Vol. 1 - Chapter 163 - Interception

The scarred man’s gaze was heavy with contemplation, yet a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He asked in return, voice low and deliberate,

“Brother… has the Shilin clan ever sent out a divine stone imbued with totemic power before?”

The younger man shook his head.

“No, they haven’t. But doesn’t that make this easier? With the power of their totem backing us, it should be a breeze.”

A sigh slipped from the scarred man’s lips. He didn’t want to explain, but he had no choice.

“We’re already cultivators at the Innate Realm. Few can match us. And yet, the Shilin clan still sent out a divine stone. That alone tells you everything—you don’t send out a treasure like that unless the target’s stronger than expected. Maybe even from another great clan with a totem. That’s the real reason for the divine stone.

“Divine Stones are priceless. Even most of the Shilin Clan’s own members have never touched one. That means this mission is dangerous. Very dangerous. Dangerous enough to drag both of us into a clash between powerful bloodlines.”

The younger man fell silent. The earlier excitement on his face had long since faded. After a moment’s thought, he muttered,

“But didn’t he say… after this mission, we’d be named honorary elders of the Shilin Clan? With their protection, shouldn’t we be safe?”

“Ha. They’ve said that same line more times than I can count. Has it ever come true? Even if we become elders—what does that matter? We’re not Shilin by blood. We’ll never truly be one of them.”

“Besides, when has the Shilin Clan ever been generous? Thirty thousand jade coins. That’s no small sum. Why not send their own fighters to do the job? Why call on us? There’s more to this than they’re telling us.”

The scarred man’s eyes darkened, shadowed with unease.

“So… should we still go?” The younger man asked again, less out of doubt and more out of loyalty.

“We’re going,” the scarred man replied flatly, “but not by their rules.”

“Pack your things. We’re leaving.”

“We’ve done enough for the Shilin Clan. The jobs are getting riskier. It’s time we look elsewhere. These noble clans… we can’t afford to provoke them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t avoid them.”

“I’ll get ready now!”

As the younger man turned and dashed off, the scarred one watched his retreating back and let out a quiet sigh.

“My foolish brother… when will you ever grow a brain?”

“What brain? Brother, we’re out of snacks. Let’s just bring some dry rations!”

“Mei Shan’s twin devils?”

“Yes. That one tried hard to hide his identity, but there’s no doubt. He’s from the Shilin Clan.”

“I see. Sorry to trouble you with this, Uncle. But there’s something else I’d like to ask—”

“Hongyuan, there’s no need to be so polite. When your father and I…”

Their voices dropped to whispers. Moments later, a shadow disappeared silently from the room.

Alone again, Xie Hongyuan stared into the distance. Her expression was calm, but the slight crease between her brows betrayed her unease.

She murmured, “So the Shilin Clan is really making a move? And they’re using the Mei Shan brothers… then they might actually pull this off. But unfortunately for them, I can’t let that happen.”

“Our clan might not get all the blood rice, but selling a favor to the Chen clan? That’s not a bad outcome.”

A smug smile crept onto her lips.

“Alright. It’s getting late. We’ll rest here for the night. We move out again at dawn.”

Below the ridge, her clansmen echoed their agreement, tying their horses to nearby trees and assembling simple tents.

Chen Tianjing and Chen Tianyu, along with other Blood Coagulation Realm cultivators, moved out to patrol the perimeter.

It had been five days since they left Yong’an City. At their current pace, they’d need three more to reach the clan’s territory.

Judging by the four great clans’ behavior yesterday, it seemed unlikely anyone would make a move. Still, they remained alert—for the forest was never short on wild beasts, and greed was a more dangerous predator.

As twilight deepened, the flickering glow of the campfire cast long shadows. The tents were up. Dinner preparations began.

But above them, hidden in the treetops, two sets of eyes watched the group closely.

“Brother, only two of them are late-stage Blood Coagulation Realm. Why don’t we just kill them all, take the shipment, and run? Thirty thousand jade coins—we’ll be rich.”

The whisper floated out from the darkness.

A harsh voice replied immediately.

“No. These people aren’t weak, and look at their uniforms—clearly part of another major clan. The jade coins aren’t what matters to these clans. But if we kill their people, that’s different. That will bring a real storm down on us. It’ll ruin any chance of escape.”

“If I don’t give the word, you are not to act. Understood?”

The younger brother grumbled but nodded. “Alright. Got it.”

“Then move.”

“Who’s there?!”

Chen Tianyu’s voice cracked like a whip, his cultivation surging as he sprang up from beside the fire. His eyes locked on the forest ahead.

The others followed instinctively, scrambling to their feet and falling into formation. The tension was palpable.

Chen Tianjing's expression had turned grim. He felt it too—something unnatural.

Two figures emerged from the shadows, faces wrapped in cloth. Their identities remained hidden, but the pressure they exuded chilled the blood.

Innate Realm.

Both of them.

“Apologies,” one of them rasped, voice like gravel. “My brother and I are a bit short on cash. We were hoping you might part with a few jade coins.”

Chen Tianyu’s brow twitched.

So it had come to this.

They’d feared it from the beginning—the blood rice sale had drawn attention, and now, two vultures were circling.

But these weren’t the elites of the four great clans. If they were, they’d have struck fast and hard. These two… they were opportunists, plain and simple.

Though, that didn’t mean they had no backing.

No one moved. Both sides stood still. Waiting.

Behind Chen Tianjing, his clansmen were tense but unshaken. They were ready. If given the order, they’d charge forward without hesitation.

Then—

Bang!

A loud burst broke the silence. Both sides flinched.

Chen Tianyu whipped around, eyes sharp. Behind him, one of their own was clutching his side, face twisted in pain. The poor man had gotten so worked up, he’d accidentally activated his Five Visceral Ascent technique and ruptured a kidney.

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