Chapter 10 Ye Clan Politics 

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Zhao Wen´s POV

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As Zhao Wen's successful breakthrough to rank 3 was announced, it caused quite a commotion among the Ye clansmen.

Although Zhao Wen wasn't the youngest person to break through to rank 3 in the clan that honor went to the previous clan leader who broke through at 16 years old.

Zhao Wen's achievement of breaking through at 19 was still an amazing feat in the eyes of the Ye clansmen.

Sitting inside one of the many wine shops within Ye Hu oasis, Yu Sha Squad was talking about the recent event.

"Did you guys hear the news? Remember that Gu master we found half-dead in the desert a month ago, the son of the judgment hall elders? Well, it turns out that he broke through to rank 3 recently."

"What? Zhao Wen became rank 3? I thought for sure that Ye Xie Lian would be the first among the three kings to reach rank 3. Damn it, if I knew Zhao Wen was going to break through, I wouldn't have made that bet with Mo Su. Now I owe him 30 primeval stones."

Hearing the conversation between his squadmates, Ye Zhang was about to say something before Ye Mo kicked him under the table, giving him a stern warning glance.

Realizing that if he spoke aloud what he knew, he would get himself and the Yu Sha squad in trouble, Ye Zhang instead pointed out something else about Zhao Wen.

—

Meanwhile, as the Ye clansmen were discussing the newest elder, Zhao Wen was walking through the Han Branch's estate, approaching the office of the second supreme elder and patriarch of the Han branch.

After exiting the ascension hall, Zhao Wen had quickly returned to the Han Branch's estate. Before he attempted his breakthrough, he had been told that in the event of his successful breakthrough, he should come and meet Lord Han.

[Now that I have become a rank 3 initial stage Gu master, I have gained the basic qualifications to participate in the Ye clan's decision-making. Before my breakthrough, I was nothing but a pawn used by the second supreme elder. Now that I have advanced to rank 3, I can be considered a knight with the potential of being upgraded to a bishop or queen once I fully digest Phantom Fiend's inheritance.]

Observing his aperture as he walked, Zhao Wen contemplated his Gu set.

[I currently own 12 Gu, with two rank 1 liquor worms, and three rank 2 Gu: Ghost Eye Gu, Soul Fly Gu, and Healing Breeze Gu. These five are the compensation I obtained from the clan; their feeding is not really a burden on me as I have the assets of Phantom Fiend.

Phantom Fiend's Gu, on the other hand... feeding Turn Phantom and Condense Phantom is manageable as they both eat spectral lilies, a material the Fang Clan sells. The Ye clan should have some stored as they can be used to refine soul path Gu worms.

Phantom Steps Gu eats red smoke rock, a resource that the Ye Clan actually mines, and Amplify Effect eats fragmented law grass, a resource that the Fang Clan sells in small quantities.

The Han Branch might have some stored for Gu refining, but I will likely need to purchase some when the Fang Clan's Feathermen caravan arrives.

My Primeval Elder Gu eats the primeval stones inside it as food, so its feeding is secure as long as I have primeval stones. Now that I have joined the Han Branch, getting primeval essence stones should not be a problem I need to worry about. As for my rank 4 Gu... their feeding is a problem.

Phantom Fiend Gu's food is easily available but somewhat hard to collect, with its food being human souls. As for Phantom Vault Gu, it feeds on the space path material Pocket flower.]

When Phantom Fiend created his inheritance, he set up a Phantom Formation inside Phantom Vault Gu. Phantom Fiend, who originally was a Fang Clansman, created this formation to protect his inheritance until someone came along that could unravel the formation and inherit his legacy.

The formation used the Gu inside Phantom Vault and some expendable Formation path Gu to create a Phantom Formation that could be stored inside Phantom Vault. This formation was the reason the original Zhao Wen couldn't access the inheritance when he found Phantom Vault Gu.

[Feeding my rank 4 Gu will be a problem. Let's not mention getting my hands on human souls for now; getting those pocket flowers will already be hard enough.

There are only two left inside Phantom Vault Gu, and I have no way of getting more. It might actually be a good idea to exchange Phantom Vault Gu for those Relic Gu; then feeding it becomes the Han Branch's problem, not mine.]

Arriving in front of the Han patriarch's office, Zhao Wen hesitated for a few seconds before opening the door and walking in.

As he entered the office of the Han branch patriarch, Zhao Wen was greeted by the encouraging smile of Lord Han.

"I see your breakthrough was a success."

Hearing Lord Han's statement, Zhao Wen nodded, confirming,

"Yes, with the help of the ascension hall's formation, I managed to keep my focus throughout my breakthrough. Whoever designed that formation did a wonderful job. The formation uses wisdom path Gu to increase the production of thoughts, right?"

"Ohh, it seems you learned some things from your mother regarding the wisdom path? Yes, you are correct. The formation's primary purpose is to increase the production of thoughts for those inside it.

The clan uses it to assist in breakthroughs and to assist in the creation of Gu recipes and Killer Moves. The previous clan leader had a formation path expert from the Fang Clan set it up.

The formation uses a rare rank 5 Inspiration Gu as the core Gu worm, together with a rank 4 Memory Thought Gu as a sub core.

This ascension formation is one of the strategic assets of our Ye Clan. When you have made great contributions to the clan, you can exchange for a chance to deduce killer moves and the like inside the formation."

Gesturing for Zhao Wen to sit down, Lord Han said,

"Come, sit down. We can discuss the clan's assets at a later date. Now, I need to explain some things to you before you are called to the ancestral hall to swear the oath."

—

"As you know, the Ye Clan used to be ruled by the Chen Branch, but when the last Chen Branch clan leader died, the former Lord Xie suppressed his competition and took the position of clan leader with his great strength.

The former Lord Xie introduced Soul path into the clan, creating a group of loyal soul path elders who now rely on his inheritance for cultivation knowledge and Gu recipes.

This group of elders are now the core support for the Xie Faction within our Ye Clan. When the old Lord Xie disappeared, it was the support of these elders, together with my Han Branch's support, that managed to put the current Lord Xie on the throne.

The Chen Branch, who cultivate our clan's traditional Wind Path, have been suppressed for two generations now. But recently, the latest Lord Chen turned out to be a once-in-a-hundred-years genius, not unlike the previous Lord Xie.

Lord Chen has managed to become a peak rank 4 Gu master with master attainment in the wind path, gaining the title of Sandstorm Savant.

With his A-grade talent, it is only a matter of time before he reaches rank 5. The Chen Branch, together with the majority of the conservative old families in the Ye Clan, are pressuring the Xie Branch to hand over the clan leader seat back to the Chen Branch.

This conflict between the Xie and Chen branches is the driving force behind the Ye clan's politics at the moment."

Listening quietly to Lord Han explain the behind-the-scenes details in the Ye Clan, Zhao Wen started to comprehend the situation the Ye Clan found itself in.

[So the current Xie Branch is actually in a similar position to the Chen Branch when the previous Lord Xie was eyeing the position of clan leader. The current Lord Xie is a 67-year-old rank 5 middle stage Gu master.

While he still has some years left in him, the current Lord Chen is only 41 years old and attempting his breakthrough to rank 5.

If the genius Lord Chen becomes a rank 5 Gu master, then the power balance inside the Ye Clan would favor the Chen Faction.

Furthermore, both the Xie Branch and the Chen Branch have rank 3 peak stage Gu masters who are attempting to reach rank 4.]

Xie Long and Chen Wu were both 32 years old, with Xie Long cultivating Soul path and Chen Wu cultivating Wind path. When these two brake through to rank 4, they would increase the influence of their respective branches, acting as future pillars of these two branches.

Continuing his train of thought, Zhao Wen made a realization about his own situation.

[The Han Branch only has Lord Han, who is already 75 years old. He might be a rank 4 peak stage refinement path Gu master, but his Han Branch hasn't produced any Gu masters except Han Ning, who was married off to the Xie Branch.

So this is the reason he is having me marry into the Han Branch? He couldn't produce an heir to the Han Branch internally, so he is recruiting an unaffiliated talent like the original Zhao Wen?]

Listening to Lord Han explain the procedure for newly advanced rank 3 Gu masters, Zhao Wen asked,

"So in order to become an official elder of the Ye Clan, I will need to use the Spirit Vow Gu to swear my allegiance to the clan? And once that is done, I will be assigned to manage something on behalf of the clan?"

Hearing Zhao Wen's question, Lord Han responded,

"Your future position was already decided on during the latest assembly. By supporting Xie Long for the position of Judgement Hall elder, I managed to secure the position of a Mo Zu group leader for you."

Hearing this new term for the first time, Zhao Wen asked, "Mo Zu? What is that?"

"You would have been told about the Mo Zu once you swore your vows to the clan, but it is not a problem revealing their existence to you beforehand.

The Mo Zu are a group of former lone and demonic cultivators that our Ye Clan recruits to act as disposable tools in any external conflict. It was a Mo Zu squad that Chen Wu sent after you during the latest trading trip."

Smiling faintly, Lord Han continued,

"Lord Chen had to relent and allow you to take over part of the Mo Zu in order to lessen the punishment for Chen Wu. Ever since their establishment, the Mo Zu have firmly been controlled by the Chen Branch.

This situation is a great opportunity for the Han Branch. If you can become a rank 4 Gu master quickly, you might be able to seize control over the Mo Zu or at least part of it from the Battle Hall and, by extension, the Chen Branch."

Hearing this, Zhao Wen thought,

[No wonder he was willing to give me two white silver Relic Gu. He needs someone from his branch to reach rank 4 in order for him to compete with the other two branch heads.

My aptitude and Phantom Fiend's inheritance make me the best choice if he wants the Han Branch to stay relevant after his death. This is good; it means he is probably sincere in wishing to nurture me.

With the support of the Han Branch, my journey to rank 4 should be smoothed significantly. Now I slightly regret choosing my vital Gu in such a hurry.

If I knew I would be getting the support of the Han Branch, I might have taken more time choosing.]

Returning his attention to Lord Han, Zhao Wen continued listening carefully as the old man explained the ceremony for newly ascended rank 3 elders.

The formal process of accepting a new rank 3 into the ranks of the elders was a long and tedious affair. Zhao Wen, as an otherworldly demon, was slightly dazed as he listened to the complicated process that he needed to go through before he officially became an elder.

—

As he left the Han patriarch's office, he couldn't help but think,

[I thought that the byzantine bureaucracy back on Earth was complicated. Sigh. I wonder if I can use an information path Gu worm so that I can remember all of the details.]

Turning his attention to the two new Gu inside his aperture, Zhao Wen considered,

[Should I use these two White Silver Relic Gu now or wait until I have reached rank 3 middle stage before using them?]

After thinking about it for some time, Zhao Wen decided that he might as well exchange Phantom Vault Gu with Lord Han in exchange for the two Relic Gu.

He couldn't feed the Gu for long anyway, and unlike Phantom Fiend who was on the run from the Fang Clan, Zhao Wen had the Han Branch supporting him with resources. Zhao Wen didn't need a top-tier storage type Gu like Phantom Vault.

[If I use the Relic Gu, I can start practicing using Phantom Fiend Gu and its accompanying killer move: Phantom Fiend Regalia. If I master that move, I might be capable of killing weak rank 4 Gu masters, especially if their movement ability is weak.]

Remembering the explanation he had received about the Mo Zu, Zhao Wen mused,

[Either way, I need to increase my battle strength. That old man expects me to still have the battle strength of the original Zhao Wen, someone capable of defeating 10 rank 2 enemies as a rank 2 peak stage Gu master.

Even now, as a rank 3 Gu master, I am unsure if I could replicate that feat. Unlike the original Zhao Wen, I am completely new to Gu cultivation and fighting in general.

I need to master the methods recorded in Phantom Fiend's inheritance and perhaps look through the Han Branch's library for some compatible techniques that I could learn.]

sighing Zhao Wen continued walking towards his residence, He had a ceremony to prepare for after all.