My husband Can Cultivate

Chapter 675: Chapter 675: The President Comes Out of Retirement

Sea City.

A rumor had recently spread that the ten major families of Longjiang Prefecture had been put in their place. The Sun Family was nearly annihilated, and the Zhou Family had been severely humbled and was now behaving itself. Of course, for the people of Sea City, this was merely fodder for idle gossip.

Sea City was immensely powerful and was undeniably the strongest in the Southern Territory. It was the strongest not just in martial arts, but in economic power as well. The residents were aware of the events in Longjiang Prefecture, but as long as their own businesses were not affected, they simply laughed it off. Instead, their main concern was the Tianhai Association.

After many days of silence, there was finally some movement.

The President of the Tianhai Association was rumored to have recovered from his injuries and was preparing to avenge his disciple, Jin Xing. The mysterious death of Jin Xing in Thunder City—where even his bodyguards failed to return alive—had caused a massive stir in Sea City. First the Tang Family, then Jin Xing. What kind of monster is hiding in Thunder City to be so powerful?

Inside the headquarters of the Tianhai Association, an old man sat, looking haggard, his face etched with a terrifying killing intent. He had never been so enraged. He had no children of his own and had taken a single disciple, hoping the young man would inherit his legacy. Instead, that disciple went to Thunder City only to meet his demise, and the cause of his death remained unknown.

"President! We must avenge the Young Master!" the figures seated on both sides suddenly shouted in unison, rising to their feet.

They had been waiting for this day—the day the Tianhai Association’s president recovered. They were actually quite timid about going to Thunder City for revenge themselves. They were all key members of the Tianhai Association, the thirty-six Squad Leaders of its subdivisions.

Of course, the most terrifying figures were the four Grand Elders and the eight Great Elders. However, three of those eight Great Elders had already perished in Thunder City. Each of them was an expert, a name that struck fear into the hearts of many. Relying on their president’s brilliant and martial prowess, they had carved out their own empire in Tianhai, one that could even contend with the ten major families—and was stronger than some.

Yet, someone had dared to provoke such an existence. In the entire Southern Territory, who would dare to disrespect the Tianhai Association?

"Vengeance, of course, must be sought!"

The speaker was Gu Zhiyuan, the President of the Tianhai Association. A man in his fifties—not considered old—he wore a long robe. A domineering light shone from his eyes, and his very presence alone was enough to make everyone tremble.

"Jin Xing was my only disciple, the one I was training as my successor," Gu Zhiyuan said, his voice trailing off as if lost in memory. "Just a few days ago, he called me, promising he would take down the Qifei Group and welcome me there."

Even now, he could not believe his carefully groomed heir was dead, killed in the insignificant Thunder City. What he found most unbelievable was that the three Great Elders had also died there. Those were three Third Rank Overlords. It’s truly unimaginable. How could anyone in Thunder City possibly kill all three of them?

The news of his disciple’s death had caused him to spit blood on the spot, and he had spent the last several days recuperating. Now fully recovered, he had wasted no time in summoning the association’s upper echelon. He wanted revenge.

"Have you investigated the matter I assigned you? Who did this?" Gu Zhiyuan demanded.

"Reporting to the President," someone replied, "it was the Star Shining Society. We don’t know the specific individual responsible, only that they were from the society. The current president of the Star Shining Society is Ye Feng, who is also the president of the Jingnan Prefecture Martial Arts Association. According to our information, he is merely a First Rank Overlord, so it’s hard to imagine he could have killed the three Great Elders."

"Ye Feng!" Gu Zhiyuan’s expression turned grim. "I don’t care if he did it or not. If we capture him, we’ll find out who’s responsible, won’t we? I must avenge my disciple. I will destroy the entire Star Shining Society if I have to. No one gets away."

"Rest assured, President! At your command, we will immediately head to Thunder City and eradicate the Star Shining Society!" the crowd roared.

"Has Jin Xing’s body been found?" Gu Zhiyuan asked again.

After a moment of silence, one man spoke up. "It is said that the bodies, including Young Master Jin Xing’s, were incinerated on the spot. Nothing was left behind."

BANG!

Gu Zhiyuan slammed his hand on the table. "While I was indisposed, you couldn’t even bring back Jin Xing’s ashes?" he roared. "Even if the body was incinerated, it’s impossible that nothing was left behind! Do you people even care about this Young Master? Do you even care about me, your president!"

The crowd fell silent, daring not to make a sound. They all knew Gu Zhiyuan was furious, and when he was, someone was bound to suffer.

As the President of the Tianhai Association, Gu Zhiyuan had risen from humble beginnings as a mere Martial Artist, even serving as a domestic slave for others. He had secretly studied Martial Arts and clawed his way up to build his own empire. A man like that was exceptionally ruthless. Everyone feared him—his enemies and his own people alike. The ten major families still adhered to certain rules, but Gu Zhiyuan had never cared for them. He was a terrifying figure whose name alone made people turn pale. He dared to do anything, and he could do anything.

It was even said that the four gates and six houses of Jingnan Prefecture were once required to pay tribute to the Tianhai Association. However, after a series of events, Jingnan Prefecture fell under the control of the Star Shining Society, and the tribute stopped. It was to reclaim this lost income that Gu Zhiyuan had sent Jin Xing to Thunder City in the first place, never imagining it would lead to this.

The Star Shining Society’s audacity to attack his disciple made Gu Zhiyuan feel a profound threat. The more the Star Shining Society rose, the more the Tianhai Association would have to contract. He understood this all too well. They could not compare to the great families; they had no deep-rooted foundation, having only been established for a little over twenty years. They had to protect their interests, or they would face a swift decline.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Zhiyuan forced himself to calm down. He waved his hand and called out, "Gu Mingwu!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

Gu Mingwu was Gu Zhiyuan’s younger brother and one of the four Grand Elders of the Tianhai Association. He was a Fourth Rank Overlord, far more formidable than any of the eight Great Elders. Since the Great Elders had proven ineffective, it was time for a Grand Elder to step in.

"My dear brother," Gu Zhiyuan said, "my disciple is dead. I want you to immediately take your men to Thunder City. Do not act rashly. Your mission is to find Jin Xing’s remains, even if it’s just a scrap of his clothing. I cannot let my disciple be buried with nothing."

"Big brother, rest assured, I will get it done," Gu Mingwu said with a bow.

He secretly wanted to annihilate the Star Shining Society himself, but since it was Gu Zhiyuan’s order, he had to follow it precisely. In truth, he had no particular fondness for Jin Xing. The idea of an outsider attempting to inherit his brother’s empire was laughable. But now that Jin Xing was dead, it didn’t hurt to show some respect.