Reincarnated as a Divine Tree

Vol. 1 - Ch. 294 - What to Do

Seeing that their clan leader's gaze was vacant and his consciousness was adrift as though he were lost, the elder behind him could no longer hold back. Raising his voice, he called out again,“Clan Leader! What should the family do now?"

Shi Chenghong's body trembled slightly at the question, and his eyes slowly regained focus. Yet, only a faint murmur came from his lips:

"What to do? What to do...?"

Since learning from the family’s Divine Stone last night that their clansmen had fallen, he had remained in the ancestral hall. He knew without a doubt that this meant the clan had attacked the Chen family.

Each glowing point on the Divine Stone represented one of the clan’s martial artists—the brighter the light, the stronger the warrior.

But when he saw those lights vanish one after another, the calm on his face quickly dissolved. The losses were far greater than he had ever imagined.

At first, Shi Chenghong did not think deeply about it. In clan wars, casualties were inevitable, but as long as the warriors of the Innate Realm remained, the family could endure.

But when the brightest light on the Divine Stone suddenly vanished, panic surged through him.

That light did not belong to an Innate Realm martial artist, it was Uncle He Zhang, who had just broken through to the Qi Manipulation Realm!

Shi Chenghong would rather believe that something had gone wrong with the Divine Stone itself than accept that his newly advanced uncle had fallen.

Yet, no matter how many times he tried to commune with the Divine Stone, the answer remained unchanged.

The sudden blow aged him in an instant. When the final brilliant lights disappeared from the stone, Shi Chenghong stood frozen in the ancestral hall. His expression was blank and he did not move until dawn broke.

What should he do?

This expedition had brought nearly all of the clan’s martial artists into battle, yet almost all of them had perished at Chaotic Burial Mountain.

Such losses dragged the family down. Even as clan leader, Shi Chenghong could not see a way forward.

"Chenghong, give the order soon."

Shi Chenghong's anguished cry tore through the hall.

“Clan Uncle, it’s all gone! Everything is gone!”

His reddened eyes pointed toward the Divine Stone, trembling with despair.

Shi Heli, who had stayed behind during the expedition, steadied his breathing before sternly rebuking him:

“Chenghong, you are the Clan Leader of the Shi family. When the elders chose you, they believed you could lead us to new glory. Look at yourself now. What kind of leader are you, standing here in ruin?

"Yes, the clan has suffered defeat. But the Divine Stone remains. I am still here. I am still here. And outside, many clansmen still live!

“The clan still has hope. We have not been destroyed. But if you continue in this state, how can you lead us forward?"

The harsh words struck Shi Chenghong like a slap, and a flicker of clarity returned to his dazed eyes.

Yes, the clan has lost, but not completely. There are still elders alive. There are still clansmen scattered across the city. If he could gather them, the Shi family would possess formidable strength. This was their foundation, their heritage.

After a brief silence, Shi Chenghong replied in a low, heavy voice:

"Clan Uncle, I understand."

Seeing that he had regained his composure, Shi Heli did not press further. He simply said,

"I expect it won’t take long before the Chen Clan comes knocking. You should make a decision soon."

"Alright."

After Shi Heli left, Shi Chenghong turned to the elder beside him and said,

"Go. Tell the clansmen to start packing."

Upon hearing this, the elder’s body stiffened. He knew what such an order implied all too well. Yet he did not argue; he quickly turned and left.

After giving the command, Shi Chenghong let out a long sigh. He never imagined the family would be forced to this point one day.

Among the clansmen dispatched this time were many Blood Coagulation Realm martial artists, as well as Uncle He Zhang and six Innate Realm warriors.

No, that's incorrect. It should have been seven.

Shi Chenghong turned his gaze toward the ancestral divine stone before him, which now had only a single light point. His expression was calm.

Defeat is defeat. There was nothing more to say.

With the little strength they had left, the clan was no longer capable of standing against the Chen family.

Yet, before leaving, he was determined to uncover the reason for their downfall. Why had the clan lost? Where had they faltered? If he could not understand this, then he would not rest easy, even in death.

Moreover, he had considered that even if the clan was defeated, the Chen family would not attack immediately. There was still time, enough to uncover the truth and allow the clansmen to prepare.

Shi Chenghong stepped out of the ancestral hall and gazed upon the vast expanse of Yong’an City. A self-mocking smile tugged at his lips.

He had never imagined things would end this way.

…

At Chaotic Burial Mountain, many villagers who came to the Chen family looked at the scarlet red and rusty land outside the Chen family, their eyes filled with horror.

They could clearly distinguish between land used to cultivate Blood Rice and land stained with fresh blood.

Even though they did not know the exact details of the battle that had taken place there, the sight alone shook their hearts. Some villagers in the crowd trembled uncontrollably.

Yet when they saw the ruined, desolate Chen clan estate in dire need of rebuilding, they did not hesitate. The tools they had prepared long ago were already in their hands, and they strode forward into the clan grounds.

"Clan Leader, I’ve come to help repair the houses!"

"Clan Leader, we brought our own food!"

Before Chen Xingzhen and the others could respond, the villagers had begun their work.

This brought a faint smile to Chen Xingzhen’s face. It seemed the clan’s earlier efforts had not been in vain after all.

Soon after the villagers arrived, Ma Heng, Mo Si, and Gu Yu came to the clan as well.

"Clan Leader Chen, I truly apologize. I still have a wife and children at home, so I cannot contribute much to your noble clan. I can only lend my laboring strength.”

Ma Heng clasped his fists with both hands, his face filled with guilt.

Earlier, he had even considered fleeing altogether. After some hesitation, however, he chose to remain at Chaotic Burial Mountain and see how things would unfold.

He had not expected the Chen Clan to emerge victorious against the overwhelming might and aggressive advance of the Shi Clan.

"Clan Leader Chen, I don't know much about martial arts, but I've recently read a lot of books about house construction. Perhaps I can be of some help."

One by one, the men spoke, each expressing regret for being powerless during the great battle.

However, Chen Xingzhen paid them no mind. He simply smiled and said,

“The fact that you are willing to remain here at Chaotic Burial Mountain shows your regard for the clan. Once the rebuilding is complete, you will still be honored as the Chen Clan’s martial instructors and teachers."

“Thank you for your understanding, Clan Leader Chen.”

The men clasped their fists once more, then strode forward, ready to contribute to the clan’s reconstruction efforts.

Only Gu Yu lingered, hesitation clouding his face and making his expression uncertain.

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