Chapter 23 - Conspiracy
The Fire Crow Clan’s Ancestral Ceremony had come to a conclusion.
Only one thing was bothering the clan’s Maguspriests - during the ceremony, none of their people had received a ‘gift’ from the ancestors. Normally, if a clan lost their ancestors’ blessing and protection, bad things would soon start to happen.
In Ji Shu’s campsite, tens of people were cheerfully sitting around a bonfire and holding jorums[1], gobbling grilled meats and drinking liquor.
Jiang Bo was sitting in the middle, while holding a jorum with a triumphant grin on his face. The man sitting next to him was the middle-aged man Ji Hao had seen through the spying-crow’s eyes that other night. Jiang Bo and the middle-aged man clinked their jorums then drained off the liquor.
After that the middle-aged man took a deep breath. He wiped his face with his hand and said: “I had lost the fight against Ji Xiong, Ji Xia’s father, decades ago...He ended up breaking tens of my ribs at the ceremony...I had never gotten...the position of the leader.”
“But now,” he shrugged his shoulders and continued satisfyingly, “Ji Xiong is long gone...But I, Ji Huan, am alive and living so well! My son, Ji Shu, beat his son and has become the leader; finally!”
A sexy young woman, who was wearing only a leather skirt, came and filled Ji Huan’s jorum with liquor. Ji Huan narrowed his eyes, and eased his hand up her inner thigh.
Jiang Bo then said slowly: “Now Ji Shu has become the leader of the Fire Crow Clan’s warriors. There are...some things that we couldn't do before. But now, everything gets more convenient. Ha, I suddenly feel that there will be a great future for Ji Shu...and us.”
Ji Shu was sitting next to Ji Huan, holding a blood-jade[2] axe and remained silent.
That axe was three-feet-long, embossed with patterns of a few three-legged gold crows surrounding the sun, and seemed nothing special. There weren’t any spell-symbols on its surface; it was not even a Magic tool.
That axe was the ‘Fire Crow Axe Cane’, the symbol of the highest authority of the Fire Crow Clan. With this ‘Fire Crow Axe Cane’, Ji Shu could mobilize the warriors from thousands of branch clans and subsidiary clans to attack any enemy.
The fighting force of the Fire Crow Clan was tremendous. Not to mention those great warriors, only the thousands of senior level gigantic Fire Crows were able to destroy any small clan.
Ji Shu gazed at the ‘Fire Crow Axe Cane’, opened his mouth slowly and said in a gloomy voice: “I sacrificed my own son for this.”
He kept seeing Ji Wu in his mind. He saw how Ji Wu’s head had exploded, the blood and brain mixed together had soaked his boots. He felt a great heartache. That was his son who had his blood in his veins. He had killed his son for this axe, for this power.
Ji Huan let out a great sniff, and grabbed the axe from Ji Shu’s hands. He carefully stroke the axe with a greedy yet cold expression on his face. “It’s just a son. Ji Shu, I have seven sons, you and your brothers. You just need to get yourself a few more,” said Ji Huan coldly.
“That’s right, Shu.” Jiang Bo gazed at the axe out of the corners of his eyes and agreed. “I will send you a few beautiful Bi Fang Clan’s women once I get back. Shu, you’re young and strong, you will have as many sons as you want!”
Ji Shu stayed silent, and continued with staring at the bonfire with a sullen face.
Jiang Bo narrowed his eyes and continued: “As for Jiang Yao...I know she is always jealous, never letting you touch other women. I will talk to her about this, she’ll understand…”
Jang Yao got inside the tent without making any sound. Her face was as pale as a ghost. She gazed at Jiang Bo in the eyes and said word by a word: “I’m ok with this. But...Ji Xia, Qing Fu, and their damned son, Ji Hao, they have to die! For my son!”
Ji Huan and Ji Shu both threw a glance at her then looked away, without saying anything. Jiang Bo frowned and said with a sneer: “We’ve talked about this, we can’t kill them right now. As you’ve seen, those few old men are still holding a negative attitude towards Ji Shu. Now we...”
“If you don't let me get revenge for my son, I’m telling everybody what you’re planning to do!” yelled Jiang Yao.
“You won’t dare!” Jiang Bo jerked up his body and pointed at Jiang Yao angrily.
“Try me!” Jiang Yao held her head high, stared at her father and said also with a sneer.
“If it wasn't for you...triggering the Bi Fang Clan’s bloodline power inside Ji Wu...” Jiang Bo furiously yelled at his daughter.
“Bi Fang Clan’s bloodline is way powerful than that of the Fire Crow Clan; I wanted to make my son stronger, was I wrong? I wanted my son to win that bitch Qing Fu’s son, what was wrong with that?” Jiang Yao interrupted her father and yelled back.
Jiang Bo glared at Jiang Yao and growled: “You shouldn't have done that before the worship ceremony! You shouldn’t have let those old men know about it! Any...Any clan in the Southern Wasteland won’t accept a kid who has triggered another bloodline! You...you almost had ruined our plan!”
Jiang Yao stared Jiang Bo, gnashed her teeth and said viciously: “But now...Ji Shu has already become the leader...Even Ji Kui and the other old men aren’t able to change that...no matter what. I, I want them to die now! All three of them! Especially that damned Ji Hao!”
Ji Shu held his jorum, poured a mouthful of the liquor into his mouth and swallowed slowly. He looked at Jiang Yao and said in a low voice: “I will handle this. Soon...Jiang Yao, you should save your little tricks.”
“Little tricks? Don't you dare to look down on me!” Jiang Yao’s pale face almost went blue, she glared at Ji Shu with a creepy smile on her face and said.
Jiang Bo dashed up to Jiang Yao and slapped her on her face. Jiang Yao fell on the ground, coughed up blood and cried in pain.
Jiang Bo looked down at her and growled: “How smart do you think you are? You send Jiang Xue, that little bitch to Ji Xia’s home… Do you have any idea what would have happened if Jiang Xue had killed Ji Hao? He is the son of the former leader who just has left his position yesterday!”
Jiang Yao sniffed with her head still held high. She said: “Does the Fire Crow Clan even dare to turn against the Bi Fang Clan? If so, we can just wipe the entire Fire Crow Clan out!”
Ji Shu covered his eyes with his hand when he heard what Jiang Yao said. Ji Huan opened his mouth but couldn't let a word out. They just discovered that this woman could really be unreasonable.
Other Fire Crow Clan’s people in the tent had all started to twitch their faces. If Jiang Bo hadn’t been there, some of them might already have this stupid woman chopped.
Ji Shu looked at Jiang Yao for a while, then let out a heavy sigh.
“Allow me a few days. I will send Ji Xia out of the Gold Black Mountain to guard someplace. This is well within my power.”
“Once Ji Xia has left the Gold Black Mountain, we will find a way to do what you want to do.”
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[1]Jorum: A large drinking bowl.
[2]Blood-jade: Red jade.