When I first saw you today, young man, I thought you might amount to something, but now? To call you a mere rake would be an insult to the title! You were practically asleep just now, yet mention that, and you wake up faster than anyone!
Dongfang Wenqing snorted, stroking his beard. He mused: Troublesome. If only... but it's such a shame. Yet if this lad... Difficult, difficult. But it's not impossible...
Dongfang Wen Dao and Dongfang Wen Jian both scoffed in unison, rolling their eyes simultaneously. They thought: Looks like the boss has the same idea spinning in his head, but he's still playing coy with us, pretending to be aloof. Truly the biggest hypocrite, utterly repressed—criticizing others while doing the very same thing himself! What a joke!
“This matter requires further discussion.” Dongfang Wenqing reached a conclusion, yet let out another sigh, murmuring vaguely, “Uncle Moxie scolded you just now out of genuine care. The Uncle was misled by rumors, thinking you were rather contemptible. Now that I finally see you, observing your heroic bearing and youthful promise—you are truly second to none among your peers. If your grandmother could see you now, how comforted she would be; if your mother could open her eyes, how overjoyed she would be...”
As he spoke, the three brothers lowered their heads, a profound sorrow settling upon them at the thought of their sister, who had been in a coma for ten years now.
“Tell us about Mother’s story,” Jun Moxie said, suddenly feeling melancholy. When he spoke the word ‘Mother,’ he was surprised to find a sharp, aching tremor in his heart. Moreover, uttering the word felt entirely natural, as if it were ordained—in his very blood, in his soul, he seemed to have already accepted her, just as he had accepted Grandpa and Third Uncle.
Dongfang Wenqing let out a long, drawn-out sigh, the end of the sound faintly trembling. The black beard beneath his chin quivered slightly, betraying the depth of his grief. The three brothers exchanged a look, seeing in each other’s eyes an inexpressible, profound gloom.
“Your mother’s given name was Dongfang Wenxin. She was our most cherished little sister—gentle, beautiful, and adorable.” Dongfang Wenqing’s voice trembled, exceedingly low. His gaze, misty and unfocused, settled on the flickering candlelight, his voice like a sleepwalker’s murmur, as if his entire spirit was sinking into the smoke-and-cloud past as he spoke.
The little sister of those days, the lovely little sister, the one everyone adored from the bottom of their hearts...
And now...
They could still remember clearly how the entire family had vehemently opposed her marrying Jun Wuhui. But the young sister was resolute; no persuasion could sway her. Finally, they had to agree to the marriage. At that time, their mother had said: “Wenxin, if you are not happy, come home quickly. Home will always be home!”
At that time, the sister had smiled radiantly: “Happy or unhappy, Wenxin stands by Wenxin. If there is no regret in Wu Hui, then the deep feeling is deeply felt.”
And so she left.
They remembered that brilliant smile to this day, radiant as spring flowers, leaving boundless warmth behind with her clan!
But who could have imagined that when she returned home, she would be emaciated, her heart turned to ash; sleeping for ten years, never to awaken her heart again!
They remembered that when they brought her home, she was still partially conscious, staring blankly without speaking. Three days later, when their mother and the brothers were all gathered by her side, the little sister suddenly summoned her last reserves of strength and mumbled a few words:
“No regrets in this life, no regrets in any life to come; if you have no regrets, then I have no regrets; where does the heart lie? Ultimately, no regrets! No regrets in heaven or earth, no regrets in life or death!”
After saying this, two hot tears slowly rolled from her nearly hollowed eyes, dripping onto the pillow. She slowly closed her eyes and entered eternal slumber.
Even until she fell unconscious, the prevailing emotion in the little sister’s heart was one of utter lack of regret, not soul-searing hatred!
To live, I follow him; to die, I follow him! No regret in life or death!
For ten years, their family had exhausted countless methods, managing only to desperately preserve the last thread of her vitality, but no matter what, they could not make her open her eyes!
Her heart was already without regret! It had departed with him...
Their mother, enraged by this incident, mobilized the entire family’s assets, unleashing one hundred and ninety-six assassins of the Earth Profound realm and above onto the martial world, enacting massive retaliation! The name of the Dongfang Family Assassins once again roared across the world in just a few years. The Snow Wind Silver City received special attention; for a time, everyone on the continent lived in fear, trembling.
But the singular power of the Dongfang Family could not ultimately shake the entire world.
They were ultimately intercepted by the Three Sovereigns: Li Jue Tian and Han Feng Xue led forces to corner the main strength of the Dongfang Family in Duanlong Valley; even the foremost Sovereign, Yun Bie Chen—usually elusive and hard to find—appeared at that time.
Under mutual restraint, they proposed a decisive battle!
It was her mother, alone, who would fight the Xiao Family’s Xiao Xing Yun and Xiao Bu Yu, masters of Cloud Rain Formation. The agreement stipulated: If the Xiao Family lost, the lives of Xing Yun and Bu Yu would be forfeit, and this deep-seated hatred would be wiped clean. If the mother lost, the Dongfang Family would retreat from the martial world forever.
That world-shaking battle could truly be called earth-shattering!
However, the mother was already weakened by prolonged fighting. After battling two peak Fourth-Grade Divine Profound experts, she ultimately lost by a single move. She was forced to swear an oath: unless the Sword Peak collapsed, the Snow Mountain surrendered, and the Profound Beasts brought down heavenly punishment, the Dongfang Family would never reappear on the continent! Violation of the oath would bring punishment from all Eight Sovereigns!
The Eight Sovereigns of that time were not the current eight; Azure Sovereign Meng Hong Chen and Divine Eagle Sovereign Ying Bo Kong were not yet among them; they rose to prominence only after two other figures mysteriously vanished.
But even though the mother narrowly lost that battle, she had left a contingency: Xiao Xing Yun and Xiao Bu Yu, from that day forward, would never advance beyond Fourth-Grade Divine Profound, their path to the Sovereign realm forever blocked!
And after that battle, the glorious Dongfang Family was inevitably crippled.
Except for one brief reappearance when Mo You and Mo Chou died in battle, the Dongfang Family had not surfaced on the continent for over a decade.
Dongfang Guang’s request! The discussion of the past matters by the two elder Dongfang brothers! The newly informed Jun Moxie! All four present felt a colossal mountain pressing down upon their hearts, a weight so heavy it choked the breath from them. Jun Moxie stared blankly at the dancing candlelight, his face seemingly expressionless, yet inside, a terrifying storm raged.
One moment, he felt emotionally knotted by the undying love between his parents.
The next, his soul wandered back to those years, as if witnessing the Dongfang Family assassins spread across the continent, shedding blood and claiming lives, never returning empty-handed; traversing the martial world, dominating the realm!
Then his spirit raced to Duanlong Valley; it was as if he were personally witnessing that desperate battle of the Dongfang Family! In that fight, Old Madam Dongfang could have won but did not, could not win, and had to lose! Even if she had been fully confident of victory, she still had to lose!
Losing, in many instances, is far more arduous than winning!
With Yun Bie Chen, Li Jue Tian, and Han Feng Xue—the top three experts in the entire world at the time—sitting in judgment, it was the full assembly of the world’s might! If the Dongfang Family had won, how could such a blood feud possibly be wiped clean with a single stroke?
Wiped clean? It sounded beautiful, but perhaps even if the Dongfang Family had wanted to wipe the slate clean then, the Xiao Family of Snow Wind Silver City would never have allowed it! Since both their ancestors ultimately died in battle, how could they not seek vengeance?!
And how could the Three Sovereigns permit renewed conflict? Therefore, the tragedy of the Dongfang Family was sealed the moment they were intercepted! For the sake of the Dongfang Family's survival, Old Madam Dongfang could not win; she had to concede defeat!
To be able to win, yet forced to lose—what profound tragedy!
Jun Moxie could imagine that everyone present at that time understood this clearly! The Old Madam absolutely did not lose that fight; otherwise, why would she have lost by exactly one move, yet managed to inflict hidden wounds on Xiao Xing Yun and Xiao Bu Yu, halting their progress forever at Fourth-Grade Divine Profound?
This was entirely the result dictated by the immense pressure exerted by the Three Sovereigns! The Dongfang Family was compelled to submit!
Suddenly, Jun Moxie felt a genuine surge of resentment toward the Three Sovereigns from the bottom of his heart!
The Sword Peak collapsing, the Snow Mountain surrendering, the Profound Beasts unleashing heavenly punishment! What excessively harsh conditions were these?
They were utterly despicable conditions!
Damn it, why didn't they just say that only when the sky crashes and the earth splits would the Dongfang Family be permitted to emerge?
If one day I made a wager with them, I would certainly propose: Rats flying everywhere, eagles swimming wildly! Fish racing across the fields!
Damn it all...
“In this matter, ten years ago, Mother formally declared a split with your Jun Family! Your grandfather’s actions greatly displeased, even thoroughly disgusted, my mother—that is, your maternal grandmother!” Dongfang Wenqing sighed deeply, his eyes revealing an unreadable mixture of emotions.
Jun Moxie remained silent; this was a matter he found difficult to speak upon. He had always known his grandfather’s temper; a conflict must have arisen concerning the Tianxiang Royal Family. Perhaps it was that his grandmother intended to wipe out the Tianxiang royalty, but his grandfather stubbornly refused.
This disagreement caused the rift between the two families!
And given his grandfather’s absolute loyalty at that time, he was entirely capable of such a thing. But after all these years and all the events he had endured, things might not be the same now...
“Jun Zhantian was a hero of his generation—upright in character, unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness. But this greatest virtue was also his fatal weakness,” Dongfang Wenqing sighed. “Since ancient times: when the birds are gone, the good bow is stored away; when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. Generals who are supremely loyal, admired by the entire nation, and possess immense prestige often meet tragic ends—either dying on the battlefield or facing execution and confiscation of property. Too much merit... frightens the ruler!”
Dongfang Wenqing cast a meaningful glance at Jun Moxie and recited melodiously: “High office and riches are meaningless. Glory and wealth all drift away; what compares to roaming freely between heaven and earth, indulging joy and settling grudges at will?”
“Heh heh,” Jun Moxie laughed, deliberately easing the suffocating atmosphere. “Don’t worry about me; do I look like a man blindly loyal? Otherwise, if this continues, all four of us will be suppressed into suffocating.”
“Indeed, young man, you do not! You look more like a little rogue—no, a big rogue!” The three Dongfangs laughed simultaneously.
“Since the Dongfang Family cannot reveal themselves, how did you manage to emerge?” Jun Moxie asked curiously.
“Naturally, the Dongfang Family cannot appear openly. But if we operate without using the Dongfang Family name, living anonymously and pursuing our own affairs, isn’t that fine? If everyone truly hid away in the great mountains, wouldn’t we starve to death?” Dongfang Wen Dao looked at Jun Moxie, conveying with his eyes, ‘You are slow.’
Jun Moxie was momentarily stunned.
“Besides, this time the Profound Beast Tide is truly unprecedentedly powerful. The allied forces naturally need to gather every strong force they can muster. The reason the three of us arrived together this time is because we were singly contracted by the Blood Soul Villa,” Dongfang Wenqing chuckled, stepping in to rescue Jun Moxie.
“Contracted?” Jun Moxie’s eyes widened.