Chapter 339: Chapter 339, Passing the Blame
The young man appeared to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, with a dignified appearance and a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, looking gentle and refined. This young man was Zhi Buyou’s son, Zhi Hua.
Today was Zhi Buyou’s fiftieth birthday, and nearly all the martial artists with status in the Taihang Mountain Stronghold had attended.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Zhi Buyou’s face was withered, his lips thin, and his eyes flickered with cold severity. He wore a black robe that exuded authority and mystery. As the strength of the Taihang Mountain Stronghold grew, the aura around Zhi Buyou was gradually changing.
His previous bandit-like demeanor was slowly fading, and at this moment, he seemed more like a true sect leader.
Even though the Jade Buddha that Zhi Hua presented was quite ordinary, Zhi Buyou’s face was still full of joy. This was because, through his spiritual sense, he could clearly see that Zhi Hua’s cultivation had reached the True Dao Fifth Layer. If he remembered correctly, Xu Nian’s son, Xu Long, was still struggling at the True Dao Fourth Layer. Zhi Hua had firmly outstripped Xu Long.
It was not in vain that he had gone to great lengths to obtain the Ice and Fire Grass for Zhi Hua from the Demonic Organization.
"Humph!"
A cold snort suddenly echoed in the hall, lowering the temperature by several degrees. Even the singing girls dancing gracefully stopped in their tracks.
"What’s wrong? Do you have an issue with it, old second?"
Zhi Buyou turned to ask Xu Nian, who was drinking in a corner. The cold snort had come from his direction, and a faint trace of coldness flashed in Zhi Buyou’s eyes.
Xu Nian raised the cup on the table and took a deep gulp, then slowly said, "I have no issues. Everything in the Taihang Mountain Stronghold is decided by the eldest brother."
"Hehe, the Taihang Mountain Stronghold was built by the five of us together. How can it be decided by me alone? It should be jointly managed by the five of us."
Even though Zhi Buyou’s heart had already regarded the Taihang Mountain Stronghold as the private property of the Zhi Family, he absolutely could not say this aloud. At least outwardly, he had to maintain appearances.
"Big brother is right."
Xu Nian said indifferently. For now, he had to endure. Beside him, a young man in green clothing with an iron sword on his back stared at Zhi Hua, with a somewhat confrontational air. This young man was Xu Nian’s son, Xu Long.
"Today is my fiftieth birthday. I invited everyone here to celebrate and be happy. Let’s not talk about such things."
Zhi Buyou said lightly, reaching out to take the Jade Buddha from Zhi Hua’s hand and gently examining it, completely ignoring the others present.
Xu Nian remained silent, drinking strong liquor one cup after another, his mind swimming with countless thoughts.
The celebration continued for a full two hours, not ending until late at night. As the servants escorted the guests out, Xu Nian watched Zhi Buyou’s thin figure with cold eyes, revealing hints of murderous intent. Then he turned and walked toward his own residence.
Whoosh!
In the unnoticed darkness, a black figure swiftly flitted and instantly vanished into the courtyards of the prefect’s manor, blending into the night.
"It should be nearby."
Chu Ming murmured. Zhi Hua’s courtyard was not hard to find. As Zhi Buyou’s only son, his status in the Taihang Mountain Stronghold was very high, and naturally, his residence was exceptionally luxurious.
It didn’t take long for Chu Ming to lock onto a courtyard. Outside the courtyard, Chu Ming could hear the sounds of conversation inside.
He lightly jumped over the fence, discreetly peering into the room through the window’s gap.
In the dimly lit room, primarily decorated in red, a young man lay on the bed. Beside him was a naked young woman, the man’s face wearing a lecherous smile as his hands roamed over the woman’s body, causing her to moan gently.
"Young master, you’re so naughty~"
The young woman’s eyes were filled with sensuality, as if they could drip water.
"There’s more naughtiness to come."
The young man laughed wickedly, starting to move his body, but at that moment, a white claw slashed through the air, instantly striking him. A black shadow pounced; before Zhi Hua’s expression could change, his body was pierced through by sharp claws, blood splattering from his chest, causing the young woman to shriek in horror.
Crack!
Chu Ming lightly moved his fingers, ending the young woman’s life as well.
Whoosh!
With a flash, Chu Ming disappeared into the darkness. He had to leave the Taihang Mountain Stronghold immediately. Zhi Hua, being Zhi Buyou’s son, most assuredly had a Soul Jade Token connected to Zhi Buyou, who would have sensed Zhi Hua’s death immediately.
Whoosh!
Just as Chu Ming left the prefect’s manor, a terrifying aura abruptly surged, instantly enveloping the entire mansion like an awakened fierce beast.
"Who killed my son!?"
A thunderous roar shook the entire prefect’s mansion, waking everyone, and the echo spread across nearly half of the Taihang Mountain Stronghold. Even the flying Chu Ming heard it, but he was already about to exit the stronghold. Even with Zhi Buyou’s cultivation level, catching up to him wouldn’t be easy.
In Zhi Hua’s room, Zhi Buyou’s face was dark as water, eyes filled with intense killing intent. With just a glance, he could preliminarily determine that Zhi Hua had died at the hands of someone using the Eagle Claw Technique - a rare skill in the stronghold practiced only by martial artists of the Second Village Chief, Xu Nian’s faction.
After carefully inspecting Zhi Hua’s wounds once more, the killing intent on his face grew even stronger, spreading across his entire face. His aura erupted, blowing the whole room apart.
"Eagle Claw Technique at the Transformation Realm!!"
These words were squeezed out from between his teeth. Although many in Xu Nian’s faction practiced the Eagle Claw Technique, Xu Nian was the only one who had reached mastery at the Transformation Realm.
Boom!
In his rage, Zhi Buyou struck the naked female corpse beside him, reducing it to a bloody mist, with blood splattering everywhere.
"A life for a life, Hua’er, your death will not be in vain!"
Zhi Buyou gritted out. At over fifty years old, his fertility was low, and having another son was nearly impossible. Even if he could manage it, the position of Great Village Chief would already belong to Xu Long. Zhi Hua had been his hope, his pillar, and now with Zhi Hua dead, his hope was shattered.
Whoosh!
Zhi Buyou was not completely overtaken by rage. Even though he sought revenge, this matter required careful planning. Additionally, with the Second Village Chief’s growing strength and his alliances with Iron Tiger and Lone Wolf, it made Zhi Buyou hesitate to act rashly.
The next day, the whole of Taihang Mountain Stronghold was abuzz with the events that had transpired in the prefect’s manor. The news couldn’t be contained; nearly half of the Taihang Mountain Stronghold knew of it due to the ruckus caused by Zhi Buyou.
Zhi Hua was dead!