Chapter 616: Chapter 21: Noble Families United

“The Immortal Village Envoys are going to jointly hold a family conference?”

Upon hearing the news brought by Miss Zhen, both the Young Master and Bai were stunned in place.

There was no other explanation; the timing was simply too coincidental.

According to Bai, Richard was at most half a month away from the Immortal Country, and in another half month, he would descend into this world. At this critical moment, the Seven Immortal Village Envoys were combining forces to hold a family conference, which seemed completely abnormal.

“Are you sure about the news? Are all the families participating?”

Miss Zhen nodded: “The Family Head has already confirmed it. All the families are participating in this conference. The stated reason for the conference is that a great disaster is looming, and only by uniting the families can we resist it.

But at this juncture, we should be very clear about what disaster they are talking about.”

The Young Master exhaled, then slowly spoke: “Bai, what does he say?”

“…He said this is a normal phenomenon and that we shouldn’t get nervous. When the day of his arrival comes, we just need to set up the things he gave us.”

When informing them of his impending descent, Richard also gave a beacon to help locate the Lu family upon his arrival.

“A normal phenomenon?” the Young Master murmured to himself, “These are all the families. If the families truly unite, they have millions of samurai alone, and their top experts are countless.

And yet he doesn’t have the slightest reaction…”

The Young Master was a smart person, and at this moment, he finally realized how terrifying Richard’s intentions were.

Beside him, Bai showed no change; although he could also perceive how terrifying Richard’s enemy must be, he was equally aware of how terrifying Richard himself was.

For top masters, ordinary samurai in large numbers cannot hold them back. And with Richard, Bai felt as if he were the ordinary samurai that couldn’t hold back such a master.

After listening, Miss Zhen did not react much. If Bai knew how strong Richard’s hard strength was, then she understood how strong Richard’s soft strength was.

Even just basic alchemy involved a knowledge base as vast as the stars. If not for her extraordinary intelligence since childhood and her self-study of medicine for over ten years, basic alchemy would have been a heavenly book to her.

Thrown into the Jianghu, this book’s renown would have been akin to the Hundred Families’ Heavenly Book, attracting countless samurai and even family factions vying for this rare treasure.

And this was merely basic; there were intermediate and advanced levels she hadn’t learned yet.

A person like Richard with such knowledge likely commands an army where even regular soldiers are as elite as Iron Armor Guards.

The mere coalition of family forces, even if they were of one heart, would still be like an insect trying to stop a cart before the might of Richard’s forces.

“Didn’t he ask us to gather intelligence on the world alliance?” the Young Master suddenly asked Bai.

He couldn’t believe that Richard planned to oppose such a formidable enemy and was confident enough not to need any information.

“…He said we only need to keep an eye on the Immortal Country’s intelligence, stating that the family coalition is merely a group of…bugs.”

“Just concerned with the Immortal Country?”

The Young Master showed a slight wry smile; how could these outsiders all be so terrifying?

“Then let’s pay attention to the intelligence from the Immortal Country.”

Bai Wenyan was taken aback, then cautiously asked: “Young Master, are you planning to collaborate with him?”

The Young Master was silent for a moment; his voice was somewhat weak: “I don’t know, but I want to focus a bit on the Immortal Country’s intelligence so that it can at least make things easier for you in the future.”

“Young Master, I’m just a…”

“Enough, Bai. You’re no longer just a guard.” the Young Master said softly, “And I’m not some Young Master. I am Quan Zicheng, the last scion of the Quan family, and you are my only remaining family in this world.

If the Quan family can be rebuilt, the front of the clan genealogy will have us standing shoulder to shoulder.”

…

“Are you going to attend the family conference?”

The head of the Lu family looked at the Young Master of the Quan family with a somewhat headache-filled expression.

“Zicheng, I can ensure your safety in the Lu family, but once you step out, the variables increase.”

The Young Master, looking at the head of the Lu family, said with clear eyes: “Uncle Lu, I am the legitimate son of the Quan family, and by etiquette, I am now the head of the Quan family. Although I have left the Quan family, I am still a member of many families.

And as the head of a family, I have no reason to skip this family conference.”

Hearing this, the head of the Lu family felt even more of a headache.

Although he was the head of the Lu family, due to his ventures in the Jianghu in his early years, he didn’t possess much of the habits of a family authority but instead carried the chivalrous air of a Jianghu wanderer.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have defied all opposition to keep Quan Zicheng, the Young Master of the Quan family, in the Lu residence rather than exchange him with the Peng family for Dao techniques.

But people always have personal motives.

Indeed, he took in the Young Master of the Lu Family for righteousness, but if he could turn righteousness into profit, he certainly wouldn’t mind.

The bloodline of the Young Master of the Lu Family is noble. If he can stay with the Lu Family, it will surely produce generations of talents for the Lu Family.

If Quan Zicheng participates in this conference, it would be tantamount to acknowledging the continued existence of the Quan family in front of many families. This means Quan Zicheng can never be a son-in-law to the Lu Family.

There has never been a family head in this world who became a son-in-law to someone else.

“Zicheng, I can take you there, but you cannot go as the head of the Quan family. If you go as the head of the Quan family, it’s like declaring war on those old things. Although they’ve stopped pursuing you now, it doesn’t mean they lack the ability to kill you.

The Lu Family may be a top-grade family, but if several families cause trouble at the same time, problems will arise.”

The words of the Lu Family Head were very tactful. Right now, the Young Master hadn’t made a name for himself, which meant he was considered a member of the Lu Family, and the Lu Family would protect him at all costs. But if the Young Master attends the family conference as the head of a family, he is then considered part of the Quan family, and although the Lu Family and the Quan family are allies, they would never sacrifice their foundation for the sake of the Quan family.

However, after hearing these words, the Young Master stubbornly shook his head.

“Uncle, those people I will kill sooner or later. They also can’t truly let me go. This time I must attend as the head of the Quan family, and my safety is not a concern for you.”

Seeing the Young Master still being stubborn, a trace of anger rose in the Lu Family Head’s heart.

He was just an uncle, not the Young Master’s father. Since he couldn’t persuade him, then let him be.

“Then go, I will have someone prepare the carriage for you.”

Hearing the anger in the Lu Family Head’s tone, the Young Master said nothing more, thanked him, and left the room.

Returning to Moon-Gazing Pavilion, Bai had packed the luggage, waiting outside for the Young Master. Beside him, the array flag on the chest of the Alchemy Puppet had disappeared. Leaving the Lu Family, that array flag naturally was no longer needed.

Richard spent a few minutes modifying the puppet, optimizing its performance while converting its functional devices to be powered by Magic Essence.

“Young Master, what did the Lu Family Head say?”

The Young Master nodded slightly, “Uncle has agreed, we’ll head out to attend the family conference in a bit.”

Soon, a coachman arrived with a carriage in front of them. Seeing the tiny scales on the carriage and horse, Bai exclaimed slightly, “The Lu Family Head is indeed kind.”

The journey is long, so the carriage is naturally not drawn by ordinary horses, but by trained Barbaric Beasts. And the carriage sent by the Lu Family Head is drawn by a Dragon Blood Barbaric Beast.

This type of Barbaric Beast has speed, endurance, and innate divine skills that are several times stronger than ordinary beasts, and its value is dozens of times that of ordinary beasts.

If sold, this carriage would be worth as much as a low-grade family.

The coachman handed over the carriage, and Bai opened the carriage door to help the Young Master board. But upon opening the door, they saw a figure already seated inside.

Miss Zhen slightly bowed to them, “The Family Head said the journey is long and is concerned there might be issues with the Young Master’s bloodline, so he sent me to accompany you.”

The Young Master got on the carriage and smiled, “Then we’re all set. Let’s go, Bai, we must reach Wolf Plain within five days.”

…

Wolf Plain, the site of the White Wolf King’s royal court in ancient times.

After the White Wolf King was killed by an Immortal, this land became deserted and was seen as a cursed place. But with the Heavenly Gate opening, and an Immortal enfeoffing families in Wolf Plain, this land once again became the core of the Immortal Country.

The territories of the Seven Immortal Village Envoys completely surround this land, making it the only piece of land under heaven without an owner.

Following the highway built by the Seven Immortal Village Envoys, the Quan family traveled day and night and finally arrived at this ancient land on the morning of the fourth day. They were also the last family to arrive.

Although the dragon horse is good, the distance from the Immortal Water to Wolf Plain is over twenty thousand miles, and by the end of the journey, the dragon horse was almost exhausted on the road.

If it were any further, the families would have had to take Flying Eagles to come here.

Hanging the Family Gold Seal on his waist, the Young Master, accompanied by Bai and Miss Zhen, entered the old royal court in Wolf Plain.

The old royal court was once the residence of the White Wolf King, the place where he ruled over his world, and its scale is naturally immense. The werewolves of old used to chop wood from the Eastern forests, quarry stones from the Western mountains, gather spices and dyes from the Southern jungles, and search for gold and gemstones on the Northern plains, all to build this enormous and magnificent structure.

But in the end, the Wolf King died, and the vast structure went into decline.

Now, only the King’s Court remains intact, which is where the family conference is held.

Entering the King’s Court, the Young Master immediately saw the Lu Family Head seated at the main seat.

The Lu Family Head nodded slightly at him and remained properly seated. After searching for a while, the Young Master quickly found the position for the Quan family.

The Quan family, according to their status before being destroyed, was classified as a medium-grade family.

Having found his seat, the Young Master, like the other family heads, sat properly and waited for the conference to begin. He sat there for two days and nights. With the dawn of the third day piercing the darkness, a loud bell awakened the many family heads.

Subsequently, seven Daoists dressed in wide robes, holding horsetail whisks in their hands, walked into the royal court, heading to the seven seats reserved for the top-grade families.

The leading Daoist first spoke: “We have gathered everyone here to discuss a major event. The Immortal has foreseen that soon, there will be an invasion of an Outer Heaven Demon into this world.”