Beast Taming Immortal Clan

Chapter 435 What Happened Afterwards [Please Subscribe]

Tuyunling.

When news of Zhou Jiahe's death was delivered back to Tuyunling by a messenger from the Tianling Legion, Zhou Jiarui, who was in charge of clan affairs, also changed his expression and was instantly filled with grief.

Zhou Jiahe and he were both veteran contributors to the reconstruction of the Zhou family and were among the first core members of the Zhou family.

When the Zhou family first established their base in Jiufengling, Zhou Jiahe became the peak master of Baozhi Peak, one of the nine peaks, ranking only below Zhou Mingde, the clan leader, and the three elders.

At that time, Zhou Chun, the head of the Zhou family, was just a lowly Qi Refining Stage 6 cultivator.

At that time, the Zhou family had just been rebuilt and was in dire need of reconstruction. Zhou Jiahe, Zhou Jiarui, and other key members of the Zhou family worked side by side to contribute their strength to the revival of the Zhou family, so their relationship was naturally excellent.

In particular, of the companions who participated in rebuilding the family back then, seven or eight out of ten have passed away, and only a few of them, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the "family" generation, are still alive.

This deepened the bond between them.

Zhou Jiarui had always thought that he and the other two cultivators of the "Jia" generation would eventually die peacefully in their families.

Who would have thought that Zhou Jiahe would be the first to die on the battlefield!

"Thirteenth Sister, it's all my fault! I shouldn't have sent you to the battlefield. You've made enough contributions to the family over the years; you should be enjoying your retirement in peace!"

Zhou Jiarui murmured to himself with a sorrowful expression, tears streaming down his face.

At this moment, he was undoubtedly filled with self-blame, guilt, and immense sadness.

And that is precisely the most complex aspect of human nature!

The initial decision to send Zhou Jiahe to the battlefield was based on two reasons: firstly, her cultivation level was high and her methods were stronger than those of the younger generation, making it easier for her to survive on the battlefield; secondly, her potential had been exhausted and her lifespan was not as long as those of the younger generation, making her more suitable from the perspective of the family's interests.

As the acting clan head at the time, Zhou Jiarui had no choice but to make this decision from the perspective of the clan's interests.

But now, ten years later, he suddenly received news of Zhou Jiahe's death. In the midst of the grief of losing a relative and friend, he couldn't help but regret his decision and miss the many contributions his cousin Zhou Jiahe had made to the family.

This is by no means some kind of crocodile tears or feigned compassion, but rather a reflection of the complex changes in human nature and emotions.

Fortunately, Zhou Jiarui was not the only one who learned of Zhou Jiahe's death; several other Zhou family cultivators who assisted him in handling clan affairs were also present.

After waiting for a while, seeing that he was still immersed in grief and unable to recover, these people dutifully began to remind him that he should report the matter to the clan leader and the elders as soon as possible.

Reminded by his subordinates, Zhou Jiarui regained some composure from his grief. He then used his magic to dry his tears and hurriedly went to Zhou Chun's secluded cultivation place to report the death.

"What?! Aunt Thirteen is dead?!"

Inside the cave, Zhou Chun was startled by Zhou Jiarui's words, who had come to report the death, and his body swayed slightly.

Then, just like Zhou Jiarui when he first heard the news, a strong sense of grief rose from his heart, causing him to stagger a few steps.

But he was, after all, the patriarch of the Zhou family and a cultivator at the Purple Mansion stage. Although he was filled with grief, he did not lose his composure and reason like Zhou Jiarui.

He remained silent for a moment with his eyes slightly closed before opening them and saying softly with a sorrowful expression, "I understand the situation. I trouble you, Eleventh Uncle, to ring the funeral bell and inform all the family cultivators of the death. Also, notify all the Zhou family cultivators and clansmen outside the area as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhou Jiarui responded in a deep voice, and immediately went to the ancestral hall to ring the bell with heavy steps.

Soon, a deep bell rang out from the main peak of Tuyun Ridge, echoing throughout the entire ridge for a total of forty-nine times!

According to the Zhou family rules, nine chimes of the bell signify a major crisis for the family.

Twelve, sixteen, or twenty-four chimes all signify a happy occasion in the family, and the chimes will be melodious and cheerful.

The bell tolls thirty-six or forty-nine times, signifying the death of an important figure within the clan. Nowadays, it is generally rung only when a Foundation Establishment stage elder passes away, and the bell tolls are deep and slow.

So when the deep bell tolled forty-nine times in succession, all the Zhou family cultivators in Tu Yun Ridge who were not in seclusion knew that an elder of the family had passed away.

Subsequently, some Zhou family cultivators who were not on missions began to spontaneously gather at the family ancestral hall, waiting with heavy hearts for the family elders to come and inform them of the specific situation.

Thus, after dozens of Zhou family cultivators gathered in front of the ancestral hall on Tu Yunling, Zhou Mingde and Zhou Chun, the two highest-ranking members of the Zhou family on Tu Yunling, descended together to the open space in front of the ancestral hall.

At this moment, both of the Zhou family decision-makers had extremely solemn expressions, with a hint of sorrow in their eyes.

After the two landed, Zhou Chun's clan leader first glanced at the many clansmen present, then spoke in a somber tone: "Here I must announce to you a very sad news. Just half an hour ago, the clan received devastating news: Fifth Elder Zhou Jiahe, who served the clan in the Heavenly Spirit Legion, died in battle two days ago in the Green Forest Valley of Feng Kingdom!"

Upon hearing this, many of the Zhou family cultivators present showed expressions of "I knew it," clearly having already guessed who the fallen family elder was.

Some cultivators who had once received kindness from Zhou Jiahe couldn't help but turn pale, revealing sadness and sorrow, and some even silently shed tears.

After pausing for a moment to allow the clansmen present to process the news, Zhou Chun continued, "Fifth Elder Zhou Jiahe died for the clan and for the entire Tianling Realm. Although we cannot bring back her remains, we must hold a grand funeral for her to commemorate her contributions to the clan."

At this point, Zhou Chun's expression suddenly changed, and he solemnly declared, "Now, as the clan leader, I command that all members of the Zhou family, upon receiving any task from the clan regarding the organization of the funeral for the Fifth Elder, Zhou Jiahe, must unconditionally agree. Furthermore, all clan members must wear white mourning clothes for one month to commemorate the spirit of the Fifth Elder, Zhou Jiahe!"

Upon hearing his words, all the Zhou family cultivators present responded in unison.

Zhou Chun then dismissed everyone, leaving only Zhou Jiarui and a few other Foundation Establishment cultivators to give instructions on how to hold a funeral for the Fifth Elder, Zhou Jiahe.

Given Zhou Jiahe's status and position in the Zhou family, her funeral would have been a grand affair, with all the families she had connections with sending people to attend and pay their respects.

However, with the war between the two major cultivation worlds still raging, it is not advisable to do something so high-profile.

Especially since other families also had important members who had been conscripted to the front lines die, if the Zhou family held such a grand celebration, it would only create trouble for the leaders of those families.

If we don't follow the Zhou family's lead, it will seem like our family doesn't value these meritorious members. But if we follow the Zhou family's lead, not to mention the waste of manpower and resources, it would be very awkward if not many people showed up.

Therefore, after discussing it, Zhou Chun and Zhou Mingde decided to hold Zhou Jiahe's funeral at the highest level within the family and not invite other families to attend or pay their respects.

Of course, we should still notify some of Zhou Jiahe's friends from his lifetime. As for whether they come to pay their respects, that is entirely up to their personal wishes.

After arranging all these matters, less than two days later, Zhou Daoyi arrived from Jiufeng Ridge upon hearing the news.

Then the three senior members of the Zhou family gathered in Zhou Chun's cave to discuss the aftermath of Zhou Jiahe's death.

"Oh, it's such a pity about Jiahe. She could have retired honorably in just five more years, but in the end, she couldn't make it that far!"

Zhou Daoyi spoke first, sighing as he recounted Zhou Jiahe's misfortune.

"Jiahe's death was naturally a huge blow and loss to the family, but what's more troublesome is that the family still has to send someone else to continue serving."

Zhou Mingde frowned deeply and said in a heavy tone, "In these ten years, Jiahe has repeatedly made meritorious contributions in battle, accumulating many rewards and merits that have not yet been redeemed. If the family does not send someone to replace her in service, all these things she earned with her life will be directly taken back and deducted. Then she will have truly died in vain!"

Upon hearing this, both Zhou Daoyi and Zhou Chun frowned deeply and were speechless for a moment.

The rules of the Celestial Spirit Legion in this regard are undoubtedly highly questionable!

If a member of the legion dies in battle and has not claimed the rewards he was entitled to for killing enemies, then after his death, his family must send someone to serve in the legion to claim these rewards. Even family members who were already serving in the legion cannot claim them.

In this way, even if it's just to prevent the Heavenly Spirit Legion from taking back what these predecessors have accumulated, most families can only send people to serve in the legion and inherit it.

However, faced with such disgusting rules, a cultivation family like the Zhou family had absolutely no power to object.

After a long silence, Clan Chief Zhou Chun finally spoke, saying, "Let the younger generation decide this matter themselves. Whoever dares to serve in the Heavenly Spirit Legion will have all the rewards and merits left by the Fifth Elder belong to them, as compensation from the clan!"

"That's for the best. If you want benefits, you have to pay a price. These younger generations really should contribute to the family!"

Zhou Mingde nodded slightly, having no objection to Zhou Chun's handling of the matter.

Then Zhou Chun frowned again and said, "What I'm more worried about now is the Third Elder and the Sixth Elder. They also have five years left before they have to retire. We mustn't let them follow in the footsteps of the Fifth Elder!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Daoyi immediately chimed in, "Yes, we really need to find a way to help them. These days, those guys on the battlefield are killing each other like madmen, fighting for fame and fortune. The intensity of the battle is incomparable to what it was ten years ago!"

"How about I give the Mountain-Bearing Turtle to the Third Elder? With the Mountain-Bearing Turtle on his person, even if he encounters one of the 'Seven Fiends of the Primordial Demon,' he should have a good chance of escaping!"

After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Chun expressed his thoughts.

Ten years ago, he had the Golden Armor Mountain-Carrying Turtle save Zhou Daoquan's life from a powerful demonic cultivator. That demonic cultivator later became one of the "Seven Fiends of the Primordial Demons," but was later squeezed out by someone even more powerful.

If Zhou Daoquan had the Golden Armor Mountain-Carrying Turtle protecting him, he could release it in time to escape with him, and those "Seven Fiends of the Primordial Demons" with only the Purple Mansion stage cultivation would have little chance against him.

However, after hearing his words, Zhou Mingde quickly shook his head and objected, saying, "That's not advisable. The Mountain-Bearing Turtle is too conspicuous. If Daoquan escapes from the 'Seven Fiends of the Primordial Demon' with it, it will definitely attract the attention of Golden Core cultivators from both sides!"

"Yes, the Golden-Armored Mountain-Carrying Turtle is powerful, but it's also too conspicuous. It's not something a cultivator like Brother Daoquan could possess!"

Zhou Daoyi nodded in agreement with Zhou Mingde's statement.

Zhou Daoquan was just an ordinary mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator who practiced techniques to rapidly improve his magical power, and his methods had already been figured out by his teammates over the past ten years.

If the Golden Armored Mountain Tortoise were to be revealed at this moment, it would be difficult to withstand the pressure from the higher-ups on our side.

"Let's send a talisman and some magic talismans to Daoquan. We don't expect him to survive against a powerhouse like the 'Seven Fiends of the Primordial Demon,' we just hope he can escape danger and turn peril into safety if he encounters any!

Zhou Mingde glanced at Zhou Chun, who remained silent, and finally offered his suggestion.

Seeing that Zhou Chun didn't react, he could only look at Zhou Chun earnestly and advise, "I know that you are powerful now and can't bear to see the elders of the clan being bullied and humiliated, but you now bear the expectations of the entire clan on your shoulders. You must not act impulsively!"

"As long as you, Zhengchun, successfully form your Golden Core, our family will be able to return to the ranks of Golden Core clans. Our clansmen will then be able to truly hold their heads high. Even the greatest sacrifices will be worthwhile!"

At this point, Zhou Mingde analyzed with a serious expression, "This war is bound to be very long. If the war situation worsens further, only families with Golden Core cultivators at the helm will have some room to maneuver in the complex situation and the ability to change their family's fate!"

"So even if it's not for your own cultivation path, but for the future safety of hundreds of clan members, Zhengchun, you must keep your mind steady and focus on your cultivation!"

After saying that, he gave Zhou Daoyi a wink.

Upon receiving this signal, Zhou Daoyi quickly spoke up, saying, "Yes, what my great-uncle said makes a lot of sense. We are already very happy and gratified that you care about us elders, Zhengchun. However, for the sake of the family's future and the overall situation, you must not take any risks because of us old folks!"

Seeing this, Zhou Chun couldn't help but smile wryly and said, "How could I not understand the good intentions of my two elders? I also know what is more important and will not act impulsively."

He shook his head and said, "But continuing this war like this will cause too much damage to the family, especially in terms of morale!"

Hearing this, Zhou Mingde breathed a sigh of relief, then sighed helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it. The war between the two great cultivation worlds is something a small family like ours can't control. We have no choice but to protect ourselves as best we can!"

"Even so, I am truly unwilling to accept this. My Zhou family has worked so hard to accumulate this wealth, and now it is going to be squandered like this!"

Zhou Chun let out a long sigh, feeling quite aggrieved.

This is roughly what it means to feel like you're not in control of your own destiny.

No matter how strong he is personally, or how many schemes he has devised, he can only lament his helplessness in the face of such a situation.

This proves the old saying: a weak nation has no diplomacy!

Compared to the two powerful factions in the cultivation world, how insignificant is a cultivation family like the Zhou family?

Perhaps it's just as Zhou Mingde said; only if he forms his Golden Core as soon as possible can the Zhou family's situation improve slightly!

(End of this chapter)