Chapter 86: Blood Sect

You can't even handle this small matter! I really don't know why the clan head back then took in you people from the Wang Clan!

A splendidly dressed middle-aged beauty stood at the side door, practically pointing at her nose as she angrily berated a female cultivator in a yellow long robe before her. Though the woman was originally decent-looking, her imperious demeanor and the vulgar words spewing from her mouth made her seem less like a cultivator and more like a market woman cursing loudly.

The female cultivator being scolded merely kept her head down, bit her lip, clenched her jade hand, and dared not retort in the slightest.

Hmph! You're just a pretty face. If I were you, I'd sensibly agree to the Eighth Young Master early on and obediently become an honest, proper concubine.

The woman continued to flaunt her 'authority' relentlessly.

After a while, seeing that the female cultivator had no intention of talking back and finding it boring, she spat and said:

Tonight I forbid you from returning to the manor; otherwise, humph humph!

Having said that, she finally satisfiedly walked through the side door.

The female cultivator merely glanced at the Zou Clan's side door for a moment, then turned and left.

However, not long after she left, she coincidentally encountered Yunhe, who had witnessed the whole process.

The female cultivator with her head lowered only then noticed that a Foundation Establishment cultivator stood before her, and she respectfully saluted, saying:

Greetings, Senior.

Having said that, she turned sideways to make way.

However, what puzzled her was that the Foundation Establishment senior opposite seemed to stand still, not understanding her intention.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she prepared to salute again and leave, but a voice somewhat familiar to her interrupted her action.

Fellow Daoist Wang, long time no see.

Wang Jinglan raised her head in puzzlement.

She looked toward the person speaking.

Upon seeing Yunhe's face, Wang Jinglan finally recalled from a corner of her memory the beekeeper who had once been brought by her to search for the traces of the spirit bee queen.

Her face was full of disbelief.

Because she could clearly sense that this person before her was a genuine Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator!

Yet she could not possibly associate this Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator with the lowly beekeeper of before.

Only when Yunhe spoke again did she finally accept this fact.

I never expected to meet Fellow Daoist Wang here; I have been presumptuous.

Senior Yunhe, it is not appropriate to call you 'Daoist Fellow'; Wang Jinglan pays respects to Senior.

While speaking, Wang Jinglan clasped her hands in salute, but her expression and inner feelings were extraordinarily complex.

Regardless, the reversal of their identities and cultivation bases is an established fact that she cannot but accept.

Yunhe smiled and did not dwell further on the form of address.

Old friends meeting should share a drink; I wonder what Fellow Daoist Wang thinks?

Hearing this, Wang Jinglan pursed her lips, hesitated slightly, then nodded and said:

Senior's invitation, Jinglan dare not refuse.

'The words carry a hidden barb.'

However, Yunhe didn't mind.

What he cared more about was why Wang Jinglan would appear here.

And what exactly happened at the River Stream Market back then.

The Wang Clan records found in the Qingzong Sect merely contained a simple description of the River Stream Market's destruction and the Wang Clan's downfall.

A teahouse in Zou City.

I see.

After hearing Wang Jinglan's brief account, Yunhe came to know some of the circumstances.

It turned out that the Wang Clan and the Zou Clan were intermarrying cultivation families across generations; Wang Jinglan's mother was from the Zou Clan, and the Wang Clan also had many women who married into the Zou Clan.

After all, being able to control a market under the Qingzong Sect's administration by clan strength alone already counts as a family of modest strength.

Although it cannot compare to the Zou Clan, which possesses Golden Core cultivators, how many families can actually have Golden Core cultivators?

Thus the marriage alliance between the Wang and Zou Clans is understandable.

In fact, besides the Wang Clan, many other cultivation clans have also formed marriage ties with the Zou Clan.

This is one of the survival strategies of cultivation families in the cultivation world.

Mutual marriage alliances not only increase mutual connections, thereby strengthening the family's influence.

At the same time, cultivators with spiritual roots marrying each other also increase the probability of offspring possessing spiritual roots, which is one way for cultivation families to continue.

Moreover, most importantly.

If a family were truly to be wiped out, like the Wang Clan, at least some bloodline would remain, possibly allowing a future resurgence.

As for the specifics of what happened to the River Stream Market and that day's events.

Wang Jinglan also couldn't explain the details; from her perspective, the Wang Clan simply ceased to exist.

Only a small portion of them survived because, when the River Stream Market riot broke out, they were not at the epicenter.

Now they live as dependents in the Zou Clan, relying on others, and their days are far worse than before.

Furthermore, due to the Wang Clan's downfall, some women who had married into the Zou Clan and lived decently now find their lives worsened.

Most importantly, these women have taken the Zou Clan's side, rejecting Wang Jinglan and these surviving Wang Clan members, believing that their arrival has affected their own lives.

The woman who earlier berated Wang Jinglan is one of them.

All that can be said is that this period's experiences have let Wang Jinglan witness the myriad facets of life.

After hearing this, Yunhe couldn't help but furrow his brow.

'Why does it always involve the Wang Clan?'

Before it was Wang Village; this time it's the Zou Clan, which is allied by marriage with the Wang Clan.

"I always have a feeling that something is a bit off."

"Although he also cared about the Wang Clan's affairs, he merely cared about them and did not want to get himself involved."

"But why can't I shake off this feeling?"

"You can't just run off ignoring the sect's arrangements, can you?"

"Seeing Yunhe lost in thought, Wang Jinglan sitting across from him opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to start."

"She had thought her cultivation speed at the ninth layer of Qi Refining was already fast enough, but she never expected that Yunhe, whose cultivation base had been lower than hers initially, had actually achieved Foundation Establishment."

"Moreover, it seemed he had also joined the Qingzong Sect."

"Just as Wang Jinglan hesitated, Yunhe across from her suddenly stood up."

"Under her somewhat bewildered gaze, he placed a storage bag on the table and said with a smile:"

"\"When we were at the Hejian Market, thank you, Fellow Daoist Wang, for your care; this time I also thank you for clearing up my doubts. \""

"Then, under Wang Jinglan's puzzled gaze, he slowly left the teahouse."

"To be honest."

"Wang Jinglan still had some confidence in her appearance."

"She had encountered many cultivators before, and even after the Wang Clan's downfall, her suitors were countless."

"Even when she first recognized Yunhe and heard him invite her for a drink, the thought arose in her mind: 'Could this guy also be pursuing me?'"

"But because of Yunhe's cultivation base and the fact that they truly knew each other, she did not refuse."

"But she never expected that Yunhe's 'having a drink' actually meant drinking tea."

"That was fine."

"After learning what she wanted to know, he didn't even linger for a moment, leaving a storage bag behind and walking away."

"This left Wang Jinglan, who had once considered gritting her teeth to accept Yunhe's pursuit, hoping to become his Dao companion and use his Foundation Establishment cultivator status to rebuild the Wang Clan, stunned."

"After a while, she slowly came to her senses."

"Looking at the storage bag on the table, she gave a self-mocking chuckle."

"She was completely being sentimental over nothing."

"But she quickly recovered."

"\"Reviving the Wang Clan, or else relying only on myself—otherwise, will the future family even be able to bear the Wang name? \""

"At the Hejian Market, Wang Jinglan had also helped Yunhe, for example with the Azure Scale Sword and the talisman."

"But that was all."

"Upon seeing Wang Jinglan, he stopped her merely because he was puzzled as to why she would be here."

"If he truly had feelings for her, he would have appeared when that 'shrew' burst out shouting."

"Yunhe does not oppose or reject male-female relations; when he first came to this world, he had also visited the Crimson Tassel Pavilion in the Hejian Market."

"But to say that seeing a beautiful woman would make him unable to walk, or even drag himself into trouble, he is not that irrational."

"The items in the storage bag he left behind were also enough to repay the previous favor and this consultation fee."

"Thus, they are even."

"Yunhe, who always felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint why, began wandering around Zou City."

"Most of Zou City consists of ordinary people."

"Among these ordinary people, the vast majority bear the Zou surname."

"They are members or descendants of the Zou family who lack spiritual roots."

"Of course, there are also many cultivators with other surnames."

"According to the Zou family's rules, in Zou City, as long as ordinary people do not deliberately provoke or disrespect cultivators, even cultivators may not arbitrarily dispose of ordinary people."

"Yet, as Yunhe traveled, what he saw most was cultivators' contempt for ordinary people, even open and covert oppression and bullying."

"\"Fellow Daoist Yunhe of the Qingzong Sect, how about coming up for a gathering? \""

"As he walked, he suddenly heard a voice coming from above a tavern."

"Following the sound, he discovered that the speaker was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and moreover at the mid-stage."

"The person was wearing earth-yellow clothing."

"\"It turns out to be a senior brother from the Hou Tu Sect. \" Yunhe smiled and returned the salute."

"At the same time, he saw many heads moving inside the tavern; without rashly scanning with his divine sense, he estimated they were disciples from various sects."

"After a brief pondering, Yunhe accepted the invitation and went to the top floor of the tavern."

"There were indeed many people, most wearing sect attire, including not only the Hou Tu Sect that Yunhe had previously recognized, but also cultivators from the Spirit Beast Sect, Return to Origin Sect, Seizing Sea Sect, and other sects."

"Aside from the Spirit Beast Sect and Return to Origin Sect cultivators, who clearly did not get along, the others at least appeared harmonious on the surface."

"Besides that."

"There were also some clan cultivators and even Foundation Establishment rogue cultivators."

"He guessed they were not there to celebrate a birthday, but to participate in the 'Treasure Exchange Convention'."

"But this group obviously seemed out of place among the sect cultivators."

"\"I am Yunhe of the Qingzong Sect; I have met all of you, senior brothers and fellow Daoists. \""

"Most of the cultivators present were at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, with even one or two at the late stage, making Yunhe not only marvel at the sect's strength."

"\"It turns out to be Junior Brother Yun; no need for formalities, please take a seat. \""

"The Hou Tu Sect cultivator who had earlier called out to him also had mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, his long sleeves fluttering as he smiled and led Yunhe into the group of sect cultivators."

"After Yunhe simply acquainted himself with these cultivators, he said no more."

"He merely sat silently to the side, drinking while listening to their lofty discussions."

"He did, however, obtain some useful or useless information."

With so many sect cultivators here, surely nothing serious could happen? Never mind whether it can be done, this would at least offend several sects that have Golden Core cultivators.

Thinking of this, Yunhe felt much more at ease.

At the same time.

In the forest about fifty to sixty li outside Zou City.

Hehe, Fellow Daoist, you have great ambition, actually choosing to start with the Zou family.

A slightly mocking and teasing, ear-piercing, teeth-grating sound echoed in the forest.

Yet only the sound was heard, no one was seen.

Hmph!

Another voice came from a towering ancient tree.

Then a white-haired old man slowly walked out from the tree.

His gloomy eyes glanced at the corner of the forest, as if locking onto the source of another sound.

He said coldly:

If it weren't for your people's incompetence, why would I have come to the Zou family?

That's not how to put it; even if my people didn't fail, would you not come to the Zou family, Fellow Daoist? Hehehe—some of the people in the Zou family are a great tonic for you, Fellow Daoist, and you've been eyeing that magic treasure of the Zou family for more than a day or two, right?

Upon realizing his whereabouts had been discovered, this person did not bother to hide.

Leaning on a cane, the hunched middle-aged cultivator drifted out step by step from the dense forest.

Indeed, he was drifting.

The old man looked warily at the hunched middle-aged cultivator, offered no further explanation, and simply turned his head toward the direction of the Zou family.

In his eyes, a hint of blood color surfaced.

After a long while, he spoke again.

According to our agreement, you still need to help me finish this matter before I can assist you.

The old man seemed quite confident, not at all worried that the other would go back on his word.

Sure enough, the hunched middle-aged cultivator's smile stiffened for a moment, but quickly recovered; he waved his hand and said casually:

Fellow Daoist, why be so cautious? The mere Zou family is just a trifle. Moreover, as a cultivator of the Blood Sect, we value integrity the most.

His words were full of contempt for the Zou family.

Hah—

The old man let out a low laugh.

His laugh was not at the other's slighting of the Zou family, but at the so-called 'integrity'.

These cultivators.

Do they have any integrity to speak of?

(End of chapter)