Internal Strife

Please bookmark and support us.

That night, after all the guests had left, a group of people quietly gathered together. Most of them were young members of the Huo Family, and their leader was Huo Yan, an expert who had reached the Spirit Bone Realm.

Huo Yan was nearly thirty years old. This was his last chance to take part in the competition. Fortunately, together with several people assigned to him by the Lineage, he had finally earned some points and could even bring one person into the academy with him.

But the points Huo Hai had produced, along with the rumors that later spread about him, made Huo Yan green with envy. Why? Just because he was from the direct line, he received better conditions in every respect. How was Huo Yan inferior to those amnesiac idiots? Was it all because of birth? Whether resources or quotas, the direct line always received priority.

"No, absolutely not." Huo Yan's eyes were slightly red. Looking at the people he had summoned, he smiled with sinister delight.

Within the Huo Family, the direct line was very weak—at the very least, they had few members. Compared to the collateral branches, their strength was simply insufficient. Now that they had gathered together, they had to force the Family Head to yield, no matter what. They absolutely could not let this matter go.

Huo Yan shouted, "Everyone came here for the same reason. The Lineage has such an incredible concealed-weapon technique, so why won't they hand it over for everyone to learn? Even after Huo Hai lost his memory, he learned it so quickly. Are we all idiots, then?"

Those words immediately struck a chord. Everyone began discussing it one after another. Before long, the matter drew the attention of the Huo Family's upper ranks. So many people gathering within the Huo Family—if they still failed to notice, that would have been truly strange. They had only just finished dealing with the outsiders, and now these people were causing trouble within the Lineage. Huo Kai was feeling rather irritated.

"What are you all doing? Why are you gathered here? Go back and cultivate at once. With strength like yours, aren't you ashamed to show your faces outside?" The Huo Family placed great importance on individual martial strength. After all, it had been a Lineage founded through force.

The other elders also frowned. What exactly was going on? Why had all these people gathered together? Yet they could not say much, because many of those present were their own descendants.

"Family Head, we demand that the Lineage reveal its concealed-weapon technique and let all of us learn it. Such a powerful thing could greatly increase the Lineage's overall strength. Why can only Huo Hai learn it while we cannot?" Flame questioned loudly, as if he were brimming with confidence. Those words immediately changed Huo Kai's expression.

"Hmph. You all want to learn the concealed-weapon technique?" Everyone nodded. The law did not punish the masses. With so many people gathered here, and leaders among them, they naturally joined in. After all, this would benefit them.

"Hmph. With your temperaments and strength, you want to learn advanced techniques? What do you think the Lineage is? Must it listen to your demands?" Huo Kai wondered whether he had been too easygoing with them in the past. These people now actually dared to join forces and make trouble.

Huo Yan shouted again, "Family Head, you cannot say that. Huo Hai has only had his memories back for such a short time, yet he has already learned it. Can it be that we cannot? Or are you keeping it so only the direct line can learn it, using it to suppress the collateral branches? You do not trust us. Everyone knows that our Huo Family is the most united." That much was true.

But the Huo Family's unity was not because its members lacked their own thoughts. Rather, among the top Lineages, the Huo Family had been established for the shortest time and had the fewest members. If they did not unite, it would be easy for other Lineages to seize an opening.

Yet now, as the Huo Family's strength continued to grow—especially after this incident—the thoughts lurking in many people's hearts began to emerge. The young descendants in particular were highly competitive, and none believed himself inferior to anyone else.

Huo Kai's face turned livid. Huo Yan's words had already been a heart-piercing accusation. After Huo Yan spoke, the other elders also began to ponder. Greed shone in some of their eyes. Indeed, Huo Hai had learned it so quickly, and according to the rumors outside, even someone at the Spirit Bone Realm would be unable to evade the concealed-weapon technique Huo Hai used.

If they could use it themselves, then wouldn't there be few people in the entire Western Frontier capable of standing against them? At that time, the Huo Family would be the undisputed foremost Lineage. They could even leave the Huo Family and establish new Lineages of their own.

As long as they possessed the secret art, there would be nothing to fear. The looks in several elders' eyes began to change. They even subtly moved away, opening a distance between themselves and the Lineage. The few elders loyal to the Lineage seemed to notice the warning signs as well. Their expressions darkened as they faintly surrounded the Family Head in protection. Could the Huo Family's glorious era truly end today?

"Yes, Family Head, they are right. Such a good thing should be shared. This is not some Battle Spirit Art, merely an ordinary technique. It should not be something only the direct line can learn, should it?" In truth, there was not much of a boundary between the Huo Family's direct line and collateral branches.

An elder beside them said with a smile, "They make a great deal of sense. Such a good thing should be available for the entire Lineage to learn. You have hidden it too well. All these years, even we elders have never learned it. We did not even know the Lineage possessed such an exquisite technique. Once we learn it, who would dare say that our Huo Family does not use concealed weapons?"

The Huo Family had built itself on martial strength, so it naturally disdained things like concealed weapons. The outside world knew this: the Huo Family did not use concealed weapons. Yet Huo Hai's actions this time had completely shattered that belief.

Not only could the Huo Family use concealed weapons, but they were extraordinarily powerful. Even these family elders themselves had not known. Over the past few days, outsiders had constantly come to visit, keeping them busy and leaving them no time to consider the matter. Today, they could use this incident to force Huo Kai to yield. Once they obtained the technique, even if they truly could no longer remain, they could leave the Lineage.

Huo Kai's expression grew increasingly ugly. "Good. Very good. I never thought our Huo Family would be no worse than the He Family, producing things like you. Forget whether the Huo Family has a concealed-weapon technique— even if it does, I will not hand it over to you."

The elders' expressions began to darken. How could there possibly be none? Then what had Huo Hai used? Could it all have been fake?

"Family Head, that is not right. The rumors outside say that many people saw it. Even the wounds on their bodies were inflicted by special concealed weapons. If you say there is nothing, who would believe you? You should hand it over. Otherwise, no one will look good."

Huo Kai flew into a rage. "Want to fight? I'll accompany you! Even if I die, I'll drag you down with me. If I say there is none, then there is none. The concealed-weapon technique was created by Xiao Hai himself. If you dare use force, whoever makes a move, I will destroy him!" Huo Kai had truly gone mad. He even drew the sword at his waist. The murderous aura and spiritual pressure around him burst forth without the slightest concealment.

Several elders loyal to the Lineage also faintly showed signs of making a move. Only then did everyone remember that Huo Kai was no ordinary person—he was an expert of the Spirit Practitioner Realm. None of those harboring ulterior motives had reached the Spirit Practitioner Realm.

If they truly fought here, even combined, they would not be Huo Kai's match. Besides, the previous Family Head was currently in seclusion, attempting a breakthrough. If they drew that old man out, things would become troublesome.

They all knew how explosive the old Family Head's temper was. Huo Kai might restrain himself from acting, but the old Family Head definitely would not hesitate to wipe them all out. At this moment, even Huo Yan sensed that something was wrong.

He had originally believed that by gathering so many people, he could force Huo Kai to yield. Who would have thought Huo Kai would be so unyielding? He would rather fall out with them and kill them all than hand over the concealed-weapon technique. As for the claim that Huo Hai had created it himself, who would believe that? If such things were so easily created, would they not have created them long ago? From the depths of his heart, Huo Yan had always looked down on Huo Hai of the direct line.

"Family Head, calm down. We were merely too anxious. This is all a misunderstanding. Look, since it is a technique Xiao Hai created himself, why not bring it out and let everyone help examine and refine it?"

Hearing that elder's words, Huo Kai, whose anger had already begun to subside, was enraged once more. For the sake of the Lineage's greater interests, he had refrained from dealing with them all these years. Did they truly think he was easy to talk to?

He swung the longsword in his hand, and a blade of spiritual Sword Qi shot forth from his body. The sharp Sword Qi made the elder who had just spoken feel his hairs stand on end, an immense sense of danger enveloping his heart in an instant. Fortunately, he too was an expert of the Spirit Bone Realm, and his reaction could not be called slow. Moreover, Huo Kai had not used his full strength. He threw himself to the side, evading most of the Sword Qi.

The remaining portion swept across his shoulder, leaving a deep wound. "Ah!" With a scream, the elder who had just been speaking retreated with a pale face. No one had expected the Family Head to truly attack.

Without hesitation, without mercy—if they continued like this, the Family Head might truly carry out a purge within the Lineage. Since the Huo Family's founding, it had never undergone an internal purge. It was time to clear away the rotten shoots.

"Family Head, calm down, calm down! How can you attack a Lineage elder... Fine, fine, we'll leave now." Seeing that the Family Head intended to attack again, and knowing no one present was his match, they could only withdraw helplessly. This matter would have to be considered over the long term. If the Family Head refused to speak, perhaps very few people would ever learn the truth.

Before absolute strength, all schemes and tricks were illusory. Faced with the Family Head's pressure, these people could only retreat. But the conflict within the Lineage had already been exposed. This matter would not end so easily.

"Hmph, this is infuriating. No, I need to tell Father about this. And Xiao Hai must be protected as well. Those bastards... it seems the Lineage truly needs a thorough purge." Though he was unwilling, it had to be done. From the day every Lineage was established until it stood at the summit, it underwent countless internal purges, constantly cutting away every unhealthy sign.