Chapter 55: Someone from the Chu Family
Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Someone from the Chu Family
In the Core Area of the Marketplace, after the young man—Chu Yongming—had vanished inside, Lu Zhao, standing among the Cultivators below, observed silently for another half hour.
For that half hour, the Flying Ship remained still. The Zhou Family Cultivators’ security detail appeared strict, yet it lacked its former tautness, that feeling of a coiled spring ready to unleash. A strange anticipation filled the air, like the oppressive quiet just before a storm.
Finally, a clear and authoritative order was swiftly relayed via Communication Talismans and word of mouth from Stewards of every rank, spreading throughout the temporary encampment and the Marketplace’s periphery: "All forces, attention! Stand down from combat alert. All battalions and units are to rest in place and await further instructions!"
The moment the order was given, it was as if the spine had been ripped from the entire Core Area. The deathly aura, which had been building for months until it was almost tangible, suddenly slackened. The taut bowstring was finally allowed to loosen. Many Low-Tier Cultivators even sighed in relief.
Lu Zhao, blending into the crowd, sensed the shift, and the tension coiled in his own heart began to slowly unwind.
’Is it over? Or at least on hold?’
He mused to himself, his gaze sweeping over the exhausted but visibly relieved faces of the Zhou Family Cultivators, then to the ghastly cracks that still scarred the distant Marketplace’s Grand Array.
’Looks like they can’t keep fighting,’ Lu Zhao thought, almost certain.
The reasons weren’t hard to deduce. First, this had been a protracted war of attrition. While the Zhou Family’s casualties might not have seemed catastrophic, their expenditure of resources was absolutely astronomical! Just how many resources had the Zhou Family burned through to finally breach the Zhao Family Marketplace’s Grand Array?
From what he had personally witnessed alone—the Crossbow Arrows from the Mountain-Splitting Crossbows that rained down like a tempest, the vast quantities of Spirit Stones consumed to keep the Spirit Gathering Arrays running, and the Magical Artifacts and Talismans destroyed during the siege... all of it was hemorrhaged like water. And that wasn’t even counting the logistical train and Pill consumption that took place behind the scenes.
The Zhou Family might be the Overlord of Changfeng County, with deep reserves, but after more than a year of such intense expenditure, they were likely nearing their limit. Consequently, missions for the Hundred Arts Camp had seen a visible decline, and complaints were trickling out of the Talisman Department about the dwindling opportunities to both hone their craft and earn a steady income of Spirit Stones.
The second reason was today’s sudden development. A disciple from the Chu Family named Chu Yongming appeared, followed immediately by the Flying Ship receiving a guest, and then came the order to stand down.
It all happened too quickly, too logically. Although Lu Zhao didn’t know the specifics of what transpired on the Flying Ship, the timeline made the conclusion obvious: someone from the Chu Family had arrived, and the Zhou Family’s leadership had immediately changed their strategy, abandoning the final encirclement of the Zhao Family.
The implication was self-evident: the sheer weight of the Chu Family—or perhaps a message or pressure they brought—was enough to force the Zhou Family to hit pause on this war of attrition.
’The Chu Family... so much prestige, so much clout,’ Lu Zhao thought with a hint of cold cynicism. The life-and-death battles between Cultivators, the bloody, grinding wars between families—it turned out they were nothing more than a play that could be halted at any moment by the will of a higher power.
It once again drove home the cruelest law of the Cultivation Realm: might makes right. The Zhou Family was the fist to the Zhao Family, and the Chu Family, in turn, was the fist to the Zhou Family.
「Three days later.」
Inside the temporary camp, the atmosphere was even more relaxed than before. Basic order was maintained, but the Cultivators’ expressions were noticeably lighter, and small, makeshift stalls had even appeared where people chatted in low voices and bartered for goods.
Lu Zhao was speaking with a middle-aged Cultivator dressed in the standard-issue Magic Robe of the Talisman Department. The man, Wu Qifu, was a Tier One Middle-Grade Talisman Master and, like Lu Zhao, a mid-ranking Honored Guest Elder of the Zhou Family. Since they were both considered "Hundred Arts" practitioners and were stationed in adjacent sectors of the camp, they had gotten to know each other a few months prior. They would occasionally exchange cultivation insights or trade news.
"Ah, Mr. Lu, I’m afraid things are really about to quiet down." Wu Qifu sighed, unconsciously fiddling with the edge of an unfinished sheet of talisman paper. An obvious gloom was written on his face. "Just look at the missions in the Talisman Department. The number has dropped off a cliff!"
Lu Zhao understood his anxiety. Talisman Masters, Array Masters, Artifact Refiners—these types of Hundred Arts Cultivators were hot commodities during wartime, with plentiful missions and high pay. But once the fighting died down, especially in an unconventional "pause" like this, their value would plummet.
"Calm yourself, Fellow Daoist Wu," Lu Zhao offered placidly. "From the looks of it, the Zhou Family is probably serious about negotiating. Once the fighting stops, they naturally won’t need as many Talismans. Still, a family’s daily operations will always require the support of Talisman Masters." The words were meant to comfort the other man, but he was also saying them for his own benefit. His Puppets faced the same issue of reduced demand outside of wartime.
"Negotiate?" Wu Qifu pursed his lips, lowering his voice. "I doubt they really want to. More likely they can’t afford to keep fighting, or... there’s pressure from above. It’s just a shame for us little guys. All that work for nothing. We didn’t skim much profit, and it held up our Cultivation."
He had clearly also seen Chu Yongming’s arrival and, just like Lu Zhao, connected it to the Zhou Family’s ceasefire.
As the two were conversing in low tones, Lu Zhao’s gaze happened to sweep across the sky, where it suddenly froze.
He saw a magnificent Flying Chariot slowly approaching from the distant sky. It was constructed entirely from a lustrous Spirit Wood, engraved with swirling cloud motifs, and had Clear Heart Jade Bells hanging from its four corners. Its pace wasn’t Swift, but its presence was exceptionally ostentatious.
A subtle Spirit Light shimmered around the Flying Chariot, a clear sign of expert guardians. It flew straight for the Chu Family’s Flying Ship, which remained moored in the Core Area.
"Whoa! Now that’s what I call a grand entrance!" Wu Qifu had noticed it too, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Is that another big shot from the Chu Family? With a display like that, it can’t be anyone ordinary."
Lu Zhao said nothing, merely watching the Flying Chariot in silence. So opulent, so deliberately ostentatious in its display of status—it was a stark contrast to the utilitarian style he was used to, as if it were silently declaring the exceptional standing of its passenger. This confirmed his suspicion: the Chu Family, or rather this newcomer, was a pivotal figure capable of swaying the Zhou Family’s decisions.
Meanwhile, inside the Flying Ship, in a cabin arranged in a Qingya and tranquil style.
An Elder with a lean, weathered face and eyes as sharp as a hawk’s strode into the room. He wore a dark green brocade robe with a cloud pattern and carried himself with the steady gait and commanding presence of one long accustomed to authority. This was the Ninth Elder of the Chu Family—Chu Zeyu.
Chu Yongming was already waiting. Upon seeing Chu Zeyu, he immediately rose and bowed respectfully. "Ninth Elder, you’ve arrived." Chu Zeyu gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping the cabin. With an authoritative air, he spoke via Transmission Sound, "Yongming, what’s the situation? Has the Zhou Family taken a clear stance?" Not daring to delay, Chu Yongming gave him a detailed report of the past few days’ events.
After listening, Chu Zeyu said, "In that case, let’s go and meet the two Fellow Daoists from the Zhou Family."