Wenren Wan instructed him, "Be careful on your journey."
Yu Er waved at him.
Mo Hua also smiled and waved goodbye, then boarded the carriage and set off on the journey back to Taixu Gate.
Qian Learning State Boundary.
The grand and splendid Shen Family residence.
This festival, the Gu Family was quite lively.
In contrast, this year the Shen Family’s festival was much quieter, and very oppressive.
In the vast mansion, although brightly lit, it was filled with a cold dead silence.
The disciples were also restless, not daring to speak loudly.
Occasionally, there was the sound of a wine glass shattering, or curses and reprimands.
In the luxurious and magnificent hall, the annual feast ended hastily.
Family members dispersed, leaving only the Old Ancestor of Shen Family, still seated high in the hall, with an imposing aura, his face showing no anger, yet the person exuded a chilling coldness like an iceberg.
Once most had dispersed, the Shen Family Head stayed behind to solely endure the Ancestor’s wrath.
He was the Family Head, wielding the family’s power, enjoying the supreme honor and prestige of this Fifth-grade Great Family, but at the same time, he bore the heavy burden like a mountain.
Once trouble arose, he alone had to bear the brunt of the storm.
In the empty grand hall.
The Shen Family Head, who was usually high and mighty, receiving others’ salutes and kneeling, now humbly knelt at the staircase, his forehead touching the cold floor, pleading guilty before the Ancestor.
The Old Ancestor of Shen Family looked at the Shen Family Head kneeling at his feet, his expression calm as water, but his gaze terrifyingly grim.
In the end, he slowly closed his eyes, restrained his ferocious aura, and spoke slowly:
"Rise."
The Shen Family Head, feeling a prickling sensation on his back, finally breathed a sigh of relief, kowtowing on the floor, thanking, "Thank you, Ancestor, for your mercy."
"Have you figured everything out?" the Old Ancestor of Shen Family asked.
"Yes," the Shen Family Head replied in a low voice, "The cause of this matter was a disciple of the Taixu Gate being captured by a group of tomb robbers and taken into the tombs of Solitary Mountain City."
"After that, an elder named Xun Ziyou from Taixu Gate, along with Elder Shen Shouxing from our Shen Family, entered Solitary Mountain City, followed by many twists and turns afterwards..."
"After this matter, someone saw that the elder named Xun Ziyou from Taixu Gate was still alive."
"No one saw how he came out of Solitary Mountain City, but he indeed escaped alive and continued teaching in Taixu Gate as if nothing had happened."
"And the Taixu Gate disciple who was captured in Solitary Mountain City..."
"I had some speculations about the identity of this disciple before, but never had evidence. Taixu Gate is very guarded, even the Taoist Court keeps silent."
"After more than a month, with much effort and many contacts, I obtained some evidence and finally confirmed his identity."
"The Taixu Gate disciple related to the Solitary Mountain incident is named Mo Hua..."
As soon as he heard this, the Old Ancestor of Shen Family’s eyebrows slightly raised, "Are you saying..."
The Shen Family Head replied, "Yes, precisely the Formation Leader of Taixu Gate..."
The Old Ancestor of Shen Family’s expression remained calm, revealing no joy or anger.
The Shen Family Head was uncertain of the Ancestor’s thoughts and could only continue:
"This matter should be... Taixu Gate secretly setting a trap, using a disciple as bait, through many means, to expose the wounds of our Shen Family, placing us on the chopping block, thereby attracting other predators to covet and slowly eat away our Shen Family’s foundation..."
In this Solitary Mountain incident, how much spirit mines, fields, stones, sect rights, and the positions of real power associated with the Shen Family that had to be sacrificed for management...
No one knew better than the Family Head.
Every time he thought of these, the Shen Family Head felt as if his heart was bleeding.
His hatred towards Taixu Gate grew deeper.
Yet, within the Shen Family Head’s heart, there was also some confusion, and he said:
"This Mo Hua, being a Formation Leader, is an extraordinary formation prodigy seen once in centuries. Taixu Gate’s heart is so large, they actually used him as ’bait’? Are they not afraid that this young man might die in Solitary Mountain City?"
If Mo Hua were to die, with Taixu Gate’s formation foundation, they might not achieve first place in formations for this lifetime.
Do they not cherish this disciple?
And...
The Shen Family Head frowned, "What is a little Foundation Establishment disciple doing in Solitary Mountain City? Why would he wade into these troubled waters for no reason?"
"Does this young man have some unspeakable purpose?"
The Old Ancestor of Shen Family pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "This is a major chess game, with a Heaven Void Realm Ancestor behind the scenes strategizing."
"In such a chess game, everyone you see is a pawn."
"Even the Golden Core Sword Cultivator named Xun Ziyou is no exception, let alone this mere Foundation Establishment disciple."
"Don’t always consider what the pawns are thinking."
The Old Ancestor of Shen Family looked at the Shen Family Head, his gaze profound:
"...You are now the Family Head, and should have the vision of a Family Head."
"You need to know who you are playing chess with."
"Stand behind the scenes, look from the Ancestor’s perspective at this game, then you will understand."
"When you ascend to Heaven Void in the future, you will have the real scope to become the Ancestor of the Shen Family..."
"If your vision is short-sighted, only seeing those pawns, not knowing even who you’re playing against, you will eventually be toyed with by others."
This earnest advice made the Shen Family Head tremble all over, moved to tears.
The Ancestor still had expectations for him.
The Shen Family Head kowtowed, "Grateful for Ancestor’s teachings, grandson will remember them."
The Old Ancestor of Shen Family slightly nodded, then shifted the topic, "How much do you know about the Rouge Boat incident?"