Day 25-70 The Azure Feather Clan part 3 The Zhao Family

Few days later-

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Ye Xinghe and Zhao Ning were currently walking in the town. Having purchased everything needed, it was now time to wait for the Azure Feather Family to develop. He himself was getting ready to move on the outskirts to gain a few treasures.

He also wanted to do something else after making more rune inscribed weapons and clothing for everyone. It was time well spent doing so and as well as passing on some works for medicine applications.

"Haa, can't wait till my sword is finished!" Zhao Ning hopped on her feet happily. The moment her sword was finished, she could try out her new techniques and get use to her preferred method of weapon fighting. "Are you sure I can take over the sparring with all of them?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I can't hold back enough to keep from killing them or harming them to much. Waste of time if I have to use my Star Energy or you have to use yours to take care of the broken bodies." Xinghe rubbed his chin in thought before continueing. "It will take to long for the others to become remotely useful without day in and day out training."

The shopkeeper came back with some ores and set them on the table. The last of what was in stock. The Ye clan mine was already picked clean and needed to be mined out more before anything else was done. The four he picked as the guards were task with protecting it and cultivating every day.

Which suited them just fine as their growth was fast enough that they were confident they could do so. Reaching the 4th Heavenly Layer after so many years stuck in the 3rd, the four horsemen as Xinghe teased every now and then, trained hard to master techniques and combat.

As for the regular foot soldiers in the clan, they were only at the 3rd Heavenly Layer. Self-cultivation would have to be the main thing for them until improvements were made. A few here and there at the 4th Heavenly Layer. Old Ye at the 6th Heavenly Layer but he kept far away from Xinghe.

Not even handing over the fish treasure of the clan to him. The old man was up to something but Xinghe had better things to do.

'The moment the seeds sprout for those fruit, I can make some potions for everyone that did well. Not to mention for me to sell. Can sell a few pieces of Vortex Glass if need be. But.. rather not. To much work to pay attention to those who get it beside my own people.'

Zhao Ning was about to interrupt his thoughts but spotted a problem passing through the market area. Members of the Zhao Family of Blue Carp Town moved from there territory towards the Azure Feather Family.

"Patriarch Xinghe, I will send word when the next ore comes in from out of town, but a lot has been purchased by a few people already." The merchant apologized profusely in not having what the young man needed. Didn't take long for a few to understand the flow of events. "From what I hear, it is the young Champion of Heaven Star Academy."

"Thanks all the same." Storing it away into a bracelet inscribed with a Storage Rune, it helped fool enough people who were asking questions. "Have a good day." Xinghe walked out with Zhao Ning without a care in the world. 'Liang Yu must be cultivating the Metal Seed for himself and others further. Defintely should be at a level that can do some damage already.'

"If it isn't the young Patriarch of the Azure Feather Family, buying up more land to play around with again are we?" Zhao Yang was a portly little weasel of a man. An impressive mustache but everything else was lacking. 'Curses, Zhao Ning is with him!'

Having been warned by her before, the Zhao Family minded themself just a bit.

"I am sure I told you if you come and bother my affairs, I will forcefully go and take over the Zhao clan starting with you." Ye Xinghe's eyes shined in malice as the Heart Method started to circulate. "Such stupid, weak, greedy little people deserve to be taken out."

*Woosh!* A wave of Frost qi spread out hitting the Zhao members. It was best to strike before the fighting even started.

"You should go back to the Zhao territory before its to late." Zhao Ning warned. She really didn't want members of the Zhao family getting killed unless necessary.

"Why so hostile, we are all residents of Blue Carp Town? So why can't my Zhao Family pay a visit to our neighbors?" Zhao Yang's smirk was a bit greasy. He reeked of being a slimeball. Came almost naturally to him.

"This is not something I care to entertain." Ye Xinghe shook his head annoyed. "Go back to your side of town.. or face the trouble it will bring if you don't."

Zhao Yang chuckled a little. The fat in his neck causing sweat to drop.

"Of course we will be busy preparing our clan's celebrations..." His face turned slightly malicious. "..but we're here today to notify you of something since every one of importance from your family is here really..."

"Wow, this blowhard really thinks he is top shit. How crazy and stupid." Liang Yu mumbled from the crowd with a few other Dark Moon members. A few of the residents gasped seeing them. He was after all a member of the Dark Moon family and an accomplished Martial Artist as the rumors go. Even without any outward escort, they moved away after taking notice. "Shhh, pretend we are not here."

The locals nodded while being shooshed. They wouldn't dare disobey and chalked it up to a noble playing around. Those with him chuckling as they were used to the antics.

"After this Kun'yuan festival, the Ye Family's mine shall be taken over by us!" Zhao Yang barked as if he won a major victory.

"What did you say!?" Ye Xinghe's eyes narrowed as he played along for a bit. "On whose authority you dare take over our mine!?"

Zhao Yang leaned back as he prepared to make his triumphant declaration. He whipped out a document showing proof of who gave the authority.

"The Dark Moon Family gave us the authority!" Zhao Yang's shit-eating grin threatened to rip his face apart. Looking every part of the predator. "The Whole Blue Carp Town is under the Administration of House Dark Moon. Do you dare go against their order?"

The Azure Feather Clan members in the area trembled at the news. The mine was after all their remaining lifeblood. To lose it, was almost a death sentence. But seeing as Ye Xinghe started smiling and then laughing, they rembered the Mine was pretty emptied out already.

The only issue was house Dark Moon.

"What's so funny brat!?" Zhao Yang cursed mentally his brat that this did not bring about any fear. 'What does he know that I don't?'

"Let me see the document, fat boi." He reached out for it already knowing what was written. Didn't hurt to clarify though.

"Hehe, if you want to verify this document, you can go look for House Dark Moon's Steward Chen." Zhao Yang looked around the crowd enjoying their trembling looks of fear and worry. His eyes landed on Liang Yu who look unamused by the events. 'Why is he here!?' Steeling himself quickly, he hoped nothing would come of it. 'Since he has not done anything yet, all must be well. I will have to give a little tribute later to make things.. smoother.'

The locals near Liang Yu looked back and forth. Some pleading for him to do something. It fell on deaf ears as he watched events unfold. Those with him finding it odd he did not ask them to act yet. Arriving to the town they killed countless bandits and other unsavory people.

Liang Yu was waiting to see what they would do before he got involved.

"Patriarch, they are going to far!" A clansman protested.

"Let's fight it out with them!" Another yelled. Not everyone in the Ye clan were willing to let the smug bastard stay like this.

"Yeah, Patriarch! They are just a bunch of bastards!"

"Fight it out with us? Do you even qualify for that?" Zhao Yang felt bold as Xinghe had acted yet. "You ignore the fact that you don't have any experts here! Not even a 6th Heavenly Layer Realm to even qualify as a real family clan!"

"Hehe." Xinghe started to laugh as they did have a 6th Heavenly layer but it was more funny as he could kill a person of that level of power with just his body.

"I wouldn't mind killing off all your men, and selling off your women to the local whorehouse," Zhao Yang was a rightful bastard. The Ye members felt a knot grow in their stomachs. Rage flashing in their eyes as muscles tightened. "and wipe the name of the Azure Feather Family from the face of the Earth!"

Members of the Zhao Clan stepped forward showing numbers.

The Ye clan started to back away a little as they were outnumbered and the fact those gathered were just the farmers. Griped with a sense of weakness, the memebrs gathered swore to become stronger and smarter to deal with this.

The locals near Liang Yu started to beg him to do something. He shushed them once more to be quiet.

"Man, this has been intresting." Xinghe stepped forward grabbing Zhao Yang by the throat in two simple steps. With no real effort, he lifted the man up and snapped his neck with ease. The twitching only lasting a few seconds. "Problem.. solved."

"Father!" Zhao Yan cried out rushing over. Seeing his father killed so easily almost broke the young scion. A figure stepped in his way cutting him off from reaching the body. "You!" The word was said with venom looking at Zhao Ning.

"Your father just threaten to kill off the men of the clan and sell the women to the local whorehouse.." Zhao Ning radiated fury as she kept her Star energy in check barely. "..even laughed about it like it was not a big deal!"

*Pulse!* A wave of sound went out as Liang Yu walked out removing his cloak. Those with him doing the same thing. Moving around the Zhao members threateningly in a semi-circle. With a flick of the finger, the missive was burnt up.

"Should we kill a few hundred members of the Zhao Clan for faking that missive?" Liang Yu's tone was neutral as he spoke. His measure of control is a hell of a lot more than others in his group. "The Dark Moon clan never issued such an order."

"Hahahaha! Kill a few hundred of our Zhao Clan members? You Dark Moon people sure think to highly of yourselves with just these few people!" Zhao Yan ridiculed. A craze look in his eyes. "Your steward Chen signed it himself!"

"Steward Chen is a crook and a liar, it is a shame the Zhao family allowed themself to fall under him like this." Liang Yu used the fact the two did not get along to ruin the steward here and now. "The checks over him skimming from the 36 subsidiary families of the Dark Moon Family is taking longer than I would like but nothing I can do about that."

"Your father was just a patsy that messed with the wrong person at the wrong time." Ye Xinghe smiled. It looked almost evil staring at the young man who lossed his father. "His body will not be returned to you."

Digging in the pockets, a few promissory notes and other items were taken. The Zhao family wanted to protest but didn't have anything to stand on. Especially after a few letters of questionable purpose were passed around for the citizens to bare witness.

"This is not over, not by a longshot!" Zhao Yan looked at his father's corpse before going away. 'I will deal with that Steward Chen and Xinghe for killing my father!' The young Flame Martial Artist should have fled instead of planning thoughts of revenge.

"Whew, thought it was about to be something crazy." Liang Yu sighed. "I will deal with the Zhao clan, better that way to keep from implementing Zhao Ning in anything."

"That sounds good to me, but I want to come with. It is better I take over this branch family before it is to late." Zhao Ning knew if Ye Xinghe went, most would be killed if not all. Liang Yu would at least listen to reason more considering the Dark Moon turnover hadn't happened yet.

"So you decided to marry that brat yet?" Xinghe teased the small budding relationship between Liang Yu and An Xueyun. The other flinching and putting a scowl on. "You are her dashing big senior brother disciple and all."

"I just .. look.. ugh no." Liang Yu flustered angrily for a bit. "I don't want to address any type of relationship until a year or so. I rather focus on rebuilding and restructuring." It was funny to tell yourself that but enough differences were developing between the two. "Also have to take Xia Yuning into consideration."

"Pfft, man you have it bad." Xinghe scoffed and thought it odd he was the one with the North Lord Mansion Military rank instead of the other. "Long as you are true to yourself, it won't be a problem in the end. At least you can love someone fully."

Telling yourself that was odd but the more that Heart Method was pushed, the more he felt the different mindset he devloped.

"That ache is still there I take it?" Liang Yu was referring to the loss of Tianyin and Mingye. Tianyin Martial Goddess would defintely not be opened to a relationship easily and Mingye was already dead this time around. Receiving the simple nod, it was left alone to not prod it particularly. "Just try not to break any hearts while we figure it out."

The small look to Zhao Ning was not lossed on the group. Said female was listening but said nothing.

"A simple marriage sounds best to me." Liang Yu lamented. "You can do all the... exuberant stuff."

"That can wait till later." Ye Xinghe gestured for them to come with into a house. "Tell me of the school competition as we walk. Best you come to the Azure Feather Clan to sort matters out anyway."

As they moved, a few in the Dark Moon Family tailed the Zhao Family. Others of the Azure Feather Family took note of how close and at ease Ye Xinghe and Liang Yu acted. The body of Zhao Ning was tossed into the Flame Vortex for refinement to obtain the information inside.