349: Thunderous energy surged within the prison, and Situ secretly plotted.

Situ Qi nodded slightly, the Thunder Jade between his fingers gently rotated, emitting a faint hum. "Mm, I understand." His voice was flat and emotionless, betraying no joy or anger.

Seeing this, Situ Lan couldn't help but step forward, his eyes flashing sharply: "Father! This is a heaven-sent opportunity! The Zhou Family has suffered successive blows, Zhou Tianxiong's injuries have not healed, and now their Foundation has been severely shaken, causing widespread panic!"

"If my Situ Family acts secretly now, adding fuel to the flames, or even... even directly kicking them while they are down! Thunder Prison Prefecture only needs one voice—mine! Why not take this opportunity to completely..."

"Completely declare war on the Zhou Family?" Situ Qi's voice remained flat, yet every word struck Situ Lan's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Lan'er, you are thinking too simply."

"The Zhou Family and my Situ Family have stood side-by-side in Thunder Prison Prefecture for thousands of years. Their Foundation is deep; they are not as simple as they appear on the surface."

"Zhou Tianxiong is heavily injured, but what about the Old Ancestor behind him? My Situ Family also has your grandfather holding the fort. The strength of both families is evenly matched. Once a full-scale war breaks out, it will be a war of annihilation, a fight to the death!"

"One move will affect the whole situation. How many cities will turn into scorched earth? How many affiliated forces will be dragged into it, resulting in rivers of blood? Even if we win in the end, it will be a pyrrhic victory, severely damaging our vitality!"

"But Father, this opportunity is rare..."

"Opportunity? It is not yet time."

"Those two mysterious young ones... they did very well, very well. They are like two stones thrown into a stagnant pool, stirring up the monstrous rage of the sick tiger that is the Zhou Family. But this pool is not yet muddy enough."

Wisdom and coldness intertwined in his eyes: "What we need to do now is... wait. Wait for them to cause more trouble, wait for the Zhou Family's rage to burn even hotter, wait until they force the Zhou Family to exhaust all their trump cards and become preoccupied, revealing more flaws... perhaps even wait until that old fellow from the Zhou Family is alarmed... Only then will it be the best time for my Situ Family to sweep up the aftermath with overwhelming force, establishing the Situ Family as the sole hegemon of Thunder Prison Prefecture!"

Situ Lan stared blankly at his father, the initial impulse in his eyes replaced by deep shock and contemplation.

He understood his father's deeper meaning, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind..."

"A teachable child."

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Situ Qi's eyes.

"Strictly monitor the Zhou Family's movements, especially... the tracks of those two young ones. For now, just watch."

"Yes, Father!"

Situ Lan responded solemnly, turning to leave. His steps were much steadier than when he arrived.

In Thunder Prison Prefecture, there was a small border town named Feng Hou.

The liveliest establishment in the town, the Thunder Roar Tavern, was currently bustling with activity.

The acrid smell of cheap liquor, the charred fragrance of roasted meat grease, sweat, and various rough laughter blended together.

Cultivators, merchants, and adventurers from all corners of the land stopped here to rest and exchange news.

Two dust-covered figures sat at a greasy wooden table near the window.

Di Jingzhe had changed into an inconspicuous gray linen tunic. His face was mostly obscured by a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, revealing only a sharply chiseled jawline.

Feng Linger wore a simple and elegant cyan robe, also donning a veiled hat. Only the eyes visible outside the veil occasionally scanned the crowd in the tavern, carrying a slight, imperceptible anxiety and search.

Di Jingzhe silently circulated the Kui Thunder Shakes the World Art. The dim Profound Thunder Spirit Core in his Dantian was slowly absorbing the free-flowing thunder yuan power from the air.

The aftereffects of forcibly bearing the will of the Profound Thunder Supreme were still intense. His Meridians felt as if they were being repeatedly pierced by countless tiny lightning needles, causing throbbing pain and weakness.

"Did you hear? The Zhou Family in Crimson Thunder Mountain City suffered a huge setback this time! They lost face completely!"

"Heh! Such big news, who in Thunder Prison Prefecture doesn't know about it?" A bearded man next to him chimed in after taking a large gulp of strong liquor, his voice booming and instantly attracting the attention of many nearby.

"The Black Stone Mine Area! That was one of the Zhou Family's most important mining sources! I heard it was completely overturned by two young ones who popped up from nowhere! All the Mine Slaves fled, and the guards suffered heavy casualties!"

"More than that!"

A Scar-faced Cultivator, who seemed better informed, lowered his voice, though the excitement in his tone had not diminished at all.

"I have a brother making a living in Crimson Thunder Mountain City. He said the core area of the mining zone, the Lei Sha Cave, was completely wiped out! The Law Realm Elder guarding it, Mo Kun, was instantly vaporized in a single move! Nothing was left!"

"Over twenty vicious Law Realm convicts locked inside all escaped! Now the Zhou Family is desperately offering huge bounties everywhere to capture them!"

"Whoa! Instantly killing a Law Realm expert?"

A young Cultivator sucked in a cold breath, his face filled with disbelief.

"A lie, surely? What Realm must the attacker be? A Venerable? Why would such a figure pick a fight with the Zhou Family?"

"Who knows!"

The Scar-faced man shrugged. "Regardless, the Zhou Family has lost face this time! That old fellow Zhou Tianxiong, I heard he spat blood on the spot from anger, aggravating an old injury! Tsk tsk, the dignified Earth Venerable Tenth Layer, toyed around by two juniors, couldn't even touch a hair on their heads for months, and in the end, their lair was raided!"

"It's spread everywhere now, the Zhou Family is the biggest joke in Thunder Prison Prefecture! A paper tiger!"

"Hahaha! Well said! A paper tiger! I've long disliked those bastards from the Zhou Family, bullying people with their power! They deserve it!"

The Bearded Man slapped the table and roared with laughter, drawing a burst of chuckles and agreement from the surroundings.

"Exactly! I heard the bounty is incredibly high, a Heaven-Grade Cultivation Technique, ten million Spirit Stones! But what good is that? The people are nowhere to be found! I bet those two little heroes have long since flown far away!"

"Flown away? I doubt it! Maybe they are hiding somewhere, waiting to strike the Zhou Family with something even harsher! Heh heh..."

The unrestrained mocking and schadenfreude-filled discussions were like invisible whips, fiercely lashing the face of the Zhou Family back in Crimson Thunder Mountain City.

Beneath Di Jingzhe's bamboo hat, the corner of his mouth curved into a cold, sharp arc.

Good, the effect was even better than he had anticipated.

The prestige of the Zhou Family was rapidly collapsing amidst the city-wide ridicule.

Feng Linger slightly tightened her fingers as she listened to the surrounding discussions.

Her younger brother, Feng Wuji, remained missing without a trace; there was no news from the Lei Sha Cave, nor any clues from days of secret searching.

Worry wrapped around her heart like vines, but hearing the Zhou Family reduced to a laughingstock, and seeing the cold delight in Di Jingzhe's eyes, a painful sense of revenge and a twisted thread of solace welled up within her.

The Zhou Family deserved it!

Di Jingzhe picked up the rough pottery bowl and downed the cloudy, inferior wine in one gulp.

The pungent liquid rolled down his throat, like swallowing a ball of fire.

He put down the bowl, his gaze piercing through the gaps in his bamboo hat towards the dim sky outside the window and the faintly visible signboards of Zhou Family businesses in the distance, his eyes as sharp as the Awakening Thunder Sword about to be unsheathed.

"Businesses..."

A clear and cold thought took shape in his mind.

The Foundation of the Zhou Family was not just in the mines, but in the massive commercial network spread across Thunder Prison Prefecture, constantly supplying them with vitality.

The severe pain in the mining zone was just the beginning; next, he would make the Zhou Family feel pain in the flesh, feel... true panic!

"Sister Linger," Di Jingzhe's voice was low and steady, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Let's go, the real show... has just begun."

Feng Linger retracted her searching gaze, took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety in her heart, and nodded.

The two left a few Spirit Stones and, like two drops of water merging into the crowd, silently departed the noisy tavern, vanishing into the mixed flow of people in Wind Howl City.

All that remained was the discussion in the tavern behind them about the Zhou Family becoming the biggest joke in Thunder Prison Prefecture, still vigorously fermenting and spreading, traveling to even farther places like a plague.

Deep within the Zhou Family manor in Crimson Thunder Mountain City, as if sensing the omnipresent mockery, Zhou Tianxiong's roar was faintly heard again, filled with the humiliation of impotent rage.

Meanwhile, in the quiet room of the Situ Manor, the purple thunder jade between Situ Qi's fingers flowed with an increasingly profound and cold luster amidst the curling sandalwood smoke.

Undercurrents, beneath the surface of Thunder Prison Prefecture, were converging with unprecedented speed.