Chapter 81: Hidden Currents Stir

After the Master of Xin Ying Men met with the Blind Elder, the Elder Council was quickly convened.

“I visited the director of the Yan Feng Guild with gifts, and everything went smoothly,” said Master Feng Yuqi of Xin Ying Men, smiling broadly. “The Yan Feng Guild acts as always—so long as they aren’t provoked, they won’t interfere in wars.”

This was expected; the headquarters’ rule forbids interference in the disputes of different nations, and branch directors dare not defy it.

If the Yan Feng Guild were to intervene, it must have sufficient justification—and only the headquarters can authorize it.

“What was the outcome of the Heart Eye Elder’s visit to Luo He Shenjun?” asked one elder. This was their true concern. “Did he agree not to interfere?”

“He refused.” said the Blind Elder.

“Refused?”

The other elders grew angry.

“We’ve shown him enough respect—yet he still prepares to strike at us?”

“Luo He is a wildcard. I suggest we eliminate him before the Nine Jiang Marquis’s army arrives.”

“Our entire sect could crush him easily, but an Eternal True God of his realm has strange, unpredictable methods and exceptional survival skills—he might slip away quietly. If he escapes… he’ll become a true enemy—and push himself straight into the Nine Jiang Marquis’s camp!”

The elders debated among themselves.

The Blind Elder nodded. “Xin Ying Men’s strength can crush any Eternal True God—but we have no guarantee of killing him.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Just watch? When war truly breaks out, his involvement will be a major problem.”

The elders were also worried—if he stabbed them in the back at a critical moment, disaster would follow.

“Luo He Shenjun claims to be a lone cultivator—anyone who hires him, he serves,” said the Blind Elder. “But he’s greedy—he demanded two hundred million cosmic sands as his fee.”

“Two hundred million cosmic sands?”

“Madness.”

“Who does he think he is?”

The elders could not accept such a price.

“He offered us such a high fee—so he must have offered the Nine Jiang Marquis an equally high one,” said the Blind Elder. “That’s why the Nine Jiang Marquis hasn’t accepted yet—if he had, Luo He would already be inside the Governor’s Mansion.”

The Master of Xin Ying Men smiled. “Rest assured, a greedy man like this won’t act unless paid properly. Even if he does fight later, the Heart Eye Elder, leading our disciples with the Heart Demon Kite, can handle him easily.”

“The Heart Demon Kite is enough to deal with him,” the Blind Elder agreed.

He admitted Luo He’s realm was slightly higher than his own, but he cultivated the Divine King-level legacy, “Six Extremes of Destruction,” and with the Zhen Men mechanical treasure, “Heart Demon Kite,” enhancing him fully, handling Luo He Shenjun would be effortless.

“Good.”

“If the Heart Eye Elder, riding the Heart Demon Kite, can hold Luo He, the Nine Jiang Marquis will have no one left to fear.” The elders remained confident.

After all, in the entire Yu Kingdom, the number of Eternal True Gods who could rival Luo He Shenjun could be counted on one hand.

“Knowing Luo He Shenjun hasn’t yet joined the Nine Jiang Marquis is good news,” said the Master of Xin Ying Men. “Let’s proceed to the next step of our plan.”

…

Above the Chaos Alpha District of Hu Yang City, a number of massive airships and super-large mechanical treasures suddenly turned toward the mansions of the Five Great Families.

“What’s happening?”

“Xin Ying Men has arrived.”

The Five Great Families had long been anxious, but their core members had already relocated to the Governor’s Mansion at once, leaving only the lower-status common clan members behind. These common members made up over ninety-nine percent of each family’s population—and relocating them was a nightmare.

Even with orders from the family leaders, execution would be sluggish.

“The mansion of the Qu Meng Clan is now under Xin Ying Men’s control,” boomed a massive voice as ten super-large mechanical treasures hovered in the sky, sweeping across the entire estate. “All living beings must leave immediately. After one hundred breaths, anyone still inside will be erased without mercy!”

“We are Wang Zu!”

“How dare you seize our Qu Meng Clan’s mansion?” some privileged clan members, accustomed to arrogance, dared to curse Xin Ying Men.

But the vast majority quickly gathered their belongings and rushed out of the mansion.

In a war between two nations, who cares about the obscure branch members of an enemy royal family?

“The Mo Li Clan, evacuate immediately.”

“The Jiang Clan’s mansion is now under Xin Ying Men’s control.”

“The Wu Clan…”

“The Mei Wu Clan…”

Xin Ying Men didn’t care how powerful their backgrounds were—they seized every mansion. Not outright slaughtering them was already restraint.

Under threat of death, the five mansions were nearly emptied within one hundred breaths—only a few foolish, stubborn individuals remained inside.

“I’m a Wang Zu descendant! How dare you kill me?” These few arrogant fools were instantly reduced to dust by invisible ripples—none survived!

The Wang Zu lineage had multiplied for countless eons—there were too many branches, many settled in remote cities. Their status was far lower than they believed.

In the Origin Continent, only core and elite members of great clans held real status.

“All five families’ members have arrived at the Governor’s Mansion,” said the Governor of Hu Yang City, looking at the other four family leaders. “The mansion must reserve space for war—we cannot accommodate so many clan members.”

“Let them stay temporarily in the mansion treasures,” said Mo Li Xiao.

“That’s the only option,” agreed the other three family leaders.

The core members could live comfortably—the common members would go to the mansion treasures. So, the vast tide of common clan members, barely inside the Governor’s Mansion, were immediately ordered into the treasures to reside temporarily. They dared not defy their leaders’ commands.

“The only mansion left unoccupied in the entire Chaos Alpha District is Luo He Shenjun’s,” said the Governor of Hu Yang City. “And just moments ago, we sensed an extremely powerful energy surge from his mansion.”

“Has Xin Ying Men recruited Luo He?” the family leaders all worried.

“Hiring Luo He is extremely expensive,” said the Governor of Hu Yang City, immediately sending a message to Luo Feng.

…

Luo Feng sat atop the mountain peak of his mansion, sipping wine calmly as he watched the storms and changes across the entire Chaos Alpha District.

The once-mighty Five Great Families had been forced to surrender their mansions; the few who dared remain had been reduced to dust.

“If your background matters, then it has value. If it doesn’t matter—what can it do?” Luo Feng thought.

Background, dignity—these are upheld only by strength.

The Yan Feng Guild, even a tiny branch, is avoided by both nations during war.

“Luo He Brother,” came a message from the Governor of Hu Yang City.

!.

“Why is the Governor suddenly in the mood to contact me?” Luo Feng replied.

“Shortly ago, your mansion emitted an extremely powerful energy surge—did Xin Ying Men come to visit you?” asked the Governor of Hu Yang City.

Luo He Shenjun’s power.

Whether he joined Xin Ying Men or the Governor’s Mansion made a huge difference—it was like gaining two Luo He Shenjuns.

“It was the Heart Eye Elder of Xin Ying Men who came to visit and sparred with me briefly,” Luo Feng replied.

“Oh? How did the sparring go?” asked the Governor of Hu Yang City, keenly interested—he knew well the Heart Eye Elder’s strength.

“He’s quite strong,” Luo Feng replied. “Stronger than Xue Yun.”

The Governor of Hu Yang City’s mind stirred—he sensed Luo Feng’s implication. “Luo He Brother, if you could kill Xue Yun, could you kill the Heart Eye Elder in a one-on-one duel?”

“I heard he can wield the Heart Demon Kite, one of Xin Ying Men’s thirteen mechanical treasures. If he uses it, I can suppress him—but I cannot kill him,” Luo Feng replied.

The Governor of Hu Yang City was secretly alarmed.

If Luo He claimed he could suppress the Heart Eye Elder wielding the Heart Demon Kite—that meant he could tie down even more of Xin Ying Men’s power!

“Xin Ying Men came to hire me too,” Luo Feng sent. “You know—I’m a lone cultivator, and resources matter most to me. But I also have deep ties with Yu Kingdom, so I quoted them two hundred million cosmic sands.”

“Luo He Brother, you’re truly straightforward—your offer to us is far lower than Xin Ying Men’s,” praised the Governor of Hu Yang City.

Even though he thought one hundred million cosmic sands was high, he still flattered.

At this moment, which side Luo He Shenjun joined would drastically shift the balance.

“I’ll report this to the Marquis—he’ll decide soon,” the Governor of Hu Yang City reassured Luo Feng.

When the message ended,

Luo Feng lifted his wine flask.

“My price seems too high—neither side accepted,” Luo Feng thought. “But this sparring should prove my worth.”

Whether the Nine Jiang Marquis or the Liu Yin Marquis ruled this Chaos Province, they must ensure the safety of the city’s people—only then would the citizens keep paying “residence fees.”

Who won or lost? Luo Feng didn’t care—unless the payment was enough.

“If I could get one hundred million cosmic sands, it might accelerate my progress toward the Chaos Realm,” Luo Feng thought. If a great clan’s heir was talented enough, the clan’s resources naturally flowed to him.

I have no such advantage—every resource must be earned by my own hands.

…

Inside a hall in Nine Jiang City,

The Nine Jiang Marquis sat alone on his throne, silver hair cascading over his shoulders, each strand stirring the void.

“Liu Yin Marquis sent Xin Ying Men to attack me—even if he truly seizes my Nine Jiang Chaos Province, he’ll have to give Xin Ying Men a share,” the Nine Jiang Marquis’s gaze turned colder. “It seems he’s determined to take my Nine Jiang Chaos Province.”

“This is my fief!”

“This is my source of cultivation!” The space around the Nine Jiang Marquis twisted violently. “You, Liu Yin Marquis, insist on seizing my fief? From all intelligence, your strength is slightly superior.”

“But real combat isn’t decided by reports.”

The Nine Jiang Marquis had been patient. The two Chaos Provinces were neighbors, and Liu Yin Marquis had always provoked first—he had endured.

But now, the enemy had sent Xin Ying Men into his major city, Hu Yang City. If he endured any longer, everything but Nine Jiang City would be lost.

“I’ve already dispatched all my elite forces to Hu Yang City—but even my elite alone cannot match Xin Ying Men,” the Nine Jiang Marquis knew this well.

At the Eternal True God level, his forces were indeed inferior to Xin Ying Men’s.

Their numbers were similar, but their quality was far worse.

After all, most Eternal True Gods in the Nine Jiang Chaos Province cultivated methods vastly inferior to Xin Ying Men’s. And Xin Ying Men still possessed many Zhen Men treasures left by their Divine King, greatly enhancing their disciples’ strength.

"The Naluohe is asking one hundred million cosmic sands? How audacious." Marquis Jiang was also pained, "First, try to invite several Eternal True Gods from the Capital. As for the Luohe, we'll see how the situation develops."

He had already prepared one hundred million cosmic sands and was inviting the strongest few Eternal True Gods from the Capital, though he didn't know how many would come.

(End of Chapter)