Exterior: Stone Claw City
A funerary procession is marching through the city streets, composed of members of a clan from a foreign land. Tears were streaming down their faces as they carried with them a coffin, containing the body of their beloved matriarch.
It was if her heart had just stopped for no reason whatsoever.
As the clan performed their solemn funeral march, on-lookers and passerbys couldn’t help but watch.
This was the first time they ever seen a funeral done in such a manner. It seemed excessive, but at the same time, they couldn’t help but sympathize. Apparently the procession was a means for the deceased to symbolically walk through their home before their final rest.
The people did find it odd that this branch clan was the second prominent family in a row to host a funeral though.
Among these on-lookers and well-wishers, an old man and a young woman, dressed in significantly finer clothes than before, were talking in an all too familiar alleyway where the funeral parade was passing by.
Old Man: "Huh...you know, I’m surprised your family didn’t throw such a grand display for your former matriarch’s funeral."
Young Lady: "We couldn’t exactly have an open casket funeral. The body was found to have been rather throughly managled by a collapsing mine shaft. Along side the bodies of what formerly was the Golden Vulture bandit gang.
Old Man: "Ah yes. An additional touch, make it seems whole thing was merely a matter of... circumstances."
Young Lady: "Indeed."
Old Man: "How is the position of matriarch treating you, by the way?"
Young Lady: "Everything I ever hoped for. What about you? What are you planning to do now that all this is happening."
Old Man: "I’ll be going on a trip of sorts. My son has finally reached the Grandmaster stage and js now more than capable to lead the family in my stead. Staying here is fine and all, but if I am to cement my absolute power over this place, I will need to go and make sure my own can’t be matched."
Young Lady: "Of course."
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A notable week in Stone Claw history
In the span of a single week, the power dynamic of Stone Claw City shifted dramatically.
The Wolfe Family had a new patriarch in the form of Jacob Wolfe, as his father, Harold Wolfe, decided to step down in order to go on a training journey.
The Corrada Family had lost their matriarch in a random moment of violence, leaving her daughter Telana Corrada in charge of the whole family and business.
The Zhen Clan had lost their matriarch to a disease of unknown origin, causing her heart to stop. The patriarch was still alive and looked well, but he didn’t give off that feeling of power and assuredness he had when she was alive.
And unexpectedly, the Diggers Union arose out of nowhere when Grand Digger Orgo arose from the masses.
These sudden developments all seemed unrelated to one another, but they had a rippling effect that would set the stage for an even grander event years later.
The funny part of all this though, is that three out of four of these events could be traced back to a single man and woman’s ambition for power, and how this would all end up coming back to bite them in the behind.
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A week came and went after the Wolfe Family sent out their welcome back party invitations, and of course, there were no rejections.
The Zhen Clan was busy during this time period, making plans in order to bail and the individual elders and patriarch trying to break through to the next stage if at all possible. Unfortunately, while the former responsibility saw some movement, the latter didn’t get much headway. One cannot force a breakthrough, not without some massive force of energy to stimulate such things.
Their new resident alchemist, Corriandis, did have some solutions that could help facilitate this, but the ingredients needed would not be accessible for at least another month or so.
For all intents and purposes, the Zhen Clan would have to enter this party as they were now, except for a few who managed to go up a ring.
During this time, however, Zhen Shi did take a small break from his cultivation in order to buy a bouquet of flowers and make a small trip to a certain memorial.
Nobody else noticed this little excursion, save for one...icy individual who happened to feel the regret coming off of the old man.
"Multiple...layers...?"
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’Weird question for the both of you: Is it possible for people who are not me to consume a ’desire core’ for a power up?," Zhen Liu asked aloud while gazing at some passing clouds. For the first time in a while, Zhen Liu was now fully alone in at least a physical manner. Pathos, and now most recently Logos, were still present in his head and could offer advisement.
=Unfiltered Chaos and Desire has a tendency to wreck the average mortal’s soul regardless of their cultivation status. In fact, it could even be more catastrophic in those with strong beliefs of their own.=
"Of course that’s the case...," Zhen Liu griped.
During the week before the party, Zhen Liu had been busy with his own preparations in case shit goes south. Thankfully he was a one man army of sorts, but he still wanted to figure out more ways to win. In this regard, he tried to figure out a way to increase the power of his more powerful relatives.
"Well, I’m pretty sure that we’re entering a death trap here and as much as I’d like to make a new kaijin, we don’t got the materials for that. Or at least appropriate ones."
=If Pathos is suggesting what I think she is...how good is your ability to aim?=
When this question got asked, Zhen Liu became concerned.
"What do you mean by aim?"