Zhuge Villa.
In the main hall.
As the last bit of incense ash slowly fell.
Everyone's hearts sank.
Because by a rough calculation of the time, it was noon.
Yet Shen Wenyuan, Wang Wenzong, and the others Jiang Ning had spoken of had not appeared.
"Marquis, they..." one of the clan elders in the main hall began.
Just then—
Rumble—
The mountains shook and the earth quaked with a tremendous boom.
Zhuge Qingsong abruptly rose and looked toward the entrance of the villa.
"They're here!!" His tone was grave.
"Marquis, if those words of yours just now were merely to comfort me, then please leave through Back Mountain!" Zhuge Qingsong looked at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning stood and shook his head. "There was never any deception."
"Let's go!" He then took the initiative and walked toward the villa entrance.
Ji Mingyue followed closely behind.
Under the gazes of the Zhuge Villa clan elders, Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue were the first to cross that threshold.
The clan elders immediately looked at one another, their gazes meeting.
"Let's go!" Zhuge Qingsong drew in a deep breath, then spoke.
A moment later.
Everyone filed out one after another.
They arrived at the front yard of the villa.
They saw that the screen wall, originally over ten feet tall, had long since become shattered stones scattered across the front yard, leaving only a few foundation stones at the bottom.
That tall vermilion gate had also been scattered several zhang away from where the gate had stood.
Amid smoke and dust that filled the sky, several figures of varying heights were revealed at the villa gate.
Yet not a single guard around them dared to step forward.
As they looked at the people ahead, their eyes were filled with shock and fear.
At that