Chapter 1342: Plundering

“You scoundrel! What are you doing? Quickly send people to lead them up and execute all the members of the Lei family immediately!” An ancestor from the Chai Family saw the retreating members of the Zhang Family and a trace of anger appeared in his eyes. He rushed forward to block their path and angrily reprimanded, his voice filled with fury.

Zhang Chen looked at the flushed face of the Chai Family ancestor, a light smile played on his lips. “The Lei family’s martial arts are too strong, our Zhang Family members can’t withstand them, we’re forced to retreat. As the Patriarch of the Zhang Family, I can’t let my disciples die in vain, can I?”

“You scoundrel! You worthless fool, the main force of the Lei family hasn’t arrived yet, how can you be unable to resist? Obviously, you’re deliberately escaping. Aren’t you afraid of the royal family’s reckoning afterward?” The ancestor of the Great Victory Dynasty seemed so furious at Zhang Chen’s words, he almost exploded with anger, threatening sinisterly, his eyes a swirling storm of murderous intent.

“If you want the Zhang Family to be safe and sound, immediately turn back and fight, withstand the main force that is about to arrive from the Lei family. Otherwise, afterwards, the Zhang Family will have no place in this world.”

Faced with the royal ancestor’s threat, Zhang Chen smiled suddenly. “Royal reckoning? I’ve never hoped the royal family would spare me! If the royal family wants reckoning, they could directly come to settle accounts with the Zhang Family. Why should I fear the royal family’s reckoning?”

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he bypassed the royal family ancestor without hesitation, leading the Zhang Family’s men and departing hastily, leaving the royal ancestor furious, watching Zhang Chen, speechless from anger.

He wanted to take Zhang Chen to task, but now wasn’t the time for a clash of tempers. If the Great Victory royal family clashed with the Zhang Family, it would result in a pyrrhic victory, giving the Lei family a chance to breathe.

Once the Lei family catches their breath and supports the other families, the situation could be reversed by the Six Great Clans, and the Great Victory royal family would be in peril.

“Someone, immediately gather the elite and enter the Lei family with me, slaughter all the Lei family members, also dispatch people to intercept the Lei family’s reinforcements.” The ancestor of the Great Victory Dynasty maintained some rationality and immediately mobilized personnel to remedy the situation.

This is the capital of the Chai Family, where hundreds of thousands of imperial guards are controlled by the Chai Family. The Chai Family had long prepared in secret to annihilate the Eight Great Clans and could quickly fix any lapses. Even if Zhang Chen led the Zhang Family to betray, it wouldn’t spoil the Great Victory royal family’s plan.

With an order, countless imperial guards swarmed out, rushing towards the Lei family, screams and shouts shook heaven and earth.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chen commanded his disciples to ransack the shops of the Eight Great Clans, plundering various treasures and spirit medicines. Even innocent families outside the Eight Great Clans were opportunistically ransacked by unscrupulous Zhang Family members.

Zhang Chen had no way to stop these actions, as he had only recently assumed the role of Patriarch of the Zhang Family and couldn’t fully command his subordinates.

Zhang Chen could only ensure the Zhang Family disciples followed the right direction on crucial matters; regarding details, he couldn’t manage too much.

In the future, the Zhang Family would need to manage the Northern Land, requiring vast amounts of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures and enormous wealth. If we speak of the wealthiest place in the world, it would surely be Kyoto, where all wealthy humans congregate. Zhang Chen allowed the Zhang Family disciples to plunder in order to accumulate wealth rapidly.

Some might wonder, doesn’t Zhang Chen possess the Authority of the Five Elements? If he wants gold, he could just transform it. What’s the big deal?

But Zhang Chen pondered whether the gold and silver treasures he’d transformed with Magical Power would revert to their original forms when the End of Dharma Tribulation arrives.

This was something Zhang Chen had to prepare for in advance.

As the royal family moved against the Eight Great Clans, Kyoto descended into chaos, and with the Zhang Family exploiting the situation for constant plundering, some took advantage and looted along with the Zhang Family, plunging the entire capital into disarray, flames soaring into the sky, screams echoing through heaven and earth.

Zhang Chen stood tall on the newly built tower of the Zhang Family, overlooking the chaos of Kyoto, his eyes gazing at the far-off tumult where screams echoed through heaven and earth from all directions.

“Are you truly confident that the Zhang Family can evade the royal family’s scrutiny after all of this? The Zhang Family disciples’ acts of arson and robbery won’t go unnoticed. If the royal family pursues this after the fact, the Great Victory royal family would have every excuse to eradicate the Zhang Family.” Zhang Gaqi stood behind Zhang Chen, his clothes stained with blood, eyes red, clearly having shed blood.

Upon hearing Zhang Gaqi’s words, Zhang Chen smiled with a trace of smugness in his eyes. “After today, the foundation of the Great Victory royal family will be utterly destroyed, leaving their strength almost shattered, making it difficult to suppress the world in the future. They won’t have the time to worry about the Zhang Family. By then, they’ll beg the Zhang Family disciples not to rebel.”

Zhang Gaqi was momentarily stunned, staring dumbly at Zhang Chen. “The Great Victory royal family’s foundation lost in one blow? How’s that possible! Look at the Great Victory royal family, they have seven experts comparable to the twelfth tier. It’s nearly impossible to kill them all.”

It’s not that Zhang Gaqi was unwilling to believe Zhang Chen’s words, but this matter seemed almost impossible. To exhaust the Great Victory royal family’s foundation, all the experts comparable to the twelfth tier would need to be slain. But how is that possible?

“Don’t underestimate me.” Zhang Chen looked at Zhang Gaqi meaningfully, with an inexplicable pride in his eyes: “Tell the Zhang Family disciples below that I will give them only two days. After two days, all Zhang Family disciples must abandon their foundation in Kyoto, leave through the underground passages, and go to serve at Prince Pingbian’s Mansion. In the future, the Northern Land Prince Pingbian’s Mansion will be our Zhang Family’s stronghold. We will only leave a small number of clan members in Kyoto to maintain the operation of the industries, while the others will head to the Northern Land to participate in its construction.”

Zhang Gaqi looked at Zhang Chen with a complicated and unspeakable expression. He opened his lips as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately said nothing. After a long sigh, his figure disappeared into the pavilion.

Attempting to eliminate the six great families of Kyoto in one fell swoop is not a simple task. The sounds of slaughter echoed throughout Kyoto night after night, with countless households falling victim, becoming innocent sacrifices, and being looted. Many families were implicated and thus died out.

This kind of family conflict is extremely brutal; it is a struggle to the death and eradication, with both sides leaving no path of retreat and aiming to root out their enemies completely.

The next day, a large group of Zhang Family disciples received orders and came to the ancestral house. Following the passage, they transported treasures out of the city and headed toward Prince Pingbian’s Mansion.

It took tens of thousands of people to finally empty the Zhang Family’s ancestral shrine. Zhang Chen looked at the empty courtyard and asked, “Is everything arranged?”

“Most of the Zhang Family disciples have followed your arrangement and left. Some are unwilling to abandon their family assets and refuse to leave; they wish to stay in Kyoto to take care of the family’s industries. They want to try their luck in Kyoto.” Zhang Gaqi held a roster in his hand, standing behind Zhang Chen and replied.

The world has always had people willing to take risks. For instance, the Zhang Family members wanting to withdraw from Kyoto would inevitably leave most of their industries abandoned or unmanaged. Those Zhang Family members who have been frustrated in the past now seize the opportunity, holding power in their hands and obtaining a chance to rise.

There is never a lack of opportunists willing to try their luck, no matter where they are.

Zhang Chen was surprised upon hearing this: “How many people are there?”

“Thirty thousand!” Zhang Gaqi said.

“That’s quite a number.” Zhang Chen replied, surprised by the unexpected number willing to volunteer to stay.

After a brief contemplation, Zhang Chen said, “What our Zhang Family lacks most are those who dare to fight for themselves. Deliver my order: all Zhang Family members who stay in Kyoto will be allocated one drop of Yellow Spring Water every month.”

“One drop of Yellow Spring Water every month?” Zhang Gaqi was shocked: “Thirty thousand is not a small number; isn’t the allocation of Yellow Spring Water too much…”

“It’s just some Yellow Spring Water; it’s insignificant!” Zhang Chen turned to look at Zhang Gaqi: “The least thing I’m short of is Yellow Spring Water.”

Zhang Gaqi was initially stunned, then shocked, before quickly going to dispatch people to handle the matter.

Zhang Chen stood alone in the pavilion, watching the great battle within Kyoto. The blood battles between the Great Victory Dynasty and the six great families wreaked havoc; the terrifying energy waves spread across heaven and earth. The Gong Family was also caught in a blood battle; however, with the secret support of Blood God Child Gong Xufeng, their losses were minimal.

A small portion of the Gong Family’s direct lineage had left as seeds, but another portion was intentionally left by Zhang Chen. In case of a future End of Dharma situation, the Gong Family lurking within the Great Victory Dynasty could be a strategic move against the dynasty.

Time passed by bit by bit. The sounds of slaughter in Kyoto continued for seven days, finally beginning to cease, and the terrifying energy waves in heaven and earth gradually faded. Zhang Chen could sense that the extraordinary power of the seven great families had been extinguished, and the people of the six great families had been thoroughly vanquished.

“I wonder if anyone holding the ancestral treasures of the six great families managed to escape. If those six treasures fall into the hands of the Great Victory Dynasty, their power will expand rapidly. However, even if they do, it will be futile, as I will soon release the terrifying monster from the Spiritual World.” Zhang Chen’s eyes gazed toward Kyoto: “Great Victory Dynasty, are you ready? Your battle to defend Kyoto is about to begin.”

Just as Zhang Chen’s thoughts were turning, brisk footsteps sounded. Zhang Gaqi appeared from below the pavilion with a panic-stricken face: “It’s bad! Things have gone terribly wrong!”

“What has caused such panic?” Zhang Chen turned to inquire.

Zhang Gaqi’s face was filled with chaos: “A large group of Imperial Guard has arrived outside our Zhang Family’s old residence, surrounding us completely, and even our shops in the city have been sealed. Many of our family’s disciples have been arrested by the court officials.”