161: Chapter 161 Reactions from All Parties

Meanwhile, in the North, at the Wang Family office.

Second Elder Wang Chong's cousin, Wang Gui, was reprimanding his subordinates.

The handover work at Zhenhuang Pass was trickier than expected. Although Qin Ce was not present, that special privilege plan bore the double seals of the City Lord's Mansion and the Military Department. If they wanted to tamper with the handover process, they would need to jump through many hoops.

The subordinate hung his head while being scolded, sweat covering his forehead.

"You can't even handle such a small matter—"

Wang Gui didn't finish his sentence.

Outside the window, a pillar of light lit up, shooting straight into the sky.

Immediately following it were a second and a third.

He rushed to the window and looked at the pillars of light standing tall in the direction of Beimang Mountain. The expression on his face shifted from anger to shock, and from shock to disbelief.

Then, that aura arrived—a wild, ancient, and oppressive aura, like an invisible hand pressing down from the sky.

Wang Gui's Pet Beast, a Low-grade Gold Iron-Winged Eagle, suddenly let out a terrified screech from the next room, frantically slamming against its cage.

Wang Gui's face turned pale.

He was not someone who hadn't seen the world; he had seen the pressure of Gold Rank ferocious beasts, and he had even seen those of the Star-Glow Rank.

But this time was different. This aura was not directed at him, or even at anyone else. Its mere existence caused his whole body to stiffen, and his blood seemed to slow by half a beat.

"This is above the Transcendent Rank..." Wang Gui muttered.

He picked up the communicator on the table, his fingers trembling slightly.

...

Fengling City, City Lord's Mansion.

Jiang Tianzong was holding a meeting with his advisors.

The cleanup plan for the new territory in the West had already been decided, but the specifics of how to divide it, who to give it to, and when to distribute it still needed to be deliberated repeatedly.

The advisors argued until their faces were red. Jiang Tianzong sat in the main seat, listening, occasionally nodding, and occasionally frowning.

Then he stood up.

Everyone was stunned.

Jiang Tianzong never stood up during meetings.

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked toward the North.

The pillars of light had already extinguished, but he could feel the aura that had overflowed before that door dissipated.

He didn't see it; he felt it.

That aura had crossed hundreds of miles, passed through the barrier of Beimang Mountain, and traveled all the way from the North to Fengling City, surging silently like a tide, lapping at the edge of his perception.

Jiang Tianzong stood there, not speaking for a long time.

The advisors looked at each other; no one dared to speak.

Finally, he turned around, his voice heavy: "Something is going to happen in the North."

He paused, then added, "Energy level: God-level."

The expressions of the advisors changed in unison.

God-level energy; everyone present knew what that meant.

It meant it might be an opportunity, and it meant it might be a reshuffling. But regardless, it meant that the power structure that had lasted in Fengling City for nearly a hundred years might be completely broken in a short time.

Jiang Tianzong's gaze fell toward the North, his brow slightly furrowed.

Combining this with the rumors he had received, he couldn't help but think of the Wang Family. Could it be that they were the ones to obtain such an opportunity?

If that were the case, the small pawn he had placed earlier would need a push.

...

Zhao Family, martial arts arena.

The head of the Zhao Family, Zhao Tieshan, was sparring with the young people of the clan.

He was at the peak of Starlight, only one step away from the Bright Moon Level.

He had been trying to take that step for several years, but he couldn't break through.

The Zhao Family was currently the third-ranked family in Fengling City in terms of martial strength, behind the City Lord's Mansion and the Wang Family, and ahead of the Zhou Family and the Lin Family.

Neither high nor low, stuck in the middle.

If he could break through to the Bright Moon Level, the Zhao Family could become the true second-ranked family, and might even have a chance to wrestle with the City Lord's Mansion.

Therefore, he trained every day, fighting with the young people of the clan, fighting with his own Pet Beast, and fighting with the wooden stakes on the martial arts arena.

After fighting, he would go into seclusion, and when he came out, he would continue fighting.

Today, while he was fighting, he threw a punch, sending the young man opposite him flying over ten meters, shield and all, crashing to the ground unable to get up.

Zhao Tieshan frowned, about to curse "trash," when he felt that aura.

His fist stopped in mid-air, and his entire body seemed to be under a binding spell.

His Pet Beast, a peak Starlight Earth-Splitting Bear, went from lying down to crouching, then from crouching to standing, its ears perked up and all its fur standing on end.

Zhao Tieshan turned around and looked toward the North.

The pillars of light were gone, but he had captured the aura that had overflowed before that door dissipated.

It wasn't perception; it was instinct—the instinct of someone who had been stuck at the peak of Starlight for many years and was extremely sensitive to higher-level power.

"Transcendent?" He muttered, then shook his head. "No. Higher than Transcendent. This might be his opportunity!"

He stood there, clenching his fists.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time. It seemed this turning point was finally coming!

Zhou Family, Chamber of Commerce headquarters.

The head of the Zhou Family, Zhou Wenyuan, was flipping through account books.

The Chamber of Commerce's account books were piled high on the table, from the shops in Fengling City to the branches in surrounding towns, from resource procurement to finished product sales—every single entry had to pass through his eyes.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his subordinates; it was just a habit.

The Zhou Family was able to become the leader of the Fengling City Chamber of Commerce Alliance precisely because of this meticulousness.

When he turned to the page for the Northern trade route, the area outside the window lit up.

He looked up, saw the pillars of light on the northern horizon, and his pen paused.

He didn't rush to the window like Wang Gui, nor did he stand up like Jiang Tianzong.

He simply put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and looked toward the North for a long time.

Then he picked up the communicator on the table and dialed a number.

"Create a new contingency plan for the Northern trade route. From today on, update it once a week."

The person on the other end was stunned: "Family Head, the Northern trade route has always been very stable. Why—"

"Because it's about to change." After saying this, Zhou Wenyuan hung up the communicator.

He didn't know exactly what had happened in the North, but he knew that such a big commotion would definitely bring change.

Change meant business opportunities, but it also meant risks.

What the Zhou Family needed to do was prepare various contingency plans before the change arrived.

...

Lin Family, study.

The head of the Lin Family, Lin Zhengqing, was reading a classified report.

The Lin Family's intelligence network was not the strongest in Fengling City, but at the Federal level, it was more extensive than any other family's.

Through the hierarchical relationships within the government system, the Lin Family's reach extended to several surrounding cities, and they could even access some information at the Federal level.

The classified report described a strange occurrence—in the last three months, abnormal energy fluctuations had appeared in at least five places within the Federation.

The characteristics of the fluctuations were very similar, all pointing in the same direction.

Lin Zhengqing read the classified report twice, then picked up another document on the table; it was the preliminary report regarding the pillar of light in the North.

He placed the two documents side-by-side on the table and stared at them for a long time.

Then that aura arrived.

It came from the North, passing through the city walls, through the streets, through the walls of the Lin Family compound, and gently brushed past his window.

Lin Zhengqing closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt no shock, no surprise, and not even much emotional fluctuation.

Because he had already guessed it from the classified report.

This was God-level Ruins!

It had already appeared in other parts of the Federation, and now it was finally Fengling City's turn.

He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the small line of text at the very bottom of the classified report.

It was a note from the intelligence officer: "The appearance of the ruins will inevitably lead to a reshuffling of power. It is recommended to evaluate the risks of all parties in advance and choose a side."

Lin Zhengqing folded the classified report and put it back into the drawer.

He did not make a decision immediately.

The Lin Family was not the strongest, but it was not the weakest either.

Before the reshuffling arrived, he needed to see every card clearly.