Chapter 648: Footprints (1/2)

Everyone knew they were witnessing the beginning of the end for House Donglin. There was no return from this.

Although the Lin Clan often clashed with House Donglin for being traitors, the house had grown increasingly powerful until they’d finally become the greatest aristocracy in Aureate Major, even threatening the authority of the heavenly court.

Now, however, House Donglin was truly doomed.

The turn of events proved one truism: wealth enabled one to do anything and everything!

Lu Yun was a wealthy man. Not only that, his allies were wealthy as well. The thirteen merchant guilds monopolized more than half of the riches in the world of immortals, which made them the wealthiest group of people in the world.

It seemed that any enemy of Lu Yun’s would be considered their enemy as well! They would even continue supporting his followers if the youth died. Just what exactly had Lu Yun given them?!

The Exalted celestial emperor felt the onset of a headache. Thank heavens he hadn’t acted on his impulse to kill Lu Yun before!

After speaking their piece, the heads of the thirteen merchant guilds concealed themselves again. Not even the celestial emperor knew where they were hiding.

The thirteen old freaks had built a great foundation in the world of immortals. Their people could be found across all of the facets, four seas, and top clans. They would have no difficulty blending into any crowd.

Fortunately, an agreement existed between the merchant guilds and top factions of the world that the former would never attempt to conquer the world of immortals, on pain of heavenly tribulations.

Otherwise, the elites of the world would’ve come together long ago to destroy the large merchant guilds. Granted, that would’ve been an action of last resort. No one wanted a fight to the death with wealthy tycoons unless there was no other way.

Now that the heads of the thirteen merchant guilds had taken a stand for Lu Yun, no one would say anything to the contrary. Once again, the young man proved that he had many friends in the world of immortals.

……

“Let’s go, young master...” Members of House Donglin were terrified. Despite their numbers, they now felt like helpless lambs surrounded by salivating wild beasts.

By “young master”, they were referring to Donglin Taihuang. Being less than a hundred years old made him a youth, thus he was called a young master. To Lu Yun however, a hundred-year-old was an ancient relic.

“No!” Donglin Taihuang grit his teeth. “We have to enter Mount Exalted with them. If we leave now, we’ll immediately meet our end!”

Their new territory in Aureate Major had certainly been surrounded by enemies by now. As for their old territory… well, it’d been erased from the map by Lu Yun.

Aureate Major would be the first to attack House Donglin after the clan bounty announcement. That made those who’d followed Donglin Taihuang to Exalted Major the house’s remaining hope. There was still room to maneuver if they followed the Exalted celestial emperor into Mount Exalted, but if they took their leave now, they would be hunted down in short order.

Immortals of Exalted Major were tempted by the bounty as well, but not those loyal to the celestial emperor. They saw the demon fetus in the divine tomb as the real threat here, and their liege had no attention to spare for anything else.

……