Xiao Zhan paced slowly through the empty courtyard. The setting sun washed the bluestone paving beneath his feet in a dim, golden warmth, but none of it could dispel the chill in his heart.
"Outside help... who could I turn to?"
A thought flashed through Xiao Zhan's mind like lightning striking flint-the Gu Clan.
The moment that name surfaced, it brought an almost irresistible temptation. He knew better than anyone what a terrifying colossus stood behind Xun'er. Never mind one paltry "Black Sand Alliance"-even ten or a hundred would be nothing but ants, reduced to dust and ashes with a flick of a finger.
Yes, if he could swallow his pride, the Gu Clan would not even need to send anyone else. The Guard at Xun'er's side would only have to lift a finger, and every crisis facing Wutan City would unravel like bamboo beneath a blade. It was undoubtedly the simplest, quickest shortcut.
Yet that thought lasted only a few breaths before a far stronger tide of bitterness and humiliation drowned it. Ask the Gu Clan for help? How could I, Xiao Zhan, bring myself to say it? His fists clenched abruptly, and the pain of his nails digging into his palms kept his head clear. He looked up at the weather-beaten plaque above the Xiao Clan residence, his eyes full of self-mockery.
Look at what the Xiao Clan has become under the Gu Clan's "protection." As clan leader, he had poured half a lifetime of effort into his cultivation, only to barely remain at the Da Dou Shi realm. Across the entire clan, the old crop was gone before the new could ripen; there was no one left who could truly uphold its standing.
*And under these circumstances, I'm supposed to shamelessly ask them for help? How is