Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 274: Blood for Blood

That night, after returning to the Chu Corporation building, Chu Tianyu and his group were about to arrange for Qin Nianran to rest properly when Chu Tianyu suddenly received an urgent call from the Shanghai branch of the Xuanji Sect. The rapid speech and the content of the message left Chu Tianyu shocked at first, his expression quickly turning furious. This caused Nianran, Zi Yi, Fei Fei, and the others nearby to feel filled with confusion and concern.
They had never seen Chu Tianyu with such an expression before. In their eyes, no matter what difficulties he faced, he always appeared calm and unshaken, exuding an air of confidence and strategic mastery. But the current situation was hard for them to accept, and they couldn’t imagine what could make him look so upset.
It wasn’t until Chu Tianyu hung up the phone with a serious expression that Nianran, Zi Yi, and Fei Fei couldn’t help but ask anxiously, almost in unison, “Tianyu, what happened?”
But before Chu Tianyu could answer, the satellite phone he had just hung up rang again.
“Hello, is this Tianyu?”
“Third Master! How is it you? Why has your phone number changed? Where are you now? Is Nianran’s auntie there too?”
Facing Chu Tianyu’s series of urgent questions, the man on the other end paused briefly to give him time to calm down before answering evasively, “Tianyu, do you know about what happened in Fudu?”
“Mm, I just got a call about it!” Chu Tianyu knew his master must have a deeper reason for asking, so he calmed himself down and replied calmly.
“Nianran’s auntie is fine, just injured a bit. But the others…”
The master paused before continuing, “Is Nianran here?”
“Mm, she was ambushed today too. She’s okay, just temporarily exhausted—she’ll recover after resting.”
“Oh, then don’t tell her for now. Wait a few days before informing her. Some time ago, the master left the capital with Nianran’s auntie. She went back to Shanghai to handle some matters, seemingly related to internal power struggles within Fudu Industrial. As for the master, he was making preparations—mainly contacting the four great guardians of the sect and several elders who had been in seclusion for years, while also mobilizing elites from various places to prepare in advance. The master has a strongpremonition that this time, our Xuanji Sect will finally have to confront that force…”

“Third Master, now there’s not just the Zhan family that you suspect, but also a much more powerful force has emerged. The two sides are locked in fierce conflict in the capital city. It seems they have a long-standing grudge, but from what I’ve observed of some people from both sides, it appears they don’t really harbor deep hatred— they’re simply following orders from above. I sent you a report on this situation through the Xuanji Sect’s secret communication channel last time. I wonder if you’ve received it?”
“Hmm, I’ve seen that report. I also discussed it with several senior protectors. They’re unprepared for these suddenly appearing forces. According to them, there haven’t been any signs of such forces in over a hundred years. As for the Zhan family, aside from knowing that they have a martial arts genius named Zhan Yupeng—who not only comes from a family with strong martial traditions but also received the true teachings from Tiandao Temple and even surpassed his master to become its top expert—there’s no mention of them possessing the Qilin bloodline. By the way, Tianyu, this time the Zhan family has mobilized everyone they have. Secretly, there are those elite fighters with the Qilin bloodline, and openly, many forces from the legitimate world led by Tiandao Temple have stepped in to fully support the Zhan family. Add in Zhan Yupeng’s background as a dragon soul, and the capital city is now in a state of chaos!”
Before he could finish speaking, the mad scholar seemed to remember something else and continued, “To be honest, regarding the massacre at Fudu Industrial, apart from the factor of avenging Zhan Zifeng, I think it was also a victim of this series of events. Tianyu, do you remember those martial arts disciples killed by Zhan Zifeng that night? Their bodies disappeared without a trace. I think Zhan Yupeng arrived later and took the bodies away. That’s why they wrongly concluded that there must be a powerful force behind Nian Ran—otherwise, it would be impossible to defeat someone with the Qilin bloodline like Zhan Zifeng. So they followed the clues and investigated Nian Ran’s great-aunt, eventually leading them to Ouyang Ziyi’s villa. That’s why so many elite fighters launched a night attack that night. And fearing their strength might not be enough, they even sent in fighters all possessing the energy of heaven and earth…”
Chu Tianyu shared the same thoughts as his master. Although everything started with Tai Nianran, it was he, Chu Tianyu, who actually killed Zhan Zifeng. The Tai family’s massacre was just a scapegoat for him. Perhaps in Zhan Yupeng’s eyes, the force behind Tai Nianran was none other than Lord Qin!
With this bold hypothesis, it became hard to explain why, at such a tense time in the capital, Zhan Yupeng still went out of his way to divert his forces to avenge his son personally.

If this assumption holds true, it means that the conflict between the Zhan family and Lord Qin’s forces has now escalated fully, not limited to the capital city. The massacre of the Tai family of Fudu Industrial Group was likely carried out because they were seen as part of Lord Qin’s outer forces, making them targets of a brutal attack. While pondering these thoughts, Chu Tianyu still said in response to his master’s words, “Regarding possessing the energy of heaven and earth, Master, those so-called experts actually don’t truly possess such energy. Instead, they rely on some unorthodox methods to harness some energy from the world. Compared to ordinary cultivators, they’re not much more skilled! Strictly speaking, their so-called energy of heaven and earth is at most a special way of cultivating qi. The true qi they produce, aside from the rare beasts used by the Zhan family that draw energy from their own blood, isn’t fundamentally different from the ordinary true qi we cultivate. It just allows them to gain strength quickly without being restricted by age, but it also comes with many side effects, and their cultivated strength isn’t stable.”

“Hmm, I’ve fought against them before, and it’s indeed as you say. But the Qilin bloodline of the Zhan family isn’t that terrifying. Although their illusionary Blood-Qilin is extremely powerful, it has a fatal weakness: its mobility is very poor. Once it leaves a certain range, it’s completely unaffected by that scorching energy. Moreover, there seems to be a limit to how long this illusion can last. If it exceeds a certain limit, the backlash is too much for its true form to bear. At the same time, Master suspects that with the Zhan family’s strength, it’s impossible for them to have so many experts with the Qilin bloodline. There must be some force backing them up, or they might actually be some kind of branch of another group…”

Hearing this, Chu Tianyu asked in confusion, “Master, you’ve fought against them?”

“Yes. After arranging everything, I was preparing to meet Nianran’s aunt and return to the capital together. Unexpectedly, I ran into this incident. At that time, Master really didn’t expect that while the battle in the capital was in full swing, they could still send people to Shanghai. Fortunately, only two experts with the Qilin bloodline came this time; the rest were ordinary cultivators. Master also brought some people with him. But by the time we arrived, the massacre had already begun. Aside from Nianran’s aunt managing to save herself, the others… were gone in an instant…”

Hearing this, Chu Tianyu felt sad. As the saying goes, love for one’s family extends to those associated with them. He really didn’t know how to tell Nianran this news—after all, her biological parents and her beloved grandfather were involved.

Thinking about it, Chu Tianyu subtly glanced at Tai Nianran out of the corner of his eye, then suppressed the pain in his heart and continued to speak to his master in a calm tone, “Master, when will you be back?”
“I and Nianran’s great-aunt will need to stay for a while longer. There are still matters to handle here, and you need to be careful too, especially those from the Chu family. You must make arrangements and take precautions.”
“Don’t worry, Master. From today on, they won’t have any time left!” Chu Tianyu said fiercely.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Clearly, his master understood the meaning behind Chu Tianyu’s words, as well as the cruelty and violence implied in them. But for a fierce scholar like him, if you do something minor, I’ll do something far more severe. Against enemies, this was the best approach. So after the silence, he simply said, “Alright, handle it for now. We’ll discuss it in detail when you return after this period.”
After hanging up the phone, Tai Nianran eagerly asked, “Tianyu, what’s wrong? Is my great-aunt with the third master now? Have the family matters been settled?”
Qin Nianran seemed to have some premonition; her series of questions clearly showed her anxiety. Zi Yi and Fei Fei also felt the same way, knowing that what had just happened might involve Tai Nianran, so they held back their doubts and let Nianran ask.
Chu Tianyu hesitated, not knowing how to bring it up.
“Tianyu, if it’s about me, you can just say it!” Tai Nianran said firmly, looking at Chu Tianyu.
Although Qin Nianran’s words were few, the determination and strength in her expression were undeniable. Chu Tianyu also stared into her eyes, and through their gaze, it seemed he was asking, “Are you okay?”
“I can handle it!” Tai Nianran nodded slightly in response.
Faced with Nianran’s attitude, Chu Tianyu no longer hesitated. It was only a matter of time before he had to tell her anyway. Better to face it quickly than suffer longer, so he slowed down his tone and slowly recounted the news he had just received—the entire Chu family, except for Nianran and her great-aunt, had been wiped out.
No matter how strong or rational Qin Nianran was, she couldn’t accept this reality. To her, the news was like a thunderbolt, leaving her stunned!
Chu Tianyu looked at Nianran, whose face was filled with disbelief and helplessness. He wanted to say something comforting, but his mouth seemed stuck shut. He stepped forward and slowly sat down beside her, gently pulling her into his arms…

Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei, who were standing nearby, also remained silent upon seeing this scene. After exchanging a glance, they silently took each other’s hands and stepped back, leaving Chu Tianyu and Qin Nianran alone. As they left, a soft door closing sound was heard. Qin Nianran could no longer control herself; she lost her composure and suddenly hugged Chu Tianyu tightly, bursting into tears as she vented the grief she had been suppressing all along. Because only in Chu Tianyu’s arms could she feel a hint of warmth, a sense of reliance, and deep affection…

…

When dawn came, with swollen eyes, Qin Nianran insisted repeatedly, and Chu Tianyu finally agreed to let her return to Shanghai. Although her body hadn’t fully recovered yet, and she was extremely exhausted from crying all night, no one could stop her urgent desire to return to Shanghai to mourn her loved ones—not even Chu Tianyu! With no other choice, Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei accompanied her. With the three of them together, especially Feifei’s extraordinary abilities, everything should go smoothly. Otherwise, in such a tense situation, Chu Tianyu wouldn’t be able to rest easy.

The only reason Chu Tianyu stayed behind alone was that blood debts required blood to repay!

…

After seeing Nianran and the others off, Chu Tianyu didn’t act immediately. Instead, he calmed down and carefully reconsidered the whole situation. The current situation was truly delicate—the conflict between the Zhan family and Grandpa Tai, the Zhan family’s hatred toward Qin Nianran, which led them to see Chu Tianyu as an ally of Grandpa Qin. Meanwhile, Chu Tianfeng, supported by Grandpa Qin, was in direct opposition to Chu Tianyu both within the family and in business. Several factions had formed a complex web of relationships. If it weren’t for the Zhan family’s reckless actions, this network might not have become so clear and obvious. As the open and secret struggles between the Zhan family and Grandpa Qin intensified, many forces from both the legitimate and underground worlds had been drawn into it. Just as his master had mentioned last night, Tiandao Guan also had a huge influence in the legitimate world. However, after analyzing everything, the most advantageous factor for Chu Tianyu was his identity—his true power hadn’t been revealed yet. His elder brother at most saw him as an ordinary cultivator, with no idea about his actual strength.

The only possible weak point now is that mysterious girl, Ao Xue. A few days ago, after the conflict between the Zhan family and Tai Ye broke out, Chu Tianyu began to use the power of the Xuanji Sect to gather information. He sent ordinary people with no martial skills to secretly monitor Ao Xue and Ning Shuang, but aside from going shopping, they stayed indoors most of the time, never leaving their apartment, as if waiting for something.

Although Ao Xue knew Chu Tianyu’s identity, she showed no intention of seeking him out, which left Chu Tianyu deeply puzzled. Logically, even out of simple curiosity, she would have tried to get more information from him, especially since he was also involved in secretly following Tai Ye last time.

What also confused Chu Tianyu was what kind of relationship the two sisters had with the Zhan family. Could it really be true, as their master said, that there was some even more powerful force behind the Zhan family?