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"Clan Leader, recently, more martial cultivators have been seen near Chaotic Burial Mountain. Their cultivation isn’t low either. They might have come because of the last incident. Should we strengthen our defenses?"
"No need. Leave that matter to the clan elders. You don’t need to get involved."
As the various reports continued, Chen Xingzhen gave his instructions one by one.
"Clan Leader, we’ve also made good progress in education lately. Many clan members have shown improvement in combat. Recently, some of them have even started using unfamiliar phrases—likely signs they’ve picked up new ideas."
"Oh? That’s promising."
A flicker of interest crossed Chen Xingzhen’s face. If the clan could broaden its horizons, it would certainly benefit their future development.
After a moment’s thought, he said, "Let’s take a day soon and have everyone join a study session at the hall. You all should attend as well."
The moment they heard they’d be expected to study too, Chen Tianlu and the others looked visibly dismayed. They were already well into adulthood—what was the point of learning now? Half the things in those texts, they couldn’t even understand.
Once the crowd dispersed, Chen Xingzhen’s smile gradually faded. Judging by the reports, the Shi clan had yet to take meaningful action. It seemed they still hadn’t discovered that the Chen family was behind the deaths of Shi Potian and Shi Podi.
But news couldn’t be hidden forever. The Shi family had likely begun their own investigations in secret. The Chen clan would need to stay on alert.
Fortunately, Chaotic Burial Mountain wasn’t large, and their own territory was relatively compact. During the day, the Divine Tree watched over them, and at night, the spirits of fallen ancestors patrolled. For now, it was manageable.
What the clan needed to do now was carry on as though nothing had happened—sow confusion in the minds of the Shi family. More importantly, they had to focus on tending to the blood rice. That crop was tied directly to the clan’s future prosperity.
If all went well, the Zhou clan should arrive in about a month. And if the Shi family learned the truth around that time, they likely wouldn’t act immediately. By then, Tianjing and Tianyu’s cultivation should have improved as well. Once the Chen family had a few more Innate Realm fighters, the situation would look much more favorable.
As Chen Xingzhen considered all this, a few soft clucking sounds broke his train of thought.
He turned and spotted a Spirit-Tailed Chicken—not that he’d forgotten it was kept in the ancestral hall, but it usually kept out of sight, and no one knew where it hid. Stranger still, it no longer crowed at dawn.
Gazing at its plump, well-fed body, he found himself wondering whether its meat might be particularly tender and flavorful.
As if sensing his thoughts, the Spirit-Tailed Chicken vanished behind the Divine Tree’s trunk without a sound.
Chen Xingzhen chuckled quietly. The bird spent most of its time beneath the Divine Tree and really did seem to possess a touch of spiritual awareness.
After completing the daily rituals at the tree, he finally turned and left.
Beneath the tree, the Spirit-Tailed Chicken watched him go, a contemplative gleam in its eyes. A moment later, its gaze shifted to Ji Yang nearby.
Just as its attention landed on him, Ji Yang—who was quietly absorbing sunlight—sensed a faint thread of consciousness probing the trunk of his tree form. The presence was weak, but curiously distinct.
Ji Yang was mildly surprised but made no move to resist. Instead, he allowed the thread to sink in.
Through the connection, he quickly sensed the Spirit-Tailed Chicken’s uniqueness. That stray bit of consciousness seemed to carry the ability to peer into others’ thoughts.
Realizing the chicken was trying to eavesdrop on his mind, Ji Yang gave a subtle tremor through his trunk, sharply repelling the foreign presence.
The next moment, the chicken rolled its eyes, tilted its head, and collapsed in a faint.
Even then, Ji Yang didn’t follow up. Ever since awakening the chicken’s spirit, he had largely left it alone. In any case, raising one more creature wouldn’t strain the clan’s resources.
“Heaven shows no favoritism but often sides with the virtuous. Be cautious from beginning to end, and no endeavor shall fail…
“By following the laws of nature, one can win heaven’s favor. Aligning with the seasons yields twice the result with half the effort…
“Whether in study or martial arts, one must remain consistent to reach true understanding…”
Mo Si recited calmly as he looked over the large crowd gathered before him.
At the rear stood the Blood Coagulation Realm martial artists, led by Chen Xingzhen. Beside them were older clan members and even some youths. Anyone not urgently occupied had been brought to the study hall to attend the lesson.
Mo Si soon shifted his gaze away. He’d only received word the day before that the Clan Leader and others would be attending. But it didn’t concern him. He had confidence in his teachings.
From his seat, Chen Xingzhen listened with a faint smile, nodding lightly as he followed along. Mo Si’s lessons were elegantly phrased yet easy to understand, with meaning layered beneath the surface—more than sufficient to guide the clan.
But it was clear that many in the crowd weren’t truly paying attention. Chen Xingzhen shook his head slightly but chose not to say more. Martial training was important, yes, but their studies couldn’t be neglected either.
Beside him, Chen Tianquan looked uneasy. Ever since the new instructors had arrived, he’d stopped sharing his own interpretations for fear of confusing the others. But judging by recent results, things seemed to be going well. For now, he could rest easier.
Just then, Mo Si’s voice rang out again from the front.
“Next, who among the younger generation would like to explain the meaning of this line?”
‘To learn without thinking is blindness; to think without learning is peril.’
The students, who had moments ago been distracted, quickly straightened in their seats. Even Chen Xingzhen and the others looked on with interest. The instructors were knowledgeable, yes—but it was just as important to see how well the clan members had grasped the teachings.
Chen Tianquan’s relief vanished in an instant. He tensed again, praying silently that no one would say something absurd. How would he explain that to the Clan Leader?
"I'll explain! I remember this one really well!"
"Me too! Let me try!"
Seeing the youth so enthusiastic, Chen Xingzhen's eyes filled with quiet satisfaction. At the same time, he found himself pondering the quote's meaning.
At the front, Mo Si’s expression turned serious. He had to select wisely. It might have seemed like the students were the ones under pressure, but he was the one in the spotlight now. With the Clan Leader watching, he couldn’t afford any slip-ups.
After a moment of quiet consideration, his eyes settled on Chen Qinghe.
This boy had been one of the more attentive students—rarely volunteered to speak, which often meant he was carefully processing what he learned. Mo Si nodded inwardly. "Let’s go with him."
Under the gaze of so many clan members, Chen Qinghe slowly stood. He stared blankly for a moment, trying to make sense of the phrase.
He spent most of his time daydreaming—how was he supposed to remember this?
Still, there was no backing out now. He hesitated, then started, “If you learn martial techniques without thinking, you won’t know how to use them…”
Catching Mo Si’s encouraging glance, a flicker of confidence crossed his face.
“And if you only think about martial techniques without actually learning them, I’ll get beaten to death!”