Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Chu Family

As Lu Zhao followed his squad toward the Marketplace’s interior, he caught the stench of blood from the entrance from afar. Drawing closer, he saw the stone slabs covered in the mangled limbs of Cultivators and shattered Magical Artifacts.

The Zhou Family Cultivators were all silent. Under the command of the Law Enforcement Cultivators, they split into several groups and pushed into the Marketplace, crushing everything in their path.

As he advanced, Lu Zhao felt an uncomfortable stickiness under his feet.

He looked up to see that the doors of most shops on both sides of the street were wide open. Looted shelves lay toppled over, and shards from Jade Bottles and porcelain jars were mixed with dried bloodstains.

The bodies of several Wanderers had been carelessly discarded on the ground, their faces frozen with expressions of terror and indignation.

"Clear the area! If anyone dares to resist, kill them without question!" a cold voice from a Law Enforcement Team Cultivator rang out ahead. The Zhou Family Cultivators filed in one after another. The light of Magic flared up in the various shops and homes. Brief screams and the clash of weapons rose and fell, then quickly gave way to dead silence.

Lu Zhao’s task was to clear out an area of sundry shops on South Street. He didn’t deploy his Puppets, merely protecting himself with a Magical Artifact and using his Hundred Waters Magic Disc to cast precise kills with the Ice Cone Technique. He encountered two Mid-stage Qi Cultivation Cultivators hiding in a cellar who attempted to resist. He simply flicked out two Ice Cones with calm precision, piercing them through the brow.

The resisters fell, the last light in their eyes extinguished. Expressionless, he looted the few Spirit Stones and Pills from their bodies and tossed them into his Storage Bag.

’What a shame. The Zhao Family was clearly prepared,’ Lu Zhao mused. He had thought he might make a small fortune, but he hadn’t expected most of the goods in the Marketplace to have already been moved out.

Lu Zhao turned and continued his search for others.

A few hours later, the cries of battle had completely subsided. The entire Marketplace was as if a layer of flesh and blood had been scraped away, leaving only a cold silence.

"Lu Zhao!" A Zhou Family Steward tossed him a Jade Talisman. "Take this token. You are to be temporarily quartered in Room C-3 of the Huiyuan Residence’s rear courtyard. Do not leave the Marketplace grounds without authorization. Be ready for orders at any time!"

Huiyuan Residence was an inn within the Zhao Family Marketplace that catered to Mid- and High-Tier Cultivators. Now, it had been requisitioned by the Zhou Family. Room C-3 was quite spacious and had a simple Spirit Gathering Array, making the Spiritual Qi a bit denser than outside.

Lu Zhao had his two Ice Mouse Puppets stand guard while he sat cross-legged and began to take stock of his "haul": a few bottles of Tier One Middle-Grade Pills, over twenty Lower Grade Spirit Stones, two Tier One Lower Grade Magical Artifacts, and an internal map of the Zhao Family Marketplace. It wasn’t much, but it wasn’t nothing. He gave a slight sneer, tucking the useful items into a corner of his Storage Bag and tossing the rest aside.

’Improving my Puppetry and raising my Cultivation are what’s truly important,’ he thought. ’But I still have something to do today.’

He stood, left Huiyuan Residence, and followed his memory to the small courtyard where Zhou Hua was temporarily staying.

Zhou Hua looked a little weary, but he seemed to be in decent spirits. Seeing Lu Zhao arrive, he quickly welcomed him inside.

"Shopkeeper Zhou," Lu Zhao said, getting straight to the point. "If your esteemed son truly wishes to learn Puppetry, I can teach him."

A joyous light burst from Zhou Hua’s eyes. "Truly? Mr. Lu, I am deeply indebted to you! I have that Quasi-Tier Two Ice Sword Talisman ready..." He started to move to retrieve it as he spoke.

"There’s no need." Lu Zhao held up a hand, cutting him off. "I won’t accept a Talisman as the apprenticeship gift. I want thirty Ice Jade Pills, or three complete Tier One Middle-Grade Demon Wolf corpses. You have one month to gather them."

The joyous look on Zhou Hua’s face stiffened. Thirty Ice Jade Pills were already expensive, let alone at a time like this. As for three Tier One Middle-Grade Demon Wolves, that would require a dangerous hunt deep into the Celestial Cloud Mountain Range—no easy feat. He frowned in thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "Alright! Mr. Lu, I accept this deal! Three Demon Wolf corpses or thirty Ice Jade Pills, I’ll gather them as quickly as I can! I’ll have an answer for you within one month!"

Lu Zhao nodded and rose to leave, but he paused at the doorway. He fell silent for a moment, then his voice lowered. "Shopkeeper Zhou Kang... has his body been laid to rest? Does he have a grave? And his grandson, how is he doing?"

Zhou Hua clearly hadn’t expected Lu Zhao to ask this, and a complex, startled expression flickered across his face. He sighed, his voice taking on a subtle, heavy tone. "Uncle Kang... that Tier Two Yin Thunder Bead was too powerful. Nothing was left of him. In recognition of his loyalty and sacrifice, the Family has erected a cenotaph for him on the rear of our Spirit Mountain. As for his grandson, Zhou Mo, he has been brought to the Spirit Mountain and is now training in the Cloud Pattern Cavalry Reserve Camp. The Cloud Pattern Cavalry is our family’s elite force; the Family will surely take good care of him. You can rest assured on that point, Mr. Lu."

"That is good to hear," Lu Zhao said quietly. Without another word, he turned and left.

Back in Room C-3, Lu Zhao set up a simple Sound Insulation Restriction before his mind began to settle. ’Zhou Kang was obliterated, leaving behind only a cenotaph. And his grandson was sent to the highly dangerous Cloud Pattern Cavalry Reserve Camp... I can’t say if that’s a blessing or a curse. As for the Zhang Talisman, it wouldn’t be that useful to me now anyway. A "Quasi-Tier Two Talisman" is merely the equivalent of a full-powered strike from someone at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.’

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. With a flip of his hand, he produced the Hundred Waters Magic Disc. A cool, smooth sensation spread from it. ’This Magical Artifact is becoming more and more useful to me. I can’t put off finding a suitable Spirit Water any longer.’ After a moment, he sighed. ’Then again, where am I supposed to find a suitable Spirit Water?’

’I’d better focus on refining a Puppet first,’ he thought. Lu Zhao began to circulate the Little Spirit Rain Technique, then took out a Tier One Lower Grade Sparrow Corpse from his reserves, along with a few scraps of Wind Pattern Stone. The Carving Knife danced between his fingertips as his mind sank into the intricate process of carving Spirit Patterns. Only this cold knife and his ever-growing Cultivation could provide him with a true sense of security.

「Three days later.」

The piercing blast of a horn shattered the Marketplace’s silence.

Lu Zhao quickly put away the half-finished wing bone of the Sparrow Puppet and rushed out of his room. A massive Flowing Cloud Ship was hovering high above the Marketplace’s Core Area. An icy Spiritual Pressure, almost tangible, pressed down on the cluster of buildings below, which were protected by a pale golden barrier of light—the final fortress of the Zhao Family’s core territory.

Zhou Family Cultivators poured out like a black tide, surrounding the Core Area and sealing it off completely. Lu Zhao was among them, standing toward the rear.

The voice of a Zhou Family Cultivator boomed like a great bell, echoing throughout the Core Area. "Listen up, Zhao Family Cultivators! The Array has been breached; further resistance is futile! Surrender, hand over the control hub, and you may live! If you continue this stubborn, pointless struggle, then when the Array truly falls, we won’t even spare the chickens and dogs!"

The voice echoed in the dead silence for a moment. Nothing happened.

Just as the Zhou Family Cultivators were growing impatient, the barrier of light flickered several times before finally, slowly, dissipating, revealing the scene within.

A young man emerged. Dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, he had a somewhat arrogant look on his face. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with a Cultivation at the Late-stage Qi Cultivation. His gaze swept over the grim-faced Zhou Family Cultivators, showing little fear. Instead, he raised his chin and announced in a clear, resonant voice:

"I am Chu Yongming of the Chu Family! I have urgent business with your family’s Foundation Establishment Elder! Announce me at once!" His voice was crisp, carrying a tone that permitted no argument.

A Zhou Family Steward gestured impassively for him to proceed. Chu Yongming snorted and, under the "escort" of several Zhou Family Cultivators, boarded the largest Flying Ship hovering in mid-air—the one decorated with flowing cloud patterns, the Zhou Family’s own Flowing Cloud Ship.

Inside the top-level cabin of the Flowing Cloud Ship, the atmosphere was heavy.

After being led inside, Chu Yongming bowed to the two figures seated in the position of honor. His posture was surprisingly respectful. "Chu Yongming of the Chu Family’s younger generation greets the two esteemed Elder Zhous."

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