Choice and Reconciliation

Early in the morning, a fine drizzle brought a touch of coolness to Li City in the height of summer!

"The clan leader is summoning me?"

Wu Yuan had just finished breakfast at home when Steward Fang from the ancestral residence hurried over, without even having time to grab an umbrella.

"Young Master Yuan, someone from Xu Manor is here," Steward Fang said quickly.

The news that Wu Yuan had been specially recruited by a sect had not spread far and wide yet, but Steward Fang had witnessed it last night. The perceptive man had already changed how he addressed him, calling him "Young Master."

"Xu Manor? The Garrison General's residence?" Wu Yuan asked, slightly startled.

Steward Fang nodded.

"Mother, please look after Steward Fang. Have him drink some hot soup before he goes back," Wu Yuan said, turning to her.

"All right. Since the clan leader is looking for you, hurry along. I'll take care of things at home," Wan Qin replied.

Wu Yuan covered several zhang with a single stride and quickly reached the ancestral residence.

There, in the study, he found Wu Qiming and Steward Xu from Xu Manor.

"Steward Xu," Wu Yuan said, looking him straight in the eye without any attempt at courtesy.

"Young Master Yuan, you're here." Steward Xu was exceedingly polite, as if he hadn't noticed Wu Yuan's coldness.

His attitude was worlds apart from the last time Wu Yuan and Wu Qiming had visited Xu Manor.

"Wu Yuan," Wu Qiming said with a smile from the side. "Steward Xu is here on behalf of General Xu to congratulate you on your upcoming special recruitment by a sect. He's brought ten thousand taels of silver to show his support for you."

"Ten thousand taels of silver? General Xu?" Wu Yuan frowned slightly.

"That's right!" Steward Xu smiled. "The general was delighted to hear of Young Master Yuan's achievements. After so many years, Li City has finally produced another martial arts prodigy like you. He specifically ordered me to bring ten thousand taels of silver."

As he spoke, Steward Xu presented a stack of banknotes.

Wu Qiming watched from the side.

It was obvious that Xu Manor was extending an olive branch. Whether to accept it or not was entirely up to Wu Yuan.

Wu Qiming didn't want Wu Yuan to grow dissatisfied with him.

"Xu Manor is a prosperous household, beyond anything our Wu Clan can hope to match," Wu Yuan said coolly. "I'm deeply grateful for General Xu's kindness, but there's no need for the silver."

"The five thousand taels he sent last time had a tremendous impact on our Wu Clan. Wu Yuan will never forget it."

"Just tell General Xu that I hope he'll be more diligent in guarding Li City from now on, and not let petty criminals run rampant." Wu Yuan's expression was calm.

There was no mockery, nor any pleasure. He spoke as if merely stating the facts.

Steward Xu's hand froze in midair, and his expression shifted. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. As someone Xu Shouyi deeply trusted, how could he fail to understand the meaning behind Wu Yuan's words?

Last time, those five thousand taels had nearly driven the Wu Clan to ruin.

And now, ten thousand taels? How could they dare accept it?

"Haha, the boy's a little thoughtless," Wu Qiming said with an awkward laugh. Taking advantage of the opening, he took the banknotes from Steward Xu and stuffed them back into his arms. "Steward Xu, thank you for making the trip. Please tell General Xu that our Wu Clan is a decent family, loyal to the sect and obedient to the law. We have no desire to come into conflict with anyone. I hope the general can rest assured."

With a way to step down, Steward Xu's expression returned to normal, and a smile appeared on his face again. "As expected of Young Master Yuan. I understand the Wu Clan's position and will inform the general. I hope our two families can make peace."

Wu Yuan nodded slightly but said nothing.

Soon,

Wu Qiming and Wu Yuan watched Steward Xu leave.

"Clan leader, what do you think?" Wu Yuan asked softly.

"Xu Shouyi wants to reconcile with us?" Wu Qiming shook his head. "But even Dean Zhang Da offered ten thousand taels to settle things, and he's only sent ten thousand? I can't make sense of it."

Ten thousand taels of silver was no small sum!

After all, though martial artists in the Central Land World slaughtered one another amid chaos, top experts could easily seize vast fortunes.

But that was true of First-class Experts and above.

Some Third-class Experts, if they didn't risk their lives or venture out to rob, might not have even ten thousand taels to their names.

Take the Li City Wu Clan, for example. The entire clan had nearly a thousand people. Even counting all their fixed assets—residences, estates, cloth shops, and the like—they were worth only a little over two hundred thousand taels.

If they needed to turn those assets into cash quickly, their value would plummet.

As for liquid funds? When things were going well, they might have twenty or thirty thousand taels. When times were hard, they could struggle to scrape together even a few thousand.

So ten thousand taels was, in fact, a substantial sum.

But it depended on who was offering it!

And what it was for!

The Xu and Wu Clans had such a deep feud, and Wu Yuan was about to be specially recruited by the Martial Academy, his status about to soar. Xu Manor wanted to resolve their grudge, yet had sent only ten thousand taels of silver?

It was far too little.

"Xu Manor sending silver really was beyond my expectations."

"But there's something else I'm more concerned about. I'm not surprised that Dean Zhang Da knew I was about to be specially recruited," Wu Yuan said with a frown. "But how did Xu Shouyi find out in just one night? Did Dean Zhang tell him?"

"He's the Garrison General. It's no surprise that he has well-informed sources." A trace of worry appeared on Wu Qiming's face. "I'm just concerned that you rejected his goodwill outright today. Are we really going to break with Xu Manor completely?"

Wu Qiming was quite worried about turning against the Garrison General of an entire commandery.

"Should I have taken the ten thousand taels, then?" Wu Yuan asked in return. "Clan leader, can you truly trust the Xu Clan?"

Wu Qiming was taken aback and said nothing.

"And besides, can we really let go of our hatred? Do those clan members deserve to have died in vain?" Wu Yuan murmured, shaking his head. "Some things can't be measured in money!"

Wu Qiming looked at Wu Yuan.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

A human life couldn't be measured in money? But in Wu Qiming's heart, every person's life had a price.

The two fell silent, each lost in thought.

Suddenly,

"If there's a suitable way to do it..." Wu Qiming seemed to make up his mind. "Wu Yuan, I still hope we can reconcile with the Xu Clan."

"Reconcile?" Wu Yuan stared at Wu Qiming in disbelief. "Clan leader, when you came back alive that day, you were the one who told me not to forget our hatred!"

"That's right."

Wu Qiming sighed. "I was the one who told you not to forget our clan's hatred. I wanted revenge even more than you did!"

"But back then, my heart was filled with hatred."

"These past few days, I've been thinking about it constantly."

"Your martial arts talent is astounding. Perhaps one day you'll become a First-class Expert, but how many years will that take? Ten? Fifteen?" Wu Qiming shook his head and sighed. "Too long. Can we afford to do anything to Xu Manor in the meantime?"

"By contrast, Xu Shouyi holds a high position and has many friends. He has plenty of ways to deal with us."

"Perhaps we'll keep fighting."

"In the end, you may be able to kill Xu Shouyi and wipe out Xu Manor. But by the time we finally get our revenge, how many members of the Wu Clan will have died?"

"I've thought about it for a long time. I've made up my mind. We won't fight anymore."

"Our Wu Clan is too weak. We can't afford more losses." Wu Qiming looked at Wu Yuan, a hint of pleading in his eyes.

Listening to Wu Qiming's words and seeing his expression,

Wu Yuan was completely stunned.

In his memories, he had never seen the clan leader look so pleading—not even when he was imprisoned by the Fierce Tiger Gang. Back then, the clan leader had gritted his teeth and borne it all!

"Clan leader, have you really made up your mind?" Wu Yuan asked gravely, his voice low.

"I have." Once Wu Qiming voiced his thoughts, his reasoning became clearer and clearer. "The clan can compensate the families of the dead. When you grow stronger, the clan will grow stronger too."

"The dead are gone. There's no need to drag the living into more deaths."

"If we end our struggle with Xu Manor, you'll be able to focus on your cultivation at Cloud Martial Hall without worry."

Wu Yuan fell silent.

Was the clan leader wrong? No!

He was being eminently rational!

Was a clan leader's foremost duty to seek revenge? To satisfy his own heart? No! His greatest duty was to preserve the clan and lead its people toward a better life!

Even if that meant enduring some humiliation, it still had to be done.

After a long moment,

"Clan leader, what do you intend to do?" Wu Yuan asked slowly.

"I'll go to Xu Manor again. I'll speak with General Xu." Wu Qiming seemed to have made a tremendous decision. "I'll speak with him face-to-face! I'll do everything I can to make him believe in the sincerity of our Wu Clan."

Wu Yuan nodded and said nothing more.

He didn't object. It was tacit consent.

"Wu Yuan, you don't need to come. I can go alone." Seeing his reaction, Wu Qiming hurriedly gathered his clothes.

Despite his injuries, he got into a carriage.

And set out for Xu Manor.

"Clearly, we're in the right. Clearly, our Wu Clan suffered terrible losses. In the future, with the might of the sect behind me, I could crush Xu Shouyi." Wu Yuan stood alone beneath the eaves, his eyes lowered.

He quietly listened to the rain pattering onto the ground.

And yet! They still had to take the initiative to seek reconciliation.

They even had to make Xu Shouyi believe completely that the Wu Clan had given up on revenge.

Why?

Because he was Li City's Garrison General? Because he had built a web of connections within Hengyun Sect?

Wu Yuan's heart grew colder and colder.

He was unwilling to accept it!

And more than that, he was unwilling to yield!

Martial artists cultivated their true hearts and sought to let their thoughts flow freely. If their thoughts were blocked, how could they preserve the purity of their original resolve?

"I don't blame the clan leader! But what use is all this strength if, because of all these concerns, I can't bring it to bear?" An almost uncontrollable killing intent stirred within Wu Yuan.

When you carried a sharp blade, the urge to kill arose!

And Wu Yuan could already unleash a force of a hundred thousand jin!

Time passed. Xu Manor.

"Clop~" "Clop~" The carriage carrying Wu Qiming slowly departed, heading toward the Wu Clan Ancestral Residence.

On the second floor of a side courtyard in Xu Manor's third compound,

"Steward Xu, do you believe Wu Qiming? Can Wu Yuan and the Wu Clan truly let go of the hatred between our families?" Xu Shouyi asked in a distant voice, dressed in a black robe.

"Judging by his words and actions, Wu Qiming seemed sincere," Steward Xu replied respectfully.

Xu Shouyi nodded slightly.

"However..." Steward Xu hesitated.

"If you have something to say, say it," Xu Shouyi said.

"Wu Qiming is a clan leader. He has many concerns, so he can be trusted," Steward Xu said. "But from the way Wu Yuan acted today, he's a hard-headed young man. As a gifted youth, he may not be able to swallow this hatred."

"A gifted youth?" Xu Shouyi murmured to himself.

"Fine. You may go."

"Yes." Steward Xu bowed respectfully and went downstairs.

"Wu Qiming." Xu Shouyi watched the Wu Clan carriage disappear around the corner of the street and murmured, "I'm willing to believe you, but can I trust Wu Yuan?"

"I'm sorry. This time, I broke my word. I still don't dare take that gamble!"

The Wu Clan Ancestral Residence.

"Wu Yuan, these thirty thousand taels of silver are from General Xu," Wu Qiming said, handing them to Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan had been waiting at the ancestral residence for the past two hours.

"Clan leader, since you've reached an agreement, keep it. Consider it compensation from the Xu Clan to our family," Wu Yuan said.

"But this is..." Wu Qiming started to protest.

"Clan leader, I said it's for the family." Wu Yuan shook his head, his tone firm and leaving no room for argument.

Wu Qiming sighed. "Wu Yuan, don't blame me."

"Clan leader, I don't blame you. I only blame myself for not being strong enough." Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. "If I already had the strength of a top expert, why would any of this be so troublesome?"

Wu Qiming opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"All right, clan leader. Go get some rest. Your injuries haven't healed yet, so don't tire yourself out. I'll head home." Wu Yuan walked into the misty rain.

Wu Qiming let out a long sigh.

He said nothing.

Night fell.

Fine rain still shrouded Li City. The curfew was in effect, and not a sliver of moonlight showed. Every street and alley lay in darkness.

In a remote alley not far from the Wu Clan's street,

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

Three black-clad figures appeared without a sound. Moving with ghostly speed, they headed toward the Wu Clan's street.