Chương 141: A Blade's Reply

Back when Huaijin had traveled to Qingtai city to claim his Foundation Establishment Pill, he hadn't made the journey alone. The Zhang family's supreme elders were fully aware that the Jin and Jiang families had laid an ambush for him. But their clan had only recently begun its rise, they were in no position to challenge two established powers head-on. If Huaijin hadn't been such an exceptionally gifted fighter, he would have perished in that ambush without question.

Now, Huaijin had soared to prominence, even manifesting combat strength rivaling the Purple Mansion realm. This development had the Jin family deeply unsettled, they now found themselves paralyzed by caution. Their most crucial ally and patron, Fang Tianyu, who had only recently broken through, had fallen during the recent spirit beast tide. Now, the Jin family was beside themselves with dread. In just two short decades, Zhang Huaijin's power had advanced at such a terrifying pace.

What would happen in another twenty years? The Jin family's strongest cultivator sat at perfection stage of Foundation Establishment, that was their ceiling. But Huaijin's feats during the spirit beast tide had left them utterly horrified. To put it bluntly, Huaijin alone could single-handedly annihilate every cultivator the Jin family had. After agonizing deliberation, the Jin family concluded that only one path remained: sue for peace. That was why they had come in person today, offering a humbling apology.

They hoped there might still be room for reconciliation. —— But a quarter of an hour passed. Not a single soul appeared at the Welcome Pavilion outside Green Bamboo Mountain. The Zhang family member who had gone inside to report their arrival had seemingly vanished into thin air. The Jin delegation was no small affair, it included not only the family patriarch, Jin Guang, but also the clan's most revered founding elder, Jin Chenpeng, a cultivator at peak of Tier 2.

He was the highest authority the Jin family possessed. Jin Chenpeng's face betrayed no emotion. The two men stood like ancient weathered stones, utterly motionless. Half an hour. One full hour. Still no sign from the Zhang family. Jin Guang's expression grew increasingly grim. Jin Chenpeng remained inscrutable, his thoughts an impenetrable fortress.

"Patriarch, what game is the Zhang family playing? Won't they even grant us an audience?" Jin Guang transmitted his voice directly to Jin Chenpeng, his tone barely containing a simmering rage.

"Wait." Jin Chenpeng uttered a single word. The entire conflict with the Zhang family had sprung from one fatal miscalculation. Jin Guang had once believed Zhang Huaijin to be harmless, a sheep he could offer up as a favor to Fang Tianyu. That decision had brought the Jin family nothing but frustration and regret. Not only had they lost two Tier 2 cultivators, but they had also earned the enduring enmity of a prodigy like Huaijin.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The Eastern Region's vast wilderness teemed with spirit beasts, and the major cultivation powers had an official policy against mutual aggression, at least on paper. What happened in the shadows, however, was another matter entirely. The Jin and Jiang families had ambushed Huaijin in secret. By the same logic, Huaijin was perfectly justified in returning the favor.

Though the Jin family had lost two Tier 2 members, they still had other rivals to contend with, and Purple Mansion families kept a watchful eye over the region. They hadn't dared to launch a full-scale assault on the Zhang family, choosing instead to adopt a strategy of patience and gradual pressure. But Huaijin's rate of advancement was utterly abnormal. Twenty years, and he was on the verge of breaking through to the late stages.

And whispers had spread that he now possessed combat power equivalent to the Purple Mansion realm. After all, surviving a pursuit by three Tier 3 spirit beasts was not an accomplishment just anyone could claim. Now, the Jin family saw no path to victory. For the sake of the clan's continued existence, they chose to humble themselves. But the Zhang family refused them even a single meeting. Two hours. Three hours. Still, the Zhang family remained silent. For a Tier 2 clan, this was an egregious breach of protocol.

No matter how deep the bad blood between two families, basic courtesies were still observed on the surface. But the Zhang family's position was now unmistakably clear: There would be no reconciliation between them. None whatsoever. —— The Zhang family didn't even deign to learn what terms the Jin family might offer!

"This is an outrage! A complete and utter outrage!" Jin Guang had stood in the Welcome Pavilion for three agonizing hours, his lips trembling with fury. He could restrain himself no longer, his curses burst forth like a torrent. For the first time, a flicker of weariness crossed Jin Chenpeng's aged face.

"Everything follows the law of cause and consequence… The Zhangs refuse to settle this peacefully, that means one of our families will have to fall."

"Let us depart." Jin Chenpeng straightened his spine.

"Damn them all!" Jin Guang spat venomously. BOOM! Without warning, from the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain, a crimson sword-light blazed into the heavens, splitting the very air itself before crashing into a nearby peak. It carved a deep, savage wound into the mountain's face, and the explosive energy unleashed a thunderous roar that echoed across the valley. Jin Guang and Jin Chenpeng stood frozen, rooted to the spot.

"What... what message are they trying to send?" Jin Guang muttered, dazed.

"That blade is their message." Jin Chenpeng's voice carried a note of bitter resignation.

"Let us go. Return to the clan." Jin Guang's face darkened like a storm cloud. Neither man spoke another word. Their figures were gradually swallowed by the emerald bamboo grove until they disappeared entirely. This time, the matter was sealed, a battle between the two sides was inevitable. Words had become utterly meaningless. —— After they departed, Zhang Lixian's figure slowly emerged from the bamboo's shadows. It was he who had unleashed that sword strike. Zhang Liwei and Zhang Wujian followed close behind him.

"The Jin family were the ones who ambushed Huaijin first. If he hadn't been so strong back then, he would have died without a doubt. Now that Huaijin has risen to power, do they expect us to simply forgive and forget? The world does not work that way." Zhang Lixian's voice was cold, sharp as the edge of a blade. Zhang Liwei and Zhang Wujian both nodded in firm agreement. Huaijin's stance was their own.

"For the coming period, our family will lack nothing in terms of resources. Focus all your efforts on strengthening yourselves as quickly as possible. Our confrontation with the Jin family is inevitable, sooner rather than later." With that, Zhang Lixian turned, and the three ascended back to the summit of Green Bamboo Mountain. Zhang Lixian would remain to guard the family headquarters. Zhang Wujian would travel to Langya County Town to assume command there. Zhang Liwei would continue overseeing Green Bamboo City.

As for Huaijin himself, he had already returned to Purple Cloud Peak. He gave the Jin family matter little thought. When the moment was right, he would deal with them properly. Leaving such matters unresolved would only unsettle his heart, and an unsettled heart could poison his cultivation. Even cultivators needed peace of mind and clarity of purpose, without it, they risked falling prey to heart demons and madness. —— The spirit beast tide had only recently subsided.

Qingtai Prefecture's human forces had suffered devastating losses, so severe that even the two major Golden Core powers from Bing Province had dispatched envoys to investigate the battle's aftermath. When they learned that spirit beasts from the Black Tiger Cliff had intervened, the cultivators of Heavenly Crane Sect were livid. That fact had shattered the long-standing unspoken truce between their two sides.

If it hadn't been for that late stage Tier 3 Dark Winged Tiger from the Black Tiger Cliff, Qingtai Prefecture would never have endured such catastrophic losses. Twenty years from now, a major reckoning between the two sides was all but assured. Of course, all of that was still far beyond Huaijin's immediate concerns. —— Purple Cloud Peak. Upon his return, Huaijin entered seclusion without delay. During the spirit beast tide, he had accumulated a wealth of cultivation resources through exchanges.

He still had his stockpile of Spirit Peaches. And then there was the spirit vein running beneath Purple Cloud Peak itself. He was fully confident that within three years, he would push his cultivation to the very peak of the sixth level. And with his Realm-Breaking Pearl in hand, the bottleneck separating him from the late stages would prove to be nothing more than a smooth, unobstructed road. At this very moment, the black-and-white energy within the pearl had already reached full capacity.

Everything was prepared. Everything was in place.