Eternal life begins with saving my clan

Seated inside Zimo's office were five of the most powerful individuals in the city. The Wei and Sun Patriarchs wore prideful smiles on their faces.

They looked at the other clan leaders, including the city lord, as though they were beneath them.

"Frogs at the bottom of the well," the Wei Patriarch muttered just loudly enough for the others to hear.

A chuckle escaped from the Sun Patriarch as he gave the Wei Patriarch a knowing smile. Ever since their trip to Clear Wind City, they had realized how insignificant they were in comparison.

Their cultivation as Master Martial Artists meant nothing in the grander scheme of things.

Those with real power in Clear Wind City were at the Expert stage, and the city lord there was rumored to have reached the Half-Step Grandmaster realm.

In such a place, what could their city lord amount to?

Moreover, there were many novel items sold at stores, things impossible for their impoverished city to possess.

Now, as the heads of the merchant guild, they knew it was only a matter of time before they wielded true power in Clear Wind City, and their clans' statuses would rise.

The city lord and the Mo Matriarch were furious, their faces twitching uncontrollably.

'How dare these fools look down on me,'

the city lord thought, clenching his fists. He wanted nothing more than to teach these ungrateful bastards a lesson.

The Feng Patriarch, however, wasn't bothered by the disdainful looks. To him, the Wei and Sun Patriarchs were nothing but clowns.

'How could visiting another city compare to personal power?'

he thought. Since his clan joined the Adventurer Guild, his horizons had broadened.

The superior cultivation technique he had acquired was so powerful that just cultivating the first level made one unmatched below the Master stage.

With his clan's resources, he had already reached the second stage of the Body Building realm. Underneath his clothes, his blood qi was boiling, filled with vitality.

On top of that, his weapon could shatter any ordinary one.

With all this, he wasn't afraid to face an Expert Stage martial artist. Even if he couldn't defeat one, escaping wouldn't be difficult.

Thus, he was quite content with his decisions.

---

'Creak!'

Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Zimo entered, shattering the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Zimo said, taking his seat.

"Young Master, there's no need to apologize. We'd be willing to wait all day for you," the Sun Patriarch said with a flattering smile.

The Feng Patriarch looked at the Sun Patriarch as if he were a bootlicker. 'If you think flattery will work on the young master, you're dumber than I thought,' he clicked his tongue in disdain.

Both the Wei and Sun Patriarchs noticed the disdainful expression on his face and couldn't help but wonder where he got the nerve to look down on them.

Still, they maintained their facade, smiling amicably.

They already had plans to deal with him once this meeting was over.

Zimo ignored their schemes and got straight to the point.

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"The store has decided to expand throughout the Soaring Cloud Region, starting with Clear Wind City," he said, pausing to gauge their reactions.

The Sun and Wei Patriarchs couldn't believe their ears. Expanding throughout the Soaring Cloud Region?

Thinking about the fame and connections they would gain if they were involved in such a large-scale venture, bright smiles blossomed on their faces. Their eyes shone with anticipation.

"What do you think we're going to sell in our stores?" Zimo asked.

'Hmm?'

They exchanged glances, not expecting such a question, but quickly recovered. The Wei Patriarch responded, "Weapons and armor."

Zimo shook his head. "Anyone else?"

Since it wasn't weapons and armor, they couldn't think of anything else.

Seeing their confused faces, Zimo smiled mischievously. "What you know about the store is just the tip of the iceberg. I hope you'll remain loyal to the store. If you do, you might one day witness its true power."

"Let's forget about that for now. The store has decided to create another guild."

'What!?'

They were stunned for a moment before their faces brightened. Most notably, the Mo Matriarch couldn't wait to become the leader of this new guild.

The city lord, too, was determined not to miss this opportunity.

"You don't need to look at me like that. The store has already decided on the leader of this guild—it will be the Mo clan leader."

'What!?'

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. They hadn't expected the store to choose a leader without allowing them to compete for it.

The city lord was particularly disappointed. As the leader of the city, how could he be weaker than the smaller clans beneath him?

Zimo continued, "This guild will be focused on intelligence gathering, an area in which the Mo clan leader has experience."

A bright smile appeared on the Mo Matriarch's face. "Young Master, you're right. I have plenty of experience in this field."

She had elevated her clan from insignificance to one of the top clans in a few short years. It wasn't because of her strength, but because of her cunning, wit, and extensive information network.

Finding and exploiting others' weaknesses was her greatest weapon.

With the store now acknowledging her skills, she beamed with pride.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Good," Zimo said. "But remember, if you fail, you'll pay with your life, and so will anyone involved."

"I understand," she replied calmly. She knew the risks of being a spy and had long been prepared for them.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Tomorrow, come to the store and make the necessary arrangements."

"With that out of the way, let's return to the expansion plan. The store intends to spread throughout the Soaring Cloud Region within a month, and here's how we'll do it."

'Whoosh!'

Five ordinary rings appeared in Zimo's palm. "Take these and send your consciousness into them," he commanded.

Baffled, the five exchanged glances but picked up the rings one by one.

'What could these ordinary rings possibly do for us?'

they wondered skeptically.

But when their consciousnesses entered the rings, they froze.