Chapter 44: Chapter 44 Life is Like a Play
"You,” Situ Yunlei said, incredulously staring at the three elders of the Situ Family. He hadn’t expected that at the critical moment, it would be his own people who betrayed him.
Situ Yunlei spat out a mouthful of blood, seemingly realizing something; he deeply looked towards Xu Zimei.
"Gentlemen, I guess there’s no need for me to spell out who wants the Situ Family Head dead,” Xu Zimei said with a smile, looking at the three Situ Family elders and speaking to everyone.
"It’s the three elders,” someone still in disbelief muttered to themselves.
"I get it now, it must be the three elders, coveting the position of the Family Head, conspiring to kill him,” a disciple said with wide eyes, analyzing the situation.
"Young Master Xu, this matter originally had nothing to do with you. Why did you have to interfere?” the Great Elder sneered viciously, taking steps towards Xu Zimei.
...
"No helping it, I am just a warm-hearted person,” Xu Zimei replied with a smile.
Black Thirteen stood in mid-air, his black robe fluttering loudly, carrying a longsword on his back, his demeanor stern, silently watching the three great elders.
Under this pressure, the three elders found themselves unable to move, their faces filled with inexplicable terror, sweat dripping from their foreheads.
Xu Zimei smiled, walked up to Situ Yunqing, and said, “Do you want to avenge your father?”
Situ Yunqing was taken aback, looking at the longsword extended to her by Xu Zimei, she dumbly accepted it.
"Everything must come to an end,” Xu Zimei patted Situ Yunqing’s shoulder and seriously said.
Go to .co
Situ Yunqing nodded firmly, longsword in hand, slowly advancing towards the three great elders.
All three elders’ faces drastically changed, then the Great Elder roared in fury, “I have dominated my entire life, I admit defeat this time. But even in death, I refuse to die at the hands of a little girl.”
The three elders exerted their strength simultaneously, waves of spiritual energy surging around them, momentarily breaking Black Thirteen’s imposing aura.
All three elders grasped their longswords and plunged them into their own abdomens.
With a “pff,” the blades pierced through flesh, each man spat out a mouthful of blood, and they all fell to the ground.
"The Situ Family is finished,” onlookers muttered to themselves, witnessing the scene.
The upper echelon of the Situ Family’s fighting force was entirely decimated, with very few capable of shouldering the heavy burden any longer.
Xu Zimei turned around, addressing Wan Cangqiong and Wang Cheng, “Gentlemen, the Situ Family will now be under my control. Do you want war, or shall we develop peacefully?”
Both men, looking at Black Thirteen striding on the air, hurriedly swallowed and laughed, “Young Master Xu jests. Since the Situ Family will be yours, naturally, we should support each other.”
"Right, right, neighbors should live harmoniously, fortune comes with harmony,” Wang Cheng said with a smile as well.
"Alright, have your people clean up around here,” Xu Zimei told Wan Cangqiong and company.
After that, he looked at Situ Yunqing and asked, “I am thinking of entrusting you with managing the Situ Family in the future. Are you interested?”
Situ Yunqing was stunned, her big, watery eyes widening in disbelief.
"Don’t rush with your answer, consider it carefully tonight, and give me your response tomorrow,” Xu Zimei smiled and then left with Lin Ruhu and Xiao Guizi.
The great battle of today, although over, its aftermath was still spreading throughout Zhouque City.
Inside Linjiang Restaurant, Xu Zimei listened to Xiao Guizi’s report.
"Young Master, I have already made arrangements with the Wang and Wan families. They played along with us in this act, and in return, I will select two talented juniors from their families to be admitted to the True Martial Holy Sect.”
"It doesn’t matter how talented those two juniors are, what is important is that they must be direct descendants of their families; once they are at the Sect Gate, they will be tied to our warship,” Xu Zimei nodded and said.
"I understand,” Xiao Guizi nodded and continued, “All three of Situ Yuntian’s sons died, they died in today’s battle, and now, the only one in the Situ Family who is eligible to inherit the position of Family Head is Situ Yunqing.”
"Handle this matter discreetly, don’t let anyone catch a hold of it,” Xu Zimei said, “I don’t really care about Zhouque City, but make sure the Great Elder’s people don’t find out, so they don’t tattle to my father.”
"I understand, the person in charge of Zhouque City’s Holy Sect branch is from the Elder Faction, and he will definitely pay attention to this matter,” Xiao Guizi nodded.
At that moment, they heard a series of knocks on the door.
Xu Zimei paused for a moment, then said, “Come in.”
The door opened, and the three Elders of the Situ Family walked in unharmed.
"Young Master Xu,” the three Elders greeted with smiles.
"Weren’t you dead?” Xiao Guizi was taken aback; he had personally seen the three Elders draw their swords and stab themselves in the abdomen today.
"Does a stab to the abdomen necessarily lead to death? How can a martial artist be so fragile, especially one at the True Vein Realm,” Xu Zimei shook his head and said.
"Was this all just a play?” Xiao Guizi was taken aback, as he originally thought he knew the entirety of Xu Zimei’s plan, yet he realized he only understood half of it.
"Otherwise, why would I have the Wan and Wang families clean up afterwards? I was afraid of exposure,” Xu Zimei said.
"Young Master, what about the promise you made to us before?” the Great Elder asked with an ingratiating smile.
"Don’t worry, I will let you join the Holy Sect and help you break through to the Empty Vein Realm.
You better go back now; I will have Black Thirteen take you back to the Holy Sect under the cover of night, try not to be seen to avoid exposure,” Xu Zimei said.
"Then we thank you, Young Master,” the three hurriedly nodded and then left.
"They killed Situ Yunlei and even took the fall for killing Situ Yuntian, just to break through to the Empty Vein Realm?” Xiao Guizi said, somewhat disbelieving.
"Breaking through to the Empty Vein Realm, not only does one’s strength surge dramatically, but one also gains an extra hundred years of lifespan, and joining the Holy Sect gives them a brighter future. Aren’t these enough?” Xu Zimei asked in return, “Compared to these, what does a minor Situ Family count for to them?”
Xiao Guizi fell silent; his father was an Outer Sect Elder of the True Martial Holy Sect, and he grew up within the Holy Sect, not very familiar with many of the situations outside.
But now, this matter seemed to have opened a cruel skylight for him.
Actually, Xu Zimei had planned from the very beginning that whether it was Situ Yunlei, Situ Yuntian, his three sons, or the three Great Elders, none could remain in the Situ Family.
Because Xu Zimei was determined to hand over his power to Situ Yunqing to manage, the presence of any of these people would be a major complication.