The Undying Immortal System-Chapter 296: Life 76, Age 16, Martial Disciple 5

Upon our return to the audience hall, I decided to show HongYi a bit of sincerity. While he might be willing to follow me to potentially preserve his life, giving him a few early benefits as well seemed like a good idea.

So, I reached into my storage space, pulled out a blank book, and copied down an instruction manual from my mental library. Then, I pulled out a small jade box and filled it with a strand of fire from the seed of the Expanding Realms Fire.

“Elder HongYi, you mentioned a desire to own a storage bag. While I said that I would make one for you, doing so as a Martial Disciple might prove a bit challenging. Instead, I will give you these. A spatial spirit fire and an instruction book on how to use it to create a storage bag for yourself.”

As he accepted these items, HongYi’s hands were twitching constantly, so I waved to one of the side rooms. “Go. Study.”

Almost before I could blink, I was left alone in his audience hall. With no pressing matters to attend to, I sat down on HongYi’s throne and wrote a few letters to ShouLi. While we had made plans previously, the situation was evolving, and I had a few new ideas for what we needed to do.

While I could use an oath stone and a group of Grandmasters to forcibly subdue the Su Clan, such measures would only work in the short term. For the long term, we needed a clear organizational structure that all members of the Su Clan, both new and old, would be able to slot into.

TaiZu and the others didn’t return until well after noon. When he saw me sitting alone on HongYi’s throne, he approached and bowed.

“Ancestor, we have successfully completed the task you set for us.”

I nodded. “How many of the Grandmasters were you able to subdue?”

“All of them in the city. 29 in total. We were able to isolate each one, and after seeing the forces arrayed against them, each one chose to submit. The only ones we have yet to contact are the Patriarch, his sons, and the few Grandmasters not currently in Dragon Gate.”

“Good. What are your plans for dealing with those who remain?”

TaiZu hesitated, glanced at one of the Grandmasters who had been working with him, and then looked back to me.

“Ancestor, TaiZong, the Patriarch, has regular meetings with the people under his command. While we could try to ambush him in private, I am not sure we could stop him from fighting back and causing a commotion. Instead, I believe that we will be more successful if we attempt to subdue him during one of these meetings. If everyone else in the meeting has already sworn to follow you, then TaiZong will have no choice but to submit as well.

I stroked my chin as an evil thought entered my mind. “Tell me, does the Patriarch hold any meetings or gatherings to congratulate top-ranked elites from each year’s training camp?”

TaiZu furrowed his brow. “No… such things are beneath his notice.”

I nodded slowly. “See if you can suggest it. We need a big gathering with all of the clan’s Grandmasters in attendance. Pitch it as both a way to congratulate ShouDu on his success and a way to give him a formal send off to the Rising Sun Empire.”

TaiZu’s mouth opened in confusion. “But…”

“Just make it happen.” I thought through how long it might take for a messenger to travel to Dragon Gate City from the Capital of the Rising Sun Empire on the fastest available mounts. “One week. That should be long enough. Try to make this happen within a week. In the meantime, subdue all of the remaining Grandmasters that you can, especially those from the training complex. Understood?”

TaiZu dipped his head. “Yes, Ancestor.”

Over the course of the next week, I continued my study of cultivation techniques, and I was getting close to a breakthrough. There was something… something I had been missing, but I couldn’t yet put it into words.

How did a cultivation technique increase the ‘sharpness’ of qi? That was the sticking point that I hadn’t been able to understand. Most Profound techniques had an effect like this, but how did they work? Why did they work? What made a technique ‘Profound?’

I was beginning to have my suspicions, and I was beginning to worry that I had been unintentionally crippling the members of my clan. I still needed time, though. Time to study Earth-Rank techniques and see if my suspicions held true.

At the end of the week, I dressed in the simple brown robes of the Grand Elder’s apprentice and followed TaiZu to the Palace of Supreme Harmony, the Su Clan’s Grand Throne Room that overlooked the entrance to the complex.

There was a lot that needed to happen this day, and there were too many variables to plan it all out ahead of time. We didn’t know how TaiZong, ShouDu, or anyone else would react, and we didn’t know what Emperor Li might do to disrupt things. We could only play it by ear.

Still, if anyone in the Su Clan was worthy of the title ‘old fox,’ it was TaiZu. He had his problems, but compared to everyone else in the clan, he could be considered a genius. I would just have to rely on him to guide things in the direction we wanted them to go.

When we arrived, the hall was already packed with people. Aside from all of the Su Clan’s Grandmasters, there were also representatives from various noble families around the Wastes present. I had thought that the sects might send representatives as well, but either they weren’t invited, or they disdained such low-level ceremonies.

While I huddled in the corner and did my best to remain inconspicuous, TaiZu proudly marched up to his place next to the throne. A moment later, TaiZong walked in at the head of a small procession and took his seat.

Then, without saying a word, TaiZong waved a hand, and far below, the center gate of the complex slowly opened to reveal a tall young man wearing gleaming robes of gold and silver.

Once the gate was fully open, he began walking forward.

Dozens of cultivators had been lined up in the courtyard to cheer his passage.

Aside from the palaces, the most notable feature of this courtyard was the stream that winded its way through it, cutting it in half. There were three bridges that would allow a person to cross this river, but the central one was reserved for the Patriarch’s exclusive use. On this day, however, that rule was broken.

Not only was ShouDu allowed to enter the complex through the center gate, but he was also allowed to approach the Palace of Supreme Harmony via the central bridge. When the surrounding cultivators saw this, some bowed, some cheered, and some cried tears of joy.

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This caused ShouDu’s chin to rise even higher as he proudly crossed the remainder of the courtyard and climbed the stairs to the throne room.

Seeing this, I couldn’t hold back a smirk. TaiZu had really gone all out.

When ShouDu entered the throne room, the central aisle that led right to TaiZong had already been cleared for him.

He approached the throne, got on his knees, and kowtowed to the Patriarch.

“Great Grandfather, I have arrived. Thank you for summoning me.”

After waiting a beat, TaiZong waved a hand. “Rise.”

Then, TaiZu stepped forward. “Su ShouDu, while you are young, you have already shown extraordinary martial ability. Both the elders and the Patriarch recognize the bright future that lies ahead of you. Are you willing to swear to put the Su Clan first in all things? To place the clan before yourself? To strive only to enhance the glory and majesty of the Su Clan?”

Without hesitating, ShouDu cupped his fists in a martial salute and bowed to the Grand Elder. “Yes.”

TaiZu smiled. “Excellent.”

Then, he pulled the oath stone and held it up for everyone to see. While most people in the audience didn’t immediately recognize this stone, I noticed the faces of several of the older men and women blanch.

TaiZu walked forward, held the stone in front of ShouDu, and gave him a script.

The younger man looked confused by this, but having heard reports from the training complex, the Patriarch, YuanFei, and a couple of lower-ranked members of the Su Clan could guess what was about to happen. Still, in front of so many distinguished guests, none of them were willing to make a scene.

“I, Su ShouDu, swear by the Heavenly Dao that I will put the Su Clan first in all things. With every action I take, I will keep the prosperity of the clan in mind, and I will do nothing to harm it.”

At this, a couple of members of the audience began applauding, and that encouraged everyone else to do likewise.

The Grand Elder stepped back and retook his position next to the throne.

Then, TaiZong spoke in a powerful, imposing voice. “Su ShouDu, as reward for your achieve—”

Down in the courtyard below, the central gate slammed open, and the guards that had been stationed around it were thrown to the side.

Before anyone could react, a dozen men and women in light blue robes with silver embroidery forced their way through the center gate of the complex.

A shout echoed out from the man at their front. “Su TaiZong, get down here immediately and explain yourself!”

TaiZong’s face clouded with anger, and his gaze remained fixed on the group in the courtyard below as he addressed the Grandmasters surrounding him. “Follow.”

TaiZong stomped to the exit of his throne room, and then, in a single bound, he leapt down to stand in front of the group wearing light blue robes. Only a moment later, over two dozen Su Clan Grandmasters appeared beside him.

Once everyone was arrayed behind him, TaiZong stepped forward. “What is the meaning of this? How dare you behave atrociously in the Su Clan?”

The leader of the blue-clothed cultivators gave him a disdainful look. “The Su Clan? What Su Clan? Not only did people from your Su Clan intentionally cause trouble in the Blue Wind Pavilion, but they also conspired to overthrow a manager who is under the protection of the Blue Wind Sovereign. If your Su Clan doesn’t put the Blue Wind Pavilion in its eyes, then the Pavilion will reply in kind.”

At this, the cultivators in blue robes released a wave of qi to suppress TaiZong and his assembled Grandmasters.

While TaiZong had more people on his side, the Pavilion’s cultivators were all Peak Grandmasters with impeccable foundations. If TaiZong started a fight, there was no question who the victor would be.

Feeling the combined pressure from the blue-robed cultivators, TaiZong gritted his teeth. “What do you want?”

The leader of the Pavilion’s cultivators gave him a smile that wasn’t a smile.

“For his crimes against the Pavilion, Su ShouDu and his immediate family must be crippled.” The man flicked a pill bottle at TaiZong. “These pills will abolish their cultivation bases and ensure that they will never be able to cultivate again. After that, their life and death are none of our concern.”

TaiZong gnashed his teeth together. “You want me to cripple my most promising descendant?”

The leader shook his head slightly. “I don’t care what you do. Either you cripple him, or we destroy your clan. The choice is yours.”

“I will not allow—”

Suddenly, TaiZu stepped forward. “Patriarch TaiZong! This is not a matter that you can decide on your own.”

He bowed to the Pavilion’s representative. “Esteemed guests of the Blue Wind Pavilion. I apologize. This situation has come as quite a surprise. Please allow us time to discuss it.”

Smirking, the leader tossed TaiZu the pill bottle. “Have ShouDu and everyone from his immediate family take one. Then, they must all present themselves in front of the Pavilion by noon tomorrow. If even one person is missing, we may need to look at finding a new ruler for this region of the continent.”

While the Grandmaster of the Su Clan had all gone down to confront the group from the Pavilion, I had remained behind in the throne room with the various representatives from the noble families. This didn’t matter, though. Everyone down below had been projecting their voices, and we were able to hear everything clearly.

So, when TaiZong and the others returned, the hall was filled with excitement and righteous fury.

Before anyone else could speak, one of the noble representatives stepped forward. “Patriarch Su, you cannot allow the Pavilion to throw its weight around like this. You must stand up to them. The dignity of all our clans is at stake.”

Immediately, several others joined the call and pleaded for the Su Clan to resist the Pavilion’s demands.

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“Enough!” TaiZong pounded a fist on the arm of this throne hard enough to break it. “This audience is over. Begone!”

At this, TaiZong and the Grandmasters all departed out the back entrance, and after taking a step back to fade from people’s notice, I took a Shadowed Soul Pill, vanished from sight, and followed after the group.

We didn’t go far. Right behind the Palace of Supreme Harmony was the Palace of Central Harmony, a smaller, more intimate throne room.

TaiZong looked at the assembled Grandmasters. “Get ShouDu in here. Now!”

Less than a minute later, ShouDu was thrown to the ground in front of the Patriarch. His once immaculate robes were torn and disheveled.

TaiZong glared at him. “Explain. What did you do?”

ShouDu was shaking in fear. “I… I don’t… I didn’t do anything.”

TaiZong slammed his fist down onto his armrest, breaking yet another throne. “Did you go to the Pavilion? What did you do there?”

“No… I mean… Yes… I just… When I went… their attendant insulted me… they… they insulted the clan…”

TaiZong’s glare became murderous. “What. Did. You. Do?”

“No… nothing… I… I…”

TaiZu stepped forward.

“It no longer matters. The child is a fool who insulted a Martial Sovereign. There is no saving him.” He held out the pill bottle to ShouDu. “Take one of these pills. It will cripple you, and you will no longer be able to cultivate, but you will not die.”

ShouDu stared at the bottle in horror. “No… No… I can’t…”

TaiZu pursed his lips. “This is what the clan requires of you. The only way for the clan not to be destroyed is for you to cripple yourself.”

ShouDu breath became rapid, and he scurried away in fear. “No… I am a genius. I will not. We… We are the Su Clan. We cannot let petty merchants tell us what to do. The other nobles are right. We must fight!”

TaiZu stared. “Are you sure? Is that your final answer?”

A look of frenzy appeared on ShouDu’s face. “Yes. I refuse to become a cripple. I will fight. We must fight!”

At that very moment, a thick lightning bolt shot from the clear blue sky. It struck ShouDu and vaporized him, body and soul.

Seeing this, all of the Grandmasters who had already sworn an Oath took a step back in fear.

TaiZu looked at TaiZong with a solemn expression. “We have a problem. We can no longer fulfill the Pavilion’s demands. We are unable to hand ShouDu over to them.”

TaiZong, who had watched everything with a look of horror, could only blink.

TaiZu looked around the room. “We cannot fulfill the Pavilion’s demands. So, we can only try to guide their response. The leadership of the Wastes must change.”

He looked at TaiZong. “Brother, I’m sorry, but I must request that you step down as Patriarch.”

Emperor Li and Grand Elder TaiZu had put a lot of effort into making this performance appear as natural as possible.

Had it all been necessary? Not really, but it had accomplished my goals.

The Su Clan would choose a new leader, and TaiZong had been forced from his position in a way that none of the surrounding powers would dare to question. Additionally, after seeing ShouDu’s death firsthand, no one who had sworn an Oath would dare to break it.

The Su Clan’s leadership structure was broken. Now, I just had to replace it.