Protect Our Clan Leader

Chapter 381: Chapter 85: Tragedy! The Decline of the Huangfu Prominent Family_1

…

The Battle of Fallen Eagle Gorge.

Though the conflict unfolded in the shadows, only those prominent families involved had knowledge of it.

Yet, the surge of undercurrents and the shift in dynamics, seemed to have only just begun.

In recent days,

News of the revered ancestor Hua Ye’s critical injuries abruptly spread throughout Changning, carefully disseminated by those with ulterior motives. The rumor mill around it was in full swing.

Some said Hua Ye explored foreign realms in search of opportunities and unfortunately encountered a Level Five Fierce Beast. After an intense battle which left both parties severely injured, Old Ancestor Hua Ye returned gravely wounded and on the brink of death.

Others stated that a disagreement had arisen between the Hua Ye and the Jiaolong Gang, leading him to fight the notorious vice-leader of the Jiaolong Gang, Sikou Luoxia. The battle ended with both parties severely injured.

There were people who mentioned that…

“Rumors” of Old Ancestor Hua Ye fighting various masters were circulating in no less than five or six versions.

In summary, every story was detailed and vivid, as if the speakers had all been eyewitnesses. In all these versions, the one common point was that Hua Ye’s life was hanging by a thread due to his serious injuries, and he would probably die any day now if he couldn’t contain his wounds.

As one of the two Celestial prominent families of Changning, the Huangfu Clan was enraged by these harmful rumors.

On one hand they “demystified” the rumors, on the other, they dispatched family members and even hired numerous Independent Cultivators to “put out the fire”. They threatened and beat groups of people discussing these rumors.

They attempted this crude and simple method to extinguish and suppress the rumors.

Unfortunately, if they continued their tyrannical method of suppressing all with a single hand, even the Celestial Lei Family would not want to confront them.

The true puppet master behind this was Wang Shouzhe.

Back when he lived on Earth in his previous life, he was not an experienced spectator. However, through passive exposure, he became well-versed in various underhanded schemes.

Soon after, “fires” were sparked everywhere across Changning, with detailed “revelations” bombarding the public without end.

For instance, the Huangfu Clan’s tyranny and exploitation of the market.

Or, how the Family Head, Huangfu Jinhuan, pressurised a declining family and forcibly took in two of their members to be his concubines.

These “scandals”, one after another, seemed to expose the “filthy” and “stench-ridden” scenes beneath the glamorous façade of the Huangfu Clan in Changning, leaving people “astonished”.

The grand Celestial prominent family had such character?

The Daqian Court granted the prestigious family status in the hope that they would expand and stabilize their regions on behalf of the court, not to oppress the good and live off the land.

As such, the court has certain expectations for the character and actions of the prominent families. If they did indeed incite the anger of the masses, they would be rebuked at the very least, demoted in rank at the worst case, or even stripped of their prestigious emblem in the most severe cases.

Just when the Huangfu Clan was in a frenzy, the Celestial Lei Family delivered another heavy blow.

After the Lei Family ancestor learned of Hua Ye’s injuries, he personally hired the best physician in Changning, Gu Hanyu, to diagnose Hua Ye.

Gu Hanyu was an Independent Cultivator. Unlike other Independent Cultivators, she possessed a unique lineage of wandering healers.

She did not originally practice in Changning, but because of the severe flooding this year, the Purple Abode Academic Palace especially invited her here to halt the plague. She was a kind person who often sent her disciples to help refugees free of charge, earning her an excellent reputation.

In addition, she was also a renowned alchemist, known as the Pill Doctor Par Excellence.

Despite her middle-rank cultivation base in the Spirit Platform Realm, she had a substantial reputation in Changning. With her large following, she could be considered an influential figure. In terms of reputation, she was only behind the two Celestial ancestors and Marquis Xiahou.

Her status was on par with Wang Shouzhe and Old Ancestor Beichen.

Her diagnosis of Hua Ye resulted in him being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Since he couldn’t hide it anymore, he let her treat him reluctantly. At least Gu Hanyu’s medical skills were unrivaled within Changning.

Her diagnosis led to mixed feelings within the Huangfu Clan. Gu Hanyu’s intervention indeed alleviated Hua Ye’s injuries temporarily.

However, she mentioned that Hua Ye’s heavy injuries were a result of a peculiar Sword Energy of the Purple Abode Realm invading his body, combined with the adverse effects of forcibly using a secret technique to escape.

With her capabilities, she was only able to slightly relieve and suppress the injuries. It would take decades to completely dispel the peculiar Sword Energy.

The best solution was to seek treatment at the Purple Abode Academic Palace. Only Master Changchun from Changchun Valley could possibly cure him within a few years.

Moreover, he couldn’t exert himself during this period. Otherwise, his injuries would worsen, possibly affecting his lifespan.

This gave the Huangfu Clan a glimmer of hope. The problem was, Master Changchun was a well-known, long-standing Purple Abode master. How could they easily get in touch with such a person?

Furthermore, even if Master Changchun agreed to treat Hua Ye, it would still take several years. How could they show nothing in return?

However, Hua Ye was the pillar of the Huangfu Clan, the reason they had achieved their current success. The number of families they had suppressed and offended in secret was not few. If anything happened to their revered ancestor, it would spell disaster for the Huangfu Clan.

The truth of Hua Ye’s injuries, much to the Huangfu Clan’s dismay, was “unintentionally” spread throughout Changning. As they suspected, the suppressed and bullied families and powers started to stir.