Chapter 341: Time to set off…
“Hmmm.”
“…”
In a small hallway in the Zhen Clan estate, one Olivia Zhen, an outer disciple of the Zhen Clan, was currently staring down at a group of figurines sitting upon a hallway alcove. Normally there would just be a pot of flowers decorating the space, but now there were several small statues that she couldn’t make heads or tails about.
One appeared to made from bone but had a weird design to it that almost screamed “rebel” at her.
Another appeared to be made from rusted metal, but had strange looking crystals jutting out of it’s design as if to appear sturdier than it actually was.
While the last looked a bit like a taxidermied spider, but had it’s fangs modified for some reason.
“Where on Valresta did you three come from,” Olivia mumbled to herself as she pondered on their origins.
It was during this pondering that a friend of hers, and fellow clansman, by the name of Rodericka Zhen walked by.
“Hey Olivia! What you standing in the hallway for?”
“Hey…is it just me, or are there a lot more figures decorating the estate lately?”
“You mean the bone ones or the rusty metal ones?”
“Both.”
“Oh that’s apparently the Fourth Young Master’s doing,” Rodericka explained, “He’s been practicing his puppet making skills with the left over bones and rusty scrap metal pieces in the storage and junk areas.”
“Ah…and then he just left them around?”
“Kinda… it’s more like he began to decorate the empty spaces a bit. Something about wanting to fill the void of people or something.”
“That’s…weird.”
“Yeah. There was also some talk among the housekeepers to throw them out or leave them in a closet space, but weirdly enough, that new secretary lady said to just leave them.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! No idea why. But come on girl, we gotta go see the elders off!”
“Huh…alright.”
Olivia and Rodericka left the hallway after this small conversation, leaving the figures be.
However, if they had turned around or paid closer attention, they would have noticed the figures watching them leave before hiding elsewhere when they were both out of sight.
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After weeks of preparation, it was finally time for the core members of the Zhen Clan to go to Roaring Tide!
This meant that for the next few weeks, Zhen Shi, his sons and their respective families would be leaving all of the business matters in Stone Claw City to their secondaries and inducted family members, while the patriarch went to go make amends with a family who’s honor he besmirched for the sake of love.
Evidently, the ones left behind to run things while the patriarch and elders were away weren’t exactly jealous about the situation.
It’s a bit of an open secret, but at least several inducted members of the Zhen Clan also had rocky relationships with their prior relations.
“Yeah…I remember having to bail when my dad found out about my relationship… ain’t my fault the servant he hired was so…rugged.”
“Oh man, I think I remember the elders of my family wanted to beat me to death after I broke off my engagement.”
“A part of me wanted to go see what the deal with this so-called main branch is all about, but I’d rather not get killed because of politics. Especially the familial kind.”
That being said, it also probably helped that two of the people left behind to guard and run the place were the recently hired Aranea and Lucille, as well as Stablemaster Ricardo, who had managed to reach peak Aether Master thanks to the Sacred Beast Essence.
Aranea and Lucille were originally slated to come along to Roaring Tide as well, but the two of them had refused on the ground of making sure everything back at home was in tip top condition for when the others returned.
That said, the two Grandmasters did have other ways of showing up if necessary.
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[Alright, so at top speed, the two of us can reach the Library in precisely…three minutes and forty-seven seconds! Hmmm, gonna have to try and shave at least two to seven seconds then…]
[Oh that is bullshit! How am I as slow as you, spider-whore? I have wings!]
[The advantages of multiple legs, you dainty winged bitch.]
[We both have multiple legs!]
[I have two extra, sucker!]
[Rah!]
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While it was a rather significant occasion that this pilgrimage was occurring in the first place, the unfortunate fact was that this trip put a lot of other plans on hold.
Namely the cementing of Zhen Liu’s engagement and the nuptials of Zhen Yue and Santiago Ecaredies.
That first one was still weirdly being debated, but those latter two actually lucked out.
The next auspicious date for both of them was quite literally two weeks after the Zhen Clan was estimated to return from Roaring Tide.
Granted, while they did sign off on the date, some members of the Zhen Clan we’re still a tad hesitant on whether or not it was a good idea to cement the date as such.
Well, the First and Second Elders at least.
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“Zhen Hou.”
“Huh? Sup big bro? I was just about to finish packing Da Bao’s chew toy.”
Zhen Long stared at the “chew toy”, Zhen Hou was referring to, noting that it was the femur of a Steel-boned Goat about as big as three human babies.
‘Everyday I’m reminded why I prefer to raise wolves,’ Zhen Long thought to himself before focusing back to the matter at hand.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for you to set the date for your daughter’s wedding literally two weeks from when we’re expected to return from Roaring Tide? Weren’t you one of the ones that was against us going back in the first place on the basis that it was suicidal?”
“Well yeah,” Zhen Hou agreed while packing away the bone, “but that was before Lucille and Aranea showed up. As well as before you, Zhen Yan and Zhen Lao all broke through to the Grandmaster rank. There we go!”
With his task completed, Zhen Hou stood up and turned to talk to his brother face to face.
“The way I see it now, there’s no way those main branch guys will try anything underhanded now that we have so much fighting power on our side and even if they send anybody to mess with our foundation here in the frontier, I have feeling those two ladies will give them a hell of an asswhooping.”
“Highly optimistic of you.”
“More like I watched Lucille dismantle a fourth grade Steel-boned Goat about six minutes ago with her bare hands. Where else you think I got the toy?”
“Ah.”
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But of course, out of everyone participating in this excursion to Roaring Tide, two people in particular had a vested interest in making sure this whole venture went smoothly.
The first was, naturally, Patriarch Zhen Shi, who actually did want to bury the hatchet with everyone he and wife accidentally snubbed all those years ago. As well as help his family connect with their homeland.
As for the second, it was none other than Zhen Liu. Granted it was for a very different reason that was a tad more selfish than his grandfather’s desire, but he also made sure to make up for it via an act he considered downright altruistic.
Shooting them in the face.
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Library of Nowhere – Common Area
“Uhh…Jin Fang? Rianna?”
“Yes?”
“Yeah?”
“Any particular reason why y’all are sitting on my lap right now?”
“No reason.”
“Marking my territory.”
“Okay, as much as I enjoy this, please get off my lap so I may instruct the kaijin on what we’re gonna be doing these upcoming weeks?”
“We don’t mind watching.”
“Not helping, Hurricroak.”
“Awww, fine.”
“I finished anyways.”
Now that the girls were off of his lap, Zhen Liu could get to business.
Sitting at the table with Zhen Liu was Nepherage, Hurricroak and Frosttusk. Lacerage and Archanidame we’re still busy being “secretaries” but were still listening in, while Razor Maiden and Spring Brawler were off reading somewhere.
“Alright guys,” Zhen Liu began to say while unfurling the map, “after doing some math, and having Logos and Pathos double checking it, I have determined that it will take us about three and a half weeks for us to get to the Blossoming Scales Kingdom and about a day to get to the tomb of this Invulnerable Storm Queen. Understand?”
“Yes, milord.”
“Crystal clear, maestro!”
“Okay…”
“Cool, however, I am not at all comfortable about the idea of leaving the family to defend itself while we go galavanting in some magic possible hell tomb.”
After making this statement, Zhen Liu ducked under the table and produced four sheets of paper depicting four of this uncles.
“Which is why we’re going to be pulling a Wolfe Night and shooting each of my uncles in the face with one of you guys. Y’all pick the one you want to try and possess and we’ll determine when and where, right now.”
