Ch. 42 - Ancestral Coffin

Inside the Situ Clan council hall, the atmosphere was thick with tension, like dark clouds pressing down. Many faces looked grim.

“Grand Elder, in recent days the Wang and Wan Clans have been attacking our businesses like rabid dogs,” a servant reported. “Several of our pill workshops and weapon pavilions have already been forced to shut down.”

“We used to coexist peacefully, but now that Father’s gone, they couldn’t wait to pounce,” said the eldest son, Situ Bo, angrily. “I say we fight back. Let them know we’re not pushovers!”

“We can’t even fight now,” the Grand Elder replied without looking up. “Our former clan head was at the peak of the True Meridian Realm, which kept the other clans in check. Now that he’s gone, who do you think we’ll fight with?”

“Right now the Situ Clan is in disarray. I think we need to appoint a capable leader first,” said the second son, Situ Yu, stepping forward.

“I agree with Second Brother,” added the third son, Situ Jing, speaking with determination. “I may be the youngest, but I’ve studied widely and am willing to lead the family through this crisis.”

“Third Brother, you're going too far. As the eldest, I naturally bear the responsibility of leading the family now that Father is gone,” Situ Bo snapped back.

“I believe the position of family head shouldn’t be decided by birth order. It’s a matter of the family’s future, it should go to whoever is most capable,” Situ Yu responded steadily. “And I believe I have the ability.”

The Grand Elder, seated at the head, frowned and slammed the table.

“Arguing like this over the clan head’s position, what kind of disgrace is this? I’ll act as interim patriarch for now. We’ll choose a successor later.”

“At least give us a standard to go by, Grand Elder. Why not a competition? Whoever wins becomes the next clan head,” the three brothers said in unison, exchanging wary glances.

While they were fierce competitors, none of them wanted the position to fall into the hands of the Grand Elder.

…

Situ Yunqing sat quietly in the corner, watching the argument unfold. All she felt was a deep, bitter sadness for the state of this family.

Everyone here only cared about grabbing power, but they lacked real capability. They were driven by selfish ambition, with no concern for the survival of the family.

Situ Yunqing even thought to herself: if the family were handed over to her, she might do a better job than all of them.

But unfortunately, she had no power, no influence, and no way to compete.

In that moment, the first person she thought of was Xu Zimo.

She had already looked into his background, a disciple of the True Martial Sacred Ground, with a notably high status.

Situ Yunqing was deep in thought. She didn’t want to be a decorative figure, destined to live a quiet, unremarkable life.

…

Three days later, as tensions between the three major clans of Imperial Gate City intensified, the people of the city were filled with unease. The atmosphere felt like a storm brewing at the gates, the calm before chaos.

“Did you hear? Situ Bo, the eldest son of the Situ Clan, was assassinated two days ago,” someone whispered in a tavern.

“No kidding. The Situ Clan’s really cursed these days. I heard their second son was attacked last night too.”

“And I heard the third son was almost killed as well,” another added.

The tavern was full of people, and most conversations revolved around the Situ Clan.

Few believed the family had a future.

“Think it was the Wang or Wan Clans? Trying to destroy the Situ Clan and break the three-way balance?”

“Who knows? Could’ve been an inside job. Everyone wants that clan head position…”

…

Back in his inn room at Riverfront Restaurant, Xu Zimo listened to Little Gui’s report, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the windowsill.

“I’ve already confirmed it with the Wang and Wan Clans, they didn’t send assassins,” Little Gui said. “The hits must have come from within the Situ Clan.”

“Good. Now that everything’s in place, we’ll close the net tomorrow,” Xu Zimo said. “No need to drag this out.”

“Understood. I’ll start the preparations,” Little Gui nodded and left.

…

Night fell, quiet and deep. A few dim stars hung in the sky. The whole of Imperial Gate City slumbered.

By dawn, just as the world was beginning to stir,

The disciples of the Wang and Wan families had already surrounded the entire Situ estate.

Wang Cheng and Wan Cangqiong, the two family heads, walked side by side up to the gate.

“Do you intend to start a war with our Situ Clan?!” the Grand Elder, Situ Meng, bellowed, his voice echoing through the half-awake city.

“Situ Meng, stop your useless bluffing. Today, we’re here to wipe the Situ Clan off the map,” Wan Cangqiong declared loudly.

His peak True Meridian Realm aura exploded outward. The Grand Elder’s expression changed, he was only at the seventh level of the same realm. No match for Wan Cangqiong.

“Clan Heads Wang and Wan, we’ve never had any deep enmity. Why go this far?” Situ Meng tried reasoning. “Even though our patriarch is gone, the Situ Clan is no easy target. I’m willing to offer your families a 50% share of our pill shops and weapon stores in the city.”

“Situ Meng, after all your years in power, you still don’t get it?” Wang Cheng scoffed. “Victory or defeat, that’s all that matters. We don’t need a reason to destroy you. Only the strong survive.”

“If you insist on war, then I’ll fight to the end!” Situ Meng said solemnly. He turned to the people behind him and shouted, “Bring out the Ancestral Coffin!”

A purple-black coffin was carried out. It looked ancient, and its surface was inlaid with blood-red crystals.

“Think carefully,” Situ Meng warned. “Once I open this coffin, there’s no going back. This becomes a fight to the death.”

“Then open it,” Wan Cangqiong said coldly. “I’d actually like to meet the previous head of the Situ Clan.”

Inside that coffin lay the former patriarch. Many powerful cultivators, when they approach the end of their lifespans and can’t break through to a higher realm, will seal themselves away.

The red crystals on the coffin were called Dustblood Stones. They could slow the flow of time.

With the Dustblood Stones, these elders sealed themselves inside, drastically slowing their aging.

For example, someone with only five years left to live might extend that to ten or even twenty years by entering a coffin like this.

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