Chapter 209: Nightshade
A Week Later.
Back in the Xu family subspace, Xu Qianghua had spent a whole week with Yan Yuehua and the Feng sisters.
Now, he was catching up on all the news and work he'd missed, including reports from the Eastern Continent.
His clone had transmitted the latest details, and Xu Qianghua found himself drawn into the information.
Leaning back, he reviewed the reports in his mind: the Diamond-ranked family card had summoned a unique group of individuals—demon hunters from another realm, by the looks of it. He hadn't expected such an outcome.
While he knew of special existences and was aware of their past lives, these particular individuals were summoned using a Chaos-level card, not a Diamond-level one.
This suggested two possibilities: either Chen Zemin was incredibly lucky and drew an extraordinarily rare card that gave him this group, or there was some influence from the World's Will.
However, he couldn't understand why it would intervene when it hadn't in the previous timeline.
This unusual event caused him to take a special interest in these six people.
'Six experienced fighters with specialized knowledge on the evil cultivators or the "demons," as they call them,' he mused.
Xu Qianghua knew all too well the dangers these evil cultivators posed. In the previous timeline, they had grown strong, nearly rivaling the regular cultivators.
But their strength was mostly hidden, and they were adept at concealing their true power, causing significant losses.
However, with Shen's team joining the fray early, things might shift even without his intervention.
"So, a force named the Nightshade Guard…" he murmured. 'Fitting,' he thought, especially with the rise of these dark forces. "Time to meet them myself, I think."
With a swift flick of his wrist, Xu Qianghua opened a space node and stepped in. The exit was positioned right above the Nightshade Guard's headquarters.
Back at the Nightshade Guard Base
The Nightshade Guard had made remarkable progress in just a week. Recruits filled the training grounds, undergoing rigorous drills under the watchful eyes of Shen and his team.
Each team member shared their specialty and divided the recruits into six groups, with each leader overseeing a distinct section.
This structure would ensure that, with enough experience, the first batch of recruits could eventually lead others.
Though still early in their training, Shen felt they were making real progress. Later that day, Shen and his second-in-command, Mei Ling, visited Chen Zemin's estate.
They came to discuss the next stages of recruitment, hoping to streamline their methods and attract more well-known cultivators to the Nightshade Guard.
Chen Zemin welcomed them warmly, bringing them to a quiet room where a few other family heads had gathered.
After exchanging formalities, they discussed expanding the Nightshade Guard and whether to consider other continents.
Currently, they lack the manpower needed to expand effectively. And even if they could, it was best to build a stable foundation before stretching their resources.
"I can see this force expanding and, at some point, being present everywhere, dealing with the evil cultivators," Chen Zemin said thoughtfully.
"But for now, I don't want the Nightshade involved with other continents until it has enough strength to manage them independently.
This isn't about controlling your growth but about understanding the opposition. I've seen these forces use underhanded tricks in the past to get what they want, and some of them have already set their sights on you."
Shen exchanged a glance with Mei Ling. "Is that so? Will they pose any risks?" he asked, choosing his words carefully.
Chen Zemin thought for a moment before responding. "You don't need to worry.
I plan to speak with someone who might take an interest in this project. If he does, we'll receive the boost we need to speed up our progress."
One of the nearby attendees asked, "Are you planning to speak to the Xu family head?"
"Yes," Chen Zemin nodded.
As Shen listened, he noticed the mention of a name that he had heard from other family heads—the Xu family.
Despite their attempts to remain casual, it was clear that this family held a unique position among them.
Even Chen Zemin seemed to tread carefully around any direct mention of them, as if on sacred ground.
"Is the Xu family an ally in this?" Shen asked, curiosity creeping into his tone.
His question seemed to catch the room off-guard, leading to a brief silence.
"They're a… unique force," Chen Zemin replied carefully, his voice conveying deep respect.
"While we don't know their full strength, we're certain that no top cultivator would be a match for any of the Xu family's elite members.
We've never tried it, so we can't be sure, but we've encountered a few members, and even just one of them left us feeling like we had no will to fight.
That was just one member, not even the full extent of their force."
Chen Zemin paused before continuing, "From what we understand, the Xu family might have acted against the evil organization in the Northern Continent, but there's no proof.
So, it remains uncertain."
Shen nodded thoughtfully, though he mentally filed this information away. 'The Xu family, huh?' he thought, adding it to his list of things to investigate further.
But he chose not to dwell on it too much. From what he knew, the Xu family was primarily based in the Central Continent, with their influence mostly limited to business.
They also had an empire, which alone was remarkable. Based on the information he gathered from the World's Will and the family heads, it was clear that establishing an empire was no small feat.
Yet the Xu family managed it within a single year, making them a mysterious and potentially powerful entity.
But from what he heard, the Xu family is pretty much low-key, which is why no one knows their depth.
However, suppose what Chen Zemin said was true, and it was them who dealt with the first-ever evil organization.
In that case, there must be some information about this world's demons which is something he really needs before facing the evil cultivators head-on.