Reincarnated as a Ginkgo Tree: I Create an Eternal Divine Kingdom - Chapter 88

When the news from Green Hills Mansion reached the Southern King’s Manor, it incited a furious reaction from the heir, Fan Zhe. Even the current Southern King, Fan Ying, was alerted.

“Father, our Southern King’s Manor has served the empire loyally for a thousand years, yet we can’t even claim a small city like Su City. What kind of joke is this?” Fan Zhe raged.

“You lose your temper over such a minor issue. How do you expect to inherit the title in the future?” Fan Ying reprimanded.

“This is more than just a minor issue!” Fan Zhe argued.

“You’re missing the point,” Fan Ying replied coldly. “What do you think is the key factor preventing the Southern King’s Manor from taking control of Su City?”

“Of course, it’s the Su family,” Fan Zhe said.

“Then why haven’t you considered eliminating the root of the problem instead of wasting effort elsewhere?” Fan Ying asked icily.

Fan Zhe was momentarily stunned, then exclaimed in surprise, “Father, are you suggesting…”

“Gather your forces, disguise them as bandits, and wipe out the Su family,” Fan Ying said. “The area outside the Ancient Wilderness Mountains is currently in chaos. If we eliminate the Su family, Green Hills Mansion won’t be able to trace it back to us.”

Fan Zhe’s eyes gleamed with understanding. “Father, you’re brilliant.”

That night, five miles outside Su City, a group of black-clad, black-armored cavalry halted in a desolate forest. This black cavalry belonged to the Southern King’s Manor. Leading them were none other than Fan Zhe and his trusted aide, Uncle He.

“Young lord, a wise man avoids unnecessary risks. Given your status, it would be unwise to personally participate in this attack on the Su family,” Uncle He advised seriously.

Fan Zhe dismissed his concerns. “Uncle He, my father has entrusted you with the black cavalry. Don’t tell me you can’t handle a bunch of country bumpkins.”

“I will not disappoint the lord,” Uncle He quickly reassured him.

“Good,” Fan Zhe said. “Since you’re confident you can destroy the Su family, I won’t be in any danger. I’m personally going to behead Su Yan to show him the consequences of crossing me.”

What Fan Zhe didn’t know was that a pair of eyes in the sky were watching them closely. High above, a massive crow blended into the night, its keen vision detecting the presence of the black cavalry as soon as they appeared. The crow immediately reported its findings to Su Yan, who swiftly raised the alarm. The Su family’s core members, especially the wolf riders from the Misty Area’s underground world, were quickly mobilized.

There were clearly traitors within Su City.

Before long, the southern gate of the city was opened, allowing the black cavalry to flood in. They charged directly toward the Su Residence, galloping through the deserted streets with reckless abandon.

Suddenly, a barrage of arrows rained down from the buildings lining the street, catching the black cavalry off guard. Despite the ambush, their strength was formidable, and they managed to preserve most of their forces as they reached the gates of the Su Residence.

The lead rider smashed through the main gate, but he was immediately met with a sword strike. The core members of the Su family had been waiting in the courtyard for this moment. A fierce battle erupted.

Fan Zhe and Uncle He’s expressions quickly darkened as they realized they had severely underestimated the Su family’s strength. They had assumed that even if Su Yan was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the rest of the Su family would be weak, especially given that their intelligence suggested the Su family had been mere villagers six months ago. But now, it was clear that the Su family was far more powerful than they had anticipated.

The black cavalry found themselves under tremendous pressure, indicating that the Su family’s overall strength likely surpassed their own.

“There are at least five Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Su family, possibly more,” Uncle He said gravely.

He hadn’t made a move yet because Su Yan also hadn’t taken action. Both were late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, locked in a stalemate, watching and waiting.

After over a quarter of an hour of fighting, Uncle He concluded that they couldn’t breach the Su family’s defenses. If this continued, the black cavalry would suffer heavy casualties. With Fan Zhe still present, Uncle He didn’t dare risk his safety any further. He decided to retreat and reassess the situation.

“Retreat,” Uncle He ordered decisively.

From the moment the crow had spotted the black cavalry, nearly an hour had passed. This was more than enough time for the wolf riders from the Misty Area to arrive at Su City.

As the black cavalry retreated, the Su family cultivators followed at a steady pace. Once the black cavalry reached the outskirts of the city, they sensed something was wrong. Powerful demonic auras emanated from the darkness ahead, followed by a chorus of howling wolves.

The black cavalry’s pupils contracted as they saw a hundred giant wolves charging at them from the night, each with a rider on its back. Surrounded by the wolf riders in front and the Su family’s pursuers behind, the black cavalry found themselves caught in a pincer attack. The outcome was sealed from that moment on.

The black cavalry had struggled to fend off the Su family’s attacks, which had forced them to retreat in the first place. Now, caught between two forces, they were even more helpless. Within minutes, the battlefield was littered with corpses.

Among the few survivors, Fan Zhe knelt, trembling beside Uncle He, who was severely wounded. Normally a source of security for Fan Zhe, Uncle He was now barely holding on. Despite his formidable strength, Uncle He had been overwhelmed after the other black cavalry had fallen, leaving him to face multiple Su family members alone.

Without hesitation, Su Yan swung his sword, decapitating Uncle He. Blood splattered across Fan Zhe’s face as he trembled uncontrollably. “No… I’m the heir of the Southern King’s Manor. You can’t kill me, or the Southern King’s Manor will destroy your Su family…”

“This night, bandits attacked Su City. The young lord was tragically slain by the bandits. What does that have to do with the Su family?” Su Yan said coldly.

In the next moment, he swung his sword again, beheading Fan Zhe. “Burn the bodies,” Su Yan ordered.

With a crackling roar, the flames consumed the bodies of the Southern King’s Manor forces, reducing them to ashes in no time.

An hour later, back at the Southern King’s Manor, Fan Ying sensed that something was wrong. By now, the black cavalry should have destroyed the Su family. Yet, he had received no word.

“Send someone to Su City immediately to investigate the whereabouts of my son and the black cavalry,” Fan Ying commanded.

The Southern King’s Manor operated with great efficiency. Within half an hour, the scouts returned with their findings.

“Your Grace, we’ve gathered information,” the scout reported, his voice trembling. “There’s been a tragedy at Su City. They say bandits attacked the city tonight, and the young lord was unfortunate enough to be killed by them.”

Fan Ying slammed his fist onto the table, shattering it instantly. Bandit attack? That was the excuse he had intended to use to justify the destruction of the Su family. And now, the Su family had turned the tables, using the same excuse to explain Fan Zhe’s death.

The worst part was that Fan Ying couldn’t openly seek justice from the Su family. This matter couldn’t be investigated. If anyone looked too closely, even the dullest minds would realize that the so-called bandits were, in fact, the Southern King’s Manor’s black cavalry.

This time, he had truly shot himself in the foot. Worse yet, it had cost him his son’s life.

“Su family!” Fan Ying roared in fury, his eyes bloodshot as he let out a crazed scream.

In stark contrast, the Su family’s reputation soared. Though no one pursued the truth, everyone knew what had really happened. Seeing that even the Southern King’s Manor had suffered a major setback at the hands of the Su family, other factions began to regard the Su family with newfound respect. Many who had previously eyed Su City with greed quickly withdrew their ambitions. Su City was clearly not as easy to grasp as they had imagined.

Meanwhile, in Qingzhou, the disappearance of the imperial Grand Seer had caused great concern among the province’s top officials.