Xiao Zhu's Residence
Inside the Xiao Family Estate, Xiao Zhu sat quietly within his cultivation chamber.
The room was silent except for the faint circulation of Spiritual Qi around his body.
Before him floated his Personal Status Panel.
[ Name : Xiao Zhu ]
[ Physique : Primordial Corpse Blood ]
[ Realm : 2nd Stage King Realm ]
[ Villain Credits - 24 Points ]
Xiao Zhu stared at the panel for several breaths before his eyes gradually became distant.
His thoughts returned to his previous life.
To the ruins outside Lu Jin City.
To the bronze gate.
To the moment he had entered alongside countless other cultivators, believing that he had discovered the remains of a fallen sect.
"Fully expecting treasure from a Fallen sect, or clan, I had foolishly entered searching for opportunities, what I found a was a Stage 4 Emperor's Tome," Xiao Zhou Narrated and then continued again.
His expression gradually became darker as memories from his previous life resurfaced.
"If not for other King Realm Cultivators, all forcing our way through collectively to break the strengthened Formation on the Gate, I would have died sooner in my previous Life," Xiao Zhu said.
He remembered the bloodshed.
The desperate struggle.
The countless cultivators who had entered with dreams of obtaining inheritance only to discover that they themselves had become part of someone else's plan.
"Other than that Prince from the Imperial Yun Family gaining the inheritance of the Emperor that died there, everyone else would've been killed to harvest our true essence to nourish that old emperor realm cultivator."
Xiao Zhu's hands slowly tightened.
"I was truly lucky to escaped however, I had escaped with heavy injuries that slowed my cultivation down severely, this life, I promised to change that," Xiao Zhu said.
His eyes sharpened.
This time...
He knew what awaited those who entered the ruins.
He knew that the so-called treasures scattered throughout the cavern were merely bait.
He knew the purpose of the formation.
He knew who would obtain the inheritance.
And most importantly...
He knew that almost everyone who entered would die.
That knowledge alone was worth more than countless treasures.
Xiao Zhu slowly stood from his chair.
His cultivation surged for a brief moment before settling again.
Then he turned toward a small table positioned beside him.
A bronze bell rested upon it.
With a thought, Xiao Zhu used his Spiritual Energy to lift the bell from the table. The bell floated through the air before gently settling into his hand. He gave it a light shake.
Ding!
The clear sound traveled through the residence.
A moment later, footsteps could be heard beyond the doors, a servant stopped outside.
Only the faint silhouette of the person could be seen through the closed entrance.
Xiao Zhu did not immediately speak. Instead, his Divine Sense quietly spread outward.
His spiritual perception passed through the doors and enveloped the servant.
He carefully inspected the person's aura.
Breathing.
Cultivation.
Spiritual fluctuations.
Everything appeared normal.
Only after confirming that there was nothing unusual did Xiao Zhu withdraw his Divine Sense.
He had learned a painful lesson in his previous life.
Trusting others without sufficient caution could eventually cost him everything.
Xiao Zhu finally spoke.
"Inform all the Elders that I am exiting closed door cultivation, tell all elders to greet me in the main hall."
The servant immediately bowed beyond the door.
"Yes, Clan Master."
The footsteps gradually disappeared into the distance.
Xiao Zhu remained standing within his chamber.
For several breaths, he said nothing.
Then...
A small grin appeared upon his face.
The grin slowly widened.
His lips parted.
A quiet laugh escaped his throat.
Then another.
Until eventually, Xiao Zhu's laughter filled the chamber.
The time had finally come.
He had spent enough time watching the pieces move.
Now...
It was his turn to move the board.
A few moments later, the atmosphere within the Xiao Family's main hall had become unusually heavy.
Xiao Zhu sat silently upon the Clan Master's chair, his back straight and his expression calm as he looked down at the four elders standing before him. The enormous hall, which had once been filled with eight elders seated on both sides, now appeared strangely empty. Only one side remained occupied, with Elder Mu and three other elders standing beneath the dim light of the hall's crystal lamps.
The absence of the other four elders was impossible to ignore.
'I would've like to say that half my Elders are Loyal, however, they can't be helped,' Xiao Zhu thought inwardly, his eyes slowly sweeping across the remaining elders.
He already knew where their loyalties lay.
He had lived through the previous timeline.
He knew which elders would betray him, which ones would abandon the Xiao Family when its fortunes declined, and which ones would secretly profit from the family's resources while pretending to remain loyal.
'Better to remove it sooner than to let it spread more,' Xiao Zhu thought.
There was no point allowing a rotten branch to remain attached to a tree simply because cutting it away would hurt.
The eight elders of the Xiao Family had once represented the backbone of the clan's internal affairs. Now, however, their numbers had already been reduced to four.
Only Elder Mu and three others remained.
Xiao Zhu's gaze eventually settled upon Elder Mu.
'It's a shame I can't get rid of this rat till I find a better replacement,' Xiao Zhu thought inwardly.
Elder Mu was dangerous, but not because he was overwhelmingly powerful.
He was dangerous because he was clever.
He knew when to retreat, when to speak, and when to remain silent. He was the kind of person who could survive even after betraying someone, simply because he always left himself another path to escape.
Xiao Zhu had no intention of keeping him forever.
For now, however, the man's usefulness outweighed the inconvenience of keeping him alive.
The hall remained silent.
The four elders stood beneath Xiao Zhu's gaze, each attempting to maintain a calm expression. Yet their bodies betrayed them. Their shoulders were slightly tense, and faint beads of sweat had already begun forming across their foreheads.
Xiao Zhu finally broke the silence.
"Where are the other Elders?"