Chapter 90: Clan Annihilation

After the array shattered, it was time for blades to meet flesh. Fang Qingyuan signaled for She Xi Yu to avoid the enemy Patriarch, directing him to choose a few Qi Refining Cultivators as his opponents instead.

She Xi Yu couldn’t have been happier with this arrangement. He sidestepped the enemy’s difficult main force and led the She Family disciples to surround five or six of their cultivators.

A moment later, under a sky full of Magical Artifacts, the Qi Refining Cultivators surrounded by the She Family were all slain on the spot, leaving none alive.

Some begged for mercy, some cursed, and others tried desperately to flee, but it was all in vain.

Many of them died without ever knowing the real reason their family was being exterminated. The decision to collude with the Artifact Talisman Alliance had been made by just a few leaders, including their Patriarch.

From their perspective, their deaths were a terrible injustice, but this was the reality of their world. The Beast Taming Sect could not afford to leave any loose ends or survivors. When a job needed doing, it had to be done cleanly and completely.

After the brief battle, things grew quiet on Fang Qingyuan’s side, and he watched the ongoing fight in the center of the battlefield from a distance.

A quarter of an hour later, a final, bloodcurdling scream from the Sen Family Patriarch tore through the air, and then the area fell silent once more. Only then did Fang Qingyuan smile and say:

"Excellent work, everyone. But this is no time to relax. Please search the area for any fish that slipped through the net. While you’re at it, gather up all their wealth."

The She Family members accepted the order, forming teams of three to go and plunder the valuables. Meanwhile, She Xi Yu collected the storage bags from the bodies of the Sen Family disciples strewn across the clearing and brought them before Fang Qingyuan.

"Steward Fang, these are the spoils. As for how to distribute them, we await your decision."

Fang Qingyuan glanced at She Xi Yu and said:

"Didn’t we already agree on this? For solo kills, the loot belongs to the individual. For group kills, the loot is split evenly. Just distribute it according to that rule."

She Xi Yu nodded in agreement, and the way he looked at Fang Qingyuan changed slightly. ’No matter how grand the promises,’ he thought, ’how many people actually honor them when faced with a pile of treasure?’

Just then, Zhang Yuan took out a wine flask, and after a few sips, he said:

"A prepared force ambushing an unprepared one, and with a three-to-one advantage in numbers at that. This battle was an easy win. Still, we’ve made such a commotion. You’d think the Luo Family across the way would come take a look, wouldn’t you?"

Fang Qingyuan’s gaze shifted to the distant Luo Family position. He saw that their Mountain Protection Array was already active, but no one was coming over. He lowered his voice and said:

"The Luo Family wouldn’t dare. The fighting at Celestial Attraction Mountain has been going on for nearly a year. If they wanted to make a move, they would have done so long ago. As it is, they’ve just been in a standoff with us. We all have a tacit understanding. It’s a pity the Sen Family couldn’t read the situation. They were simply served up as a goodwill gesture."

After hearing Fang Qingyuan’s analysis, Zhang Yuan sighed.

"When will days like these ever end? For the past few years, ever since the Elder Dean passed away, our Beast Taming Sect has been like a whipped top, spinning endlessly, never knowing a moment of peace."

Fang Qingyuan fell silent at this. Finally, he said in a strained voice:

"You and I are just pawns. Even with the title of Beast Taming Sect disciple, how much freedom do we really have? Once you join a sect, you’re no different from a leashed dog. If they tell you to go out and bite someone and you refuse, then there’s no reason for them to keep feeding you."

As soon as Fang Qingyuan finished, Zhang Yuan coughed abruptly, signaling that She Xi Yu was still present. Fang Qingyuan just smiled. She Xi Yu, understanding the cue, tactfully turned his head away, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.

The scene fell quiet again. After a moment, Li Fire and Xie Wood approached.

The two of them had led the Cultivator Clans they’d summoned to crack the toughest nut. Although their gains were substantial, they had also lost several men.

Seeing the expressions on the faces of the Foundation Establishment Family Masters trailing behind the pair, Fang Qingyuan knew at once that Li Fire and Xie Wood had skimmed a considerable amount off the top of the spoils.

It wasn’t his place to say anything about it, however. So, Fang Qingyuan took the initiative and said:

"Senior Brothers, since the Sen Family has been dealt with, we’ll be taking our leave. The She Family’s defended Land Realm is currently empty, and we can’t risk anyone noticing and taking advantage of the opening."

Li Fire let out a hearty laugh and asked:

"Not staying a bit longer, Junior Brother? The Sen Family’s territory is bound to have some good things."

Fang Qingyuan shook his head, politely refusing. ’This whole affair was an errand assigned by Zhao Liangde,’ he thought. ’I just had to show up and do my part. Now that the situation is resolved, why should I stick around for the cleanup? I’d be better off returning to my cultivation. I haven’t even finished today’s practice.’

Seeing that Fang Qingyuan was determined to leave, Li Fire and Xie Wood didn’t insist he stay. With one less party to split the profits with, the two of them would get a larger share.

A quarter of an hour later, Fang Qingyuan led the She Family away, leaving without a hint of reluctance. As Li Fire and Xie Wood watched his departing figure, they exchanged a glance, and smiles bloomed on both their faces.

.....

After parting ways with the She Family, Fang Qingyuan returned to his residence with Zhang Yuan. By the next day, news of the Sen Family’s annihilation had spread throughout the Military Array Great Stronghold, sparking widespread discussion.

Only then did Zhao Liangde present a series of evidence. Complete with both witness testimonies and material proof, it managed to quell some of the doubts.

But the atmosphere in the great stronghold was no longer as relaxed as before; worry was etched on every face.

’After a six-month standoff, who would have thought that the greatest casualties would be inflicted by their own side?’

「Three days later.」

Fang Qingyuan was summoned by Zhao Liangde. This time, however, he wasn’t being sent to deal with someone; instead, Zhao Liangde presented him with a generous reward.

"These are assets seized from the raid on the Sen Family’s ancestral home in the Southern Border. You put in the work, so you deserve a share. Take it."

Fang Qingyuan accepted the storage bag and thanked him, then asked curiously:

"The Sen Family’s descendants... how will you handle them, Senior Uncle?"

Zhao Liangde said casually:

"The remaining Sen Family Cultivators will be sent to the mines. The mortals will be broken up and scattered among the other families. In less than ten years, the Sen Family’s mark will be completely erased. As for their Spiritual Land... I’m thinking of relocating a few more families here from Zongshan. Relying on the original vassal families... they’re just not loyal enough."

After these recent events, Zhao Liangde had come to see Fang Qingyuan as a confidant and no longer hid certain information from him, speaking his mind freely.

Upon hearing this, Fang Qingyuan thought to himself, ’The Sen Family’s greatest sin wasn’t colluding with the Artifact Talisman Alliance. They were annihilated because their wealth stirred Zhao Liangde’s greed.’

’Wiping out a sect or a Cultivation Clan yielded immense wealth. The Spirit Stones alone were counted by the tens of thousands. Then there were the Spirit Fields painstakingly managed by generations, the Scripture Pavilion, various shops, and the treasures piled up in warehouses and secret vaults. All tallied, the total would easily reach seventy or eighty thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.’

’If you added the value of the Sen Family’s First-rank Middle Grade Spirit Land, the total was more than enough to motivate Zhao Liangde to make his move.’

Fang Qingyuan didn’t care about the fall of the Sen Family. All he cared about now was the value of his share.

After leaving Zhao Liangde’s residence, Fang Qingyuan immediately opened the storage bag. A single sweep with his Divine Sense was enough to leave him disappointed. Inside were fewer than two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones—even less than what the She Family had given him before.

*Sigh.* ’With a stingy superior like Zhao Liangde, I guess I can’t expect too much.’ He shoved the storage bag into his robes and trudged sullenly back toward his own camp.