Above Destiny

Chapter 721 Blood Feud Trial

"..."

Silence for a moment, then silence again, and then silence once more.

I can't figure out how to deal with Fernand.

In all my years in Qicheng, I've had countless meetings and negotiations filled with sweet talk and deceit, and I've heard countless instances of feigned concern, vicious curses, and accusations. But this is the first time I've encountered someone so straightforward and honest.

It would have been fine if it were just a greeting, but he actually felt that Ji Jue genuinely cared whether he had eaten or not.

If you haven't eaten, would you like me to make you a bowl of noodles?

"No need, it's already—"

Just as Fernand opened his mouth to politely decline, he heard a "boo" sound as Ji Jue opened the wine in his hand, and then the wine glass was shoved into his hand in a smooth motion.

"Then let's have some drinks."

"..."

Fernand lowered his head, holding his wine glass, and just as he looked up, he saw that Ji Jue's fruit platter was already on the table.

He's looking at me right now.

He was afraid that if he opened his mouth again, Ji Jue would immediately say something like, "If red isn't good, change to white; if white isn't good, change to beer..." If he kept arguing, the pig's head meat would be served.

"Thank you very much."

He took a sip of red wine, placed the glass back on the table, and said solemnly, “I am here in Xiangzhou on behalf of the Seven Cities Council to offer my congratulations. As is customary, the head of the Minkler family will inherit the Chopra family’s presiding position in the council. From now on, he will be an important member of the Seven Cities.”

He paused, then sighed wearily, "I hope that from now on, Chopra will act prudently and prioritize the greater good."

In short, stop fucking messing around!
If they keep stirring things up, they'll scatter the seven cities, destroy them, and everyone'll be left starving.

His outward politeness and calmness could not conceal his true alienation and resistance, and besides, he did not intend to conceal it.

Even from the moment he walked in and saw him, Ji Jue could sense the other man's subtle disgust, wariness, and even malice and murderous intent towards him.

Target yourself.

If he had a choice, he would have gone to any lengths to expel Ji Jue from the Seven Cities. Unfortunately, he had no chance, and besides, there was no price to pay.

To him, Ji Jue was the unwelcome outsider, a variable that made the Seven Cities increasingly turbulent and chaotic.

He dedicated his life to the Seven Cities, patching and mending, and piecing together a modern Seven Cities amidst the Thousand Islands, a radiant miracle city-state.

In essence, the seven cities remain unchanged, still the same seven cruel and monstrous city-states at their core. Slavery was abolished, yet slaves still exist; citizenship was granted, yet citizens are still treated like pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep… At best, it was just drawing an unrealistic pie in the sky for everyone, giving them a dream far removed from reality.

Even when the old leader Aquilino was still alive, things couldn't be changed, let alone now?

Besides, even if they succeed, will things just stop?

Look at the Federation in the distance, my family!

Ji Jue calmly held his wine glass, showing no intention of tasting it or offering any comments.

It's no use trying to persuade them; they won't listen.

It's better to stick to the facts.

He accepted the official document and politely asked, "For something like this, a simple notification would suffice. Why bother the acting speaker to come all the way here?"

"Besides that, there is another matter, which I'm sure you, Mr. Ji, are well aware of."

Fernand's expression grew increasingly cold as he looked at Ji Jue: "In response to Xiangzhou's actions today, Luo Island has lodged a strong protest with the parliament and filed accusations against the Chopra family."

The new head of the Chopra family, Minkler, is accused of murdering Mulba, the elder brother of the current head of the Sukarno family and Seno, and of desecrating the Sukarno family name.

"Is it?"

Ji Jue smiled indifferently, not caring at all. Who is Mulba? I've never even seen him before. You think he is?
“You’ve come at the right time. The Chopra family also has a strong protest and needs to appeal to parliament and file charges against the Sukarno family.”

Ji Jue put down his wine glass and solemnly said, "We accuse the head of the Sukarno family, Seno, of murdering the previous head of the Chopra family, Bustaman!"
Furthermore, they secretly funded pirates, bombarded Elephant Continent, and colluded with the Temple of No Leaks in an attempt to interfere in the Chopra family's headship election. We have caught them red-handed!

Without any hesitation, they poured bucket after bucket of dirty water on it, then turned the tables on it several times, and finally stomped on it twice.

“We have prepared the relevant documents and sealed all the evidence. The acting speaker can take it with him when he leaves. We would appreciate it if the council could make it public for us.”

Completely disregarding the fact that he had just fabricated that ridiculous evidence, Ji Jue said seriously, "We hope the Seven Cities Council can give us an explanation!"

"..."

Fernand's expression twitched, then he was so angry he laughed.

This is truly back to his familiar territory. He's barely sat down looking respectable when the fighting has already started, and he's even planning to use the parliament as a weapon.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and steadied himself: "In that case, should the Chopra family respond to Sukarno's accusations?"

"We will not respond to our accusations until the Sukarno family does, and we will not admit to these unfounded charges!"

Ji Jue was well aware of verbal battles; they were basically about each other hurling insults, and whoever responded first lost!

"I understand."

Fernán's expression grew increasingly serious. He took out three copies of parchment from his pocket and placed them on the table. "This is the purpose of my visit." "An hour ago, the head of the Seno family submitted an application to the council—in accordance with the ancient traditions and legal rulings of the Seven Cities, the Sugano family intends to invoke a blood feud trial!"

"I'm betting the dignity of Roma and the Sukarno family name on it."

He delivered a notice to the Chopra family: "Seven days from now, the Pucheng Council will convene a special meeting to witness this—a decisive battle between the two sides, a fight to the death!"

"Will the Chopra family accept?"

"of course."

Without hesitation, Ji Jue took out the family seal of the Mingkele family and stamped it on the parchment scroll.

Thus, the blood feud trial was concluded.

There is no going back.

After Fernand left, everyone in the patriarch's mansion looked at the parchment scroll on the table and exchanged bewildered glances.

"What the hell?"

Lou Feng's eyes widened in surprise: "You really caught it?!"

"Don't be so happy yet. You might be fishing for someone else, but they might be fishing for you too." Ji Jue looked at the parchment scroll on the table: "When it comes to fishing, the bite is just the beginning; the fish is the one that gets pulled in."

Just like a duel between a hunter and a wolf.

The one that dies is the prey; the one that wins is the hunter!
In murky waters, who is the fish and who is the angler? Only when the dust settles can one tell.

The stage for the blood feud trial was set up for this purpose.

duel!

Despite its seemingly modern appearance, the seven cities remain stuck in a feudal or even slave-owning era. Civilization and enlightenment are merely fleeting illusions.

No matter how gorgeous the clothes worn on one's body may be, at their core it is still a fierce struggle of life and death.

The Blood Feud Trial is a unique form formed by the intersection of civilization and barbarity, the highest good and the greatest evil, the White Deer and the Heavenly Origin.

When the law fails to resolve conflicts, and when revenge fails to quell hatred, the people of Seven Cities, weary of red tape, finally recall why Seven Cities has been able to stand among the Thousand Islands.

Since the hatred is irreconcilable, what's the point of babbling on?

Let's begin!
Each side sends one person for a fierce and exhilarating duel to the death. The one who survives has the right to speak, and the one who dies should shut up and admit defeat!
In response, the behind-the-scenes ghost Bustaman commented:
"Anxious."

When Minkler miraculously ascends to the position of family head and rules Chopra and Elephant State, a life-or-death struggle between the two sides is inevitable. It's even possible that Chopra will unite with other families to launch a siege against the Sukarno family, currently the most likely contender for the top position.

Once the Three Dogs God-Slaying Formation is set up, they pounce and bite indiscriminately. Regardless of winning or losing, who can bear such losses?

No matter how strong the rhetoric or how firm the resolve, the very idea of ​​limiting the conflict to a blood feud between Chopra and Sukarno proves their bluster and weakness.

Ignoring the enormous sums of money pledged by both sides on the parchment scrolls depicting the blood feud trial, Bustaman astutely pointed out the essence: "They are buying time."

A week?
This was Sukarno's delaying tactic: using a blood feud trial to buy precious time for war preparations, to build up strength, raise capital, and demonstrate their cunning.

If they win, things will be much easier. They can demonstrate their skills, gain a favorable advantage, and take advantage of the situation to further their advantage by stepping on Chopra's family.

After losing, all that's lost is a sum of money.

The time gained from the trial has given the Sukarno family enough strength and support. Even if they were to take advantage of their misfortune, all parties would have to think twice before acting.

They might even break off relations and launch a full-scale attack on the Chopra family.

That's how scheming works. Everyone's calculating, but no one can be sure. They keep calculating until no one can figure it out. They try to get the points, the cards, and the hand... Before going all in, everyone keeps a close eye on the player before them, the player after them, and the player opposite them, using every possible means.

After the cards are dealt, either a new balance is achieved, or it becomes a murky situation where it's a fight to the death.

"Old Lou, you guessed right."

Ji Jue said, "The Xu family has already made its move."

Many federal shareholders were right in their guess. Guangji Industrial's investment plan was actually a trial balloon, but instead of investing in the stock market, it was a massive investment aimed at the chaos in the seven cities and at the potential supporters behind Sukarno's family!
So, the stone was thrown at the dog, which barked.

If there was only a 70-80% chance of the Xu family existing before, now it's a 100% certainty.

because……

A blood feud trial is permissible if someone is invited to participate!

If the Lou family were to take over Xiangzhou as Guangji Industrial had indeed done, their first reaction in the face of the blood feud trial against the Sukarno family and the depletion of talent in the Chopra family would undoubtedly be to quickly seek assistance from their own family!
If the Lou family truly intends to maintain long-term control over Xiangzhou, then without a doubt, they will take action.

"So, who was the one who made the move?"

Ji Jue looked at Lou Feng meaningfully.

Lou Feng's face turned ashen, his expression twitching, and he laughed in anger.

Who else could it be?

Who else could it be?
"aunt!"

(End of this chapter)