Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 200: Xiao Ziyun [1]

"What did you just say? Xiao Zhi entered the Abyss?"

Xiao Ziyun's voice echoed coldly across the vast ancestral hall.

She sat alone on the patriarch's throne, draped in dark silks, her long silver hair cascading over her shoulders like pale moonlight.

Her eyes, sharp as blades and just as cruel, bore into the kneeling informant at the foot of the dais.

Despite the death of their previous patriarch under mysterious circumstances, the Xiao family remained unshaken, for the family still had her.

Xiao Ziyun, a woman spoken off only in hushed tones, a well known lunatic.

And the 2nd dark gold rank cultivator of the Xiao family.

Also the only Dark Gold Rank who had proven herself on the battlefield by standing her ground against three other dark gold ranks.

"Say, do you think my son will survive inside the Abyss?" she asked, her eyes staring straight at the informant. Her lips curled up to what, a smile.

The informant's voice trembled as he continued, "Yes, Matriarch. The Hua family… they gifted him a spatial ring filled with Abyss-repellent pills."

There was a beat of silence.

Then Xiao Ziyun leaned back in the seat, her expression unreadable.

"How generous of them…" she mused softly, her fingers tapping against the armrest with quiet menace. "And you said they gave up their Abyss quota this year for his entrance?"

"Yes, Matriarch."

Her lips curved into a slow smile. "Hmm… So generous it stinks of guilt. Prepare a formal notice. Inform the Hua family we will provide them with half of our slots this year in gratitude."

The moment the words left her lips, the quiet hall erupted.

Elders rose to their feet, shouting over one another.

"This is madness! The Xiao and Hua families are rivals!"

"We lost so many golds because of that meddling son of yours! He basically helped the hua family stand their ground against us!"

"Shameful! This is no alliance! It is outright surrendering!"

"Have you all forgotten?! Xiao Wuzi vanished! And now Xiao Ling too! I'll bet my cultivation it's the Hua family's doing!"

Dozens of voices joined in, hurling accusations and outrage, drowning each other out.

Xiao Ziyun simply smiled.

She didn't shout. She didn't speak, instead, she just stood and that was all it takes,

the hall fell silent.

The temperature seemed to have even dropped.

A single gust of soul force swept through the air, not enough to injure, but more than enough to warn.

Her gaze swept across the room slowly. "Well, well... what happened? For a moment there, I thought you all were the patriarch."

Not a single elder dared to speak up.

Her smile turned cruel. "No? Then sit down and remember who holds this family together. Wuzi has already disappeared, Ling is also gone, and now my son has stepped into the Abyss. The Hua family might be devils, but they've bought themselves one favor with this little offering."

She turned her head slightly, speaking not to the elders, but almost to herself.

"My son… he always is a little fool." Her smile twitched. "Running off like that. If he dies, I'll kill him again."

None of the elders dared to react, some, afraid to even breath loud. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

With a flick of her sleeve, she sat again. "Do as I say."

The kneeling informant jolted upright. "Yes, Matriarch!" he stammered, bolting from the hall.

Silence lingered in his wake.

And Xiao Ziyun closed her eyes, still smiling.

"Now then..." Xiao Ziyun's voice, soft yet piercing, cut through the heavy silence lingering in the ancestral hall. "Tell me your thoughts on the Snow Ice Sect. Personally, I think we should eradicate them. But I'm also willing to listen."

A hush fell over the chamber, the kind that presses down on the chest like a boulder.

One elder shifted uncomfortably. Another looked down, pretending to examine his sleeves. But no one dared to speak up.

After all, she wasn't talking about some rogue clan or minor sect.

The Snow Ice Sect—one of the top five sects of the kingdom—was a force of immense power and prestige. And she had just suggested wiping them out as casually as if she were ordering tea.

The silence stretched until an elder finally gathered the courage to speak.

"Matriarch… with all due respect, shouldn't we rebuild our strength before considering war?"

Xiao Ziyun tilted her head slightly, as if genuinely curious.

"And tell me," she said calmly, "what exactly do we need to rebuild? Come on, don't be shy now."

Another elder quickly responded, "Resources, Matriarch. We've lost much since the pill war against the Xiao family. Our stores are depleted, our external networks strained—"

"And where," she interrupted, her voice silk and steel, "are all those resources now?"

The elder faltered. His lips moved, but no words came.

Her eyes narrowed just a sliver.

"Ah, I see. That silence tells me everything."

She stood from her seat once more, this time descending the steps slowly, each tap of her heel echoing like thunder in the stillness.

"Let me make this clear for all of you. If any of you wish to live—truly live—and not rot away under the threat of being hunted like dogs, then you will do exactly as I say. Trust me, you won't want to be on the bad side of my notebook."

She stopped at the base of the dais, a few feet from the gathered elders.

Her grin widened.

"And just so you know… I am always prepared for betrayals. So if you intend to ever backstab me, I suggest you do it properly. Because if you fail…"

She leaned in slightly, voice low and chilling. "I won't just kill you. I'll make sure your grandchildren forget your name out of fear."

The temperature in the hall dropped like a stone. Several elders looked pale, their foreheads damp with sweat despite the cold.

With that, Xiao Ziyun turned and walked out of the hall.

Her eyes remained closed, a sign of provocation while her lips curled into a wide smile.