Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao was standing in front of Liu Erquan and the Elders. Behind them stood all the clan members who had fought in the battle last night.
Many of them were injured and covered in blood. But the bloodshed had given all of them high spirits.
As of this moment, they could finally stand tall with their heads held high because they had slaughtered every single enemy of the Liu clan. They had avenged their brothers, sisters, and friends who had died by their enemies’ hands.
“Hear our prayers, o Fourth Elder. We have avenged you!” Liu Tao said loudly. He took a bowl of wine and poured it on the floor.
After that, Liu Tao paid respects to Liu Fan with three incense sticks in his hands.
“Ancestor, we have used your body to defend our enemies many times. Please forgive us for such disrespectful acts!”
“Last night, our family rose again. Our people fought bravely, and we’ve slaughtered the entire Black Street. No enemies were spared!”
“We did it in your honor, Ancestor!”
“Hear our prayers, Ancestor. We know that you’ve seen our victory. Please feel happy for us!”
Liu Tao spoke proudly. He was blushing with enthusiasm. With a wave of his hand, three huge pig’s heads were delivered to Liu Fan’s spirit tablet.
Then, he led his entire clan to get down on all fours and pay their respects to Liu Fan.
All of them looked very sincere.
Last night during the fight, they had all felt a surging heat wave from the bottom of their feet that gave them the courage to fight their enemies with their lives. It was this courage that helped them win.
Many people were discussing this strange matter after the fight, but no none could reach a sensible conclusion. In the end, they had all agreed that it was their ancestor.
“It must have been the Ancestor!”
Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai actively sought for any opportunity to encourage the clan members to idolize their ancestor. Hence, even though they themselves were not certain whether it was the truth or not, they declared, “Only the Ancestor has such mighty power!”
The family members were convinced. They put in all their heart when they worshipped Liu Fan.
“Respect points +100, +110, +1300, +100, +180…”
Liu Fan was delighted when he saw the green respect points floating over people’s heads.
Soon, the incoming respect points made up for the loss last night!
In fact, now he had more respect points than before!
However, Liu Fan couldn’t help but worry when he recalled what had happened last night.
The Liu family was not a big clan. There would be no one alive if they fought with such fearlessness for a few more battles.
By that time, who would pay respects to him?
Who could contribute respect points?!
How many years would it take for him to finally walk out of the coffin?!
Liu Fan was concerned.
He decided that the Liu family must have their own armed forces.
An army like the Lord Governor’s white warriors, or the City Lord’s black knights!
That way, they wouldn’t have to sacrifice their own people during the next fight.
Liu Tao was done paying his respects while Liu Fan was pondering about the plan.
Liu Tao cast his eyes over all the clan members and said, “The battle has proven to us what terrible fighters we are. How many of us would be standing here today if not for the Ancestor’s assistance last night to confer courage and strength on us?!”
He suddenly turned and kowtowed again at Liu Fan’s spirit tablet.
“Thank you for watching over us, Ancestor!”
“Respect points +5000.”
Another huge sum of respect points!
Liu Fan felt relieved as he witnessed this from the coffin.
“I like descendants who like to pay respects to me every now and then!”
After that, Liu Tao turned back to his people and continued, “We are the future of the Liu clan, the descendants of the Bulldozer. We are strong physical cultivators. We must not rely on the Ancestor for everything we do!”
“Therefore, the Sixth Elder Liu Liuhai has proposed to rebuild the Scythe Army for our clan. The recruitment and training will start today!”
His words set the crowd boiling with excitement.
“A thousand years ago, we were a royal family because we had a powerful army — the Scythe Army!”
“The Scythe Army held the world in awe. They slew whoever stood in our way!”
“Yes, the Scythe Army back then was organized by our Great Ancestor!”
Everyone looked at Liu Tao expectantly.
Liu Fan felt even more heartened when he looked at Liu Tao.
“Liu Tao can almost read my mind now that he’s under the Spell of Trickery and Deception!”
Afterward, Liu Tao and the Elders discussed the Scythe Army matters in detail.
The source of funding, which was the most important aspect, would come from the loot from the night before.
Liu Tao gave Liu Liuhai 10,000 taels1 of silver without any hesitation.
Thrilled, Liu Dahai recited the Scythe Army pledge in front of Liu Fan.
“My black sickle reaps lives.”
“I shall protect my clan and remember the ancestors.”
“I shall be loyal and brave, and uphold the good name of our clan.”
…
Liu Liuhai was appointed as the chief commander of the Scythe Army. Some family members would be chosen to be the core soldiers, and swordsmen from outside their clan would then be recruited to form the bulk of the army.
He suddenly had a lot of work to do.
Liu Dahai was responsible for taking care of the casualties. He would deliver inspirational speeches every now and then to boost people’s morale.
Liu Daquan would bring the remaining forces of Black Street under control.
Last night, the leaders of all the opposing Black Street forces had been slain. Liu Daquan had selected a few ambitious new leaders and forced a potion down their throats so that they would listen to the Liu family unconditionally. This way, all those forces would be loyal to the Liu family!
Meanwhile, Liu Erhai, Liu Sanhai, and Liu Wuhai were sorting the loot and carrying them into the storehouse.
Liu Tao could finally have some time to himself.
But before long, he was informed that Jun Wushuang had come to see him.
Jun Wushuang had come with expensive gifts. His eyes were smiling. He had a good chat with Liu Tao in the visitors’ hall and didn’t mention a single word about the bloodshed. Everything seemed to be going well.
When he was about to leave, he said, “The City Lord hopes that the Liu clan does not get too involved with people from the Lord Governor’s Mansion. It’s dangerous. Don’t forget that they are enemies with people from the Presidential Palace!”
Liu Tao nodded.
The Lord Governor’s Mansion and the Presidential Palace had had long-standing enmity for centuries. If the Liu family were to form an alliance with the Lord Governor’s Mansion, it would make them an enemy of the Presidential Palace.
Furthermore, both the Lord Governor’s Mansion and the Presidential Palace were pillars of the City of Scorpio.
“Please thank the City Lord for his kind reminder and good wishes. We will be careful!” Liu Tao said.
Jun Wushuang’s eyes suddenly went cold, and his smile was gone too. He stood up immediately and left without another word.
He had understood that Liu Tao had rejected the City Lord’s proposal and that he was determined to forge ties with the Lord Governor’s Mansion.
Initially, there was no clear winner between the Lord Governor’s Mansion and the Presidential Palace. Now that the Lord Governor’s Mansion had the support of the Liu clan, the balance would be disrupted. The City Lord certainly didn’t want to see more bloodshed in his city.
There was an imminent storm in the seas surrounding Scorpio Island, which meant that the mysterious spaceship could run aground on the coastline of the island any time soon. Busy with capturing the spaceship, the City Lord didn’t want any more trouble on his plate right now.
Liu Tao rubbed his throbbing temples.
It’s too complicated!
He didn’t want to get too close with the Lord Governor’s Mansion either. However, the fact that Zhao Laosan was Zhuo Tianyou’s biological father had strategic values that were too important to let go.
So long as they could bring Zhao Laosan under their control, the future Lord Governor’s Mansion would belong to the Liu family!
The thought made Liu Tao hurry to the backyard.
At that time, Zhao Laosan had already woken up. Now that the effect of the Spell of Betraying the Master for Glory had worn out, he immediately realized what he had done the day before.
“I betrayed the Lord Governor! I spilled my greatest secret to Liu Tao through a letter of complaint!”
“Was I out of my mind?!”
Furious with himself, Zhao Laosan slapped himself hard.
After remembering that he had voluntarily swallowed so much poison the day before, his regret almost made him smash his head against the wall!
“I must have been possessed yesterday!”
Angry and scared, he had locked himself up in the room since morning and refused to see anyone.
“What happened? Things started to go haywire the moment I stepped into that ancestral temple…”