Inside the hall, Fu Zhang's sudden burst of fury startled the gathered Fu family cultivators.
Elder Fu Jinqiu raised an eyebrow. "Why is the family head so angry?"
With a darkened expression, Fu Zhang flung the letter from the Luotian Association right in front of him.
Fu Jinqiu skimmed it in an instant, taking in ten lines at a glance.
Immediately, he flared with identical rage.
"What do they take our Fu family for?"
"Demanding that the family head return Sikong Shoujia's relics!"
At those words, the other Fu family cultivators looked on in astonishment.
Had that Danchenzi lost his mind?
Sikong Shoujia had been nothing more than a decrepit old man whose death at Fu Zhang's hands had helped forge the Fu family's prestige.
Once dead, he was dead; his belongings rightfully belonged to the family head.
No one had ever heard of handing over the spoils of war.
Fu Zhang's outrage seemed entirely justified.
Even if their Fu family had fallen from its former glory as a Foundation Establishment clan, it was not something a petty Qi Refining faction could boss around.
Return his relics?
Offer an apology?
Worst of all was the letter's righteous, haughty tone—it was utterly intolerable.
This was an insult!
A brazen, undisguised insult to Fu Zhang and the entire Fu family!
Fu Jinqiu said angrily, "That is not all. They also condemn our family for taking part in the siege on Crescent Moon Valley. As an apology, beyond returning Sikong Shoujia's relics, we are demanded to offer three blood talismans in compensation!"
"Unbearable bullying!"
"The Mountain Breaker Gang has already been wiped out, yet he still brings up a former elder as an excuse! Why doesn't he go after those Foundation Establishment cultivators to avenge Mi Shuhua?"
"Blood talismans?"
"Does our Fu family truly have blood talismans?"
Everything before had sounded fine, but as soon as that last question was uttered, the atmosphere in the hall turned bizarre.
Fu Zhang froze, then swept a fierce, menacing glare across the crowd.
"What do you mean by that?"
The person who had spoken gave a sheepish grin.
Though Fu Zhang had served as family head for only a little over a decade, he had weathered the demise of their Foundation Establishment ancestor, the conflicts in Tianlan Immortal City, their voluntary retreat, and their relocation to Dahe Market. He had accumulated considerable authority.
After arriving in Dahe Market, he had taken the initiative to contact the Nangong family and united with the Duan and Li clans under the pretext of being the three newly relocated families, forming the Xuanyi Society.
Leveraging the Xuanyi Society as a platform, he had steadily opened up the market for the Fu family's talismans.
Until recently, their participation in obliterating the Mountain Breaker Gang had finally secured their foothold in Dahe Market.
It could be said that aside from lacking the cultivation realm to suppress everyone, Fu Zhang's prestige and momentum had earned him the deep trust of most Fu family cultivators.
Looking at his sheepishly smiling clansman, Fu Zhang let out a cold snort.
"I will say this once more, and for the last time!"
"Before the ancestor passed away at the end of his lifespan, he did not pass down any craft of blood talismans to me."
"Furthermore, our Fu family has never touched anything related to blood talismans!"
The man hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.
Fu Zhang shook his head and suddenly sighed.
Sitting back down in his chair, he said with worry, "I know you have all heard about the power of the blood talisman last night. If we possessed such a thing, our Fu family could stand on equal footing with the other Foundation Establishment families even without a Foundation Establishment cultivator of our own."
"However, have you ever considered the consequences?"
"If we truly possessed blood talismans, the righteous sects would never spare us."
"Those Foundation Establishment families would have all the excuse they need to move against us."
"We managed to settle down with great difficulty, and our fortified manor is finally built. What we truly need is to rest and recuperate, nurturing the next generation. We must strive to produce another Foundation Establishment true cultivator within a century. Only then can our Fu family's heritage endure."
He spoke earnestly, laying everything out.
The worry and foresight for the family's long-term future moved even those senior members who had harbored strange thoughts.
Fu Zhang had sacrificed too much for the family.
Rarely did the leader of a faction personally show his face outside, fighting life-and-death battles.
Yet the Fu family had so few capable hands that, out of necessity, their strongest member—the family head—had to step forward every time.
If this continued, those petty rogue cultivator factions would eventually lose all respect for them.
It truly was time to rest and avoid further conflict.
...
Yet the tree craved calm, but the wind would not cease.
The Fu family cultivators soon noticed that whenever they ventured outside, the looks directed at them had changed.
Curiosity mingled with dread.
Vague whispers even circulated that rogue cultivators found burned beyond recognition on certain days had actually been flayed by the Fu family to deliberately destroy the evidence.
Hearing such rumors made the Fu family cultivators burst with rage.
If someone wanted to destroy evidence, wouldn't they know to incinerate the entire corpse?
Yet people still believed it.
To make matters worse, another farce occurred.
A junior Fu family cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining had smeared beast blood onto an ordinary talisman, passed it off as a blood talisman, and sold it at an exorbitant price to an outsider rogue cultivator.
When the buyer realized the deception, he went straight to the Fu family shop in the inner city, raising a massive uproar.
Fu Jue, who oversaw the shop, nearly coughed up blood from sheer fury. In times like these, how could some reckless fool still succumb to such petty greed?
To smooth things over, he not only refunded the spirit stones but also specially offered several practical, superior talismans as compensation.
Even so, the Fu family's talisman business suffered a heavy blow.
By contrast, the neighboring Chen family's trade steadily improved.
It was under these circumstances that the Luotian Association's second "letter" reached the Fu family.
Or rather, it was not delivered directly, but publicly proclaimed to them.
Outside the shuttered Dao Discussion Platform, on the jade wall, the Luotian Association had carved a message for the Fu family:
"To the cultivators from afar: we originally wished to cooperate for mutual benefit and seek the Great Dao together.
"Yet you acted arbitrarily, engaging in wanton slaughter and stoking widespread fury among the people.
"Our Luotian Association, inheriting the legacy of the Mountain Breaker Gang, must set an example.
"Our elder, Sikong Shoujia, was ambushed and slain by the villain Fu Zhang, meeting an untimely end.
"We hereby order the Fu family to return Sikong Shoujia's relics within a limited time so his soul may rest in peace.
"If you fail to do so, you will reap the bitter fruit of your actions. Do not say you were not warned!"
When the gist of this message reached Fu Zhang's ears, he roared in fury again and again.
What did they mean by acting arbitrarily? What widespread fury?
How had he, the head of the Fu family, become a villain?
And ordering him to return the relics within a time limit, or reap the bitter fruit?
"Do not say we were not warned?"
"Heh, I'd like to see what you intend to do about it!"
"Ignore it. If we truly return them, wouldn't that validate the claims of our Fu family's wrongdoing?"
"Does he, Danchenzi, think he is so pure and lofty? As if he has never killed a man in his life!"
"Come on, then! At worst, we'll have a fight. The other families also have outsiders among them. When one falls, the rest shiver; they will never sit by and watch."
"Besides, what right does his newly formed Luotian Association have to challenge our Fu family!"
...
In response to the Luotian Association's denunciation, the Fu family offered no reaction whatsoever.
This unyielding stance earned them renewed respect from many rogue cultivators.
Now, the burden shifted to the Luotian Association.
Hadn't they set a deadline?
Hadn't they warned that no one could say they were not warned?
If the other party remained completely unmoved, wouldn't they do something about it?
Not only were rogue cultivators waiting to watch a joke, but various factions, large and small, were also observing in secret.
Meanwhile, Danchenzi, the master of the Luotian Association, stood calmly outside a pavilion in the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion.
Outer disciples of the Jade Cauldron sect passing by cast strange glances his way from time to time.
This man had been waiting here all morning.
Was Deacon Miao Wen too busy? Or was he punishing him?
After a long while, a cold snort drifted from within the pavilion.
"Just this once. Do not let it happen again!"
"In the future, focus on pill refinement and stop stirring up trouble."
Luo Chen smiled faintly, replied with an affirmative, and turned to leave the Sword Pavilion.
Once he stepped outside, he let out a long breath.
Targeting the Fu family was never the crux of the matter.
The real key lay with Miao Wen.
Luo Chen had his reasons.
With the Mountain Breaker Gang dismantled, his pill distribution channels were practically gone, and he could not openly use Miao Wen's name.
Even after refining Jade Marrow Pills, selling them was no easy task.
Thus, he needed to establish dominance and make the Luotian Association impossible to ignore.
This reason was plausible, but not entirely solid.
Yet when Luo Chen presented numerous Jade Marrow Pills refined this month alongside those made earlier for Mi Shuhua, Miao Wen ultimately permitted his "recklessness."
"Profit truly moves the heart!"
Luo Chen chuckled softly and casually departed the inner city.
Once there was a first time, there would be countless more.
As his interests became more deeply intertwined with Miao Wen's, his importance would steadily grow.
When the Luotian Association expanded, Miao Wen would no longer be able to disregard his voice.
All Luo Chen had to do was repeat Mi Shuhua's methods,
striving to place himself on relatively equal footing with Miao Wen.
Then, he would seek Foundation Establishment and take complete control of his own destiny.
"Therefore, we must win this upcoming battle!"
"And win it brilliantly!"
Without hesitation, while the Fu family buried their heads in the sand, the Luotian Association's newly forged war machine—the War Hall—began to rumble into motion.
A handful of men were dispatched to monitor the other four families.
Under Wang Yuan's lead, the entire War Hall marched toward the Fu family manor at noon on the ninth day of the ninth month in the year 3408 of the Mountain and Sea Calendar.
Two elders, Duan Feng and Sima Xian, served as the vanguard, each leading ten mid-to-late Qi Refining experts.
Furthermore, Luo Chen transferred Deacon Sima Wenjie from the Merit Hall and Elder Zeng Wen from the Gold Hall, assembling a line-up of five cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refining.
Moreover, Qin Liangchen, who had recuperated beside Luo Chen for a month, made his first public appearance, standing alongside Wang Yuan at Luo Chen's side.
Such a brazen display naturally drew the attention of countless rogue cultivators in Dahe Market.
As the Luotian Association's War Hall cultivators marched toward the Fu family manor, numerous rogue cultivators followed closely behind upon spiritual light.
Looking down from high above, it gave the illusion of a surging tide of cultivators.
When Luo Chen leisurely arrived outside the massive fortified manor, the Fu family cultivators were already arrayed in full readiness.
"Danchenzi!"
A sharp shout echoed into the clouds.
Wielding a golden-melon mace, Fu Zhang flew out from the manor's watchtower.
With fierce, flame-filled eyes, he glared fixedly at the young man at the forefront of the cultivator host.
"Family Head Fu, I trust you have been well!"
Lightly fanning his jade fan, Luo Chen cupped his hands in greeting.
Looking at Luo Chen, Fu Zhang fought to suppress the rage in his heart.
He knew very well that the Luotian Association did not possess many cultivators.
The thousands of rogue cultivators gathered outside the manor were mostly there to watch the spectacle.
Yet spectators could easily cause great trouble.
If the Fu family showed the slightest hint of weakness, opportunistic onlookers would undoubtedly strike, turning the situation into an avalanche where everyone pushed down a collapsing wall.
Only now did he vaguely realize that the rumors about the blood talismans had likely never originated from the Chen family or the Divine Talisman Pavilion.
They had been orchestrated by this excessively young man before him.
Today, if the Fu family could avoid fighting, they would!
Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a slightly softened tone: "We all pursue the Dao here in Dahe Market. Why must we resort to such drastic measures?"
"Oh?"
Luo Chen arched an eyebrow. "Since when did you become a man of peace?"
Hearing that sarcastic remark, Fu Zhang swallowed his fury.
"Being kind to others is being kind to oneself."
"All you seek are Sikong Shoujia's relics. I shall give them to you!"
As he spoke, a turtle shell and a severed sword snapped in two drifted out.
Controlling them with spiritual power, Fu Zhang stared intently at Luo Chen.
"Once you take these relics, pray depart. On another day, I shall host a banquet for you at Zhongding House."
Yet Luo Chen did not spare a single glance for the two artifacts, which differed little from junk.
He merely raised three fingers.
"Very well. Hand over three of your Fu family's blood talismans as an apology, and I will return where I came from today."
At these words, silence fell across the hills and fields.
Everyone held their breath, their burning gazes fixed on Fu Zhang.
In that instant, Fu Zhang felt his scalp tingle and a chill run through his body.
"Our Fu family has no blood talismans, nor do we know how to craft them!"
"Then it seems your sincerity falls short!"
"Luo Chen!"
*Bang! Bang!*
Midair, the turtle shell and the broken sword detonated into powder under an explosive burst of spiritual power.
Panting heavily, Fu Zhang looked at the man surrounded like a moon among stars at the very front of the crowd.
"Must you ruthlessly exterminate us?"
*Snap!*
The jade fan snapped shut.
Luo Chen narrowed his eyes.
"Ever since we parted at Crescent Moon Valley, I have thought of you day and night, unable to forget your magnificent prowess back then!"
"So I have come today."
"Exterminating you is entirely of your own making."
Fu Zhang retreated, bursting into loud laughter.
"Haha! Since that is the case, then come!"
"I want to see if you can break through our Fu family fortress!"
The moment he withdrew behind the towering watchtower, a brilliant gleam abruptly erupted across the fortified manor spanning hundreds of meters.
A grand array snapped into existence.
Moreover, on the defensive walls of the manor, a talisman gleamed brightly within every hundred bricks.
A closer inspection revealed that they were all first-order Earth Guard Talismans.
With the fortified manor as its foundation, the Bronze Wall and Iron Bastion Array was erected, combining thousands of Earth Guard Talismans.
At this moment, the Fu family manor resembled an impregnable fortress, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.
Seeing this spectacle, the countless rogue cultivators who had been secretly itching to intervene drew sharp breaths.
Was this the foundation of a former Foundation Establishment clan?
Even after their Foundation Establishment ancestor had passed away, they still commanded such defense.
They truly lived up to being one of the five major Foundation Establishment clans alongside the Duan, Li, and Nangong families!
With defenses like these, who could breach them short of a Foundation Establishment cultivator?
For a moment, all eyes converged upon the Luotian Association's cultivators, resting on their leader, Guild Master Danchenzi.
Yet facing this mountain of pressure, Luo Chen remained utterly composed.
He merely turned and glanced at Wang Yuan.
Wang Yuan smiled faintly and took a step forward.
When he reappeared, he was already roughly a hundred meters from the manor.
Fu Zhang sneered at the sight.
Could the Fu family's Bronze Wall and Iron Bastion Array be broken by a mere Qi Refining rogue cultivator?
Even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator came in person, he was confident he could hold out for a time.
Wang Yuan, was it?
Nothing more than an overhyped name!
Amid his cold laughter, Wang Yuan slowly raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.
Pulling back and arching his body, boundless vitality and blood condensed without a trace, pouring wholly into a single strike.
Finally, beneath thousands of watchful eyes, he punched forward.
Force concentrated to the absolute extreme hammered forth.
*BOOM!*
A deafening roar erupted like a shattering silver vase.
Amid that colossal sound, the fortress that had appeared impregnable just an instant earlier was pierced through at a single point, blown open into a ten-meter-wide breach by the punch.
Even the light of the Bronze Wall and Iron Bastion Array dispersed in a mournful wail.
Upon the watchtower, the sneering Fu Zhang had frozen stiff as a wooden rooster.
Only a single thought remained in his mind:
*How is this possible?!*
Yet no one could hear his inner cry.
Below the walls, Wang Yuan straightened up, clasping his hands behind his back.
He looked up at Fu Zhang, then slowly shook his head.
And just as he shook his head, a furious roar echoed into the azure clouds:
"Kill!"
Chapter 151