Chapter 76: Inquire

Fortunately, Ethan Chen did not disappoint Noah Ji; he was still his little admirer.

With his current vitality, there was still hope.

While the two clans had not yet gone to war, he needed more vitality.

If he relied solely on absorbing the lunar eclipse, it would be impossible to improve quickly.

Only by continuing the sacrifices of the Chen Clan could he succeed.

Unfortunately, Deduction Points couldn’t be obtained quickly; otherwise, he could continue his deductions.

But even with sufficient vitality, Noah Ji wasn’t overly confident in facing the unknown strength of the Liu Family.

Under the moonlight, the glowing sophora leaves around Noah Ji carried a hint of sorrow.

The next day, without waiting for Noah Ji’s signal, Ethan Chen had already begun the sacrifices, planning to do so daily.

Elijah Chen and the others were puzzled. Previously, sacrifices were made every seven days; why had it suddenly changed to daily?

Even though the clan currently had enough livestock and food was still adequate, the upcoming winter would make it hard to obtain food. Considering the long-term, even if sacrifices were necessary, they didn’t need to be so frequent.

However, when several Blood Condensation Realm Warriors in the clan learned about the natural Blood Spring, their expressions changed drastically, and they no longer had any doubts.

The many clan members originally assigned to the fertile fields were all called back by Ethan Chen to continue tempering their bodies and strengthening their power.

Whether this crop of Blood Rice could be harvested was no longer the main issue for the clan.

Protecting the clan, guarding the Sacred Tree, and preserving the natural Blood Spring were the imminent tasks the clan had to face.

Although many clan members were unaware of what had happened, they could sense a bit of tension from the atmosphere and began to train diligently.

…

Two days later.

In the Liu Family, a figure was curiously looking around, a hint of excitement on his face. Watching the person leading the way, Terry Tian couldn’t help but ask:

“Sir, how much further do we have to go?”

“We’re almost there. Don’t ask unnecessary questions. If your answers satisfy the Clan Chief, our Liu Family won’t mind having one more mouth to feed.”

Hearing the promise from the person in front of him, Terry Tian’s face lit up with joy.

Since failing the house servant assessment of the Chen Clan, he had returned to his village. Unexpectedly, today, someone from the Liu Family had come to find him.

The Liu Family, a major clan of Disordered Burial Mountain, though usually low-key, seemed more powerful than the Chen Clan from the strict security he observed.

If he could join the Liu Family, his treatment might be even better than in the Chen Clan!

Gold will shine eventually!

And Terry Tian was that piece of gold, hidden from view!

Thinking about meeting the Liu Clan Chief soon, Terry Tian felt a bit nervous and unconsciously rubbed his hands together.

“We’re here. Go in.”

“Terry Tian greets the Clan Chief!”

Entering the room, Terry Tian bowed deeply.

“Hmm, I heard you were a house servant in the Chen Clan. Tell me everything you saw.”

Hearing the Liu Clan Chief’s inquiry, Terry Tian felt a bit puzzled but, recalling the earlier promise, immediately began to speak.

During their conversation, the Liu Clan Chief occasionally responded, and his gentle tone gradually eased Terry Tian’s initial nervousness, prompting him to share every detail he had seen.

“Their house servant assessment is all fake.”

“Someone like me…”

As he spoke, Terry Tian became emotional but refrained from boasting about his excellence, considering he was speaking to the Liu Clan Chief.

“Good, very good.”

“I understand most of what you’ve said. You may leave now.”

“Thank you, Clan Chief!”

Terry Tian thanked him again, then excitedly followed the person who had led him away.

The recent conversation had allowed him to reveal the Chen Clan’s unfairness. Judging by the situation, the Liu Clan Chief seemed quite satisfied with him, making his entry into the Liu Family almost certain. How could he not be happy?

After Terry Tian left, another person was brought into the room.

It was none other than Paul Cai, who had also failed the assessment and left with Terry Tian that day.

“Greetings, Clan Chief.”

Entering the room, Paul Cai appeared very cautious, glancing fearfully at the middle-aged man in front of him. The room was dim, and he couldn’t see the man’s face clearly, nor did he dare to look closely.

However, after half a cup of tea’s time, Paul Cai began to speak fluently, recounting everything that had happened since he entered the Chen Clan.

When he mentioned sneaking into the Ancestral Hall at midnight, the middle-aged man suddenly interrupted:

“What did you see in the Ancestral Hall?”

Paul Cai tried to recall but then shook his head:

“I didn’t see anything in the Ancestral Hall; it seemed just like any other ancestral hall.”

The middle-aged man frowned slightly and asked again:

“Think carefully.”

As he spoke, a faint fragrance wafted into Paul Cai’s nose, making his memory clearer.

Soon, Paul Cai’s eyes lit up:

“I remember now. There was a tree planted in the Ancestral Hall.”

“Oh?”

The middle-aged man’s tone rose slightly:

“What kind of tree?”

“It seemed to be a sophora tree. It was too dark, and I didn’t look closely. It just felt a bit strange.”

“Alright, I understand. You may leave.”

The middle-aged man’s words stopped Paul Cai from saying more, and he left the room.

After leaving, Paul Cai was slightly puzzled.

Why had he mentioned feeling strange just now?

When he had peeked in, it hadn’t seemed strange at all. Wasn’t it normal to have a tree in the Ancestral Hall?

Paul Cai shook his head, dismissing the thought. It seemed the Liu Family had only wanted to inquire about this matter, which relieved him. Before coming, he had feared he might have accidentally offended such a powerful family.

“Clan Chief, is it necessary to go to such lengths for a small clan like the Chen Clan?”

In the room, a clan member asked in confusion.

The middle-aged man chuckled:

“Heh, if it were before, it wouldn’t be necessary. But now, the Chen Clan is somewhat different.”

“The tree in the Ancestral Hall should be the Chen Clan’s clan totem, right?”

“If I’m not mistaken, the Chen Clan’s totem revived during their battle with the Li Family, which is why the Li Family was defeated. It’s all because of the totem.”

Hearing about the totem, the clan member glanced at the courtyard within the room, no longer puzzled.

If there was a clan totem, they couldn’t afford to be careless.

“Clan Chief, what should we do next?”

“Make preparations. Tomorrow, we should pay a visit to this neighbor.”

The middle-aged man spoke meaningfully when he mentioned the neighbor.

“Yes, Clan Chief.”

“By the way, what should we do with those two?”