"Xuan’Er, I don’t know. If possible, I don’t want to be too far from you all either," Gongsun Yanran said with hesitation.
What Ye Xuan had suggested was quite tempting.
Although staying closer to the Sun Family was more dangerous, the flip side was that if the Sun Family were to naturally fall from power, the Gongsun Family would be in a position to fight their way back. When that time came, they could openly exact their revenge for the theft of their city and the near-extermination of their clan.
Even though this hope was slim, and restoring the Gongsun Family to its peak strength would be incredibly difficult, having hope provided motivation.
"How about this? I’ll ask for the clan members’ opinions and give you an answer later," she added.
Gongsun Yanran returned to the side courtyard and relayed Ye Xuan’s words to the Gongsun Family members.
As soon as she finished speaking, a clan member immediately spoke up. "Aunt, we won’t leave! We will definitely become strong and take back our city in the future!"
"Right, we won’t leave! One day, we will annihilate the Sun Family and plant the Golden-Winged Roc Race Banner back on top of the city walls."
"So none of you want to leave? Alright, then we will stay here. I will go tell Xuan’Er."
"Aunt, wait..." a young man suddenly called out, stopping Gongsun Yanran in her tracks.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Aunt, I have a question. Why is the Ye Family going to the Three-Star Main Town while we stay in a One-Star Main Town? What does the Ye Family take our Gongsun Family for? Even if a tiger is driven into the plains, it’s still a tiger, right? The ones going to the Three-Star Main Town should be our Gongsun Family."
"He has a point! What Cousin said makes sense."
"Aunt, can’t we just directly occupy a Three-Star Main Town ourselves? Why must we slave away for the Ye Family’s benefit? To take down a Three-Star Main Town, they probably need to rely on our strength, right? Aunt, you’re treating your son a little too well."
Hearing this, Gongsun Yanran furrowed her brows. Unable to hold back any longer, she let out a cold shout. "Shut up! Do you still consider yourselves high and mighty young masters and ladies? Besides, you’re mistaken about one thing. Ye Xuan never planned for us to lift a finger when he goes to annihilate the Mou Family."
"What? He doesn’t plan for us to help?"
"His cultivation can only rival an expert at the 5th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm, right? What if there are experts at the 6th Layer, or even the 7th Layer in the Three-Star Main Town?"
As former young masters and ladies of a city, they were well aware of the general strength of a Three-Star Main Town. The strongest combatants in such towns were undoubtedly in the Demon Spirit Realm. Every Town Mayor of a Three-Star Main Town possessed a cultivation base of at least the 5th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm. In some powerful Three-Star Main Towns, there were even experts at the 7th Layer or higher.
If Ye Xuan encountered someone like that, it would surely be a dead end for him.
Of course, they naturally had no idea that Ye Xuan’s cultivation had improved once again. Right now, he wouldn’t have much trouble fighting someone at the 7th or even 8th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm. Against opponents with weaker natural talent, he could even kill those at the 9th Layer of the Demon Spirit Realm.
"Yes, he intends to go alone," Gongsun Yanran said. "So, it’s not that I’m showing him favoritism. Everything he has, he earned through his own strength."
Pausing for a moment, she continued.
"Furthermore, put away your thoughts of occupying a Three-Star Main Town. Think about it. The war for the city has just ended. If our Dapeng Banner were to flutter over a Three-Star Main Town, do you think the Sun Family wouldn’t find out? Three-Star Main Towns under the same city’s jurisdiction are always in contact with each other. Only in a One-Star Main Town, which has zero contact with the main city, can the Dapeng Banner fly again safely. If you truly feel that living in a One-Star Main Town is beneath you, we can completely leave the territorial bounds of Dapeng City, go to another city, and occupy a Three-Star Main Town there. Tell me, do you want to go?"
"Aunt, we won’t go!"
"Yeah, didn’t we already say we’d stay within Dapeng City’s sphere of influence? In the future, if there’s a chance, we will definitely fight our way back. If I can’t do it, I’ll make sure my descendants do! Every member of the Gongsun Family must have the willpower to ’Revive the Gongsun Clan’."
"Then stop spouting so much nonsense. Since we are staying here, we can only choose a One-Star Main Town. From now on, we will rest and recuperate here. Xuan’Er said that after the Ye Family occupies the Three-Star Main Town, you are all allowed to enter its Secret Realm. Although it can’t compare to the Gongsun Family’s Secret Realm, you’ll at least be able to find some resources."
"He’s allowing us into the Secret Realm? Why?"
"It’s very simple. Because he says you are his family, too."
"This... he actually said that? That means we were judging a gentleman’s heart with our own petty minds."
"Alright, I’ll go inform him of your decision."
Time passed. The next day, the entire Ye Family migrated, leaving Ye Family Town.
No, it shouldn’t be called Ye Family Town anymore; it was now Dapeng Town.
The Clan Banner at the town entrance changed from the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Banner to the Golden-Winged Roc Banner. The Ye Mansion had also become the Gongsun Mansion.
The Gongsun Family had gone from ruling an entire city to controlling a tiny One-Star Main Town. The gap in status was truly massive, but that was reality.
At this moment, in the Gongsun Family’s Main Courtyard.
Gongsun Hao stood beneath the Night Moon Tree, crying his heart out. Everything had changed, and the people were gone. Only the Night Moon Tree remained as lush and leafy as it had been during his childhood. As he looked at the tree, he seemed to see Gongsun Qingyue waving at him.
"Hao’Er, slow down... Don’t fall, you just learned how to walk."
"Hao’Er, look, this tree has flowered and borne fruit. How about Daddy secretly sneaks two for you? In the future, you will definitely become the strongest young hero."
"Hao’Er, watch your younger brother well. Don’t just focus on cultivating."
After crying profusely, he wiped away his tears, turned around, and walked away.
"Gongsun Hao, where are you going?" Gongsun Yanran’s voice called out.
"Aunt, I’m going to help Ye Xuan."
"You? Help Ye Xuan?"
"Yeah. I’m worried something might happen to him. He was even willing to leave this Night Moon Tree for me. I have no reason not to help him. The grudge between him and me is wiped clean."
Gongsun Hao had held a grudge against Ye Xuan simply because Ye Xuan had severed his younger brother’s hand. But the fact that Ye Xuan left behind this Night Moon Tree filled him with immense gratitude. It was the only thing in this small town that brought him a sense of warmth.
After speaking, Gongsun Hao quickly departed.
Suddenly, Gongsun Po appeared beside him.
"Po, are you going too?"
"You’re worried something might happen to him," Gongsun Po said indifferently. "I’m worried something might happen to both of you."
"I’m going too."
"Me too..."
...
The Ye Family’s Beast Vehicles were traveling at a brisk pace. Gongsun Po and the others each rode an Exotic Beast, taking a full hour to catch up to Ye Xuan.
"Po, what are you guys doing..." Ye Xuan asked, a little surprised to see Gongsun Po and the group blocking the road.
"Going to help you annihilate the Mou Family," Gongsun Po replied calmly.
Ye Xuan gave a faint smile and said, "Thank you."
In truth, Ye Xuan hadn’t told anyone that the Gongsun Family’s vendetta was also his own. His grandfather’s entire family had been all but wiped out. Even though his surname was Ye, half the blood flowing in his veins still belonged to the Gongsun Family.
How could such a deep-seated hatred go unavenged?
The death of his eldest uncle, in particular, weighed heavily on his heart. After escaping Dapeng City, his mother had cried inside the carriage for seven whole days.
His eldest uncle was the person who treated his mother the best. He was also the Gongsun Family member who treated Ye Xuan the best, bar none.
His eldest uncle’s death left Ye Xuan unable to find peace. He shouldn’t have died. With him gone, who would protect his little sister? It was just like how, if Ye Xuan were to die, who would protect Ye Ling’Er?
From then on, Gongsun Yanran had no father, nor did she have an older brother to dote on and protect her. The heavy burden of the Gongsun Family rested entirely on her shoulders.
Ye Xuan saw it all, and it pained his heart. If he wanted to share his mother’s burden, he had to endlessly grow stronger.