Gong Yuanshan looked at his daughter’s eager, confident expression. His stern face showed no approval; instead, he frowned slightly and said gravely,
"Ning’Er, the world of martial arts is vast, a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons."
"Heroes and masters are countless, like fish in the sea. Remember, you must never underestimate anyone."
"I’ve read the intelligence my men have gathered. This Mr. Lu’s life is nothing short of a living legend."
"In his youth, he was the champion of the imperial martial examinations, and then he single-handedly became a tycoon in Yun Port City."
"He was stuck at the bottleneck of the Peak of Anjin Realm for thirty years. Then, at the age of sixty, when his vitality should have been in steep decline, he defied the heavens and changed his fate, breaking through to become a Grandmaster of Huajin in a single stroke!"
"Even I have to sincerely admire such incredible perseverance."
Gong Yuanshan paused, pondering for a moment before continuing, "Normally, after a Martial Artist passes fifty-five, their vitality begins an irreversible decline. It’s rare enough for them to maintain their current level of cultivation without it regressing, let alone break through to a higher Realm."
"And yet, this Mr. Lu broke through to become a Grandmaster of Huajin at the age of sixty, essentially being reborn."
"I’m wondering... is it possible that he also obtained some Immortal Flesh?"
"Immortal Flesh?"
When Gong Ning heard this, she first froze, then curled her lip in disdain. "Father, you’re thinking far too highly of this Mr. Lu."
"The Immortal Flesh is a divine treasure! How could an Anjin Martial Artist who struggled for decades in Yun Port City possibly have such a heaven-defying stroke of luck?"
"Even that traitor, Ma Sanlie, only learned of the Immortal Flesh’s existence by chance after participating in a secret mission with our Gong Family."
At the mention of Ma Sanlie, a cold glint flashed in Gong Ning’s eyes. She spat, "That damn traitor was tough! Before he died, he endured the torture of my Wandering Dragon Eight Trigrams Palm until his internal organs were nearly shattered."
"But he still didn’t reveal the location of the Immortality Crystal! Hmph. It doesn’t matter, though. The Immortality Crystal must be with his wife and child!"
"According to the confession of his eldest disciple, whom we’ve captured, I’ve already dispatched men to conduct a secret, city-wide search."
"Before Ma Sanlie fought me that night, he secretly arranged for a rickshaw puller and the puller’s two sons to take away his wife and child."
"His name was something like... Wen San? Even if I have to turn this city upside down, I’ll dig them out!"
Just then, Gong Yuanshan raised a hand, cutting off his daughter’s bloodthirsty tirade. His expression turned exceptionally grave.
"Ning’Er, you no longer need to involve yourself personally with the Immortality Crystal. I will handle this matter myself from now on."
"Also, do not be so hasty to challenge Mr. Lu. Tomorrow, I will personally prepare a generous gift and pay him a formal visit."
Gong Ning grew frantic at his words. "Father! The Immortality Crystal is tied to the Immortal Flesh! Our Gong Family..."
Gong Yuanshan’s voice suddenly rose, his tone heavy. "Ning’Er! You are grown now. It is time you knew certain things."
Gong Ning was taken aback by his sudden gravity and could only stare blankly at her father.
Gong Yuanshan did not look at her, continuing as if to himself, "The truth is, for generations, our Gong Family has merely been a vassal to that other family. Or, to put it more bluntly, their running dogs."
"What?"
At his words, Gong Ning’s eyes flew wide. She shot up from her chair as if struck by lightning, her face a mask of utter disbelief.
It was as if she had just heard the most absurd, impossible story in the world.
The Gong Family!
The reclusive Ancient Martial Clan from the Eastern Province, with a legacy stretching back hundreds of years. A clan with profound roots, multiple Grandmasters of Huajin, and two unfathomably powerful Elders—a power that dominated the entire region.
’The family she had been proud of since birth, the family she considered her life’s greatest honor!’
’And yet... her father was telling her that for generations, the Gong Family had been nothing more than someone else’s running dogs?’
’How could she possibly accept this?’
Gong Yuanshan continued in a tone so calm it was almost cruel, "Our search for the Immortality Crystal and our pursuit of the Immortal Flesh... it wasn’t entirely for the sake of the Gong Family. To a large degree, we were acting on behalf of that other family."
"It’s just that ever since that clan was crippled hundreds of years ago—first by Emperor Zulong, then by Overlord Chu—they have remained dormant."
"They haven’t shown a trace of their existence in the world for centuries, and even our connection with them was severed long ago."
Gong Ning’s mind couldn’t keep up.
’Emperor Zulong? Overlord Chu? Crippled them? That’s not what the history books say! Weren’t those two enemies? How could they have...’
Gong Yuanshan knew the chaos swirling in his daughter’s mind. He shook his head slightly. "Ning’Er, history... is sometimes like a little girl, to be dressed up by whoever is in power."
"What you read in books is not the whole truth. It was deliberately altered by the people of the Yin Court."
Gong Ning still couldn’t accept it. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Father... are you sure this is all true?"
"Our Gong Family has you and seven other Elders who are all Grandmasters of Huajin! And our two great Elders possess power so profound it rivals creation itself; their strength is unfathomable!"
"In the entire world, what power, what person, could possibly force the Gong Family to bow in submission and willingly serve as running dogs?"
Gazing at his daughter’s deeply shaken expression, Gong Yuanshan said slowly, "Ning’Er, the times have changed."
"This world is now ruled by airplanes and cannons, by foreign rifles and ironclad ships."
"Even a warrior as powerful as a Grandmaster of Huajin would struggle to face an organized army and its overwhelming firepower head-on."
"You and I both understand this."
He paused, his voice dropping lower. "But you must understand something even more important: there is always a heaven beyond the heavens, and always someone stronger than yourself."
"The family our Gong Family serves is unfathomably powerful. Clan legend says they possess immortal bodies and an innate Divine Technique."
Gong Ning’s pupils constricted. "Immortal bodies? A Divine Technique?"

Comments

Loading...