Qing Ti watched his clansmen fall one by one, his heart burning with rage. He wished he could slap Chi Li and Lan Guan to death. He had repeatedly warned them not to cause trouble and to get along peacefully, for they were of the same clan. Yet, these two, right under his nose, had resorted to a full-blown brawl, as if determined to kill each other!
Using a precious artifact, Qing Ti broke through the Blue Clan's barrier, burst in, and unleashed his oppressive aura, forcing everyone to stop. However, his might seemed to have lost its effect on these bloodthirsty individuals. Qing Ti had no choice but to rush forward and separate the combatants. Yet, as soon as he dealt with one pair, another began fighting. Qing Ti, alone, was utterly powerless to stop it!
"The king must be captured first. Chi Li, Lan Guan, you'd best give me a reasonable explanation, or you will both face severe punishment!" Qing Ti shot towards Lan Guan and Chi Li like lightning. He had to stop these two first, otherwise, the elites of both the Red and Blue Clans would be decimated. That would be a significant loss of fighting strength, and if the Divine Lord found out, he too would not escape punishment!
"Stop, all of you, stop!" Qing Ti stood between the two, kicking them both down from the air, creating two deep craters on the ground.
Chi Li leaped out of the pit, brandished his weapon, and charged again. Lan Guan was not to be outdone. If Chi Li led his people to attack his clan, and he merely endured it, how would the Blue Clan ever gain respect in the Holy Land?
"All of you, stop!" Qing Ti's enraged roar echoed far and wide. Those with lower cultivation levels felt their eardrums ache. However, Qing Ti's roar only managed to sober them for a moment before they plunged back into endless slaughter.
Qing Ti looked at the frenzied figures, his expression exceptionally grim. He struck Chi Li, who was charging at him, with a palm strike, sending him flying to crash against the barrier. He then grabbed Lan Guan's arm and dislocated both of his shoulders, only then did the two calm down.
"All of you, stop! If you don't stop, you will all be severely punished!"
"I will kill you, I will kill you!" Chi Li struggled to get up, his eyes red, seeing only Lan Guan. Lan Guan was equally defiant.
"Come if you dare! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Qing Ti grabbed both of them by the neck, lifting them up. "This City Lord ordered you to stop, don't you hear me?"
Lan Guan finally calmed down. Seeing Qing Ti's dark, storm-brewing expression, he inwardly lamented his misfortune. "Lord Qing Ti, please be our arbiter. Chi Li led his people to attack us, insisting that we killed Chi Yuan and refusing to listen to any explanation. He then went on a killing spree in our Blue Clan. Lord Qing Ti, we are truly wronged."
Qing Ti turned to Chi Li. "Is what he says true?"
Chi Li spat at Lan Guan. "Shameless old fox! You captured my grandson. I came to confront you, and you, fearing exposure, ordered your men to annihilate my grandson's soul! Chi Li and you are mortal enemies!"
"Enough!" Qing Ti berated. "I see you all wish not to live!"
The palpable killing intent immediately brought the two back to their senses. The Blue Clan's grounds were now littered with corpses, countless disciples dead or injured. Chi Li's brought elites also suffered heavy losses.
"Make them all stop!"
The two exchanged glances and issued their commands. Their clansmen gradually ceased fighting, their bloodlust having been spent. They slowly regained their composure and looked towards their respective leaders.
"Today, the Red and Blue Clans engaged in unauthorized combat, resulting in heavy casualties. Chi Li and Lan Guan are to be apprehended. The rest are to return to their homes!" Qing Ti's voice resounded in everyone's minds. "Anyone who engages in unauthorized combat again will be severely punished without exception!"
"Lord Qing Ti, the death of my grandson..."
"Because of your grandson's death, look how many people have died?" Qing Ti pointed to the fallen around them and retorted, "They are also someone's grandson. Is your grandson a grandson, but others' grandsons are just stones?"
"Lord Qing Ti, if my grandson was murdered, am I not allowed to seek revenge for him?"
"The wronged have their head, the debtor has their owner. Whoever killed your grandson, go find them. Why involve the innocent?"
Chi Li stared at Qing Ti for a long time, then gave a disdainful laugh. He offered no further refutation. Their City Lord, he mused, never cared about their feelings. He only wished for peace and tranquility within the inner city, preferably without any incidents, so he could maintain his position as City Lord. In his eyes, they were no different from livestock in the markets of the Central Continent!
"Lord Qing Ti, these children are innocent. Furthermore, Chi Yuan's death truly has nothing to do with us." Lan Guan seized the opportunity to complain. "Chi Li, without any proof, attacked us. These poor children were killed before they even had a chance to react. *sob sob* As their patriarch, how can I face their parents and families?"
"Enough!" Qing Ti grabbed the two. "One hand cannot clap. If you hadn't provoked him, would he have come to kill you?"
"Lord Qing Ti, that's not how you put it..."
"Why didn't he go to kill the Purple Clan, or the Yellow Clan, but only came for your Blue Clan?" Qing Ti interrupted Lan Guan. "This indicates that your Blue Clan itself has issues. You two are equally at fault. Go to the dungeon and sober up."
Qing Ti threw the two into the dungeon. The Blue and Red Clans, having lost their leaders, descended into chaos. The members of other clans watched the spectacle with amusement. Ordinarily, the Red Clan's actions were bothersome, but this time, their attack on the Blue Clan had resulted in heavy losses. For a while, the entire inner city was abuzz with talk of the incident.
Jiang Lan accompanied Xiao Man out for tea. "No wonder you insisted on coming out for tea. So, it was to hear some good gossip."
"I'm here to let you hear the gossip," Xiao Man said leisurely. "The tea here is too bitter to drink. The tea-making process is too crude. It's ultimately far inferior to the tea outside."
"The tea here excels in its dense spiritual energy, which isn't found everywhere."
"A person's body is like a container. When this container is full, no matter how much more you pour in, it won't fit." Xiao Man picked up the teapot and poured tea into the cup. "Just like this teacup, it can only hold one cup of tea. Any more will overflow and be wasted."
Jiang Lan snatched the teapot from Xiao Man. "Even if the taste isn't good, don't waste it. It costs at least one spirit stone per pot, and I can hardly afford to drink it myself."
"Spiritual tea is good, but don't drink too much," Xiao Man said softly. "The Red and Blue Clans fought, and both suffered heavy losses. The patriarchs of both clans have been thrown into the dungeon. I wonder how the City Lord will deal with them."
"They'll be locked up for a few days. Once they calm down, they'll be released," Jiang Lan said with a cold laugh. This was the way the Divine Race handled matters. If it were their human race, they would have disappeared without a trace in the dungeon long ago.
"Is that so?" A meaningful smile flickered across Xiao Man's lips. "I fear these two might not be peaceful even in prison."