Chapter 444 - 310: Grand Array Traps the Sword Venerable

Chapter 444: Chapter 310: Grand Array Traps the Sword Venerable

Over the years, he hadn’t actually maintained frequent contact with the Zhe Family. It was only after his grandson was killed and his legacy destroyed that he came to them for help. Although Zhe Shixun was from a side branch, his grandfather held a very high position within the Zhe Family!

Moreover, for a great family like theirs, the distinction between the direct line and side branches was no longer that important. As long as someone had the Zhe Family bloodline and possessed great strength, they would be accepted into the family’s core.

When Zhe Shixun’s grandfather heard what had happened to his great-grandson, he naturally couldn’t sit by and do nothing. It just so happened to be time for the grand gathering of families and sects, an event held only once every few decades. Thus, he discussed it with the Patriarch, planning to deal a fatal blow to that Ling Xiao after the event was over. ’He’s just some brat from the Mortal World who thinks he can be insufferably arrogant just because he’s latched onto some hidden family. A person like that... can’t he be crushed with a mere flick of a finger?’

Zhe Shiwei hadn’t given it much thought either. When Zhe Shixun had come asking for aid, he mentioned that the boy was only relying on a single Sword Emperor Powerhouse and wasn’t very strong himself. Back in Seven-colored City, a group of cultivators at the Demon Sword Master level had nearly finished Ling Xiao off for good. The one who had inflicted the most damage on the Zhe Family must have been that bald, young Sword Emperor Powerhouse!

Therefore, dispatching two Sword Emperor Powerhouses was already giving Ling Xiao and his companions more than enough credit! If not for the concern that one person would be bored, they probably would have sent just a single Sword Emperor to Penzes City!

They never expected to suffer another setback in Penzes. Fortunately, although the other side also had two Sword Emperor Powerhouses, they were not as powerful as the ones from the Zhe Family. If not for the flawless coordination between those two enemy Sword Emperors, the Zhe Family’s pair could have gone on a city-wide slaughter that day. With Tiger arriving later, the two Zhe Family Sword Emperors realized they wouldn’t gain any advantage by continuing the fight, so they retreated.

They were still recuperating from their injuries back at the family estate. What shocked Zhe Shiwei the most, however, was the death of Zhe Shixun’s grandfather and another of the family’s Tier Two Sword Emperors. And clearly, it was connected to that incident from fifteen or sixteen years ago!

Their opponent’s incredibly arrogant attitude and declaration, dripping with killing intent, were a slap across the face of every single person in the family!

This grudge had to be avenged! But as for how to do it, Zhe Shiwei and Zhe Wanqian clearly had different views.

In Zhe Shiwei’s opinion, they should quietly dispatch a dozen or so powerhouses of the Sword Emperor Realm to secretly infiltrate Penzes New City. ’What good are high city walls? To a Sword Emperor Realm powerhouse, they’re nothing but toys!’ Then, they would find Ling Xiao’s residence and swiftly slaughter his entire Ling Family. That would be the end of it!

A bloody slaughter and a powerful counterattack were the best ways to prove the Zhe Family’s strength!

And... ’What if...’ A faint thought crossed Zhe Shiwei’s mind. ’If something unexpected were to happen, the Zhe Family would still have time to react! If we can’t win, we can retreat!’

This was much better than sending a large number of powerhouses to storm Penzes City with great fanfare. If they won, people would say the Zhe Family was just flaunting its power, using such a formidable lineup to bully someone from the Mortal World. While the Zhe Family didn’t care about such talk, if it genuinely provoked the resentment of numerous hidden families and sects, leading them to ostracize the Zhe Family... the losses would clearly far outweigh the gains.

’Besides, nothing is absolute. What if we were to lose?’ Although Zhe Shiwei himself couldn’t believe such a thing was possible. ’If Ling Xiao really possessed such strength, wouldn’t he have become famous long ago? How could a snot-nosed brat possibly possess such immense power? But then, how does one explain the two who died?’

For a moment, both Zhe Shiwei’s and Zhezhong Tang’s minds raced, hoping the old ancestor would take back his words. But to their disappointment, when Zhe Wanqian saw that everyone had fallen silent, he couldn’t help but say with a smug tone, "That’s more like it! You have to be ruthless with your enemies! We’ll make it crystal clear to all those other families and sects what happens when you provoke the Zhe Family. Hmph hmph... a miserable end awaits them!"

Zhezhong Tang sighed, then stood up and said, "Since Third Uncle is so insistent, I cannot stop you. I have recently been researching a type of elixir and am still missing several ingredients, so I will not be participating in this affair." With that, he gave Zhe Wanqian a respectful bow and turned to leave.

Zhe Wanqian’s eyes narrowed, a glint flashing within them. He watched Zhezhong Tang walk out before sneering, "Heh heh, what a regressive old fool! A coward, afraid of death! Hmph, forget it! Just look at the expressions on your faces! A mere boy from the Mortal World has scared you all this badly. None of you will go. I, your Old Ancestor, will make the trip myself! I’d like to see if this Penzes City is truly a dragon’s lair and a tiger’s den! To think it could frighten two generations of Zhe Family Patriarchs into silence!"

"Old Ancestor, I will go with you! I must avenge my grandfather and my grandson!" Zhe Shixun shot to his feet, his eyes bloodshot. At this point, he had thrown all caution to the wind. His hatred for Ling Xiao was deeper than any ocean, higher than any mountain! Until the day he could kill that fiend with his own hands, he would know no peace!

"HAHAHAHA!" Zhe Wanqian let out a booming laugh. Then, a look of supreme arrogance in his eyes, he looked down on the current Patriarch, Zhe Shiwei.

Zhe Shiwei remained composed. Although he only had the power of a Tier Five Sword Emperor, his Mental Cultivation was approaching the sixth tier. He was annoyed by the Old Ancestor’s mocking gaze, but he was long past the age of making rash, hot-blooded promises. Lowering his head slightly, he thought, ’It’s for the best that the old man is handling this himself! The Zhe Family has so many Sword Emperor Realm powerhouses, and I’m already on the verge of breaking through to the sixth tier. It seems I’ll be able to pass on the position of Patriarch soon enough. As long as I can face our forefathers with a clear conscience when my time comes, that’s all that matters.’