Chapter Ninety-Two: A Sudden Change

As Ye Cheng and Nangong Xue and the others hurried toward Evervictory City, he did not know that certain changes had already befallen his family.

In the town of Sunny River, set on the southwestern edge of the Southern Sun Prefecture, there stood an ordinary little settlement of barely more than ten thousand souls.

Upon its city walls stood dozens of elite guards, yet these guards wore two different kinds of uniform: one bore the emblem of the Ye family, while the other carried the mark of the Luo family.

Clearly, these guards belonged to the two strongest powers in the town.

The two groups stood in separate lines, guarding the city gate. Beneath the towering gate, rising dozens of yards high, people flowed past in an endless stream, though far more seemed to leave the town than to enter it.

Those passing through the gate all cast fearful glances at the guards, for they could sense in the eyes of the two detachments a deep loathing for one another. To avoid being caught in the crossfire, they could only hurry through with utmost caution, terrified of suffering a calamity for no reason at all.

The source of the hatred between these two groups was common knowledge throughout Sunny River Town: they came from different families, the Ye family and the Luo family.

In the past, though the two clans had never been on especially good terms, they had tolerated one another and avoided open deadlock. Each had even stationed its own martial retainers to form the guard forces, jointly maintaining order in Sunny River Town.

Among the other top powers in the town, the Treasure Pavilion was renowned for commerce and would not take the initiative in such matters. When it came to competing with the Ye and Luo families for jurisdiction, it had always remained neutral.

But recently, that balance had changed. Without warning, the Luo family’s way of doing things had taken a drastic turn. Abandoning their former policy of making peace, they tore up the agreement long ago reached with the Ye family, interfered on a large scale in certain Ye family marketplaces, and even moved to monopolize businesses, showing clear signs of trying to suppress the Ye family.

Faced with the Luo family’s brazen conduct, the Ye family naturally struck back. The relationship between the two clans, sharpened by this struggle, grew more and more strained, and the sons and retainers of both families looked at one another as though at mortal enemies. A tense atmosphere spread throughout Sunny River Town.

The greatest victims of the two families’ clash were the ordinary townspeople who lived there. They went about their lives trembling with fear, dreading the day the two great powers might suddenly go to war and engulf their homes in the flames of battle. Thus many of them began quietly making plans to leave this unsafe place for the time being.

In the eastern part of Sunny River Town, within the Ye family council hall:

"Damn it! That bastard Luo Sen is far too arrogant. To seize my Ye family’s business so openly—sooner or later I’ll kill my way to his door and wipe him out."

With the crash of a stone cup hitting the ground, that furious roar burst from the council hall and sent the maids passing along the outer corridor pale with fright as they hurried away.

On the seats to the right of the hall, Ye Zhan sprang up, his face dark with rage. Not far from him, shards of a teacup lay scattered across the floor, with tea splashed everywhere.

Beside Ye Zhan, in the place of honor, sat the current head of the Ye family, Ye Hong. On the seats to the left were several of the Ye family elders, with the First Elder in the foremost position.

All of them wore grave expressions as they looked toward the front of the hall, where stood the dignified elder in luxurious robes, Elder Ye. In the Ye family, he was still the true pillar of support.

"In recent days, many people have appeared in our family’s cloth, porcelain, and other marketplaces, slandering the goods our Ye family sells, causing the number of visitors to our stalls to drop sharply. According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, most of the customers we’ve lost have gone to the Luo family’s markets.

"At present, the only people still coming to our Ye family’s marketplaces are the old regulars who have supported us for years. But if this continues, our markets won’t be able to hold on much longer; they’ll all go under." The Third Elder on the left spoke with a stern face.

"The conflict between the Luo family and our Ye family hasn’t been new for a day or two. They may have been plotting against us for a very long time. Why don’t we just declare war on them now and be done with it? I’m tired of watching them act so smugly." The Second Elder, whose temper was as fiery as Ye Zhan’s, gritted his teeth.

"Second Elder, please calm yourself. The Luo family and our Ye family have both dominated this town for many years. As the saying goes, one mountain cannot hold two tigers. For all these years, the Luo family never made a move, yet now they suddenly strike at our Ye family—there must be more to this than meets the eye." Ye Hong, who had been silently deep in thought on the right side, suddenly spoke.

By his intuition, the Luo family’s move this time was likely backed by some hidden reliance.

"Yes, I agree with the family head’s judgment. Compared with our Ye family, the Luo family may still have a slight overall disadvantage in strength, and yet they dare to act so openly against us. If they had no support to rely on, I doubt anyone would believe it." The First Elder, seated at the head of the elder’s row, said. His expression was equally unsightly. After a brief pause, he turned his gaze to the dignified elder at the front of the hall. He was the one with the greatest authority here.

"I wonder how the old family head views this matter." The First Elder’s words drew everyone’s attention to Elder Ye, and they were all eager to hear his opinion.

"This matter concerns whether my Ye family can survive in Sunny River Town; we must handle it with utmost caution. Only by knowing ourselves and knowing the enemy can we hope to win every battle." Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Elder Ye swept his gaze across the hall and said, "Therefore, I hope you will gather more information on the Luo family’s recent movements. Also, place spies around the Luo family and be certain to uncover the true support that gives them the courage to act this way."

His solemn voice reached everyone’s ears, and the Ye family’s upper ranks below nodded in agreement.

Several years earlier, he had already handed the position of family head to his eldest son, Ye Hong, and devoted himself entirely to cultivation, single-mindedly pursuing the realm of the ancient pill. Even so, Elder Ye had led the Ye family for nearly fifty years and built it up with his own hands; his remaining authority still endured.

"The old family head’s method is feasible, but if this drags on, our marketplace business may not be able to hold out much longer." The Fourth Elder, who had not spoken until now, suddenly said. His face was filled with worry. He was responsible for the family’s marketplace operations, and understood their situation better than anyone.

After all, for a large family to survive, it needed a steady flow of business to cover its expenses.

"With the Ye family’s years of reserves, we should still be able to support ourselves for about another month." said the First Elder. Halfway through, his tone suddenly turned icy. "If the Luo family still refuses to restrain itself, then our Ye family will fight them to the bitter end."

"Yes—fight to the bitter end..." the others echoed. Once things reached that point, there would be no choice but to wage war.

Sighing suddenly, Elder Ye on the seat of honor looked at them and said, "Our Ye family is in the midst of a season of troubles. However, that little girl Ye Ling being taken away by the family that gave birth to her was, in truth, a stroke of fortune. The one who came that day to take Ye Ling away was certainly above the realm of the ancient pill, and quite possibly in the realm of the soul. This shows just how terrifying that family is."

Recalling the formless aura that person had exuded back then, even now Elder Ye still felt a lingering chill of apprehension.

"But when Ye Cheng returns, how are we to explain this to him?" Ye Hong asked.

"No need for many words. Tell him the truth. I believe he will understand." Elder Ye said softly.