Chapter 570: Chapter 570

Decades have passed, yet Zhouyang’s visage remains unchanged, still as heroic and handsome as ever.

As for the once middle-aged Zhou Tongyue and Li Hong, they now are sprouting white hair and have not much lifespan left.

Between Zhou Tongyue and Li Hong, their age differed by only a year. Over the decades, both have reached the Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment level, making them modest experts in a place like Cangyuan Immortal City.

Yet at this moment, these two renowned experts within Cangyuan Immortal City are kneeling before a young man, faces filled with excitement, eyes gleaming with tears.

"Ah! You all have truly suffered over these years; it’s me who has implicated you!"

Zhouyang looked at the emotional juniors before him, sighed deeply and stepped forward to lift them up by their shoulders.

"Forefather, you mustn’t say such things! Without you, we fear we would have turned to dust a century ago, never achieving Foundation Establishment, nor living for an extra hundred years."

"We’ve endured hardships these years, but as your grandson, I dare swear not a hint of resentment towards you exists; we will never forget your benevolence towards us!"

With visible excitement, Zhou Tongyue spoke repeatedly, even swearing an oath on the spot.

Witnessing this, Zhouyang felt even guiltier.

Indeed, over the years, he hadn’t much considered the family’s branch in the Land of the Far West; if not for encountering the Celestial Killer Corpse King in the Sea of Death, if not for Yin Hanguang seeking to establish her power with Guo Jinhong’s head, he might not have returned to the Land of the Far West for centuries.

Previously, whether it was the Celestial Killer Corpse King or Guo Jinhong, they were enemies he could not confront or resolve.

Back then, if he appeared in the Land of the Far West without refining pill and forming infant, letting these enemies find him, an endless pursuit would await.

Not only would he fail to care for the Zhou family branch here, but he might also implicate them in extermination.

Fortunately, heaven opened its eyes, allowing him to return to the Land of the Far West, to redress grievances from the past with Yin Hanguang’s power.

And also enabling him to make some amends to the clan members here who stood steadfastly.

At this moment, looking at the excited Zhou Tongyue, he gently nodded and said, "I know of your loyalty, Forefather will provide an explanation and some compensation upon returning to the Land of the Far West."

"Now, tell Forefather about the family’s situation here so I can grasp it in my heart."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tongyue awkwardly stroked his beard and said, "I’ll let Junior Brother Li introduce this to you, Forefather, since he is more familiar with the family situation than I, an honorary patriarch."

Zhou Tongyue belongs to the "Tong" generation in the Zhou family, while Li Hong’s Dao companion Zhou Fuyun belongs to the "Fu" generation. According to the genealogy, he should be Li Hong’s uncle and elder.

However, given their similar ages and many years of collaboration, Li Hong, being quite capable, had greatly aided Zhou Tongyue in managing the family. Zhou Tongyue had always intentionally overlooked this, only referring to him as a brother to avoid Li Hong’s embarrassment.

Fortunately, Zhouyang is not the type to be pedantic over such matters, merely shifting his gaze to the rather silent Li Hong.

Feeling Zhouyang’s attention, Li Hong promptly bowed and began narrating the situation of the Zhou family’s branch in Cangyuan Immortal City.

"Forefather, with your discernment, the family branch in Cangyuan Immortal City, after decades of development, now has twelve Foundation Establishment cultivators, one hundred eighty-seven Qi Cultivation stage cultivators, and over eighty thousand mundane clansmen!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Nove1Fire.net

"Additionally, the family currently manages one Tier Three Top-Grade Spirit Mountain, two Tier Three Lower-Grade Spirit Mountains, four Tier Two Top-Grade Spirit Mountains, and three shops within Cangyuan Immortal City!"

"Due to a scarcity of income sources, to avoid depleting resources, most family cultivators work across various industries in Cangyuan Immortal City to earn cultivation resources, and most Foundation Establishment cultivators serve in the Guard Team of Cangyuan Immortal City."

Before leaving the Land of the Far West, Xiao Ying and Zhou Guangxiang followed Zhouyang’s instructions, leaving dozens of Foundation Establishment pills and some Tier Three spirit pills with Zhou Tongyue and Li Hong, fulfilling Zhouyang’s commitment to those cultivators who came to the Land of the Far West.

Later, after returning from the Kunxu Realm, Zhouyang also gifted them several Tier Four demon pills and some high-tier spiritual artifact talismans for family development.

Thus, it led to an irregular ratio between Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi stage cultivators in the Zhou family at Cangyuan Immortal City.

This apparent anomaly has attracted attention from various quarters.

Luckily, Li Hong was alert, leveraging Li Mubai’s power to assign Zhou family cultivators to official industries in Cangyuan Immortal City, using this influence to deter coveters, lest calamity befell the Zhou family.

Of course, the most crucial point is that although there are many Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Zhou Family, they have never produced a Purple Mansion Stage Cultivator, which is why they haven’t caught the attention of those truly formidable major forces.

Otherwise, it’s likely that a Golden Core Stage Cultivator would have already intervened to kidnap and use soul-searching methods to find out the reason.

However, the disadvantage of relying heavily on Foundation Establishment Pills to rapidly create Foundation Establishment Cultivators is obvious; it only allows for Foundation Establishment but cannot sustain these cultivators.

In the Qi Cultivation Stage, as long as a cultivator desires to establish a foundation, they can, but after succeeding, they must consider the matters of the next realm.

And the Zhou Family branch in Cangyuan Immortal City clearly lacks the strength to help those Foundation Establishment Cultivators continue their ascent.

For a clan, once it cannot provide cultivation assistance to its higher-ups, other than a rare few who are very nostalgic and grateful, willing to selflessly support the clan, most will choose to leave the clan and seek their own path.

You should know that even Zhouyang, when the Zhou Family couldn’t provide other cultivation resources to help him, often took large amounts of spirit stones from the Zhou Family Treasure Vault for his own use.

"Given what you said about the clan’s financial difficulties, how did you manage to make those clan Foundation Establishment Cultivators continue to work for the clan?"

Zhouyang looked at Li Hong with a face full of curiosity, truly curious about this question.

The saying goes that even a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice. Even the one who brought the Zhou Family to this stage, Zhouyang, admitted he couldn’t achieve that if put in Li Hong’s position.

"Let this grandson explain it to the ancestor!"

Just as Li Hong was about to speak, Zhou Tongyue suddenly interjected.

After taking over the conversation, Zhou Tongyue didn’t look at Li Hong’s complex and hard-to-read expression. With a serious face, he cupped his hands towards Zhouyang and said, "Ancestor, in fact, over the years, twelve cultivators have succeeded in Foundation Establishment within the Zhou Family. However, one was killed when venturing out, with the murderer yet to be found, and two others were executed by this grandson himself!"

"Back then, the two executed by this grandson were among the first batch of cultivators to establish a foundation within the family. Because the family couldn’t provide them with much cultivation resources after their success, they intended to leave the family and join other clans, an act tantamount to betrayal!"

"They didn’t even consider that without the family, how could they have easily obtained Foundation Establishment Pills given their qualifications? Their ancestors followed you, Ancestor, to this Land of the Far West, using their loyalty to the family and their lives to gain Foundation Establishment Pills for them. They weren’t supposed to abandon the family for another after establishing themselves!"

"So, after the incident, this grandson sold off a Tier Four Demon Pill left by you, Ancestor, to obtain several Nether Blood Contracts and forced the remaining clan Foundation Establishment Cultivators to sign them, swearing never to betray the family!"

"Afterward, I used a trick to lure out those two betrayers and led all the clan’s Foundation Establishment Cultivators to besiege them, executing them publicly in the wilderness."

"Since then, any Qi Cultivation Stage Cultivator in the family who succeeds in Foundation Establishment must sign a blood contract to swear allegiance to the family, and it has continued to this day!"

I should have thought of this earlier!

Zhouyang inwardly laughed bitterly and then, with a gaze fixed on Zhou Tongyue, who seemed to feel no guilt, remained silent.

Using the "Nether Blood Contract" to enforce loyalty is something he himself had done before. To be honest, while this can forcibly bind someone’s loyalty, it cannot make them sincerely work for the family.

That is why, as the Zhou Family gradually grew stronger, he never did such things again.

In fact, the truly powerful forces never engage in such matters because the backlash from doing so is just too great.

Especially when encountering a cunning and patient character, it’s easy for them to first deceive the contract, find an opportunity from within, and risk their lives to deliver a fatal blow to the force enslaving them.

If this were happening within the Zhou Family in the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, and someone dared to do such things without his consent, Zhouyang would definitely impose severe punishment, even abolishing their cultivation.

But the situation for the Zhou Family in the Land of the Far West is too special.

Zhouyang also believed that as long as there was a way, and not being driven to a dead end, Zhou Tongyue wouldn’t want to carry out such heart-chilling actions against the family cultivators.

He could even imagine Zhou Tongyue’s feelings at that time.

Two juniors he personally trained suddenly betrayed the family and left. Such betrayal was like stabbing two knives into Zhou Tongyue’s chest, causing both pain and anger.

And due to these two juniors’ betrayal, the other juniors also became restless and ready to act.

Faced with such circumstances, if Zhou Tongyue does not decisively use harsh methods to stabilize people’s hearts, the family, which has just shown some progress, might soon fall apart.

"Actually, the person who gave you this idea was Li Hong, wasn’t it?"

"Although you, Zhou Tongyue, are bold, you grew up in the family, how could you suddenly come up with such a ruthless idea?"

"I believe you personally killed those two traitors, but if you say these ideas were your own, you’re just undermining the wisdom of your ancestor!"

Zhouyang stared at Zhou Tongyue for a long time, then shifted his gaze coldly to the side, where Li Hong stood with a complex expression. With a sneer, he revealed the truth of the matter.

Zhou Tongyue lowered his head, still trying to argue.

But at this time, Li Hong had already knelt down with a thud and heavily kowtowed to Zhouyang, pleading guilty: "Ancestor’s eyes are sharp as a torch; indeed it was I who gave the Patriarch this idea. Those two traitors were also deceived by their relatives under my arrangement. If Ancestor wants to punish, please punish this junior, do not wrongly accuse the Patriarch!"

Zhou Tongyue, seeing this, changed his expression and also followed by kneeling down to kowtow: "Ancestor, please perceive clearly. Although the idea was Li Hong’s, it was carried out with my agreement. If sentencing is to be done, I also share in the responsibility!"

Zhouyang, seeing this scene, felt gratified by the deep brotherhood between the two, yet somewhat irritated by their little cleverness.

How could he not understand Zhou Tongyue’s intentions? Currently, the Zhou Family branch in Cangyuan Immortal City is under the leadership of Zhou Tongyue and Li Hong. If he were to cripple their cultivation and severely punish them, it would not only be unhelpful in controlling this branch, but might also expose his own presence.

Of course, one could not say their actions were purely malicious — it was human nature to want to protect oneself.

Thinking of this, Zhouyang couldn’t help but shake his head. With a wave of his hand, he lifted the two up with a burst of magical power and said:

"Stand up, both of you. I never said I was going to punish you."

"Your actions in this matter were indeed inappropriate, but given the situation you described, choosing this approach wasn’t entirely wrong. In extraordinary times, one must do extraordinary things. I am not an unreasonable person."

"However, now that I am here, this kind of approach must not be used again in the future."

Hearing his words, Zhou Tongyue and Li Hong both breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that they had finally passed this hurdle.

In fact, after they executed this plan, they had discussed together how to respond to the family’s questioning in the future. It was ultimately Li Hong’s judgment that, as long as Zhouyang, the family ancestor, was present, they would not receive severe punishment for this matter.

Now, as expected, everything went as he had anticipated, making Zhou Tongyue even more admiring of his longtime partner.

"But Ancestor, if we don’t use this method, how can we make those family juniors wholeheartedly loyal to the family? Our family here can’t offer any lucrative conditions to attract them, and unlike the Boundless Sea of Sand Cultivation Realm, they have many better options after leaving the family!"

Li Hong looked at Zhouyang with bright eyes, seemingly having realized something, his eyes full of expectation.

Zhouyang, seeing this, couldn’t help but smile faintly, saying: "You don’t need to worry about that. Now that I’ve come to see you, I naturally have a way to resolve this issue. In the future, you won’t need to hold back. You can fully use the Zhou Family’s banner to act!"

Even though Li Hong had some suspicions in his heart since Zhouyang sent a message to call him and Zhou Tongyue for a meeting, he was still shocked by Zhouyang’s forceful words.

He looked at Zhouyang in shock and couldn’t help but ask: "Ancestor, have you perhaps found a way to lift the [Anti-Light Alliance]’s bounty on you? But forgive this junior’s rudeness; the bounty from [Anti-Light Alliance] on you was personally issued by that old monster Guo Jinhong, and given his status, no one should be able to force him to revoke it, right?"

Due to the dispute between Zhouyang and Guo Jinhong, in recent years, Li Hong has been particularly attentive to gathering some information about the Haoyang Sect and Guo Jinhong.

Although limited by his level of cultivation, he couldn’t uncover any truly secret information. Still, from the information he acquired, it was clear that Guo Jinhong certainly wouldn’t voluntarily revoke the "bounty" on Zhouyang.

And though he was clever, he could never imagine, or dare to think of, Zhouyang being able to counter-kill Guo Jinhong, this Nascent Soul Cultivator!

Regarding the matter of killing Guo Jinhong, before the plan was carried out, Zhouyang definitely wouldn’t reveal the slightest bit to Li Hong and the others.

So, in response to Li Hong’s inquiry, he merely waved his hand and said: "I have my own method for this; you need not inquire further. In no more than two or three years, you will be able to stand up and act publicly."

"Yes, junior understands."

A chill ran through his heart, and Li Hong quickly refrained from inquiring further about this matter.

He was a smart person. From Zhouyang’s words, he had already realized that a significant change was about to occur in the Land of the Far West, and such a change was not something a small fry like him could be involved in.

Zhouyang liked people who understood when to advance and retreat and who knew their place. Seeing this, he nodded approvingly before changing the subject, "You all have been in Cangyuan Immortal City for a long time. Do you know what the current situation of Li Cangyuan, the Cangyuan Wanderer, is? How much longer can he live?"

Before he was captured by the "Celestial Killer Corpse King", he already knew that "Cangyuan Wanderer" Li Cangyuan had less than a hundred years of remaining lifespan. Now, more than eighty years had passed, so perhaps this person was also burning out like a spent lamp.

If it weren’t for that incident back then, he might have already taken over the rule of Cangyuan Immortal City from "Cangyuan Wanderer" Li Cangyuan, allowing the Zhou Family to officially become part of the Land of the Far West.

"Regarding the old ancestor’s words, Elder Li’s situation has been closely guarded by the Li Family. No one knows exactly how much longer he can live, or if he has already passed away!"

"In recent years, because of this matter, the entire Cangyuan Immortal City is rife with undercurrents. Cultivators on Guan Zhong’s side, the Deputy City Lord, have begun openly seizing properties and positions originally belonging to the City Lord’s side. Our Zhou Family, because of our association with Elder Li Mubai, has been driven out from several industries by them, and they’ve even injured some of our people!"

"What’s even more worrying is that we haven’t seen Elder Li Mubai for half a year, and every attempt to meet him has been blocked by the Li Family. Additionally, some of their elite disciples and promising juniors have already left Cangyuan Immortal City and vanished without a trace!"

As Li Hong answered Zhouyang’s questions, he cautiously peeked at Zhouyang’s expression, hesitating to speak.

Zhouyang noticed this little gesture, and he couldn’t help but smile at him and said, "Just speak your mind. No need to hold it in."

"Yes, the wise old ancestor can see everything clearly. Junior believes that if our Zhou Family could openly establish our banner in the Land of the Far West, we would need a fundamental place of our own. And isn’t the currently unstable and masterless Cangyuan Immortal City perfect for us?"

"Though, this matter requires your decision, old ancestor. Guan Zhong now is a cultivator at the Third-Layer Golden Core. Without your presence, old ancestor, we small fries cannot withstand even a slap from him!"

Li Hong, having finished expressing his thoughts in one breath, looked at Zhouyang with anticipation, his eyes full of eagerness.

He was a man of ambition and ability. Even with little remaining lifespan, he still wished to develop the Zhou Family in Cangyuan Immortal City into a powerful family during his remaining years, securing a prominent position for his spiritual tablet in the ancestral hall.

If the Zhou Family could take control of Cangyuan Immortal City while he was still alive, becoming the master of the land he had strived on for over a century, he would indeed have no regrets in death!

"You really dare to think big!"

"A mere Ninth-Layer Foundation Establishment Cultivator, a mere Foundation Establishment Clan, dares to scheme against a Golden Core Stage Cultivator and the position of Cangyuan Immortal City’s City Lord. Aren’t you afraid that taking such a big step might pull something down?"

Zhouyang looked at Li Hong, who was filled with eager anticipation, and couldn’t help but laugh. He actually appreciated this guy’s courage.

This reminded him of the first time he saw Li Hong, back when Li Hong was just a Junior Cultivator of the Ninth-Layer of Qi Cultivation, coming for the "Treasure Hunting Conference" hosted by the Zhou Family. Even then, his performance in the martial arena was full of bravado and strategic cunning.

And hearing Zhouyang’s words, Li Hong immediately knew he wasn’t just speaking casually. He promptly flattered, "Had you not come, old ancestor, junior would not dare to have such courage. But since you are here, old ancestor, junior’s courage has also emerged."

After such flattery, he mustered up the courage to say, "Besides, old ancestor, you probably know that back when Guangxiang, our great aunt, and Elder Li Mubai became Dao Companions, it was at junior’s suggestion. If it weren’t for Guo Jinhong, that old monster, intervening, you might have already led our Zhou Family to become the masters of Cangyuan Immortal City!"

Hearing this, Zhouyang couldn’t help but laugh and say, "Alright, since you brought it up, I won’t hide it from you. This time coming to the Land of the Far West, I indeed have the intention of helping you take control of Cangyuan Immortal City. Moreover, to have a justified reason, I brought Guangxiang and her siblings along this time."

Hearing this, Li Hong exclaimed with joy, "Then, the great matter is indeed settled!"

Zhou Tongyue was also overjoyed, his face brimming with happiness.

"Don’t rush to rejoice just yet. Guangxiang’s relationship with me is well known by Guo Jinhong and Guan Zhong, so she cannot reveal herself publicly just yet. Your task now is to help her cover her tracks and find out the real situation of the Cangyuan Wanderer from Li Mubai."

"If the Cangyuan Wanderer has indeed passed, you must persuade Li Mubai and Guangxiang to leave Cangyuan Immortal City and temporarily give up everything to relocate to a safe place. Once I have everything settled, I will help you reclaim Cangyuan Immortal City!"

Zhouyang cooled the two with his sober words, clearly explaining the situation to prevent their excitement from ruining the grand plan.

Hearing this, the two indeed calmed down considerably.

Exchanging a glance, Li Hong spoke on their behalf, "Rest assured, old ancestor, leave this matter to us. We will definitely assist Guangxiang and our great aunt in accomplishing this, patiently waiting for the day you will take action!"

"If you accomplish this task, you’ll have an opportunity to break through to the Purple Mansion Stage!"

Zhouyang gazed intently at the two and spoke a sentence that left them both shocked and overjoyed.