Promise!

Chapter 278, Nine Revolutions

After the Li Shizong incident ended, time flew by, and more than a month passed.

The three great families are reaping huge profits from the gains that Xuanyuan Zhengji relinquished and divided, and are currently digesting them. Zhuang Jin received a share, while Shangguan Yunchang is cultivating, which is being managed by Ji Tongxiu. She herself remains silent, not venturing beyond the third ring, focusing all her attention on the "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique".

On this day, in the quiet room of the Shangguan family's residence, within the first ring road of Cangzhou City.

'With an uncompromising investment of the Kui Niu's beef and other resources, regardless of cost-effectiveness, the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique finally reached the peak of the eighth revolution.'

Zhuang Jin let out a soft breath. The city of Cangzhou was now calm and peaceful, but he felt an indescribable sense of urgency, as if he were racing against time to speed things up.

'In Cangzhou City, all the rogue cultivators at the Corpse-Slaying Realm—Zhan Shengchu, Mai Yinghuang, Ao Zhiqi, Bian Zhihao, Ge Zhaoqing, Li Shicong, and others—are dead or scattered. Governor Xuanyuan Zhengji's conspiracy has also been thwarted; he's been given leverage and is now crippled. With no external enemies, the three great families will likely turn their attention inward, making me, a semi-married-in son-in-law, quite conspicuous.'

In other words, Zhuang Jin knew very well that after these people ran into trouble one after another, there would be no one left to shield him from harm.

Therefore, be prepared and break through to the Yin Spirit realm immediately; otherwise, unforeseen dangers may arise!

Zhuang Jin thought to himself as he took out a small jade bottle containing a golden pill, which was the 'Super Strengthening Pill' given to him as a reward after Bian Zhihao's Treasure Basin incident.

'The Ninefold Golden Body Transformation begins today!'

He took the 'Super Strengthening Pill' and used the secret technique 'Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique' to refine it. Golden light appeared on his body surface, with meridians and pulses as the threads, and eventually they connected and spread outward.

hum!
The golden light suddenly broke through a certain boundary, enveloping the entire body and filling it with a sense of indestructible golden body.

"The flawless golden body is complete!"

In Zhuang Jin's perception, the flawless golden body representing essence, energy, and spirit, the innate vital energy of extreme ice attribute in his dantian, and the divine soul that surpasses that of ordinary people by a factor of two, resonated with each other, forming a tripod balance. His own realm was subtly breaking through on its own, which he suppressed with a thought.

'Although I'm 98% confident of success in achieving this breakthrough, the circumstances aren't right!'

"We can't stay at the Shangguan family's residence, nor within the three ring roads of Cangzhou. The heads of the three great families might sense our presence. It's best to stay outside, finding a suitable excuse to leave, and at a suitable time, avoiding Xuan Yuan Zhengji and even the heads of the three great families."

He quickly came up with an idea: 'When Li Shizong lured me out, the news about the Blood-Changing Realm Kui Niu was true. Later, during the battle between Xuan Yuan Zhengji and the three great family heads, he might have been alerted and moved away, but recently there has been information about his whereabouts again. I might be able to use this as an excuse.'

"The timing? Three days from now, during the Qingming Festival memorial service. Governor Xuanyuan Zhengji and even the heads of the three major clans will be present. I'll take this opportunity to break through to the next level."

'Soon, soon! Racing against time, I'll soon break through to the Yin God realm and truly stand at the pinnacle of Cangzhou. I hope nothing unexpected happens!'

……

The Cen family.

On this day, Cen Chongxuan, the head of the Cen family, invited Ge Daoqian, the head of the Ge family, to come.

"Fellow Daoist Cen, you said you had important business to ask me to come. What is the reason for that?"

"This is a matter concerning the Shangguan family. Don't you think the Shangguan family is becoming too prominent these days, Fellow Daoist Ge?"

Just as Zhuang Jin had predicted, after the external threats were eliminated, the three major families indeed set their sights on the internal ones.

"Heh, Fellow Daoist Cen, if you have any ambitions, you should focus them on your own family. Don't spend your days scheming about this and that."

At this point, Ge Daoqian recalled the past: "The previous patriarch of my family was indeed lacking in character, partly due to my laxity in testing him, but more so because he was tricked by you and Ge Zhaoqing. Fellow Daoist Cen, won't you give me an explanation?"

"What do you mean? Didn't Brother Ge return the favor after that? Why bring up these old, trivial matters? Let's just leave it at that!"

Cen Chongxuan steered the conversation back on track: "Speaking of the Shangguan family, Fellow Daoist Ge, do you still remember the treasures that the Shangguan family's son-in-law carried that day? Were those precious treasures truly the culmination of the Shangguan family's wealth?"

"I'm afraid that's not the case. Perhaps the Shangguan family has discovered another immortal relic, and it's not even the lowest grade. If that's the case, the Shangguan family will probably become the only dominant family in the future, and our two families will have to be subordinate to the Shangguan family."

"We three great families are of one mind and share the same blood. We may fight but we will not break apart. Even if that is the case, it is the Shangguan family's good fortune. What can we do about it?" Ge Daoqian took a sip of tea and said calmly.

"Hehe, I invited Fellow Daoist Ge here for a reason. But now the Shangguan family has a huge flaw. Are you aware of it, Fellow Daoist Ge?"

"That son-in-law of the Shangguan family?"

"Indeed, we share the same view."

Cen Chongxuan nodded and said, "Back then, when the son-in-law of the Shangguan family fought with Li Shicong, he only used treasures to cover up his own abilities. Wasn't that because he was guilty?"

"For the Shangguan family, that son-in-law is too outstanding and is also a threat. How can we not give him a warning? If the Shangguan family has a conflict with that son-in-law, or even fights with him, it will be tantamount to the Shangguan family cutting off its own arm. Even the next head of the family will be indirectly affected. With such a great upheaval, our three families will be on the same level again."

At the time, Zhuang Jin avoided exposing himself and arousing the vigilance of the three major family heads, and only used treasures to fight against the enemy. However, Cen Chongxuan and Ge Daoqian were not stupid and began to have doubts.

Zhuang Jin could probably guess that, but compared to exposing his secrets and directly increasing the fear, he chose the lesser of two evils. This was also the reason why he wanted to quickly complete his preparations for breaking through to the Yin God realm.

"Fellow Daoist Cen, you have a good plan. However, you can take action yourself; I will not interfere."

Ge Daoqian actually didn't take Cen Chongxuan's statement seriously.

There are no waves in this world that only rise and never fall. Over the course of eight hundred years, the three great families have had different periods of dominance, with one family gaining the upper hand at one time and the other leading the way at another. But as the saying goes, "nothing lasts forever," and under the great power of time, they eventually come to roughly the same level.

Most importantly, he only has a few years left to live, and he needs to focus his energy on his own family and nurturing the next head of the family. How can he have the energy to divert attention to external affairs?
Even if we didn't get involved, would Cen Chongxuan just give up? We could just sit back and watch the outcome, letting him make his own decisions.

'That old fox is definitely trying to reap the benefits without sowing! Fine, Old Devil Ge doesn't have much time left, so I won't bother with him. I'll handle it myself; it's just a matter of using some cheap and easy methods.'

Cen Chongxuan watched Ge Daoqian's departing figure, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

……

Cangzhou City, the first ring road, the prefectural government office.

"Cough cough!" Xuan Yuan Zhengji was seriously injured when he was surrounded by Shangguan Jinfeng and the other two. As a Yin God, all kinds of profound techniques are in the soul. Therefore, in battle, injuries are often to the soul. When the soul is injured, the body's support is weakened and will also be affected.

“Injuries to the soul are extremely difficult to heal without a great opportunity. It would take a year and a half to recover on one’s own. If this continues, it would probably cost three to five years of lifespan.”

At this moment, he sighed, looking at the news that came from some source: "That son-in-law of the Shangguan family has spiritual power beyond his realm and a powerful soul. It's highly likely that he often carries the 'Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade' with him, and... he's plotting against the Shangguan family?!"

"Yin Yang Cleansing Jade! Yin Yang Cleansing Jade!"

Xuanyuan Zhengji murmured to himself, confident that with such a treasure, he could recover from his soul injury within a month and even make further progress in the future.

Of course, the other party's message was certainly ill-intentioned, but when dealing with a tiger, it's a matter of each side using their own methods.

In terms of methods, Xuan Yuan Zhengji believed he was no weaker than any of the three great family heads. The Li Shi Cong incident last time... was an accident. Moreover, he was not facing one family, but the combined forces of all three, so it was not a fault of his own.

"First, it is certain that the three great families are not harmonious, especially now that they think they have me under control; second, the 'Yin-Yang Soul Cleansing Jade' on the Shangguan family's son-in-law is confirmed to be real. I personally witnessed this person's battle with Shi Cong."

"The next problem is how to seize this treasure to help me recover from my injuries, and if the opportunity arises, to settle all old and new scores with my nephew."

Xuanyuan Zhengji's eyes sharpened as he thought of this.

This wasn't him courting death. After the Li Shizong incident, he still dared to commit crimes against the wind. He just knew that the three great families were not all in harmony. If the Cen family succeeded in their scheme, Shangguan Jinfeng would definitely take advantage of the situation and benefit from the chaos.

……

Shangguan Jinfeng enjoys watching plays, but real-life dramas like "the opening of Bailu Martial Arts Academy last year, with Zhuang Jin taking office as dean" are not common.

On weekdays, he would go to brothels and theaters, places where ordinary people mingled, to watch plays and enjoy the lively atmosphere of the city.

Today's play was another one: "A pretty young lady falls in love with a poor scholar, and a wicked son-in-law cleverly seizes the family business."

Shangguan Jinfeng, seemingly an ordinary person, watched the whole thing with a smile, joining the crowd in their condemnation. Once the performance was over, she turned and disappeared into the shadows. Her smile vanished, replaced by an aura of quiet authority. She ordered the shadow guards who had appeared before her, "Someone's trying to sow discord between Grandma and others! Go, investigate and see who's behind this..."

She stopped mid-sentence: "Never mind, it's nothing. It's just those two old devils. I already know what's going on."

"Get rid of these idiots who have been pushed out, so they don't get in the mother-in-law's way."

After giving the instructions, Shangguan Jinfeng did not return to the Shangguan family, but went to the Xuantian Division and took out all kinds of information about Zhuang Jin. She carefully read through all of it, from when he came to Cangzhou to when he was still in Yunnan and before he was born.

Humans cannot imagine things they have never seen before. There is no precedent in history for 'no bottlenecks in any realm,' and she would never have thought of it. She simply believed that Zhuang Jin had extremely high potential that had never been exhausted, and that breaking through bottlenecks was as easy as drinking water.

Now that Zhuang Jin is breaking through realms with unstoppable momentum, she can't help but wonder if Zhuang Jin has exhausted his potential at this point? Can the Yin Spirit bottleneck really stop Zhuang Jin?

'If one were to forcibly enter the Yin Spirit Three Gates using a secret technique similar to the "Burning Technique," given Zhuang's spirit, energy, Nine Revolutions Golden Body, ultimate ice, and powerful soul, he might very well succeed in breaking through. Then…'

Shangguan Jinfeng couldn't help but recall the play she had watched before.

On that day, Zhuang Jin fought with Li Shizong without using her own methods, relying only on treasures. Cen Chongxuan and Ge Daoqian were suspicious. How could someone as cunning as her not attract attention?

Because this is a family matter, they had even thought of it earlier, but were just observing and hesitating.

Zhuang Jin is practically a son-in-law of the Shangguan family. His own value is one thing, but more importantly, Shangguan Yunchang has clearly developed genuine feelings for him. If Zhuang Jin really needs to be dealt with, would Shangguan Yunchang agree to it?

Yes, Shangguan Jinfeng, as the current head of the Shangguan family and the only Yin God Realm expert, can forcefully act without Shangguan Yunchang's consent. However, Shangguan Yunchang is the designated next head of the family. If she does this, it will inevitably leave a flaw in her mind. Even with the assistance of the Suspended Sky Mirror, problems are likely to occur when she breaks through to the Yin God Realm.

—The first of the three gates of Yin Shen, ‘Sensing the Spirit’, after opening the Yin Shen secret treasure, is similar to the ‘Divine Gate’ of the three gates of the innate. A state similar to a demon in the heart will appear. Only by breaking free from it can one enter the second gate, ‘Fusion of the Origin’.

When Mai Yinghuang broke through in public, he naturally went through the same test. However, his mind was focused on the Great Dao, his state of mind had no obvious flaws, and he was exceptionally talented. In the outside world, it was only a moment, and others were unaware of the danger involved.

After discovering this, Shangguan Jinfeng was caught in a dilemma: dealing with Zhuang Jin might mean cutting off her own arm, and at the same time, it would affect Shangguan Yunchang, the next head of the family; if she didn't deal with him, this threat, though small, was still very real, like the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head.

To some extent, Zhuang Jin had become too powerful to control in the Shangguan family.

Previously, due to various factors, Shangguan Jinfeng hesitated, pondered, considered, and observed. Most importantly, there was still time. Before Zhuang Jin reached the third level of the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm and the threshold of the Yin God Realm, she was not in a hurry to make a decision.

During this period, they could also be used as cattle and horses, so the use was delayed.

However, if you pay attention to Shangguan Jinfeng's various actions, you can see that she has subconsciously taken measures to avoid direct confrontation: on the one hand, she added bottlenecks to Zhuang Jin's physical body secret technique, the "Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique"; on the other hand, she added bottlenecks to the Super Gang Yuan Pill...

On the other hand, preparations were also made for any eventuality. For example, at the beginning of her marriage, she was given the Corpse-Subduing Pill through Shangguan Yunchang; when pursuing Bian Zhihao, she was rewarded with three precious pills and a Wood Spirit Pearl, also through Shangguan Yunchang; the investigation of Li Shicong and all the results were also reported by Shangguan Yunchang; and after Li Shicong, the results and distribution were also handled through Shangguan Yunchang.

It could be said that all of this was to deepen the relationship between Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang and win their hearts, but from another perspective, it was also a subconscious way of distancing and isolating them, so that if things came to blows, they could remain rational and not be influenced by emotions.

"Now, young Zhuang, you've reached the pinnacle of the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm, having accumulated enough experience to sever the three corpses. You're on the verge of becoming a Yin God. Your secret technique, the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique, is also nearing completion. We can't delay any longer; it's time to make a decision!"

Under the bright spring sunshine, Shangguan Jinfeng held the orange cat, her eyes squinting.

Now, disregarding the risks, at the cost of "the Shangguan family possibly changing hands and the ancestral legacy falling into other people's hands," they let Zhuang Jin have his way, with everyone seemingly on good terms and all things amicable?
Or should we be ruthless and take decisive action, relying on ourselves or other indirect means to eliminate the threat, even if it means turning against our granddaughter Shangguan Yunchang and increasing the risk to her Yin Shen Pass, or even abandoning Shangguan Yunchang and changing the head of the family, so as to ensure the stability of our ancestral foundation without any risks?

this is a problem.

At this moment, Shangguan Jinfeng's mindset is somewhat similar to that of a founding emperor, grappling with the question of whether to execute meritorious officials—is it better to be lenient, ignore the risks, be indecisive, and sow the seeds of future troubles for future generations? Or is it better to protect the dynasty and the nation by eliminating the risks, even if it means brothers killing each other and bearing the infamy in history?

Human nature is inherently selfish; the answer to this question was already known when it arose.

"Meow!"

As a cat's meow faded away, Shangguan Jinfeng had already made up her mind.

……

(End of this chapter)