Chapter 284 - 256: Metamorphosis (Part 1)
Chapter 284: Chapter 256: Metamorphosis (Part 1)
Stream Village was not large.
But tonight, the fires burned three times as bright.
With the patrols outside, Stream Village’s reconnaissance range was five times what it used to be.
’Stream Village must have learned about the situation in town, so they’ve arranged patrols to avoid being ambushed by the resistance army.’
Zhao Chi approached cautiously.
He was stopped outside the village.
"Halt! Who goes there!"
"It’s me, Uncle Liu."
"Oh... Zhao Chi, what happened to you? Get in, quick. You didn’t have anyone following you, did you?"
"No, I was very careful."
"Good. Hurry into the village. Your family is on patrol in the southeast."
"Got it. Thanks, Uncle Liu."
Zhao Chi wanted to return directly to his territory.
But in the end, he went to the clan’s public house first.
The public house was also brightly lit.
They were using nearly five times the usual number of torches, making the air smoky and acrid.
Many people were standing in the courtyard.
Every person’s expression was a little grave.
In the flickering firelight, the scene seemed even more eerie.
The Zhao Family had more members now than before.
Ever since the Zhao Family became a vassal to Zhao Quan, many unaffiliated individuals had joined them.
The entire Zhao Family’s population had now broken past 200, with the number of Lords approaching 50.
The number of Lords and the population size were the most Simple ways to measure a family’s Power; more was definitely stronger.
Of course, this method of measurement was too simplistic and had a large margin of error. After all, the Mass of the Lords and the population was equally important.
The crowd was discussing something, and they were all a bit surprised when they saw Zhao Chi.
A few of his clan brothers gathered around.
"Zhao Chi? How did you get back?"
"No way! Weren’t you at the competition in River Valley Town? How are you?"
"Are you hurt?"
"Are you by yourself? Where are Zhao Huai and Zhao Jiao?"
"Zhao Chi, did you see Lü Hong?"
"Stop asking questions for a second! Look, Zhao Chi is covered in burns..."
"Zhao Chi, go to the Clan Leader’s House first and tell them what you know."
Zhao Chi nodded and went directly into the Clan Leader’s House.
There were more than ten people inside.
Clan Leader Zhao Shizhang and his uncle, Zhao Qizong, were both there.
Upon seeing Zhao Chi, Zhao Shizhang stood up immediately.
He walked over to Zhao Chi in surprise, took his arm, and looked him over carefully.
"Zhao Chi? You’re back? That you’re safe is all that matters. Come here, quickly."
Zhao Qizong also came closer.
"Zhao Chi, it’s chaotic outside. Did you just come from River Valley Town?"
Zhao Chi nodded.
He immediately recounted what had just happened in detail.
Everyone listened intently.
Only Zhao Shizhang and Zhao Qizong occasionally asked about details.
When Zhao Chi finished, the crowd was silent for a long moment.
Afterward, the group asked many more questions, which Zhao Chi answered one by one.
With each answer, the expressions of the people in the room grew heavier.
Finally, Zhao Shizhang sighed softly. "It seems the heavens are truly about to change. Zhao Chi, we have a general understanding now. You should go back and get some proper rest."
Zhao Chi breathed a sigh of relief.
But he still asked, "Is there any news of Zhao Huai and Zhao Jiao? And Lü Hong."
Zhao Shizhang shook his head. "No. We can’t contact anyone in River Valley Town, and the few people we sent out can’t even get in. Leave the matter of those three to us. You get some rest. The future will depend on your generation."
"Okay."
Zhao Chi said his goodbyes to everyone in the room and turned to leave.
But Zhao Qizong suddenly remembered something.
"Ah, Zhao Chi, wait a moment."
"What is it, Uncle?"
Zhao Qizong said to Zhao Shizhang, "Clan Leader, Zhao Chi also took first place in the rookie competition this time. We should..."
Zhao Shizhang slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, right! I completely forgot. This is a great cause for celebration. Zhao Chi, come here."
"Yes, Clan Leader."
Zhao Shizhang took out a Golden Treasure Chest.
"Zhao Chi, you have proven yourself twice now. The family had already decided to nurture your development last time, but then a series of events occurred, and we simply didn’t have the spare resources. But things are different now. Even if we don’t have the resources, we must give you a reward. Take this Golden Treasure Chest as your prize."
Zhao Chi tried to refuse. "There’s no need, Clan Leader. The family is in such a difficult position, and the situation is very unstable right now. This Golden Treasure Chest should be used for the clan."
’He really wanted it.’
After all, there was no mental burden in accepting a Golden Treasure Chest given by the family.
But under the current circumstances...
Zhao Shizhang smiled. "Little Chi, don’t refuse. One more Golden Treasure Chest won’t change anything for us, but you’re a New Lord. It will help you far more than it will help us. Take it."
Zhao Qizong also chimed in, "Take it, Zhao Chi. Hurry back and open it. We don’t know how much Time we have left, but... *sigh*..."
Zhao Chi no longer refused.
He thanked them, accepted it, and left.
Entering the small courtyard of his own home, he tapped to return to his territory.
Back in his territory, Zhao Chi’s Mood improved considerably.
Inhaling a faint fragrance into his lungs, Zhao Chi felt a sense of peace.
The Female Craftsmen were all busy at work.
They greeted him enthusiastically when they saw him.
"The Lord is back?"
"Lord, are you injured?"
"Good evening, Lord."
"Do you need any help?"
Zhao Chi waved his hand. "Hello. I’m fine, you can all carry on with your work."
Zhao Chi was in a sorry state today.
This is what happens when you lack Power.
Even within the dimension of Lords of the same Level, Zhao Chi was already exceptionally talented.
But once he crossed that dimensional threshold, he was truly powerless to fight back.
Zhao Chi stripped off his clothes as he walked.
The Armor had almost no Durability left and was ready to be scrapped. His Cloth Clothing was also burnt beyond recognition, waiting to be replaced with a new set.
Gu Qing and the others were at the training grounds.
Over the course of the day, they had engaged in a total of seven battles.
Although they were virtual battles, they were no different from actual combat.
Moreover, their opponents were all very strong, and they had all accumulated valuable Combat Experience.