PS: Thanks to fellow reader Xiaoxiang Flying Feather for the 10,000 Qidian coins reward.
Sometimes, to see the true foundation of a top-tier power, it was not enough to look at how many experts they displayed in the open. One had to see how many experts they kept hidden in the shadows—especially for existences like the Six Great Clans.
Clans differed from sects. Sects embraced all rivers, while clans built powerful forces around their bloodlines.
Yet precisely because of this, a clan's core disciples were always few, and they needed a great deal of outside strength to supplement them. Thus, every clan kept a large number of retainers.
Shangguan Feiyun had made extensive preparations for this trip to Medicine King Valley. Though he had not intended to resort to force, he had brought six Soul Fusion Realm retainers just in case. Now, they happened to be of use against Su Xin.
Su Xin glanced at his own side. On the surface, he had only three Soul Fusion Realm martial artists: Fang Jiuyuan, Liu Wuqian, and Sun Buhai.
Yet even with only three, two were among the Imperial Court's Four Great Constables, while one was the Poison Hand Medicine King, third on the Black List. They might not necessarily stand no chance against six Soul Fusion Realm martial artists born of wandering cultivators.
Moreover, Pingyang Circuit's Chief Constable Tie Wuleng and Military Governor Zhong Qianqiu were still standing nearby. Though they had a good relationship with Medicine King Valley, they had not the slightest connection to the Shangguan Clan. If matters went awry, they would intervene as well.
However, Shangguan Feiyun had no intention of making things too big. He merely wanted Medicine King Valley to owe the Shangguan Clan a favor. For that, he could offend Su Xin, but he