The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"Second Brother, who did this to you?"

Accompanied by several Wang clan cultivators, Wang Qingshan arrived at his younger brother Wang Qinglin's residence. Seeing Qinglin lying pale and fragile on the bed, his face ashen like gold leaf, Qingshan's brow furrowed deeply.

"I… I didn't get a clear look," Qinglin replied weakly, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion and age.

"Was it someone from one of the three great families?"

"No… the methods of the one who attacked me were bizarre and insidious, impossible to guard against. It didn't seem like the work of a cultivator from the three great families. Rather… it felt like something from the Gu Master Cult."

Lying in his bed, Qinglin recounted the harrowing events of the night. He had been overseeing part of the ancestral grounds when the sudden attack occurred, and he relayed the details to Wang Qingshan with as much clarity as his shaken memory could provide.

"The Gu Master Cult…!" Wang Qingshan's face darkened, his teeth grinding with fury. "For years, the imperial court and the major cultivation families of Yue Country have worked together to suppress the Gu Master Cult, capturing many of their heretical followers. I thought those wretches would lay low for a while, but to think they'd dare to provoke the Wang family tonight!"

His voice dripped with venom, and his hatred for the cult that had long plagued Yue Country was evident.

"Thankfully, I was within the ancestral grounds, protected by the barrier. Otherwise, I wouldn't have merely suffered severe injuries and regressed in cultivation—I'd have been dead," Qinglin said with a mix of fear and relief.

He shuddered at the memory. The one who attacked him was no ordinary cultist; their strength and techniques far surpassed anything he had encountered before. Even the elders of the Gu Master Cult paled in comparison. Without the ancestral protective formation passed down through generations, he was certain disaster would have struck.

"I won't forget this debt," Qingshan growled, his voice laced with determination. "The Gu Master Cult will pay for what they've done, one way or another."

"Big Brother, did you succeed in breaking through?"

"Yes, I did."

"That's a cause for celebration, at least. With Big Brother's breakthrough, our Wang family no longer needs to endure the oppression of the three great families."

A weak but heartfelt smile appeared on Qinglin's face. Despite his injuries and the loss of his cultivation level, the success of his elder brother's breakthrough was a monumental triumph for the Wang family—a cause for hope amidst the night's turmoil.

"In a few days, I will host a grand ceremony. I will invite the imperial court's immortal masters and all the cultivation families within Yue Country. Let the three great families understand my presence and the Wang family's strength," Qingshan said decisively.

"Ancestor, Clan Leader Zhongtian and Young Master Liyuan are waiting outside," a Wang clan disciple reported respectfully as he entered the room.

"I see. Tell them to wait in the side room. I'll meet them shortly."@@novelbin@@

"Understood."

The disciple bowed and quickly retreated.

"Second Brother, rest well. I'll come to see you again in a few days," Qingshan said, turning to leave.

"Alright," Qinglin replied softly, watching his elder brother's departing figure.

In the side room.

Wang Zhongtian and his son, Wang Liyuan, sat quietly, their expressions tinged with curiosity and unease. They had no idea why the ancestor had summoned them so late at night.

"Father, why do you think the ancestor called for us?" Wang Liyuan asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure," Zhongtian replied. "Perhaps it's about the breakthrough. He may want me to prepare for the ceremony and gatherings to follow."

"Is that all?" Wang Liyuan frowned slightly, sensing there might be more to it. If the matter were simply about hosting a ceremony, why summon him as well? Surely, the ancestor could have just summoned his father.

The thought lingered, but there was no way to confirm his suspicions until the ancestor arrived.

"Ancestor is here!"

The voice of a gatekeeper disciple echoed from outside, interrupting Liyuan's thoughts. He and Zhongtian immediately composed themselves and rose to their feet.

"Zhongtian greets the Ancestor."

"Liyuan greets the Ancestor."

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The two bowed deeply as Wang Qingshan entered the side room, his hands clasped behind his back. His presence radiated an air of authority and power, commanding respect and awe.

"No need for formalities," Qingshan said with a dismissive wave as he made his way to the main seat.

Once seated, a disciple approached with a cup of Jade Dew Tea, which Qingshan sipped lightly before directing his gaze at the pair before him.

"I've heard that Liyuan has taken an interest in a certain young lady. Tell me, who might she be?"

"Ancestor, the young lady in question is Yun Yanshuang, the eldest daughter of the Yun Cang Yun family. She is exceptionally gifted—barely fifteen years old, and already at the peak of the sixth layer of the Embryo Breathing Realm. She also possesses considerable skill in artifact refining. Liyuan was smitten at first sight, which is why I sent someone to propose the match," Wang Zhongtian explained, bowing respectfully and smiling as he spoke.

"The Yun Cang Yun family, you say?" Wang Qingshan's expression shifted as memories of the night's events came rushing back to him.

It all made sense now. The Yun family's meteoric rise in recent years, and Yun Yanshuang's astonishing cultivation progress—far outpacing many of the Wang family's disciples—could only be attributed to one thing. She was the disciple of that senior.

The Yun Cang Yun family had truly been blessed with extraordinary fortune. With such a figure standing behind them, their future as Yue Country's foremost cultivation family was all but assured.

"I've heard that this Yanshuang girl has no interest in marriage and doesn't wish to marry into the Wang family. Is that true?" Qingshan asked, bringing his thoughts back to the present.

"Ancestor, surely you jest! No such thing has been mentioned. The Yun family has already agreed to this marriage alliance with our Wang family," Zhongtian replied, his face still lit with an oblivious smile, entirely unaware of the storm brewing on Qingshan's face.

"Hmph! A fine display of filial disobedience—daring to deceive even me!"

With a loud slap of his hand against the tea table, Qingshan's aura erupted, crashing down on Zhongtian like a mountain. The overwhelming pressure forced him to his knees, leaving him gasping for air.

"The Yun family has no intention of forming an alliance with us! You, on the other hand, sent people to forcibly deliver a bridal gift in an attempt to take their daughter by force. Do you realize that your foolish actions nearly cost me everything?!"

Qingshan's voice thundered as his fury surged unchecked. Memories of the blind Taoist's presence earlier in the night, nearly ruining his celestial platform and his chance at Foundation Establishment, were fresh and sharp. All of it, caused by Zhongtian's reckless behavior.

"Did my warnings to you fall on deaf ears? Have you forgotten that the Yun Cang Yun family is not to be trifled with?!"

"Ancestor, please calm your anger! I was wrong! I was wrong!" Zhongtian's voice quivered as he pressed his head to the ground, trembling with fear and repeatedly kowtowing for mercy.

"Ancestor, please spare my father!" Wang Liyuan pleaded earnestly, joining his father on the ground.

"Liyuan, let me be clear," Qingshan said, his tone softening but his gaze sharp as he turned to the younger man. "The Yun family's daughter is beyond the reach of our Wang family. From this day forward, you are to abandon any thoughts of her. Should I learn that you still harbor intentions toward Yanshuang, I will punish you most severely."

"Grandson understands and will heed the Ancestor's teachings," Liyuan replied respectfully, though his mind churned with questions. Why was the Yun family suddenly untouchable? Why was the Ancestor so resolute in severing this connection?

Though the reasons remained unclear, Liyuan dared not pursue the matter further, knowing it could ignite his Ancestor's wrath.

"Tomorrow, prepare a generous gift. I will personally visit the Yun Cang Yun family to offer our apologies," Qingshan declared, retracting his oppressive aura and allowing Zhongtian to breathe freely again.

"Ancestor… why go to such lengths?" Zhongtian asked, his face a mix of disbelief and confusion.

Why would their mighty Ancestor lower himself to apologize to a family that had only recently risen to prominence? What was the Yun family hiding that made them command such respect from someone like Qingshan?

"Enough talk! Do as I say, and don't keep me waiting. If you delay or neglect this task, don't blame me for what comes next!" Qingshan snapped, his glare silencing any further objections.

"Understood," Zhongtian replied reluctantly, bowing low as he accepted the command, his heart heavy with unanswered questions.

"That's all for now. You two may leave and get some rest," Qingshan said, dismissing them with a wave.

"Grandson takes his leave."

Father and son bowed deeply before retreating from the room.

Once outside the side room, Zhongtian's mind raced with the earlier conversation. "Why would the Ancestor act this way? What's going on?"

"Father, we should follow the Ancestor's instructions without question," Liyuan said calmly. "The Yun family must be hiding something significant—something that even the Ancestor fears. Otherwise, he would never treat a recently established family with such caution."

"But what could the Yun family possibly be hiding?"

"Since the Ancestor isn't willing to share more, it's best not to pry. Otherwise, if we provoke his anger again, your position as clan leader may no longer be secure," Liyuan warned.

"Fine… I understand," Zhongtian said with a heavy sigh, resigned to following the Ancestor's orders.