Vol. 1 - Chapter 278 - The Disappearance of the Xie Family

Shi Chenghong was still puzzled. The elder in front of him steadied himself and hurriedly spoke:

"Clan Leader, it's like this: Our clan has been monitoring the Xie family, but yesterday, the Xie household suddenly became very quiet. I couldn’t shake my unease, so I sent people to investigate.”

When they checked, they found that all the Xie family members had vanished. The people weren't the only things missing; many of the Xie household’s belongings were gone too. Even the ancestral tablets in their shrine had been moved. Their shop in Yong’an City had already been cleared out as well. Only an empty building remained.

"From later observations by our people, it seems the Xie family began preparing as early as two days ago. At the time, our clan didn’t notice anything unusual, so we didn’t investigate closely…”

Hearing this, Shi Chenghong was momentarily stunned, and the thoughts running through his head scattered like dust.

Had all the Xie family members vanished? Did their assets disappear with them?

It didn't seem like they had gone to support the Chen family or oppose our clan.

No matter what benefits the Chen family offered, there was no way the Xies would give up everything they owned in Yong’an City.

Could there be a reason unknown even to our clan?

After a moment’s thought, Shi Chenghong asked, "Have you searched the areas around Yong’an City? Have you seen any sign of the Xie family members?”

“No. We’ve checked Yong’an City and the nearby villages, but we didn't find anything.”

"Let's go take a look."

The news was too strange to accept at face value, so Shi Chenghong decided to see for himself.

As he left with several clansmen, Shi Chenghong did not notice a man’s silhouette quietly seated atop the clan pavilion above the main hall.

After hearing the report from the Shi clansman, the man snorted softly and quickly leapt away.

Soon after, Shi Chenghong arrived at the Xie family gate, accompanied by several clansmen.

As the Clan Leader, Shi Chenghong was also in the middle stage of the Innate Realm. After sensing that the Xie residence was utterly silent and that there was no immediate danger, he stepped inside.

He inspected the entire compound, searching from the gate all the way to the ancestral hall. Only then did he finally accept the report that the clansmen had brought him.

But then a host of questions followed.

What could have driven the Xie family to abandon their property after decades, even clearing out their ancestral hall, and leave Yong’an City?

Whatever forced the Xies to make such a decision must have been a matter of life and death for the family.

However, there was no crisis near Yong’an City. Even a thousand miles away, the clan had heard no rumors, except for those about the Zhou family.

At that thought, Shi Chenghong froze.

The Zhou family!

If that were the case, it would be less surprising. Still, standing before the empty Xie residence, Shi Chenghong felt genuine admiration. The Xies had shown remarkable resolve. A family of over a thousand people had simply vanished as if they had never been there.

If it were me, I’m not sure I could have had the same nerve.

However, the Xie’s had operated in Yong’an City for many years, so it was only natural that they had prepared escape routes. It wouldn't be surprising if they had one—or several—secret passages.

The clan lagged behind in this respect, he thought. After wiping out the Chen family, perhaps they should carve out some secret tunnels within the clan grounds as contingency routes.

It would be a major undertaking—troublesome, yes, but useful in a pinch.

After a moment of thought, Shi Chenghong froze.

Wait! If the Xie family had left Yong’an City, that meant the Shi Clan was the only family left.

Realization flushed across Shi Chenghong’s face.

Yong’an City had once been home to four great families, and the Shi Clan had grown to its current stature because of that. If Yong’an City were left with only the Shi Clan, its future would surely be bright.

This is tremendous news!

Shi Chenghong’s expression brightened, but he didn’t intend to rush to tell the clansmen who had just left. With a major battle imminent, it was better for everyone to stay focused.

Once the clan returned victorious, they could announce it—and celebrate twice!

After that, Yong’an City and the remote Chaotic Burial Mountain would both be clan territory.

As for the Blood Rice, the clan no longer needs to honor its previous promise to give half to the Xie family.

Given the clan’s current strength, they will surely be able to turn Yong’an City into an impregnable fortress.

Thinking of the clan’s future, Shi Chenghong had a hard time containing his excitement.

For now, though, the most important thing was to wipe out the small Chen family first.

He was not worried about that. Besides Uncle He Zhang, who had reached the Qi Manipulation Realm, the clan’s totem power was manifesting through him as well.

It wasn’t the actual clan totem, of course, but a manifestation of the totem’s divine power. Even so, it was no different from the totem itself appearing in person.

Even if the Chen family’s Divine Tree had some tricks up its sleeve, he did not believe that the clan would fail if they fought at full strength.

All he needed to do was wait for good news from the clan.

After thinking it over, Shi Chenghong said to the clansman beside him, "Don't touch the Xie family's lands or shops for now. Treat this as if it never happened, understood?"

Though puzzled, the clansman nodded.

More thoughts churned in Shi Chenghong’s mind.

The Xie family’s disappearance must be connected to the Zhou family. If they took over the Xie lands now, the clan might get dragged into the mess behind it. It would be better to wait a few more days to confirm that the Xies were truly gone and that there were no remaining risks, and then smoothly absorb their holdings.

After all, the Xies were gone—there was no need to rush.

It was a pity, though. When the Xie's left, they took most of the valuables with them. They had not only removed the ancestral tablets but also dug up and taken away the flowers and plants in the ancestral hall by the roots.

Whatever could be planted in an ancestral hall certainly wasn’t ordinary.

Shi Chenghong didn’t dwell on it further. Taking over the Xie holdings without lifting a finger was already a great outcome for the clan.

…

"Clan Leader, the Shi family is making a move!"

In the ancestral hall, Chen Xingzhen—who had been watching the patterns on the sacred tree trunk with most of the clansmen—immediately looked away when he heard this. Then he turned to Chen Tianlei and said, "Come out and speak."

The two quickly stepped outside, and Chen Tianlei relayed the information he had received.

"Clan Leader, according to the scouts in Yong'an City, the Shi family has dispatched a large force toward Chaotic Burial Mountain. The movement began around the early hours two days ago.”

"They say the Shi family sent over a hundred warriors, along with several clan elders."

After he finished speaking, Chen Tianlei fell silent and stood to one side.

Over the past few months, the clan had sent them not only to guard the shops, but also to infiltrate Yong’an City.

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