Chapter 1299 - 927: Kyoto Sensation

The Gong Family occupies the home ground and is gradually gaining the advantage.

At this point, the killing has reached a stage where who is right or wrong no longer matters; what matters now is who can stand and laugh last.

Zhang Chen looked at the Eight Great Clans entangled in fierce combat, his lips curled into a smug smile, and then he transformed into a stream of light to seize the opportunity to leave, no longer involving himself in the matters of the scene.

"It’s a shame Zhang Shenqi wasn’t kept in the Gong Family." A hint of regret flashed in Zhang Chen’s eyes.

As the slaughter gradually ceased, the patriarchs of the Eight Great Clans, under the desperate protection of their elders, managed to escape the Gong Family. Although the Gong Family had the home advantage, they were evidently underprepared to keep the leaders of the Eight Great Clans.

As the slaughter ended, the Gong Family’s patriarch gazed at the chaotic courtyard, scattered with bodies, especially the corpses of elder-level figures from the Eight Great Clans. His heart sank; this disaster was huge, and waging war against seven clans at once was like searching for death with a lantern in an outhouse. Next, the Gong Family was bound to face a storm of revenge from the Eight Great Clans.

"Can anyone tell me why the slaughter began?" The Gong Family’s patriarch scanned the injured elders on the scene, the younger generation tending to their wounds; his mindset was somewhat collapsing.

The Gong Family disciples who initially began the killing were long dead; those left had charged in upon seeing their kin fighting fiercely with the members of the Seven Great Clans, thus sparking the massacre. As for why they fought, who knew? By then, who had the mind to worry about why the slaughter began?

At this moment, a slightly hesitant Gong Family disciple said, "I seemed to hear someone shouting about the Tree of Life...?"

"Tree of Life?" The Gong Family’s patriarch was taken aback by the news; what did the Tree of Life have to do with everyone fighting?

"Right now, it’s not important to pursue the reasoning behind the events but to find a way to eliminate the drawbacks. All this was instigated by the Zhang Family; without them stirring up trouble, today’s massacre wouldn’t have happened. Since our enmity with the Zhang Family can no longer be resolved, I propose we take advantage of the moment and invade the Zhang Family, exterminating them entirely, and use it as proof of allegiance to the Human King. We’ve already incurred a bloody grudge with the Seven Great Clans, and what awaits us is their thunderous revenge. It’s better to strike the Zhang Family now when they are unprepared, and we can pledge allegiance to the Human King, relying on his protection to avoid the backlash from the remaining six clans!" An elder of the Gong Family suggested.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other; the Gong Family’s patriarch grabbed his long knife at his waist and said, "Summon all the Gong Family disciples immediately, bring our clan’s Divine Artifact, and catch the Zhang Family off guard. At this point, there is no need to discern right from wrong; we can only proceed with this mistake. But there is certainly an internal issue within our Gong Family, and a significant one at that. Once we’ve stabilized the Gong Family and pledged allegiance to the Human King, we can address our internal affairs."

Following the order of the Gong Family’s patriarch, countless Gong Family disciples marched aggressively, armed with weapons, to the old Zhang Family mansion, and without a word, charged in and started a massacre.

Some Gong Family disciples went towards the Zhang Family’s disciples’ side branches in the city, attacking the properties of Zhang Family disciples, and even directly killing people in the streets.

Zhang Family

Zhang Shenqi was tending to his wounds at home when the courtyard suddenly erupted with screams of agony, stirring up chaos.

"The Gong Family has gone mad, to conceal the news of the Tree of Life Coffin, they have taken the lives of people from our Seven Clans to silence them! They have truly gone insane!" Zhang Gaqi cursed furiously upon seeing his brothers’ injuries.

"First, they stole our clan’s Divine Artifact, and now they’ve unleashed a bloody massacre upon us; this is a vengeance we must repay as humans!" An elder from the Zhang Family ground his teeth, fuming with rage.

"To think the loss of the Tree of Life Coffin was due to the Gong Family snatching it from the Tiger’s Mouth of the Imperial Court; the Gong Family indeed has impressive means. Rumors circulated previously in Kyoto about the Gong Family’s famed Black and White Elders stealing the Tree of Life Coffin, and it turns out to be true! We can use the Tree of Life Coffin as bait and today’s massacre as a reason to unite the other six clans to besiege the Gong Family!" said a second uncle nearby, his eyes gleaming with calculation: "It’s the perfect chance to reclaim our Zhang Family’s inherited treasure."

"Right, it’s reasonable, gather the Zhang Family disciples for battle preparations immediately! Concurrently, send invitations to the other six families, arrange a time to discuss the annihilation of the Gong Family. The Gong Family has lost its sanity by turning their blade upon their ally, madly striking, it’s time we, the Eight Great Clans alliance, expel the Gong Family." Zhang Shenqi remarked.

They were in the midst of their discussion when suddenly shouts of killing sounded from outside, a Zhang Family disciple stumbled inside, his voice filled with panic: "Patriarch, it’s bad news! The Gong Family led their samurai inside and is slaughtering our Zhang Family men, women, young, and old."

"What?" Zhang Shenqi was momentarily stunned, then his face showed rage and shock:

"The Gong Family is simply bullying us excessively!"

Looking at the servant who barged in, Zhang Shenqi’s eyes blazed with fury; disregarding his wounds, he addressed the crowd: "Everyone follow me to fight the enemy!"

"Kill!"

The sound of battle cries echoed everywhere, as members of the Gong Family engaged in rampant slaughter within the Zhang Family, setting fires and killing indiscriminately. No one, man, woman, child, servant, or maid was spared once encountered.

"Your Gong Family takes bullying too far! All Zhang Family disciples, join me in fighting against the Gong Family!" Zhang Shenqi came to the front courtyard, furious as he faced the marauding Samurai of the Gong Family, and with a roar, charged into battle.

The Zhang Family, being one of the Eight Great Clans, naturally held substantial strength. Their own guardians and Samurai promptly drew their weapons and charged forward, their war cries piercing the heavens within the Zhang compound.

In a certain corner of the Zhang estate, Zhang Chen stood invisibly, silently observing the slaughter under a large tree: "The Gong Family truly earns its place as one of the Eight Great Clans. Once realizing there was no room for negotiation, they decisively unleashed unrelenting attacks with no room for retreat."

This is the conduct of a great clan. Once confirming the opposition as an enemy, they would not hesitate, pressing forward with the might of the entire clan to crush their foes.

"Though the Zhang Family suffers catastrophe, its deep foundation ensures it won’t truly fall, at worst losing some people. If the Zhang Family suffers significant casualties, all the blame will fall on Zhang Shenqi, forcing him to abdicate. Then it will be the time for me to seize control of the Zhang Family. As for the Gong Family, suspicions about the Tree of Life have been sown, and next, we await its rooting and sprouting. The Eight Great Clans surely have spies within, and once the target is identified, the court will wipe out the Gong Family." Zhang Chen’s lips curled into a satisfied smile as he stepped towards the Zhang Family’s rear courtyard, intent on seizing the Hell’s Path at this opportune moment.

He went to great lengths to lure the Gong Family here to clash with the Zhang Family, all for the sake of Hell’s Path.

Only by seizing Hell’s Path would Zhang Chen have the chance to acquire greater Authority of Reincarnation and find the old friends marked by the Reincarnation Mark years ago.

Zhang Chen made his way to the rear courtyard and fixed his gaze above the ancestral temple, knowing that if he took Hell’s Path away, it would certainly cause a disturbance. However, with the distraction of the Gong Family, he could minimize this disturbance.

Zhang Chen stared at the sky above the Zhang Family’s ancestral temple for a while, then, the next moment, a Celestial Measuring Ruler slipped from his sleeve. He poured torrents of Innate Qi into the ruler, causing the scales to flicker. With a sweep of the Celestial Measuring Ruler, a pitch-black spatial passage appeared out of thin air, attracting many people’s attention.

Zhang Chen stepped into the spatial passage, which closed the next moment.

"Someone has intruded into the Zhang Family’s secret realm!" exclaimed an elder of the Zhang Family in a panicked voice after witnessing the spatial passage disappear. "Quick, summon the patriarch to use Divine Techniques to open the secret space."

Only the patriarch could open the Zhang Family’s secret realm, leaving the elder anxious at the site of the vanished passage.

"The patriarch is entangled with the Gong Family’s men. We need to repel them first. To open the secret realm requires a ritual; there’s no time for that now," responded Zhang Gaoqi, shouting as he fought fiercely with experts from the Gong Family.

The Gong Family’s assault was too fierce, already breaching the rear courtyard and threatening the inner residence. Everyone was busy with rescue efforts, leaving no time to handle the secret realm issue.

The clash between the Zhang and Gong Families, their cries of battle rumbled, shaking half of Kyoto.

In the Inner Palace

The current Human King was in the midst of reviewing affairs when he suddenly heard the distant cries of battle. Puzzled, he frowned, "How can there be cries of battle in Kyoto? Who’s daring to fight in Kyoto? Could the Eight Great Clans be rebelling?"

Even with his composure, the sudden news of battle cries within Kyoto startled the Human King.

Since the founding of the Great Victory Dynasty, only during royal succession conflicts would significant violence occur. Who would dare incite violence in Kyoto under normal circumstances?

"Someone, quickly find out what’s going on, and immediately mobilize the army outside the city to protect us!" commanded the Great Victory Human King urgently.

Just as he finished speaking, rapid footsteps approached from outside. The approaching messenger knelt, reporting to the Human King of Great Victory, "Great King, spies from the Eight Great Clans report that today, due to the Tree of Life affair, there has been infighting within the Gong Family, resulting in numerous casualties among the Eight Great Clans. The Gong Family has been confirmed to have stolen the Tree of Life evidence. Founding the Tree of Life accidentally by the Eight Great Clans, they intend to silence witnesses by initiating a massacre. The Gong Family, in desperate defiance, led thousands of elite troops to storm the Zhang Family, intending to annihilate the Zhang Family’s direct lineage."

"What?" exclaimed the Great Victory Human King in shock, his voice full of surprise. "Is the Tree of Life indeed within the Gong Family?"

The Tree of Life was of such immense importance that he neglected to even inquire about the clan infighting.