Chapter 527 - 460: Compensation (Part 2)
Chapter 527: Chapter 460: Compensation (Part 2)
"Give away our wealth to avoid disaster?" Gongsun Chongshan asked, alarmed and confused. The Gu and Tang Families were powerful and noble, and with the two families connected by marriage, they had received the Gongsun Clan together. However, they were arrogant, allowing only the Gongsun Clan’s two elders into the inner hall. Gongsun Chongshan and all the others were left to wait in the outer hall, completely in the dark about the discussions inside.
"That’s enough. Say no more."
Gongsun Li sighed and waved his hand. Sharp-eyed Gongsun Changting noticed that the Black Essence Iron Ring Gongsun Li always wore on his ring finger was gone. He couldn’t help but exclaim, "Grandfather, your ring?"
Gongsun Xiang raised his left hand. The Jade Ring he wore on his thumb was gone, too!
Now, it wasn’t just Gongsun Changting; the faces of all the Gongsun men in the hall, young and old, drained of color. The two rings worn by the two elders were Storage Rings passed down from their ancestors. It was said that the entire fortune of the Gongsun Clan—their wealth, Cultivation Techniques, secret recipes, and more—was stored inside them. All Gongsun Clan Members knew that as long as these two Storage Rings were safe, every clan member was guaranteed a life of luxury. Anyone who was found to have a Spirit Root could practice Cultivating Body without worrying about a lack of resources. The contents of the two Storage Rings were said to be enough to support the Gongsun Clan for several hundred years!
And now, those two rings were gone!
Gongsun Xiang glared at Gongsun Chongshan with hatred and said with a cold snort, "The treasures passed down from our ancestors, along with everything inside, have been handed over to the Gu and Tang families as compensation. That was the price for them to spare the Gongsun Clan! Chong Shan, you remember this. This whole mess is the fault of you and your granddaughter!"
Gongsun Chongshan was dumbstruck.
Gongsun Changting’s eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with heartache and regret. He never should have encouraged his daughter to scheme against Tang Manman. Their plan had backfired spectacularly; not only did they gain nothing, but they had lost his own grandfather’s Storage Ring in the process!
’Those two Storage Rings passed down from the ancestors were Ancient Magical Treasures, filled with countless Magic Artifacts and riches. They had always been in the safekeeping of the most senior Clan Leader and elders. It was said that in ancient times, if the Gongsun Clan ever faced a disaster that forced them to flee, they could abandon everything except for these two Storage Rings. With them, they could re-establish themselves anywhere and live in prosperity and dignity!’
’His own branch of the family had produced the Clan Leader for two generations. His grandfather had many children and grandchildren, yet he had always doted on him since he was a child. Others never even had the chance to touch that Storage Ring, but he had handled it many times. Barring any accidents, his grandfather would have certainly passed it down to him... and now it was just given to the Gu family! Aaaargh!’
Gongsun Changting was overcome with anguish, but he still stiffened his neck and retorted to Gongsun Xiang, "How can you blame us? Every effect has a cause! Uncle Han Shan is no fool. If he hadn’t secretly taken a huge bribe from the Bai Family and recklessly meddled on their behalf, sabotaging the Gu family’s feng shui, would we be facing this disaster today?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Everyone in the clan knows what kind of person Han Shan is. He’s not the despicable man you make him out to be! He must have had his reasons for what he did. He’s not like you and your father, fickle and obsessed with worldly pleasures. He has no vices. His only focus is the clan and his Cultivation. He’s already broken through his bottleneck and reached Foundation Establishment! Your father, Chong Shan, started his Cultivation the same year he did. If he were half as diligent, he wouldn’t still be stuck at Qi Refining Perfection at the age of sixty, and this whole disaster wouldn’t have happened!"
Gongsun Changting opened his mouth to retort, still unconvinced, but Gongsun Li cut him off with a roar. "Shut your mouth! You’ve got some nerve now, do you? Daring to talk back to an elder? Where is your sense of propriety?"
Gongsun Chongshan, also feeling wronged, cried out, "Father..."
Gongsun Li shot him a glare, then his eyes swept over the other anxious faces of his sons, nephews, and grandsons, all of whom looked like they were bursting with questions. Knowing what they wanted to ask, and in order to calm everyone down, he decided to explain everything:
"In truth, this incident was a trial for our Gongsun family, one our ancestors forewarned us about. What happened all those years ago... if it had stayed hidden, everything would have been fine. But unfortunately, the Gu family found out. Since we couldn’t avoid it, we had to do our best to resolve it. The fact that the Gu and Tang Families accepted our compensation and apology is the best possible outcome. It’s better to lose wealth than to lose our people, right? The most important thing is the continued safety and prosperity of our clan! There’s no need to panic. It’s just two measly Storage Rings. How could that possibly shake the foundations of our Gongsun family? Besides, this could be a blessing in disguise. Plenty of powerful people out there knew the Gongsun family possessed Storage Rings, and they were all drooling over them. Now that the rings are in the hands of the Gu and Tang families, it’s a loss for us, yes, but looking at it from another angle, it might not be a bad thing! So, relax. The good life we’ve always lived will continue, and it will only get better in the future. I’ll let you in on a secret: our ancestors buried over a dozen caches of treasure across Huaxia, and we still haven’t found even half of them. The Gongsun Clan hasn’t prospered for hundreds of years without reason!"