Star Trace Gate

Chapter 915 Clan Meeting, The Spirit of the Qian Family

Zhao Mi and his father-in-law Yang Huanzhen's drinking session lasted until half past dawn.

During the event, several reclusive elders of the Zhao clan also appeared at the banquet and finalized the Zhao family's stance on the struggle for the Origin Eyes, as well as their attitude towards the Huang family aunt and nephew.

However, although the drinking was supposed to be between the father-in-law and son-in-law, Zhao Mi actually only drank the first cup of wine that his father-in-law poured.

……

In the early morning, the downpour gradually subsided, and a light drizzle drifted down to earth like a misty fairy fog.

The Village of Illusions, the Qian Family.

In a quiet attic, Qian Zhongge, with his white hair, held a white Go stone in his hand, looked down at the Go board, and was playing against an elderly man of the same age.

Ever since Uncle Li's outburst at the Sun family's house last night, everyone in this entire Xuwang Village has been acting strangely. Some fathers-in-law and sons-in-law were drinking early in the morning; the Li clan chief, who was under house arrest, was bored and wanted to play a game of chess in the early morning, but unfortunately had no opponents; and the Qian clan chief hadn't even had breakfast before rushing over to play chess with his friends…

In short, although the rainstorm made the village of Illusion look more peaceful and serene, there was actually an undercurrent of turmoil and a sense of unpredictable events.

"Hey Lao Qian, you invited me to play chess so early in the morning, but you didn't provide a meal and you didn't say a word... Are you testing me like I'm your grandson?" The old man sitting on the east side, dressed in white, looked relaxed. He stroked his white beard with his left hand and slowly placed a black piece down with his right.

This old man is named Qin Yanting. He is the dean of the No. 1 Enlightenment Academy in Xuwang Village and one of the twelve elders of the clan hall. He is highly respected, virtuous, and highly skilled.

Although he was dressed in white, with white hair and a weathered face, looking like an old scholar, he was actually gentle on the outside but firm on the inside, very opinionated, and not easily influenced by others.

During the game, Qian Zhongge's moves were sharp and almost deadly, while Qin Yanting countered each move with a defensive stance.

"After the battle at the Divine Tomb, Number 79 disappeared, and the Huang family aunt and niece also disappeared." Qian Zhongge pondered his chess moves while speaking succinctly, "Where do you think they all went? Did they die, or did they escape?!"

"I'm not one of the three main halls, how would I know where they went?" Qin Yanting picked up his tea and replied in a very calm tone.

Qian Zhongge didn't even look up. After placing a piece, he asked, "Did you know that Li Taishan went to the Sun family yesterday evening?"

“…I know.” Qin Yanting thought for two or three breaths before giving an affirmative answer: “I sensed Li Taishan’s void power. Although it was very faint and fleeting, I believe that many elderly people in the village have noticed it.”

"Why would Li Taishan, with nothing better to do, use his primordial divine techniques at the Sun family's residence?" Qian Zhongge's questions were crystal clear: "What was his purpose? The power of the void... and who was he sending away?"

Qin Yanting blinked and immediately spat out, "You old bastard, you really think I'm your grandson for a test?! Speak plainly, say what you mean, don't beat around the bush with me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the attic fell silent.

Qian Zhongge looked down at the chessboard, paused for a good ten breaths, and then placed another piece. He then said succinctly, "Sigh, you really don't act until you see the benefit. Fine, let me be frank with you. Before Li Taishan went to the Sun family, he had a member of his family deliver a secret letter to me. The letter clearly stated that the Huang aunt and niece were previously in the Sun family and were even under house arrest...!"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light appeared in Qin Yanting's cloudy eyes. He then leaned forward and asked softly, "And then?"

"The power of the void has already appeared, and you're still pretending to be confused with me?" Qian Zhongge cursed. "Then what can he do? Does he think Li Taishan can sleep with Sun Michen in his arms?! The Huang family aunt and niece are gone, they've entered the tomb, the Li family has already made its choice... Is that clear enough?"

"Now that you put it that way, I understand." Qin Yanting nodded in satisfaction: "The Sun family, using the three major cases as a pretext, secretly placed the Huang family aunt and niece under house arrest and obtained the whereabouts of the Huang family's inheritance, which is most likely within the Divine Tomb Immortal Palace. However, the Sun family couldn't open the Immortal Palace's gates silently, so they asked Li Taishan for help...!"

"However, Sun Michen did not expect that Li Taishan would betray him and send the person away right in front of him."

"Hahaha……!"

At this point, Qin Yanting burst into laughter, offering a sarcastic comment: "Sun Michen's actions are quite similar to hiring a doctor to examine one's betrothed before the wedding. The doctor arrives, the money is spent, but unexpectedly... he picks up his spear and takes her into the bridal chamber first. The 'beauty' he painstakingly obtained turns out to be a waste of time. Hahahaha, interesting, very interesting...!"

“Because he obtained the ‘beauty’ through scheming, he must be unwilling to accept it.” Qian Zhongge placed another piece, frowning as he said, “There’s no turning back once the arrow is released. Since we’ve already triggered the laws of the Illusionary Village, we can only go down this path to the bitter end. It’s either victory or death; there’s no other way.”

"What can you do if you're not willing to accept it?" Qin Yanting immediately raised an eyebrow and said, "Does this clan hall have the final say that only the Sun family can make?"

“But besides the Sun family, there are still people who are unwilling to accept this,” Qian Zhongge sighed and shook his head.

"Zhao Mi?" Qin Yanting stopped pretending to be confused and asked directly after Qian Zhongge mentioned that Li Erbo had delivered the letter.

“That’s right.” Qian Zhongge raised his head slightly: “If the Huang family aunt and niece are willing to hide in the Sun family, then who are they hiding from? Isn’t it the Zhao family, who are determined to make them look like traitors in an ironclad case?!”

"Hmm...that makes sense." Qin Yanting nodded in agreement.

"If Li Taishan hadn't sent the Huang family aunt and niece away, the Zhao and Sun families would have been locked in a fierce struggle for the Dao, each wanting to obtain the old master's inheritance from Huang. But once Li Taishan sent them away, the situation changed. The Sun family now controls the Dharma Hall and proposed sealing the Divine Tomb. Even if the Zhao family has a way to enter the Divine Tomb Immortal Palace alone, they can't possibly sneak past everyone's eyes, capture Huang, and obtain the inheritance. And the Sun family themselves certainly won't be able to open the Divine Tomb... If the two families remain locked in a stalemate, it will only make things more complicated and troublesome."

"Confrontation is harmful, while cooperation is beneficial to both." Qin Yanting nodded slightly: "I share your view. The Zhao family or the Sun family may secretly join forces and put pressure on the clan hall together."

"It's not a possibility, it's a certainty," Qian Zhongge replied confidently. "I dare say that before today, either the Sun family or the Zhao family will convene a clan meeting. And during the meeting, they will reach a consensus, and they might even do something excessive...!"

"I finally understand." Qin Yanting said solemnly, "You summoned me here to prepare for the upcoming clan council meeting. You old fool, are you planning to win me over and join forces against the Zhao and Sun families during the meeting?"

"Snapped."

Qian Zhongge placed his last piece, winning the game with an extremely ruthless and decisive move.

Outside, raindrops pattered against the wooden windowpane, the sound soft and gentle...

He slowly raised his head and said in a strong voice, "No. I called you here not to oppose the Zhao and Sun families, but to advise you that no matter what proposals the Zhao and Sun families make today, you should agree to them, support them... or acquiesce to them."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yanting was immediately bewildered: "Why is that?"

“Li Taishan may seem domineering and reckless, but he is actually shrewd and cunning,” Qian Zhongge said softly. “Whether Huang can find the Origin Eyes and regain the power of creation after entering the tomb is still unknown; whether the alliance between the Zhao and Sun families is merely superficial or truly unbreakable is also unclear. Therefore, a direct confrontation would be unwise. Even in a contest between powerful clans, we need to consider the overall situation…!”

"This doesn't sound like something you'd say," Qin Yanting said in astonishment, because in his mind, Qian Zhongge was an old monster even more reckless than Li Taishan.

“Li Taishan convinced me… I don’t have much time left to live, and even if I don’t consider myself, I have to consider the Qian family.” Qian Zhongge sighed, “Now the game is clear. Two families are playing against each other. If they win, they will prosper forever; if they lose, they will decline… I have no choice but to act cautiously.”

Upon hearing this, Qin Yanting sincerely asked, "Brother Qian, then tell me the truth. You've joined forces with Li Taishan, and you intend to risk a confrontation between the Zhao and Sun families... what exactly is your purpose?"

Faced with his friend's questioning, Qian Zhongge stood up shakily, straightened his back and said, "I don't know about Li Taishan, but my actions are only to uphold the ultimate rules of my Illusion Village and that sense of fairness."

"As long as the ultimate rules exist, the Illusionary Village will exist; as long as the ultimate fairness exists, the four races will exist. If neither exists, the Illusionary Village will inevitably split apart, and war will break out everywhere. The 'wild dogs' and 'outlaws' in the eyes of the world struggle to survive. They are bullied by others, but they harbor a deep ambition, all for the day when they can ascend to the Celestial Platform and stand shoulder to shoulder with the heavens. If the path to heaven is no longer before them, how can they accept the belief that the accomplished are respected, and how can they allow you to insult them and take away their wealth at will?"

"Neither the Sun family nor the Zhao family understands this point. They believe their superior status is the result of their clan's efforts. Little do they know that their current glory was born under the most fair rules."

"Young Huang doesn't represent his former master, nor does he represent any so-called nobles. He represents thousands of wild dogs and outlaws. If the opportunity that was rightfully his is taken away by the Sun and Zhao families through despicable means, then he is no different from thousands of wild dogs... He will never have a chance to rise again, because no matter how hard he tries, he will eventually become a furnace for the powerful clans. They can kill him or take him away with a wave of their hand."

"Without the Great Dao that leads to the heavens, wild dogs and outlaws will rebel. Without the rules, the clan hall will cease to exist. At that point, what's the point of talking about the four great clans ruling?

“They’re confused! The era of the old masters is over, and we can never go back… Only by upholding the current faith can the credibility of this clan hall propel this imprisoned, illusory village further. Only then can my Qian family be immortal, and our descendants be spared the desecration of their ancestral graves after death.”

His voice wasn't loud, and his words weren't harsh, but every word resonated in Qin Yanting's ears.

"We are kindred spirits, which is why we can become close friends." Qin Yanting pondered for a while, "With your words, I will bear with him for now."

"Let's go have some congee together," Qian Zhongge offered.

"Walk."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two old people prepared to leave the attic together and go to the hall for their meal.

"Tap tap...!"

Just then, a light footstep sounded.

Qian Mei, who had previously been dismissed from her position as prison warden due to the prison break case, walked in gracefully dressed in a black outfit.

Although she was a woman, her brows were full of heroic spirit, her features were three-dimensional, her eyes were deep, and she looked both beautiful and had a temperament that was no less than that of a man.

“Father…!” Although Qian Mei was only Qian Zhongge’s adopted daughter, she was qualified to enter this pavilion, which was enough to show her status in the Qian family and the degree of favor she received.

"what happened?"

"A messenger from the clan hall has come to inform us that a meeting will be held after noon." Qian Mei bowed slightly: "This meeting was initiated by Sun Michen, the head of the Sun family."

"Hehe, you're really accurate," Qin Yanting chuckled upon hearing this.

“Okay, I understand.” Qian Zhongge turned to the side and said, “Then you shouldn’t eat. Quickly go back quietly and don’t let outsiders know about our game of chess this morning.”