Chapter 296: Provoking the Noble Families, the Clan-Suppressing Treasure

"My strength is not equal to the task, I am ashamed, truly ashamed."

Wang Jianxiong covered his mouth and coughed a few times; his originally straight back became somewhat hunched, and he looked slightly haggard.

This appearance of his was clearly that of someone who had been severely wounded in a hard-fought battle; if there was no merit, there was at least the toil of effort.

However, in reality, the situation was far from as dire as it appeared.

Not good, this old thing is putting on an act!

The other martial artists realized this and were suddenly drenched in a cold sweat; Wang Laohu was truly cunning and treacherous, deliberately putting on this "if there is no merit, there is at least the toil of effort" act so that no matter how the situation changed next, the noble families would not blame him.

With such a display, the Martial Arts Association President's position was secure! In comparison, they, these martial artists, were far inferior; the assessment of them "watching the fire from the other side of the river" was set in stone.

Xu Baigui and Qi Fengxiao did not think that much; their attention was entirely on Zhou You.

Formerly known as Mountain-Opening Hand Yan Ping, the greatest remnant of the Cloud-Touching Stronghold; after the stronghold was destroyed, he made off with all the treasures and vanished as if into thin air. When he appeared again, his hair and beard were all white, he had aged several decades, and he had even become a member of the Golden Immortal Dao.

Moyunzi, hehe, this title is truly... not forgetting one's original intentions.

The two great noble families held the same stance: today, no matter what, they could not let the other party leave.

Xu Baigui and Qi Fengxiao, one old and one young; the former was steady, while the latter had recently fallen out of favor and was eager to perform a meritorious deed to prove himself.

"Yan Ping, coming to Gongliang City as a guest, why not come to find us, the Master Lineage?"

"Hurry and disperse these bewitching things, and come to my Qi Family to drink tea!"

Qi Fengxiao's tone was somewhat urgent; he snatched the limelight from the Xu Family, who were also a noble family of this city, attempting to monopolize the credit.

To the side, Xu Baigui revealed a mocking smile and shook his head.

The old man with white hair and beard before them was Moyunzi, not the Yan Ping of yesteryear! Anyone who still regarded him as a stray dog being hunted down would be making a huge mistake and would definitely suffer for it.

Sure enough...

"Being a guest is unnecessary; what Xu Family, what Qi Family—named as the masters of this place, once disaster strikes, you are all merely passing travelers."

This statement was heart-piercing; even Xu Baigui's expression changed upon hearing it.

Qi Fengxiao shouted angrily, "What do you mean by that?"

"Junior, you are not qualified to converse with me. Get lost!"

Zhou You's gaze swept over the people of the Xu and Qi families, and then over the martial arts forces represented by Wang Jianxiong and his group.

Among the many martial artists, there was actually a trace of Bao Tiefeng; this person had also arrived at the scene.

He chuckled twice, "I know there are spies of Kunpengzi among you; it doesn't matter, pass on a message for me."

"That dog Kunpengzi is conspiring to subvert Fucheng and is secretly accumulating power, yet he pushed my Cloud-Touching Stronghold out to serve as a sacrificial pawn. Old Dog Chen fell for the trap and sent troops, his attention entirely on me, while Kunpengzi secretly grew in strength."

"Su Cheng has already been destroyed, Gongliang is not far off; the next one will be Fucheng."

"You high and mighty noble families, stop putting on airs; sitting in the hall today, stray dogs tomorrow."

Zhou You spoke these words in a slow and measured manner, yet the meaning was extremely devious and malicious, making Qi Fengxiao burn with rage.

"You, a thief, dare to impersonate an expert just by putting on a robe?"

"Let me let you die with clarity: the Strong Martial Remains that Chen Lie used when he breached the stronghold were borrowed from the Fucheng noble families."

"Do you think my Gongliang noble family has no similar means?"

In his anger, Qi Fengxiao blurted out a shocking secret.

The remains of a Strong Martial Golden Body? Wang Jianxiong's eyelids twitched twice, and the reactions of the other martial artists were also varied.

"So what? Your family has one, did you bring it?" Zhou You chuckled and spread his hands, "Save your strength; keep it to save your lives when Kunpengzi's army arrives in the future."

Xu Baigui wanted to persuade him a few more times, but after seeing Qi Fengxiao's expression, his heart sank; this is bad, the second young master of the Qi family is still too young, he cannot withstand a provocation and has fallen for the trap.

Qi Fengxiao glared at Zhou You as if looking at his father's murderer, unable to contain his rage.

"Yan Ping, this is what you brought upon yourself. I invited you to be a guest and you refused; you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Become a prisoner!"

He gave a direct order, "Qi Family disciples, I, Qi Fengxiao, request the Clan-Suppressing Treasure."

Seeing that things had blown up, Xu Baigui did not know if it was out of good-willed advice or if he was deliberately fanning the flames, "Nephew of the Qi family, do not be impulsive; rashly invoking the Clan-Suppressing Treasure involves too many procedures afterward."

It would have been better if he hadn't persuaded him; this persuasion only made Qi Fengxiao more determined to act.

Invoking the Clan-Suppressing Treasure carried great risk, but as long as he could capture Yan Ping, the value of the Golden Immortal Dao secrets he possessed was immeasurable—it could be called a monumental achievement.

With this merit, he could trample the ambitious Qi Fengzhang under his feet.

Things had become serious! The martial artists' expressions changed drastically; the noble families' Clan-Suppressing Treasures were all immensely powerful and had far-reaching consequences; they could not be invoked lightly.

What is a heavy weapon? It is not just about great power, but also about great significance; once invoked, it is bound to trigger a chain reaction.

The Clan-Suppressing Treasure of every family branch was registered and controlled by the Master Lineage of the noble family.

If one were moved here in Gongliang City, the Master Lineage, thousands of miles away, would inevitably come to investigate the reason afterward.

If there were no reasonable explanation and effective results, the Qi Clan Head would have to return to the Master Lineage's Ancestral Hall to kneel and plead guilty, accepting punishment himself! Xu Baigui was cunning and treacherous; watching Qi Fengxiao act impulsively, he also intended to let him test the trump cards of Moyunzi Yan Ping.

The second young master of the Qi family had staked his entire future on this move.

"."

At the Qi family residence, the Qi Clan Head remained silent; Qi Fengzhang, standing to the side, noticed his sleeves trembling slightly.

Knowing full well that Qi Fengxiao was taking a risk, it was already too late to stop him.

The Clan-Suppressing Treasure concerned the dignity of the noble family; invoking it rashly was indeed inappropriate, but if he were to shrink back in the face of battle, it would cause even more serious consequences. He could only bite the bullet and proceed.

Riding a tiger and unable to get off; this situation was hard to describe.

"Fengzhang, go and check on your second brother."

The Qi Clan Head's tone was somewhat weak, "Once the Clan-Suppressing Treasure is brought out, whether it succeeds or not, our family is in trouble."

The Qi family of Gongliang City possessed two Clan-Suppressing Treasures; the one Qi Fengxiao had requested was one of them.

The Clan-Suppressing Treasure was usually worshipped alongside the ancestral tablets and received incense and kowtows; its importance was evident.

Under normal circumstances, unless the family was facing the crisis of annihilation, these two treasures could not be invoked lightly.

Qi Fengxiao had caused a monumental disaster today; even he, as the Clan Head, could not cover for it.

When it comes down to it, the clan-protecting treasure is of great importance; they only have the right of custody, and even the right to use it is restricted.

The only hope is that Qi Fengxiao can capture Yan Ping alive, and the intelligence tortured out of him will be precious enough to atone for their crimes.

"Golden Immortal Dao, Kunpengzi, the conspiracy to destroy the city—could this involve the distant reaches of Beijing?"

Before Qi Fengzhang left, he heard the Clan Head muttering to himself and could not help but shiver.

He looked up in the direction where the situation was unfolding; the thick ink-black color in the night sky churned like flames, as if Gongliang City were burning in silence, and a sense of foreboding shrouded his heart.

What will become of Gongliang City? What will become of their Qi Family? The clan-protecting treasure has already been brought out; the torrent of a chaotic era has arrived without anyone noticing, descending cruelly upon the heads of their noble families without distinguishing between the lowly and the noble.

(End of this chapter)