Chapter 21: Fallen Family
Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Fallen Family
In a cliffside cave, five li northwest of Cyan Rattan Stream, Lu Zhao sat cross-legged in a corner.
The entrance was concealed by a tree so thick it would take two people to encircle its trunk, making the cave exceptionally hidden.
He formed a series of hand seals. Strands of blue Spirit Light flowed from his palms, slowly seeping into his body and repairing his damaged meridians.
He was using the Water Nurturing Technique from the Little Spirit Rain Technique to heal his wounds.
More than two hours later, the bleeding finally stopped. Color returned to his face, and his weakened aura stabilized.
He slowly opened his eyes, which still held the ferocious light from the life-and-death battle he had just fought.
It was the most dangerous battle he had experienced since he started on the path of Cultivation.
A single moment of hesitation would have meant he was the one lying on the ground right now.
’The Small Thunder Shock Talisman... Truly terrifying.’
Using it at close range had grievously wounded his opponent, leaving them near death, but he had also suffered significant collateral damage.
If he hadn’t held on with his last ounce of strength, he would have passed out. Fortunately, the young cultivator was inexperienced; otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.
For now, he was out of immediate danger, but he hated the feeling of being a target.
He had not only played his trump card but also used four Tier One High-Grade Talismans. If he couldn’t recover his costs from the enemy’s Storage Bag, he would suffer a major loss.
He gently took out a badly damaged Storage Bag. (After a Cultivator dies, their Spiritual Soul Mark dissipates, allowing anyone to open their Storage Bag.)
Inside, besides some Healing Pills and Antitoxic Pills, were a few ordinary Talismans.
Finally, there was a Tier One Middle-Grade Bell-shaped Defense Spiritual Artifact, along with twenty-some Spirit Stones.
Aside from that, there were a few miscellaneous items Lu Zhao didn’t recognize.
He sighed.
’This doesn’t seem like the kind of wealth a Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer cultivator should possess.’
Lu Zhao guessed the man had probably sent most of his resources back to his family or hidden them somewhere else.
Though somewhat disappointed, with three Tier One Middle-Grade Spiritual Artifacts and one damaged Tier One High-Grade Spiritual Artifact, he hadn’t come out at a loss.
Unfortunately, none of them were Water Attribute artifacts.
He casually picked up the other Storage Bag. It was pale purple, with cloud patterns embroidered on its surface.
"This looks like something that belongs to a female cultivator," Lu Zhao muttered.
But when his Divine Sense probed inside it, he froze.
Neatly arranged inside were two hundred Spirit Stones and a few vials of Pills.
He opened one and found nine crimson pills inside. He identified them as Tier One Middle-Grade Fire Attribute Pills.
He recognized the contents of the other vials: Spirit Recovery Pills and Rejuvenation Pills, both common types of Supporting Pills.
Beyond that, there was a jade box.
He opened it to find a pale blue talisman inside.
Before he could examine it closely, an information panel automatically appeared:
"Quasi-Tier Two Ice Dragon Talisman!"
Lu Zhao drew in a sharp breath.
’If that young man had been more experienced and prepared this talisman beforehand, I would be the one dead right now.’
This kind of Quasi-Tier Two Talisman wasn’t as valuable as a true Tier Two Talisman, but it could still sell for fifty Spirit Stones in the Marketplace. More importantly, it was an item with a price but often no seller; getting one depended entirely on luck.
Finally, a Gilded Copper Token fell into his hand. Two words were emblazoned on it:
"Zheng Ping."
Seeing those two words, Lu Zhao’s pupils contracted sharply!
’The Northern Plains Zheng Family... When did I ever offend them?’
No, wait. Lu Zhao suddenly remembered something. He vaguely recalled his own clan’s territory wasn’t far from the Zheng Family’s.
"Looks like I’ll have to return to the Northern Plains after I reach Foundation Establishment," he murmured to himself.
Lu Zhao had no doubt whatsoever about his ability to reach Foundation Establishment. ’I have a huge opportunity like the Puppet Bead in my hands. If I can’t even manage to reach Foundation Establishment with this, I might as well just bash my head against a wall and die.’
「Three days later.」
Lu Zhao returned to Cyan Rattan Stream. Acting as if nothing was wrong, he greeted the guard on duty and went back to his stone chamber.
Once inside his stone chamber, Lu Zhao dropped his facade. He released two Puppet Guards and activated his Avoidance Array. Only then did he allow himself to relax, and exhaustion quickly pulled him into a deep sleep. He was utterly spent.
He slept for a full day and night. When he awoke, his fatigue was completely gone. If not for the lingering ache of his injuries, he might have believed none of it had ever happened.
Lu Zhao sat cross-legged in his chamber, mulling something over. ’Should I report this to the Zhou Family?’
The Zhou Family’s reputation was fairly good, and they treated their Honored Guest Elders generously. But no one who survived in the Cultivation Realm was a true gentleman.
He had killed two people from the Zheng Family. Even if they had attacked first, the Zheng Family was a Foundation Establishment Clan, and the Zhou Family might not be willing to shelter him.
But staying silent wasn’t an option either. The Zheng Family had suffered a significant loss; they would never let this go. If they sent another cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, he wasn’t sure he could fend them off.
After careful consideration, he decided to lay his cards on the table with Shopkeeper Zhou. For the time being, he really didn’t want to leave the Zhou Family Marketplace.
Besides, Lu Zhao figured the Zhou Family must be much stronger than the Zheng Family. The Northern Plains had three Foundation Establishment Clans, while Changfeng County only had one: the Zhou Family.
Lu Zhao planned to test the Zhou Family’s attitude. If they gave him the runaround or offered no real response, he’d have to prepare for the worst.
「Three days later.」
Lu Zhao arrived at the Nine Abyss Pavilion once again.
The old Shopkeeper was behind the counter, polishing a display piece as usual. He grinned upon seeing Lu Zhao. "Mr. Lu! It’s only been a few days, and you’re already back. You must have missed me, eh?"
"You jest, Shopkeeper. I wouldn’t dare disturb you if it weren’t for something important," Lu Zhao replied with a slight smile, his tone respectful but not obsequious.
"This isn’t the place to talk. Do you have a Quiet Chamber we could use, Shopkeeper?"
Seeing Lu Zhao’s solemn expression, the Shopkeeper’s smile vanished. He nodded and led him to a Quiet Chamber on the second floor.
"Speak. What is it?" he said, taking a sip from a cup of Spirit Tea.
Lu Zhao took a deep breath and recounted his encounter at Qixia Slope a few days ago, producing Zheng Ping’s Token as proof.
"Though I am only a Zhou Family’s Guest Minister Elder, I’d like to think that makes me half a member of the family. I was wondering if the Zhou Family might be willing to mediate on my behalf."
The Shopkeeper replied instinctively, "That’s not something I can handle. If you’re looking for someone to settle this, sir, you should go to the Law Enforcement Team."
The moment the words were out, he realized something was amiss.
’This is a test! The kid is sharp. I, who’ve spent my life hunting geese, have just been pecked in the eye by one.’
’This kid is very useful. I need to tell him a few things, or we won’t be able to keep him,’ the Shopkeeper thought.
"Don’t you worry, kid. The Zheng Family’s days are numbered. They have absolutely no resources to spare to come all the way to Changfeng County looking for you."
"And don’t you worry. Even at their peak, the insignificant Zheng Family was nothing to our Zhou Family, to say nothing of their current state."
Fifteen minutes later, Lu Zhao proposed changing his deliveries to once every three months. The Shopkeeper hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
After Lu Zhao had departed, the Shopkeeper stood by the second-floor window. He appeared to be admiring the view of the Marketplace below, but his mind was elsewhere.
Half a month ago, he had received a piece of intelligence: Zheng Yun, a direct descendant of the Northern Plains Zheng Family, had died on the spot after failing to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm.
The other two major powers in Northern Plains County were stirring, and morale within the Zheng Family was dangerously low.
’That Zheng Yun had some nerve, trying to force a breakthrough without a Foundation Establishment Pill. Truly fearless of death.’
But considering the Zheng Family’s predicament, he could understand the desperation.
The Zheng Family Ancestor had thirty years of Lifespan left, at most. If no one else in the clan reached Foundation Establishment, their destruction wouldn’t be far behind.
’If the family were in a position to expand right now, this would be a perfect excuse to get a foothold in Northern Plains County.’
’Damn that Chu Family.’
The Shopkeeper’s face suddenly darkened, as if he had remembered something unpleasant.