Harboring Resentment

Although Chen Yuan did not know qinggong, the explosive power granted by the Surging Waves, Flowing Clouds Formula allowed him to unleash extreme speed for short bursts.

The father and son of the Zhu Family did not know qinggong either. After chasing him down one street, they lost Chen Yuan's trail.

Neither dared continue the pursuit, fearing Chen Yuan would pull another feint and return to the Zhu Family to assassinate the third son, Zhu Chengze.

On their way back to the Zhu Family, they did not even have time to collect Zhu Chengguo's body.

Of course, they could not have collected it anyway.

He had been reduced to chunks of human flesh. They would probably need a spoon to scoop him up.

When they returned to the Zhu Family, Zhu Chengze was unharmed, but the Zhu Family was on the verge of falling apart.

A large number of retainers fled, and Zhu Chengze could not stop them even if he tried.

The day's two battles had not broken Zhu Chaofeng, but they had shattered the Zhu Family's retainers.

The Zhu Family, which had once dominated Lone Mountain City, had proven almost laughably weak before a true expert.

Zhu Chengguo, whose strength was second only to Zhu Chaofeng's, had been blasted into minced flesh in two moves. How were they supposed to fight that?

Their enemy clearly intended to wipe out the entire Zhu Family. These retainers were not even surnamed Zhu, so why should they stay behind and die with them?

"Why are you running? I, Zhu Chaofeng, am still alive! The Zhu Family has not fallen apart yet, and you already think we are finished?"

Zhu Chaofeng stood before the gates of the Zhu estate, glaring viciously at the retainers trying to flee.

"Earlier, I miscalculated. I never expected the intruder to be so powerful, which led to the deaths of your second and fourth brothers.

"But he will not get another chance! As long as I, Zhu Chaofeng, remain, the Zhu Family will not fall!"

"For all these years, the Zhu Family has spent money to support you. You have eaten well and drunk well under our protection, yet now that we have suffered a minor setback, you want to scatter and flee. Is this how you repay the Zhu Family?"

"You may leave today if you wish, but you know the Zhu Family's temperament. Once we survive this calamity, do not even think of making a living anywhere in North Sea Market!"

"On the other hand, if any of you are willing to endure hardship alongside the Zhu Family, the Zhu Family will not forget today's loyalty."

"You will no longer be retainers of the Zhu Family, but honored guest elders. We will share prosperity and ruin alike!"

"The cultivation arts practiced by the Zhu Family will also be opened to you. When my fifth son, Zhu Chengzong, returns from the Huangji Sect, you will also be qualified to cultivate the techniques bestowed by the Huangji Sect!"

Zhu Chaofeng's combination of threats and promises truly managed to stabilize quite a few retainers.

In particular, his promise to open the cultivation arts to them greatly tempted those retainers.

Yet in the end, fewer than a hundred people were willing to remain.

After suppressing the mass flight of retainers, the three members of the Zhu Family entered the discussion hall, where the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.

"Father, can you tell where that man came from?"

After a long while, Zhu Chengan finally spoke.

Zhu Chaofeng shook his head. "I cannot tell, but he is certainly not from the One Qi Piercing Sun Alliance or the Murong Clan."

"Youzhou is only so large, and there are only so many forces beneath those two factions. Yet none of them match him."

"But that man is definitely no lowly wanderer of the martial world. To blast your second brother to death in two moves—even if he used some secret art to stimulate his potential—is utterly terrifying."

At this point, Zhu Chaofeng looked at Zhu Chengan and said gravely, "Eldest, from now on, you and I must stay together. We absolutely cannot separate."

"Today, he chose to flee when facing the two of us, which proves that two Qi Forging Realm martial artists still pose some threat to him."

"If we split up, he will surely pick us off one by one."

Zhu Chengan nodded, his face full of fear and worry. "Someone with such strength would be a core direct disciple even within the Murong Clan. Why does he insist on making trouble for our Zhu Family?"

Even at a time like this, Zhu Chengan and Zhu Chaofeng still refused to admit that this disaster had been brought upon them because they had destroyed the Chu Family.

"If you ask me, this should all be blamed on Fourth Brother!"

Zhu Chengze suddenly said from the side, "For all these years, the Chu Family had always behaved themselves. They were utterly obedient before our Zhu Family and did not even dare fart."

"Why did we have to slaughter an entire family like that?

"Was it not because Fourth Brother set his sights on the Chu Family's daughter and insisted on marrying her even though he knew she was already betrothed?"

"Being rejected was one thing, but he had to urge you, Father, to wipe out the Chu Family just to vent his anger!"

"And now look at this. Because of one woman, he has dragged our Zhu Family into such a situation. What a joke!"

Chen Yuan had frightened Zhu Chengze out of his wits, and his tone was filled with resentment.

Their father doted on Fourth Brother. Whatever Fourth Brother said, their father did.

Back then, Zhu Chengze had felt there was no need to destroy the Chu Family. It would only stir up needless trouble and make others say that the Zhu Family was too ruthless and overbearing.

However, Zhu Chengze had never held much status among the Zhu brothers, so he had not said much.

But now, after destroying the Chu Family, they had brought this calamity upon themselves, and the Zhu Family was about to be exterminated!

"You beast! Your fourth brother is already dead, and you still blame him?"

Zhu Chaofeng hurled the teacup at hand toward Zhu Chengze and cursed angrily:

"How many families besides the Chu Family has our Zhu Family destroyed over the years? How can one allow others to sleep soundly beside one's bed? Since the Chu Family dared defy the Zhu Family, they had to be destroyed! At the first sign of trouble, you start blaming your own family. You will never amount to anything!"

"Father, please calm down. Third Brother was merely frightened and spoke without thinking," Zhu Chengan hurriedly advised.

"Get out! Get the hell out!"

Zhu Chengze knew he had said the wrong thing and did not dare argue. He slunk out of the discussion hall.

Zhu Chaofeng panted heavily in anger, but his expression was somewhat complicated.

Part of his fury came from his anger at Third Brother's incompetence. At a time like this, he was actually blaming his own fourth brother.

But another part was because he truly regretted destroying the Chu Family!

Though he spoke of not allowing others to sleep soundly beside one's bed, the truth was just as Zhu Chengze had said. The Chu Family had been a group of meek, cowardly people who would never amount to anything and posed no threat whatsoever to the Zhu Family.

Of the many factions in Lone Mountain City, the Zhu Family had destroyed all but the Chu Family. Was that not because the Chu Family was obedient and weak?

Thus, Zhu Chaofeng had always been indifferent toward the Chu Family. Destroying them was fine, but sparing them was fine too. It all depended on his mood.

Had Fourth Brother Zhu Chengzu not been rejected in marriage and wanted to destroy the Chu Family to vent his anger, Zhu Chaofeng would never have touched them.

Had he known that casually wiping out the Chu Family would bring such a tremendous calamity, how could he have acted?

"Eldest, what do you think?"

Zhu Chaofeng looked toward his eldest son.

Zhu Chengan's voice was hoarse. "Father, we cannot withstand this any longer. Not only is that man powerful, but his methods are also vicious and unpredictable.

"He first lured the snake from its hole and killed Fourth Brother and Uncle Zhou. Then he used feints twice in succession, killing Second Brother while frightening the retainers out of their wits.

"Though we have temporarily steadied these retainers, who knows whether they will flee again?

"Against an opponent like this, to be honest, I have no confidence in continuing this fight. We should ask for help.

"When Fifth Brother returned last time, we hosted people from several nearby major cities. They all know that Fifth Brother became a direct disciple of the Huangji Sect.

"As long as we ask for aid, they will certainly give the Zhu Family some face for the sake of the Huangji Sect.

"The Wang Family of South Mountain City, the Haichang Gang of East Mountain City, the Fish-Dragon Chamber of Commerce of Twin Mountain City—if any one of those forces sends a Qi Forging Realm expert, it will be enough to deal with him."

"Those families will not act without profit. Why would they so easily help the Zhu Family?

"Moreover, the Zhu Family has risen to prominence over the years through overbearing conduct. I fear they have long harbored grievances against us."

"Take the Wang Family of South Mountain City, for example. Strictly speaking, the Chu Family was also related to the Wang Family by marriage. By destroying the Chu Family, we also slapped the Wang Family in the face."

"If they learn of this, they will be too busy enjoying the show to help us. Why would they come to our aid?"

Zhu Chaofeng knew perfectly well what sort of reputation the Zhu Family had.

He had simply grown accustomed to being overbearing and had never considered changing.

"At a time like this, we can only make them some empty promises."

Zhu Chengan gave a bitter smile. "Tell them that if they help us now, we will compensate them in the future with cultivation arts and pills that Fifth Brother brings back from the Huangji Sect.

"Every one of those families puts profit before loyalty. They know perfectly well whether face or benefits matter more."

Zhu Chaofeng frowned deeply. "Fifth Brother has competitors within the Huangji Sect as well. Those cultivation arts and pills do not come free; they must be exchanged with contributions to the sect!

"Last time, I told him not to worry about the family for now and to prioritize using his contributions to improve his own strength. Yet now we are going to hold him back!"

"But if we do not, our Zhu Family may not survive this crisis!"

Zhu Chengan did not want to die. He earnestly urged, "Father, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. We must first resolve the immediate crisis."

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Chaofeng sighed. "Fine. Go make the arrangements. Since we are asking for aid, we might as well promise them more."

Hearing that his father had finally relented, Zhu Chengan immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do not worry, Father. I will arrange it at once. There are still some loyal retainers among those remaining. To be safe, I will send more people to each family."

With that, Zhu Chengan immediately left to make arrangements.

Zhu Chaofeng was left alone in the discussion hall, sitting there blankly.

Losing two sons in a single day was an enormous blow to Zhu Chaofeng.

He could not understand why the Zhu Family, which had been flourishing only yesterday, had suddenly become like this.