"Hong Li, you're being too arrogant. With the little resources your Hong Family has, do you really plan to squander them all under your watch?" Han Chi's disdainful voice echoed through the space.
In the past, he wasn't afraid of the Hong Family, and now that he had a backer, he cared even less about them.
He even felt like he was watching a play.
Seeing how angry and arrogant Hong Li was stirred feelings of lament in his heart. A once great family was about to fade into obscurity. Sometimes, the rise and fall of a clan depended on a single thought.
Without Xu Ran, wouldn't their Han Family have been wiped out by the Hong Family?
The Hong Family rose to power quickly because of the Feng Lei Pavilion, posing a threat to the safety of the Han Family and even secretly weakening their influence over the years.
It was also Xu Ran's help that gave the Han Family a sense of security.
Put simply, both had soared to great heights because of an opportunity.
It's just that Xu Ran was much more formidable than Feng Lei Pavilion. He knew very well that he was the strongest man on the Continent.
If he wanted to compete, he might even make the Han Family one of the most powerful clans on the Continent. The potential future of the Han Family was extremely high. Of course, he wasn't so foolish as to ask Xu Ran for benefits now. There was no need; not competing was competing. He believed Xu Ran wouldn't put the Han Family in danger; otherwise, wouldn't that be a slap in Xu Ran's face?
"Hmm?"
"Han Chi, you've found a helper?"
"Who is the ferocious beast that killed the Hong Family people? If you hand it over, perhaps my Hong Family won't take action against the Han Family for the time being." Hong Li, although filled with hatred for the Han Family, was nevertheless surprised by Han Chi's demeanor.
Previously, although the Han Family didn't submit to their powerful influence.
However, not submitting and strutting around are two different things.
The Han Family was quite stifled before, forced to endure the aggressive Hong Family, not daring to confront them directly. And it was precisely because of this, the Hong Family didn't have a valid excuse to make a move against the Han Family.
If the Han Family struck first, then they would be justified in seeking help from Feng Lei Pavilion, who would likely assist them. Supporting an obedient friend was greatly beneficial to Feng Lei Pavilion.
Tianbei City had a significant influence in the Northern Domain.
If the Hong Family became the strongest clan in Tianbei City, Feng Lei Pavilion could more easily snatch up various resources from the surrounding areas.
Therefore, even when angered, the Han Family could only hold it in.
But now, the Han Family showed not the slightest intention of seeking peace. On the contrary, they seemed to be anticipating the Hong Family making a move against them.
Despite his annoyance, Hong Li had become the patriarch of a powerful clan, which was no simple task.
"You Hong Family people should get it straight. It was you shameless fools who aimed at my Xue'er. Now that they're dead, don't they deserve it? And you have the audacity to come to us demanding justice; has the Hong Family no care for its reputation as a great clan?" Han Chi taunted.
"Exactly. If something had happened to Xue'er, would you still be able to stand here unharmed in front of the Han Family residence?"
"If your Hong Family wants to start a war now, we will accompany you to the end!"
A group of people who had long been oppressed by the Hong Family now felt a surge of passion.
After enduring for so long, their anger was beyond control.
Especially those young people, if it wasn't for the restraint of the Han Family's elders, they would have likely sought trouble with the Hong Family already.
And now, many elders of the Han Family are no longer afraid of the Hong Family, so naturally, they're even less fearful.
Although they didn't know why the Han Family had such a dramatic change of attitude towards the Hong Family, they were clear that the Han Family must have encountered something significant. Moreover, with Hong Chen and two Douhuang from the Hong Family having fallen at their hands, the two families were locked in a struggle to the death, and even seeking peace would be futile.
"Pu."
"How dare you act so brazenly?"
The strong members of the Hong Family, provoked by the people of the Han Family, were so angry they were almost spitting blood.
The Han Family, once seen by them as fish on the chopping board, now dared to provoke them actively—how could they not be furious?
What's more, the death of the Young Master and two Elders in unclear circumstances was seen as a great humiliation in their eyes.
For an ordinary family, the death of three powerful members would lead to decline, and although the Hong Family was larger and more prosperous, they also couldn't bear such a heavy loss!
They came to the Han Family, expecting to see them beg for mercy on their knees, but instead, they encountered such audacity.
Did the Han Family really think they could now contend with the Hong Family?
Even with the loss of three powerful members, the Han Family was still stronger than the Hong Family.
The strongest force of the Hong Family was a bit greater than that of the Han Family. And in a life-and-death battle between families, it all depended on the fight between the strongest.
Hong Li was so enraged that he almost vomited blood. His own son had died, and the Han Family still dared to talk big?
"With Hong Li dead, there's probably no connection between you and the Feng Lei Pavilion anymore, right? Without that backing, your Hong Family and our Han Family are more or less equal," mocked a high-level member of the Han Family.
And at that moment, the others in the Han Family also had a revelation.
Yes.
The Hong Family dared to be so arrogant, wasn't it because their family's Hong Chen was an unsurpassed genius? If Hong Chen gained a core position in the Feng Lei Pavilion and obtained authority, then they could use the power of the Feng Lei Pavilion to target the Han Family.
This support was what the Hong Family had relied on for so many years.
And it was because of this dependence that the Han Family had always been at a disadvantage.
If Hong Chen were dead, would the Feng Lei Pavilion still favor the Hong Family? In that case, what would they have to fear from a Hong Family like that?
As soon as these words were spoken, not only the people of the Han Family but also many senior members of the Hong Family changed their expressions. Without the Feng Lei Pavilion's help, a decisive battle with the Han Family—even if they won—would come at a terrible price, and thereafter, the Hong Family would no longer exist.
"Ahahaha, so this is what the Han Family has in mind?"
"Don't tell me your Han Family has always been plotting against the life of Chen'er? Just by killing Chen'er, you could close the gap between us?" Hong Li was both shocked and angry.
"Could it be that you purposefully used that kid Han Xue to lure Chen'er and then laid an ambush to kill him? If it wasn't a meticulous plan, why were they suddenly killed? Keep in mind, those were three Douhuang and one Quasi Fighting Emperor. Even a Douzong would need some Time to deal with them," the voice of Hong Li grew colder.
In his eyes, everything was a conspiracy set by the Han Family. And it was because of the despicable plot of the Han Family that Hong Chen and the others lost their lives.
"Haha, think whatever you want. If you hadn't harbored malicious intentions, how could you have lost your lives? Your dog of a son, did he not look at himself before aspiring for Xue'er? Was he even worthy of her?" Han Chi spoke without a trace of mercy, standing at the forefront, alone blocking the pressure from Hong Li.