Chapter 573: Cursing the Seven Clans (Part 2)
Yun Che's loud interrogation made the seven clan leaders, who had been full of aggression, all freeze on the spot, as if they had simultaneously choked on fish bones. After a long while, Xiao Xifeng finally roared back, "Yun Che! Your Yun Clan still has the nerve to bring up what happened back then! If Yun Canghai hadn't rashly gone to the Tian Xuan Continent back then, how could the Demon Emperor Seal have been lost?"
Yun Che sneered coldly, "Why my grandfather went to the Tian Xuan Continent is known to everyone in the entire Huan Yao Realm! It was not for himself, not for the Yun Clan, and certainly not to lose the Demon Emperor Seal! It was to rescue the Demon Emperor who had fallen in the Huan Yao Realm! Xiao Xifeng, why don't you dare to answer my question directly... When the previous Demon Emperor fell into the Tian Xuan Continent back then, and my grandfather led the ten Supreme Elders of the Yun Clan to the rescue, what were you seven clans doing? Why didn't you go to rescue him? Answer me!"
Yun Che's question made the hearts of the seven clan leaders tighten uncontrollably, because to them, this was an extremely sharp question. Back then, when the previous Demon Emperor fell into the Tian Xuan Continent, everyone believed he was facing certain death. Moreover, none of them had ever been to the Tian Xuan Continent. Rashly barging in would most likely result in no return. At the same time, the Twelve Guardian Clans had flourished for ten thousand years and secretly competed for strength. If their clan's experts were to perish in the Tian Xuan Continent, their clan's power would inevitably decline. Therefore, they dared not, and deep down, they were unwilling to take such a great risk... Only Yun Canghai insisted that he had not seen the previous Demon Emperor's corpse and absolutely refused to believe he was dead! He resolved to lead the clan's ten strongest Supreme Elders to the Tian Xuan Continent...
Thus, Yun Che's sharp questioning made them unable to avoid feeling weak at heart.
Xiao Xifeng took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Ignorant child! When the previous Demon Emperor fell into the hands of the Four Sacred Grounds of the Tian Xuan Continent back then, the Four Sacred Grounds were extremely powerful, and the Tian Xuan Continent was their territory. Rushing in recklessly would only cause more casualties. Even if we were to rescue him, we would have to make thorough preparations and deliberate over a long term..."
"Deliberate over a long term? What a fine 'deliberate over a long term'!" Yun Che laughed mockingly. "What is the duty of the Guardian Clans? It is to protect the Demon Emperor bloodline! And to protect the Demon Emperor bloodline, the first and most fundamental duty is to protect the Demon Emperor himself! Since you knew the previous Demon Emperor was in such danger, you should know that every moment of delay increased his peril by one part! As a Guardian Clan, the necessary action is to rescue the previous Demon Emperor at the first opportunity, sparing no expense... Yet at such a time of crisis for the previous Demon Emperor, you—the dignified head of the Xiao Clan among the Guardian Clans—offered the words 'deliberate over a long term'!"
Yun Che pointed at Xiao Xifeng, his face filled with anger. "I simply cannot understand how you, as the head of a Guardian Clan, could have the face to say such words when facing a calamity concerning the Demon Emperor's life! Hah... when you fall into the hands of your mortal enemy and are on the brink of death, should your clan also 'deliberate over a long term'? When your son falls into the claws of a ferocious beast, would you also 'deliberate over a long term'? When you see your wife stripped naked and taken away by a lustful brute, would you also 'deliberate over a long term'!"
"You!" Xiao Xifeng was of such high status! He was the head of a Guardian Clan, and there were very few people in the entire Huan Yao Realm who could make him bow his head. He had never been cursed at like this. Now, he was being scolded by a junior like Yun Che, pointing at his nose in front of all the heroes of the world, and the scolding left him furious yet unable to defend himself, his chest feeling like it was about to explode.
"Hah!" Yun Che sneered. "What 'deliberate over a long term'—what a ridiculous and shameless excuse! It was clearly fear of getting into danger in the Tian Xuan Continent, fear of damage to the clan's strength, thereby disregarding the previous Demon Emperor's life and safety!! The Huan Yao Realm has been stable for ten thousand years, growing increasingly prosperous, with no dangers or difficulties, and it's hard to tell loyalty from treachery! A hundred years ago, when a great calamity fell, it was precisely the time for the Twelve Guardian Clans to repay the Demon Emperor's ten-thousand-year favor and fulfill their duty of protection! But at that moment, facing the previous Demon Emperor's danger, the only ones who spared no expense and rushed to their deaths to rescue him... were our Yun Clan! Only our Yun Clan!"
"And you all!" Yun Che pointed ahead, his voice trembling. "As fellow Guardian Clans, for the sake of your own lives and clan interests, you disregarded the life and death of the Demon Emperor! And you even shamelessly shouted 'deliberate over a long term'! That's fine—the previous Demon Emperor died, my grandfather died, ten Supreme Elders of my Yun Clan died. Yet instead of feeling ashamed, atoning for your sins, or repenting, you colluded to slander the martyrs of my Yun Clan, spread rumors in the Huan Yao Realm, tarnish the reputation of my Yun Clan, and pressured the newly ascended Little Demon Empress into punishing my Yun Clan severely! They made my Yun Clan, which was extremely loyal and had lost its clan head, suffer heavy punishment and decline for a hundred years... Even today, you have united to expel my Yun Clan from the Guardian Clans! These ugly deeds and shameless faces of yours are not worthy of the name 'Guardian Clan'!"
Yun Che's words were like thunder, each word passionate and vehement, violently shaking everyone's hearts and souls. All sounds in the great hall diminished. Everyone stared blankly at Yun Che, listening to his curses, their hearts churning for a long time.
"Well said... well said... well said!" Old Master Mu Feiyan trembled as he raised his head and sighed, "Brother Yun, this is your grandson! To have a grandson like this, you must be smiling in the underworld!"
"Young Master..." The Yun Clan members all had red-rimmed eyes and flushed faces. Yun Che's words vented all the grievances, indignation, and resentment they had suppressed for a hundred years, shouting out the voices they had been forced to suppress deep in their hearts, and proclaiming the glory and pride of their Yun Clan. They clenched their fists, their blood nearly boiling, and tears glistened in their eyes.
"Supreme Elder... do you hear? The Young Master is clearing your name, clearing our Yun Clan's name!" The elders thought of Yun Canghai, who had perished in the Tian Xuan Continent, and grief surged in their hearts, tears flowing endlessly.
The two clan heads, Xiao Xifeng and Jiufang Kui, were scolded like dogs, their faces as ugly as if they had eaten excrement. After holding back for a long time, they couldn't even muster a single rebuttal... The faces of the other five clan heads were also extremely ugly. Today, they were not facing Yun Che alone; all the heroes of the world were present. If they were completely overpowered by the Yun Clan today, the public opinion they had controlled for a hundred years would be completely reversed...
In front of them, Yun Che's age could only be described as "young," but his venomous tongue and sharp words left them all trembling in fear, experiencing for the first time in their lives what it meant to have "every word pierce the heart." Lin Guiyan, the head of the Lin Clan, gritted his teeth and said sternly, "Yun Che! You constantly boast of loyalty, constantly defend your Yun Clan! It's so laughable it could make one lose their teeth! Yun Canghai was indeed a hero, but his actions a hundred years ago were extremely foolish, known to all the world! If he weren't foolish, why did he take the Demon Emperor Seal to the Tian Xuan Continent instead of returning it to the Little Demon Emperor before leaving? Otherwise, the Demon Emperor Seal would not have been lost!"
"Ridiculous! Who is truly ridiculous?" Yun Che sneered mockingly. "The Demon Emperor Seal was entrusted to my grandfather by the previous Demon Emperor to guard! Such an important item was given to my grandfather because of his boundless trust! And my grandfather, who was loyal to the Demon Emperor all his life, would never betray that trust in the slightest! Without an order from the previous Demon Emperor, my grandfather would never hand it over to anyone! Although the previous Demon Emperor was trapped in the Tian Xuan Continent at the time, my grandfather firmly believed he was not dead. No matter how many dangers there were, even if it meant dying, my grandfather would never privately hand over the Demon Emperor Seal to another... This is the trust and loyalty between ruler and subject! And you, Lin Guiyan, actually find this laughable! Even if the previous Demon Emperor lived ten thousand lifetimes, he would never entrust the Demon Emperor Seal to someone like you to guard! What right do you have to criticize my grandfather!"
Lin Guiyan's face darkend, then twisted into a cold smile. "Such foolish loyalty is nothing but a joke!"
Yun Che narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at Lin Guiyan. "Lin Guiyan! Do you know what true loyalty in this world is? Let me tell you... it is exactly what you call 'foolish loyalty'! The only completely pure loyalty in this world, without any impurity, is foolish loyalty! Which emperor doesn't want his subjects to be foolishly loyal? Which master doesn't want his subordinates to be foolishly loyal? You are right that my grandfather's loyalty to the previous Demon Emperor was foolish! He regarded the previous Demon Emperor's entrustment as heaven, and the previous Demon Emperor's life as more important than his own! But you, Lin Guiyan, who constantly speaks of 'loyalty,' cannot achieve this! Not only can't you achieve it, you are not ashamed of it, and you even call it a joke!"
"All Lin Clan members, remember well the words your clan head just spoke. Never be overly loyal to your clan head, or else in his eyes, you are just a joke... a joke!"
"Yun... Che! You..." Lin Guiyan pointed at Yun Che, trembling all over.
"A person who regards foolish loyalty to the Demon Emperor as a joke, and yet holds the position of head of a Guardian Clan—this is an insult to the Guardian Clans! My Yun Clan feels ashamed to be listed among the Guardian Clans alongside you! And such a person still has the face to criticize my grandfather... Hah, Lin Guiyan, to put it bluntly from this junior, you are not even qualified to lick the soles of my grandfather's feet! Head of the Lin Clan? I spit!"
[Sorry, I stayed in Harbin a bit too long... Making some adjustments, will try to update.]