Chapter 530 - 462: Severing the Inheritance
Chapter 530: Chapter 462: Severing the Inheritance
"The Gongsun Clan is surprisingly direct," Xiao Man said. "They admitted it right away, no beating around the bush. They just pushed the main culprit forward. I’m surprised they didn’t follow the usual script and try to fool us with a scapegoat to stall for time."
Gu Shaojun chuckled at her words. "Would stalling have done them any good? If the Gongsun Clan couldn’t gauge the power of the Gu and Tang families, they wouldn’t be acting so humbly. They were supposed to kneel and kowtow according to tradition, but Grandfather thought it was a hassle and let them off. The Gongsun Clan Leader, Gongsun Ruxue’s great-grandfather, has countless descendants. Do you think he could rest easy if his own direct lineage was threatened just to protect one Gongsun Hanshan? That’s why he proactively offered ninety percent of his clan’s wealth as compensation and decisively gave up the real perpetrator, Gongsun Hancai. He even promised not to shelter Gongsun Hanshan, saying that if we ever find him, he’s ours to deal with. To any discerning eye, Gongsun Li’s actions were clearly for the good of the entire clan, and he also saved face for the clan elder, Gongsun Xiang, leaving him with nothing to say. That meant no one else could object either. In doing so, Gongsun Li completely shielded his own descendants. Even if the Gu family still hates the Gongsun Clan, we won’t target Gongsun Li’s branch directly—he’s the very definition of old and treacherous."
"So, is the feud between the Gu family and the Gongsuns considered settled now? Have we let them off the hook?"
"How could it be? People who are malicious from the very beginning can’t hide their deep-seated evil, no matter how they pretend. This surface-level reconciliation is just for show. It’s a way for both sides to delude and lull each other into a false sense of security."
Gu Shaojun turned to look at Xiao Man, his gaze a mixture of affection and concern. His tone was firm and instructive. "You need to remember this: don’t trust people so easily, and don’t be so soft-hearted. People like Gongsun Ruxue, for instance. And Sun Yiming, too. He’s been living abroad, so you don’t know him at all. You can’t treat people like them as friends! Do you understand?"
Xiao Man was speechless and rolled her eyes at him. ’Talk about Gongsun Ruxue if you want, but why drag Sun Yiming into this? There’s nothing wrong with his character; he’s someone I can be friends with. I’m a good enough judge of character to know that, thank you very much.’
When Gu Shaojun saw that his little girl was clearly unfazed by his warning, he couldn’t help but ruffle her hair. "That Gongsun Hanshan," he continued, "when he destroyed the Gu family’s Guardian Array, he didn’t have a shred of kindness in his heart. Judging by his methods, he never intended to leave the Gu family any way out or any chance of survival. He was clever about it, delaying the disaster by more than a decade. He figured that even if someone eventually discovered the secret of the array, the trail wouldn’t lead back to the Gongsun Clan. But with the Heavenly Dao watching from above, how could he be allowed to get away with such evil? Our country is now a society governed by law—it’s peaceful and orderly. We can’t just do whatever we want like in the old days, where the strong made the rules. Besides, the Gongsun Clan Leader’s proactive confession was a commendable performance. This may look like a private matter between our families, but countless reclusive experts and superpower users are watching from the shadows. So, we might as well put on a show for them, too. The future is long, and we won’t let them off. At the very least, the Gongsun Family’s cultivation inheritance must not be allowed to continue."
Xiao Man blinked. "Ending their line of inheritance? A cultivation inheritance that can grant longevity and even a path to godhood... Isn’t that a little too cruel?"
"Getting soft-hearted again, are you? Xiao Man, I have no doubt that if you hadn’t tied that Jade Token to me, I would have died on the battlefield, long reduced to ash! And Grandfather... after his fall, the top specialists admitted the truth under pressure from Third Uncle. They said that even if Grandfather woke up, he would never walk again. Can you imagine what a disaster paralysis would be for him? Even if he had managed to hold on, it wouldn’t have been for long. Once Grandfather passed away, the whole situation would have descended into turmoil. Father and my two uncles don’t have the standing to keep things balanced. The future of the Gu family would have been grim, to say the least. We refuse to believe any of this was unrelated to the destruction of the Protective Array. We had sensed something was wrong for a while. Grandfather spared no expense trying to consult with various experts, but to no avail... If you hadn’t appeared when you did, or if you’d come back any later, what would have happened to the Gu family? So, tell me, do you think the Gongsun Family doesn’t deserve this punishment?"
Remembering Gu Shaojun’s tragic fate in her past life, Xiao Man’s eyes grew red. She nodded again and again. "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. They deserve it! I was just overthinking things, worried it might harm my spiritual merit."
"It won’t," Gu Shaojun said, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "A cultivator’s journey to attain the Great Dao isn’t just about strengthening oneself and extending one’s life. It should also be about upholding justice on behalf of Heaven and contributing to the protection of humanity. The Gongsun Clan has sustained its cultivation for hundreds of years by plundering the world’s treasures and resources. In all that time, what have they ever done for mankind? They don’t deserve to be called cultivators!"
"Yes, you’re right. I agree!"
"Still conflicted?"
"Conflicted about what? I wasn’t conflicted to begin with!"
"Is... that so?"
Gu Shaojun chuckled.