Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

After hearing the demands of the clan elders, Shi Chenghong did not immediately give orders. Instead, he looked troubled.

"Have any of you considered why the Zhou family was wiped out?" he asked.

"An ordinary family could not have accomplished the annihilation of a mid-level family before the other clans even learned of it. There may be hidden circumstances we do not yet know.”

The elders, who had been riled up just moments before, quickly sobered at his analysis.

They had only seen the readily available gains before them and overlooked the lurking risks.

Only a far more powerful, upper-ranked family could have eliminated the Zhou clan in a single night.

The Shi family could not contend with the Zhou Clan, let alone the stronger families. If they did not clearly investigate why the Zhous had been destroyed, the clan might be drawn into an unseen whirlpool.

One wrong move could have brought the clan to the brink of annihilation.

With the Zhou family no longer offering protection, the Chen family was no longer a threat, and the Natural Blood Spring could remain where it was without fear of being lost. However, precisely because of that, the clan had to act with even greater caution.

As the elders fell into thought, Shi Chenghong gave a faint smile.

"It seems you've all thought this through. As for the Chen family, they won’t be causing trouble for long.”

"Chengqiu, take a few more men and go to Yunmeng City to gather intelligence. Find out exactly why the Zhou family was wiped out, and learn the whole sequence of events.”

"Chengyu, you and Elder Chenghou, go to Chaotic Burial Mountain again and observe the Chen family from a distance. Do not approach..."

“Chengyi, keep an eye on the Xie family. Although our clan no longer fears them, they might still intervene in a critical moment, so we must guard against that.”

“Understood.”

Each elder acknowledged the orders and immediately prepared to depart.

One mistake could have brought the clan to the brink of destruction.

Without the protection of the Zhou family, the Chen family was no longer a threat. The natural Blood Spring remained where it was, and there was no risk of losing it. For this reason, the clan had to act even more cautiously.

As he watched the elders sink into thought, Shi Chenghong gave a faint smile.

He had become head of the Shi Clan by seeing the bigger picture. Though he tended to be cautious in daily affairs, he had the courage to burn the boats and fight to the end when the moment demanded it. However, the clan’s situation had changed. With a Qi Manipulation Realm’s warrior in their ranks, the family could return to its old rhythm, develop steadily, and there was no need to rush. Given the clan's strength, investigating these matters would only take a few days. In that time, even if the Chen family tried to flee, they would not get far. Only by uncovering the truth could they avoid future troubles.

…

“The Zhou family has been wiped out?”

In the main hall of the Xie residence, Xie Yanmiao asked again.

“Yes, Clan Leader. The news arrived this morning. According to the report, the Zhou family was annihilated, and it seems to be related to the Gongyang family."

After hearing the news, Xie Yanmiao fell silent. The clan's development in Yunmeng City had been going well, so they had more comprehensive intelligence.

However, hearing the name Gongyang still startled her.

The Gongyang family was an elite house, a level that the clan could not normally reach. Nevertheless, the family’s sources were fairly well-informed, so they knew the name.

However, the Gongyangs were based in Yelang Commandery, which was located in the southern borderlands and quite far from Yunmeng City. In theory, the two great families should have had no connection.

Now that the Zhou family’s destruction was a fait accompli, many questions remained, but they were not the priority at the moment.

With this thought in mind, Xie Yanmiao hurriedly asked the clansman before her, "What about those Zhou family members who came earlier? Where are they now?”

"Reporting to the Clan Leader, those people said two days ago that they were going on a trip and have not returned since."

Hiss!

Upon hearing this, Xie Yanmiao felt a chill run through her. She hurriedly said, "Summon the clan elders quickly! Tell them the clan is in mortal danger, and have them come to the main hall at once to discuss!”

"Also, notify Clan Brother Yanmo. Have him go in person and bring back those Zhou family members.”

Seeing their clan leader so serious, the clansmen ran off without pausing.

Even after sending them off, Xie Yanmiao still found it hard to calm her heart.

Previously, she had been delighted by the prospect of an alliance with the Zhou family. After all, the clan had been doing well in Yunmeng City, and an alliance with the Zhous would greatly aid their development. When the Zhou family sent several members, she was pleased, thinking it was a sign of the Zhou family's favor. Over time, she could use those Zhou people to eliminate the Shi family and establish the Xie family as the dominant power in Yong’an City.

But now it seemed the Zhou family had agreed to send people not to ally with the clan, but rather to use the clan as a refuge because they had already anticipated this outcome.

Perhaps the clan was merely a decoy the Zhous used to mislead the Gongyangs and buy more time for the Zhou family members.

Although boundless anger churned in her chest, she could do nothing but swallow it.

Upper-ranked families were never softhearted. Once they eliminated the Zhous, they would leave no loose ends. History was full of such lessons, and many families had acted in this ruthless manner.

If her memory served her correctly, the few people who had come to the clan last time were the direct descendants of the Zhou family, the core figures of that house.

She had thought it a sign of the Zhou family's favor. She never expected that those very people would become the clan’s death warrant.

If the Gongyangs learned that the Xie family had dealings with the Zhous, the clan would be doomed.

The immediate priority was to find the Zhou family members who had left the clan. Otherwise, when the Gongyangs came asking for them and the clan could not produce them, there would be trouble.

Soon, about ten clan elders who had heard the news rushed to the main hall.

The next moment, the hall doors shut tight, and the elders' voices rose in heated discussion.

…

The night was as black as ink, the stars scattered like pinpricks.

In the ancestral hall of the clan, a dense locust tree emitted a faint phosphorescent glow.

Beneath the bright moon and the surrounding walls, Ji Yang sighed softly.

The clan’s new wall was a bit too high. While it did look safer, the view had suffered. It seemed he still needed to grow taller.

Suddenly, his awareness sharpened, and he murmured, "Finally, it's here!"

A vague, misty soul-form drifted over from not far away in Ji Yang’s sight. Its face was blank and bewildered.

Even as a soulless spirit, the man’s handsome features and exceptional bearing carried an imposing presence.

That soul belonged to Zhou Huai’an.

After yesterday’s great battle, he used a combat technique to self-detonate and die. However, only his body was destroyed his soul was not.

Unfortunately, Ji Yang’s root tendrils had not yet reached beneath the battlefield, so he could not perform a direct summoning. He could only rely on his own nature and the dense Yin Energy to draw the spirit in.

Fortunately, because Zhou Huai'an’s body had self-destructed and no younger clan members had set up an ancestral tablet, his soul drifted about and was soon attracted here.

If left to drift, he would become a remnant soul in a few decades.

Zhou Huai'an had been a powerful Outer Gang Realm warrior; even his soul was unusually solid, surpassing Chen Changming’s. It seemed he could endure for some time yet.