Gongsun Yanran nodded. "Xuan’Er, I am also doing this for the good of the Ye Family. I know you didn’t accept my previous suggestion, but don’t worry. Before leaving, I came up with a better one, and the Gongsun Family has accepted it."
"Mother, what suggestion?"
"You will find out soon enough." Gongsun Yanran deliberately kept him in suspense.
About ten minutes later, all members of the Ye Family, regardless of whether they belonged to the Direct Lineage or the Side Branches, gathered in the courtyard.
"Why did the Patriarch gather us all here? Has something major happened?"
"I have no idea. Let’s hear what he has to say."
The Ye Family members all wore confused expressions. Even Ye Zeyun couldn’t help but ask, "Ye Xuan, what exactly is going on?"
Ye Xuan didn’t say a word, simply looking at Gongsun Yanran instead.
Gongsun Yanran stepped forward and addressed the crowd. "Everyone, you should all know that I come from a city and am the daughter of the City Lord. Over these years, I was forced to separate from my husband and child. I have always felt incredibly guilty, feeling that I failed them and the Ye Family. Therefore, I want to make amends. I want to ask you all—if you could enter a city and live there from now on, would you be willing?"
After Gongsun Yanran finished speaking, an eerie silence settled over the courtyard. The Ye Family members seemed unable to process the news right away.
A long moment later, the crowd erupted!
"What? We can go to a city!"
"Is it true? That’s wonderful! I don’t even know which direction the nearest city is in, yet now, we actually have the chance to become city dwellers!"
"We’ll go! We definitely want to go!"
Every single clansman danced with joy, visibly thrilled by the prospect. Even the eyes of Ye Zeyun, Ye Yizhou, and the other elders shone with intense light. This was nothing short of a massive surprise. What Cultivator wouldn’t yearn to live in a city? Rumor had it that cultivation speed in a city was more than ten times faster than in a mere town.
Amidst the excitement, Liu Ruoxi alone maintained a neutral expression—one tinged with a hint of disdain. These country bumpkins truly hadn’t seen the world. Merely hearing that they were going to a city was enough to make them jump for joy. This was the sheer disparity between different classes of people. She looked down on Ye Xuan precisely for this reason. Even though Ye Xuan’s talent had genuinely shocked her, she still found it difficult to accept his status as a country boy. They were simply worlds apart in social standing.
"Is everyone willing to go?" Gongsun Yanran smiled, casting a glance at Ye Xuan as she spoke. Her eyes seemed to imply that as the Patriarch, he should listen to the voices of his clansmen. Since everyone wanted to go, what reason could he possibly have to object?
Ye Xuan furrowed his brows slightly. He waved his hand to quiet the crowd and finally spoke. "Quiet down, everyone. Listen to me. I know you all yearn for a city, but do you honestly believe that moving there guarantees a good life?"
Ye Xuan’s words were like a bucket of cold water. While they didn’t completely extinguish the family’s enthusiasm, they certainly dampened it significantly.
"Patriarch, what do you mean by that?"
Ye Xuan gathered his thoughts before answering. "My mother wants us to move to the Gongsun Family. Her intentions are good, but don’t you feel that our Ye Family would essentially be giving up our independence to serve them? Do you think we won’t face mockery and discrimination within the Gongsun Family? Do you really want to live like dogs, utterly devoid of dignity? Have you forgotten what it felt like when we were enslaved by the Fang Family?"
With just a few simple sentences, Ye Xuan snuffed out the last remaining embers of the Ye Family’s excitement.
"The Patriarch makes a valid point. I don’t want to be treated like a dog anymore!"
"We certainly long for a city, but with our lowly status, how could we ever be treated as equals? Even if we go, we will only be mocked and ostracized! Just imagining such a scenario makes me feel desolate."
"We absolutely cannot suffer the same torments we endured under the Fang Family again!"
The Ye Family members sobered up completely. Ye Wen and the other younger generation members gritted their teeth and roared, "Better to be a serpent’s head than a dragon’s tail!"
The Ye Family had grown from a minor faction, so they knew exactly what it meant to be a dragon’s tail. It meant constantly living at the mercy of the strong. You had to do whatever they commanded. If you wanted to survive, you had to compromise, swallow your pride, and live like a dog. The current Ye Family might not be powerful, but they felt content and comfortable just the way they were.
"Patriarch, just give the word. Whether we go or not, we will listen to you. If you say we go, we go. If you say we stay, we stay."
The Ye Family’s reaction took Gongsun Yanran completely by surprise. They seemed to place absolute trust in Ye Xuan! She wondered how someone as young as him could hold such immense prestige within the family.
Ye Xuan smiled and said, "We are not going. We shouldn’t force our way into circles that we don’t belong in; otherwise, the only ones who will get hurt are ourselves. The only thing we need to do is work hard to improve our cultivation bases. Once we grow stronger, those exclusive circles we once had to fight tooth and nail to enter will naturally open their doors to us. Therefore, elevating our own strength is the most important thing."
Ye Xuan’s voice was firm and resonant. He held his head high, bearing a unique sense of pride. His words were a breath of true clarity. A person could only integrate into a higher-tier circle by making themselves stronger. Forcing one’s way in without the requisite strength was simply inviting humiliation.
"Xuan’Er, you still misunderstand my intentions. Let me finish," Gongsun Yanran’s voice rang out once more.
"Mother, what else do you have to say?"
"Xuan’Er, I know that having you move into the Gongsun Family might feel like relying on someone else’s charity. I understand all of your concerns. But how could I ever let you be bullied? I have already discussed this with your grandfather. If you are willing to move to the city, he can find a separate manor for the Ye Family to live independently."
"Find us a separate manor?"
As Gongsun Yanran’s words echoed in the air, the previously dimmed eyes of the Ye Family members lit up once again.
Gongsun Yanran continued, "Yes, a separate manor. This way, you won’t have to live under the same roof as the Gongsun Family. You will remain free and unconstrained. I know you might still worry that other major powers will bully you due to your current weakness, but you will have the Gongsun Family backing you. Don’t forget, you are the City Lord’s in-laws. As long as you are in Dapeng City, absolutely no one will dare to cross you. I, Gongsun Yanran, guarantee this!"
The light in the eyes of the Ye Family members grew increasingly intense following her reassurance. They were undeniably tempted! Gongsun Yanran’s proposal was simply too good to pass up. Living independently in their own space meant they could remain free, all while enjoying the protection that came with being in-laws to the Gongsun Family. Over time, the Ye Family would inevitably grow stronger and stronger until they firmly took root within the city.
"Xuan’Er, my proposal is quite good, isn’t it?" Gongsun Yanran smiled, casting a fond look at Ye Xuan.
Ye Xuan remained silent. While his mother’s proposal sounded unassailable, he still felt that they shouldn’t go. This was despite the fact that it sounded like they had everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose!