By the time Zhou Ping rushed home, the officials had already departed. Instead, he found two unexpected figures waiting for him.
“Uncle Sun, Uncle Wang, what brings you here?”
The visitors were none other than the patriarchs of Baixi Village’s two great households: the Wang and Sun families.
The Wang Patriarch was a portly elder, while the Sun Patriarch possessed a kindly, grandfatherly appearance. Because both families had members serving as officials in the county town and relied upon each other for support, their relationship was the closest among the four major families.
Zhou Hong sat quietly in the main hall. He exchanged a glance with Zhou Ping, silently indicating he had no idea why these two had come.
As for Zhou Minghu, he had slipped away to the back courtyard the moment they stepped through the door. He was the Zhou family’s second Immortal Master and the future pillar of their clan; his existence absolutely could not be exposed to outsiders.
“We came today to inform you of a certain matter, and to hear your family’s plans,” the Wang Patriarch said, his expression solemn.
“May I ask what matter Uncle Wang wishes to discuss?” Zhou Ping replied, thoroughly puzzled. What could possibly compel both patriarchs to arrive together with such grave expressions?
“The Liu clan might have an Immortal Master!”
The moment these words fell, the Zhou brothers’ pupils shrank, their faces paling in shock.
“How could the Liu clan possibly have an Immortal Master?” Zhou Hong cried out, staring at the two men in disbelief.
In truth, his mind was spinning rapidly. The Liu clan had a cultivator? How did these two families find out?
Furthermore, their arrival today was likely an attempt to drag the Zhou family into opposing the Liu clan. Now that the secret had been shared, the Zhou family would be implicated whether they participated or not.
Worse still, if the Liu clan found out about the plot, the Wang and Sun families could easily shift the blame onto Zhou Ping’s shoulders.
This was forcing him onto a pirate ship! Zhou Ping could not help but curse inwardly in frustration.
He never should have listened to these two. His family only needed to develop in peace. In a dozen years, once Minghu achieved some success in his cultivation, he would naturally be able to suppress all petty troublemakers. There was absolutely no need for such risky ventures.
But since the Wang and Sun patriarchs had already brought the matter to his doorstep, there was only one choice left: to join them.
As for warning the Liu clan, that was even more impossible. Setting aside whether the Liu clan would even believe him, simply sitting back and watching them grow in power was not a viable path.
After all, cultivation in the Spirit Awakening Realm progressed extremely fast. Even with the poorest talent, cultivating for a decade would allow one to reach Zhou Ping’s current realm. If their talent was decent, they could catch up in just a year or two.
Minghu’s talent was not particularly good. For him to truly become a powerhouse would require a great deal of time. Meanwhile, there was no way of knowing the aptitude of the Liu clan’s hidden Immortal Master.
However, the fact that the Liu clan could confirm someone possessed cultivation talent in just a few short months-despite lacking testing methods and knowing nothing of cultivation-meant that person’s talent had to be excellent. Otherwise, they never would have sensed Spiritual Qi so quickly.
Zhou Ping stared deeply into the Wang Patriarch’s eyes and asked slowly, “Uncle Wang, how exactly did you uncover this?”
The Wang Patriarch merely offered a calm smile. “Your family rose to prominence late, so you haven’t experienced the treacherous depths of such worldly squabbles.”
“You will understand in the future. When a clan grows large and its members numerous, rotten elements and parasites will naturally emerge. Although Liu Quan is shrewd, he cannot guard against the loose tongues and hidden hearts of his own people.”
Zhou Ping said nothing, but he understood the implication perfectly. Someone in the Liu clan with a loose mouth must have let slip a few revealing words.
He secretly guessed that Liu Xiu must have acquired a cultivation technique from his time in the army, or perhaps Liu Ming had found a connection in the prefectural city. Because the Liu clan possessed no means to test for aptitude, they could only force a group of people to try and sense Spiritual Qi to see if anyone had the talent for it.
But with such matters, the more people who knew, the greater the risk of exposure.
And the village was only so big. A single, vague complaint muttered in passing was all it took to catch the attention of a watchful ear.
The Sun Patriarch stepped forward. “Look at the Liu clan, acting secretive all day. Their grand manor is heavily guarded in the shadows. There must be some great secret hidden within. Does your Zhou family truly have no plans regarding this?”
Zhou Ping remained silent in thought, observing the two old foxes before him. They had sought him out today to wipe out the Liu clan and seize the cultivation technique. Because his Zhou family was currently weak, they would pose no immediate threat to the other two families. Visit novelping dot com for the full chapter.
“Uncle Wang, Uncle Sun, what are your thoughts?” Zhou Ping said after a moment’s deliberation. “If the Liu clan truly has an Immortal Master, what do you intend to do?”
The Sun and Wang Patriarchs exchanged a look. Then, turning their gazes back to the Zhou brothers, they coldly uttered a single word.
“Kill!”
Even though he had already guessed their intentions, Zhou Ping’s heart still gave a violent throb.
The only reason the other families had allowed the Zhou family to rise was because Zhou Ping had already achieved some success in his cultivation, and they were unwilling to sacrifice dozens of their own men to surround and kill him. Furthermore, the Zhou family’s population was extremely sparse.
In the eyes of those patriarchs, once Zhou Ping died of old age, the Zhou family still wouldn’t have many members. Under their combined suppression, the family would inevitably fall into ruin anyway.
As for the possibility of the Zhou family producing a second Immortal Master, the chances were infinitesimally small. After all, there were countless descendants of Immortal Masters in the county town, yet hardly any of them ever possessed the Immortal destiny required for cultivation.
But the Liu clan was different. They were already a massive, flourishing household with a large population. If they produced an Immortal Master on top of that, the skies over Baixi Village would completely change color.
Therefore, the best solution was to kill the Liu clan’s Immortal Master before they had the chance to fully mature!
After all, a dead genius was no longer an Immortal Master.
Zhou Ping’s lips parted, his gaze dark. “How exactly do we kill them? Do we only kill the Immortal Master? Or the entire Liu clan?”
“Perhaps… we should just force the Immortal Master to his death,” the Wang Patriarch said, a trace of reluctance in his heart.
No matter how much he exploited the local villagers, he was still a son of a farming family at his core. He had even been well-acquainted with Liu Quan during their childhood. How could he bring himself to slaughter dozens of people bearing the Liu surname?
“Then let us forget the whole matter,” Zhou Ping said immediately. He had never wanted to make a move in the first place, and took the opportunity to sit back down. If they abandoned the plan now, it would be for the best.
The Sun Patriarch snapped, “Old Wang, this is no time for the benevolence of women! If we strike, we must kill them all. Otherwise, we don’t strike at all. If we merely force one man to his death, do you want our families to never know a day of peace again?”
He understood clearly that forcing the Liu clan’s Immortal Master to die would forge an irreconcilable blood feud that would not fade for a hundred generations. Only by pulling out the roots and wiping them out completely could they ensure the safety of their descendants. Moreover, their primary goal was the cultivation technique. Did they really think the Liu clan would just hand it over after they forced their Immortal Master to commit suicide?
“I also have clansmen serving in the army, and I have inquired carefully,” the Sun Patriarch lowered his voice. “Aside from Liu Xiu, every other member of the Liu clan who joined the military died long ago.”
“The so-called rumor of Liu Wu being highly valued by his commanding officers is nothing but a bluff fabricated by the Liu clan to frighten us.”
Zhou Ping’s heart instantly plummeted to the bottom of his chest. He realized there was no avoiding this matter, yet he remained unwilling. “Is what Uncle Sun says true?”
The Sun Patriarch’s expression grew fearsome, his voice harsh. “If a single word I spoke is false, may the Sun clan’s bloodline be severed forever!”
Zhou Ping stared dead at the Sun Patriarch. After a long silence, he finally turned his head to look at the Wang Patriarch.
“Uncle Wang, what do you think?”
The portly elder’s face displayed a bitter struggle, which was swiftly overtaken by a surge of sheer ruthlessness. “Exterminate them. Not a single one can be spared!”
Zhou Ping let out a faint sigh. With a subtle thought, he channeled a wisp of Spiritual Qi, dragging three heavy wooden chairs toward the center of the room. “Uncle Sun, Uncle Wang. Please, sit down so we may discuss this matter thoroughly.”
This minor technique was the most unrefined form of the Artifact Control Art. He deliberately displayed it now solely to intimidate the two men.
Naturally, the Sun and Wang Patriarchs were thoroughly cowed by Zhou Ping’s immortal technique. The display only deepened their resolve to slaughter the Liu clan, while simultaneously heightening their wariness toward the Zhou family.
The three men sat huddled together, discussing their countermeasures in low voices. Meanwhile, Zhou Hong sat quietly in the distance, his thoughts running much deeper.
Today, the Sun and Wang families were forcing the Zhou family to join hands in wiping out the Liu clan. Tomorrow, would those same two families join hands to annihilate the Zhou clan?
Furthermore, how could he be certain that this entire endeavor wasn’t a hidden trap laid for his own family? They could easily be plotting to kill his brother and seize their ancestral foundation.
The more Zhou Hong thought, the more irritable he became. He turned around, intending to order a servant to bring tea, only to remember that he had dismissed all the servants to the back courtyard the moment the visitors arrived.
In order to completely exterminate the Liu clan, they set the date of action for six days later, right in the midst of the spring plowing. At that time, no matter how cautious the Liu clan was, their members would still have to work the fields. By nightfall, they would be utterly exhausted, their vigilance completely shattered.
When the time came, the Wang and Sun families would each dispatch twelve robust men, while the Zhou family would send Zhou Ping alone. Once the hour of Zi passed midnight, they would slaughter the Liu clan under the cover of darkness!
Only after the Sun and Wang Patriarchs departed did Zhou Hong approach, his face lined with worry. “Brother, could this be a trap set by those families for us?”
Zhou Ping sighed softly. “It is entirely possible, but we cannot avoid it.”
How could he not realize this might be a snare? But the situation forced his hand. From the moment the two patriarchs opened their mouths, escape became impossible.
Since the two families were determined to deal with the Liu clan, maintaining a neutral stance and ignoring both sides would be the height of stupidity. Conversely, warning the Liu clan and allowing them to grow stronger was equally unacceptable.
He would have to lay down some contingencies in advance, ensuring that those two families would be too fearful of the consequences to turn their blades against the Zhou family afterward.
Zhou Ping turned his head. “Where is Changhe?”
“In the back courtyard.”
Zhou Ping strode straight to the back courtyard. Finding Zhou Changhe playfully teasing Zhou Chang’an, he immediately pulled the young man aside and spoke with absolute gravity. “Changhe, go pack your bags at once. I will escort you and Minghu to the county town shortly. If you do not receive word from me, do not return.”
“Uncle, has something happened?” Zhou Changhe asked, bewildered.
Zhou Hong, who had followed closely behind, slowly explained the origins of the matter to his eldest son. Hearing this, Zhou Changhe’s brows locked together tightly, and he looked at the two men with deep sorrow.
He understood instantly. His uncle was ordering him to take Minghu to the county town to prepare for the worst. If the three families truly conspired to wipe out the Zhou family, the two of them would at least preserve the clan’s bloodline, ensuring there would be someone left to exact bloody vengeance in the future.
Zhou Ping drew one hundred taels of silver from his robes and shoved them firmly into Zhou Changhe’s hands, his voice heavy with solemn instruction. “Remember this: once you return to the county town, trust no one. Minghu possesses Immortal destiny, and you are mature and steadfast. If we meet with misfortune, take Minghu to the east and seek out the Pingyun Huang Clan, or join any cultivation family that will take you. You absolutely must survive…”
Following this, Zhou Ping turned to Zhou Hong. “Elder Brother, in two days, have Sister-in-law take Changxi to the Lin Family Village to visit her relatives. Tell her to stay there for a long time before returning.”
“Once this affair concludes, if I am fortunate enough to survive, I will not remain at home either. Only when I am away from the village will those two families be too afraid to act recklessly.”
As the ancient proverb goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows. Zhou Ping only wanted to leave a final thread of hope for his family. If not for the fact that Chang’an was too young, Zhou Dashan and his wife too old, and Chen Nianqiu heavy with child, he would have sent every last one of them away.
But he also knew that if too many people departed at once, he would only alert the snakes in the grass.
Zhou Changhe was already a scholar studying in the county town; his return there naturally wouldn’t draw suspicion. His sister-in-law returning to her maiden home to visit relatives could also be easily justified. But if any more members of the Zhou family left the village, anyone with eyes would immediately see through the ruse.
“I understand.” Zhou Hong’s heart was laden with grief. “Brother, you must remain vigilant. Preserve your strength, and do not fall for the schemes of thieves. As long as you draw breath, even if our entire family is wiped from the earth, you can still avenge us.”
Zhou Changhe swiftly packed his luggage, bowed in farewell to his mother and grandparents, and then led Zhou Minghu by the hand, following closely behind Zhou Ping. By the gate, Lady Lin and Lady Huang watched Zhou Changhe’s departure with reluctant, lingering gazes, completely oblivious to the horrific secrets hidden beneath the surface.
Only Chen Nianqiu stood with her brows locked in a deep frown, watching Zhou Minghu’s silhouette gradually vanish into the distance. Even though Zhou Ping claimed he was merely taking Minghu to the county town to broaden his horizons, her motherly intuition told her that something was terribly wrong.
Meanwhile, deep within the Sun family’s grand courtyard, the Sun Patriarch listened to his clansman’s report with a distinct sense of disappointment.
In truth, he had learned the rumor about the Liu clan possessing an Immortal Master half a month ago. The only reason he had waited until today to strike was because Zhou Changhe had only returned to the village two days prior.
Zhou Changhe’s return meant that all ten members of the Zhou family, along with their three maids and four servants, were finally gathered in one place.
His original plan was simple: after butchering the Liu clan, the two allied families could smoothly annihilate the Zhou family in the exact same sweep. Once both rivals were eradicated, Baixi Village would belong entirely to the Sun and Wang families. With the immortal cultivation technique in hand, they could search their own bloodlines for children bearing Immortal destiny. A glorious era of absolute supremacy would be within their grasp.
But now, Zhou Ping had personally escorted Zhou Changhe and his own son away, while arranging for Lady Lin to leave with her child. This decisive action instantly caused the Sun Patriarch’s grand scheme to fall empty.
Still, it was of no great consequence.
As long as they could successfully exterminate the Liu clan and plunder their immortal cultivation technique, the outcome would still be immensely profitable. And if Zhou Ping happened to meet with an ‘unfortunate accident’ on the night of the massacre, then it would be absolutely perfect.
The Sun Patriarch’s gaze turned dark and profound as he stared out toward the distant expanse of the heavens.