Start from Wusheng

Chapter 1076 The Curtain Rises on the Abnormal Situation
The various forces in the capital are intertwined, making it the most complex place in the world in terms of power dynamics.

The two powerful families either pledged allegiance to their lords or sided with the families of their ancestors. Some formed temporary alliances, while others, long-time in-laws, turned against each other. Even the slightest friction could ignite a major tribal war.

Even worse, there were people secretly fanning the flames, adding fuel to the fire from both sides and exacerbating the conflict.

Among them, the most frequent appearances are those of powerful demon soldiers throughout history.

"The Savage Demon Hammer wiped out the entire family of the Governor of Mirror State with a single blow, and then went on a killing spree in the Right Mansion. Several grandmasters from different families joined forces to chase after him, but he pretended to be injured and suddenly launched a counterattack, resulting in the complete annihilation of their army!"

"This guy is just like his name, he's barbaric, his mind is full of fighting and killing, and he won't listen to any pleas for mercy, reconciliation, or bribery."

"Let's send Hantian into battle. The two sides have been fighting endlessly until now. We must at least keep him occupied so that he has no time to damage the environment of Dijing!"

Lai Hantian was the only surviving disciple of the Heavenly Sect under Lord Shen, but after the incident in the Southern Frontier, he did not return to the Southern Frontier to stabilize the situation like his fellow disciples.

Instead, he chose to remain in the capital and continue to serve his lord.

No one could criticize him for this, since Lord Shen sent him to the capital to have his prized disciple serve the feudal lord in his place.

Even though Lord Shen was gone, Lai Hantian continued to carry out his orders, even though the lord's reputation was ruined and he was on the verge of collapse.

and also……

"The Fiend Spear challenges everywhere, killing masters and experts who wield spears. Each attack is ruthless. If the opponent is defeated, none of their disciples or relatives will escape. They will all be stabbed to death by the Fiend Spear."

"During that time, he even tried to storm the Heavenly Sacrifice Palace, but was repelled by a sword aura that descended from the sky..."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You quickly stopped, "Has the Heavenly Southern Divine Sword made its move?"

"No, it's another Heavenly Sect disciple, Feng Feishang, a true disciple of the Heavenly Southern Divine Sword."

It must be said that Tiannan Divine Sword has a large number of disciples, although most of them are just there to make up the numbers, but a great many of them have become successful.

Besides the Second Son Sword, there are also Feng Feishang, Ba Xuanyin, and others, all of whom are sword masters at the Heavenly Sect level.

Feng Feishang's actions were undoubtedly carried out on his master's orders to subdue the Sacrificial Palace.

In that case, wouldn't it mean that the Heavenly Southern Divine Sword still recognizes the Lord and has no intention of overthrowing him?
"Not entirely. After the Demon Spear left the Sacrificial Palace, Feng Feishang stopped pursuing it. It seems he was only responsible for guarding the Sacrificial Palace!"

The messenger was a personal guard who remained at the capital, and was considered one of Zhou Nanwang's most trusted confidants.

He knelt before Zhou You, showing great respect to this young master, because 'Zhou Daqian' was a member of the Human Sect and also held the title of Lord of Nanchen Prefecture. No one in the entire Western Sect could shake his status and position.

Even if Zhou Nanwang were to announce his abdication to Zhou You now, the Zhou family and other friendly aristocratic families would consider it a matter of course.

Despite Zhou You's experience in several high-level matches, all the participants were at the Heavenly Sect level, the absolute Heavenly Sect level, or at least the Earthly Sect level. The Human Sect was relegated to the background and atmosphere.

In reality, the Human Sect is always a crucial force within a family, comparable to a human body used to stabilize a cauldron.

Zhou You then asked about places like the Pharmacist Guild, and the guards answered him one by one. When they asked about the Chengtian Organization, they paused.

"What happened? What's wrong?"

The family guard shook his head. "The situation is strange and bizarre; I don't know where to begin!"

It turns out that since the emergence of the Calamity Demon in Putuo Prefecture, the Golden Immortals have suffered great losses. It is said that Xiaoyaozi collapsed into countless ashes on the spot, and Jin Lao was trampled to death by the Calamity Demon. Banzhangyu Huo immediately closed the mountain after returning home.

However, according to local reports, since the Western Suspended Caves Mountain was sealed off, it has been surrounded by ghostly wails and howls day and night, with blood flowing from countless caves that never dries.

The calamity demon was not only not completely suppressed, but instead wreaked havoc on its lair. The remaining Golden Immortals were also in a rather disheveled state, but fortunately, reinforcements arrived and lured away the calamity demons one by one.

After the eight henchmen returned to the capital, they were severely weakened, with many crippled or injured. They also brought back the remains of the three calamities they had been suppressing.

Their strength was generally weaker than that of the leaders of those organizations, so the severed fragments were very small. However, this misfortune turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as they suppressed the remaining fragments and prevented them from transforming into a complete new calamity.

These three remains were brought back to the capital and naturally handed over to Chongyang Gong, the leader of the Chengtian Organization.

After obtaining three fragments of the Demon Queen's body, Chongyang Gong announced his seclusion and refined them into an unprecedented treasure to quell the wars in the world and prevent the Demon Queen from causing trouble.

"what!"

Zhou You thought to himself, "Here we go again. The last time someone was so arrogant was when the Evil Pharmacist Qiwei tried to produce the Martial Saint Pill to revive the dead, but... the world descended into chaos."

Although Chongyang Gong was highly respected for his virtue, his actions seemed like he was setting a flag for himself!
"Didn't anyone stop him?"

"All the servants opposed it, but Duke Chongyang insisted on going his own way. The high-ranking officials of the two powerful families decided that if soft tactics didn't work, they would resort to hard ones."

Then something even stranger happened: the entire Chengtian organization vanished overnight, disappearing from the capital.

Those who opposed him, including his lackeys, disappeared without a trace along with Chongyang Gong.

Many powerful families in the capital were local strongmen, and despite launching a comprehensive search, they couldn't find a single clue.

It was as if Chongyang Gong and his entourage had vanished into thin air.

Zhou You pinched his chin. He figured the emperor had probably escaped into the Heaven-Sacrificing Palace. No matter where he appeared, he couldn't escape the all-pervasive information network of the powerful families of the world.

Hmm, what exactly are the rules on the other side of the feudal lord's side?
The Heavenly Sacrifice Palace was in seclusion, with Feng Feishang, a disciple of the Tiannan Divine Sword, guarding it from the outside, while Chongyang Gong joined in the fun.

It's like a giant black hole hanging over Beijing, or like a black dot in the pupil coldly and ruthlessly looking down on all living beings.

"Your Highness, are there any instructions before entering the capital? I will prepare accordingly as soon as possible!"

The family guards respectfully inquired.

"How many of the eighteen ancestral families came?"

"Less than a hundred, and the number is still increasing. During this period, four or five families were wiped out by the Demon Soldier Lord!"

That's right. The Eighteen Ancestral Families, although they originated from the clans of the eighteen ancient tribes, are not just eighteen families.

To be precise, they should be eighteen groups that originated from eighteen clans.

Each group was divided into three classes according to their proximity. The Zhou family of the Left Prefecture of the Capital was originally in the first class, but was later reduced to the second class after the family split up.

In every established family group, the weight of one's words and decisions is strictly regulated, and there are also established procedures for filling in vacancies.

Even if the enemy assassinates and wipes out one or two prominent families, there will be replacements to take their place, unless the entire group is destroyed.

Yes, no one has been able to achieve this level of difficulty to this day.

Each group has families scattered across the world, with countless branches, sub-branches, and affiliated entities. Destroying even one of them requires unimaginable power, resources, and planning. To destroy an entire group, well, that would be impossible unless the world ended.

From ancient times to the present, the original eighteen clans have grown into a system of countless roots deep underground. To eradicate them completely, the world would have to be turned upside down and all the soil particles sifted out.

(End of this chapter)