"But didn't we disperse some of the Su Household's children in advance?" the Su Household Head asked.
"Do you think we can truly rely on them to bring the Su Household back to prominence?" the Su Household Ancestor said. "It was merely a desperate measure to preserve a trace of our bloodline."
"Besides, even that is no foolproof plan. Who knows whether the Zhou Household has found out? Perhaps they are only pretending not to know, waiting until our Su Household is destroyed before cleaning up those scattered clansmen."
At this, the Su Household Ancestor sighed again. "I am also to blame for focusing solely on my own cultivation and neglecting the conduct of our children."
Hearing this, the Su Household Head immediately cupped his hands and bowed. "Your grandson has failed in his filial duty. I failed to keep our clansmen in line."
"Enough. At this point, saying such things is futile."
"Which of those Qi Refining Clans in Moon Lake Commandery doesn't want a share of the foundations our Su Household has built over hundreds of years? Even the clans bound to us by marriage might turn against us.
"But they shouldn't celebrate just yet. We haven't reached the final moment, and who will win and who will lose remains to be seen!"
A madness shone in the Su Household Ancestor's eyes.
A moment later, he regained his composure and asked calmly, "If our Su Household survives this, do you know what you must do?"
"Keep our clansmen in line, close our gates, and wait until we recover our strength. Then proceed slowly and repay each clan in kind."
"If you can truly accomplish that, the Su Household can survive at least another hundred years. But I will never see it."
"Ancestor..." A thin mist welled in the