Chapter 532: The Five Sons of the Chu Family — Secret Struggles and Open Challenges |
Year 13 of Great Xia, First Day of the First Month
Just as Xia Hong's first formal negotiation with Cai Qianshan broke down, five figures stood high in the clouds two kilometers west of Pass City.
Each of the five was enveloped in a thin layer of white mist. When the cold wind blew around them, it passed right through their bodies, failing to cause even the slightest flutter in their clothes. The occasional bird flying past in the sky completely ignored their presence.
"Fang Bo's concealment aura technique is simply divine. Forget Xia Hong, being only two kilometers away, Cai Qianshan actually didn't sense a thing."
"Although Xia Hong only has Sun Manifestation Level cultivation, his base strength is over two hundred and forty Jun, already not inferior to a Second Transformation of the Tribulation Body Realm! Among the five of us, I'm afraid no one could take him down."
"True. I recall Cai Qiuhu has Second Tribulation Body Realm strength. Not only did Xia Hong withstand his attack, he even managed to counterattack. If Cai Qianshan hadn't interrupted just now, I reckon Cai Qiuhu would have been utterly humiliated today."
…………
"This Xia Hong is indeed no simple character!"
As a middle-aged swordsman on the left spoke, the other four immediately turned to look at him.
"I heard this Xia Hong only brought out two single-element Beast Emperor-level puppets at the time. It shouldn't have been hard for you to protect a single Yang Zun by going all out. Yet you actually got scared off by him? You've truly disgraced the people of Chencang!"
The swordsman was none other than Chu Tianxu, who had been startled into retreat by Xia Hong at Beishuo City. Hearing the words of the two men on the right, his brow furrowed slightly, and a flash of gloom passed through his pupils.
"Third Brother withdrew from Beishuo City for the long-term strategy of our feudal town. The most urgent matter for Chencang right now is dealing with those Abominations in the Blood Mire Plains. How can we let a mere Great Xia disrupt important affairs?"
Seeing his third brother Chu Tianxu remain silent, Fourth Brother Chu Tianmang spoke up in response.
"The Abominations of the Blood Mire have already withdrawn. What do we do now? The Nine-Bend Blood Corridor has been yielded. This is the time to march south. If the Abominations counterattack, then we focus on dealing with them. If they don't emerge, we can smoothly incorporate the entire Southern Foothills region into our feudal territory. Killing two birds with one stone, and also helping Third Brother regain face, wouldn't that be better?"
The two men on the right who had spoken earlier also had middle-aged appearances. They were precisely Chu Longteng, the Fang Bo of Chencang's eldest son Chu Tianming and second son Chu Tianhe.
Chu Tianming, standing slightly ahead, had a more mature appearance. He held a silver-gray long lance, and his brow carried a fierce aura. When he spoke, his tone held an undeniable domineering quality.
After posing that final rhetorical question, Chu Tianming turned his head to glance at Fourth Brother Chu Tianmang, his face clearly showing dislike and disgust.
Chu Tianhe, standing behind him, had slightly narrowed eyes that gleamed with shrewdness. Noticing his eldest brother's look, he immediately chimed in with a smile, "Third Brother himself didn't even speak just now, yet Fourth Brother, you're more anxious than him. Anyone who didn't know better would think your position as Commandery Governor was appointed by Third Brother!"
Hearing this, anger instantly rose on Chu Tianmang's face. He stepped forward directly, clearly preparing to retort to Chu Tianhe.
But before he could speak, Chu Tianxu preempted him.
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, no need to be so hasty. I merely offered a suggestion to Father. Whether he listens or not is Father's business. Didn't you also voice your thoughts to Father? How to proceed will naturally be judged by Father. What's the use of showing off your verbal prowess with me here?"
After saying this, Chu Tianxu gave his fourth brother a look, then took a step back with him and fell silent.
Chu Tianmang obviously listened very well to this third brother. Seeing this, he took a breath and immediately stepped back as well.
Seeing the two adopt this posture of solidarity, Chu Tianming's eyes were full of gloom. He opened his mouth, originally intending to say something, but ultimately held back, turning his head to give Second Brother Chu Tianhe a look.
Chu Tianhe understood immediately. Looking at Chu Tianxu and the other, he sneered, "It's rumored throughout the feudal town that although Third Brother and Fourth Brother aren't born of the same mother, they wear the same pair of pants. I used to think it was just a joke, but now it seems it's true. Fourth Brother, Father is still in his prime. You're already treating Third Brother as your backer so early? Your ambitions are quite numerous, aren't they?"
"Third Brother would rather suffer humiliation than harm the major affairs of the feudal town. This is choosing greater righteousness over personal gain. I naturally approve. My heart is toward the feudal town. I only wish for Chencang to grow stronger and more prosperous. I have never thought of clinging to anyone!"
Chu Tianmang finally couldn't hold back. Among their five brothers, only the eldest and second were born of the same mother. His mother, Third Brother Chu Tianxu's mother, and Fifth Brother Chu Tianba's mother were all different people. Although their relationship was also good, in terms of closeness, it naturally couldn't compare to that of the eldest and second brothers.
Thinking of this, he paused, then looked at Chu Tianhe and continued with a cold laugh, "Besides, 'the eldest brother is like a father.' With Father not present, the eldest brother is Father. Being able to say such words, in terms of skill in finding a backer, who in all of Chencang can compare to you, Second Brother?"
Being mocked like this, Chu Tianhe's face instantly flushed red. His pupils fixed intently on Fourth Brother Chu Tianmang, his face full of rage.
He had said that phrase in an extremely private setting before. But since nothing in the feudal town could be hidden from the Fang Bo, it quickly reached the ears of Father Chu Longteng.
The phrase itself wasn't really problematic. Upon hearing it, Father Chu Longteng had praised him heavily, saying he understood propriety and ritual, possessing the demeanor of a virtuous younger brother.
Up to that point, it was fine. The problem arose afterward. Father Chu Longteng said this phrase was beneficial for strengthening the concept of respecting seniority in Chencang, and actually ordered the phrase "the eldest brother is like a father" to be widely publicized, making it known throughout all of Chencang.
The common folk below naturally wouldn't think too much of it, but the higher-ups were different.
Chu Tianhe had said Father Chu Longteng was in his prime. This statement actually had a slight issue. Chu Longteng was already 352 years old this year. Compared to the other three Fang Bos of Mo'ao Chuan, he could indeed be considered in his prime. But in terms of lifespan, he was actually getting on in years.
Sun Manifestation Level lifespan was 200 years. Breaking through to the First Transformation of the Tribulation Body Realm granted 300 years. After that, each subsequent transformation added 50 years. So, the maximum lifespan of the Four Tribulations Body Realm was only 450 years. Calculating this way, Father Chu Longteng likely had about 90-some years of lifespan left.
Though in his prime, it was time to start considering the next Fang Bo.
Especially in recent years, Hecang Fang Bo Fu Wanhe had secluded himself, handing feudal town affairs to his three sons to manage; Caiqiu Fang Bo Cai Qianshan had also elevated his young son Cai Qiuhu to the position of Little Fang Bo. These actions by the two feudatories to begin selecting the next Fang Bo undoubtedly had some influence on Chencang as well.
The inheritance systems of the four feudatories differed, but among them, the one that most emphasized seniority order was Chencang. So, once this matter concerning the inheritance of the Fang Bo position stirred up waves, Chu Tianming, as the eldest son, undoubtedly became the center of the storm.
In Chu Tianming's view, the next Fang Bo could only be himself. After all, the rule of respecting seniority in Chencang was personally established by Father Chu Longteng many years ago.
But over the past twenty years, he gradually sensed that the situation was somewhat off.
Father clearly showed some favoritism toward Third Brother Chu Tianxu. Even though he helped Father pull down the former Grand Steward Chen Lixin, it seemed this trend hadn't changed. Even after that Xue Zijing from the outer region took over as Grand Steward and proposed reforms, although Father supported them, the entire upper and lower ranks of Chencang opposed them. Only Third Brother Chu Tianxu agreed with Father and strongly supported the reforms. Consequently, Father valued him even more.
Chu Tianming immediately felt a sense of crisis. Even though he clearly knew the matter of the next Fang Bo position might be a hundred years away, or even more distant if Father advanced another step, how could he simply ignore these circumstances?
Thus, the covert and overt struggles among their five brothers began.
Chu Tianming and Second Brother Chu Tianhe were born of the same mother, naturally forming one faction, so they immediately stood together.
Second Brother Chu Tianhe's phrase "the eldest brother is like a father" was actually both a show of loyalty to the eldest brother and a subtle reminder to Father not to forget the rules he himself had established.
But once this spread, the meaning changed.
Surrendering to Chu Tianming so early, even though they were born of the same mother, Chu Tianhe was being a bit too eager. And the phrase itself was rather sycophantic, naturally drawing covert ridicule from many higher-ups.
It was originally covert ridicule, but now Fourth Brother Chu Tianmang had openly brought it up. That was a blatant humiliation.
"Fourth Brother, if you have the guts, say what you just said again!"
Chu Tianhe already disliked Fourth Brother Chu Tianmang. Now, provoked like this, his anger surged. As he questioned, he directly drew the long sword at his waist, as if daring him to say it again so he could immediately engage in a great battle right here.
However, they were all at the Second Transformation of the Tribulation Body Realm. Their cultivation levels were originally on par. Although they had never fought, they understood each other's capabilities. How could Chu Tianmang be intimidated by him? Moreover, he originally couldn't stand this Second Brother who loved to fawn on the powerful and play underhanded schemes. Hearing this, he sneered and spoke directly:
"Does Second Brother have hearing problems? Fine, then I'll say it again. In terms of skill in finding a backer, who in all of Chencang can compare to you, Second Brother?"
"You're looking for death!"
Chu Tianhe growled in a low voice, shing! as he drew the long sword from his waist...
"Second Son, what do you think you're doing?"
However, just as he was about to charge forward with drawn sword, a voice descended from above, directly interrupting him.
The voice, though steady and calm, carried a power that commanded awe. Chu Tianhe almost instinctively sheathed his sword back, then bowed his head and lowered himself in reverence toward the sky above.
As for Chu Tianming and the other three, they had already bowed their heads in reverence long ago.
"You're all people over two hundred years old. Fighting over such baseless, shadowy matters here, you really are regressing with age. If you truly think you have ability, then don't covet my chair. Have the guts to go carve out your own heaven. Not to mention I'm still far from death, even if I died unexpectedly someday, with your current level, the Chen clan could chew you up until not even your bone fragments remain. Hmph!"
"Father, forgive us!"
Hearing this, the bodies of Chu Tianming and the other four trembled slightly. Their already lowered heads dipped even further as they hurriedly spoke in fearful apology.
Chu Longteng never actually appeared. He seemed to be somewhere far away. Seeing his five sons all bowing in apology, he remained silent for a long while before asking, "I told you to keep an eye on Xia Hong and Cai Qianshan. How is it?"
Chu Tianming immediately answered, "Just as Father predicted, Xia Hong has more than just two Beast Emperor-level puppets. He brought out a total of twelve, including one triple-element level one. Although Cai Qianshan was shocked, he refused to yield to Great Xia, retreating into Pass City. It seems he intends to use the two towns of Jinshan and Wuchuan to continue resisting Great Xia."
"Not surprising. Cai Qianshan's tolerance is too small. How could he be willing to simply hand over the two towns of Jinshan and Wuchuan to Great Xia? Next, we'll just watch the two families contend in the Southern Foothills region!"
Hearing this, Chu Tianming immediately spoke with an urgent expression, "Father, since Cai Qianshan is unwilling to reconcile with Great Xia, wouldn't that be a great opportunity for us? The miasma of the Nine-Bend Blood Corridor has receded. We can directly dispatch a large army south, starting expansion from Dongchuan City. If we delay, won't the entire Southern Foothills region become Caiqiu's?"
Saying this, and seeing Father didn't respond, Chu Tianming continued, "Regardless of whether the miasma contraction is an Abomination conspiracy or not, we can utilize it. Chencang is currently using troops against the Blood Mire Plains after all. Great Xia's strength is mediocre, and Caiqiu is blocking the front. We only need to allocate a small portion..."
"Eldest Brother, if Chencang intervenes in the Southern Foothills region, Caiqiu won't continue resisting Great Xia. Cai Qianshan is just narrow-minded, he's not stupid!"
Chu Tianxu couldn't listen anymore, directly interrupting Chu Tianming.
Chu Tianming immediately retorted, "If we don't intervene, and really let Caiqiu incorporate the Southern Foothills region into its territory, Chencang will be threatened on two fronts in the future. Caiqiu has finally run out of expansion space. The Southern Foothills have so much population, so many resource zones, and conservatively, Great Xia has over two hundred thousand Warmth Realm cultivators. If Cai Qianshan manages to take all this down..."
How strong would Caiqiu need to be to swallow everything in the Southern Foothills region?
Moreover, Cai Qianshan's intention in opposing Great Xia wasn't to occupy the entire Southern Foothills region. He just wanted to plant a nail there, and at most now added the goal of regaining some face from Xia Hong.
Taking a step back, even if Caiqiu truly wanted to swallow Great Xia, would Chencang agree?
Chu Tianxu didn't voice any of these thoughts.
He finally understood. Eldest Brother Chu Tianming wasn't necessarily unaware of these points. But the suggestion to watch the tigers fight was his own. If Father agreed, that would mean approving his view. Chu Tianming obviously saw this and deliberately voiced opposition.
In other words, he wasn't ignorant; he was opposing for the sake of opposition.
Since that was the case, what more was there to say!
Father was wise overall and wouldn't let him act recklessly according to his whims.
But the words Chu Longteng spoke next completely exceeded his expectations.
"Tianming, since you have the ambition to reach for the Southern Foothills region, then proceed according to your ideas! All troops, funds, and provisions will be provided by your own Heyang Commandery. I won't interfere with the specifics of how you contend with Caiqiu and Great Xia. I only demand one thing: don't let Chencang suffer losses. How about it?"
Hearing this, Chu Tianxu was stunned and immediately prepared to voice opposition.
"Good!"
But before he could speak, Eldest Brother Chu Tianming answered first.
"Don't agree so quickly. I have one more thing to say. If you take the lead in this matter and handle it well, I'll follow Cai Qianshan's example and appoint you as Little Fang Bo. But if you don't handle it well and cause Chencang to suffer losses, then from now on, you need not covet the Fang Bo position anymore. How about it?"
Hearing this, Chu Tianming's expression froze.
Chu Tianhe, Chu Tianxu, Chu Tianmang, including Fifth Brother Chu Tianba who hadn't spoken a word from start to finish, all had slight changes in their expressions at this moment.
The atmosphere instantly froze.