“Kill them.”
The middle-aged man uttered these words lightly.
The clan members, hearing this, silently retreated without any change in their expressions.
Killing two people was merely a trivial task for them, even easier than dealing with fierce beasts.
Once the room was empty, the middle-aged man slowly walked towards the backyard.
However, his face couldn’t hide his joy.
“Five years, five years!”
The clan had been searching Disordered Burial Mountain for five whole years. If it weren’t for the natural Blood Spring going dormant in winter, they would have found it long ago.
But precisely because the Blood Spring went dormant in winter, they could trace its backflow to locate it.
In other seasons, when the Blood Spring revived, there were too many tributaries, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint its exact location unless they overturned the entire Disordered Burial Mountain.
Unfortunately, with the current manpower of the clan, it was far from enough. Moreover, such a large-scale operation would easily attract attention.
Fortunately, the clan’s five-year search had not been in vain!
Yesterday, the clan finally found the main stream of the natural Blood Spring through the tunnels they had dug!
Judging by their findings, there was a ninety percent chance that the Blood Spring was beneath the Chen Clan.
Five years had transformed his initial impatience into today’s calmness. Knowing the location of the Blood Spring, he didn’t rush to act but decided to first gather information about the Chen Clan.
Had it been before, he might not have been so cautious, but the Chen Clan’s recent turnaround from a desperate situation made him more prudent.
Most importantly, the clan was not what it used to be.
Tomorrow, he would visit under the pretext of a friendly call to assess the Chen Clan’s strength before making a move.
The middle-aged man continued forward, soon arriving at a familiar courtyard.
In the courtyard, the bamboo grove had become even sparser, and the green bamboo had turned more yellow.
In the middle of the sparse bamboo grove, a bamboo stalk no taller than half a foot and no thicker than a wrist came into the middle-aged man’s view.
However, this bamboo stalk appeared even more lifeless, without a trace of green.
The middle-aged man then burned incense and prayed:
“Lord Qingling, please bless our clan to successfully obtain the natural Blood Spring this time…”
After the prayer, he scattered the prepared Blood Rice into the bamboo grove.
As soon as the Blood Rice was scattered, it quickly lost its color, becoming like ordinary rice grains.
Unfortunately, the bamboo that absorbed the Blood Rice showed no significant change.
The Blood Rice could only sustain the life of the clan totem, but it was not enough to revive it. Only the source of the Blood Rice, the natural Blood Spring, could save the dying totem.
This was why the clan had chosen to settle here.
Even though the clan totem was declining, it still retained some special powers. For instance, when he questioned Paul Cai earlier, the fragrance emitted by the bamboo was the divine power of the clan totem.
If the clan totem were in good condition, this fragrance would have many miraculous effects, such as enhancing a warrior’s mental acuity and increasing the power of combat skills.
But it wouldn’t be long now. Once the clan obtained the natural Blood Spring, the totem would surely revive, and they could leave this small Disordered Burial Mountain and return to their rightful place!
…
“A visiting card?”
Hearing the report from a clan member, Ethan Chen looked surprised and immediately took the letter from the clan member’s hand and opened it.
“The Clan Chief of the Liu Family, Liu Zishan, comes to pay his respects…”
…
Reading the contents of the letter, Ethan Chen’s face remained calm, but he became alert inside.
The Chen Clan had never had any dealings with the Liu Family before. This visit must be because they had learned about the Blood Spring’s location.
The visitors had ill intentions.
Before Ethan Chen could put down the letter, another clan member reported:
“Clan Chief, several people from the Liu Family are outside, and one of them claims to be the Liu Family’s Clan Chief.”
“They came so quickly?”
Ethan Chen was slightly surprised but immediately called Mason Chen and Elijah Chen to follow him.
Since it was a formal visit, the clan naturally needed to show proper etiquette.
Of course, this etiquette was often to demonstrate the clan’s strength.
Although they knew the Blood Spring was beneath the Ancestral Hall and the Liu Family was likely here for it, the two clans had not yet torn each other apart, and there might still be room for negotiation.
Moreover, the clan was currently weak. If conflict was unavoidable, delaying for some time would be beneficial.
The visiting card in his hand also confirmed that the Liu Family was no ordinary small clan, requiring careful handling.
The group quickly arrived outside the clan and saw the people from the Liu Family waiting.
The Liu Family had sent three people this time, with a middle-aged man standing at the forefront. The man was dignified and imposing, though slightly thin, exuding an air of decisiveness.
This man was clearly the Liu Family’s Clan Chief, Liu Zishan!
As for the two accompanying him, although their demeanor was slightly inferior, their late-stage Blood Condensation Realm cultivation made Ethan Chen’s heart sink.
One of them had extremely thick Qi and Blood, indicating he had reached the pinnacle of the Blood Condensation Realm, with Qi and Blood as dense as mercury.
Hearing the news, many clan members had come out to watch.
Facing the curious gazes of the Chen Clan members, Liu Zishan remained calm, his smile making many feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.
Only Ethan Chen and the other Blood Condensation Realm warriors, who knew his true intentions, looked serious.
After dispersing the clan members, the two Clan Chiefs met.
“I am Ethan Chen, Clan Chief of the Chen Clan.”
“Liu Zishan, Clan Chief of the Liu Family!”
After briefly introducing themselves, Liu Zishan smiled and said:
“Today’s visit is rather abrupt. I hope Clan Chief Chen won’t take offense.”
“You’re too kind, Clan Chief Liu. Please, come in!”
“Please.”
Both sides exchanged smiles and then slowly walked into the clan.
Soon, they arrived at the main hall of the Chen Clan.
“Someone, serve tea.”
After some polite conversation, Liu Zishan suddenly said:
“With winter upon us, I noticed your clan grows Blood Rice. How is the harvest?”
“Thank you for your concern, Clan Chief Liu. The recent cold weather has made it difficult for this crop of Blood Rice to yield much.”
“Oh?”
Liu Zishan looked surprised, then nodded:
“Indeed, it’s hard for Blood Rice to grow in winter. However, I remember our clan has a secret method that allows Blood Rice to mature even in winter. I just don’t know where it is now.”
“If your clan needs it, I can send someone to find it and bring it over. What do you think, Clan Chief Chen?”
Ethan Chen’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this:
“Is there really such a secret method? Then I must thank Clan Chief Liu in advance.”
“You’re too kind, Clan Chief Chen. I’ll have someone bring it over in a couple of days.”
“That would be wonderful.”
After more polite conversation, the group prepared to leave.
Ethan Chen, showing great enthusiasm, escorted the three to the gate and only turned back after they had disappeared from sight.
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