Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 534 - 297 The Curtain Rises

The news of the Chen Family's annihilation quickly became known to everyone, immediately stirring up a maelstrom. Just when the Noble Families and Clans were utterly convinced of their ability to eradicate the Rebels, those very foes had silently changed locations, slaughtered the Chen Family, and, to the Noble Families and Clans, it was undeniably a vicious slap squarely across their faces.

After all, the Chen Family was no mere upstart; though not among the elite, they were an esteemed family with a lineage of a thousand years. The thought of their complete extermination by the Rebels, who were rumored to have even burned down the ancestral hall to ashes, made the other families feel a cold shiver down their spines. Today it was the Chen Family; tomorrow it could well be their own. Once the veil of civility was torn apart, the brutality and ruthlessness of war became glaringly obvious.

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Inside the grand hall of the Lin Family, the elderly Family Head smacked the table with rage, his aged face aflame with fury. He roared like an angry lion, "Ask that useless wretch from Third Brother's family when he'll bring me the bandit leader's head. Is he waiting for them to come and chop off mine?"

The people below were stunned by the Family Head's outburst, having never seen him in such a state of fury all these years.

Little did they know, the fall of the Chen Family was the bell tolling the start of chaotic times. They had set a terrible precedent. Competition among the Noble Families was supposed to have limits, and rarely did it lead to wiping out an entire family since fortunes could always turn. But when a troublemaker appeared, everyone's bottom line was dragged down.

Henceforth, the name of the Noble Families would no longer serve as an amulet of protection. Acts of complete annihilation would happen more frequently.

When the Noble Families started to take full action, the energy generated was immensely huge. In a short period, armies converged from all directions upon the towns held by the Rebels, each contingent clad in full armor and weaponry, with abundant provisions and well-trained troops.

They resembled dark clouds slowly closing in from all directions upon the city held by the righteous army.

A middle-aged man stood on top of the city walls with Lao Han and a group of leaders, looking into the distance at the rising dust clouds. He asked, "The Noble Families are coming ferociously. Speak up, what should we do?"

"What to do? Just slaughter them," someone confidently shouted. "Now that we have the Chen Family's wealth and everyone has rested up, it's time to teach these arrogant Noble Families a profound lesson."

However, those around just gave him a look that one would give to a fool before turning away their gaze. They all knew too well that the power rallied by the Noble Families and Clans was simply beyond their match, and to engage in a decisive battle here would only lead to their complete downfall.

"I think it's better to take advantage of the fact that the encirclement hasn't formed yet. Escaping now is our best bet. Once we break through, with our mobility, where in the vast world can't we go?" someone suggested leaving, and his proposal was immediately echoed by those around him. For many, it was all about the wealth; now that they had the Chen Family's treasures accumulated over a thousand years, it was impossible for them to abandon everything and fight to the death.

The middle-aged man cast a solemn glance at the surrounding leaders, knowing the unity within this troop was gone, no longer the army that would follow his lead.

"You make sense. If we break through the encirclement, we can make our way to the Central Plains, where the Noble Families proliferate. Right now, it's extremely vulnerable there, with endless Gold and Silver Treasures waiting for us to claim. However, we must have a force attack in the opposite direction to draw their attention. Otherwise, given our current strength, we'll just be chased down and annihilated. Who here is willing to take on this task?"

As soon as the middle-aged man finished his words, all fell silent. It was a clear suicide mission, so how could they be willing to take it on? Now that they had the riches of the Chen Family, each one was immensely wealthy and naturally very reluctant to risk their lives.

Consequently, an eerie tension filled the air. Everyone looked at one another, hoping someone else would step up to bear the burden, yet they all stayed as unmoving and silent as a wooden carving.

It was then that Lao Han stepped forward, bowed to the middle-aged man and said, "If that's the case, let me take on this task!"

Puzzlement filled the faces of those around, as Lao Han was the brain of the entire army, always inseparable from the leader. It was unexpected that he would be the one to take on this responsibility in the end.

"Do any of you have objections?" the middle-aged man asked, sweeping his gaze over the leaders around him. He noticed that they all bowed their heads, and still, no one spoke up against it.

The middle-aged man sighed silently, then, with a listless tone, said, "If that's how it is, let Lao Han go and pick his squad of the best equipped from your ranks for a suicide mission. If you all are reluctant to meet your end, then don't hinder Lao Han's actions."

After commanding the room with his authority, the palpable force of his presence prevented anyone from daring to look him in the eye, let alone speak up against him.

"So it's settled. Lao Han, you go select your men. Everyone else, be prepared. As soon as Lao Han launches the charge, the rest of you will break out from another direction."

When everyone else had left and only the middle-aged man and Lao Han remained on the city wall, they stood against the wind, their worn clothes flapping. Since breaching the Chen Family, all the leading figures had eagerly adorned themselves in fine silken garb, except for Lao Han and the few who still wore their old attire.