Chapter 435: Chapter 248: The Zhong Family’s Decision
The Zhong Family was, indeed, utterly enraged!
Zhong Family Ancestral Land.
With Zhong Zhengqiong’s return, all the high-ranking members of the Zhong Family—Zhong Zhengxiao, Zhong Zhenghong, Zhong Zhengao, and the others—were urgently summoned to gather in the Ancestral Land Space.
After hearing the full story and confirming that the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade had been stolen by Gu Zheng, the entire group was incensed, seething with uncontrollable rage.
"That vile traitor! After using our Zhong Family’s resources, instead of being grateful, he stole our Divine Weapon! This Gu Zheng must die!"
"Kill him! Execute him by a thousand cuts and announce it to the world! Only then will our subordinates learn their lesson!"
"Who was it that let Gu Zheng access True Skills like the Nine Luminaries Golden Saber and Golden Thousand Blades? Find them and kill them too! Kill everyone associated with Gu Zheng!"
...
Furious roars erupted one after another.
The Zhong Family had paid an immense price to obtain the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade.
It had been placed in the Ancestral Land for so many years, waiting to be awakened to enhance their power and make the Zhong Family a Noble Family possessing both Royal Blood and a Divine Weapon!
With the help of the Divine Weapon, it would have been the Zhong Family who ultimately unified the world and established a new dynasty!
But now, the Divine Weapon was gone, stolen from right under their noses by some low-life mutt.
How could they not be furious!
Kill!
They had to kill him without mercy!
Gu Zheng’s entire family had to die, and everyone associated with him had to die too!!
"Shut up!"
A furious shout cut through the clamor.
It was Zhong Duxiu. His face was grim as his icy gaze swept over everyone. "I called you back here to come up with a plan to get the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade back, not for you to stand here and curse!"
"Is there even a need to think about it?" a Zhong Family elder of the same generation as Zhong Duxiu growled. "Just gather our forces, storm Qingshi County, and kill Gu Zheng. I know he’s strong—most likely a second-stage King’s Body—but if we want him dead, do you really think we can’t kill him?"
"Exactly! So what if Gu Zheng brought back dozens of Heroic Bodies and some hidden King’s Body from somewhere else? The King’s Bodies of our Zhong Family are more than enough to annihilate them!"
"Right, we just need to strike with overwhelming force and wipe them out."
...
The crowd started shouting again, venting their anger.
"Well..."
Zhong Yi’s voice cut in at the right moment. It wasn’t loud, but it echoed in everyone’s ears. "What if—and I’m just saying, what if—what if he manages to escape while we’re trying to kill him? Do you have any idea what the consequences would be?"
The entire hall fell silent.
Even those who were shouting, their faces still contorted with anger, had to shut their open mouths.
The consequences of failing to kill Gu Zheng?
’A second-stage King’s Body expert with no attachments, locked in a fight to the death with the Zhong Family?’
The group fell silent.
The consequences were something they could not afford!
"What, no one’s shouting anymore?"
Zhong Duxiu barked coldly, "Go on, keep talking! Keep shouting! ’Kill Gu Zheng’s whole family, kill everyone associated with him!’ Do you have any idea that Gu Zheng cleared the Tunnel Between Two Realms in the Land of Seven States and is on good terms with the Demon-slaying Grand Generals and Commanders of various states? Are you going to kill all of them too?"
...
The group was speechless.
Kill the Demon-slaying Grand Generals and Commanders of every state?
’What a joke.’
Setting aside the others, if they dared to touch Yuanqian Mountain, the Commander of Luozhou, someone right here would jump out and fight them to the death.
That person was Yuanqian Mountain’s own sister, the queen from two generations ago, Yuan Wanquan—a King’s Body realm expert!
Then there was the Grand Director of the Demon Slayer Bureau, Xu Jianzhu, who also had a close relationship with Gu Zheng.
Kill Xu Jianzhu too?
They’d have to be out of their minds to even consider it.
The King’s Body experts outside the Zhong Family bloodline, like Yuan Wanquan and Xu Jianzhu, were few, but there were still five of them.
It was easy to completely fall out with Gu Zheng, but none of them could bear the consequences.
Not even Zhong Duxiu, the Patriarch and a third-stage King’s Body!
With Gu Zheng now wielding a Divine Weapon, even Zhong Duxiu wasn’t confident of a certain victory.
Not to mention the dozens of Heroic Bodies who had suddenly appeared under Gu Zheng’s command, or the unknown King’s Body lurking in the shadows. No one knew what realm that hidden expert was in.
If they went all out, killed Gu Zheng’s family, and he managed to escape...
...then everyone in the Zhong Family could just wait for his revenge!
Every new Sovereign they installed would die.
Every Zhong Family disciple who appeared outside the Ancestral Land would die.
Even Zhong Duxiu himself could be severely wounded or killed if ambushed.
Zhong Duxiu had lived for five thousand years with the help of the "Pupa Pool." His own natural lifespan had less than a hundred years remaining.
If he were seriously injured, a reduction in his remaining lifespan was inevitable.
Therefore, no one could bear the consequences of a full-blown conflict.
They couldn’t afford to take that one-in-a-million chance.
...
A heavy silence fell over the hall.
After a long moment, Zhong Zhenghong spoke in a low voice, "Then what should we do? Just give up on the Crimson Moon Heaven-Covering Blade and let Gu Zheng have it?"
"Isn’t that what we’re discussing now?" Zhong Duxiu, his expression still sour, said coldly, "Stop with the nonsense about ambushes and assassinations. We need to find a way to contact Gu Zheng and figure out what he’s thinking first."
"What’s there to figure out..." Zhong Zhengxiao started to mutter, but he immediately shut his mouth, lowered his head, and fell silent as Zhong Duxiu’s sharp gaze shot toward him.
"That’s right. We should talk to Gu Zheng first."
Zhong Yi chimed in, "Let’s have Lord Xu go. Lord Xu has mentored Gu Zheng before; Gu Zheng owes him a favor."
"Alright." Xu Jianzhu, who had been silent since entering the Ancestral Land, was now called upon. Without any nonsense, he responded, "I’ll go to Qingshi County at once to meet with Gu Zheng."
"When you get there, you must ask him clearly why he did this," Zhong Zhengao couldn’t help but say. "No matter what, the Demon Slayer Bureau gave him immense help as he rose through the ranks. Even if our Zhong Family didn’t show him great kindness, we at least guided and supported him."
Comments