Chapter 550: No Need to Be So Extreme
Bai Feng cast a glance at the dwindling high-ranking members of the Siku Family, feeling unsurprised. After all, the Siku family had been relentlessly hunting Chu Chu for years — even causing her to be unable to survive in Zhongzhou, forcing her to flee all the way to the Northern Region. How could only a handful of people be involved?
“Y’all should feel lucky to have crossed paths with a Grand Elder with some backbone. I’ll honor my promise and let you off easy.”
He then glanced at the three elders who’d attacked him earlier, giving a sheepish shake of the head.
Whether it was age, anger scorching his brain, or a desire to d*e with some dignity, the three elders had all apparently become fossils — no longer breathing, no longer alive.
“Let’s go,” Bai Feng turned around.
But as a cautious fellow, he wasn’t planning to let the Siku Family go completely unscathed. No, he certainly wasn’t mad enough to ruin his own reputation by exterminating the family entirely. Instead, he planned to use both public and covert tactics to reform the Siku Family, turning their current state into something more… scriptable.
“Wait a moment,” Chu Chu suddenly called out, hesitating slightly but still speaking her mind. “Can I handle the remaining people?”
Bai Feng looked into her eyes, which had lost their killing intent. Instantly, he understood what Chu Chu wanted to do. He nodded and said, “Do as you see fit.”
“Thank you,” Chu Chu smiled a little — Bai Feng had helped her so much, she wanted to do something for him too.
Though most of the Siku Family’s upper echelon was practically wiped out, their industries and treasure collections remained intact. The survivors still needed to be managed. She also didn’t want some genius popping up someday and challenging her and Bai Feng.
Given her understanding of Bai Feng, she was sure he’d deal with things secretly, but having a public excuse was always better, right?
She approached a young elder still alive, her face showing calm indifference.
“……”
The elder’s body trembled slightly. She’d just become an elder within the past couple of years, and due to the Siku Family’s ongoing information blockade, she had no clue what was happening until overhearing the conversation of the senior elders. It sounded like the family head and the others had seized her Celestial Eye and were now at her doorstep.
Could it be that this person, whose Celestial Eye had been taken, was dissatisfied and planning to slaughter everyone left? After all, only Bai Feng had agreed to the senior elders’ orders. The one who had her Celestial Eye stolen hadn’t agreed, right…?
“U-uh, excuse me, is there—something you need?” She trembled and her teeth lightly clacked, unable to control her shaking mouth.
“Hand over the family warehouse’s location, and give me a report on the holdings,” Chu Chu coldly demanded.
“Y-yes!”
The young elder hurriedly nodded.
Then Chu Chu looked at the others: “You lot do the same. Manage the subordinates afterwards.”
The young elder sensed an unusual tone — could she be planning to…?
She hesitated a moment, then responded, “Yes, Master…”
Chu Chu didn’t reply but also didn’t refuse. The young elder heaved a sigh of relief; at least her life was safe.
She stepped forward and shouted at the panicked others: “Didn’t you hear what the Master said? Quickly catalog all your known assets! If anyone tries to run or screws up and causes losses, the bodies on the ground will be your fate!”
“Yes!”
They all hurriedly nodded and took a few steps back. Seeing Chu Chu’s unresponsiveness, they quickly left to complete the task assigned by the new master.
Chu Chu looked at the young elder and thought — this must be ‘lapdog’ in the making, huh?
“Master, I’ll take you to the Siku Family’s treasury,” the young elder said with a smile.
“Mm,” Chu Chu nodded, then looked at Bai Feng who was standing nearby, watching her ‘performance’ intently. Her face turned slightly red. “Bai Feng, let’s go together.”
The young elder, bowing her head, made no effort to speak — just as well. She wouldn’t mind tearing apart the treasury with a big group if it came to that, much less taking a few outsiders inside.
Besides, although the Siku Family had lost a bunch of people due to Bai Feng and the new master, she wasn’t familiar with them and held no grudge. She was honored to serve the new master.
Now she was helping ease her burdens, so she quietly asked Chu Chu: “Master, should we change our surname?”
Chu Chu: “?”
She didn’t dislike the Siku Family too much — but was it really necessary to be so extreme? Is she really one of them?
After a few seconds of silence, Chu Chu waved her hand. “No need. I only have grudges against those who are dead.”
“The master’s heart is so broad,” the young elder hurried to praise. After walking a bit, she stopped in front of a building and said, “This is the Siku Family’s treasury, though it’s sealed with a formation. It needs a key to open. But don’t worry, I’ve just… ”
Bai Feng, who had already lifted the treasure vault formation, turned around sharply. “What did you say?”
“…Nothing, Young Master Bai, you’re incredible,” the young elder chuckled.
In her heart, she cursed those deceased family heads — what kind of monster had they unwittingly provoked?
……
“No wonder they’re such a big family in Zhongzhou. The treasury is packed,” Bai Feng commented as he exited. The rare materials inside the Siku Family’s treasury would just cover the cost of crafting the Extermination Sword Array.
“Bai Feng, what do you think the Siku Family should do next?” Chu Chu leaned in and whispered.
He turned around with a teasing smile. “So you didn’t think at all, just acted on impulse?”
“No, I do have some rough ideas.” Chu Chu shook her head, then slightly raised her chin, secretly glancing at Bai Feng. “But I want to hear your opinion. I lack experience in this area.”
“I do have a few ideas,” Bai Feng said without hesitation. “First, I suggest we plant our people inside. Now that the top hierarchy of the Siku Family is almost wiped out, the rest are harmless — even clingy, trying to shackle onto you to avoid being purged. This step won’t meet resistance. Next, we keep an eye on them: reward good behavior, k*ll anyone trying to escape without mercy — no hesitation. And finally, the most crucial part: cut their identity ties, rebuild a new shared consciousness. For example, use hierarchical distinctions between high and low as a means of shifting their hate onto the dead.”
“Mm-hm,” Chu Chu nodded repeatedly — earned her trust. These plans, besides killing, she wouldn’t have thought of other options herself.
“Oh, right!” suddenly, she remembered and took out a jade box. “This is the Celestial Eye I confiscated, but I don’t need it anymore…”
Bai Feng reached out to take the jade box, but he didn’t intend to put it on. As far as he was concerned, the Celestial Eye was just a decorative bonus now. If he wanted to harness its power, he didn’t need to replace his eyes — he could do it another way.
“Keep it first. I’ll see if I can find something helpful for you,” he said, opening the box. The dark red layer covering the Celestial Eye had faded back to a pale blue, ethereal and clear.
【Ding, detecting fragments of divine consciousness from the Immortal. Absorb?】
Bai Feng paused. “Huh?”
He closed the box again and looked inside at the Celestial Eye. He guessed that the spiritual fragment probably wasn’t part of the original Eye — it was probably inserted by the Divine Monarch.
Not to mention, his own healing of Chu Chu’s eyes was never suspicious. Still, he didn’t trust the Divine Monarch not to do something when he saw the Celestial Eye. After all, he couldn’t be naive about what powerful divine entities might be up to.
