Chapter 26: The Chu Family.

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Chu Family.

The moment they passed through the gate, the scenery before them changed completely. The road opened into a vast avenue that stretched deep into the city.

It was several times wider than the mountain roads they had traveled along earlier, with enough space for numerous carriages to travel side by side without obstructing one another.

Large stone slabs covered the ground from one end of the avenue to the other, each piece carefully fitted against the next. On both sides of the road stood rows of buildings of varying sizes.

Some were simple wooden residences, while others were several stories tall, their structures built from stone and dark timber.

Shops occupied the lower floors of many buildings, with their doors opened toward the street as merchants called out to passing customers.

The sounds of the city immediately surrounded them and entered their ears. The conversations of pedestrians, the occasional cries of merchants, and the clattering of carriage wheels against the stone road.

Everything mixed together into the bustling atmosphere of a city that had existed for countless years. The old clansmen walked quietly through the avenue, their eyes moving across their surroundings.

The road ahead did not remain flat.

Several hundred meters farther ahead, it gradually began to rise.

A broad stone slope led toward the next layer of the city, where another section of buildings could be seen towering above the lower streets.

There were no ordinary stairs connecting the districts.

Instead, the roads themselves climbed upward, wide enough for both pedestrians and carriages. Alongside them were enormous stone bridges connecting different parts of the city.

Some passed above the streets.

Others stretched between elevated terraces, allowing people to travel directly from one district to another.

Looking upward, the clansmen could see even more layers of the city.

The higher districts were partially hidden behind a thin veil of mist.

Towering pavilions emerged from the white haze, their rooftops barely visible beneath the sunlight. Some buildings were so tall that their upper floors disappeared into the clouds.

The city seemed to have no true end.

Chen Guanshan walked at the front of the group, his eyes calmly observing the surroundings.

Everywhere they looked, cultivators could be found.

Some wore swords at their waists, while others carried bows, staffs, or various weapons that Chen Guanshan could not immediately recognize.

There were also merchants transporting spiritual herbs, materials, and other cultivation resources. Occasionally, a cultivator would walk past them while emitting a faint spiritual pressure.

The clansmen paid little attention to them, having already grown accustomed to such things.

"Where are we headed to, Elder Guanshan?"

"To the City Lord’s Mansion."

"Be prepared mentally. Those wretched idiots might be there too."

The clansmen exchanged glances but said nothing.

They continued along the broad avenue, following the road as it gradually climbed toward the higher layers of the city.

The further they went, the fewer ordinary shops appeared along the roadside. The buildings also became larger and more spacious, with many of them surrounded by walls and private courtyards.

The streets gradually became quieter as they left the busiest districts behind.

Occasionally, they passed beneath enormous stone arches that marked the boundaries between the different layers of the city. Beyond each arch, the road would rise again, leading them toward another elevated district.

From time to time, they could look back and see the lower layers stretching beneath them.

The buildings they had passed earlier now appeared smaller, while the roads below resembled long lines winding through the city.

The higher they climbed, the more apparent the difference became. Cultivators became more common, and the spiritual energy in the surroundings also grew noticeably denser.

Eventually, the bustling streets of the lower city were left far behind.

Ahead, the road continued upward toward the uppermost districts of Blue Cloud Mist City. After walking for some time, they finally reached the highest part of the city.

Their steps gradually slowed.

Before them stood a colossal dome-shaped building.

It towered above the surrounding structures, its enormous curved roof rising high into the sky. Layers of dark stone and spiritual materials formed its exterior, while intricate patterns covered the massive surface of the structure.

The entire building seemed to dominate the summit of the city, like a colossal dome overlooking everything below. At its base was a huge open entrance, wide enough for hundreds of people to pass through at once.

Towering pillars stood on either side of the opening. They were not ordinary stone pillars.

The entire surface was formed from spiritual stones, carefully carved and assembled into enormous columns that shimmered faintly beneath the sunlight.

The sheer amount of spiritual material used to construct the entrance alone was enough to make the old clansmen secretly gasp.

Chen Guanshan looked at the magnificent structure before him, his expression remaining calm.

There was no need to guess which family had built something so extravagant. Such lavishness was practically the style of the Zhao Family.

As the group approached the entrance, they noticed that they were far from the only ones who had arrived.

Numerous groups had already gathered within the enormous open area. They stood separately according to their respective families, each group carrying their own banners and emblems.

Some were small cultivation families with only a handful of members. Others consisted of dozens of people, making their presence considerably more imposing.

The Chen Family’s white deer antler emblem naturally attracted a few glances as they approached.

Some recognized them immediately. Others merely looked over curiously before turning their attention back toward the gathering.

Chen Guanshan didn’t mind these small details. Instead, he focused his gaze on the surroundings as he noticed several things.

At the front of the enormous opening stood a wide staircase. It stretched upward toward an immense platform that occupied the center of the upper district.

Rows upon rows of seats had already been arranged across the platform. Behind them stood numerous tall banners bearing the emblem of the Great Yan Kingdom.

Chen Guanshan led the group toward a quieter corner of the enormous gathering area and stopped there, his gaze remaining fixed upon the platform ahead.

"We’ve arrived."

The old clansmen quietly took their positions behind him.

There was no need for further conversation.

They had already traveled for several hours, and with so many cultivation families gathered around them, it was better to remain patient and observe their surroundings.

Chen Guanshan stood with his hands behind his back, calmly surveying the area.

He noticed several familiar family emblems among the gathered groups, along with a number of faces he had encountered over the years.

Most of them were people he had no particular interest in.

Then a voice suddenly came from the side.

"If it isn’t the famous Elder Guanshan of the Chen Family."

The voice carried a hint of amusement.

"I never thought that this time around, the Chen Family would actually send an elder to the front line."

Chen Guanshan’s expression changed slightly.

He turned his head and looked toward the approaching group.

Several figures were walking toward them, each wearing the same family emblem on their robes.

The Chu Family.

Chen Guanshan’s gaze quickly settled upon the man leading them.

The man appeared to be in his late fifties, with a broad face, short black hair streaked with grey, and a neatly trimmed beard.

His dark-green robes were embroidered with the emblem of the Chu Family, while a long sword hung from his waist.

His name was Chu Wenhai.

He was not someone Chen Guanshan considered particularly important. However, the sight of him still caused Chen Guanshan’s heart to grow slightly heavy.

"Be prepared. They aren’t coming with good intentions."

The words came quietly from behind Chen Guanshan. One of the old clansmen lowered his voice as he watched the Chu Family approach.

Chen Guanshan did not turn around.

"I know."

Chu Wenhai led his people toward them without any hurry. His expression remained pleasant, and there was even a faint smile upon his face.

When he reached the front of the Chen Family’s group, he stopped.

"To think that the Chen Family would actually send Elder Guanshan this time."

His gaze slowly swept across the old clansmen standing behind Chen Guanshan.

"What a sight."

Chen Guanshan glanced at him.

"The Chu Family seems to have prepared well."

"Naturally."

Chu Wenhai smiled.

"The southern border is dangerous. One should always prepare accordingly."

His eyes lingered briefly on the faces of the old clansmen.

"After all, sending people to the front line is not something that can be taken lightly."

Chen Guanshan’s expression remained unchanged.

"You speak as though the Chu Family has never sent people there before."

"How could that be?"

Chu Wenhai chuckled.

"We have sent our people there many times. Some returned, and some did not."

He sighed softly.

"Such is the nature of the battlefield."

Chen Guanshan nodded.

"Indeed. Those who are willing to go should already understand what awaits them."

"That is true."

Chu Wenhai’s smile widened slightly.

"Although I suppose every family has its own way of deciding who should go."

The words were polite.

The meaning behind them was not.

One of the Chen Family clansmen frowned slightly, but Chen Guanshan remained calm.

"Our family merely makes the decisions we believe are appropriate."

"Of course."

Chu Wenhai nodded.

"Every family has its own circumstances."

His gaze shifted toward the Chen Family again.

"It is simply interesting to see so many familiar faces here."

He paused.

"Especially the older ones."

The atmosphere around the Chen Family quietly changed.

Chen Guanshan looked directly at him.

"Then perhaps you should concern yourself with your own family."

Chu Wenhai smiled.

"Naturally."

He placed his hands behind his back and turned his gaze toward the distant platform.

"Still, I hope everyone here understands what they are walking into."

His voice remained light, almost as though he were merely offering words of concern.

"The southern border is not the city."

"There will be no peaceful streets there. No safe residences. No place to retreat when the demons come."

Chen Guanshan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"We know."

"I am sure you do."

Chu Wenhai gave a small nod.

"After all, the Chen Family has always been rather protective of its younger generation."

The words were delivered casually.

Yet the implication was obvious. Chen Guanshan’s expression finally became colder.

"Protecting one’s younger generation is hardly something to be ashamed of."

"Never said it was."

Chu Wenhai smiled.

"On the contrary, I find it admirable."

He glanced toward the younger-looking members of his own group before returning his attention to Chen Guanshan.

"Some families simply choose to protect their future by placing the burden upon those who have already lived most of their lives."

His tone remained remarkably composed.

It sounded almost like an observation rather than an insult.

Chen Guanshan did not answer immediately.

He simply stared at him.

Chu Wenhai’s smile slowly faded.

Then, as though speaking only to himself, he muttered quietly enough that only those standing nearby could hear.

"I wonder how many of you will die on the front line."

His eyes moved across the old clansmen.

"Sending the old ones just to save the younger ones?"

A faint smile returned to his face.

"Good. Good."

The final words were soft, but Chen Guanshan knew the true intentions behind them.

The Chu Family did not remain for long. Chu Wenhai gave Chen Guanshan one last look before turning his attention toward the platform ahead.

"Still, it seems that today’s gathering may be rather different from the previous ones."

Chen Guanshan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Chu Wenhai continued in an almost casual tone.

"I heard that someone important will be arriving today."

He paused, his gaze carrying a faintly meaningful glint.

"Someone whose arrival may make the journey to the southern border... considerably more interesting."

Chen Guanshan remained silent.

Chu Wenhai smiled faintly.

"I wonder how many of you will still be standing when the time comes."

With those words, he turned around.

"Let us go."

The Chu Family followed behind him, gradually moving away from the Chen Family and toward another section of the gathering area.

Chen Guanshan watched them leave, his expression noticeably heavier.

He could not tell whether Chu Wenhai had merely been provoking him or whether those words contained something more.

But one thing was certain: the Chu Family knew something that they did not.