177: Chapter 177 The Xiao Family

Two demon-hunting teams that had just returned from the Ten Thousand Mountains radiated a thick, pungent smell of blood, causing the surrounding pedestrians to keep a wide berth, for fear of being tainted by even a fraction of it.

Both sides had faces like ice and eyes overflowing with Killing Intent; the air between them seemed to have stagnated.

It was not until they stepped into the Yunmeng Ruins that the tension, which had been stretched to its limit, eased slightly.

Suddenly, the woman leading the Xiao Family team took a step forward. Her features were beautiful, but her words were as sharp and poisonous as venom:

"Listen clearly, Su Family! If you don't come to our door to apologize for this matter, then even if the Yunshou Alliance backs you, my Xiao Family will certainly slaughter your entire clan! Not a single man will be left alive, and every woman will be thrown into a brothel!"

These words were like cold water splashed into boiling oil, and the anger of the Su Family members instantly flared up.

"Do you really think that just because we are in the Yunmeng Ruins, we wouldn't dare to act?!"

Su Xinyou let out a thunderous roar, his eyes bloodshot.

The years of life-and-death struggle in the Ten Thousand Mountains had long since washed away the childishness from his face. He stood half a head taller than his peers, with sturdy bones and muscles. The long spear in his hand was still stained with fresh blood, and his Killing Intent was as solid as substance.

Seeing Su Xinyou's spear tip rise as he was about to burst out, Cheng Ningxiang suddenly raised her hand to stop him.

Her gaze was cold as she looked at the Xiao Family members and said icily, "It was your Xiao Family who struck first to seize the treasure, causing the loss of several lives in my Su Family."

"Your people died because they reaped what they sowed. It is you who should come to our door to apologize!"

"Others may fear your Xiao Family, but my Su Family does not hold you in any regard. If we are truly talking about clan extermination... it is your Xiao Family that should be afraid!"

Upon hearing this, Su Xinyou's blood surged even more. He shook his spear and shouted, "Aunt, why bother speaking further with these people? Just kill them!"

"Grandfather and Eldest Uncle have already given instructions: those who offend our clan must be pulled up by the roots! A mere Foundation Establishment Family—what does my Su Family have to fear from you?!"

What a "mere Foundation Establishment Family"!

The surroundings immediately erupted into an uproar. Onlookers looked at each other, inwardly drawing in cold breaths.

They had heard before that the Su Family had a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Now it seemed that this rumor was not groundless; otherwise, how could the Su Family dare to be so arrogant?

Cheng Ningxiang's willow-like brows furrowed slightly. Seeking revenge was not wrong, but how and when to kill required careful consideration.

Right now was definitely not an opportune moment to act.

If the Lingxi Sect and the Su Family joined forces with all their might, they could indeed wipe out the Xiao Family.

The problem was that the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of both families were not in the Yunmeng Ruins. Acting rashly at this moment would immediately draw the thunderous wrath of the Xiao Family's Foundation Establishment Old Ancestor.

By then, even if the Yunshou Alliance came out in full force, it would be impossible to stop a completely maddened Foundation Establishment Family.

"Good! Quite the 'pulling up by the roots', quite the 'making my Xiao Family apologize'!"

Xiao Ying laughed out loud as if she had heard a massive joke, though her laughter was laced with mockery.

"I hope your Su Family's bones are as hard as your mouths, and that you truly dare to move against my Xiao Family!"

Her face became distorted with hatred, and her eyes swept over Cheng Ningxiang and Su Xinyou as if she were looking at a group of dead people.

"I'm going back right now to report to the Family's Old Ancestor and have your Su Family exterminated! I want to see if the Yunshou Alliance will tear their face with my Xiao Family for your sake! Let's see who in this Yunmeng Ruins can save you!"

With that, she led the furious members of the Xiao Family and turned to leave with a flick of her sleeves.

Su Xinyou was young and impetuous; he could not stand such an insult and immediately raised his spear to charge forward.

"Xinyou! We'll talk about this when we get back!"

Cheng Ningxiang shouted a low warning and raised her hand to stop him.

Su Xinyou immediately felt a breath of air stuck in his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable.

But before leaving, his Fourth Uncle had enjoined him to listen to his Fourth Aunt while they were away, so he could only grit his teeth and forcibly suppress his anger.

After calming down, he realized in hindsight that he had indeed been a bit impulsive just now.

Su Xinyou was, after all, still young and straightforward, so he hadn't thought too deeply about it.

In the cultivation world, many Cultivators are easily blinded by rage, but those who have no one to advise them have mostly met their ends and seen their paths extinguished!

Private fighting was strictly prohibited within the Yunmeng Ruins market; this was a rule jointly observed by all factions.

If the Su Family were the first to act now, unless they could wipe out the Xiao Family with thunderous momentum, they would certainly be handing someone a pretext to use against them.

At that time, the Su Family would not only have to face the Xiao Family's retaliation but would also invite other Foundation Establishment Factions in the Yunmeng Ruins to join forces in holding them accountable and attacking them under the name of 'breaking market rules'. The situation would become uncontrollable.

The Su Family group suppressed their anger and returned to the base of the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce.

The earlier conflict had already become known to everyone in the Yunmeng Ruins. Su Xuanxiao, who was stationed here, had already learned the full sequence of events by the time they returned.

"Fourth Uncle! What should we do about this?" Su Xinyou asked urgently, his brows tightly locked.

In the main hall, Su Xuanxiao sat upright in the primary seat, his face handsome and his aura calm.

Zhao Wanyi and Cheng Ningxiang sat on either side of him, their gazes also fixed on him as they awaited his decision.

"The grudge will naturally be avenged," Su Xuanxiao's voice was steady and clear, "but not now."

"The Xiao Family has two Foundation Establishment Cultivators presiding over them, so they cannot be easily shaken. However, they also wouldn't dare to openly act within the Yunmeng Ruins right now."

He paused briefly and continued, "I will immediately send someone to relay the news back to the Family and leave the subsequent actions to the Family Head and the Clan Chief to decide."

The Family now had two Foundation Establishment Cultivators: one was Elder Song, and the other was his sister-in-law, Wei Yan.

However, Su Xuanxiao was not yet clear on the Family's specific arrangements or whether a Foundation Establishment Cultivator needed to remain in Qingyuan. Therefore, he could only hand the decision-making power back to his second brother and his father.

"I wonder if Eldest Brother has already succeeded in his Foundation Establishment?"

"Oh, right, and there's Father! Perhaps the old gentleman has already reached Foundation Establishment?"

Su Xuanxiao could not help but ponder in his heart.

Currently, the Su Family's situation in the Yunmeng Ruins was not optimistic.

Relying on her astonishing business talent, Ji Shulan had allowed the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce to successfully secure a foothold in just a few short years. Yet, precisely because of this rapid development, it had inevitably come into conflict with the interests of local factions.

The Xiao Family was one of them.

This attack on the Su Family during the demon hunt in the Ten Thousand Mountains was an explosion of long-accumulated grievances, simply because the Su Family had snatched away much of the Xiao Family's business.

After all, in the cultivation world, severing someone's path to wealth is akin to killing their parents.

Besides them, the Foundation Establishment Liang Family, which was on good terms with the Xiao Family, and the Baibao Pavilion, a fellow business rival, were both on unfriendly terms with the Su Family.

The Su Family was, after all, an outsider. If they hadn't made much of a stir after moving in, it would have been fine. But Ji Shulan's methods were extraordinary, causing the Su Clan Chamber of Commerce to rise rapidly in the Yunmeng Ruins and touching the Foundation of multiple parties' interests.

In commercial competition, it is difficult to avoid breeding opposition and resentment. Once a violent conflict occurs outside, the contradictions will escalate sharply, just as with the Xiao Family this time.

Just as Su Xuanxiao was concentrating on thinking whether there were any other countermeasures, a burst of noisy sounds suddenly came from outside the base, getting closer and closer.

The gazes of everyone in the hall suddenly narrowed and their auras sank slightly, thinking that it was the people of the Xiao Family coming to seek trouble so soon.

However, just as their Divine Sense was about to probe out, they saw two familiar figures walking in from outside the door at an unhurried pace.