novelraw Chapter 708 the most correct choice in my life
Chapter 708 the most correct choice in my life
He had no time to think more; the black-clothed swordsmen were already charging toward them."Why haven’t the people from the Yuan Family arrived yet?" Zhou Xingbang looked at the men carefully and asked Zhao Yuanji, puzzled.
This time, each family had mobilized their elites, cultivated Death Soldiers over many years, and hired experts for a hefty sum. They had naturally contacted the Yuan Family beforehand, but strangely, until now, not a single person from the Yuan Family had shown up.
"Maybe something has held them up," Zhao Yuanji pondered and said.
"A battle today relates to the life and death of our families; what could be more important than this?" Zhou Xingbang shook his head and said.
Hearing this, Zhao Yuanji was also bewildered.
"Family Head Zhao, do you think that old fox from the Yuan Family has changed his mind?" Zhou Xingbang asked worried, concerned.
Logically, the Zhou Family, Zhao Family, and Yuan Family had always joined forces to combat the Mu Family over the years, sharing both prosperity and misfortune. It seemed bizarre that the Yuan Family would desert the battlefield at the last moment, and by now, no one from the Yuan Family had appeared, making the situation even more peculiar.
Zhao Yuanji remained silent, suddenly feeling an unexplainable irritability: had he miscalculated something?
...
In the Yuan Family, the elder Patriarch sat on an ancient chair, his gaze lingering on Yuan Tianbo for a long time.
A few highly-paid experts surrounded him, and Qin Li, whose injuries had just healed, was among them. It seemed not so much that they were protecting him, but rather that they had placed him under house arrest.
"Have you truly made up your mind to risk everything, consequences be damned?" the elder Patriarch finally spoke up.
Though he was placed under house arrest by his own grandson’s men, there was no trace of anger or sorrow on his face, calm as an ancient well.
"Grandfather, the one truly risking everything is not me, but you. Do you actually believe we can destroy the Mu Family? Trust me, we should no longer oppose the Mu Family and avoid involving ourselves in the affairs of today; otherwise, our Yuan Family will certainly face annihilation," Yuan Tianbo shook his head firmly and said to his grandfather.
"Oh, you have such confidence in the Mu Family?" the elder Patriarch seemed a bit surprised as he gave Yuan Tianbo a look.
Even if their Yuan Family did not participate, there were still the Zhao, Zhou, Xu, and Cao families. With all these families deploying their experts, it seemed the Mu Family would hardly escape calamity. Even if they couldn’t completely eradicate the Mu Family, they could inflict severe damage so that the Mu Family would have no power to counterattack, and they could profit from this. Yet, Yuan Tianbo was exceedingly confident in the Mu Family, even to the extent of placing himself under house arrest, defying convention. Where did he draw this confidence from?
"I do not have confidence in the Mu Family, it’s just that... Mu Hanyan is not someone we can contend with. Even if we prevail this time, or even slaughter the entire Mu Family, Mu Hanyan will not perish. As long as he lives, one day, we will pay a dreadful price for today’s actions, possibly even facing our family’s extinction," Yuan Tianbo hesitated for a moment, but still looked into his grandfather’s eyes and resolutely said.
The last time Mu Hanyan had approached him, he had hesitated endlessly—even considering his ambitions, agreeing to Mu Hanyan’s demands, and sending that secret letter, he still felt uneasy, always struggling to make the final decision.
But when Mu Hanyan appeared before him again, he knew that no matter how well the families planned this time, they could not avoid defeat; even if by some fluke they succeeded, they would ultimately pay an unbearable price.
Thus, today’s action was taken.
This decision was the most correct one in his life; even many years later, reminiscing about today’s resolution, he still felt proud of his foresight.
"Family Head, Young Master is right. The current Mu Hanyan is not someone we can kill, and the future Mu Hanyan is even less someone we can contend with," Qin Li promptly said.
He had suffered the most at the hands of Mu Hanyan, sustaining severe injuries multiple times and with his cultivation greatly damaged, making it unclear whether he could ever advance to Sword Master in this lifetime. But now, he held no resentment towards Mu Hanyan. Because he knew resentment was futile. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ????????????????????※????????????????※????????????
He felt fortunate, grateful that he had encountered Mu Hanyan a bit earlier. If it had been later, he might not even have the chance to stand here and speak.
"Family Head, we are not ungrateful traitors. We have received much kindness from the Yuan Family and are willing to walk through fire for the Yuan Family as long as it is feasible. But with Mu Hanyan involved, this matter must not proceed; going against the tide will only harm the Yuan Family," another old man with a thin face also spoke up.
Among them, he had the longest and deepest relationship with the elder Patriarch and was the most straightforward. Since even he expressed such views, the elder Patriarch felt even more conflicted.
Mu Hanyan—it was actually Mu Hanyan! The one who truly intimidated Yuan Tianmu, Qin Li, and others was not the three Great Elders of the Mu Family, nor Mu Rui’an, not even the Mu Family in the capital, but that once despised and ridiculed playboy, the foremost wastrel of Heishi City, Mu Hanyan.
The elder Patriarch didn’t ask why, sensing the ominously unspoken words among their speech. Some issues, it seemed, were better left unsaid.
"I understand, then let’s immediately gather our men and head to the Mu Family," the elder Patriarch resolutely stood and said to Yuan Tianbo.
"What?" Yuan Tianbo was shocked; even after all that had been said, could it be that his grandfather still wanted to proceed stubbornly?
"The principle of decision is to avoid wavered affiliations. Since we’ve decided to side with the Mu Family, we cannot be indecisive. Otherwise, regardless of whether Zhao Family or Mu Family wins or loses today, our Yuan Family will not have good days ahead," the elder Patriarch said with a faint smile.
"Grandfather means that we are going to support the Mu Family?" Yuan Tianbo understood his grandfather’s intention and was overjoyed.
Although Mu Hanyan had promised him, as long as the Yuan Family didn’t participate in today’s conflict, the Yuan Family would not be troubled in the future, and he would be helped to regain the position of Young Master. Yet, placing his grandfather under house arrest was disloyal and unfilial. Even if he relied on Mu Hanyan’s help to become the Young Master or even the Family Head in the future, he would still feel guilty and could still face criticism.
But if his grandfather took the initiative, it was a natural sequence of events. Moreover, by providing timely help, the Mu Family would certainly not treat the Yuan Family poorly, and the benefits the Yuan Family could draw in the future would be substantial, making his great contribution to the family recognized and winning people’s hearts.
"Nonsense, I’m an old man stuck here by you, not eating or drinking for days; I might not even survive, so how can I not agree with you?" the elder Patriarch’s mood seemed easygoing as he joked.
Yuan Tianbo’s face turned red, feeling embarrassed.
"Tianbo, compared to your cousins, you are actually not smart, or rather, a bit foolish, and your talents are quite ordinary. Yet, I have repeatedly protected you, and even advocated against many opinions to support you as the Young Master. Do you know why?" the elder Patriarch asked.