"Fifteenth Brother, you're being too cautious."
Zhao Renchang, the middle-aged cultivator in gray robes seated at the head of the left side, slowly shook his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing a green jade counting rod at his waist. "Our Zhao Family has built its holdings in Tianfang Commandery over several generations, and now we've reached a bottleneck."
"There are only three second-tier spirit veins in the commandery, and our Zhao Family occupies just one. The other two families' strongholds, each overseen by Foundation Establishment cultivators, are protected by second-tier formations, as impregnable as walls of metal and moats of boiling water. Attack them by force?"
He sneered, his knuckles tapping the red sandalwood tabletop with dull thuds. "At what cost? Who will bear the risk of a Foundation Establishment cultivator dying? Even if we succeed, the Bixia Sect will immediately demand an accounting. We might gain nothing, only end up covered in a foul stench we can never wash off!"
He raised his teacup and took a small sip, his sharp gaze turning toward the middle-aged man opposite him, whose brows were tightly furrowed-the Zhao Family's Third Elder, Zhao Renhai.
"By contrast, the Zhou Household's roots lie in Changfeng Commandery, and they have no major formation near the northern foothills of the Heavencloud Mountain Range, which borders our Tianfang Commandery."
"More importantly, the Chu Household has already sent word. Once we make our move, they will bring their full pressure to bear on the Zhou Household and ensure one thing-Foundation Establishment cultivators will absolutely not intervene in this conflict! That is the bottom line!"
An almost imperceptible trace of excitement colored Zhao Renchang's voice. "The Chu Household won't interfere directly in the commandery's affairs, but their deterrence will make the Zhou Household's old Foundation Establishment ghosts hesitate to strike the rat for fear of breaking the vase. We need only deal with their Qi Refining cultivators! This is an opportunity that comes once in a thousand years!"
Zhao Renhai fell silent for a moment, then set down his untouched teacup, his knuckles whitening slightly from the force of his grip.
"Fourth Brother, I understand what you mean. But is there anything wrong with advancing steadily and securing each step? The lineage hasn't yet reached the end of its road, with mountains exhausted and rivers run dry, where expansion is our only choice. Resources are tight, but far from depleted."
"As for the Zhou Household..." He looked up, his eyes heavy with worry. "They've entrenched themselves in Changfeng Commandery for hundreds of years. Their reserves run deep, beyond anything our Zhao Family can match. They have numerous guest elders, and far more late-stage Qi Refining cultivators than we do."
"Their Market District is prosperous, and their stockpiles are ample. More importantly, they would be fighting on their own territory, with both the terrain and the people in their favor."
He drew a deep breath and continued, "Even with the Chu Household applying pressure to keep Foundation Establishment cultivators from intervening, this would ultimately be a war of attrition. A contest of reserves, endurance, and losses among cultivators. The longer it drags on, the worse it will be for us!"
"If the war goes badly, our clansmen suffer heavy casualties, the lineage's strength is gravely damaged, and unrest spreads within our ranks... do you think the Qian and Sun families, whom we've kept suppressed in Tianfang Commandery all this time, will stand idly by? They'll be like hyenas scenting blood, seizing the chance to pounce and tear into us! As we weaken and they grow stronger, the consequences would be unthinkable!"
He leaned forward slightly, his tone grave. "And serving as the Chu Household's blade... Fourth Brother, the Chu Household sits high above us and sees us as pawns. They're using us to hold the Zhou Household in check, but what tangible guarantees do we get?"
"The benefits they promise sound lovely, but if things go awry and the Chu Household withdraws, leaving us alone to bear the Zhou Household's wrath, those consequences... can the lineage truly afford them?"
Deye, the Zhao Family's Grand Elder, who had been sitting upright in the seat of honor with his eyes closed in repose, slowly opened them. His hair and beard were white, his features austere and timeworn. Only his eyes held a restrained brilliance, and as they opened and closed, the imposing presence of a Foundation Establishment cultivator flowed naturally from him.
He did not speak at once, merely extending fingers as withered and thin as bamboo joints to gently roll a smooth, lustrous black jade paperweight on the table. It turned slowly between his fingers with a faint rasp, as though grinding against their hearts.
A falling needle could have been heard in the hall. There was only that faint friction and the sound of their breathing. Zhao Renchang and Zhao Renhai both held their breath and focused on the Zhao Family's Grand Elder.
Old Deye's gaze passed over the two elders before settling on Zhao Renhai. His voice was calm and even, yet carried unquestionable weight. "Fifteenth, your concerns are not without reason."
"But..." His tone shifted, and he lightly tapped the paperweight with a fingertip. It instantly stopped turning, resting firmly atop a dossier on the table. "You see only the immediate threat of the Zhou Household and the Chu Household's use of us, but not the dangers farther ahead."
"Let me ask you this-" He raised his eyes, his gaze like lightning. "Within Tianfang Commandery today, do you think the rogue cultivators attached to our Zhao Family, along with those without any affiliation, have become... too numerous and mixed?"
Zhao Renhai froze at his words, then considered the matter. "Third Uncle, the number of rogue cultivators has indeed grown in recent years, especially low-level ones. It's particularly noticeable in the Market District. But... for now, they still seem manageable. They haven't reached the point of shaking the foundations of the lineage's rule."
He paused, weighing his words. "There may be many rogue cultivators, but they're a heap of loose sand, without organization or backing. They pose no substantive threat to our Zhao Family. The lineage's Enforcement Team is enough to keep them down."
Before he could finish, Zhao Deye gently shook his head, an almost imperceptible harshness flashing through his eyes. "Renhai, you're still too softhearted."
"Enough ants can bring down a dike. This surge in rogue cultivators consumes Tianfang Commandery's already limited resources, breeds plunder, strife, and chaos, and readily becomes fertile ground for infiltration by other clans. These are all seeds of future trouble."
His tone grew cold. "What's more, if we go to war with the Zhou Household, once the front becomes bogged down and our rear is left exposed, or... the war takes even a slight turn for the worse, these seemingly harmless rogue cultivators could instantly become sparks that ignite a powder keg!"
"If someone with an agenda incites them, or the Zhou Household secretly buys them off, and they stir up trouble in the heart of Tianfang Commandery, we'll face enemies within and without. Then, if the Qian and Sun families seize the moment to rise..."
He did not continue, but the chill of his unspoken meaning ran down Zhao Renhai's spine.
Zhao Deye stopped watching Zhao Renhai's shifting expression. His withered fingers took up the black jade paperweight again, and his low voice reached both men clearly. "The Chu Household's sincerity goes beyond verbal promises."
"They've already pledged that, so long as our Zhao Family acts, they will immediately provide a Foundation Establishment Pill as part of our payment once the task is accomplished."
"A Foundation Establishment Pill?!"
Both men involuntarily raised their voices, a blazing light instantly bursting into their eyes. That pill was enough to give any cultivator stuck at the perfected ninth level of Qi Refining the means to attempt Foundation Establishment.
Satisfied with their reactions, Zhao Deye continued, "That is the first point. Second, Seventh Uncle has fewer than twenty years of life remaining. This is a sharp sword hanging over our Zhao Family's head! The lineage must nurture a new Foundation Establishment cultivator as soon as possible. A Foundation Establishment Pill is hope for the future!"
He set down the paperweight and braced both hands on the edge of the table, leaning forward slightly as his hawklike gaze swept over them. "Yes, the Zhou Household's reserves are deeper than ours. If we clash head-on, our chances of victory are uncertain."
"But the Chu Household doesn't want us to destroy the Zhou Household. They want us to create chaos, tie down their attention, undermine their rule in Changfeng Commandery, and prevent them from developing in peace. We need only achieve that goal."
"Thus, the keys to this war are speed and gain!"
Zhao Deye's voice was decisive, as though cleaving iron and severing nails. "Gather the lineage's elites, unite the restless forces large and small within the commandery that can serve as cannon fodder, then drive those rogue cultivators into the vanguard!"
"Launch a surprise attack with clear targets-the Zhou Household's subordinate lineages, Market District, and mines in Changfeng Commandery! Plunder resources, destroy the Market District, seize their wealth and goods, kill as many of their fighting forces as possible, and create maximum chaos! Then withdraw to Tianfang Commandery at once!"
Cold calculation gleamed in his eyes. "Once the Zhou Household reacts, they're certain to counterattack. But we need only rely on our great formation and the layered defenses of the lineage's core territory, holding firm as we await aid!"
"We need only hold them up and drag the war into a stalemate. When the Zhou Household has spent enormous resources without achieving a decisive result, pressure from the Chu Household will follow hard on its heels. Given time, the Zhou Household will inevitably struggle to sustain the war. In the end, they can only swallow the loss, yield, and negotiate!"
"And the plundered resources, along with the Foundation Establishment Pill promised by the Chu Household, will become the means for our Zhao Family to grow stronger!"
The hall fell deathly silent. Only Zhao Deye's cold words echoed in the air, carrying an unquestionable resolve.
Zhao Renhai's expression changed several times, from shock to internal struggle, then to profound helplessness. He understood that Third Uncle had made up his mind. The lineage's future path had already been chosen.
The lure of that Foundation Establishment Pill, the urgency of Seventh Granduncle's dwindling lifespan, the desire for the lineage to expand, and the Chu Household's invisible, enormous hand... all of it converged into an irresistible torrent.
He let out a long, deep sigh, laden with far too many tangled emotions. At last, he slowly rose and bowed deeply to Zhao Deye in the seat of honor, his voice carrying an almost imperceptible trace of weariness and resignation:
"Renhai... understands. Your nephew... obeys."
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