"You..." Situ Yunlei stared at the three elders of the Situ Family in disbelief. He had never expected that, at the critical moment, it would be his own people who betrayed him.
Situ Yunlei spat out a mouthful of blood. He seemed to understand something and gave Xu Zimo a deep look.
"Everyone, I don't think I need to spell out who wanted the Situ Family Head dead, do I?" Xu Zimo said with a smile as he looked at the three Situ Family elders.
"It was the three elders..." someone muttered, still unable to believe it.
"I get it now. The three elders must have coveted the Family Head's position and joined forces to murder him," one disciple said, eyes wide as he analyzed the situation.
"Young Master Xu, this matter had nothing to do with you. Why did you insist on interfering?" the First Elder asked with a ferocious smile, advancing toward Xu Zimo step by step.
"Can't be helped. I'm just too warmhearted," Xu Zimo replied with a grin.
Then he snapped his fingers. An overwhelmingly powerful pressure descended from above, and everyone present changed expression.
Hei Shisan stood in the air, his black robes fluttering sharply. A long saber rested on his back, and a chillingly imposing aura radiated from him as he silently watched the three great elders.
Under that pressure, the three great elders discovered that they did not even have the strength to move. They were inexplicably horrified, beads of sweat streaming down their foreheads.
Xu Zimo smiled and walked over to Situ Yunqing. "Do you want to avenge your father?"
Situ Yunqing froze. Looking at the longsword Xu Zimo held out to her, she accepted it blankly.
"It's time for everything to end," Xu Zimo said seriously, patting Situ Yunqing on the shoulder.
Situ Yunqing nodded heavily, then slowly walked toward the three great elders with the sword in hand.
The expressions of the three great elders changed drastically. Then the First Elder roared in fury, "This old man has roamed the world all his life. This time, I admit defeat.
"But even if I die, I will not die by the hand of a little girl like you."
The three great elders exerted themselves at once. Waves of spiritual energy surged from their bodies one after another, briefly breaking through Hei Shisan's oppressive aura.
The three great elders all raised the longswords in their hands and stabbed them into their own abdomens.
With a pfft, the swords pierced flesh. All three spat out blood and collapsed to the ground.
"The Situ Family is finished," the onlookers nearby muttered as they watched the scene.
All of the Situ Family's high-level combat strength was gone. It would be hard for anyone to shoulder the burden now.
Xu Zimo turned to Wan Cangqiong and Wang Cheng. "Gentlemen, the Situ Family will be my force from now on.
"Will you two choose war, or peaceful development?"
The two glanced at Hei Shisan, who stood in the air, and hurriedly swallowed. Smiling, they said, "Young Master Xu, you jest. Since the Situ Family belongs to you from now on, we should naturally look after one another."
"Yes, yes, yes. We're neighbors, after all. Harmony brings wealth," Wang Cheng added with a smile.
"Fine. Have your people clean this place up," Xu Zimo said to Wan Cangqiong and Wang Cheng.
Then he looked at Situ Yunqing again and asked, "I want to leave the Situ Family in your care from now on. Are you interested?"
Situ Yunqing froze, her bright, watery eyes opening wide with disbelief.
"Don't rush to answer. Think it over carefully tonight, then give me your answer tomorrow," Xu Zimo said with a smile before leaving with Lin Ruhu and Xiao Guizi.
Although today's great battle had ended, its aftershocks were still spreading throughout Zhouque City.
Inside Linjiang Restaurant, Xu Zimo listened to Xiao Guizi's report.
"Young Master, I've already arranged matters with the Wang Family and the Wan Family. They played along with us this time, and later, I'll select two talented disciples from their clans and have them enter the True Martial Sacred Sect."
"It doesn't matter whether those two disciples are talented. But they must be direct descendants. Once they enter the sect, they'll be tied to our warship," Xu Zimo said with a nod.
"I understand." Xiao Guizi nodded and continued, "Situ Yuntian's three sons are dead. They died in today's battle. Now, the only one in the entire Situ Family qualified to inherit the Family Head's position is Situ Yunqing."
"Handle this matter more discreetly. Don't let anyone catch hold of evidence," Xu Zimo said. "I don't care much about Zhouque City itself. The key is not letting the First Elder's people find out, lest he go complain to my father."
"I understand. The manager of the Sacred Sect's Branch Hall in Zhouque City belongs to the First Elder's faction. He'll definitely pay attention to this matter," Xiao Guizi said with a nod.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
Xu Zimo fell silent for a moment, then said, "Come in."
The door opened, and the three Situ Family elders walked in, completely unscathed.
"Young Master Xu," the three elders greeted with smiles.
"Aren't you dead?" Xiao Guizi froze. He had personally watched the three elders draw their swords and stab them into their abdomens that day.
"Does being stabbed in the abdomen mean you'll definitely die? How could martial artists be so fragile, especially True Meridian Realm martial artists?" Xu Zimo said, shaking his head.
"It was all an act?" Xiao Guizi was stunned. He had thought he understood Xu Zimo's entire plan, only to discover that he had understood only half of it.
"Otherwise, why did I have the Wan Family and Wang Family clean up the scene afterward? It was precisely because I feared exposure," Xu Zimo said.
"Young Master, then the matter you promised us before..." the First Elder asked with an ingratiating smile.
"Don't worry. I'll have you join the Sacred Sect and help you break through to the Empty Meridian Realm.
"Go back first. Later, I'll have Hei Shisan take you back to the Sacred Sect under cover of night. Try not to let anyone see you, lest you expose yourselves," Xu Zimo said.
"Then thank you, Young Master," the three hurriedly nodded before withdrawing.
"For the sake of breaking through to the Empty Meridian Realm, they killed Situ Yunlei and even took the blame for killing Situ Yuntian?" Xiao Guizi asked in disbelief.
"Breaking through to the Empty Meridian Realm doesn't merely bring a surge in strength. It also grants another hundred years of lifespan. And by joining the Sacred Sect, they'll have a brighter future. Is that still not enough?" Xu Zimo asked in return. "Compared to those things, what did a tiny Situ Family amount to in their eyes?"
Xiao Guizi fell silent. His father was an Outer Sect Elder of the True Martial Sacred Sect, and he had grown up there since childhood, so he did not understand much about many things beyond it.
But now, this matter seemed to have opened a cruel skylight for him.
In truth, Xu Zimo had planned everything from the very beginning. Whether it was Situ Yunlei, Situ Yuntian, or his three sons, including the three great elders, none of them could remain in the Situ Family.
Because Xu Zimo had decided to entrust his force to Situ Yunqing, and as long as even one of those people remained, they would be a huge problem.
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