Login with GoogleChapter 13: Zhou Family
Inside the Zhou family's mountain gate, the elderly patriarch Zhou Quan was discussing strategies with several high-ranking members of the Zhou family. They already knew about Lin Batian driving away the Zhou family women, as it was within their expectations.
"Don't keep sulking, think of a solution."
Zhou Quan said to the high-ranking members. Zhou Quan used to be a genius in the Zhou family, especially in cultivation, but he wasn't very good at managing and running the family. Those tasks were handled by other people.
"Elder, this time we made a big mistake. I've been saying it all along, don't provoke Lin Batian. If we do, it must be a fatal blow. Now it's hard to end this."
Zhou Ziming started complaining as soon as he spoke. He was now like the leader of the Zhou family, and he handled all the affairs of the Zhou family. He had already discussed with Zhou Quan how to get along with the Lin family.
Zhou Ziming was the first to mention the threat from the Lin family. He believed that once Zhou Quan passed away, the Lin family would inevitably take over the Zhou family because there were no small families left near the Lin family. If they wanted to expand further, they would have to target families of the same level. Among the families around the Lin family, only the Zhou family faced the situation of being unable to continue.
Zhou Ziming's strategy was to first befriend the Lin family, and then find an opportunity to deal a deadly blow to Lin Batian. Once the Lin family lost Lin Batian, the others would be easily defeated, and the Zhou family could easily take over the Lin family and plunder their property. Who knows, maybe the Zhou family could cultivate new cultivators in the Golden Core Period. But now, it was all messed up.
"How would I know that Lin Batian is so powerful? He's just like me, in the early stage of the golden core period. But this time, he killed a mid-stage third-order Iron Wood Demon Wolf. His cultivation technique must be amazing."
Zhou Quan was also very angry. In his opinion, this was the best opportunity to destroy the Lin family. The Wolf King of the Iron Wood Demon Wolf was at the mid-stage of the third order, equivalent to a human in the mid-stage Golden Core Period. He dragged down other members of the Lin family and distracted Lin Batian. How could he not die?
"Once we take action, we must be decisive. When Lin Batian kills the Iron Wood Demon Wolf, he will definitely pay a price. At that time, our ancestor must do whatever it takes to kill him."
"He ran too fast."
Zhou Quan said, unwilling to admit that he had seen Lin Batian burst out and directly kill the Wolf King of the Iron Wood Demon Wolf with a spear. He was stunned and didn't dare to make a move.
"Sigh."
"Stop sighing, tell me what to do."
"Grandfather, we are going to war. Can we defeat Lin Batian?"
"It's difficult. Lin Batian is young and arrogant, while I am old and weak. If we fight, I have less than a 20% chance of winning."
Zhou Quan spoke honestly at this moment. His lifespan was less than twenty years, his strength was greatly diminished, and Lin Batian was in his prime. Moreover, from Lin Batian's recent display of power, he might have been hiding some of his strength. A 20% chance of winning was being conservative.
"In that case, we can only make peace first. Bring gifts and go to the Lin family to apologize."
"Um..."
The other high-ranking members of the Zhou family immediately showed displeasure. The Zhou family, a large family for hundreds of years, would have to bow down to the Lin family? Where would the Zhou family's dignity go?
"A true man can be flexible. Apologizing and making amends is nothing. Even if we have to sacrifice some of our people, our hope now lies in Zilin. If Zilin can break through to the Golden Core Period, then anything is possible. We might even defeat Lin Batian."
Zhou Ziming said coldly and then looked at a silent man. He was Zhou Zilin, Zhou Ziming's younger brother. He had completed his cultivation at the Foundation Building Period and was only one step away from the Golden Core Period.
Now, the whole hope of the Zhou family was on him. If he could break through to Golden Core before Zhou Quan's departure, then it would be two against one, and even Zhou Quan and Lin Batian might perish together, and it might not be impossible to succeed.
······
Steward Wu from the Lin family saw Lin Batian coming out of the room and immediately approached, saying, "Master, how are your injuries?"
"Nothing is wrong. Has the Zhou family responded?"
"Not yet, temporarily."
"Hateful, so hateful! They killed my descendants. I wish to wipe out the entire Zhou family immediately."
"Master, don't be angry. The Zhou family is just like grasshoppers in the autumn, hopping around for only a few days. Once the old man Zhou Quan dies, you can openly merge the Zhou family and take revenge for everything."
"Having skills but unable to use them, how frustrating."
"Endure a little longer. We have endured for almost a hundred years, what's another twenty years?"
Steward Wu once again tried to persuade Lin Batian. He knew that Lin Batian's strength was not just simple on the surface. Lin Batian's background was extremely surprising. Only a few people in the entire Lin family knew about this, even Lin Batian's legal wife didn't know.
"I understand, I can endure it. Ah, I don't know when I can go back..."
"Ahem"
"I understand, I won't say anything. You have worked hard all these years."
Steward Wu's cough interrupted Lin Batian's reminiscence. Apologizing, Lin Batian said to him that Steward Wu had helped him a lot over the years. The rapid expansion of the Lin family was thanks to a group of allies, and Steward Wu was the leader of these allies.
"This is what I should do, it is not difficult. But the family has suffered a lot these years."
"Let's not talk about that. How is the situation at home?"
"It's fine. The family's heirs are all strong and preparing for battle. They are not afraid of Zhou family, even the Sixth Young Master has returned."
"The Sixth Child, ah, forget about him. It makes me angry when he's mentioned."
Lin Batian was stunned, but he said it out loud and felt okay inside. Although his Sixth Child was not good at cultivation, he was very filial and was the first one in the family to take care of their mother. He did a decent job this time too, which prevented any trouble for the family.
"Although Sixth Young Master is not good at cultivation, he has a talent for managing. When he took over Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa, it only earned about two to three hundred spirit stones a year, but in the past two years, it has already exceeded eight hundred spirit stones."
"What's the use of low cultivation? The Qi Refining Period only gives a hundred years of lifespan. My Lin family is not yet at the stage of stability and management. We should keep expanding without hesitation."
Lin Batian shook his head. He knew Lin Jiang's managerial skills, and Spiritual Peach Mountain Villa had done well in recent years. If the Lin family had been a family that had been managed for several generations, they would surely employ someone like him.
But not now. The Lin family was a newly rising family, full of ambition. They needed to expand as much as possible while they still had this fervor, to lay a solid foundation for the future. If they didn't expand now, it would be difficult later on.
"News."
"Reporting to the clan leader, someone from the Zhou family has arrived."
Just as the two of them were talking, someone outside shouted loudly. The news from the Zhou family had finally arrived.
"Who from the Zhou family has come?"
"It's Zhou Ziming, with five guards and a carriage, looks like he brought gifts."
"Hmm hmm."
Lin Batian snorted coldly, Zhou family's reaction was as he expected, old man Zhou Quan didn't have the courage to start a war with him, they were here to apologize.
Soon, Lin Batian met with Zhou Ziming, who brought generous gifts and personally apologized, saying that Zhou Quan, the old man of Zhou family, was injured by the Iron Wood Demon Wolf, causing their forces to be defeated and allowing the Iron Wood Demon Wolf to retreat, resulting in heavy losses for Lin family.
Lin Batian didn't dwell on it, Zhou family extended an olive branch, and he took advantage of the situation, indicating that this conflict was over and the two families would continue to get along harmoniously in the future.
