42: Overt strategy

The news of the Liu Family's Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor's demise instantly spread throughout Qingyuan Town.

Qizhi Peak, Yang Family.

Zhou Kaiding and Yang Huaiyuan sat facing each other, a tea set placed between them.

Yang Huayuan waved his right hand, and a flame appeared beneath the tea set, heating the spiritual water in the pot.

Heating the pot, adding tea, warming the cups... After a whole set of procedures, the high-grade spiritual tea, combined with Yang Huaiyuan's tea-making skills, instantly filled the air with a rich aroma, wafting directly into Zhou Kaiding's nose and mouth, making his mouth water.

Zhou Kaiding said helplessly, "Brother Yang, with such a major event happening, how can you still be in the mood to leisurely brew tea?"

Yang Huaiyuan paused his actions upon hearing this.

Then, he resumed his movements.

He said indifferently, "What do these troubles have to do with us? Since we've decided to stay out of it, why bother worrying ourselves?"

Yang Huaiyuan smiled freely, possessing the demeanor of an enlightened immortal.

This attitude left Zhou Kaiding bewildered, and he thought to himself, 'Did Brother Yang take the wrong Medicinal Pill while Cultivating?'

Seeing Zhou Kaiding's incredulous and bewildered expression, Yang Huaiyuan could only give a helpless wry smile.

"The Liu Family actually took the initiative to spread the news of Liu Minzhao's death; there must be their own considerations behind this."

"Although we are in the midst of it, we know nothing about the Liu Family's plans."

"After all, our two Families have shallow Foundations, and no reliable connections within the Liu Family to inquire, so we can only respond to all changes by remaining unchanged."

"We only hope that the Liu Family's schemes do not include our two Families."

Yang Huaiyuan finally finished brewing a pot of tea, extinguished the flame, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup into the teacup in front of Zhou Kaiding, sighing as he spoke to him.

Zhou Kaiding heard this, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and pondered.

He had also been momentarily shocked by the news the Liu Family suddenly released.

That's why he rushed to find Yang Huaiyuan, wanting to ask for his views and opinions.

After all, Yang Huaiyuan's intelligence was more well-informed than the Zhou Family's.

However, now that even Yang Huaiyuan could only wait and see, Zhou Kaiding also had no good ideas.

He could only constantly pay attention to the news from Qingyuan Town to understand the changes.

The reactions of the Li, Wang, and other Five Families' people upon receiving this news were similar to Zhou Kaiding's.

They didn't know what the Liu Family was up to.

"Investigate!"

Voices came from within several Families.

Someone took the order and left.

Several days later, those sent by each Family to investigate returned with reports: Liu Minzhao had indeed perished.

After confirming the news, the Clan Chiefs of the Five Families had various thoughts flash through their minds.

Several days later, people from the Five Families successively went out, avoiding public attention, and met in secret.

One month later.

The Liu Family held a funeral for Old Ancestor Liu Minzhao.

Zhou Kaiding brought Zhou Licheng and went to Canshu Peak with Yang Huaiyuan.

He brought Zhou Licheng because Zhou Licheng was, after all, the eldest son of the Zhou Family, and the oldest, so he would eventually have to manage the Family.

Therefore, he took this opportunity to bring him out to meet the many Fellow Daoists of Qingyuan Town.

Along the way, Zhou Kaiding and Yang Huaiyuan discussed the news from the past month.

Qingyuan Town was abuzz with discussions, some worried, some troubled, but the people of the Five Families seemed not to have heard the news at all.

They all remained silent and still, not knowing what they were contemplating.

Canshu Peak, Liu Family, was draped in white.

The Liu Family members all wore black clothes, black headscarves, and had solemn expressions; the usual spiritual birds and exotic beasts were nowhere to be seen.

The atmosphere was desolate, far from the prestige and demeanor of a Foundation Establishment Family of the past.

The Liu Family's welcoming disciples, with sorrowful expressions, led Zhou Kaiding and the other two into a grand hall.

At this time, many people were already in the hall, all Cultivators and Fellow Daoists from the Qingyuan Town area.

Seeing Zhou Kaiding and Yang Huaiyuan arrive, they all nodded in greeting.

After all, both of them had considerable reputations and were acquainted with many Fellow Daoists.

People from the Li, Wang, and other Five Families also came, each led by an Elder, followed by a young Cultivator.

These were generally outstanding young disciples of the Families, brought both to gain experience and to display the strength of each Family.

Although these young disciples were not old, their cultivation was impressive, indicating that there were successors.

The Elders of the Five Families all looked sorrowful and solemn, as if the deceased was a close friend or relative of theirs.

This scene made Zhou Licheng inwardly curl his lip, gaining a deeper understanding of going through the motions.

There was no visible gap between the two sides.

The funeral began, and each Family took turns offering condolences. Looking at the figure in the coffin, it was indeed the likeness of Old Ancestor Liu Minzhao, with all life force gone and his Aura dissipated.

Everyone saw it with their own eyes, once again confirming that Old Ancestor Liu Minzhao had indeed died.

Zhou Kaiding's expression was complex, and he found the meaning even more unfathomable.

After the funeral, Liu Minzhao was buried in the Liu Family's ancestral land, his memorial tablet entered the ancestral hall, and another page was added to the Family genealogy.

The funeral ended, and Zhou Kaiding returned to the Zhou Family with Zhou Licheng.

Zhou Licheng had grown much from what he witnessed on this trip; it turned out that those who sought immortality and the Dao were no different from mortals, engaging in feigned civility and going through the motions.

One month later.

Zhou Kaiding was currently stationed in the Green Spirit Pavilion in the Lake Heart Island Market.

A sudden commotion and noise attracted Zhou Kaiding's attention.

Zhou Kaiding went outside the Green Spirit Pavilion and saw that people from nearby shops were also like him, coming out to look.

"Fellow Daoist Xia, do you know what happened?"

Zhou Kaiding asked a young Cultivator who had rushed over.

"I heard someone attacked one of the Wang Family's shops and stole many Spirit Stones."

What?

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kaiding and the reactions of the surrounding shopkeepers were identical, all looking incredulous.

This Market was personally controlled by the Liu Family, with a Liu Family Elder at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining stationed there year-round.

Since the Zhou Family established itself here, no Cultivator had dared to do such a thing in the Market.

Sure enough, in just a moment, several figures left the Market; these were the Liu Family Cultivators stationed here.

They were basically all Cultivators at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining or above.

The leader was a white-haired man, but with a powerful Aura; he was precisely the Liu Family Second Elder currently stationed in the Market.

Zhou Kaiding had only seen this Second Elder a few times, and the two were not well acquainted.

A few moments later, the Liu Family members returned, carrying three bloody heads, their eyes filled with fear.

A Liu Family Cultivator hung these three heads outside the Market.

They also returned the recovered Spirit Stones to the Wang Family.

The matter was supposed to end here.

But a few days later, the Wang Family released news.

The Wang Family stated that such a heinous incident had occurred within the Market controlled by the Liu Family.

This was a provocation and disrespect towards the Liu Family and all the various Families of Qingyuan Town.

Their tone was filled with righteous indignation.

Then, their words shifted, expressing concern about the occurrence of such incidents; this time, it was still fine, only damaging one shop.

But if rogue Cultivators were to commit murder again next time, wouldn't even the life safety of all Fellow Daoists be unguaranteed? How could this Market establish itself in the surrounding areas?

As soon as this statement was released, it received responses from many Families, all expressing concern about it.

When Zhou Kaiding heard this news and meticulously understood those Families, he then laughed wryly.

So, that was their intention.

Zhou Kaiding thought to himself.

As expected, a few days later, the Li, Wu, Feng, and Sun Families also successively made their voices heard.

The entire Qingyuan Town was in an uproar.

Even the number of Cultivators in the Lake Heart Island Market decreased significantly.

By this time, the Wang Family Clan Chief reappeared, proposing to invite all Fellow Daoists to discuss this matter together, and sent the message to the Liu Family.