Vol. 1 - Chapter 156 - The Sudden Arrival of the Wind-Chasing Falcons

"Brother, should we go now or wait until nightfall?" Shi Podi asked.

"The Chen clan is harvesting Blood Rice. Their defenses will be weak—let’s go now!"

Shi Podi nodded. He had the same thought. Given their strength, it didn’t matter whether they moved in daylight or under the cover of night.

Just as they were about to leave for the Chen clan’s territory, several shadows suddenly swept across the sky, casting darkness over them.

Both men looked up in surprise. Above them, several massive birds soared overhead. Seeing the creatures, they stopped in their tracks, a flicker of astonishment in their eyes.

"This is... the Zhou clan’s Wind-Chasing Falcons!"

Their expressions turned serious.

Yong’an City wasn’t far from Yunmeng City, only a few days’ journey. They were well aware of the Zhou clan's reputation. Although both cities were under the same ruling domain, the gap between them was enormous.

More importantly, the Zhou clan’s strength far surpassed that of the Four Great Clans of Yong’an City. While the four clans of Yong’an were considered minor clans, the Zhou clan had already risen to mid-tier status.

With multiple martial artists in the Qi Realm, they not only ruled a city but also had many smaller clans under their control.

The difference in power was like heaven and earth.

Not to mention the Shi clan—even if the Four Great Clans combined their strength, they wouldn’t be able to challenge the Zhou clan. And now, seeing the Wind-Chasing Falcons heading toward the Chen clan’s estate, their brows furrowed deeply.

"Brother, what should we do?"

"Return to the clan!"

Shi Potian didn’t hesitate. He didn’t even use the Wind Spirit Bird they had brought to send a message. Instead, he spoke decisively.

Now, the reason for the Chen clan's confidence became clear. They had no intention of selling Blood Rice to their clan because they had the Zhou clan backing them.

With that realization, their previous plan was no longer viable.

Fortunately, they hadn’t made a move yet. If they had encountered the Zhou clan directly, the situation could have worsened significantly.

The presence of the Wind-Chasing Falcons didn’t go unnoticed. Many people saw them descend upon the Chen clan estate, and several figures quietly slipped away after witnessing the event.

Having learned from past experiences, the Four Great Clans had improved their communication methods. Otherwise, traveling between locations for messages would be a tiring ordeal.

The Shi clan had Wind Spirit Birds, and the other three clans had similar means of transmitting information.

It wasn’t long before the news spread to the Four Great Clans of Yong’an City.

When they learned that the Chen clan's Blood Rice was being supplied to the Zhou clan, all four clans fell silent. They wanted the Blood Rice, but opposing the Zhou clan would be nothing short of suicide.

The Wind-Chasing Falcons had passed through Yong’an City before. They had noticed them but didn’t dare to investigate, knowing these birds belonged exclusively to the Zhou clan.

What they hadn’t expected was that these falcons were flying to the Chen clan for their Blood Rice.

At the Xie clan estate, Xie Hongyuan sat calmly, her slender fingers tapping rhythmically against the table as she processed the information.

At last, the lingering doubts in her mind had been answered.

The Chen clan’s strength might not have been impressive, but with the Zhou clan’s support, it was no wonder they had emerged from hiding. They were likely preparing to use the Zhou clan’s influence to expand their connections and develop their clan.

From the recent frequency of the Wind-Chasing Falcons’ visits, Xie Hongyuan quickly deduced the growth cycle of the Blood Rice.

Two to three months per harvest, four harvests per year.

Each Wind-Chasing Falcon couldn’t carry too much weight. The Zhou clan had sent ten of them this time, and each could transport roughly three hundred jin. Any more than that would slow them down.

This meant that the Zhou clan had taken at least three thousand jin of Blood Rice. That couldn’t be the entire harvest. The real question was how much the Zhou clan was claiming.

If it was Zhou Huaian himself, then it was likely half. If it was someone else from the Zhou clan, it was probably about a third. Even so, this gave her a rough estimate of the Blood Rice’s total production.

Considering the rice’s strengthening effects and its high yield, it made sense that the Zhou clan would go to such lengths to acquire it.

Rumor had it that the Zhou clan was in the process of selecting a new patriarch. Given that, the significance of this Blood Rice became even clearer.

After analyzing the situation, Xie Hongyuan sighed lightly. She had intended to investigate the Chen clan’s background further, but now, that seemed unnecessary.

However, acquiring Blood Rice for her own clan had just become significantly harder. Even if Uncle Yanmo broke through to the Inner Qi Realm, it would likely make no difference. If force wouldn’t work, they had to consider another approach.

Aside from what the Chen clan supplied to the Zhou clan, they undoubtedly had surplus rice. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sold any previously.

Judging from the goods the Chen clan had accepted in exchange, they seemed to be particularly interested in rare resources that enhanced the strength of martial artists in the Blood Coagulation Realm and beyond.

Such treasures were rare, even within the Xie clan.

Furthermore, consuming the same type of resource repeatedly diminished its effects. Perhaps they could retrieve some from their clan’s reserves and use them to trade for Blood Rice.

Unlike the Chen clan, the Xie clan had spent decades developing in Yong’an City and had thousands of members.

But as their numbers grew, their resources became increasingly scarce. Only the most talented individuals received full support. While this approach produced high-level martial artists, many promising members were left overlooked.

The strength of a single martial artist was important, but for long-term survival, a clan needed continuity. Putting all their resources into a single person was risky.

Unless someone reached the Soul Refinement Realm, who could claim to be truly invincible?

Obtaining Blood Rice would undoubtedly benefit their clan.

With this thought, Xie Hongyuan slowly stood and prepared to present her idea to the clan leader. At the same time, the other three clans had reached the same conclusion.

…

"Patriarch Chen, your Chaotic Burial Mountain has become quite lively these days."

In the Chen clan estate, several Wind-Chasing Falcons rested in the clan’s courtyard. This time, the Zhou clan had sent Zhou Honglang again, not Zhou Huaian.

Chen Xingzhen wasn’t surprised. It was expected. Someone of Zhou Huaian’s status would never personally handle a matter like this.

"Master Zhou, you're joking. It’s just a minor effort, nothing worth mentioning."

Zhou Honglang smiled faintly but didn’t reply.

Before entering Chaotic Burial Mountain, he had already noticed the newly constructed road. He also had a general idea of the Chen clan’s intentions.

But he didn’t care.

Even if the Chen clan had a few more decades, they would never be able to catch up to the Zhou clan.

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