65: Chapter 65 The smaller clans, filled with awe, dared not act rashly.

The next day, the morning light spilled over the upturned eaves of the Main Hall of the Eastern Wasteland Chen Family, slicing diagonally across the desk and illuminating the third production draft that had just been signed.

The edges of the paper were slightly curled, and the ink was not yet dry, like the lingering heat of a silent proclamation.

Chen Wuwang did not move; his right index finger was still tapping the tabletop in a steady, unhurried rhythm—once, and then again.

From the direction of the distant construction site, the roar of construction mechs drifted over in waves, steady and powerful, like a pulse emanating from deep within the earth.

He had just set down his brush when his ears suddenly twitched.

An announcement came from the outer courtyard: "Reporting to the Family Head, the leaders of the Seven Clans of the Eastern Wasteland seek an audience together. They are awaiting orders outside the hall."

The moment the words fell, even the wind outside the window seemed to go still for an instant.

Chen Wuwang looked up, a blue light flickering slightly within his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye before fading away.

He did not rise, nor did he bid them enter immediately. He simply slowly closed the Jade Slip beside him, letting out a soft click—crisp, yet enough to silence the entire area.

The main gates swung open with a boom.

The seven leaders of the small clans walked in with heads bowed, their steps hesitant and their postures humble.

They were dressed simply, some still carrying the dust of field labor, holding jade Talismans in their hands. These were the clan seals passed down through generations, symbolizing the ownership of Bloodline and authority.

"We... are willing to honor the Chen Family as our superior," the Elder Patriarch of the Sun Family said, his voice trembling. "To share resources, resist foreign enemies together, and never dare to disobey."

The other six echoed him in unison, their voices uneven but permeated with an irrepressible dread.

Only then did Chen Wuwang slowly stand up.

His silver hair fell to his shoulders, and his black martial attire fit his form perfectly. The titanium alloy dagger at his waist remained sheathed, yet it made everyone's hearts tighten.

He walked down the steps one by one. His footsteps were not heavy, but each one seemed to land exactly in the gaps between their heartbeats.

He walked up to the first leader and reached out to take the jade Talisman.

His fingertips brushed across the surface of the Talisman, feeling a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Qi—this was a genuine acknowledgment of a master, not a hollow gesture of flattery.

Then came the second, the third...

He personally received every clan seal, a faint smile remaining on his face throughout. It wasn't arrogant, nor was it cold; it was like the snow atop a mountain—gentle from afar, but bone-chillingly cold once approached.

"From this day forth, we are bound together," he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. "If any foreign enemy invades, the Chen Family will surely provide aid."

The seven people all breathed a sigh of relief. One person's legs even went weak, nearly causing him to collapse to his knees.

But the moment Chen Wuwang turned to return to his seat, the Patriarch of the Li Family suddenly spoke in a low voice:

"Family Head... if... if another great war breaks out, our meager strength will find it hard to withstand the brunt of it. I wonder... if we might receive the Chen Family's protection?"

As soon as these words were uttered, the atmosphere abruptly froze.

The others bowed their heads one after another, not daring to look Chen Wuwang in the eye.

Chen Wuwang sat back in his high seat, his finger still tapping the table, the rhythm unchanged.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead scanned the seven people—the distance between them varied, their Spiritual Qi strengths were distinct, and the wear and tear on their weapons differed.

He already had a clear idea in his mind.

Three clans were usable: the Sun Family had a shallow Foundation but a sincere attitude; the Wang Family's disciples mostly practiced craftsmanship; and the Zhao Family had proactively sent a batch of spirit ores a few days ago—though not much, it showed sincerity.

Two clans were wait-and-see: the Li Family's words hid a probe, and the Zhang Family's clan emblem had a crack that hadn't been repaired, clearly harboring a sense of complacency.

Two clans held different intentions: the Old Ancestor of the Liu Family had been in secluded cultivation for thirty years, yet they had sent a young junior here; the Clan Chief of the Zhou Family had fresh blood on his sleeves, as if he had just been in a fight last night.

"Protection?" Chen Wuwang finally spoke, that faint smile still hanging on the corners of his mouth. "Do you think I am running a charity?"

The seven people's bodies stiffened.

"The Chen Family does not take in beggars," his voice dropped an octave, brook no argument. "We only take in allies. Resources can be shared, and we can coordinate during wartime, but if you expect me, Chen Wuwang, to take a blade for you, then you are mistaken."

He paused and looked around at everyone. "I can give you a path to survival, but how you walk that path is up to your own feet."

The Elder Patriarch of the Sun Family nodded hurriedly. "Understood! Understood! We are by no means coveting protection; we are just... just afraid of dragging down the Chen Family's overall situation."

"That's more like it," Chen Wuwang nodded. "Remember what you said today. From now on, your every move is no longer just your own business."

He raised his hand, and a flash of spiritual light appeared as the seven clan seals floated in mid-air, arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper.

"In the name of the Family Head, I establish this covenant," he said at a steady pace. "Any who betray the alliance will have their clan seal self-immolate, suffer a backlash of Spiritual Qi, and shall not step into the core region of the Eastern Wasteland for three generations."

The expressions of the seven people changed simultaneously, but none dared to object.

The moment the covenant was established, a golden pattern lit up on all seven jade Talismans before fading away.

"Dismissed," Chen Wuwang waved his hand. "Rites Department, register the names. Logistics Division, arrange the quarters. Intelligence Division—" he paused, his voice deepening slightly, "keep a close eye on every single one of them."

The seven felt as if they had been granted a grand pardon and hurriedly bowed before retreating.

The moment the hall doors closed, the smile on Chen Wuwang's face vanished completely.

His finger stopped, and deep within his pupil, a blood-colored spirit rune flashed and disappeared.

He looked out of the hall, where the figures of the small clan leaders were walking briskly across the plaza, their steps light as if they had cast off a thousand-pound burden. But he knew that this "ease" was only temporary.

A tall tree attracts the wind.

They bowed their heads today because they saw the Chen Family working seamlessly with the Angel Race trade caravan, because they heard the roar of the mechs shaking the mountains, and because they saw with their own eyes that the Purification Units had become the "Hard Currency of the Star Path."

But what if one day the Chen Family became weak?

These people would likely be the first to turn and bite them.

He slowly rose and walked toward the high platform in front of the hall.

Sunlight fell on his face. In the distance, the mechs at the construction site were still working, hammer after hammer slamming into the rock layers, as if driving piles for a future war.

"Three clans can be won over," he murmured to himself. "Two are watching, and two have hidden intentions... they will need to be divided and monitored in the future."

He narrowed his eyes and looked toward the border.

There, the mountains were layered and the forest sea was vast. It looked peaceful, but in reality, undercurrents were surging.

He remembered a piece of news the Intelligence Division had reported yesterday: the Zhao Family had secretly contacted the remnants of the West Ridge. Although there were no substantive actions, the frequency of signals was abnormal.

And that black Talisman in the sleeve of the Li Family's Patriarch—he had scanned it with his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye; it was an old-style transmission Talisman, and its encoding method belonged to the "Black Market Chain" that had been banned twenty years ago.

None of them were easy to deal with.

He turned to return to the hall but suddenly stopped again.

"Pass down the order."

He spoke calmly toward the shadows in the corner. "Double the frequency of border patrols, and pay special attention to the movements of the small clans with a history of betrayal. Also—"

He paused. "Tell the workshop to pre-install the backup power for the 'Star-Breaking' modules."

A figure in the shadows moved slightly, gave a low acknowledgement, and then vanished.

Only then did Chen Wuwang re-enter the Main Hall.

Documents were still piled on the desk. He sat down, dipped his brush in ink, and continued his review.

His figure was as steady as a mountain.

In the distance, the roar of the construction mechs continued to drift over, as if echoing something.