Chapter 96

After the meal, Feifei, the little girl, pulled Li Ruoshui and Lin Qin to play. Shui Yingying, at Li Daoyuan's gesture, led a group of unrelated people away. The servants quickly cleaned up and served tea and snacks. In the hall, only Lin Zheng and four others, along with a few core members of the Li family, remained. After everyone had sipped tea for a while, Li Daoyuan spoke, "Lin Zheng, things are getting complicated. I originally thought the Feng and Dou families would take turns to challenge us, but it seems to be much more complex now!"

"Hmm? Has Uncle Li received any news?" Lin Zheng asked.

"Yes, this is all the information received this afternoon, already organized. Take a look!" Li Daoyuan handed over a stack of densely written papers.

Lin Zheng read through each sheet without any expression, making it impossible to tell if he was surprised or worried. This composure made the young people present feel a bit ashamed. Lin Zheng quickly finished reading and passed the papers to Lin Wen. After carefully reading all the information, Lin Wen closed his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking to Lin Zheng, "Third Brother, it seems the Feng and Dou families have more in mind than just a duel!"

"That's right. The current heads of the Feng and Dou families have appeared, so it's definitely not just a simple challenge!" Li Daoyuan said.

"Big Brother, can I come in?" Just as everyone was discussing, a sound of wooden wheels rolling on the ground came from outside the door. Li Ruoshui's sixth uncle, Li Daomu, was pushed in by her fifth uncle in a wheelchair.

"Sixth Brother, you came just in time. I believe you have some results, right?" Li Daoyuan smiled at Li Daomu. Although his legs had not fully recovered, his spirit was much better. Now that he saw hope, he no longer lived in a daze and had taken on some of the family's responsibilities again.

"I have some thoughts. Let's discuss them together!" Li Daomu smiled, looking at the young people across from him. He bowed to Lin Zheng from his wheelchair and said, "Thank you, Young Master Lin, for the elixir!"

"Where, where, Sixth Uncle, you're too polite! It was nothing, and besides, Ruoshui hopes you recover soon. Please don't mention it again, I really can't accept such a bow!" Lin Zheng quickly got up to return the bow.

"Alright, let's get to the main topic!" Li Daoyuan smiled, interrupting their formalities.

"Yes, from the intelligence gathered before dinner, the Feng and Dou families have already rallied many forces participating in the Seven Heroes' Struggle. Although these forces are under the banner of Zeshui City, the benefits they gain from aligning with the Feng and Dou families are vastly different. Moreover, I can guarantee that the Feng and Dou families have promised these forces tremendous benefits, as evident from today's battle on the Gold-Breaking Platform." Li Daomu slowly explained his views.

"Furthermore, the Feng and Dou families' purpose in rallying these forces is not just to deal with me. I believe the Li family is also part of their plan. After all, we are now on the Li family's side and, to some extent, represent the Li family." Lin Zheng added.

"Also, I think the Feng and Dou families' ambitions go beyond what Third Brother mentioned. Think about it, if we lose the duel, what chain reaction will it cause? The Li family's reputation will be damaged, the附属势力 will be dissatisfied, and the Li family will be swallowed by the two families. Once that happens, the two families will likely also吞并 the Bai family. At that point, the power of the two families in Zeshui City will be on par with the City Lord's, and with so many附属势力 under their control, they might even vie for the City Lord's position!" Lin Wen's words instantly enlightened everyone.

Many people looked at Lin Zheng, Lin Wen, and Li Daomu with admiration. To deduce so much from this information was no small feat.

"However, the Bai family has also passed on information, which they collected through various means. Although much of it aligns with what we have, it clearly states their allegiance. They are still on our side. The biggest issue now is what means the Feng and Dou families will use to create an incident. A simple duel won't cause enough of a stir, and it might not even attract the attention of the true powers. The current Feng and Dou families are not just trying to save face; they aim to change the landscape before the Seven Heroes' Struggle!"

"Understand that these forces align with the Feng and Dou families not because of their strength, but because they are under the banner of Tianxuan! The same goes for our Li family and the Bai family. Below Zeshui City, countless forces, excluding those who disdain the Seven Heroes' Struggle, include unimaginable behemoths. They aim to communicate with the imperial power through us!"

Everyone fell into deep thought, unable to come up with a plan immediately. The other side had not made their move, and they had no foolproof strategy. They could only wait, fortunately, everything was normal tonight. As the night deepened, everyone dispersed. The moon hung low, and the stars twinkled. Who could predict what tomorrow would bring?

The next day, before dawn, Zeshui City was still shrouded in darkness. The city walls faintly reflected a soft blue, enveloping the city in a dreamlike hue.

Meanwhile, the Feng and Dou families were already brightly lit, as if everyone was waiting for something. Finally, a ray of sunlight pierced the horizon, casting a gentle glow on the blue city walls. The sky gradually brightened, and everything seemed peaceful and serene.

At that moment, a thunderous drumbeat echoed throughout Zeshui City! Boom! Boom! Boom! Like a bolt of lightning, it instantly woke everyone in the city. The people of the various families, awakened from their sleep, did not show anger but rather shock, their faces filled with horror.

Half an hour earlier, in the main hall of the Feng family in Zeshui City.

"All arrangements have been made. I will now visit the Dou family and then start the Seven Extremes Battle! Wait here quietly!" Feng Luan Kong said to the group in front of him, then disappeared from their sight.

In the Dou family's main hall, everyone gathered. An elder asked, "Will the old head of the Feng family not come?" Before anyone could answer, a figure appeared in the hall, and with Dou Xuehun's laughter, the two disappeared from the Dou family's view.

"It's been a long time since I've been here. I wonder what kind of shock this will cause in Zeshui City in an incense stick's time?"

"Enough reminiscing. Quickly place the Seven Extremes Token in this jade box! As the initiators of this Seven Extremes Token, we will be remembered in history!"

"Hmph! Being remembered in history is a matter for later!"

Feng Luan Kong and Dou Xuehun each placed a colorful token and a colorful silk ribbon into a white jade box. They closed the box and stood respectfully to the side. The next moment, the jade box emitted a brilliant light, rose slowly, and a heart-stirring wave appeared before them. The jade box then vanished. A colorful glass door appeared before them, opened, and a robust middle-aged man walked out!

His bulging muscles strained his clothes, and his square face was stern and calm. He held the jade box and looked down at Dou Xuehun and Feng Luan Kong, asking softly, "Did you issue the Seven Extremes Token?"

"Predecessor! Yes, we did. Are you the official here to oversee it? May I ask your name?" Feng Luan Kong, who was usually bold, now had his white hair plastered to his scalp. The middle-aged man, who looked younger than them, exerted immense pressure on them. In his penetrating eyes, it seemed all their thoughts were laid bare! Feng Luan Kong and Dou Xuehun felt as if they were drowning in a thick liquid, even their breathing became labored. They dared not think about how狼狈 they looked and could only stand respectfully, waiting for the man to speak.

"Hmm? My name is Wei Chi Huang! You can call me Lord Wei Chi! Since you issued the Seven Extremes Token, let's go to the Thunder Drum together!" Wei Chi Huang took a large step, instantly covering a hundred feet. Feng Luan Kong and Dou Xuehun, not daring to speak, hurriedly followed, respectfully staying behind Wei Chi Huang without overstepping.

"Thunder Drum! Thunder Drum! One drum breaks the sky, and the eight directions tremble! It's been many years since I've heard it!" Wei Chi Huang stood before a giant drum over a dozen feet tall, muttering to himself, as if reminiscing. Suddenly, he raised his hand, and the two purple-gold drumsticks beside the drum flew into his hands. The next moment, he struck the Thunder Drum with great force!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The entire world echoed with the thunderous drumbeat, like a roar, like a beast's cry! A fierce and domineering aura spread far and wide. As the sky began to brighten, the rolling thunder and sunlight welcomed another morning in Zeshui City!

...

In the City Lord's residence of Zeshui City, a refined man was writing with a brush. As he was about to finish the last stroke, his hand trembled, and a drop of ink splattered. He gently put down the brush, waved his hand, and the paper on the long table turned into ice-blue fragments, disappearing in the wind.

"Hmm? The Thunder Drum has sounded! It seems the Feng and Dou families couldn't hold back! That young man named Lin Zheng has lit the fuse early. Interesting!" The man suddenly disappeared from the courtyard, and the sunlight gently illuminated it, creating a hazy scene.

...

"Quickly! Everyone, go out and investigate what's happening!" A family head of a certain family, dressed in disarray, roared in the courtyard.

"It seems the sky of Zeshui City is about to change! Notify everyone to be on alert!"

"Immediately gather all the elders! Recall all the disciples outside!"

"Suspend all businesses, recall all disciples, and gather all the family elders!"

At the Bai family in Zeshui City, when the drum sounded for the second time, all the family's elite gathered outside the main hall. Inside, the family head and a group of elders, along with the young generation like Bai Yuqing, sat around. Their serious expressions and the ripples in their tea cups revealed their unrest.

The drumbeats thundered outside, echoing throughout Zeshui City, clearly reaching everyone's ears. The domineering and blood-stirring drumbeats seemed to tell ancient and passionate tales, stirring the blood in everyone's hearts! Sing! The ancient and vast war songs! Many people, unable to suppress their fervor, roared silently!

The Thunder Drum sounded, stirring the past blood! The Seven Extremes Token arrived, igniting the present passion! From now on, fight!

PS: Third update! Sorry for the delay! A bit of excitement is coming! Everyone, please support! Vote with a red ticket! Add to your favorites! Leave a comment! Thank you! Red tickets! Favorites! Cough! Back to writing!