Chapter 306: Three Clans Conspiracy - 01
The leaders were all looking at each other, as if trying to discern each other’s determination. Among the leaders gathered here was the Gu Clan Patriarch, yes, the same Gu Clan that had caused trouble for Jian Heng and Mo Xingyao.
After Gu Tianhe had become an eunuch, the position of patriarch had changed hands, and Gu Tianhe had secluded himself for closed-door cultivation in an attempt to break through and gain more lifespan, as his cultivation had been crippled by Wei Chen.
His current fate was unknown. But most people did not hold much hope for the man, as it was very unlikely that he would come out of seclusion alive.
There were two other clans that rivaled the Gu Clan, the Li Clan, the clan of the City Lord Li, and the Jin Clan, the clan of the alchemists and the founders of the Golden Cauldron Sect.
These three clans were currently the Big Three of Azure River Province. And the one who had proposed this risky plan was none other than the Gu Clan’s current patriarch.
Gu Tianshan.
At this time, the Li Clan Patriarch looked at Gu Tianshan.
"You are the one who suggested this risky plan. Do you have anything that could guarantee our success?" asked the Li Clan Patriarch.
"Of course I do. It’s our ancestor in the Immortal Realm. I heard that he possesses an artifact capable of deceiving the Law of Heaven and Earth. I have already confided in him about the changes in the lower realm brought by that Wei Chen, and he has promised to help me with this endeavor," Gu Tianshan said.
The Jin Clan Patriarch then looked at the Li Clan Patriarch. There was a strange glint in his eyes, but it lasted only for a moment before he turned toward Gu Tianshan and asked.
"Will his cultivation be reduced? If it is, I don’t think he can help us much. After all, we know that the cultivation of a Great Ascension Realm cultivator means nothing in front of Wei Chen."
"Hehehe..." Gu Tianshan chuckled. "Would I dare to offer such a risky plan if our ancestor needed to seal his own cultivation? No. He will come down here and help us with his full power. He will even bring some helpers down here as well!"
"After all, Wei Chen’s arrogance has caused him to offend people up there as well. There are a few people up there who want his head," Gu Tianshan said confidently.
"What? How could that guy offend people up there? Does this mean he went up there and offended them?" the Li Clan Patriarch asked.
Gu Tianshan shook his head. "This... I don’t know. I only know that he has offended them. But who cares about that? As long as we have powerful helpers, this time that bastard Wei Chen will have no choice but to suffer some losses! Hahahahaha!"
With that laughter, Gu Tianshan produced a bronze cup.
"If we agree to this, let’s bind our oath. This is the Contract Binding Cup. As long as you drop your essence blood into it, we are in this together!"
With that said, Gu Tianshan pressured everyone in the room to drop their essence blood into the cup, especially the Li Clan and the Jin Clan. These two clans were powerful, and Gu Tianshan needed their guarantee that they would not betray their cause.
The two clan leaders looked at each other before deciding to board the bandit ship together.
After Gu Tianshan had collected all of the essence blood, he smiled widely. Then, he went over the details of the plan.
— A Day Later —
At the Li Clan estate, within a secret room built deep beneath the ancestral hall, the current Li Clan Patriarch and the Jin Clan Patriarch were sitting together. There was a third person present as well. It was Li Kaishi, the City Lord of Azure River City.
The room had a strange atmosphere. The Li Clan Patriarch wore a smug smile, while the Jin Clan Patriarch wore an expression as if he had just lost a bargaining match against a market fair vendor.
As for Li Kaishi, his face held nothing more than an exasperated smile, the kind of smile one might have after winning a lottery jackpot.
Amidst the smugness of the two Li Clan members, the Jin Clan Patriarch spoke reluctantly.
"Fine... I’ll concede one of our Jin Clan herb gardens to you, but you must ensure my safety when the contract backlash occurs! And don’t expect one of our top-tier gardens. At most, I can concede the garden where uncommon herbs and spiritual plants are cultivated."
Hearing the Jin Clan Patriarch’s concession, the smiles of the two Li Clan members widened, especially that of the City Lord, Li Kaishi.
"Since we have reached an agreement, let’s talk about our cooperation," Li Kaishi said with a smile.
"Right, let’s get to business." The Jin Clan Patriarch nodded, his expression looking much better after hearing that the two Li Clan members had decided to get straight to the point.
After all, this was the reason he was here.
"The objective of the plan isn’t much. We will pretend to agree with the Gu Clan’s plan, but we’ll keep it to ourselves. Then, on the day of Young Master Wei’s marriage ceremony, we’ll expose their plan and redirect our forces to intercept whatever forces the Gu Clan has summoned," said Li Kaicheng.
"If... if the Gu Clan were to summon forces from the Immortal Realm, what should we do?" the Jin Clan Patriarch asked nervously. He was nervous because when it came to straightforward combat, the Jin Clan wasn’t exactly known for its martial prowess.
"Ha!" Li Kaicheng scoffed. "The Gu Clan has connections to the Immortal Realm. Do you think the Underworld Palace doesn’t have any? Listen, all the ancient hidden forces have ties to the Immortal Realm. The difference is whether those ties are stronger or weaker than those of the others."
"And think about it. Before Young Master Wei came into the scene and revealed the Underworld Palace as it is today, we only thought that the Underworld Palace was a myth. We even knew that there were many impostors using the name of the Underworld Palace, and we even believed some of them. But what was the result? They were all swept away by the true and overwhelming power of the Underworld Palace."