Central District, the Ruan family.
The Ruan estate stood at the very heart of Tianshu City, the Central District's core city. Its sprawling grounds, blue bricks, gray tiles, high walls, and secluded courtyards all exuded the heritage and dignity befitting a great family with a century of history.
Yet at that moment, the atmosphere in the main hall was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
The head of the Ruan family, Ruan Qingfeng, sat in the seat of honor, holding a cup of tea without drinking it.
He looked to be in his early forties, with refined features and a composed bearing, but his slightly narrowed eyes held an unmistakable sharpness.
Ruan Hai knelt on one knee with his head lowered. Gauze still wrapped his forehead; his injuries clearly had yet to heal.
"So, all of you were defeated just like that by some newly formed organization?" Ruan Qingfeng's voice carried both shock and anger.
As the foremost family in the Central District, the Ruan family possessed overwhelming strength. No one in the entire district could rival them.
They had always done whatever they wanted, and nothing had ever been beyond their reach.
Nor had anyone ever dared oppose them.
But now...
The Ruan family had suffered a crushing defeat!
Ruan Hai kept his head down, not daring to look at Ruan Qingfeng. He answered quietly, "Yes. He was Madara Uchiha, the Leader of [Dawn]. He's incredibly strong, and his abilities are bizarre. None of us were a match for him."
Ruan Qingfeng tightened his grip slightly, and several cracks spread across the teacup with a sharp crack.
But he restrained his temper and turned to Ruan Qingqing beside him instead.
Ruan Qingqing sat there with vacant eyes, her face utterly bloodless, as though she had lost her soul.
She