174: Chapter 174 The Zhou Family

Facing Fei Luo's teasing, Lin Qing just spread his hands and smiled.

In fact, Lin Qing did not consider himself ruthless; most of the time, he was simply returning tit for tat. What those people had done to others in the past was far worse than what Lin Qing had done to them.

The Li Family prepared another banquet that evening to host Lin Qing and the others. It was not for celebration; everyone knew clearly that the matter was far from over. Their purpose in holding the banquet was to keep Lin Qing and his group there.

Those high-ranking members of the Li Family who did not yet know that Li Yaqing had reached a deal with Lin Qing were terrified that Lin Qing would simply leave after giving Zhou Yichen a beating.

At the same time, inside the Zhou Family's great hall thousands of miles away, the silence was suffocating.

Seated on the main throne above the great hall was the current head of the Zhou Family, Zhou Yichen's father, Zhou Fentian.

This head of the Family, who had governed the Zhou Family for over a hundred years and whose cultivation had also reached the God Realm, currently had a face ashen with rage. His eyes surged with monstrous fury as he stared fixedly at Zhou Yichen, whose aura was withered below the hall.

Zhou Yichen's fine brocade robes had long since been shredded into rags, and his exposed skin was covered in bruises and various pinch marks. He lay on the ground, his face deathly pale, his whole body trembling, with an indelible sense of humiliation and unwillingness lingering between his brows.

On both sides of the great hall sat the clan's Elders, retainers, and other high-ranking members. These Cultivators, usually calm and composed, were now red-eyed, with baleful Qi surging around them.

"Simply arrogant to the extreme!"

The suffocating silence was finally shattered by a roar. The one who spoke was the Zhou Family's Grand Elder, also a Ninth Rank Cultivator. He slammed his hand onto the wooden table beside him, his voice filled with bone-chilling killing intent.

"My Zhou Family has stood in the Central Continent for hundreds of years; when have we ever suffered such great humiliation?!"

"A brat who popped out from who knows where dares to publicly torture our Zhou Family's Second Young Master, regarding our Zhou Family's dignity as nothing. If we don't avenge this, how will our Zhou Family stand in the Central Continent in the future?"

Another Elder stood up to echo him:

"The Second Young Master is ranked fifth on the young master ranking. Today's matter will spread throughout the entire Central Continent before long. By then, who knows how many people will be secretly laughing at our Zhou Family. We must strike immediately and retaliate with thunderous force!"

For a moment, the crowd was incensed, and noisy voices resounded throughout the great hall.

"We must take revenge; this enmity is irreconcilable!"

"We cannot let him die too easily; we must let everyone in Cangming City see the consequences of provoking our Zhou Family!"

Zhou Fentian, seated on the main throne, remained silent throughout, allowing his clansmen to vent their rage, though his eyes grew increasingly cold and sinister. When the shouting in the hall gradually subsided, Zhou Fentian slowly raised his hand, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall.

"Revenge must naturally be taken, but according to what Number Five said, the other side also has high-ranking experts. We must absolutely not lower our guard."

Just when the others thought the Family head would say something about conducting an investigation first, Zhou Fentian changed the subject.

"Therefore, we must not only act with thunderous force, but also strike with full strength. Do not give the other side a chance to react; strive to succeed in one blow!"

"Xiaer, go send a message to your father. Tell him the truth about the matter and ask him to go to Cangming City first thing tomorrow morning."

Xiaer was Zhou Yichen's wife, and her Family was a power similar to the Zhou Family. Xiaer was also standing on the side of the great hall at this moment. Although her relationship with Zhou Yichen was not harmonious, they were husband and wife after all. After acknowledging Zhou Fentian's instructions, she turned and walked out of the great hall to contact her father.

The Elders in the hall had already stood up, each one surging with Battle Intent. Zhou Fentian continued:

"Grand Elder, you go to Cangming City immediately and greet the people there."

After all, the Li Family estate was inside the city, and Cangming City was currently conducting the Secret Realm qualification tests. To start a war with the Li Family, they had to notify those super powers first, and might even need to obtain their consent. However, such matters could be handled by spending a large amount of Spirit Stones, so there would be no obstacles.

"Third Elder, you are responsible for coordinating the personnel. Tomorrow morning, we march on the Li Family."

The Grand Elder and the Second Elder bowed in unison to acknowledge the order.

After the arrangements were made, Zhou Fentian was about to leave, but the Second Elder asked:

"Family Head, what about the Eldest Young Master?"

Zhou Yichen was the Second Young Master, so naturally, there was an Eldest Young Master.

Zhou Fentian stopped in his tracks and pondered for a moment.

"Just send a message to inform him; he doesn't need to come back. His return wouldn't be of much significance."

The Zhou Family's Eldest Young Master, Zhou Rulong, was already a Ninth Rank Cultivator, but his age had long exceeded two hundred, so he was not on the young master ranking.

Zhou Rulong was even more gifted than Zhou Yichen; he had achieved a Breakthrough to the God Realm before he was two hundred years old, and was currently expanding the Zhou Family's territory elsewhere.

It was precisely because of Zhou Rulong's existence that Zhou Yichen had been reduced to the candidate for the marriage alliance with Xiaer.

A cup of tea later, Zhou Fentian arrived in front of a stone gate in the back mountain of the Family. He bowed respectfully and said:

"Father, Chen'er's cultivation was crippled by someone outside, and he was even humiliated in the street. I have decided to go avenge him tomorrow, but the other side has a Tenth Rank expert, so I need you and Second Uncle to take action."

The stone gate instantly exploded, and an old man with gray hair rushed out from inside. As a God Realm expert, he was so aged that it was not hard to see that he was nearing the end of his lifespan.

"Chen'er, how is Chen'er? Who is it? Who dared to lay a hand on him?"

Perhaps this was the affection between generations; it was clear that this old man cherished Zhou Yichen deeply.

...

The next day, Lin Qing sat in the pavilion in the courtyard drinking tea early in the morning. He knew the Zhou Family's retaliation would come soon, so he did not practice the Formation.

Sure enough, just as the sun rose, a roar came from outside the Zhou Family estate:

"Brat Lin Qing, come out and die!"

Lin Qing smiled faintly, put down the teacup in his hand, and flashed into the sky above the Li Family estate.

Looking ahead, a team of dozens from the Zhou Family stood in the sky in the distance, facing Lin Qing across the air. Among them were five Ninth Rank Cultivators, and the rest were all Spirit Realm.

Fei Luo suddenly appeared beside Lin Qing, looking at her fingernails, and said indifferently:

"A bunch of God Realm experts coming to bully a junior, do you take me, Dongxuan, for having no one?"

The tone of the last three words suddenly intensified, and then a Tenth Rank pressure spread out, forcing the Zhou Family members opposite to retreat several zhang.

"Fellow Daoist, your opponents are us!"

An old voice came from higher up in the sky. Looking up, two figures were looming in the clouds.

Hum—!

A sword hum came from the Li Family estate below, followed by a towering Sword Intent that surged towards the two people high in the sky. Yun Feng appeared beside Lin Qing and Fei Luo and said to Fei Luo:

"Let me handle this! You protect Lin Qing."

Although they were both at the Tenth Rank Late Stage, in the path of slaughter, Yun Feng, who had mastered Sword Intent, was clearly a bit stronger than Fei Luo. Although the two on the opposite side were only at the Tenth Rank Middle Stage, Fei Luo might really not be able to handle them alone.