation unless they could return the Life and Death Record to the Zhang Family.

That night, someone hurriedly delivered a letter, the porter handed the letter to Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen took the letter and glanced at it. It was a letter from the Zhang Family. The content of the letter Zhang Chen understood as the Zhang Family’s summons, saying the Zhang Family had arrived at the autumn of life and death, summoning all Zhang Family disciples to fight for the Zhang Family. Zhang Chen, being a descendant of the Zhang Family with its blood running through his veins, was naturally summoned.

"Big Brother, the family is summoning us to fight for the Zhang Family. Shall we go back?" Zhang Tuowei came forward to ask.

"No way! Focus on cultivating, the storm brewing in the Zhang Family won’t affect us here." Zhang Chen tapped Zhang Tuowei’s head with the letter.

He’s still hoping for the Gong Family to attack the Zhang Family, giving him a chance to seize the Human Reincarnation, so how could he assist the Zhang Family in dealing with the Gong Family?

Moreover, during Zhang Shenqi’s tenure as patriarch, such a big oversight occurred. If they fail in the struggle with the Gong Family and place the Zhang Clan in a disadvantageous position, it will certainly provoke dissatisfaction among the Zhang Family clan. When that happens, if he takes advantage of the situation and brings out Yellow Spring Water, deposing Zhang Shenqi is just a matter of a finger snap.

Furthermore, if he responds to the summons now, Zhang Shenqi will definitely use him as cannon fodder, using the Gong Family’s power to kill him, thus eliminating all potential threats. Hence, Zhang Chen must remain cautious.

Inside the Zhang Clan’s ancestral shrine, countless shadows gathered, torches illuminated the entire night sky.

Zhang Shenqi stood in front of the ancestral temple, his eyes gloomy as water, the light in them flowing with a trace of killing intent.

"Gentlemen, fathers, brothers, you might have already heard the news. My Zhang Clan, with a lineage of countless years, is facing unprecedented catastrophe. My Zhang Family is on the verge of annihilation!" Zhang Shenqi called out in a sinister tone.