Eternal life begins with saving my clan

Inside the Crimson Jade Pavilion, all the elders sat around the wooden table with a pensive gaze.

They looked at the entrance frequently and then, looked at a specific elder without uttering a word.

Expectation and hope etched deep in their eyes. They had done this many times and hardly did they fail.

This won't be any different.

To what extent did their expectations shape their perceptions of reality?

And was there inherent wisdom in cultivating a mindset that transcends the influence of expectations for a more authentic engagement with life?

They sat all night with the hope and expectation of what to come that may never come.

Why hope? Why expect when reality gives you the freedom to engage with it?

The fabric of what kept the human race going was hoping for things that may never come.

Bang!

The door to the conference was forced open, and an elder with a bald head rushed inside.

"What happened?" one of the elders asked.

When the bald elder heard the question, he took a deep breath, raising the tension in the air to an all-time high.

Slowly, he opened his mouth, and the words fell. "We… failed."

At once, the room descended into absolute silence. Every elder was trying to process what their mortal minds were hearing when the bald elder continued.

"That's not all."

"What do you mean that was not all?!" Another elder exclaimed with wide eyes.

The bald man took another deep breath to arrange his thoughts when one of the elders furiously yelled at him.

"Why the hell do you have to take a deep breath every time? Spit it out before I rip your tongue out."

The bald elder rolled his eyes and glared at the elder that spoke, then snorted.

"They've killed all the families of our men. Their bodies were thrown to the street…" His voice trailed off once again.

"You piece of garbage! Say it once and for all."

"They used their blood and wrote: Try it once again, and you will get war."

For a couple of seconds, the room was quiet like a graveyard before one of the elders erupted with fury.

"How dare they?! Who do they think they are?!"

"They want war, and we will give them."

Every elder in the hall was furious, but the slightly more intelligent ones were quiet.

In the moment of logical thinking, emotions clouded the thoughts of mankind, forcing them not to see the bigger picture.

For your enemies to declare war, they knew who you are and were confident in their chance of victory.

Yet, most failed to see that.

Creak! Creak!

Light footsteps came from the entrance, and an old woman walked into the hall.

Her footsteps, though light, contained a powerful pressure. Her figure was like a moving mortal passing among the throng of mortals.

She took her seat slowly and looked at the quiet old men and asked.

"Why are you screaming like kids?"

Before one of the elders could speak, she raised her palm.

The elder forcefully swallowed the words in his throat. He cleared his throat and readjusted his sitting position.

The old woman continued. "We know nothing about our new friends. Since the first approach didn't work, let's try the second approach."

"Remember, the blood of our men won't go without being avenged for."

She may be calm, but that doesn't mean she was not furious. For the past couple of decades, she took this seat.

This was the first time some unknown force dared to step on her dignity.

In Baiyun city, things were not as calm as the Crimson Jade Pavilion.

The sudden death of eight families spread a deadly shiver down the spines of everyone.

The outer city atmosphere tensed and could be cut with a knife.

Guards patrolled the city, trying to find the perpetrator. Merchants and store owners were scared to open their stores.

However, the Celestial Heavenly Store operated as if they couldn't feel the heavy atmosphere.

Those in front of the stores were apprehensive of the delicacy of the city, but the allure of getting the Spirit Comms prevailed.

However, things were not calm among the powerful clans.

They knew who and what was having a skirmish, but the result left them speechless.

The savage and brutal response of the Celestial Heavenly Store left them terrified.

They didn't just kill the assassins but also went ahead and killed their families.

This was telling them, think before you act. They are not going to for the attackers alone but those behind them.

And for them boldly announcing their stand, that courage, arrogance left them stupefied.

Since the history of the city, this was the first time a weak clan would dare act brazenly without the fear of the city lord.

Talk of the city lord, he stood at the balcony of his building with veins protruding from his forehead.

"Huh. It seems people have forgotten I still exist," he mused, clenching his fist.

"You just wait. Your days are numbered. If those greedy bastards can't take you down, I will."

"Summon the death guard," he commanded to the thin air.

Whoosh!

At once, a shadow disappeared from behind.

In the Wei clan estate, the Wei Patriarch was having a serious conversation with the other two patriarchs.

The Ding clan Patriarch and the Xue clan Patriarch.

"What should we do? It seems a powerful cultivator is guiding their stores," Patriarch Xue said with a solemn expression.

"That even makes it better for us," Patriarch Ding said confidently, smoothing his long beard.

"How?" they asked.

"How many strong cultivators do you think they could have?" he asked.

"Two or three. A maximum of five," Patriarch Wei responded.

"Let's assume five then. If they have five strong cultivators, how many stores can they cover at the same time?" Patriarch Ding said with a knowing smile.

"Let's assume the five could protect all their stores in both the inner and outer city. Then, there is a certain place unprotected."

"Their clan," Patriarch Xue said with a look of realization.

A cunning smile appeared on Patriarch Ding's face.

"You know what this means for us."

******