Chapter 38: The Situation Forces Action

After Xu Haoran woke up, as soon as he heard that the disciples of his clan had gone to Tongyou Valley to defend it, he immediately flew into a rage, furiously scolding Xu Haoliang. After finishing his tirade, he led his clansmen and rushed up to the city wall, staring in the direction of Tongyou Valley. In his heart, he prayed over and over that his clan’s disciples must not come to harm! Those were not only his Main Bloodline but also included the future of the clan—Xu Ziyan!

Once these thoughts filled his mind, Xu Haoran could not suppress his anger. He glanced at Xu Haoliang, who stood beside him, and snorted heavily. At this time, Xu Haoliang had lost the arrogance he had shown back when Xu Haoran was unconscious, because he now knew what great losses he had caused the clan. If more than a thousand clansmen who went out were to perish, not only would Xu Haoran not let him off the hook, but even his own father, who had been in Closed-Door Cultivation, would not forgive him. And besides, their clan still had a Family Patriarch who had long been in Closed-Door Cultivation and never interfered in worldly affairs.

However, Xu Haoliang also felt very indignant inside. He thought to himself, “Even if you, Xu Haoran, had not been unconscious, could you have really secured a better defense location at the City Lord’s Manor?” Through the meeting, Xu Haoliang had also noticed that the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family seemed to have joined forces, and they had probably already formed a plan to deal with his clan. He did not believe that, with the others allied, Xu Haoran could still have outmaneuvered them.

Furthermore, if you, Xu Haoran, had not recklessly charged outside the city to slay the Monster Beast, how could you have been bitten by a snake? At this point, Xu Haoliang completely forgot that it was he who had provoked Xu Haoran into going out. But now, what he regretted and feared the most was that, driven by selfish motives, he had sent only Xu Haoran’s supporters to Tongyou Valley. This meant that if all of them died there, even his own father would not be able to save him. Internal competition within a clan was acceptable, but using this method to compete was the very thing a clan most despised.

He understood that if Xu Haoran had been in charge, he would certainly not have dispatched only Xu Haoliang’s people. By acting this way, Xu Haoliang had given others an impression of narrow-mindedness, and he feared it would be difficult to win back people’s support in the future. Therefore, although Xu Haoliang was unhappy with Xu Haoran’s attitude toward him now, he no longer had the heart to argue over it. After all, he was also a member of the Xu Family Clan. When he saw the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family aligning themselves, he could not help but worry about the clan’s future. If the clan was destroyed, what use would it be to fight for the position of Clan Leader?

Silently standing on the city wall, gazing toward Cangmang Mountain, he turned and looked at Xu Haoran’s gloomy face. Xu Haoliang suddenly clenched his fists, swearing inwardly:

“Xu Haoran, I was wrong this time, but that doesn’t mean I am ultimately defeated! Now that the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family have formed an alliance, the clan’s situation has become dangerous. You just wait and see who ends up resolving this crisis for the clan, who steps forward when the clan is in peril, saving it from collapse! The alliance of those three families is a threat to our clan, but it is also an opportunity. I must thoroughly plan how to become the pillar that protects the clan through the coming storms. When that time comes, let’s see if you, Xu Haoran, still have the cheek to remain seated in the Clan Leader’s position.”

So Xu Haoliang’s mood steadied. He was no longer disheartened, but hung his head, constantly deliberating how to deal with the dangerous situation about to arise.

Beside him, through Xu Haoliang’s earlier account within the clan and his own earlier suspicions, Xu Haoran had also come to realize that the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family had joined forces.

Originally, the Xu Clan had been one of the Four Great Families of the Northern Region, with formidable strength, but that was long ago. Over the past thousand years, the clan had gradually declined. In the Northern Region, a great clan must have someone at the high-level Foundation Building Stage to hold the fort. The Foundation Building Stage, like the Qi Refining Stage, was divided into twelve layers; a cultivator had to reach at least the 7th Layer to be considered high-level Foundation Building Stage.

Fifty years earlier, the Family Patriarch of the Xu Clan had gone into Closed-Door Cultivation to break through to the 7th Layer of Foundation Building Stage, but even now he had not emerged. So essentially, the Xu Clan could no longer be considered a great clan. Still, the Xu Clan had once been a major family, and though they no longer had a high-level Foundation Building Stage cultivator guarding them, the heritage and treasures accumulated over thousands of years were extremely abundant. This was exactly why the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family had allied themselves against the Xu Clan. The thought of the treasures passed down over millennia made everyone envious.

At that moment, Xu Haoran’s heart was in turmoil. On one hand, he was deeply worried about his thousand Main Bloodline disciples and his close relatives—especially Xu Ziyan, who had only just arrived in the clan. After all, the Talismans she produced were of great importance to the clan! With her Talismans, the clan would have a bit more confidence in dealing with the combined forces of the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family.

On the other hand, he was anxious about the clan’s future. It was clear that the City Lord’s Manor, the Xiao Family, and the Wu Family had formed an alliance—just how should he handle this?

Just as Xu Haoran and Xu Haoliang were each lost in their own distress, they suddenly heard loud laughter coming from behind.

“Hahaha… Haoran, old friend, you’ve recovered! I hope there are no lasting effects?”

Xu Haoran abruptly turned around, a fiery blaze of anger flashing in his eyes. But in an instant, that blazing flame vanished from his gaze. He looked at Li Wanpeng, the City Lord of Zhongdu City, Xiao Rugui, and Wu Meng, who had appeared behind him, and said lightly,

“No need for the three of you to worry. I am living quite well!”

“Hahaha… That puts our minds at ease!” Li Wanpeng stepped forward, his smile not reaching his eyes, and said warmly, as if to an old friend:

“Haoran, old friend, this Beast Tide seems rather large. I wonder if those disciples who went out might be in danger?”

Xu Haoran inwardly cursed, then turned and shot a fierce glare at Xu Haoliang before replying calmly,

“People may act, but Heaven watches. Who knows who might run into trouble on which road?” Xu Haoran spoke with seeming generosity, but inside, his heart was bleeding.

“Hahaha…” Wu Meng laughed heartily beside him. “Haoran speaks so truly—who knows which path’s people may be in peril? I suppose, being a great clan, the Xu Clan’s strength ranks highest among our four families, so certainly nothing will go wrong for you. It’s our Wu Family disciples stationed at Luofeng Ridge that I worry about! You know, only a single Monster Beast can pass through there at a time—now that’s truly dangerous, isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes! Our Xiao Family is defending Changri Valley, where three Monster Beasts can pass at once—isn’t that even more dangerous! Hahaha…” Xiao Rugui also chimed in, with a half-smile.

“Hmm!” City Lord Li Wanpeng pretended to ponder, then said with a pained expression: “If anyone’s disciples are in the most danger, it’s those of the City Lord’s Manor. On the Imperial Highway, there’s practically no cover for defense at all! But, who made me the City Lord? As City Lord, I must take the most dangerous spot! Don’t you agree?” Having said this, Li Wanpeng turned his gaze to Xiao Rugui and Wu Meng.

“That’s right! That’s right! City Lord Li truly sets an example for all of us in Cultivation. You are a worthy City Lord, with extraordinary breadth of mind!” Xiao Rugui and Wu Meng both clasped their hands toward Li Wanpeng. Then, together, they turned toward Xu Haoran and simultaneously burst into roaring laughter:

“HAHAHAHAHA…”