Chapter 524: The Return of the Patriarch
Hot recommendations: ,,,,,,
In the Heaven Xuan Continent, the Lord Xuan Realm is the highest realm one can reach, and the same holds true in the Illusion Demon Realm. In the Illusion Demon Realm, experts at the Lord Xuan Realm almost all come from the Demon Emperor City. Outside the Demon Emperor City, it's rare to see one in several thousand years. Yet even within the Demon Emperor City, those at the Lord Xuan Realm are exceedingly few and far between. The strength of a clan is most critically judged by the number of Emperor Lord level experts.
As for those who could still utter the most impressive threatening words in the profound realm, Yun Qinghong might actually kill him… or even Huiye Commandery Prince himself. Huiye Commandery Prince did not know what kind of person Yun Qinghong was before he became crippled, but Yanlong Venerable knew it all too well. A hundred years ago, in a fit of rage, Yun Qinghong had struck down a commandery prince in the street for committing vile acts—and he had done so even knowing full well the prince's identity.
"Your Highness, we… must leave…"
Yanlong Venerable practically crawled to Huiye Commandery Prince's feet, using his eyes to desperately warn him to leave at once, and never to try matching wits with Yun Qinghong here using his status as a commandery prince. Huiye Commandery Prince gritted his teeth, then let out a low roar: "Yun Qinghong… you will regret this… Let's go!"
"When you return, remember to deliver a message to your father king." Yun Qinghong spoke calmly to Huiye Commandery Prince's back. "For the sake of our past friendship, I, Yun Qinghong, offer this advice: do not let greed and your so-called prejudice against women cause you to lose your current glory and walk straight into ruin. It's not too late to stop now. Xiao Yaohou is far more formidable than you imagine. As long as our Yun family draws even a single breath, we will forever serve the lineage of the Demon Emperor!"
Huiye Commandery Prince stopped in his tracks. His shoulders heaved violently, then he turned around, his face twisted as he said, "Yun Qinghong, this prince also has a message from my father king for you… It's not too late for your Yun family to pledge allegiance now! Otherwise, when the time comes… a ten-thousand-year-old family will be reduced to ashes, not a blade of grass left standing!"
Yun Qinghong crossed his arms over his chest, unperturbed, and instead smiled contemptuously. "Are you done? Then get lost."
"You…!" A surge of rebellious blood rushed up from Huiye Commandery Prince's chest. He clenched his teeth fiercely, his body trembling, then swiftly flew away.
At that moment, an angry roar rang out: "Helian Peng, where do you think you're going? Our accounts haven't been settled yet!"
Helian Peng, who had been trying to slip away unnoticed, stopped in his tracks. Turning around, he saw Tianxia Wudi's dark, stormy face. He sneered and said, "Tianxia Wudi, since you already know, I might as well be straight with you. We, the Twelve Guardian Clans, have throughout the generations always been loyal to the Demon Emperor! What right does Xiao Yaohou, a mere woman, have to demand our allegiance? But now, Xiao Yaohou's throne is nearly at its end. I'll be frank with you: more than half of the Twelve Guardian Clans have already sided with Huai Wang. I kindly advise you…"
"Shut up!" Tianxia Wudi bellowed in fury. "Hypocritical and treacherous, harboring ulterior motives, yet you still have the nerve to speak so sanctimoniously! Set aside your disloyalty for now—your Helian clan plotted against our patriarch's daughter! You owe our entire clan an explanation!"
"You want an explanation?" Helian Peng sneered. "I'll be waiting at the Demon Empress's grand ceremony in one month!"
"Running away? If I don't take one of your arms today, I'm not called Tianxia Wudi!" Seeing Helian Peng fly off into the distance, Tianxia Wudi let out a furious shout and gave chase. Tianxia Diyi glanced in Yun Che's direction, hesitated briefly, and then quickly followed.
——————————————
After leaving the Yun family territory, Huiye Commandery Prince had not gone far before his body swayed, and he suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood.
"Your Highness, are you all right?" Yanlong Venerable asked urgently.
"Yun… Qing… Hong!" Huiye Commandery Prince slowly wiped the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with resentment. Even though Yun Qinghong had not attacked him directly, the pressure of a mid-stage Emperor Lord was not something he could withstand. Under Yun Qinghong's gaze and aura, his internal organs had nearly been crushed to pieces.
"Originally… today, by pushing Yun Xinyue to become the head of the Yun family, we could have taken control of the Yun family and used them to check the Mu family, eliminating two major obstacles for my father king… I never expected… I never expected…" Huiye Commandery Prince clenched his fists so tightly they trembled, then his eyes suddenly widened. "It's all that Yun Che's fault! Two months ago, he ruined this prince's plans, and today, it's because of him again! Because of him, not only have we failed to rein in the Yun family and the Tianxia clan, but we've instead drawn their vigilance and hatred! If they report everything to Xiao Yaohou, she might increase her precautions and take more action…"
"Everything is ruined… When my father king finds out… he will surely punish me! Damn it… It's all because of that Yun Che!"
"When we get back, find out everything about that Yun Che's background… I will exterminate his entire clan!"
————————————————
"Xinyue… Xinyue… Xinyue… Ah! Why… why!!"
Yun Waitian cradled Yun Xinyue's body, wailing loudly. Under Yanlong Venerable's strike, Yun Xinyue's body had been pierced through. With no profound energy to protect herself, she was utterly dead. In a single day, Yun Waitian had experienced immense joy and then even greater sorrow. He had been filled with ecstatic anticipation, watching his most proud son ascend to the position of patriarch under Huiye Commandery Prince's recommendation, the Supreme Elder's approval, and the whole clan's support. But now, less than half an hour later, they were separated by life and death.
No matter how many wrongs his son had committed, he was still his own flesh and blood.
Yun Qinghong landed and stood beside Yun Waitian. Watching the Yun family's grand elder weeping like a child brought back the pain he himself had suffered from losing his son over the years. He let out a long sigh and said, "Grand Elder, please accept my condolences. Though Yun Xinyue was at fault, in the end, he was coerced by others, so his mistake is forgivable. I believe our clansmen will forgive him. In three days, he will be buried in the ancestral mountain. As for the wrongs he committed in life, I will order that not a single word be leaked to the outside world."
Yun Waitian's body trembled slightly… Those who had committed grave sins were not qualified to be buried in the ancestral mountain after death. Yun Xinyue had conspired with others to harm his own clansmen, nearly plunging the entire Yun family into an irredeemable abyss. His crime was enough to be cursed for a hundred generations. Yet Yun Qinghong promised him a place in the ancestral mountain and would even conceal his mistakes from the outside world to preserve his reputation—this was truly an act of immense mercy and grace.
"Thank… you, Patriarch…" Yun Waitian bowed his head heavily, speaking through sobs. Thinking of how he had ignored and been disrespectful to Yun Qinghong after he became crippled, he felt utterly ashamed.
"Though Xinyue is gone, you still have two sons, Xinwen and Xine, who need your guidance. Xinyue's fault does not implicate you. From now on, you will remain the grand elder of the Yun family. The Yun family's rise absolutely cannot do without you. So for the sake of your family, and for the sake of the entire Yun clan, you must not fall."
Yun Waitian raised his head, eyes blurry with tears as he looked at Yun Qinghong, unable to speak through his sobs.
"Xiao'er, Che'er, let's go." Yun Qinghong turned around.
"Patriarch… Patriarch!" A chorus of calls came from behind. Yun Qinghong paused and raised his hand, saying, "Today's clan competition is cancelled. Clean up here first. I know you have many questions. For now, a storm is brewing over Demon Emperor City, and our Yun family must make adequate preparations. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, we will hold a full clan assembly here. I will explain everything to you, and then discuss matters of great importance to the clan… No one from the middle ranks and above may be absent."
"Yes, Patriarch!"
The response was thunderously loud, especially the word "Patriarch," which brought tears to the eyes of many elders.
Yun Qinghong and his wife left, and the entire Yun family square erupted into a commotion that would not settle for a long time.
"The Patriarch… is back! The Patriarch has truly returned!"
"There is hope… for the rise of our Yun family!"
"And we were all supporting Yun Xinyue to succeed him as patriarch… we were truly blind back then! If not for the Patriarch's wisdom, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
"Besides the Patriarch, we must also express our deep gratitude to Yun Che, his adopted son! It's ridiculous that we sneered at him before."
The Yun family elders gathered together, completely forgetting their dignity, chattering excitedly, their old faces flushed with emotion.
By now, Yun Waitian had stopped weeping. He sat there, holding Yun Xinyue's body, staring blankly ahead. At that moment, the second elder, Yun Duanshui, approached. After a brief hesitation, he let out a low sigh and said, "Grand Elder, are you wondering why so many of us are so excited at the Patriarch's 'return'?"
Yun Waitian's gaze shifted slightly.
Yun Duanshui spoke slowly: "After Yun Canghai, Yun Qinghong became the head of our Yun family. Even if he was crippled, he was still our patriarch. We would never allow anyone to question his position or authority because of his disability. However, the Patriarch himself, believing he could no longer fulfill the duties of patriarch due to his disability and knowing that Yun Xiao was not his biological son, decided that we should abandon him and instead support you, with the intention of making you the future patriarch of the Yun family."
Yun Waitian: "..."
"The Patriarch said that although you have ambition, beyond that ambition lies a sincere devotion to the Yun family, and you desire the clan's rise more than anyone else. His own bloodline is broken, and the one he trusts most to entrust the clan to is your line. He asked us to cooperate with you and obey your commands, to help you build your authority within the Yun family. As for the Patriarch himself, he strictly forbade us from even visiting him. When the time is right, he would step down and let you succeed him as patriarch."
"Ah…" Yun Waitian opened his mouth, his whole body trembling.
"In truth, even after more than twenty years, if the Patriarch had issued a single order, at least twenty of the thirty-six core elders of the Yun family would have unhesitatingly sided with him. He was well aware of the purpose of today's clan assembly. It was the fourth elder and I who informed him, and his response was to have us directly nominate you as the new patriarch. That everyone later agreed on Yun Xinyue as patriarch was something of an accident."
"The cold shoulder the Patriarch received after becoming crippled was not us truly ignoring him—it was what he wanted us to do. His silence was not self-abandonment, but a deliberate effort to diminish his own prestige in order to build up yours. Because to the Patriarch, the future of the clan is far more important than his own reputation and honor… He is a great and wise patriarch. Even crippled, he commands our deepest respect."
"However, heaven has once again favored our Yun family. The Patriarch has returned, and he has averted a great disaster for the clan." Yun Duanshui glanced at the stunned Yun Waitian and continued, "You know in your heart how you treated the Patriarch all these years, and you should understand the magnitude of the mistake your son Yun Xinyue committed. Yet you have also seen how the Patriarch treated you just now. I say this only so that from today on, you will not betray the Patriarch, and you will not betray the Yun family."
Yun Duanshui left. Yun Waitian remained frozen in place for a long time, as if turned to stone. After a full half-quarter of an hour, his body trembled, and he collapsed to the ground, weeping uncontrollably…
————————
[Oops! Didn't control it well, exceeded 4,000 words. Subscribing gods and goddesses will have to spend three more cents——]