Free Web NovelChapter 7: Blood Debt Must Be Repaid
Blood Debt Must Be Repaid
Inside the Ashthorn Family Council Hall.
A tall, powerfully built old man sat dominantly in the seat of honor. One of his eyes was covered by an eyepatch, giving him an exceptionally fierce and ruthless appearance.
The hall itself was vast and imposing. Thick stone pillars lined both sides of the chamber, while burning spirit lamps cast flickering shadows across the walls. The atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating, as though a storm were gathering beyond the horizon.
He was none other than the Ashthorn Family Patriarch—
Magnus Ashthorn.
"Victor has emerged from seclusion."
"And he’s broken through into the Astral Manifestation Realm."
Magnus slowly rotated the black thumb ring around his finger.
His voice was low and steady, but beneath that calmness lurked something dangerous.
Across from him sat a thin, frail-looking man whose entire demeanor radiated coldness.
If Magnus resembled a man-eating beast waiting to pounce, then this man was a venomous serpent hidden beneath dead leaves.
The Patriarch of the Ravencreast Family—
Harrier Ravencreast.
A faint crease appeared between Harrier’s brows.
"I never expected him to still be alive."
"He vanished without a trace for ten years."
"So how could he still be alive..."
His voice sounded rough and unpleasant, like rusted metal scraping against stone.
The room fell silent.
Outside the council hall, the wind stirred through the trees.
Inside, neither patriarch spoke for several breaths.
Both men understood what Victor’s return truly meant.
For ten years they had slowly carved pieces from the Salvatore Family.
Ten years of planning.
Ten years of manipulation.
Ten years of carefully testing boundaries.
And now the owner of the blade had returned.
"Think of a solution."
Magnus leaned back slightly.
"You know Victor’s temperament better than anyone."
"Our schemes over the years won’t escape his notice."
"The Blackwood Family alone won’t satisfy his appetite."
As memories surfaced, Magnus unconsciously touched the empty side of his face.
A dull ache seemed to throb from his missing eye.
That eye had been personally destroyed by Victor years ago.
Back then, Victor ruled Aurelia City like an uncrowned king.
Everyone knew his personality.
Domineering.
Protective.
Unreasonable when it came to his family.
He had once publicly declared that members of the Salvatore Family were inherently more precious than anyone else.
Many laughed behind closed doors.
None dared laugh in front of him.
Years ago, a distant collateral branch disciple had been injured by an elder of the Ashthorn Family.
Victor had personally visited their estate.
In front of countless witnesses.
In front of the entire Ashthorn Family.
He killed that elder without hesitation.
No negotiation.
No compromise.
No discussion.
That incident became famous throughout Aurelia City.
It was also the reason the Salvatore Family remained united for so many years.
Everyone knew their Patriarch would stand behind them.
Even after Victor disappeared, the other great families had moved cautiously.
No one wanted to provoke a dead man who might suddenly return.
So instead of destroying the Salvatore Family outright, they slowly devoured it.
Business after business.
Industry after industry.
Property after property.
Many families hadn’t even bothered changing the ownership names on official records.
Because deep down...
They feared Victor.
They feared the possibility that one day he would come back.
"The Blackwood Family is finished."
Harrier broke the silence.
"Knowing Victor’s personality, even if the Blackwood Family were an eggshell, he’d crush the yolk inside."
Magnus casually lifted his teacup.
His expression remained completely emotionless.
"What I don’t understand is how you managed to convince the Blackwood Family."
"To willingly throw themselves to their deaths."
"Tsk, tsk."
A faint smile appeared.
"They knew Victor had already become an Astral Manifestation Realm expert."
"And they still dared attack members of the Salvatore Family."
"I’m genuinely curious about your methods."
Harrier stared directly into Magnus’s remaining eye.
Trying to find something.
Anything.
Yet Magnus remained unreadable.
"Nothing special."
He shrugged.
"If the Blackwood Family can’t afford to offend the Salvatore Family, can they afford to offend the Ashthorn Family?"
A faint smile appeared.
Cold.
Cruel.
"I promised them that if they obeyed, the Ashthorn Family would protect their direct heir."
He paused.
Then added another sentence.
One that caused Harrier’s expression to shift.
"And more importantly..."
"Our Ancestor, Tobias Ashthorn, emerged from Death Seclusion three days ago."
The smile on his face widened.
"Ashthorn Family Ancestor... Tobias Ashthorn?!"
Harrier’s remaining eye instantly contracted.
The name carried immense weight.
When Harrier was still a child, Tobias Ashthorn had already been recognized as Aurelia City’s strongest expert.
Seventy years ago.
Seventy years.
Even then he had already reached the Seventh Layer of the Astral Manifestation Realm.
Rumors claimed he cultivated a Peak Profound Rank cultivation technique and could defeat opponents of the same realm with ease.
A genuine monster.
And now...
He was still alive.
For a moment, Harrier’s thoughts raced.
Then something felt wrong.
His expression subtly changed.
If Tobias Ashthorn had truly emerged...
If his cultivation had advanced even further...
Then suppressing a newly advanced Astral Manifestation expert like Victor should be simple.
So why sacrifice the Blackwood Family? freёwebnovel.com
Why throw away a loyal subordinate force?
It made no sense.
Harrier narrowed his eye.
"What exactly is Magnus planning?"
The thought flashed through his mind.
After all, a family patriarch was never a fool.
Every one of them was a cunning old fox.
No one reached such a position through luck alone.
Though doubts filled his heart, none appeared on his face.
"Then congratulations, Patriarch Ashthorn."
"It seems the title of Aurelia City’s number one family will ultimately belong to the Ashthorn Family."
He offered a polite smile.
"Since Ancestor Tobias has emerged, there’s naturally no need to fear Victor."
"How about our two families join forces and suppress the Salvatore Family?"
"The Ravencreast Family is willing to follow the Ashthorn Family’s lead."
His tone sounded sincere.
Yet sincerity was the cheapest thing in the room.
Magnus merely smiled.
"No hurry."
He took another sip of tea.
"No hurry at all."
"Let Victor vent some anger on the Blackwood Family first."
His fingers tapped the armrest.
"If the Salvatore Family devours a small family like the Blackwood Family, then so be it."
His smile deepened.
"The real show hasn’t even begun."
Harrier’s gaze sharpened.
Yet Magnus revealed nothing further.
Outside the hall, smoke slowly rose in the distance.
Harrier turned toward the window.
His expression darkened.
"The Blackwood Family is probably already..."
Blood flowed through the Blackwood Family estate like streams.
The smell of iron filled the air.
Broken weapons littered the courtyards.
Corpses covered the ground.
The once-proud family estate had become a slaughterhouse.
The plaque hanging above the Blackwood Residence had been snapped cleanly in half and thrown onto the ground like worthless trash.
Salvatore Family disciples moved through the estate with cold determination.
Years of humiliation.
Years of resentment.
Years of anger.
All of it erupted today.
Inside the Blackwood Family’s main hall.
Victor sat calmly in the seat of honor.
His black robe embroidered with golden dragons hung naturally around him.
His long black hair draped over his shoulders.
His golden eyes were calm.
Too calm.
In one hand, he casually rotated a wooden puzzle cube.
Like a child entertaining himself.
The contrast between that relaxed posture and the bloodbath outside was enough to make anyone’s scalp tingle.
"Keep your eyes open."
"And watch carefully."
His voice was calm.
Indifferent.
Kneeling throughout the hall were the Blackwood Family’s elders and Guardians.
As they listened to the screams of their clansmen outside...
As they watched younger generations being cut down...
Their hearts felt as though knives were twisting inside them.
One elder finally broke.
Unable to bear the sight.
Unable to bear the sound.
He shut his eyes.
The instant he did—
Slash!
A blade of True Essence materialized from thin air.
Before anyone could react, his head separated from his neck.
Blood erupted like a fountain.
The severed head rolled across the floor.
Stopping near another elder’s knees.
The hall instantly became silent.
Victor never looked up.
He continued turning the wooden cube.
Then spoke again.
"I said..."
His golden eyes slowly lifted.
"Watch carefully."
The words sent chills through every person present.
To them, Victor no longer resembled a man.
He resembled death itself.
"Victor!"
"You devil!"
One elderly man finally roared.
"Our Blackwood Family may have seized your properties, but we never slaughtered your clansmen like this!"
His eyes were bloodshot.
"The Salvatore Family’s ancestors built their legacy through alchemy and healing others!"
"And now you, as Patriarch, behave like a butcher!"
"How can you face your Salvatore Family ancestors—"
Before he could finish—
Boom!
Astral Manifestation True Essence exploded outward.
The air vanished.
The old man’s body trembled violently.
Blood poured from all seven orifices.
Then he collapsed.
Dead.
The remaining elders trembled harder.
That elder had been their Grand Elder.
An Eighth Layer Celestial Gate Realm expert.
Yet before Victor...
He was no different from livestock.
"Do you still remember why the Blackwood Family exists today?"
Victor slowly rotated the wooden cube.
His voice remained emotionless.
Thirty years ago.
The Blackwood Family had nearly been destroyed.
Their upper ranks were infected by Corpse Poison.
Their family stood on the brink of extinction.
"The Salvatore Family risked everything to save the Blackwood Family."
"Afterward, your family swore loyalty to us."
"You pledged to serve the Salvatore Family and follow our lead."
His gaze swept across them.
Sharp as a blade.
"But what have you done since then?"
A faint smile appeared.
No warmth.
No mercy.
Only contempt.
"You took the lead in betraying us."
"You seized our businesses."
"You humiliated the Salvatore Family."
"Mercy?"
Victor chuckled softly.
"Heh."
"Mercy and kindness are reserved for one’s own people."
As he spoke, Victor slowly rose to his feet.
Snap!
The wooden puzzle cube in his hand completed.
At the exact same moment—
Bang!
The head of another Blackwood Family elder exploded like a watermelon.
Blood and shattered bone splattered across the hall.
No one dared move.
No one dared breathe.
Victor’s voice echoed through the blood-soaked chamber.
"As for enemies..."
His golden eyes glowed coldly.
"There is only slaughter."
