Chapter 443 - 310: Grand Array Traps the Sword Venerable

Chapter 443: Chapter 310: Grand Array Traps the Sword Venerable

"This..."

Zhe Shiwei glanced at the excited Zhe Shixun. In terms of bloodline, Zhe Shixun belonged to a side branch of the Zhe Family. While he had reached the Tier Three Sword Emperor Realm, his standing within the family was unremarkable. This time, however, his branch had suffered catastrophic losses. First, their foundation in the Mortal World was all but destroyed and his grandson was killed. Then, his own grandfather had his limbs severed by an enemy, his torso turned into a "human cudgel" and hung from the city walls. Of course, there was long-standing enmity between them, but people have double standards. They rarely remember what they’ve done to others, but if someone defies them in the slightest, they hold a grudge forever.

Besides, this was a blood feud of the deepest kind. As such, Zhe Shiwei didn’t vent his frustrations on his distant kinsman. He also knew that no matter what Zhe Wanqian said about him, he was still the Patriarch of the Zhe Family. That was beyond question. Zhe Shixun wouldn’t dare openly challenge his authority, no matter how brave he was.

Zhe Shiwei wasn’t opposed to revenge in the slightest. In fact, warlike blood flowed through his veins. But he now bore the weight of the entire Zhe Family’s safety and couldn’t possibly act on impulse. As for Zhe Wanqian, the family’s ancestor, he was infamous for his explosive temper. Of course, that was a reputation earned over a century ago, a time when he had made countless enemies. Over the years, Zhe Wanqian’s old foes had gradually died off. The few who remained had entered long-term seclusion, losing the fierce, combative spirit of their youth. With no enemies left to fight, Zhe Wanqian had also gone into seclusion. However, once a person reached the Sword Venerable Realm, simply training day and night was not enough to advance. Without great wisdom and true talent, improving was an incredibly difficult task.

’It seems the passage of time hasn’t mellowed Zhe Wanqian’s temper one bit. He was a hothead back then, and he’s still a hothead now!’ Zhe Shiwei grumbled internally, though he dared not let a trace of disrespect show on his face. If he truly provoked this ancestor into slapping him in front of everyone, he might as well give up his position as Patriarch.

’Knowing his ancestor, he was more than capable of doing something like that!’

Just because Zhe Shiwei remained silent didn’t mean everyone agreed with Zhe Wanqian. At the round table sat a skeletal old man whose eyelids had been drooping the entire time, as if he were half-asleep. His face was sallow, his hair was sparse, and a hand like a withered branch rested on the tabletop, looking for all the world like a skeleton’s. His ancient face was so gaunt it was almost unrecognizable, giving him a sinister, terrifying appearance. If he went too long without speaking, one could easily mistake him for a corpse.

Upon hearing the words of the Sword Venerable ancestor, the old man’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He shook his head slightly and said, "Third Uncle, your demand is improper. Extremely... improper!"

Zhe Wanqian’s eyes flew wide open, and two beams of almost tangible light shot toward the withered old man’s face. The old man’s eyelids remained drooped, as if he hadn’t even noticed Zhe Wanqian’s furious glare. He continued speaking, "As of now, our Zhe Family has only twenty-five or twenty-six experts in the Sword Emperor Realm. If we dispatch twenty of them at once, our family’s forces will be dangerously depleted. Things are different now; many more eyes are watching our family. That aside, even with you here to hold down the fort, Third Uncle, that brat from the Mortal World managed to silently kill two of our Sword Emperor experts. Shouldn’t that alone give you pause?"

Seeing the old man speak up, Zhe Shiwei breathed a secret sigh of relief. ’Finally,’ he thought, ’someone who dares to challenge the ancestor’s proposal.’ The speaker, the skeletal old man, was named Zhezhong Tang, and his status was anything but ordinary. In terms of seniority, he was Zhe Wanqian’s own nephew! Furthermore, he was currently the only Tier Six Sword Emperor in the Zhe Family, which meant he was the one with the greatest hope of becoming the family’s third Sword Venerable.

Seventy or eighty years ago, he had even served as the Patriarch of the Zhe Family for a long time. He later stepped down to focus on his cultivation after a breakthrough, passing the position to someone else. For all these reasons, Zhezhong Tang held a position of immense importance within the Zhe Family.

Even the ancestor, Zhe Wanqian, had to give his words serious consideration.

Today, however, Zhe Wanqian was clearly in no mood for reason. He rolled his eyes and sneered, "Give me pause? What are you trying to say, brat? I’m a Sword Venerable! Do I really need to be wary of some snot-nosed kid from the Mortal World? Zhezhong Tang, Zhezhong Tang, how is it that the stronger you get, the more cowardly you become? You’re fucking regressing with age! Hmph. You think this ancestor doesn’t know? That kid is just relying on the Sea Domain Song Family. And is their ancestor, Song Xi, so tough? He was nothing more than a loser I beat back in the day! If he dares get involved in this matter, I... I’ll personally guarantee he goes straight to hell!"

Zhezhong Tang’s face was a mask of helplessness. ’What’s gotten into Third Uncle?’ he wondered. ’I’ve never seen him act like this.’ Zhe Wanqian was well aware of his own flaws; though his power had reached an incredible level, his temper was still as explosive as ever. When it flared, no one could restrain him. That was precisely why he hadn’t involved himself in family affairs for many years.

Even before this, there hadn’t been a consensus within the Zhe Family about attacking Ling Xiao in the Mortal World; quite a few members had been opposed to it. The Zhe Family of Seven-colored City, while technically a branch, operated as a completely independent family. With his Tier Three Sword Emperor cultivation, Zhe Shixun should have been more than capable of ensuring his family’s preeminent status in Seven-colored City on his own.