I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1144 - Chapter 1144 Chapter 438 Deceiving the Legitimate with the

Chapter 1144: Chapter 438: Deceiving the Legitimate with the Baseborn Chapter 1144: Chapter 438: Deceiving the Legitimate with the Baseborn The Upper City District of Chaochang was only so large, and the Xiang Family’s Cold Moon Spirit Concealment Array was torn apart by force, not to mention the clash of two Spirit Arts. With such commotion, naturally, it could not be hidden from the wealthy merchant families that also resided in the Upper City District.

However, some families were weak and could only pretend not to react, burying their heads in the sand like ostriches, quietly waiting for the storm to pass.

Some were mustering troops and summoning clansmen, turning their family lands into fortresses;

Others sent emissaries upon sensing the disturbance in the city, to probe and investigate.

Huang, the owner of Four Directions Bank, Master Meng of Southern Sea Manor, and Harbor Master Wang of Tongnan Dock, three renowned merchants of Chaochang, almost simultaneously entered with a big laugh, standing firmly behind Arbitration Office Head Yun Huan as Xiang Qian and Gu Han came to blows.

After hearing Yun Huan’s jest, they chimed in even louder, complaining about the Xiang Family’s lack of manners.

Coldly eyeing the three of them and having listened enough to their idle talk, Xiang Qian sneered towards Yun Huan, “Old man, is this the support you rely on? The Xiang Family has operated in Chaochang for more than twenty years. Do you think just with the backing of three merchants from the inner city, you can overthrow and replace us?”

“Replace us? Who exactly harbors disloyal thoughts? Ancestor might be mistaken,” laughed Huang from Four Directions Bank, clapping his hands. “Back when the Yun Clan faced great calamity, fortunately, the Xiang Family lent support. This allowed the dispersed clansmen to regather in Chaochang, honoring the Yun Family’s sole daughter Yun Xiu as the city lord. Because she was young, they first established the Cloud Summit Council and set up twelve Yun Clan council members to lead Chaochang’s major and minor matters, didn’t they?”

A lie told a thousand times becomes the truth. The Cloud Summit Council was originally a memorial arch the Xiang Family had erected for themselves, but now it had become the shackle of righteousness.

Xiang Qian snorted, thereby tacitly acknowledging Huang’s words.

“For these twenty-some years, the Xiang Family has poured its heart and soul into assisting the Cloud Summit Council. This kindness Yun Huan has deeply etched in his heart, but as the saying goes, all gatherings must come to an end. Now that the lady has come of age and the Cloud Summit Council operates smoothly, our familial ties have been honored to their fullest, and the Xiang Family should return to their rightful place.”

The cards were revealed. After Huang’s speech, Arbitration Office Head Yun Huan’s bland statement made everyone’s intentions crystal clear.

“Ha ha ha,” Xiang Qian laughed in extreme anger. “Is this how the Yun Clan treats its benefactors and kin?”

“Business is business,” Yun Huan said with a light laugh. “The Xiang Family’s kindness will never be forgotten by Yun Huan, but the current Chaochang needs more stability and development. However, since the Xiang Family has received the edict from the An Family Divine Dynasty, they can’t be considered part of Longzhou anymore. Regretfully, we must ask the Ancestor to hand over the authority of various departments in Chaochang, as the rules of Chaochang were set a thousand years ago, weren’t they?”

“It should be so.” Master Meng, who was connected all over the world with over eight thousand followers and spoke expressionlessly, agreed, “The Xiang Family is no longer a Chaochang noble house, how can they assume important positions in Chaochang? Please hand over the authority of the various departments. Out of decades of camaraderie, let us part on good terms. The current Xiang Family cannot afford another upheaval!”

If among the three merchants present, someone truly possessed great influence, it was this Master Meng. It was said that when he was young, he had traveled the world, making acquaintances with many significant figures. After returning to Chaochang and establishing Southern Sea Manor, he built extensive connections, almost omniscient and omnipotent.

The power behind him was something even Xiang Qian dared not underestimate, and the threat implied in his words at this moment was not lost on anyone present.

“Good, very good!” Xiang Qian looked at the growing crowd at the door and shouted, “Cloud Summit Council, Four Directions Bank, Southern Sea Manor, Tongnan Dock. Besides these four, is there anyone else who thinks the Xiang Family should relinquish the power in the city?”

“The Liu Family seconds the motion.”

“The Wu Family seconds the motion.”

“The Kong Family seconds the motion.”

“The Bai Family seconds the motion.”

Apart from the most powerful Elder Nong and the Head of the Liu Family staying silent, many of the inner city family heads were vocally seconding the motion. It was a situation of kicking someone when they were down, and with the memory of the Xiang Family’s alliance with the Arbitration Office and the domineering patrols of the Dutian Heavenly King still fresh in everyone’s minds, no one wanted to pass up the opportunity to attack an enemy at their weakest.

Furthermore, driving out the Xiang Family came with tangible benefits. Though Chaochang was vast, the critical reins of power were firmly in the hands of the Xiang Family. Whether it was the commercial taxes or control over strategic passes, the Xiang Family had everything in their grip.

This was unprecedented in Chaochang’s history; even when the Yun Family was at its most overbearing, their approach was much more restrained compared to the Xiang Family.

However, this distaste could be better described as envy. After all, each of these critical powers represented massive income streams which could support extravagant expenses such as the Xiang Family providing for legions. If these streams of income were to fall into their own hands, their clan strength would more than double, and that was the true reason for their united front.

Facing this eager crowd, Xiang Qian became calm, his face expressionless as he said, “Driven by greed and forgetting loyalty, is that your justification for insubordination?”

“Insubordination?” Harbor Master Wang sneered disdainfully, “Ancestor, don’t be so stubborn. It’s the main house of the Yun Clan of the Sky Council that wants you gone. Who is subordinate and who is superior, don’t you have any sense of that yourself? Why make it so ugly? With the Xiang Family’s clan strength, even moving to Zhongzhou would make you a powerful and respected family. Even if the Xiang Family fails to pass the Dragon Gate in Zhongzhou, wouldn’t leaving behind a vestige of goodwill in Chaochang provide a place to return to in times of need? Isn’t that better?”

“Who is superior, who is inferior?” Xiang Qian laughed wildly, a fierce light shining in his eyes. “Gentlemen seem so pleased with yourselves, perhaps you’ve forgotten, this chairman of the Sky Council, including these councilors, are not only bastard sons of lesser branches of the Xiang Family, but also discarded sinners who can’t even enter the ancestral hall. Talking about main houses!”

“Is it so hard for the Xiang Family to leave Chaochang? Just a word from the city lord, and the entire Xiang Family would relocate without a second word. But now the city lord has not spoken, and instead, an old fool from the Sky Council is leading a bunch of idiots to our doorstep trying to seize power. What kind of reasoning is that? Are you trying to use bastards to deceive the legitimate, to commit insubordination?”

“Ancestor’s words make no sense,” Yun Huan said coldly. “Yun Xiu is indeed the legitimate daughter of the main family, but once a woman is married, she follows her husband. Although she is the city lord, she married Xiang Loulan several years ago and became the Xiang family’s daughter-in-law, no longer a miss of the Yun Family.”

“Oh, is that so?” Xiang Qian sneered. After whispering something to an officer beside him, he summoned Xiang Loulan, who was dressed in mourning.

In front of everyone, Xiang Qian teasingly asked the young man, “Just now these uncles of the Sky Council said that because the young miss married you, she is no longer considered part of the Yun Family, and they want us to leave. Do you have anything you want to defend yourself with?”

Upon hearing this, Xiang Loulan turned pale with shock and, twisting around, said to Yun Huan, “Chairman Yun Huan, why do you want to harm Loulan like this?”

Ignoring Yun Huan’s gloomy face, Xiang Loulan raised his voice to the others, “Esteemed uncles of Chaochang, bear witness, it is true that Loulan married the young miss. However, it was not the young miss who joined the Xiang Family, but Loulan who married into the Yun Family, to continue the Yun lineage!”