Chapter 573 - Great Condemnation of the Seven Families (3)
Yun Che’s loud interrogation stunned the seven great Patriarchs who were initially displaying an overbearing might; it was as though they suddenly had a fishbone stuck in their throats. Only after a good while did Xiao Xifeng finally roar with widened eyes, “Yun Che! Your Yun Family still has the face to bring up the matters of back then?! At that time, if Yun Canghai had not hastily departed for the Profound Sky Continent, how would he have lost the Demon Emperor’s Seal?!”
Yun Che let out a cold laugh. “The reason my grandfather had to head to Profound Sky Continent is completely clear to all of the citizens of Illusory Demon Realm! It wasn’t for his own sake, wasn’t for the Yun Family, nor was it to lose the Demon Emperor’s Seal! It was instead in order to save the Demon Emperor who had fallen into Profound Sky Continent! Xiao Xifeng, why don’t you dare to answer my earlier question directly…? Back then, when the former Demon Emperor fell into the Profound Sky Continent, when my grandfather lead ten Grand Elders of the Yun Family to rescue him, what were your seven great families doing?! Why didn’t any of you head over to save him?! Answer me!!”
This question Yun Che had brought up caused the hearts of the seven Patriarchs to uncontrollably clench, because to them, this was an overly sharp question. Back then, when the former Demon Emperor fell into Profound Sky Continent, everyone had believed that the probability of him living through it was close to none. They had never gone to Profound Sky Continent before, so if they were to infiltrate hastily, there was a huge possibility that they would lose their lives. At the same time, the Twelve Guardian Families had prospered for ten thousand years, and they had been secretly competing in the dark. If their family’s experts were to lose their lives in Profound Sky Continent, the family’s forces would definitely decline. Hence, they didn’t dare, and in the depths of their hearts, they were basically unwilling to take such a huge risk… Only Yun Canghai insisted that he definitely wouldn’t believe the former Demon Emperor was already dead without seeing the corpse with his very own eyes! He decisively lead the ten strongest Grand Elders of the Family, and traveled to Profound Sky Continent…
Hence, due to this pinpoint interrogation from Yun Che, they could not help but feel guilty in their hearts.
Xiao Xifeng exhaled, then solemnly said, “Ignorant child! Back then, the former Demon Emperor landed in the hands of the Four Sacred Grounds of Profound Sky Continent. The strength of the Four Sacred Grounds was extremely formidable, and more importantly, Profound Sky Continent was the opposing party’s homeground. If we were to hastily infiltrate it, we would only be inviting casualties! Even if we had to save, there’s a need to make sufficient preparations, and make long, in-depth plans…”
“Long, in-depth plans? What a well-said ‘long, in-depth plans’!!” Yun Che began to laugh mockingly. “What’s the duty of a Guardian Family? It’s to guard the Demon Emperor's bloodline! To guard the Demon Emperor's bloodline well, the very first thing we must do, which is also our most basic duty, is guard the Demon Emperor well! Since you knew that the former Demon Emperor was in such a predicament, then you should have known that for every second that dragged on, the more danger the former Demon Emperor faced! As a Guardian Family, what should have been done was the immediate and unhesitant rescue of the former Demon Emperor… and while the former Demon Emperor was in such a time of crisis, you!! The Patriarch of the Xiao Family, one of the dignified Guardian Families, actually said the words ‘long, in-depth plans’!”
Yun Che pointed at Xiao Xifeng, his face filled with rage. “I’m simply unable to understand. As the Patriarch of a Guardian Family, when facing a crisis which concerned the Demon Emperor’s life, just where did you find the face to say these words! Heh… when you land in the hands of the enemy, and when your life is at stake, should you make long, in-depth plans as well?! When your son falls in the claws of a ferocious beast, do you have to make long, in-depth plans too? When you see your wife being stripped naked from her clothes, are you going to make long, in-depth plans as well?!”
“You!!” What kind of status did Xiao Xifeng have?! He was the Patriarch of one of the Guardian Families, the number of people to whom he would bow his head to in all of Illusory Demon Realm could even be counted by hand, let alone those who would scold him. Currently, he was actually being scolded with a finger pointed at his nose by a junior like Yun Che in front of all heroes of the realm. Furthermore, even though he was furious beyond his head, he was actually unable to refute a single word, and his chest looked as though it could explode.
“Heh!” Yun Che coldly laughed. “What long, in-depth plans? Such a laughable and shamelessly sad excuse! You were clearly afraid that you yourself would encounter danger in Profound Sky Continent, afraid that your family’s forces would suffer a setback, and thus decided to disregard the life and safety of the former Demon Emperor!! Illusory Demon Realm had peace and stability for ten thousand years, enjoying increasing prosperity every day. With no crisis and difficulty, it’s understandable that maintaining loyalty would be difficult! A hundred years ago, when crisis struck, it was exactly the time for the twelve Guardian Families to repay the Demon Emperor for the ten thousand years of prosperity, to perform the duties of a guardian! Yet, when the former Demon Emperor faced a crisis, the only ones who unhesitantly risked their lives to save him… were our Yun Family!! Only our Yun Family!!”
“While the lot of you!!!” Yun Che pointed forward, his voice trembling. “The same Guardian Families, yet, to protect your own lives, for the interests of your own families, the lot of you actually disregarded the life of the Demon Emperor! And still, you’re here, shouting the words ‘long, in-depth plans’ in such a superior manner! This alone is bad enough, but when the former Demon Emperor died, when my grandfather died, when ten Great Elders of our Yun Family died, not only did none of you feel shame and guilt or atone yourselves, the lot of you instead collaborated together to defame the heroics of our Yun Family! Furthermore, you lot have even spread lies throughout Illusory Demon Realm, destroyed the reputation of our Yun Family, and pressured the Little Demon Empress, who had just been instated back then, to bestow punishment upon our Yun Family! Causing my Yun Family, who had clearly been extremely loyal, and had just painfully lost their Patriarch, to instead suffer punishment and great decline for a hundred years… To the point where even today, the lot of you are collaborating together, wanting to banish our Yun Family from the Guardian Families! How could the lot of you, with vile and ugly actions and shameless faces, be worthy of the ‘Guardian Family’ title!!”
Every single word from Yun Che was like thunder, filled with indignation, fiercely shaking everyone’s souls. All of the voices in the hall had all quietened down, and every single person was watching Yun Che with dumbfounded expressions. Hearing his condemnations, their hearts stirred for a long time.
“Che’er… Well said!” Yun Qinghong clenched his fists tightly. He didn’t say a single word and quietly watched this son of his, who was making him feel even more proud, and even a little surreal.
The faces of the seven Patriarchs became incomparably ugly. Although Yun Che looked incomparably agitated, and seemed to have lost control of his emotions, every one of his sentences and words was like one poison needle after another, striking right at their weaknesses. The Patriarch of the Jiufang Family, Jiufang Kui, sharply said, “Shut your mouth! Yun Che, you sure have lots of guts to actually dare tarnish our Guardian Families! Back then, the place the former Demon Emperor had fallen to was the Profound Sky Continent! Not just any regular dangerous land! Not a single one of our Twelve Guardian Families had once gone to the Profound Sky Continent! Not only was it impossible for Yun Canghai’s hasty infiltration to save the former Demon Emperor, it had even caused his own death at that place. It was an extremely foolish action…”
“Shut your stinky mouth!!” Before even waiting for Jiufang Kui’s voice to fall, Yun Che had already voiced out in furious condemnation. “My grandfather was foolish? If my grandfather was foolish, how could he have been given the title of Demon King, and not you, Jiufang Kui? Could it be that the former Demon Emperor was a foolish person as well?!”
Jiufang Kui opened and closed his mouth a few times; however, he basically had no words with which he could refute.
“If my grandfather was foolish, why was the one prospering the most a hundred years ago, our Yun Family, and not your Jiufang Family!!”
“If my grandfather was foolish, why was he the number one expert among his generation back then? Why did his name shake the world, and receive the respect of all the experts in Demon Imperial City? Why was he the only Demon King in the history of Illusory Demon Realm?! While these achievements are completely unrelated to your Jiufang Family, your Grand Patriarch, and you, Jiufang Kui! If my grandfather was foolish, then you, Jiufang Kui, could not even be compared to the stupidest and lowliest of pigs!!”
“You… You…” Jiufang Kui’s face turned green for a moment, then white in the next.
“As to whether my grandfather was a foolish person, anyone who knew my grandfather, came into contact with my grandfather, or even heard of my grandfather through rumors, should be crystal clear about that!” Yun Che’s voice had calmed down, and his gaze slightly trembled. “My grandfather wasn’t foolish. He was more upright than anyone else, and smarter than anyone else. He was extremely clear about what the outcome would be if he were to bring along the family’s ten strongest Grand Elders to Profound Sky Continent… That was the Profound Sky Continent in which he and the ten Grand Elders could very possibly die. If that were to happen, then the Yun Family will lose their eleven strongest pillars, eleven of them… and all of the eleven late-stage Monarchs they had! This would cause the Yun Family’s strength, which was ranked first among the Twelve Guardian Families, to fall to the weakest in a span of one night.”
“However, my grandfather still decided to do it! Without any hesitation, without turning back! Not a single person in the Yun Family objected to it, and none of the ten Grand Elders retreated! Because our Yun Family is a Guardian Family, and guarding the Demon Emperor is our Yun Family’s greatest mission! In my grandfather’s beliefs, the life of the Demon Emperor was far more important than his own, and in our Yun Family’s beliefs, the safety of the Demon Emperor's bloodline far surpasses the safety of our Yun Family’s bloodline! This is the mission of our Yun Family, and is also the loyalty and pride of our Yun Family!!”
“But how were we rewarded for our Yun Family’s display of loyalty?!” Yun Che’s eyes, which were looking straight at the seven families, were filled with hatred. “There was slander and pressure from you lot, families who had disregarded the crisis of the former Demon Emperor, and even today, the lot of you are still collaborating to banish our Yun Family! During such a huge crisis for the Demon Emperor's bloodline, not a single one of your families had suffered a single loss of troops, not even the slightest bit of injury! The loyalty and sacrifice our Yun Family’s former Patriarch had made for the Demon Emperor's bloodline was even dismissed as ‘foolish’!”
“Just which of the families here aren’t worthy of the name of ‘Guardian’?! Just which of the families here should be banished?! Heh… Could it be that the eyes of everyone in the world are all so blind that they can’t even see the obvious truth right before their eyes?!”
Yun Che’s words had fiercely struck every single one of their heartstrings… and every single pair of eyes that had been unconsciously blinded by the rumors.
“Well said… Well said… Well said, I say!!” The old man Mu Feiyan’s hands trembled. Raising his head, he said with a sigh, “Little brother Yun, this is your grandchild! With such a grandchild, you should be smiling even in death!”
“Young Patriarch…” The eyes of every single person in the Yun Family were reddened, and their faces were all completely flushed red. Yun Che’s words, had vented out all of the grievances, resentment, and indignation in these past hundred years. He had shouted out all of the voices they had bitterly suppressed, and were unable to cry out from within the depths of their hearts. Even moreso, he had proclaimed the pride and honor of their Yun Family. Every single one of them was tightly clasping their arms; even the blood in their bodies was seemingly about to boil, but their eyes were instead filled with the flickering of tears.
“Grand Patriarch… Are you hearing this? Young Patriarch is currently rectifying your name, rectifying the name of our Yun Family.” When the many elders recalled Yun Canghai who had died in the Profound Sky Continent, every single one of them grieved from the bottom of their hearts, and tears continued to flow without end.
Xiao Xifeng and Jiufang Kui, the two great Patriarchs, were instead condemned by Yun Che to the extent where it was as though dog blood had rained on their heads. Their expressions were as ugly as though they had eaten cow dung, and even after restraining themselves for a long while, they were still unable to blurt one a single word of rebuttal… Similarly, the expressions of the other five Patriarchs were extremely ugly to behold. Today, they weren’t facing Yun Che alone, as the heroes of the realm were surrounding them by the sides. If they were going to be completely suppressed by the Yun Family today, then the direction of public opinion, which they had controlled for a hundred years, might completely change…
In their eyes, Yun Che’s age could only be described as an ‘infant;’ however, the toxicity of his lips and the sharpness of his tongue had traumatized all of their hearts. This was the first time in their lives experiencing what was called “hearts being smashed with every single word”. The Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Guiyan, gritted his teeth, and sharply said, “Yun Che! You speak of praising loyalty, coming up with excuses for your Yun Family with your words! Hearing them sounds so laughable, one’s teeth could even drop from his laughter! Yun Canghai was indeed an outstanding person, but his actions a hundred years ago were foolish to the extreme, and were known by the entire world! If he weren’t foolish, why would he have brought the Demon Emperor’s Seal to the Profound Sky Continent, and not hand it over to the Little Demon Emperor before his departure?! Otherwise, the Demon Emperor’s Seal wouldn’t have been lost!”
“Laughable! Just who is laughable here?!” Yun Che mocked with cold eyes. “The Demon Emperor’s Seal was handed to my grandfather by the former Demon Emperor for safekeeping! The reason such an important item was handed to my grandfather was because of the unlimited trust in my grandfather! My grandfather was loyal to the Demon Emperor his entire life, so how would he betray such trust in the slightest?! Without the former Demon Emperor’s order, my grandfather definitely would not hand it to anyone else! Although the former Demon Emperor had fallen to the Profound Sky Continent back then, my grandfather had firmly believed that the former Demon Emperor had yet to die. Even with the countless dangers, even if there was possibility of death because of his decision, my grandfather still wasn’t willing to hand over the Demon Emperor’s Seal without permission… That is trust and loyalty between a master and his subject! While you, Lin Guiyan, actually feel that this is laughable! Even if the former Demon Emperor were to live for another ten thousand years, he definitely wouldn’t leave the Demon Emperor’s Seal to a person like you for safekeeping! Just what qualifications do you have to criticize my grandfather?!”
Lin Guiyan’s face sank, but following after, he revealed an ugly cold smile. “This sort of blind loyalty is basically a joke!”
Yun Che’s eyes narrowed, as he stared frigidly at Lin Guiyan. “Lin Guiyan! Do you know what true loyalty is in this world? Let me tell you then… It is exactly the ‘blind loyalty’ of which you spoke! In this world, the clearest and purest form of loyalty, is blind loyalty! Just which, out of all the kings and emperors, wouldn’t wish for their own ministers to be blindly loyal! Just which, out of all the masters, wouldn’t wish for their own subordinates to be blindly loyal! You’re right, my grandfather was blindly loyal to the former Demon Emperor! In his eyes, the former Demon Emperor was heaven itself! In his eyes, the former Demon Emperor’s life surpassed his own! While you, Lin Guiyan, who hang the word ‘loyalty’ by your lips, are unable to do it… Not only are you unable to, but you don’t even feel shameful, and you actually call this a joke!”
“Everyone in the Lin Family, you’d best remember well the words your Patriarch had said earlier, you must definitely not be overly loyal to your Patriarch. Otherwise, in his eyes, you’re a joke… a joke, he says!”
“Yun… Che! You…” Lin Guiyan pointed at Yun Che, his body trembling.
“For someone who sees blind loyalty to the Demon Emperor as a joke, his identity is actually even the Patriarch of a Guardian Family. This is simply the shame of a Guardian Family! For my Yun Family to be one of the same Guardian Families as yours, even feels shameful in itself! Such a person actually has the face to criticize my grandfather… Heh, Lin Guiyan, excuse this junior for his straightforwardness… but you don’t even have the qualifications to lick my grandfather’s feet! Patriarch of the Lin Family? My ass!!”