Eternal Beast Taming Family

Upon hearing this, Chu Qinhui's eyes flickered. "My Chu family doesn't have any vested interests in this town right now. Even if the Zhang family acts recklessly, it doesn't really matter to my Chu family. Let them do what they want, what else can we do?"

Upon hearing Chu Qinhui's reply, Shi Jingtai remained silent for a moment, but he knew that this was not what the Chu family wanted; otherwise, they wouldn't have opened a clinic in town recently.

He organized his thoughts and continued, "The Liu family's affair is not long past. Now the Zhang family is following suit. When their power grows, won't they treat our two families as fish on a chopping board?"

Why not take advantage of their current weakness and let our two families join forces to deflate their arrogance?

"How can we thwart them? Their daughter is the county magistrate's concubine, and she's pregnant. That's the magistrate's first child. Who would dare to touch that concubine's family now?"

Shi Jingtai chuckled softly, "We people from small towns dare not make a move, but who says that just because he's pregnant he'll definitely give birth? You know, the county magistrate has in-laws from three long-established, powerful families in the town."

How could they possibly allow a concubine from a small town to safely give birth to the county magistrate's first child?

"In that case, there's even less need for us to unite. We can just wait. After all, according to you, the Zhang family won't be in power for long."

Chu Qinhui's words instantly darkened Shi Jingtai's expression, but he quickly composed himself.

"That may be true, but the Zhang family has become arrogant and domineering once they gain power, making them difficult to deal with. The Chu family has always been known for its generosity, and forming an alliance would benefit both of us. Young Master Chu might want to consider this carefully."

Chu Qinhui stood up, his gaze fixed on the flickering flame in the lantern. "Forming an alliance is fine, but what do allies need to do? You can't just say you're allies and that's it; that kind of relationship isn't solid."

"I understand Young Master Chu's concerns. There is a mine in Yuyang Village, which is under the jurisdiction of the Zhang family. The current head of the Zhang family, the third uncle, is guarding it and can be considered one of the Zhang family's top combat forces."

Tomorrow, my Shi family is willing to be the first to cut off his head as a pledge of loyalty. I wonder if the Chu family will believe in the sincerity of my Shi family?

Murder, and specifically, murdering a powerful family's contract master within the realm.

It seems the Shi family has gone mad. If the murder succeeds, they will have many ways to blame the death on others. If not, the Shi family will inevitably face the Zhang family's furious retaliation.

Chu Qinhui narrowed his eyes slightly, unsure whether Shi Jingtai's words were a test or a genuine expression of determination. "Then we'll wait for good news from the Shi family."

In the end, Chu Qinhui did not refuse. He also wanted to see if the Shi family could actually do what he said, and having another enemy like the Zhang family wouldn't be a bad thing for the Chu family.

Hearing Chu Qinhui's reply, Shi Jingtai inwardly cursed. He had already said all that, yet the Chu family showed no sincerity whatsoever. He could only bite the bullet and say:

"As allies, both sides should show sincerity."

Chu Qinhui naturally understood the unspoken meaning behind his words: he wanted the Chu family to do something equal to what they did so that they could use each other as leverage.

"Your Shi family doesn't even have a single Spirit Rank Contract Master. If you want to form an alliance with my Chu family, you naturally need to pledge your loyalty. If your Shi family can accomplish this, then this alliance will be established."

These words did not come from Chu Qinhui's mouth, but from Chu Jingyu, who appeared at the entrance of the front hall at some unknown time, his figure as elusive as a ghost.

Upon seeing Chu Jingyu, Shi Jingtai stood up from his chair with a twisted expression. The Chu family was not easy to deal with; their words implied that they only wanted leverage over the Shi family, and had no intention of offering anything of their own.

However, facing this Spirit-level Contract Master, he was no longer as natural as he had been with Chu Qinhui. Under the pressure of Chu Jingyu's gaze, he gritted his teeth and agreed:

"Patriarch Chu is waiting for good news from the Shi family."

Chu Jingyu nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

After Shi Jingtai left, Chu Jingyu stood under the eaves and gently squatted down to stroke the head of the "Golden Armored Jade-Eyed Beast" that had appeared to bask in the moonlight.

He said softly, "Jin Yu just told me that the aura on Shi Jingtai is somewhat similar to the aura of the black powder that corrodes the roots of medicinal herbs."

Chu Qinhui frowned, never expecting that the person who destroyed the medicinal field would be exposed at this time. "Is the Shi family trying to have their cake and eat it too? Or does this ally have ulterior motives?"

Chu Jingyu's lips curved slightly. "I'm afraid the cooperation is real, but so is the disruption of both families. The more chaotic things get between the Chu and Zhang families, the more advantageous it will be for the Shi family."

Of course, it's also possible that they want us to blame the Zhang family for the damage to the medicinal herb field, thereby facilitating this cooperation.

Chu Qinhui was speechless, and after a long while he managed to utter two words, "So dirty."

Chu Jingyu looked up at Chu Qinhui with a complicated expression. "This is nothing. There are many things that are much dirtier than this. After all, some people would even kill their own nephew."

Three days later, trouble broke out again in Heyu Town.

At the height of the Zhang family's power, a major event occurred: the current patriarch's third uncle died, and all the Zhang family members guarding Yuyang Village perished overnight.

On that day, some residents of the town discovered that the head of the Zhang family had vanished into thin air and returned some time later.

Less than a quarter of an hour after he returned to his clan, the Zhang family opened its gates wide, and its elite members, accompanied by various source beasts, marched in a grand procession towards the outskirts of the town.

Looking in that direction, some residents had a guess: the road leading there seemed to lead to the Chu family's house outside the town.

Could this be a sign that these two families are about to go to war?

This speculation lingered in the minds of the residents, but they felt no excitement at the prospect of a spectacle, only fear of a full-scale war between the two families.

If these two powerful families go to war, regardless of the outcome for either family, the common people will certainly not have an easy time.

The Zhang family's people were still on their way when the Chu family received the news.

Without hesitation, Chu Qinhui gave the order for all the villagers working in the fields to return to their homes.

He instructed the head steward to summon all the servants and guards in the household who had contracted with source beasts, while he himself went to Taici Academy to inform his father that the Zhang family's elite troops were on their way.

A dozen minutes later, at the foot of Qixia Mountain, Chu Qinhui stood in the middle of the road with a serious expression, surrounded by guards, most of whom were at the mortal realm.

Only two of the stewards recruited from Sun Chunchen are of different ranks.

The Chu family ultimately has a weak foundation. In terms of the number of people at the different ranks, it is not only inferior to the Zhang family, but it seems that it is even inferior to the Shi family.

However, Chu Jingyu, the backbone of the group, floated in mid-air, his gaze unfathomable as he looked towards the end of the road.

His hair was mixed with some gray, but his back was straight, as if he could withstand any wind and frost and protect the peaceful world of the Chu family.

The Chu family had only been waiting there for a few minutes when a commotion arose on the road ahead, and the Zhang family's figures slowly became clear.

Perhaps seeing Chu Jingyu standing in the void, another figure rushed out from the swarming Zhang family members and stood in the void.

The figure looked unusually young compared to Chu Jingyu, appearing to be around thirty years old. However, his face was sinister, and his gaze towards Chu Jingyu seemed to be bloodthirsty.