A hundred lifetimes of cultivation, merely seeking immortality in the cultivation world.

Chapter 197 Killing the Goose That Lays the Egg

Upon hearing this news, the room fell into a deathly silence. Even Zhao Rucheng, the most optimistic man in the mainland, was speechless.

Zhao Rucheng's eyes were lifeless, and he collapsed to the ground.

The third and eighth brothers' hands trembled. They wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. They stood there for a long time, not knowing what to do.

"You're lying to me, you're lying to me, right!"

Zhao Ruchan gripped the disciple's hands tightly, as if grasping at his last hope. He desperately wanted the disciple to tell him that he was being lied to.

"How could the Zhang family sell off their shares? We've already invested in Zhang Tianyan, and he clearly didn't inform us. You must be lying to me!"

"Tell me, who sent you? Was it Zhao Rushou? Did he send you to deliberately deceive me?"

"without..."

Zhao Ruchan grabbed the servant by the neck, choking him until his face turned red. The servant could barely breathe and struggled, saying, "Second Master, there's really no one here, there's really no one here!"

"That's enough!"

Zhao Rucheng suddenly stood up, feeling exhausted, and pushed Zhao Ruchan away.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

"He's your subordinate, a deadly servant you personally raised. His entire family's lives are in your hands, so why would he need to lie to you like this!"

Zhao Ruchan released his grip and burst into loud sobs.

The crying, accompanied by the thunder outside, startled a light drizzle.

It's not that he doesn't know, but that he doesn't want to know, and he's afraid to know.

If the Zhang family really does take action, then they will have no hope left. No one will save them; all they will do is kick them while they are down.

Decades of accumulated wealth, and everything in each branch, will be destroyed in his hands.

Zhao Ruchan's eyes were red from crying. He didn't understand why, why it was Zhang, who had long since sided with him, who had dealt him this fatal blow.

After Zhao Ruchan's outburst, Zhao Rucheng actually came to his senses. He closed his eyes, and after a long while, he opened them again.

Zhao Rucheng watched coldly as Zhao Ruchan cried, leaning against the corner of the wall.

Ultimately, I became increasingly disappointed.

"You deserve all of this. No matter how much you hate the head of the family, he will at least leave you with some dignity and spare your life."

Zhao Rucheng gave a sneer and walked out of the quiet room.

"But you mistakenly trusted the Zhang family. You clearly couldn't figure out their plans, yet you tricked us into investing more and more. Now, because of your stupidity, we have been schemed against by the Zhang family, causing the price of pills to plummet and resulting in a loss of hundreds of thousands of spirit stones."

"Zhao Ruchan, I've seen through you now. You're just an incompetent good-for-nothing. You may appear glamorous on the outside and be the face of the Zhao family, but you're nothing but a silver spear and a wax head. No wonder the elders all refused to let you take over as family head and chose Zhao Rushou instead."

"Don't forget, you were partly responsible for poisoning Zhao Rushou back then. Do you really think that by siding with Zhao Rushou, he'll let you off the hook?"

Zhao Ruchan roared hysterically.

"Zhao Rucheng, stop now and come with me to seek out Young Master Tianyan. Perhaps the young master is merciful and will give you a way out."

"Otherwise, neither the Zhao nor the Zhang families will tolerate you, and you will surely find yourself with nowhere to turn."

"You keep calling me 'Young Master,' but do you remember that my Zhao family is also a Foundation Establishment clan, a noble family of the Cloud Mist?"

Zhao Rucheng smiled, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Ruchan and the third and eighth brothers.

The implication is a mixture of pity and disdain.

"Calling you a silver spearhead is perhaps too kind. After all, several days have passed, and you still don't know that the people you sent to poison the family head have already been killed by him. Only a fool like you would think that what you did was flawless."

Zhao Ruchan trembled with anger. He wanted to curse, but Zhao Rucheng's sarcasm came even faster.

"Therefore, the head of the family already knows what kind of good deeds you have done. As for whether or not to let me go, you don't need to worry about that."

Zhao Rucheng sighed.

"Family infighting can always be resolved. Even if one sacrifices their position temporarily, at least the younger generation will have a chance to return and will not lose their place to live. But you collude with outsiders and fail to recognize their true worth. Don't end up losing your life, Zhao Ruchan. Wake up."

"Second Brother, we're leaving too."

The third and sixth brothers looked at each other, glanced at Zhao Ruchan, and whispered.

"You really believed what Lao Liu said?"

Zhao Ruchan wiped away her tears and said in a pained voice.

"Zhang Tianyan is the next head of the Zhang family. We have set an example by pledging allegiance to him. He should be willing to use his wealth to secure a good outcome, not do something so short-sighted and disheartening to others."

"There must be some misunderstanding here. I will ask Young Master Tianyan, and he will surely give us a solution."

"Second brother, you, sigh..."

The third and sixth brothers sighed silently, hesitant to speak, yet wanting to tell Zhao Ruchan that Zhang's ruthlessness in suddenly shorting the pills after knowing they were bullish must mean she had a heart to betray them.

But Zhao Ruchan couldn't listen to reason anymore. He invested almost all his wealth into this pill-making project, even mortgaging everything in this branch of the family, all for a spectacular gamble.

They still had a way out. At worst, they could apologize to their family and friends and endure temporary poverty. At worst, as Lao Liu suggested, they could surrender to the head of the household.

But Zhao Ruchan had no way out. He had gambled everything, and now that he had failed, it was time to part ways.

The third and sixth brothers followed Zhao Rucheng outside.

In the end, even the disciples trembled and fled as if trying to escape.

"Even you are going to betray me?"

Zhao Ruchan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared in disbelief at the disciples fleeing outside.

These close followers who had served him since childhood, who had received countless favors from him in the past, now...

"Master, I..."

The disciple's face turned pale. He was about to explain that he only wanted Zhao Ruchan to have some space to calm down.

However, Zhao Ruchan had no desire to hear what he had to say. He closed his eyes tightly and his fingers suddenly clenched.

The magic surged.

The heads of all the disciples exploded instantly.

He seemed oblivious to the blood splattering on Zhao Ruchan.

On the north cliff.

Inside the palace, Zhang Shiye cautiously inquired, "Tianyan, Zhao Rushou from the second branch of the Zhao family has been kneeling outside for some time now. Shall we see him?"

"See him? No need."

Zhang Tianyan was riding high and smiled dismissively.

-

"This person is two-faced. He wants to use my family's power to become the new head of the Zhao family, but he is unwilling to give up the interests of the Zhao family and completely offer his loyalty. He even tries to use the power of the Zhao family to divide the Zhao family with us."

"ridiculous."

"Once my family swallows up the Zhao family, everything will be ours. Why should we share with them?"

"Now that we have the opportunity to absorb this branch of the Zhao family, how can we miss it? Such a stray dog ​​should be killed to save him from resenting me and joining Zhang Tianlie later."

Zhang Tianyan was cold and ruthless, casually deciding Zhao Ruchan's fate.

In fact, if Zhao Ruchan had been willing to serve Zhang Tianyan before Zhao Rushou withdrew from this elixir market fluctuation, Zhang Tianyan would have gladly welcomed him.

But now.

At this point, Zhang Shizheng has made it clear that it depends on who can profit the most between him and Zhang Tianlie, and who can cause the most damage to the Zhao family.

It's no longer possible to short-sell the price of the pills and cause Zhao Rushou to suffer losses.

Their only remaining target was Zhao Ruchan, the person they had previously served, who was nominally the head of the second branch of the Zhao family and the face of the Zhao family.

Therefore, Zhang Tianyan did not inform Zhao Ruchan that he was going to short the price of pills, and even had someone hint to Zhao Ruchan that the Zhang family would provide him with assistance if necessary.

Judging from the results, Zhang Tianyan was undoubtedly successful. The Zhao family, led by Zhao Ruchan, and many other branches lost at least 700,000 spirit stones in this short-selling of elixirs.

It's almost certain that Zhang Tianlie will never achieve better results than him.

It was a tough time for Zhao Ruchan, who lost nearly 300,000 spirit stones this one time.

"Wouldn't this be a bit too hurtful to him?"

Zhang Shiye hesitated for a moment.

"After all, he was the first to join us. If others find out, we might be branded as short-sighted and ungrateful."

"Damn it, I'll hurt your head!"

Zhang Tianyan's tone was unfriendly, and he didn't even bother to give a perfunctory reply.

"Uncle, please stop trying to persuade me. If we want to comfort him, wouldn't we have to return the spirit stones he swallowed?"

"Of course, this cannot be handed over."

Upon hearing the mention of spirit stones, Zhang Shiye immediately became serious and flatly refused.

Among these spirit stones, there are still some profits for him. If they are returned to Zhao Ruchan, wouldn't he have to vomit up what he has already ingested, suffering losses for nothing? Moreover, even if he agrees, the other elders in the clan probably won't agree.

His uncle seemed upright, but he was the most cowardly and greedy. He was alright most of the time, but when his own interests were threatened, he was like an old dog guarding the house, unwilling to yield no matter what.

"Then kill him. I urge you, Uncle, to do it as soon as possible, lest he have the chance to side with Zhang Tianlie or change his mind."

Zhang Tianyan stared at Zhang Shiye, chuckled, and then said in a deep voice.

Having received the order, Zhang Shiye, truly concerned about the precious stones in his home, could not refuse and thus timidly approached Zhao Ruchan.

"Brother Shiye...Is Young Master Tianyan willing to see me?"

Zhao Ruchan's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't circulated his cultivation technique or rested for several days. Even as a half-step Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was already exhausted.

"Brother Ruchan, come with me, the young master is waiting for you."

Zhang Shiye sighed and led the way, his tone as usual, without the slightest hint of panic.

Zhao Ruchan was overjoyed upon hearing this and thanked Zhang Shiye several times, saying that he would definitely repay the favor in the future.

The two gradually drifted apart.

Zhao Ruchan noticed that they weren't heading to Zhang Tianyan's residence, but rather to a side hall. However, he had no time to worry about such things.

He only thought that Zhang Tianyan's willingness to see him was already an immense favor.

Zhao Ruchan carefully circulated his internal energy a few times, trying his best to maintain his spirit.

However, once he entered the hall, he realized that Zhang Shiye had vanished without a trace, and the door to the side hall was closed.

A terrible wail came from inside the hall.

Half an hour passed.

Zhang Shiye exhaled a breath of turbid air, and with a palm strike, he shattered the charred skeleton in the hall.

"Brother Ruchan, don't blame me. Blame it on your own lack of intelligence."

"How could one not carefully consider such a matter of seeking help from a tiger? Knowing that the elixir would be of great benefit, yet failing to discuss it with the young master, they ultimately lost their own lives in vain."

As he spoke, a hint of worry crept into Zhang Shiye's eyes.

Don't be fooled by the pleasure of swallowing up this branch of the Zhao family.

But as he said, the impact was too bad. Even if outsiders didn't say anything, there would definitely be far fewer people in the Zhao family willing to make peace with them.

Imagine anyone who would dare to serve the Zhang family; they would surely take Zhao Ruchan's fate as a warning.

After all, the Zhao family is a century-old clan, and after this incident, they must have used even more of their resources to resist being swallowed up by their own family.

Therefore, in the end, it's impossible to say whether it's a profit or a loss.

"Uncle, there's no need for you to blame yourself."

Zhang Tianyan saw through it all and said coldly.

"You're only thinking about how difficult it will be for your family to take over the Zhao family in the future, but don't forget, if we lose and that scoundrel Zhang Tianlie becomes the head of the family, will this family still belong to you and me?"

"As the saying goes, it is better to give to friendly nations than to domestic slaves. Even if we suffer some losses in the future due to the Zhao family, we have won against Zhang Tianlie, and it was a great victory."

News of Zhang Tianyan's resounding victory spread.

He not only made hundreds of thousands of spirit stones by shorting pills, but also severely damaged several branches of the Zhao family and killed an important figure who was half-step into the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Old Biao, you only told me to calm down, but Zhang Tianyan has almost won, while we haven't made any progress at all."

-

Zhang Tianlie sneered.

"Although I have no interest in power in the family, I am still resentful that Zhang Tianyan won."

Did he win?

Old Biao shook his head.

No, he didn't win.

"The True Man is above, and sees everything clearly. Everything Zhang Tianyan has done is no secret to the True Man. In the short term, he seems to have achieved remarkable results, even severely damaging the Zhao family. However, what he has harmed is our family's great cause of annexing the Zhao family. Zhang Tianyan thinks he has done cleanly, but he never thought that the True Man is not a fool."

"Zhao Ruchan had already pledged allegiance to him years ago, but this time, he killed the goose that lays the golden eggs, killing Zhao Ruchan for the sake of a temporary victory. This has made everyone in the Zhao family more hostile towards our family. If we want to take down the Zhao family again, we will have to pay a thousand times, a hundred times the price."

"not to mention...-"

Old Biao smiled, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense. He swallowed a top-quality Nine Dragon Pill, flexed his muscles, and then continued, "Young Master, don't forget, the Patriarch never said that this matter was over. We still have time. Not only that, we can also make Zhang Tianyan spit out everything he has swallowed."

"Please teach me, Master Biao."

Zhang Tianlie's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected there to be a real chance, and he quickly asked.

"I don't know how to beat that bastard Zhang Tianyan."

"That's easy."

Old Biao smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"We'll just drive up the price of pills and go long. Don't be fooled by Zhang Tianyan's current happy smile. Once that secret realm opens, he'll be like yesterday's flowers, dying out in a day."

"Elder Biao, that secret realm is like a chaste old clam; how could it be opened so easily? Didn't our family's secret envoy investigate it before? It should take at least another half a year."

Zhang Tianlie looked up and rubbed his forehead.

"Don't panic, young master, I have already consulted a master to perform a divination."

Biao Lao winked and said confidently, despite Zhang Tianlie's completely disbelieving gaze.

"The secret realm will surely open immediately at noon tomorrow, and will be fully open three days later!"

As soon as Biao finished speaking.

In the vast void, the Taoist slightly opened his eyes, and a willow branch suddenly stretched out, pointing towards the Great Jing Kingdom.