Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Despicable Plunderers
Donna and Edward stared in shock at the composed old man.
"He must be the wealthiest, even snatching our spoils of war at the Sunshine Martial Pavilion."
"Yeah, it's definitely him. He even makes us youngsters pay the bill when we eat out."
The room filled with murmurs as the younger members of the Blackwood family recalled their grievous histories.
While the clan members showcased their skills, using formations and mystical weapons to prevent the treasure's aura from leaking, George stepped forward with his chest puffed out, his face filled with excitement.
This day had finally come!
Back then, like a fool, he was kept in the dark by the elders for countless years, only discovering the family's wealth during their escape. He swore then to delve into tomb raiding, quietly amassing a fortune to shock the family for a century!
"Today's me is not the same as before. Open your eyes wide and see, my savings have surpassed all of you!"
Internally, he roared.
George waved his hand grandly, and the three Storage Rings on his hand sparkled. The treasures he had gathered from years of tomb raiding filled the ancestral hall!
"Damn it..."
Ethan cursed under his breath as a Manure Fork, seemingly from nowhere, pierced through his body. The Blackwoods were overwhelmed by George's collection of seemingly worthless items.
Half an hour later.
Even Joseph, who had always known the family was no ordinary one, widened his eyes.
Donna and Edward looked upset, as expected, the old man's sword case held not just swords but a fortune comparable to a millennium-old grand sect.
Katie touched the 'Sparkly Unicorn Bow' on her back, then glanced at George, who sat dejectedly in the corner. She realized she had been deceived, or maybe not... her father Edward really was poor.
But the savings of Grandpa George were dazzling, including a sealed top-tier mystical weapon among the bizarre tomb findings.
Yet, all these valuable treasures were still categorized as 'unnecessary' by the elders and stored away in Storage Rings, ready to be given to the villagers of Gratitude Village.
Each elder's savings were at least comparable to Grandpa George's.
Especially Grandpa William, who shook off a bunch of Storage Rings from his body like shaking a chicken, each containing rare mystical items.
For the elders.
Only mystical weapons caught their eye. Heavenly treasures and mystical medicines were judged by a seventh-grade standard, and they even pulled out the legendary 'Mystical Vein' from beneath the Blackwood residence, capable of powering the entire city with mystical energy...
Old Ancestor Nathan, who claimed to have little savings, nearly broke the protective formation with the rich aura of treasures when his coffin was opened.
"When they say they're poor, never believe their nonsense."
Joseph gritted his teeth, still underestimating the elders' savings!
He had visited the Duke's Mansion's treasury and seen the Duke's Mansion's Competent Force experts. He was taught to just reach out and take what he wanted, but now, the Duke's Mansion seemed like paupers in comparison!
He suspected the family elders had robbed half of Cloudview County.
Joseph patted his sister's head, comforting her as she looked dazed, "Sis, I know this is a huge shock to you. You'll get used to it. From now on, whatever you want, just ask them for it..."
Before he could finish, Katie burst into tears, "Brother, the old ancestor said he's going to distribute all his savings and use them up. Does that mean we'll be poor again? The elders will have to start saving and scrimping, how miserable!"
...
Joseph looked at his naive sister, at a loss for words. It seemed there was no saving her. He could even imagine her in the future, bow in hand, scavenging like the elders, not sparing even the roadside weeds.
Then, just like his own childhood experiences, the hard-earned savings would be slowly swindled away by the elders.
He looked at his sister seriously, "Katie, you have to be like me. As long as we're poor, the elders won't steal our resources."
Katie wasn't listening at all.
Her eyes red, she stared at the resources stuffed into her arms, her lips pouting, "Brother, our family is poor again. I have to become strong in the future and bring back lots and lots of resources."
...
Nighttime.
The resources were finally distributed. Ethan smiled slightly, only he knew just how much the Blackwoods had saved. The family had been poor all along, but when it came time to distribute, they were not stingy at all.
"Work hard, children, spend all the resources, break through the Druids, and defeat Michael!"
Watching the children start to cultivate their psychic powers again, Ethan felt greatly relieved.
Suddenly.
"Huh?"
Ethan was stunned. In the dark night, family members were sneaking off towards the Druids' direction one by one.
He even heard some of the family members murmuring.
William: "It feels strange not having a few full Storage Rings."
George: "I need to prove to the family that I can be wealthier than them!"
Lucas: "I never want to go back to those hard days."
Nathan: "Time to get rich!"
...
[Your family has finished distributing resources, and sensing they would soon be depleted under current conditions, they felt a crisis of impending poverty and decided to visit the Druids whenever possible.]
[In just six months, the Druid tribe of the Endless Forest had frequent visits from the Blackwoods. Your family members left no trace and became increasingly skilled in their actions.]
[Your family has gained the group trait: Despicable Plunderers]
[When gathering wealth from the Druids, hostility towards your family increases by 50%. Your family members always manage to conceal their tracks and locate the Druids' hidden treasures.]
"..."
In just six months, the Blackwood descendants made frequent trips to the Druids. By now, Ethan had heard that all the Druids were on the lookout for despicable thieves and robbers... He even heard that one Druid tribe's ancestral grave was completely dug up overnight, and the next day, that tribe angrily attacked a neighboring tribe.
The Druid tribes were in a state of panic.
Ethan closed his eyes, once again tuning into the natural energy of the universe, thankful that his family wasn't on Earth, or else they'd all be behind bars, sharing insights through iron bars.
However, this resource distribution was a resounding success!
Two more years passed, and Ethan's face showed joy.
[Your descendant Lucas has acquired various swords and numerous manuals on swordsmanship from his family members. He borrowed a swordsmanship expert from George and learned all his sword intents, gaining some insights!]
[The Celestial Sword becomes his signature ability weapon, achieving the Great Body of a Thousand Swords!]
One day, Lucas left the Blackwood residence and headed to Starlight County.
He didn't bring any protectors, only taking the Psychic Position of the Forebearer.
"Forebearer, I have mastered the sword intent. With the power of Developing Skill and the Great Body of a Thousand Swords, I will defeat The Celestial Star Swordmaster and break through to Competent Force!"
...